Following on from its award winning Family box set Once Upon A Time, Snapper Music has created a new box of wonder on its Madfish imprint guaranteed to reinvigorate the reputation of one of the 1970s most underrated and ageless Rock bands.
I'm Walking, Complete Streetwalkers 1974-77 is a gloriously packaged 15 CD collection of Streetwalkers entire catalogue.
Formed from the ashes of Family and featuring the fertile combination of Roger Chapman's and Charlie Whitney's songwriting, Streetwalker produced 5 albums with 3 different line-ups in just under 3 years. Ditching the quirky subtlety of Family, Streetwalkers aimed for the mainstream with a funky, hard rocking style that acted as an ideal backdrop for Roger Chapman's unique voice and eclectic lyrics, Charlie Whitney's innovative blues-inflected guitar style, and the soulful contributions of guitarist/vocalist Bobby Tench.
Containing 15 CDs, including 2 replica CD singles with non-album b-sides, and a 92 page coffee table book with rare and unseen pictures and memorabilia, I'm Walking is a beautifully presented testament to a fondly remembered band.
Alongside the band's original 5 albums, the box set features Walkers Put the Boot In, a 3CD set of previously unreleased live material, including radio and bootleg recordings from the band's 1976 UK tour and a complete Toronto show.
Both 1977's Ripping It Up At The Rainbow and De Monfort, boast new covers and Vicious But Live - a 2CD set of previously unreleased live recordings - features Roger at his irreverent best.
The 15 track BBC Recordings disc is perhaps the gem of the collection and includes only 6 previously available tracks. The electric 'In Concert' and John Peel sessions by the band's first 2 line-ups confirms their former label boss Nigel Grainger's belief that, "Streetwalkers never really captured what they did live on their studio albums. I actually used to like their John Peel sessions more than their albums."
With additional memorabilia including transfers, beer mats, a brochure and a certificate signed by Roger Chapman and Bobby Tench, this is a definitive set from an astonishing band.
