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FAN CLUB |
Hello Everybody,
Here we go again with the second news - note for this year. Don't forget to renew your membership if it is due to run out shortly. We have lots of new goodies to offer you shortly, new photos, posters, t-shirts and badges too. Most of these things will be available at the Graham Parker UK gigs next week but for those who can't make it to the major cities we are holding some of the merchandising especially to be offered to you all at very reasonable prices of course. Exclusive to the fan club we are hoping to have some tour t-shirts printed with 'fan club' on the back and these should be slightly cheaper than at the concerts as a reward for being so patient over the last couple of years and sticking through thick and thin with the Graham Parker Fan Club.
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A big thank you to all of those who entered the competition to design a t-shirt. In case you had all forgotten (and to let our new members know) the prizes were a pair of genuine Parker spex as worn on many an occasion by Graham Parker and a signed copy of GP's latest album 'Another Grey Area'. The recipients of these fabulous prizes were:-
Well done to the above people and I hope you like the prizes, look out for the next competition, you too may be rewarded!!
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Look out for a Graham Parker competition in your local record shops to celebrate the release of 'Another Grey Area' in your area. You have been alerted!!
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Have you all seen Grahams amazing video for 'Temporary Beauty' - I hope so - this was created with help from the famous Godley from Godley and Creme.
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LOOK OUT for the cassette version of 'Another Grey Area'. The twelth track, not on the album, is 'A Habit Worth Forming' written between Andrew Bodnar (ex The Rumour) and Graham Parker.
tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news - tour news
Details of Graham Parkers long awaited UK tour have been published in the music press but for those who missed them:
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it's going to be a short tour this time mainly to test the water so grab all your 'soul shoes' and mates and make it to a gig to encourage GP. 'between you and me' he may be back later this year for more !!
To coincide with the UK tour there will be extensive press and radio interviews so keep your eyes and ears peeled. Here to help you are some dates:
| Saturday | April | 3 | - Radio Manchester |
| Sunday | " | 4 | - Edinburgh, Radio Forth |
| Monday | " | 5 | - Newcastle, Radio Tees & Radio Metro |
| Tuesday | " | 6 | - Birmingham, BRMB |
| Thursday | " | 8 | - Southampton, Radio Victory & Two Counties Radio |
| Tuesday | " | 13 | - Bristol, Radio West & BBC Bristol |
PRESS - The Sunday Times will be doing an article on GP and the Press Association will be releasing information through the Regional Newspapers and some National Newspapers including The Sun and the Evening Standard. For us girls 'Woman' magazine have asked Graham for an interview, so look out!!
To follow the British tour dates Graham Parker will be travelling to Europe for Press and TV appearances only, a few dates to help you:
| April | 14 | - | Holland | |
| 15 | ) | |||
| 16 | - | ) France | ||
| 17 | ) | |||
| 19 | - | Baaden Baaden | ) | |
| 20 | - | Hamburg | ) Germany | |
| 21 | - | Munich | ) | |
| 22 | - | ) | Italy | |
| 23 | ) | |||
| 24 | - | Sweden |
I am sorry I haven't more detailed information for the above this was all there was available at time of writing.
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Following GP's hectic schedule through Europe there is a mad dash across the Atlantic to start an American tour - the following dates are not confirmed and may be altered. At the time of writing the dates are as follows:-
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Check with local press for venues.
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A new band will accompany Graham Parker for his UK and American tours, the musicians will be:
BRINSLEY SCHWARZ - Guitar - before rejoining Graham for these tours was working in the US with Garland Jeffreys.
KEVIN JENKINS - Bass - discovered playing in a club in New York. Spotted by GP and co-manager Alan Fry.
CARLOS ALAMAR - Guitar - previously with David Bowie and recently with the Rolling Stones.
GEORGE SMALL - Keyboards - played on John Lennons last album Double Fantasy.
MICK BRAUN - Drums - worked with Peter Allan and Tycoon in USA.
Graham Parker has chosen all American musicians excluding of course Brinsley. Grahams tour manager, from London will be Alan Morris who has worked with such bands as Japan, Chris Rea and many others. More tour news next time .....
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Some interesting info for people who haven't seen a copy of POINT BLANK a Bruce Springsteen Fanzine, Caroline Evans kindly sent me a copy which contains an interview between the amazing Bruce Springsteen and Mats Olsen (Swedish journalist) here is a small extract.....
Q. Any favourite records you listen to now ?
A. GRAHAM PARKER - When I work on an album I don't listen to any other music. I'm very easily influenced, and if there's a lot of good music I'll pick up riffs and sounds from so many records that in the end I won't know what's mine. But I can give you one name I'll always stand for: GRAHAM PARKER - Why he isn't bigger in the States is remarkable and a shame.
