THE BEST OF GRAHAM PARKER AND THE RUMOUR, Vertigo CD 512 149-2, 1992, UK


GRAHAM PARKER  Vocals, guitar

BOB ANDREWS  Keyboards, backing vocals

MARTIN BELMONT  Guitar, backing vocals

ANDREW BODNAR  Bass

STEVE GOULDING  Drums, backing vocals

BRINSLEY SCHWARZ  Guitar, backing vocals

plus...
John Earle, Danny Ellis, Dave Conners, Hershall Holder, Dick Hanson, Albie Donnelly, Dave Edmunds, Noel Brown, Paul Bailey, Paul Riley, Dave Otway.




HOWLING WIND, HEAT TREATMENT, LIVE AT MARBLE ARCH (all 1976)

G.P. and The Rumour did extensive gigging in the UK including an opening act spot with Ace in small theatres and colleges. We also spent two weeks in Holland, strangely, with Nick Lowe as tour manager. There may have been other European shows but I can't recall them. We toured America twice.

STICK TO ME (1977)

This LP was recorded twice. The first attempt was done in a studio owned by Island Records in London and was produced by Bob Potter. lt took a month to do but something was wrong with either the studio alignment or the master tapes or both. I remember seeing black stuff coming off the 24 track tapes and being told it was only oxide and not to worry about it.

As a Scandinavian tour was planned immediately on its completion and further European gigs scheduled we had a spare week in which to rerecord it. My manager at the time - who was bilingual - said that only one person could produce it in that space of time and that person was Nick Lowe. The record was applauded by the British press for its "ferocious punch" and panned by the Americans with comments such as "this man needs a producer".

THE PINK PARKER E.P. (1977)

...was pressed in pink vinyl and started a craze of coloured records. I remember playing Top Of The Pops live and having to use the dreadful BBC horn players and Bob Andrews completely losing it and screaming at them as they took tea and read 'Caravan Weekly'.

THE PARKERILLA (1978)

Three sides of this record were live, on the fourth side was a rerecorded version of 'Don't Ask Me Questions' produced by Mutt Lange. In the press, I pompously anounced that 'The Parkerilla' would represent "the end of an era for G.P. and The Rumour", not having a clue as to what I was talking about.

SQUEEZING OUT SPARKS (1979)

Paul Conroy, who worked at Stiff Records for my then manager, called this album title "twee", not realising it meant death to tiny unbom children. Hardly twee I should think. We did our second Australasian tour in support of the album and also a mega-festival at Blackbushe airport in Surrey with Bob Dylan headlining. Backstage Bob came up to me and said "I really love that song...". He then proceeded to string me along for what seemed to be an eternity pretending not to remember the song's title. When he finally said "Don't Ask Me Questions", huge beads of sweat popped out of my forehead like boils. Chalkie Davis was on hand to take a photograph and what appears to be a smile on my face is really my dried out upper lip stuck fast above my teeth in pure terror.

             

Graham Parker, 1991.

This compilation represents the best of Graham Parker's work with one of the great British bands of all time. Enjoy.

Martin Scott, January 1992.


Album compiled by Martin Scott. Photo: Jolie Parker. Sleeve design by Ted Koehorst. Thanks: Bob Nolan, Dave Bartholomew, Ralph Baker, Andy Murray, Caroline Midmore, Tamara Bibby.

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