GRAHAM PARKER and the Rumour
The Complete History - Part Eight

By Geoff Cabin

      Graham Parker's next release was a bit of a surprise - an EP of Christmas songs called Graham Parker's Christmas Cracker. The EP was released in November 1994 on the Dakota Arts label (although the import on Demon was actually easier to find).
      The EP was produced by Jon Tiven and recorded at Studio 900 in New York.1 Parker was backed on the EP mostly by New York session players: Anton Figg on drums and percussion, Jimmy Destri (ex Blondie) on keyboards, Gary Lucas on mandolin and dobro, Crispin Cioe on saxophone, Bob Millikan on trumpet, Sally Tiven and guitar and backing vocals, and Jon Tiven on guitar.2
      Graham Parker may have seemed like an unlikely candidate to release a Christmas record, but then this wasn't your typical Christmas record. It didn't include any traditional Christmas songs, but rather three Parker originals. "Christmas is for Mugs" was a country-tinged number that took a satirical look at the commercialism and overkill of the holiday season. The song ended with Parker threatening to throw a match on the fire if he saw Saint Nick coming down the chimney. On "New Year's Revolution," Parker got a bit more into the holiday spirit. This was a soul number that made a plea for love and peace on earth. On "Soul Christmas," an upbeat duet with Nona Hendryx, Parker paid tribute to his soul and r&b influences. The EP also included Parker's original demo versions of the three songs.

      Parker's next full-length release, 12 Haunted Episodes, appeared in March 1995 on the New York-based indie label Razor & Tie. The album had its origins in a suggestion by Parker's road manager that Parker make a sequel to Squeezing Out Sparks.3 The suggestion irritated Parker and prompted him to try to find a new musical direction instead.4 Inspiration came in the form of an article in a guitar magazine about folk guitarists Bert Jansch and John Renbourn, which mentioned their use of open G tuning.5 Parker had not written a song in an open tuning since Howlin' Wind.6 Parker began experimenting with with the open G tuning and quickly came up with the chords for "Partner for Life."7 The rest of the songs for the album were written during a short period, also using the open G tuning.8
      Parker recorded demos of the songs in a five-hour session at Nevessa Production in Saugerties, New York.9 After recording the demos Parker realized that he couldn't improve on the vocals, and decided to use the demos as the basis for the album.10 Keyboardist Joel Diamond and drummer Denny McDermott were brought in to add overdubs.11
      The resulting album had a low-key, acoustic-oriented sound. "Partner for Life" and "Force of Nature" had a Dylanesque quality, with lengthy, list-like lyrics. "Haunted Episodes" was a mid-tempo, country-tinged number, with a beautiful melody, reminiscent of "Between You and Me." Parker's soul and r&b roots were evident in "Fly," with its repetitive, sing-along refrain. The closest Parker came to rocking out was in "Honest Work," which featured a rollicking country beat and a catchy, sing-along refrain. The album's closing track, "First Day of Spring," was a haunting, melodic ballad.

      Parker toured in support of 12 Haunted Episodes with a band dubbed the Episodes, which consisted of Mitch Margold on keyboards, Kenny Aaronson on bass, and Denny McDermott on drums. The shows on the tour were a mixture of material from 12 Haunted Episodes and older material, presented in a stripped-down, semi-acoustic setting.
      The tour resulted in a live album, Live From New York, which was recorded on June 3 and 4, 1995 at the Bottom Line in New York City and released in May, 1996. The album was released in the U.S. as a limited-edition gold disc on the Classic Compact Discs label, while in the U.K. it was released as a budget-priced disc on the Nectar Masters label.
      Live From New York was an excellent document of the tour. It contained live versions of five songs that had appeared on the 12 Haunted Episodes album. In comparison to the original studio versions of the songs, which were somewhat subdued, the live versions are much more energetic and forceful. "Haunted Episodes" and "Force of Nature," in particular, sound fantastic.
      Live From New York also contained a varied selection of Parker's earlier songs, some of them radically rearranged. "Stick to Me" was slowed down and done acoustically without losing any of its menacing atmosphere. "Fool's Gold" was redone as a Dylanesque waltz, showcasing Margold's organ playing. Parker and the Episodes turned in a wonderful version of the Smokey Robinson-style soul ballad, "Wake Up Next to You." They also did "Crawling From the Wreckage," a song that Parker originally gave to Dave Edmunds. In contrast to Edmund's fast-paced, rock 'n' roll treatment, Parker performed the song as a lazy blues shuffle, with Margold tossing in some nice barrelhouse piano.
      On "Here It Comes Again," "Get Started, Start a Fire" and "Protection," Parker and the Episodes really rocked out. While the Episodes didn't pack quite the punch that the Rumour did, these numbers worked very effectively. The album closed with Parker performing a solo version of Nirvana's "In Bloom."

