graham parker all music guide
Retrieved March 13, 2021 from Encyclopedia.com: https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/news-wires-white-papers-and-books/parker-graham-0. Talib Kweli Couldn’t Tell His Story Without Also Telling the Story of Hip-Hop. People, September 21, 1992; October 7, 1996. With a band called The Shot that included Rumour guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and keyboardist George Small, he recorded the album Steady Nerves. 13 Mar. But in the mid-1970s a demo tape of his songs impressed a fairly well-connected studio owner named Dave Robinson, and soon Robinson hooked the young Parker up with a new group called The Rumour. In 1979 Dave Edmunds covered Parker’s “Crawling from the Wreckage,” while Parker recorded The Up Escalator with guest keyboardists Nicky Hopkins and Danny Federici. ." the rumour:Max (1977); Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts (1979); Purity of Essence (1982). Singer, songwriter. Moving in a softer direction, Another Grey Area included “Crying for Attention,” “Temporary Beauty,” and “No More Excuses,” whereas The Real Macaw contained “Just Like a Man,” “You Can’t Take Love for Granted,” and the minor hit “Life Gets Better.” Switching to Elektra Records, Parker scored a moderate hit with “Wake Up (Next to You)” from Steady Nerves, which included the political “Break Them Down” and “Lunatic Fringe.” He next signed with Atlantic Records, but no recordings were ever released. ", The group landed a deal with Mercury Records and released their debut LP, Howlin' Wind, in 1976. In addition to the MLA, Chicago, and APA styles, your school, university, publication, or institution may have its own requirements for citations. Self-Described “ Mod ” “ Pure Energy Fueling Emotional Catharsis ” Split From The Rumour. Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. During this period Parker also became a self-described "mod," listening to "soul music and bluebeat and ska, though it was underground. Both fictional works feature Brian Porker, a rock star who has been relegated to cult status, which has him performing in Sweden, Tasmania, and Greenland. Parker recorded several albums with The Rumour, gaining considerable critical attention, then broke with the band and made solo records and toured through the next decade and into the 1990s. Details: I recently bought a second-hand copy of Squeezing Out Sparks by Graham Parker And The Rumour. The acclaimed rapper discusses his new book and touches on the experiences and mindset that guided his career, why he never wanted to be a barometer for authenticity, and the pitfalls of internet culture. Parker unleashed his fury at Mercury by recording a single called “Mercury Poisoning.” In it the singer hissed, “I’m the best-kept secret in the West.” His new label, Arista—undoubtedly with no small amount of glee—released the song in 1978. Parker’s first album as a solo artist was 1982’s Another Grey Area, produced by Jack Douglas. Though he has never achieved large-scale pop success, Parker has proved that persistence goes a long way; as many critics have remarked, he has managed to chart his maturity while remaining a vital pop artist—no mean feat. The producer, again, didn't seem to spot it. “It is, unexpectedly, his best album since Squeezing Out Sparks. He has moved from label to label, seeing virtually no large-scale success, but has retained his singular vision. With a band called The Shot that included Rumour guitarist Brinsley Schwartz and keyboardist George Small, he recorded the album Steady Nerves. The songwriter told the Detroit Free Press he considered the cable channel’s absolute judgment of commercial appeal “a kind of musical fascism.” His aside in the song “Love Is a Burning Question” perhaps best summed up the situation: “I’ve seen the future of rock, and it sucks.”. (b. June 20, 1949, June 20, 1949); Andrew Bodnar, bs. Singer, songwriter The Real Macaw, Arista, 1983; reissued, Razor & Tie. A brief biography of Graham Parker In the spring of 1975, Graham Parker, a 24-year-old petrol pump attendant from Surrey, England, began to drive up to London to meet like-minded musicians and get a backing band behind his songs, which he now considered to be stronger and more interesting than anything he was hearing on the radio. Critics complained about the sound quality and felt somewhat betrayed by Parker: They had crowned him the Next Big Thing, and he hadn’t come through. The record launched "the long-delayed second act in Parker's public life," said Musician's Bill Flanagan. It seemed a perfect match: Parker’s take-no-prisoners vocals and The Rumour’s driving guitar-rock. Encyclopedia.com. (b. Dec. 21, 1948); Bob Andrews, kybd. Featuring sparse instrumental backup from former Loving Spoonful front man John Sebastian, former Style Council member Mick Talbot, and former Attractions member Pete Thomas, Struck by Lightning marked a new maturity and direction in Parker's body of work. Anthony De Curtis of Rolling Stone declared it Parker’s “most compelling record in nearly a decade.” The album includes the bitter “Success,” a worried parent’s lament called “The Girl Isn’t Ready,” the feminist