#263 - Tracy Chapman - Tracy Chapman (1988)
MUSIC HISTORY COMPILED BY ADAM BERNARD:
BACKGROUND – TRACY CHAPMAN
Tracy Chapman was born in March 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents divorced when she was four years old, and she was raised by her mother, who bought her a ukulele at the age of 3. Chapman began playing guitar and writing songs when she was 8, and says that she may have been first inspired to play the guitar by the television show Hee Haw.
Growing up in Cleveland, Chapman experienced frequent bullying and racially motivated assaults as a child. Raised a Baptist, Chapman attended an Episcopal high school and was accepted into the program "A Better Chance", which sponsors students at college preparatory high schools away from their home communities. She graduated from Wooster School in Connecticut and then attended Tufts University, graduating with a B.A. degree in Anthropology and African studies. While a student at Tufts, she busked in nearby spots, including Harvard Square and on MBTA Red Line platforms. Chapman made her major-stage debut as an opening act for women's music pioneer Linda Tillery at Boston's Strand Theatre on May 3, 1985
The history of today's album’s began in 1987, when Brian Koppelman, a student at Tufts University—the same school Chapman attended—was searching for a volunteer singer willing to attend his apartheid protest. When he was pointed in the direction of Chapman, he attended one of her live shows at the Cappuccino coffeehouse. When Chapman’s set concluded, Koppelman approached her and excitedly offered her a recording deal at SBK Records, a label where his father worked. She initially declined the offer, but after his insistence and attendance of more shows, she planned a meeting with him, refusing to record any demos. He later discovered that she had recorded demos at the Tufts radio station WMFO for copyright purposes.Koppelman discovered a demo of “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution” among a handful of other songs she previously recorded. He took it to various radio stations, and after it garnered success, he took the tape to his father. His father reportedly was blown away, almost instantaneously flying to Chapman to sign her to Elektra Records and begin recording a debut. Chapman's greatest concern during her meetings with Kershenbaum was that the integrity of her songs remain intact, because she wanted to record "real simple". Kershenbaum said, "I wanted to make sure that she was in front, vocally and thematically, and that everything was built around her."
In 1989, Chapman released her second album, Crossroads, which earned her an additional Grammy Award nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Her third album, Matters of the Heart, followed in 1992, and New Beginning was released in 1994. That became another worldwide success, and was certified 5× platinum. It yielded the hit single "Give Me One Reason", which earned Chapman the Grammy Award for Best Rock Song. Five years would pass before the release of her fifth album, Telling Stories (2000). Let It Rain and Where You Live followed in 2002 and 2005. Chapman's most recent studio album is Our Bright Future, released in 2008. The remastered compilation album Greatest Hits, which was curated by Chapman herself, was released in 2015.
She has won four Grammy Awards, including Best New Artist, Best Contemporary Folk Album, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance (Fast Car), and Best Rock Song (Give Me One Reason). Tracy Chapman has sold almost 33 million albums worldwide
This past April, The South African Presidency announced that Chapman along with others will be bestowed with a National Order that "recognizes eminent foreign nationals for friendship shown to South Africa. It is an Order of peace, cooperation and active expression of solidarity and support." Chapman was awarded this "for her contribution to the fight for freedom by participating in efforts to free Nelson Mandela and raising awareness of human rights violations globally."
Chapman is politically and socially active. In a 2009 interview she said, "I'm approached by lots of organizations and lots of people who want me to support their various charitable efforts in some way. And I look at those requests and I basically try to do what I can. And I have certain interests of my own, generally an interest in human rights." Chapman has been involved with Cleveland's elementary schools, producing an educational music video highlighting achievements in African-American history. Chapman sponsored "Crossroads in Black History", an essay contest for high school students in Cleveland and other cities. She received an honorary doctorate from Saint Xavier University in Chicago in 1997, and in 2004 was given an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts by her alma mater, Tufts University, recognizing her commitment to social activism. "I'm fortunate that I've been able to do my work and be involved in certain organizations, certain endeavors, and offered some assistance in some way. Whether that is about raising money or helping to raise awareness, just being another body to show some force and conviction for a particular idea. Finding out where the need is – and if someone thinks you're going to be helpful, then helping."
ALBUM BACKGROUND – TRACY CHAPMAN
Tracy Chapman is an American singer and songwriter, best known for her songs “Fast Car” and “Give Me One Reason”. Chapman released her self-titled debut album in 1988, which immediately received critical praise and commercial success. Her lyrics largely focus on social justice, and she remains a vocal activist with non-profit human rights organizations such as Amnesty International. She famously performed “Fast Car” at the televised Nelson Mandela 70th Birthday Tribute Concert for charity in 1988 (more on that later).
Arriving with little fanfare in the spring of 1988, Tracy Chapman's eponymous debut album became one of the key records of the Papa Bush era, providing a touchstone for the entire PC movement while reviving the singer/songwriter tradition. Chapman's impassioned liberal activism and emotional resonance enlivens her music, breathing life into her songs even when the production is a little bit too clean. The record continues to sound fresh because Chapman's writing is so keenly observed and her strong, gutsy singing makes each song sound intimate and immediate.