Paul Chapman of UFO

[Mats A]

Does anybody know what he used to get his tone in UFO 1980-1981? He had such a fat middy tone. He used a BC Rich guitar I think with lots of knobs. But he also used a reverse Firebird but witha humbucker put on if I remember correctly.

[62sg]

Does anybody know what he used to get his tone in UFO 1980-1981? He had such a fat middy tone. He used a BC Rich guitar I think with lots of knobs. But he also used a reverse Firebird but witha humbucker put on if I remember correctly.

Big fan of 'Tonka' here...Wild/Willing/Innocent and 'No place to run' being a couple of my favorite records.
PC did use BC's...the 10 string Bich. He also was a fan of Vox in the studio, too, although I always saw him with Marshalls on stage.

Here's a shot I took in 1981

[Tone Slinger]

Schenker got 'lost' right before the UFO tour of the states in '77 for the 'Lights Out' album. It was a BIG deal, 'cause that album was hovering around the USA top 20 at that time. Chapman filled in. I saw that live clip of 'Doctor Doctor' and Chapman had the Firebird. You could also see the back of the heads, and they were 50 watt superleads. I think Schenkers gear (amps) was used by Chapman on that short tour he had before Schenker emerged again.

Chapman was also around back in '74, though Schenker wanted to be left 'free' to whatever he wanted, so it was short lived. Oddly enough, Chapman wrote some of 'This Kids', but wasnt credited.

I read Chapman saying that he used the Firebird for 'No Place To Run'. I think it was recorded in '79 by the Beatles producer. Chapman said he wasnt happy with the final mix of that album, 'cause he said the 'HUGE' Marshall sound was brought way down and back in the mix.

I love that album, and think it is the only post Schenker UFO album that holds up to the previous ones.


Chapman used a colorsound overdrive on alot of stuff I think I read. That hitting th front of cranked Marshalls.

I liked Chapmanbetter back then, as compared to today. He seems to have 'improved' technically, but ,at the same time, improved past his own original style, which I liked. I would still rather hear him in UFO as compared to Vinnie Moore though.

[Mats A]

Thanks a lot for the telling about the Colorsound overdriver. Do you remember where you read that? Did he use anything else? I can´t seem to find a lot about him on the net.

[Tone Slinger]

Man, I cant remember where I read that. I'm sure it was on the internet though. You can really hear that overdriver at work on the '74 live stuff that he did with UFO. Him and Michael were trading off leads, and Chapman had way more gain and headroom. I probably liked what Schenker was playing a bit more, but Chapman, on those particular recordings, had his sound really togather. It was the same type sound he got on 'No Place To Run'.

Chapman also said, when asked about UFO's "Stranger's In The Night", that it was indeed a fairly 'live' album with minimal overdubs. He said that He (Chapman) actually did a few BASS overdubs for Pete Way. He said there were no Guitar over dubs done by him though, 100 % Schenker.

Chapman said that 2 track were done live, via mobile recording I think,for the album, those being 'This Kids' and 'Mother Mary'. He said those were the only two that were not 'concert live' in any way. Those were done before Schenker left obviously, probably done at soundcheck somewhere in the states on tour in '78.

So Chapman does play on the album, only not guitar, just a little bass.

NOW I REMEMBER where I got this info, my buddy (who I lost contact with) actually emailed Chapman, and thats where this info came from. This buddy of mine, was actually a bigger Chapman fan than he was a Schenker fan.





Chapman said that Gary Moore reccomended him for a gig (I think for Skid Row maybe, that was Gary's old band).

Back then, Gary Moore, and Jeff Beck, as well as Scott Gorham, I've heard, used the colorsound overdriver.

THROBAK makes a real good version of this circuit. Carlygtr56 has one, and put up some great clips of it. I dont know where he is though, as he was banned and then came back with a different user name.

[Mats A]

Thanks a lot!
I´ve tried e-mailing Chapman myself but havent got any reply. So your friend must have been lucky!

[Mats A]

By the way Fast Eddie in Motorhead also used a Colorsound overdriver.

[Tone Slinger]

I tried a Prescription Electroncs clone, but have never used the real thing. It had HUGE headroom, along with gobs of gain. It wasnt real compressed which I liked, still was crunchy enough for chords. A very good unit.

Your thread has had me listening to 'No Place To Run' alot recently. Chapman played his best stuff on that album imo. His leads and tone were extremely good.

[Mats A]

I lended one to test from a music shop a couple of years ago. There was something wrong with it but my brother mended it. I didn´t buy it though I don´t really like using distortion and overdrive units. But if I had known then that he used one I probably would have bought it. I thing Chapmans got a better tone on The Wild The Willing And The Innocent. But No Place To Run is a great record. There are some really good live recordings also. And the Rockpalast gig from 1980 has been released now.

[Tone Slinger]

Yeah, the rhythm tone on 'No Place To Run' left something to be desired. George Martin just didnt get the sound Chapman wanted in final production, but I think the leads are his best, both notes and tone, as well as the songs. I agree that the production got better, overall, for sure on the 'Wild,W & I".

[motorhead_6]

I saw them in Dallas on the No Place To Run tour and on the Wild Willing and Innocent tour. I can't remember which one it was but he played a Les Paul on one of them.

[bdc]

Cool to see a little Chapman love here....I saw UFO with him on the Mechanix tour
in the San Franciso civic center...My first real concert.....He's no Schenker, but he's good......

[motorhead_6]

Agreed. Michael Schenker is a huge pair of shoes to fill. Chapman was under-rated though.

[Maiki]

In the song 'Terri' from the Mechanix album, the clean rhythm guitar tone in the intro would be one of the ultimate clean electric guitar sounds for a Rock Ballad, the tone for the overdriven guitar solos & licks is awesome as well. This is the song that brought Paul Chapman to my attention. My imagination is that it's a Les Paul running through a Marshall, I hope I'm right on this, it'd be great to hear from Tonka himself about this, but I just love that song "Terri".

[Tone Slinger]

Welcome to the forums Maiki ! I need to listen to that track again. Chapman is definately a great guitarist, who has had a bit more input than most are aware of, in regards to certain UFO tracks. I think he may have written (though was not credited for) the main riff in UFO's 'This Kids'.