anthem “Get Started, Start a Fire,” and a worthy remake of the Sam Cooke classic “Cupid.” Parker’s 1989 Live! Selected discography The more stalwart among them, however, seemed confident that this latest setback would not derail their man for long. Born November 18, 1950, in Deepcut, near London, England; married wife Jolie c. 1984; children: Natalie. Like its predecessor, Heat Treatment made a huge impression on critics, despite poor sales. Parker found himself unwanted by MTV, which more or less told Capitol not to bother sending a Parker video along for consideration. He then published a novel, The Other Life of Brian: Cultists, Extinct Marsupials, and Cryptozoologists; In Other Words, Your Average Rock Tour, in 2003. Encyclopedia.com. Rock band It just struck a chord in me. Parker then proceeded to record what many consider his most enduring album with The Rumour, 1979’s Squeezing Out Sparks. Undaunted, he signed with Capitol Records and in 1992 released the stripped-down Burning Questions, playing the lead guitar parts himself. A thorough overview of the British "neo-Marxist funk band"'s first era that's smart, challenging, and wildly entertaining. So that's what I did." Graham Parker & the Rumour headed into the studio to cut their debut album with producer Nick Lowe, who gave the resulting record, Howlin' Wind, an appealingly ragged edge. Porky (5) Lacquer Cut By. Contemporary Musicians. The album features a mix of angry rock tunes like “Here It Comes Again” and “Short Memories” and tender ballads, exemplified by the lovely “Long Stem Rose.” Once again the singer collected glowing reviews like so many trophies— Musician’s one criticism being “[the album] needs the change of pace a few throwaway tunes would provide”—but found himself unwanted by all-powerful MTV, which more or less told Capitol not to bother sending a Parker video along for consideration. Remarked Pareles of the outing, this time in Rolling Stone, “[Parker] clearly feels at home.” 1983 saw the release of The Real Macaw, for which David Kershenbaum had been enlisted for production chores. He and The Rumour had completed a third album, Stick to Me, with producer Mutt Lange, but a flaw in the master tapes forced them to re-record the entire LP with Nick Lowe. Graham Parker and The Rumour split company in 1981, and Parker recorded his next three albums as a solo artist while retaining guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. Thus they sound totally original and quite new. He and The Rumour had completed a third album, Stick to Me, with producer Mutt Lange, but a flaw in the master tapes forced them to re-record the entire LP with Nick Lowe in just a fraction of the time. Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. Parker’s music grew from an amalgam of diverse influences: soul, reggae, the rootsy early records of fellow Brits the Rolling Stones, and the folk-rock poetry of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, among others. It included “Local Girls,” “Nobody Hurts You,” the passionate “You Can’t Be Too Strong,” and the potent “Passion Is No Ordinary Word,” as well as “Mercury Poisoning” and “No Protection.” Supported by a three-month American tour, the album sold far better than previous releases. Glickman, Simon; Walker, Bruce "Parker, Graham "The main thing was I tuned my guitar to open G," he told Bressman. The Rumour, rock band involved in London’s early 1970s pub scene. Like its predecessor, the album made a huge impression on critics despite poor sales. Parker recorded several albums with The Rumour, gaining considerable critical attention, then broke with the band and made solo records and toured through the next three decades. Following two more modest-selling studio albums for RCA, Parker switched to Capitol for 1992’s Burning Questions. Then, copy and paste the text into your bibliography or works cited list. ", Parker took up the guitar, began writing songs, and formed a couple of short-lived groups with names like the Black Rockers and the Deep Cut Three. Parker explained in a 1992 Capitol Records publicity release that “the producer spent most of the time in the lounge shouting things into the telephone like “get me the coast ... any coast!” Escalator marked the end of Parker’s collaboration with The Rumour. Escalator marked the end of Parker's collaboration with The Rumour. Stambler, Irwin, Encyclopedia of Pop, Rock and Soul, St. Martin's, 1989. Rolling Stone labeled the song a "masterpiece." The band had already cut a few albums without him, and he felt that he would be better off on his own; “We just get up each other’s noses,” Parker explained jovially in a Musician interview. . George Peckham Mastered By. Heat Treatment (includes “Pourin” It All Out”), Mercury, 1976. It just struck a chord in me.” He would describe the self-possessed. “All I was going to do was look after these animals that were going to be killed and vivisected by someone else. Martin Belmont Guitar, Backing Vocals. Reflecting on domestic life in songs like “Children and Dogs” and “The Kid With the Butterfly Net,” Parker addressed adulthood in hitherto unimaginable pop forms. Rolling Stone labeled the song a “masterpiece.” Parker