Amazing heh!! Anyone else with anything interesting especially from other parts of the world (with translations of course, I'm not that clever..) send it in - a pressie for the most interesting .....
reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews - reviews
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Record Mirror 13.3.82 GRAHAM PARKER:'Another Grey Area' (RCA LP 6029) By Simon Hills SPITTING OUT the bad aftertaste of the party where you don't score, Graham Parker is still singing songs about desolate affairs with his same cynicism. But his grey area always has colour. The passion and ruthlessness of his soul-styled voice is more melodic now, and he's managed to fuse that power with the sort of melodies he's been looking for since the inception of Graham Parker and the Rumour in the middle of last decade. His single 'Temporary Beauty' opens the latest offering - now on the massive RCA label, and for the first time without The Rumour - and exemplifies a new Parker. None of the tracks quite match the instant appeal of the 45, but each one is a grower, adding up to an album that yet again becomes dear to any collector who gives the sadly underrated singer the time. Where 'Another Grey Area' has really scored is in the production. Although his long-time followers might accuse him of going soft he's achieved that glorious mix of control that comes from professionalism and production, in the same way as soul stars like, say, Al Green, manage to give each number enough detachment to make the real impact of the song shine through every time. The title track and perhaps 'Fear Not' at the end of side two start becoming just too similar to the overall Graham Parker feel to win through. But this album is a grower, with his vocal phrasing on the reggae-based numbers 'No More Excuses' and 'Thankless Task' creeping up on the unsuspecting listener. Maybe this time, Graham Parker will finally be given the time he patently deserves. Each track will become more satisfying with each listen. Guaranteed. + + + + + |
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A question that always crops up through your letters is, can you tell me where I can get hold of a copy of 'Mercury Poisoning' ? Dag Balsvik from Norway kindly sent in the following information:
'The Mercury Poisoning track appeared on a 12 inch one sided single on grey vinyl in Uk some years ago. Actually it was released by Arista, but you won' t find their name on the label. Catalogue no is SP41, which fits in their line of promo-records, ie. their Live Sparks album has no SP.63. This 12" one-sided disc appears often in auctions at £5.15, depending on the person selling it. However, there must he a lot of pirate copies around, I've seen so many of that 12" that it doesn't seem to be rare at all. However my copy has the studio version and the sound quality is top, so that if it is a pirate copy it is a good one. But there also exists another US issue of Mercury Poisoning. This is a single (7") on blue vinyl and a picture sleeve. The A side is 'I want you back' and catalogue no is Arista AS 0439. And what is more suprising: the label is not the US Arista white dj label, but the type of label used for regular releases in US and Europe (not in UK). The version of 'Mercury' is the same as the 12", but surprising the 7" plays on 33 rpm. Also my 7" has a sticker saying 'promotional record for airplay and review, Not for sale'. So I think this is a record which possibly was planned for release in US, but Arista dated not (?) because of the reference to the old label GP was with. However I'm not sure. The pic sleeve has statement 'special collector's edition'. But I read in a collectors mag about this 7" that it was a freebie which was offered to those buying the 'Sparks' LP back in '79: He had seen an advert in a record shop for the 'Sparks' LP that if you bought the LP now, you would get a coupon which you could send in and get the blue vinyl 7" as a freebie. This offer was limited, but I don't know how many. Sure there are a lot of copies around, I got mine from the US at $4 but I've seen people changing $15 in set sales. Of course there also are the live versions which appear on B side of singles from 'Up Escalator', A-side varies from country to country. I suppose what you all want to know really is where to get these records. I must say I don't know, the only way is to look at advertisements in english music press. But there those records are highly over-priced so by turning to ads in Rolling Stone ie., is far better. Also in US most GP singles seem to be a bit difficult to get, I've been searching for years now to get early Mercury 45s in excellent condition. So it isn't that easy to get these records.'
Thanks very much Dag for the above information and I hope it has been some help to everybody that has written in about Mercury Poisoning. Any one with a copy or two to spare let me know, we could start our own swap shop for GP's records .......
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Also available on the UK tour will be Graham's book "The Great Trouser Mystery" take along some extra pennies to get yourselves a copy as the book will be available at a price well below shop prices. Copies will be available through the fan club after the tour for those who miss out.
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While sitting at my typewriter tapping out this wonderful newsletter for y'all, GP comes on the radio (I only found out yesterday - too late to let you know too!) it's the Kid Jensen show, Wednesday 31 March at about 8.45 pm. When they eventually get GP off the phone (to Southampton about the radio show) Kid Jensen asks him a few questions about the past couple of years and 'Another Grey Area' - things we already know about, but GP did say that after having a long rest, getting married and enjoying himself he was REALLY looking forward to getting back on the road again!!
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O.K. then, that's all the news I have for you at the moment, you know as much as I do now !! Hope lots of you can get to see Graham Parker on his tours both here and in the US. Don't forget to send me any interesting newsey bits and pieces on GP that you come across in your area, so we can all share it. Maybe I will see some of you at the London or Brighton dates ... I'm really looking forward to seeing GP myself so I expect you are too and I'm sure we won't be disappointed ........
Bye for now,
Iris
NL4/March '82
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