GRAHAM PARKER and the Rumour
The Complete History - Part Seven

By Geoff Cabin

      Struck By Lightning ended Parker's stint with RCA; his next album, Burning Questions, appeared on the Capitol label in September 1992. The album was produced by Parker and engineer Jon Jacobs and recorded at the Townhouse III in London.1 Parker was backed on the album by a crack band that consisted of Andrew Bodnar on bass, Pete Thomas (the Attractions) on drums, Mick Talbot (the Style Council, the Merton Parkas) on keyboards, and Ed Manion (the Asbury Jukes / Disciples of Soul / Miami Horns) on saxophone.2 Former Ikette P.P. Arnold contributed background vocals.3
      After the low-key, acoustic sound of Struck By Lightning, Parker returned to the rock format on Burning Questions with excellent results. The album is among Parker's best post-Rumour work.
      The album's opening track, "Release Me," was a soul-tinged rocker with a brooding, ominous atmosphere. "Just Like Joe Meek's Blues" was a Dylanesque number about the suicide of British record producer Joe Meek. "Love Is a Burning Question" was a great mid-tempo rocker that contained the classic Parker line "I've seen the future of rock...and it sucks." On "Yesterday's Cloud," a menacing, sharp-edged rocker, Parker contributed some fiery lead guitar, showing that perhaps he had learned a thing or two from Brinsley Schwarz. Burning Questions contained several unabashedly romantic ballads: "Long Stem Rose," "Mr. Tender," "Oasis," and "Worthy of Your Love." While these bordered on sentimentality at times, for the most part they worked very successfully. Parker looked at the darker side of domestic relations on "Too Many Knots to Untangle" and "Just Like Herman Hesse." The album also contained a couple of Parker's most blatantly political numbers: "Short Memories" and "Here It Comes Again." "Short Memories" was a country-style anti-war song, while "Here It Comes Again" was an ominous, dark-humored rant against the rise of political conservatism and religious fundamentalism.
      Parker did a tour of small clubs in support of the album with a band dubbed "the Small Clubs." The band consisted of Jamie Hoover (the Spongetones) on lead guitar, Graham Maby (Joe Jackson, Marshall Crenshaw) on bass, Joel Diamond on keyboards and an unknown drummer. Parker began the set by playing a lesser-known song from each of his albums in chronological order, and then finished up with several songs from Burning Questions. A typical set would have been:

1. "Nothing's Going to Pull Us Apart" (Howlin' Wind)
2. "Back Door Love" (Heat Treatment)
3. "Clear Head" (Stick to Me)
4. "Saturday Night Is Dead" (Squeezing Out Sparks)
5. "Empty Lives" (The Up Escalator)
6. "Dark Side of the Bright Lights" (Another Grey Area)
7. "Anniversary" (The Real Macaw)
8. "Canned Laughter" (Steady Nerves)
9. "I Don't Know" (The Mona Lisa's Sister)
10. "Three Martini Lunch" (Live! Alone in America)
11. "Dancing For Money" (Human Soul)
12. "A Brand New Book" (Struck By Lightning)
13. "Long Stem Rose"
14. "Oasis"
15. "Short Memories"
16. "Love Is a Burning Question"
First encore:
17. "Mr. Tender"
18. "Platinum Blonde"
Second encore:
19. "Worthy of Your Love"

Although it was an excellent album, Burning Questions failed to chart.4 Not long after the album's release, Capitol underwent a change in management. The new management purged numerous artists, including Parker, from the label's roster.

Parker's next album, Live Alone! Discovering Japan, was released by the Demon label in the UK in July 1993. The album functioned as a something of a sequel to Live! Alone in America. Like the earlier album, Live Alone! Discovering Japan consisted of a live solo performance by Parker, this time recorded at the Club Quattro in Tokyo.5 With the exception of a rearranged version of "Watch the Moon Come Down," Live Alone! Discovering Japan did not duplicate any songs from Live! Alone in America.
      Live Alone! Discovering Japan featured strong performances of Parker songs such as "Lunatic Fringe," "Long Stem Rose," "Don't Ask Me Questions," "Just Like Herman Hesse," "Short Memories," and, of course, "Discovering Japan." It also included excellent covers of Billy Idol's "Sweet 16" and Bob Marley's "No Woman No Cry." In addition, the album featured a new song, "Chopsticks," which protested the destruction of rain forests in order to make disposable chopsticks.
      This past March, Live Alone! Discovering Japan was released in the U.S. for the first time by the Gadfly label.