and The Rumour followed up immediately with Heat Treatment. He broke with Elektra and signed with Atlantic Records. Unfortunately, Parker’s luck with his record company was inversely proportional to his success with critics. In an essay on the British "New Wave" in the Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, Ken Tucker called the interaction between the singer and his band "inspired. He broke with Elektra and signed with Atlantic Records. But the label’s promotional expenses—including nearly $100,000 for a video—were excessively lavish and when the single received only modest rotation, Parker ended up in debt. Cite this article Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography. He has moved from label to label, seeing virtually no large-scale success, but has nonetheless retained his singular vision. His 1988 The Mona Lisa’s Sister was hailed as a triumphant comeback, but he was unable to successfully follow it up. The album was recorded in 11 days at Nevessa Production near Parker's adopted hometown in Woodstock, New York. Encyclopedia.com. Stardom and Self-Destruction The first indication that these fears were unfounded came when Parker ditched Atlantic before even producing an album; he managed to get a small advance from RCA and recorded a spare, intimate work with Schwartz and the rhythm section with whom he’d recently toured. Signed to Mercury Records, Graham Parker and The Rumour recorded two well-received but poor-selling albums released in 1976. Parker's best album, and one of the best albums of the decade. The Rolling Stone Illustrated Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll, edited by Jim Miller, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1980. Parker has continued to evolve as an artist, releasing albums of quality that are being heralded as a return to the form of his earlier releases of the 1970s. Picking up where he left off with his RCA and Capitol releases, Parker composed songs with musical accompaniments that are more subdued in a folk-jazz way. ", Parker was born to a working class family in Deepcut, some 30 miles outside London, in 1950. Most telling, perhaps, was the song “Brand New Book,” in which the singer reveals “The words came out/Not twist and shout/’Cause that’s not what a grown man writes about.” The record launched “the long-delayed second act in Parker’s public life,” said Musician’s Bill Flanagan. In 1979, Graham Parker notoriously flipped the bird at his former label, Mercury Records, by writing the scathing tune, “Mercury Poisoning.” ... - All Music Guide- Matthew Greenwald "Graham Parker" "Along with Lucinda Williams, Freund is the best singer/songwriter operating today." The label had previously reissued The Up Escalator in 1991, as well as Another Grey Area and The Real Macaw. In a strange review, a Musician reviewer declared that the release suffered from an abundance of strong material: "[The album] needs the change of pace a few throwaway tunes would provide." Parker's music grew from an amalgam of diverse influences: soul, reggae, the rootsy early records of the Rolling Stones, and the folk-rock poetry of Bob Dylan and Van Morrison, among others. The making of Graham Parker & The Rumour’s Howlin’ Wind. This time out Parker produced himself, telling Musician, “My idea was to make the record sound more like my demos.” A meager recording budget of $60,000 helped him obtain the desired sound, which achieved fruition on 1988’s The Mona Lisa’s Sister. and electro-synth menace ("Destitute Illusions," "Deeper Underground"). In his essay on the British “New Wave” in the Rolling Stone Illustrated History of Rock & Roll, Ken Tucker called the interaction between the singer and his band “inspired,” asserting that “they lead him away from bluesy dolor and onto a pounding rock style where his beseeching vocals and hard-boiled imagery glint with both amusement and ominousness.”. Baker’s Biographical Dictionary of Musicians. By 1995 Graham Parker had moved to the independent label Razor & Tie for 12 Haunted Episodes. Graham Parker must have sensed that replacing a backing band as solid as the Rumour wasn't going to be easy after he parted ways with the group, and the session heavyweights assembled for Another Grey Area either couldn't or wouldn't summon up the passion and soul Parker's music demanded -- and the mushy-sounding production didn't help, either. (For years Parker found himself dodging questions about whether the song is “pro-choice” or “pro-life.”) Jon Pareles, writing in the Village Voice, proclaimed Squeezing Out Sparks “Parker’s toughest, most decisive album.” Indeed, the Voice dubbed the LP the year’s best. All Guitars, Bass, and Vocals by Brinsley Schwarz. 2021
