Graham Parker
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Graham Parker (born November 18 1950 in London) is a British rock singer and songwriter.
He was the vocalist of the Black Rockers and Deep Cut Three early in his career.
Graham Parker and the Rumour formed in the summer of 1975. Their first album, Howlin' Wind, was released to acclaim in 1976. Parker and the Rumour built a reputation as incendiary live performers. The singer's class-conscious lyrics and passionate vocals signaled a renewal of rock music as punk rock began to flower in Britain. The group reached a critical and popular high mark in 1979, with the devastating Squeezing Out Sparks. Of particular note was "You Can't Be Too Strong", one of rock music's rare anti-abortion songs. 1980's The Up Escalator was Parker's last with the Rumour, though guitarist Brinsley Schwarz would join most of the singer's albums through the decade's end.
The 1980s were Parker's most commercially successful years, with well-financed recordings and radio and video play. In 1988, however, Parker began producing his own albums and stripping down his sound. The Mona Lisa's Sister was a major success in the new "college rock" format and gained the singer new critical attention.
Numerous albums have followed since, with different stylistic emphases, but Parker continues to write songs of struggle, compassion, and defiance in a hostile society. He has meanwhile adapted to the instability of his industry. Like many of his peers, he now works comfortably with independent record labels, tours often as a solo performer, and converses freely with fans at shows and online.
Parker published a set of short stories, Carp Fishing on Valium, in June 2000. His second book, a novel, The Other Life of Brian, appeared in September 2003.
Discography
- Howlin' Wind (1976)
- Heat Treatment (1976)
- Stick To Me (1977)
- The Parkerilla (1978)
- Squeezing Out Sparks (1979)
- Live Sparks (1979)
- The Up Escalator (1980)
- Another Grey Area (1982)
- The Real Macaw (1983)
- Steady Nerves (1985)
- Mona Lisa's Sister (1988)
- Live! Alone in America (1989)
- Human Soul (1989)
- Struck by Lightning (1991)
- Burning Questions (1992)
- Live Alone Discovering Japan (1993)
- Christmas Cracker (1994)
- Haunted Episodes (1995)
- Live in New York (1996)
- Acid Bubblegum (1996)
- The Last Rock and Roll Tour (1997)
- Loose Monkeys (1999)
- Deepcut To Nowhere (2001)
- That's When You Know (2001)
- Live Cuts From Somewhere (2003)
- Your Country (2004)
- BBC Live in Concert
- Not If It Pleases Me
- King Biscuit Flower Hour
- Passion Is No Ordinary Word
- Vertigo Compilation
- No Holding Back
- The Official Art Vandelay
- Master Hits
- Stiffs & Demons
- Temporary Beauty
- the Ultimate Collection
- You Can't Be Too Strong
External links
- Official website (http://www.grahamparker.net/)