
Graham Parker & The Rumour were an English rock band in the late 1970s and early 1980s, featuring Graham Parker (born 18 November 1950). However, The Rumour (minus Graham Parker) 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
GRAHAM PARKER & THE RUMOUR (1st John Peel Session 1976)
1. Recorded: 1976-06-01. First 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. First Broadcast: 15 November 1976. Repeated: 29 December 1976, 23 June 1977, 08 September 1978 (Paul Gambaccini)
- Hotel Chambermaid / Pouring It All Out / Help Me Shake It / Heat Treatment
Both sessions available on Not If It Pleases Me: BBC Live 76-77 CD, 1998 (Hux003)
- The Rumour
1. Recorded: 1977-05-23. First broadcast: 03 June 1977. Repeated: 04 August 1977. No known commercial release.
- Something's Going On / Do Nothing 'til You Hear From Me / I'm So Glad / Lookin' After Number One
Other Shows Played[]
Graham Parker - Heat Treatment
- Graham Parker & The Rumour
- 30 June 1976: Soul Shoes (7") Vertigo
- Omega Reel 1976: Heat Treatment (album - Heat Treatment) Vertigo 6360 137
- 26 October 1976: tracks from (album - Heat Treatment) Vertigo 6360 137
- Omega Reel 1976: Help Me Shake It (album - Heat Treatment) Vertigo 6360 137
- Omega Reel 1976: Hotel Chambermaid (album - Heat Treatment) Vertigo 6360 137
- PM009: Hotel Chambermaid (album - Heat Treatment) Vertigo 6360 137
- 24 August 1977: Hotel Chambermaid (album - Heat Treatment) Vertigo 6360 137
- 20 October 1977: 4 tracks from LP Stick To Me Vertigo 9102 017
- 01 November 1977: 3 tracks from LP Stick To Me Vertigo 9102 017
- 03 April 1978: Tear Your Playhouse Down (album - The Parkerilla) Vertigo 6641 797
- 03 April 1978: Hey Lord, Don't Ask Me Questions (album - The Parkerilla) Vertigo 6641 797
- 25 April 1978: Four from the album The Parkerilla Vertigo 6641 797
- 03 May 1978: unknown
- 05 May 1978: Tear Your Playhouse Down (album - The Parkerilla) Vertigo 6641 797
- 05 May 1978: Hey Lord, Don't Ask Me Questions (album - The Parkerilla) Vertigo 6641 797
- 05 June 1978: Gypsy Blood (album - The Parkerilla) Vertigo 6641 797
- 08 August 1978: Heat Treatment (album - The Parkerilla) Vertigo 6641 797
- 20 February 1979: Protection (7" Vertigo 6059 219
- 21 February 1979: Protection (7" Vertigo 6059 219
- 06 March 1979: Protection (7" Vertigo 6059 219
- 14 March 1979: Protection (7" Vertigo 6059 219
- 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
- 17 May 1979: Discovering Japan
- 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
- 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
- 23 February 1982: Temporary Beauty (single) RCA
- Rumour
- 28 June 1977: unknown
- 12 August 1977: Face To Face (LP - Max) Vertigo
- 27 February 1979: Euro (album - Frogs Sprouts Clogs And Krauts) Stiff SEEZ 13
- 19 March 1979: Tired Of Waiting (LP – Frogs Sprouts Clogs And Krauts) Stiff
- 17 May 1979: Emotional Traffic (7") Stiff