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

End Notes

  1. Anonymous, musician and production credits for Graham Parker's Christmas Cracker.
  2. Id.
  3. Sculley.
  4. Id.
  5. Id.
  6. Snow.
  7. Sculley.
  8. Sculley; Snow.
  9. Anonymous; musician and production credits for 12 Haunted Episodes.
  10. Sculley.
  11. Anonymous, musician and production credits for 12 Haunted Episodes; Sculley.

Bibliography

  1. Anonymous; "Graham Parker"; Mercury Records promotional biography; 1976.
  2. ---; "Graham Parker and the Rumour"; Graham Parker and the Rumour (concert program from March 1977 British tour); Top-Billing Publications, Ltd.; February 1977; p. 2 - 5.
  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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  24. ---; musician and production credits for 12 Haunted Episodes by Graham Parker; Razor & Tie; 1995.
  25. ---; musician and production credits for Live From New York by Graham Parker and the Episodes; Nectar Masters; 1996.
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  29. ---: untitled promotional essay for The Mona Lisa's Sister by Graham Parker; RCA Records; 1988.
  30. Belmont, Martin; liner notes for CD reissue of Ducks Deluxe/Taxi to the Terminal Zone by Ducks Deluxe; Mau Mau Records; 1991.
  31. 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.
  32. ---; liner notes for Naughty Rhythms: The Best of Pub Rock; EMI/Premier; 1996.
  33. Borack, John M.; "Graham Parker Is No Ordinary Dude"; Goldmine; April 15, 1994; p. 15 - 48.
  34. Cooper, Mark; "Forgiven?"; Q; January 1989; p. 12 - 13.
  35. Considine, J.D.; "Parker's Still Pretty Angry"; The Baltimore Sun, circa July 1985.
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  38. Dopson, Roger; liner notes for Live on the Test by Graham Parker; Windsong International; 1994.
  39. ---; liner notes for CD reissue of Nervous on the Road/New Favorites of... by Brinsley Schwarz; Beat Goes On Records; 1995.
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  41. Frame, Pete; Rock Family Trees; Omnibus Press; 1993.
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  51. Jones, Allan; "On the Down Escalator"; Melody Maker; April 17, 1982; p. 11.
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  54. Lanham, Tom; "Graham Parker: A Legendary Crank Turns Soft?'; Pulse; June 1995.
  55. Marcus, Greil; "The Graham Parker Rumor: A Search for Fool's Gold on Rte. 66"; Rolling Stone; December 29, 1977; p. 47 - 52.
  56. ---; "Graham Parker's Tale of Fear and Drama"; Rolling Stone; May 17, 1979; p. 66 - 68.
  57. Maslin, Janet with Malcolm MacPherson; "Mighty Mite"; Newsweek; January 31, 1977; p. 71 - 72.
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  66. ---; liner notes for BBC Live in Concert by Graham Parker; Windsong International; 1996.
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  68. ---; liner notes for No Holding Back by Graham Parker; Demon Records; 1996.
  69. ---; liner notes for Vertigo by Graham Parker; Vertigo Records; 1996.
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  77. Snow, Mat; "Phone Home: Graham Parker"; Mojo; issue #16; p. 21.
  78. Spotnitz, Frank; "Wake Up! Graham Parker Has Something To Say": Rolling Stone; July 18/August 1, 1985; p. 22 - 23.
  79. 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.
  80. ---; "The On-Going Story of Little Men in Glasses"; New Musical Express; April 22, 1978.
  81. Waugh, Bob; "The Island-Ear Interview"; The Island-Ear; June 4 - 17, 1985, p. 10 - 11.
  82. Whitburn, Joel; Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Albums: 1955 - 1992; Record Research, lnc.; Monommee Falls, Wisconsin; 1993.
  83. 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 #15, Fall 1998

Reproduced with kind permission from Geoff Cabin.

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