In October 1993, Rhino Records released a two-CD set entitled Passion Is No Ordinary Word: The Graham Parker Anthology: 1976 - 1991. There have been numerous Parker compilations over the years, but this one is particularly noteworthy because it is by far the most comprehensive. It includes a good selection of material from all of the labels for which Parker recorded from 1976 to 1991. It also includes some essential non-album tracks like "Hold Back the Night" from the Pink Parker EP, the promo-only "Mercury Poisoning," and "I Want You Back" from the flipside of the "Local Girls" single. In addition, it includes a booklet that contains a lengthy essay by Jimmy Guterman that provides a good overview of Parker's career (although it gives rather short shrift to the Rumour).
      Parker toured in support of the album, backed by La Bamba and the Hub Caps, a band led by Asbury Jukes trombonist Richie "La Bamba" Rosenberg and featuring a top-notch horn section. The shows were excellent, concentrating primarily on material that appeared on the Anthology.

(Sorry, but I've run out of time again! More next issue!)

END NOTES

  1. Anonymous; musician and production credits for Burning Questions.
  2. Id.
  3. Id.
  4. Whitburn, p. 565.
  5. Anonymous; musician and production credits for Live Alone! Discovering Japan.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

  1. Anonymous; "Graham Parker"; Mercury Records promotional biography; 1976.
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  3. ---; musician and production credits for Howlin' Wind by Graham Parker; Mercury Records; 1976.
  4. ---; musician and production credits for Heat Treatment by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Mercury Records; 1976.
  5. ---; musician and production credits for The Pink Parker by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Mercury Records; 1977.
  6. ---; musician and production credits for Max by the Rumour; Mercury Records; 1977.
  7. ---; musician and production credits for Stick to Me by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Mercury Records; 1977.
  8. ---; musician and production credits for The Parkerilla by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Mercury Records; 1978.
  9. ---; musician and production credits for CD reissue of Squeezing Out Sparks/Live Sparks by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Arista Records; 1996.
  10. ---; musician and production credits for Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts by the Rumour; Arista Records; 1979.
  11. ---; musician and production credits for The Up Escalator by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Arista Records; 1980.
  12. ---; musician and production credits for Purity of Essence by the Rumour; Stiff Records; 1980.
  13. ---: musician and production credits for Purity of Essence by the Rumour; Hannibal Records; 1981.
  14. ---; musician and production credits for Another Grey Area by Graham Parker; Arista Records; 1982.
  15. ---; musician and production credits for The Real Macaw by Graham Parker; Arista Records; 1983
  16. ---; musician and production credits for Steady Nerves by Graham Parker and the Shot; Elektra Records; 1985.
  17. ---; musician and production credits for The Mona Lisa's Sister by Graham Parker; RCA Records; 1988.
  18. ---; musician and production credits for Live! Alone In America by Graham Parker; RCA Records; 1989.
  19. ---; musician and production credits for Human Soul by Graham Parker; RCA Records; 1990.
  20. ---; musician and production credits for Struck By Lightning by Graham Parker; RCA Records; 1991.
  21. ---; musician and production credits for Burning Questions by Graham Parker; Capitol Records; 1992.
  22. ---; musician and production credits for Live Alone! Discovering Japan by Graham Parker; Demon Records; 1993.
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  26. ---: untitled promotional essay for The Mona Lisa's Sister by Graham Parker; RCA Records; 1988.
  27. Belmont, Martin; liner notes for CD reissue of Ducks Deluxe/Taxi to the Terminal Zone by Ducks Deluxe; Mau Mau Records; 1991.
