Blondie Chaplin

Blondie Chaplin

Terence William 'Blondie' Chaplin is a musician from Durban, South Africa who first became known to international audiences through his brief stint in the early 1970s as a singer and guitarist for The Beach Boys. Chaplin was also listed as a co-producer, sang lead vocals with fellow South African musician Ricky Fataar (drummer) and composed, with Fataar, "Here She Comes" and "Hold On Dear Brother" on the twenty-third official Beach Boys album, Carl and the Passions - "So Tough", released in 1972. He is well known in recent years as a long term backing vocalist, percussionist and acoustic rhythm guitarist for the Rolling Stones on their tours.

Blondie Chaplin, along with drummer Ricky Fataar, joined the Beach Boys when original drummer Dennis Wilson suffered a hand injury which left him unable to play the drums for almost two years. For the Beach Boys, it was a period in which long-time member Bruce Johnston had departed the band, and one-time leader Brian Wilson's participation in the group was very limited. As a result, Chaplin and Fataar joined the Beach Boys as full-fledged members and not merely as backing musicians. Chaplin left the group in 1973 after a dispute with the Beach Boys' management; Fataar remained with the band until the following year (and has performed with Bonnie Raitt's band since the 1980s).

Both Chaplin and Fataar were members of South African rock band The Flames before joining The Beach Boys. The Flames were discovered by Beach Boy Carl Wilson while performing in London. Wilson signed the band to the Beach Boys' Brother Records label and produced their self-titled album, The Flame (changed from Flames, to avoid confusion with the group that played with James Brown) which featured soulful rock/pop songs in the vein of The Beach Boys and Badfinger. The Flame were the only band aside from The Beach Boys to record for Brother Records.

Chaplin sang lead on various Beach Boys songs from two albums, "Carl and the Passions – "So Tough"" and Holland and plays on The Beach Boys live record from 1972 "In Concert." Blondie toured with the David Johansen group and participated in producing David's third solo album, "Here Comes the Night," on which Blondie played guitar and sang backing vocals, and he also co-authored seven tracks on the album. During the late 1980s Chaplin toured with The Band, replacing some of Richard Manuel's vocals and playing guitar and, occasionally, drums. In the 1980s, Chaplin toured with a band featuring Rick Danko and Paul Butterfield, and was guitarist and vocalist on Paul Butterfield's last studio album, "The Legendary Paul Butterfield Rides Again," released in 1986. Chaplin was also a featured player in former Byrds members Gene Clark and Michael Clarke's new band, titled "The 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Byrds". Chaplin then appeared on the Jennifer Warnes albums The Hunter and The Well. Since the late 1990s and the Bridges to Babylon Tour, Chaplin has been a backing vocalist, percussionist, and occasional guitar player for The Rolling Stones. The "Bridges to Babylon" album lists Chaplin's credits as "backing vocals, tambourine, piano, bass guitar, percussion, shaker, maracas."

Chaplin is the vocalist, songwriter, and lead guitar player with Skollie, a band formed with fellow South Africans Keith Lentin, on bass, and, on drums, Anton Fig (drummer with the CBS Orchestra on the Late Show with David Letterman). Chaplin has released three solo albums, most recently Between Us in 2006.