. A rare gem of heartfelt expression and celestial liminality, June's dreamy fifth album mixes folk, soul, and light psychedelia. ." In the mid-1970s British rocker Graham Parker teamed up with a feisty bar band called The Rumour, joining an intense, immediate "pub rock" movement that blossomed into the punk rebellion. The fine soundtrack to the singer's award-winning turn as Lady Day, the innovator she named herself after. Graham Nash - Songs for Beginners (1971) - Military Madness. In 2001 he released Deepcut to Nowhere, an album featuring songs about imperialism, arrogant world leaders, and youth culture. By this time the singer's long-simmering impatience with Mercury's seeming inability to promote his work had reached a boiling point. 13 Mar. * * * * * - William Ruhlmann, The All-Music Guide to Rock, 1995. We saw this black stuff coming off the tapes but he didn't notice it. "Parker, Graham The band was comprised of musicians from such well-regarded rock outfits as Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and Bontemps Roulez. The band had already cut a few albums without him, and he felt that he would be better off on his own. James Dann Lighting. ", Lest anyone think that he had mellowed to the point of no return, however, Parker unleashed Acid Bubblegum in 1996. The album included the bitter "Success," as well as a worthy remake of the Sam Cooke classic "Cupid." By this time the singer’s long-simmering impatience with Mercury’s seeming inability to promote his work had reached a boiling point. Steve Goulding Drums, Backing Vocals. Steady Nerves, Elektra, 1985. (Metro Toronto). "I didn't even talk to any majors, because I wrote a bunch of songs and wanted them out by spring," Parker told Billboard magazine writer Jim Bressman. Reflecting on domestic life in songs like "Children and Dogs" and "The Kid With the Butterfly Net," Parker addressed adulthood in hitherto unimaginable pop forms. The album featured the song "(Wake Up) Next to You," the closest Parker had come to a hit single. ★★★★★☆ Why some music critics at a point in the 70's related Graham Parker to the UK punk scene seems quite obscure these days. Addresses: Record company—Bloodshot Records, Ltd., 3039 W. Irving Park Rd., Chicago, IL 60618, website: http://www.bloodshotrecords.com. This time out Parker produced the next project himself, telling Musician, "My idea was to make the record sound more like my demos." Released after Parker's successful 1979 album Squeezing Out Sparks, the album features production by Jimmy Iovine. The album includes “Discovering Japan,” a kaleidoscopic, bittersweet love song full of cinematic images, the edgy, political rock-reggae tune “Protection,” and the ballad “You Can’t Be Too Strong.” The latter tells the story of an abortion from a number of viewpoints, eschewing easy answers. "Parker, Graham Rolling Stone lauded the effort: "Autumnal in mood, gracious and honest, this is music of a clean, unsentimental maturity. Membership: Graham Parker, voc; Brinsley Schwarz, gtr. Worked variously as tomato picker, laboratory assistant, and gas station attendant, 1968-1975; teamed with band The Rumour; signed with Mercury Records, 1975; released debut LP, Howlin Wind, 1976; signed with Arista Records, 1978; launched solo career, 1980; signed with Elektra, 1984; Atlantic, 1986; RCA, 1987; and Capitol, 1991. Glickman, Simon "Parker, Graham Released in 1985, the disc garnered strong reviews— Musician dubbed it “a brawny, satisfyingly diverse collection that puts the singer back on an even keel”—and featured “(Wake Up) Next to You,” the closest Parker had come to a hit single. Contemporary Musicians. Set Land Speed Records With Hüsker Dü . Howlin’ Wind (includes “Don’t Ask Me Questions”), Mercury, 1976. ." “The LP has an odd slapdash feel,” Rolling Stone noted, blaming producer Jimmy lovine. The Up Escalator, Arista, 1980; reissued, Razor & Tie, 1992. Howlin' Wind was greeted with enthusiastic reviews upon its summer release, as did the similar Heat … Graham Parker grew up in Deep Cut, Surrey, a small town south of London, and formed his first band, the Deep Cut Three, at age 13. The rushed recording process yielded a somewhat inferior product, and reviewers were less enthusiastic about the 1977 release than they had been about Parker’s initial work. Squeezing Out Sparks (includes “Discovering Japan,” “Protection,” and “You Can’t Be Too Strong”), Arista, 1979. Parker, interviewed by Steve Hammer, recalled the making of the album:...for Stick to Me, we had an 80-piece string section playing. Human Soul, released the same year, got better reviews but saw poor sales. By age 17 he had encountered both the exhilaration of soul and reggae and the torpor and inequality of working life; both would fuel his songwriting’s unique mixture of rage and hope. Village Voice, October 31, 1977; April 2, 1979; May 17, 1982; May 28, 1985; June 14, 1988; December 5, 1989. Support AllMusic and Remove Ads with Scroll. Live from New York, NY, Razor & Tie, 1996. . Perseverance in the face of such obstacles has been a hallmark of Parker’s remarkable career. Upon its release, the album saw mixed-to-positive reviews, with many criticizing Iovine's production. Projecting a simpler, guitar-based sound unmuddled by horns, the album was critically lauded for containing Parker’s best compositions and vocal performances to date. Drawing heavily from Van Morrison and the Rolling Stones, Parker developed a sinewy fusion of driving rock & roll and confessional folk-rock, highlighted by his indignant … He made little headway in the music world, though, and was forced to take a series of menial jobs. Singer, songwriter, guitarist