A Song For Me

Family entered 1970 with perhaps their strongest lineup—vocalist Roger Chapman, guitarist Charlie Whitney and drummer Rob Townsend were now accompanied by bassist and violinist John Weider and Poli Palmer on keyboards and vibes. Their next album, A Song For Me, produced by the band, would be their most successful. "Drowned in Wine" blasts the record open, proving that the band's on-stage power could easily translate to vinyl. The album is littered with Chapman/Whitney classics, including the beautiful "Some Poor Soul" and the raucous "Love Is a Sleeper;" but the pair also collaborated with Weider, on the instrumental "93's O.K. J" and the long, rambunctious title track; and on the strong "Wheels" with the departed Ric Grech. The album presents a more eclectic and indeed electric selection of songs, with the arrangements also benefiting from Palmer's diverse instrumentation. Released in January, the album reached No. 4 in the UK. Further touring in the US failed to change their fortunes stateside, but there was no shortage of work in the UK; Family recorded for another three BBC programs. A single in August, "Strange Band" b/w "The Weaver's Answer"/"Hung Up Down," nearly broke the UK top 10. Released in November, the half-studio, half-live Anyway reached the UK No. 7. The album was comprised of new material, including the powerful studio track "Part of the Load." Originally intended as a double-album, the live side was recorded at Fairfield Halls in July; the concert was also filmed, but the video footage remains unreleased.