Graham Parker & The Rumour were an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band for Graham Parker (born 18 November 1950), whose early records (from 1976 to 1980) were credited to Graham Parker & The Rumour. However, The Rumour were also recording artists in their own right, releasing three albums: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).
The group broke up at the end of 1980, but reunited as Parker's backing band in 2011, and have performed and recorded with Parker ever since. The band undertook a short final UK tour in October 2015, finishing with a final concert at the London Forum on 17 October 2015. At this show, the surviving members of the horn section also reunited, the first time for 33 years.
Links to Peel
Graham Parker's music was first heard on Charlie Gillett's Honky Tonk show on BBC Radio London, which led to him being offered a recording contract and teaming up with The Rumour, which included former members of Brinsley Schwarz and Ducks De Luxe, two bands who had both done Peel sessions. Their style was very much "new wave", although not quite punk, and as such it had a strong appeal for the DJ. The band did two sessions for his show in 1976, and their records were frequently played by Peel on his shows of 1979 and 1980 - until they disbanded in 1980.
Sessions
GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR (1st John Peel Session 1976)
1. Recorded: 1976-06-01. Broadcast: 16 June 1976. Repeated: 16 April 1980, 23 June 1982
- White Honey / Back Door Love / Don't Ask Me Questions / Soul Shoes
2. Recorded: 1976-11-02. Broadcast: 15 November 1976, 08 September 1978 (Paul Gambaccini)
- Hotel Chambermaid / Pouring It All Out / Help Me Shake It / Heat Treatment
Other Shows Played
Graham Parker - Heat Treatment
Graham Parker & The Rumour
- 1978
- 08 August 1978: Heat Treatment (LP - The Parkerilla) Vertigo
- 1979
- 21 February 1979: Protection (7” - Vertigo)
- 06 March 1979: Protection (7") Vertigo
- 14 March 1979: Protection (7") Vertigo
- 15 March 1979: Nobody Hurts You (LP - Squeezing Out Sparks) Vertigo
- 19 March 1979: You Can’t Be Too Strong (LP – Squeezing Out Sparks) Vertigo
- 26 March 1979: Waiting For The UFO's (LP - Squeezing Out Sparks) Arista
- 29 March 1979: Love Gets You Twisted (LP - Squeezing Out Sparks) Arista
- 02 April 1979: "Discovering Japan" (LP - Squeezing Out Sparks) (Vertigo)
- 03 April 1979: Mercury Poisoning
- 05 April 1979: Local Girls (LP - Squeezing Out Sparks) Arista
- 01 May 1979: Discovering Japan (7") Vertigo
- 07 May 1979: Discovering Japan (LP – Squeezing Out Sparks) Vertigo
- 08 May 1979: Discovering Japan (LP – Squeezing Out Sparks) Vertigo
- 14 May 1979: Nobody Hurt You
- 13 June 1979: Discovering Japan (Single)
- 21 June 1979: Discovering Japan (LP-Squeezing Out Sparks) Vertigo
- 05 September 1979: Discovering Japan / Local Girls / Nobody Hurts You (LP - "Live Sparks") Arista
- 10 September 1979: Saturday Night Is Dead (LP - Live Sparks) Arista
- 17 September 1979: Love Gets You Twisted (LP - Live Sparks) Arista
- 26 September 1979: Waiting For The UFO's (LP - "Live Sparks") Arista
- 03 October 1979: Mercury Poisoning (LP - "Live Sparks") Arista
- 1980
- 14 April 1980: Local Girls (LP - The Best Of Graham Parker And The Rumour)
- 15 April 1980: 'Hotel Chambermaid (LP-The Best Of Graham Parker And The Rumour)'
- 30 April 1980: Stupefaction (LP – The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 05 May 1980: Stupefaction (LP – The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 13 May 1980: Stupefaction (7") Stiff
- 22 May 1980: Empty Lives (LP – The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 28 May 1980: No Holding Back (LP – The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 29 May 1980: Empty Lives (LP – The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 04 June 1980: No Holding Back (album - The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 10 June 1980: Devil's Sidewalk (album - The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 12 June 1980: Endless Night (album - The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 02 July 1980: Love Without Greed (7") Stiff
- 17 July 1980: Manoeuvres
- 07 August 1980: Empty Lives (LP - The Up Escalator) Stiff
- 1982
- 23 February 1982: Temporary Beauty (single) RCA
Rumour
- 19 March 1979: Tired Of Waiting (LP – Frogs Sprouts Clogs And Krauts) Stiff
