Graham Parker
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Graham Parker |
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Graham Parker (born
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In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Graham Parker sang in
small-time English bands such as the Black Rockers and Deep Cut Three
while working in dead-end jobs like a glove factory and a
Graham Parker and the Rumour (Parker, with Brinsley Schwarz and Martin Belmont on guitars, Bob Andrews on keyboards, Andrew Bodnar on bass and Steve Goulding on drums) formed in the summer of 1975 and began doing the rounds of the British pub rock scene. The band was also augmented at times by a four-man horn section known as The Rumour Brass: John "Irish" Earle (sax), Chris Gower (trombone), Dick Hanson (trumpet), and Ray Bevis (sax).
The band's first
Parker and the Rumour built a reputation as incendiary live
performers: the promotional album Live at Marble Arch
was recorded at this time and shows off their raw onstage style. Like
the
In terms of establishing a recording career in early 1976,
Parker preceded two other "
Early in his career Parker's work was often compared favorably to Jackson's and Costello's. For decades afterwards journalists would continue to categorize them together, often labelling them with some variation of "Angry Young Men", even long after the artists' work had diverged. Characteristically, Parker would not hesitate to criticize this habit with caustic wit.
Critical acclaim for the first two albums was generally not
matched with
At this point, Parker began to change his songwriting style,
reflecting his desire to break into the American market. The first
fruits of this new direction appeared on
An official Graham Parker and The Rumour live album called The Parkerilla, issued in 1978, showed that the Rumour's vibrant live style remained strong, though some critics saw Parker in a holding pattern 2 years after Heat Treatment. It was a crucial juncture for the young musician.
Parker had long been dissatisfied with the performance of his
US record company,
Energized by his new label, Arista, and the presence of
legendary producer
Squeezing out Sparks is still ranked by
fans and critics alike as one of the finest rock albums ever made.
The jettisoned brass section, incidentally, would continue to
play on other people's records credited as The Irish Horns (on the
album
Bob Andrews left The Rumour in early 1980, and was not
officially replaced. However, in studio sessions for the next album, Nicky
Hopkins and
The 1980s were Parker's most commercially successful
years, with well-financed recordings and radio and video play. Over the
decade, the British press turned unkind to him, but he continued to
record and tour the world with top backing bands. His followup to The
Up Escalator, 1982's Another Grey Area,
featured noted session musicians Nicky Hopkins and
1983's The Real Macaw, featuring drumming by Gilson Lavis of Squeeze and the return of Brinsley Schwarz to the guitarist's spot didn't fare quite as well, hitting US #59 on the album charts but missing the UK charts altogether. However, Parker's 1985 release Steady Nerves (credited to Graham Parker and The Shot) was a moderate success and included his only US Top 40 hit, "Wake Up (Next to You)". The Shot was a four-piece backing band, all of whom had played on either The Real Macaw or Another Grey Area: Brinsley Schwarz (guitar), George Small (keyboards), Kevin Jenkins (bass), and Michael Braun (drums).
Steady Nerves was recorded in New York City, and Parker began living mostly in the United States during this time.
An uncompromising attitude toward his music ensured that
Parker would clash with the changing priorities of the
Parker contined to record for RCA through the early 1990s, typically receiving critical praise but little in the way of chart success. Long-time guitarist Schwarz once again parted company with Parker after the well-reviewed 1990 album Human Soul.
Parker's 1991 offering, Struck By Lightning,
had a slightly rootsier flavour than previous Parker releases, and
featured bassist Bodnar and Attractions' drummer Pete Thomas in the
backing band, as well as a guest appearance from The Band's
He rebounded quickly. Parker, Bodnar and Thomas were
joined by keyboardist Mick Talbot of The
Style Council, and this unit recorded 1992's Burning
Questions for the US major label
A 1994 Christmas-themed EP release (Graham
Parker's Christmas Cracker) was issued on Dakota Arts
Records, before Parker found a more permanent home on American
independent label
Parker began an extraordinarily active period in 2001,
with the UK rerelease of his early Rumour work, and with his third
studio album for
In 2003, Parker collaborated with
New solo work continued with 2004's Your Country,
which saw Parker switch labels to Chicago-based indie
Following in 2005 was Songs Of No Consequence,
an uptempo rock and roll collection quickly recorded with sometime
backing band, the
In addition to his records, Parker published an
illustrated
Graham Parker & The Rumour
Graham Parker
Graham Parker & The Shot
Graham Parker
Graham Parker
| Year | Title | Chart positions | Album | |||
| US |
US |
US |
||||
| "Hold Back the Night" | #58 | - | - | - | The Pink Parker | |
| "Life Gets Better" | #94 | - | - | - | The Real Macaw | |
| "Wake Up (Next To You)" | #39 | - | - | - | Steady Nerves | |
| "Don't Let It Break You Down" | - | #27 | - | - | The Mona Lisa's Sister | |
| "Big Man on Paper" | - | #18 | - | - | Human Soul | |
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