  28. Birch, Will; "Cheers: Raise a glass to the regulars: in his usual chair, lan Dury; hogging the jukebox, Nick Lowe; jockeying up to the oche, Graham Parker and Elvis Costello; ordering pork scratchings, Wilko Johnson. And there's Ace, Chilli Willi, Eggs Over Easy, the Hot Rods, Kokomo... Yes, it's the story of Pub Rock, served by our host, Will Birch."; Mojo; May 1996; p. 74 - 96.
  29. ---; liner notes for Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock; EMI/Premier; 1996.
  30. Borack, John M.; "Graham Parker Is No Ordinary Dude"; Goldmine; April 15, 1994; p. 15 - 48.
  31. Cooper, Mark; "Forgiven?"; Q; January 1989; p. 12 - 13.
  32. Considine, J.D.; "Parker's Still Pretty Angry"; The Baltimore Sun, circa July 1985.
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  34. de Whalley, Chas; liner notes for Don't Mind Rockin'Tonite by Ducks Deluxe; RCA Records; 1978.
  35. Dopson, Roger; liner notes for Live on the Test by Graham Parker; Windsong International; 1994.
  36. ---; liner notes for CD reissue of Nervous on the Road/New Favorites of... by Brinsley Schwarz; Beat Goes On Records; 1995.
  37. Drozdowski, Ted; "Why Won't Graham Parker Just Go Away?"; Pulse; May 1991; p. 73 - 74.
  38. Frame, Pete; Rock Family Trees; Omnibus Press; 1993.
  39. Guterman, Jimmy; untitled article in the booklet included with Passion ls No Ordinary Word: The Graham ParkerAnthology: 1976 - 1991; Rhino Records; 1993.
  40. Handelman, David; "Graham Parker's Shades of Success: New Wave's Angry Young Man Is Older and Wiser"; Rolling Stone; June 30, 1988; p. 31 - 34.
  41. Heatley, Michael; liner notes for Live From New York by Graham Parker and the Episodes; Nectar Masters; 1996.
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  43. ---; "Turning on the Endless Night"; The Face; circa June 1980.
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  50. Kent, Nick; "Going Down on the Up Escalator"; New Musical Express; July 12, 1980; p. 30.
  51. Lanham, Tom; "Graham Parker: A Legendary Crank Turns Soft?'; Pulse; June 1995.
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  53. ---; "Graham Parker's Tale of Fear and Drama"; Rolling Stone; May 17, 1979; p. 66 - 68.
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  55. McCann, lan; The Stiff Records Story (booklet included in The Stiff Records Box set); Demon Records/Rhino Records; 1993.
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  65. ---; liner notes for No Holding Back by Graham Parker; Demon Records; 1996.
  66. ---; liner notes for Vertigo by Graham Parker; Vertigo Records; 1996.
  67. Robbins, Ira; liner notes for CD reissue of Squeezing Out Sparks/Live Sparks by Graham Parker and the Rumour; Arista Records; 1996.
  68. Robson, Andy; "The Righteous Brother"; Vox; April 1991; p. 38.
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  70. Rowland, Mark; "Graham Parker: Better Living on the Up Escalator: A Corrosive Would-Be Commercialist Finds Some Hard-Won Satisfaction and a Hard-Edged New Band"; Musician; circa summer 1985; p. 38 - 44.
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  74. Snow, Mat; "Phone Home: Graham Parker"; Mojo; issue #16; p. 21.
  75. Spotnitz, Frank; "Wake Up! Graham Parker Has Something To Say": Rolling Stone; July 18/August 1, 1985; p. 22 - 23.
  76. Stewart, Tony; "This Page has confidence and sniffs. It's (sniff) Graham Parker, the Singing Petrol Pump Attendant himself. And watch it - this boy could be going places! Tony Stewart told you first (or possibly second or third)."; New Musical Express; May 1, 1976; p. 12 and 38.
  77. ---; "The On-Going Story of Little Men in Glasses"; New Musical Express; April 22, 1978.
  78. Waugh, Bob; "The Island-Ear Interview"; The Island-Ear; June 4 - 17, 1985, p. 10 - 11.
  79. Whitburn, Joel; Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums: 1955 - 1992; Record Research, lnc.; Monommee Falls, Wisconsin; 1993.
  80. Young, Jon; "Graham Parker Wants You... To Get Stuck!"; Trouser Press; January 1978; p. 16 - 18.

Copyright 1998 by Geoff Cabin
from Rock Beat Int'l #14, Summer 1998

Reproduced with kind permission from Geoff Cabin.

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