| GRAHAM PARKER and the Rumour |
| The Complete History - Part Two |
By Geoff Cabin
Graham Parker and the Rumour rehearsed and made their performing debut at the Newlands Tavern in London.(1) Following the release of Howlin' Wind, the band began what would be several years of extensive touring.Among the band's early appearances was a performance at a Phonogram convention in London. Fortunately, this performance was captured on tape for posterity. The recording of the performance was released as a promotional album in the U.K. in July 1976 under the title Live at Marble Arch.(2) The album contained five songs from Howlin' Wind, two songs ("That's What They All Say" and "Back Door Love") that would appear on Parker's second studio album, Heat Treatment, and covers of Aretha Franklin's "Chain of Fools," the Supremes' "You Can't Hurry Love" and Little Richard's "Kansas City." The album demonstrates that from the start Parker and the Rumour were a dynamic and powerful performing unit. Since Live at Marble Arch was not commercially available, it became a much sought-after collector's item and was extensively bootlegged.
In addition to producing the Live at Marble Arch album, Parker and the Rumour's appearance at the Phonogram convention helped to clinch their deal with Phonogram's U.S. label, Mercury.(3) Howlin' Wind was released in the U.S. in July 1976.(4) The album failed to chart.(5)
When Howlin' Wind failed to become a hit, Parker and his manager, Dave Robinson, decided to follow it up quickly with another album.(6) This album, Heat Treatment, was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales.(7) Once again, Parker and the Rumour were augmented by a horn section.
Heat Treatment was released in October 1976, only six months after the release of Howlin' Wind.(8) In spite of its seemingly rushed appearance, Heat Treatment was another great album, every bit a worthy successor to Howlin' Wind.
In contrast to Howlin' Wind, which had featured a wide variety of musical styles, Heat Treatment concentrated more squarely on an r&b-based rock sound. The album opened with the title track, a fast-paced rocker that featured a catchy melody and showcased the horn section. "That's What They All Say" showed a strong Dylan influence, both in its organ-based sound and its sneering lyrical put-down of a class-conscious social climber. "Black Honey" and "Turned Up Too Lateig were slow, bluesy ballads. "Hotel Chambermaid," "Pourin' It All Out" and "Back Door Love" were all great, hard-driving rockers, showing a strong Rolling Stones inf'luence. The album closed with "Fool's Gold," a great anthem that remains one of Parker's most popular songs.
Heat Treatment gave Parker and the Rumour their first chart placing, entering the Billboard charts on January 29, 1977, remaining on the charts for seven weeks, and peaking at number 169.(9)
Parker and the Rumour continued their fast-paced release schedule with the release of a between-album, four-song EP, The Pink Parker, in March 1977.(10) (The record's title came from the fact that it was pressed on pink vinyl.)
The A-side of the EP contained a cover of the Trammps' "Hold Back the Night" and a Parker original "(Let Me Get) Sweet on You." These two tracks were produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and recorded in Holland. (11 ) They featured Brian Robertson of Thin Lizzy on guitar, substituting for Brinsley Schwarz, who was ill.(12) The horn section, which had become a regular fixture, also was featured. The flipside of the EP contained live versions of "White Honey" and "Soul Shoes," taken from the Live at Marble Arch album.
"Hold Back the Night" was a classic-sounding r&b number that featured a memorable sing-along refrain and proved to be a perfect vehicle for Parker and the Rumour. The song gave them their first taste of success on the singles chart, making it to number 58.(13)
In the summer of 1977, the Rumour released Max, the band's first "solo" album without Parker. The album was produced by Robert John "Mutt" Lange and the band and recorded at Rockfield Studios in Wales.(14) The horn section was featured extensively throughout the album.
In contrast to the records that the band had made with Parker, on Max the band played in a much funkier style, incorporating elements of New Orleans r&b into the band's sound in a manner reminiscent of the Band and Brinsley Schwarz. The album featured seven originals written by various members of the band and covers of Nick Lowe's "Mess With Love," Duke Ellington's "Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me" and Stevie Wonder's "I'm Gonna Make You Love Me."
Although the band did not have a writer of Parker's caliber, the band members came up with strong material and the album was excellent.
The album opened with a rollicking cover of Nick Lowe's "Mess With Love." "Airplane Tonight," written by Martin Belmont and his Ducks Deluxe bandmate, Sean Tyla, was a beautiful country-rock ballad, very much reminiscent of the Band. Belmont also contributed "Looking After No. l," a hard driving rocker based around a stop-time riff similar to the one in "Jailhouse Rock," and "Something's Going On," a catchy rocker that had been recorded but not released by Ducks Deluxe. (Ducks Deluxe's version of the song was released the following year on the compilation album, Don't Mind Rockin' Tonite.) Bob Andrews pitched in "I'm So Glad," a strong soul number, and "This Town," another catchy rocker. The band's cover of Duke Ellington's "Do Nothing 'Till You Hear From Me," successfully transformed the big band standard into an r&b/rock number.
Max entered the Billboard charts on August 13, 1977 and remained on the charts for 10 weeks, peaking at number 124.(15)
Parker and the Rumour's third album, Stick to Me, was originally recorded with Bob Potter as producer.(16) Parker had decided that he wanted to incorporate more grandeur into the group's sound, and some songs were recorded with a 50-piece string section.(17) After recording was completed, however, there was a problem with the tapes - oxide was peeling off them and they proved impossible to balance or mix.(18) As a result, the original tapes were scrapped and the album was hastily rerecorded during a one- week break in Parker and the Rumour's tour schedule.(19) The rerecording took place at Eden Studios in London, with Nick Lowe back in the producer's seat.(20)
Stick to Me was released in October 1977.(21) Instead of having the lush, grandiose sound that Parker had envisioned, the final record had a harsh, gritty sound. A smaller string section had to be used for the re-recording, and the strings are barely even audible in the album's final mix.(22) Nick Lowe's production was severely criticized for being grungysounding.
In spite of the problems, Stick to Me was a pivotal album for Parker and the Rumour. As a songwriter, Parker was starting to move out of he shadows of his influences and into a style that was wholly unique. The Rumour was also starting to develop its own unique sound. The band adopted a much more aggressive guitar attack, with Brinsley Schwarz's guitar-playing assuming an increasingly prominent role. The sound that Parker and the Rumour began to explore on this album, would really come to fruition on their next studio album, Squeezing Out Sparks.
Whether intentional or not, the abrasive sound of Stick to Me suited the album's material perfectly. The title track and "Thunder and Rain" were dark, menacing rockers. "Cool Head" and "The New York Shuffle" had fast-paced punkish sound. The ballad, "Watch the Moon Come Down," sounded like the Drifters gone punk. Parker and the Rumour also turned in a powerful cover of Ann Peebles' "Tear Your Playhouse Down."
Stick to Me entered the Billboard charts on November 5, 1977 and remained on the charts for five weeks, peaking at number 125.(23)
Reproduced with kind permission from Geoff Cabin.
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