The Rumour
Encyclopedia
The Rumour were a British
rock
band
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band
for Graham Parker
, 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 album
s: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs And Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).
and Bontemps Roulez. Throughout most of their existence (1975–1980), The Rumour consisted of founding members Bob Andrews
(keyboards), Brinsley Schwarz
(guitar), Martin Belmont
(guitar), Andrew Bodnar (bass), and Stephen Goulding
(drums). Lead vocals were shared amongst all group members.
The Rumour debuted on disc as Graham Parker's backing band on his 1976 album Howlin' Wind
. While continuing to work with Parker (and to receive billing on his albums), the following year The Rumour began to issue their own recordings, starting with the 1977 album Max.
The Rumour were noted for their hard driving, skilled, tightly arranged ensemble playing. They have been compared to The Band
and the Rolling Stones, frequently recalling both simultaneously. Together with Parker they recorded several albums, most notably 1979's Squeezing Out Sparks
.
Members of The Rumour (often, but not always, acting as a unit) also kept themselves busy during this era appearing as session musician
s on various recordings issued by acts associated with pub rock
and new wave
. At various points, and on various recordings, The Rumour backed Nick Lowe
, Dave Edmunds
, Carlene Carter
and other acts. As well, in 1977 Bodnar and Goulding played bass and drums, respectively, on Elvis Costello
's first UK chart hit, "Watching the Detectives
". The band also backed Garland Jeffreys
on the tour for his Escape Artist album.
Andrews left the group in 1979. The remaining quartet continued on, recording their own album Purity of Essence (1980) and serving as the backing band on Graham Parker's The Up Escalator
(1980) before breaking up by 1981.
A compilation album
of Rumour material (from their last two albums only) was released by Metro in 2000, entitled Not So Much a Rumour, More a Way of Life.
film This Is Forty. Both the album and the Apatow film are due to be released in 2012.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
in the late 1970s and early 1980s. They are best known as the backup band
Backup band
A backing band or backup band is a musical ensemble that accompanies an artist at a live performance or on a recording. This can either be an established, long-standing group that has little or no change in membership, or it may be an ad hoc group assembled for a single show or a single recording...
for Graham Parker
Graham Parker
Graham Parker is a British rock singer and songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the popular British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.-Early career :...
, 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 album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs And Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).
History
Members of The Rumour came from the veteran UK pub rock bands Brinsley SchwarzBrinsley Schwarz
Brinsley Schwarz were a 1970s English pub rock band, named after their guitarist Brinsley Schwarz. With Nick Lowe on bass and vocals, keyboardist Bob Andrews and drummer Billy Rankin, the band evolved from the 1960s pop band Kippington Lodge.-Formation:...
and Bontemps Roulez. Throughout most of their existence (1975–1980), The Rumour consisted of founding members Bob Andrews
Bob Andrews (keyboardist)
Robert Charles "Bob" Andrews is an English keyboardist and saxophonist. He played with Brinsley Schwarz and Graham Parker's backing band, The Rumour, which he left in 1980.-References:...
(keyboards), Brinsley Schwarz
Brinsley Schwarz (musician)
Brinsley Ernst Pieter Schwarz is an English guitarist and rock musician. He formed a band named Kippington Lodge in 1965, which evolved into the eponymous band Brinsley Schwarz...
(guitar), Martin Belmont
Martin Belmont
Martin Belmont is a rock 'n' roll and country-blues guitarist.After working as a roadie for Brinsley Schwarz, in 1972 he formed Ducks Deluxe, issuing two albums on RCA...
(guitar), Andrew Bodnar (bass), and Stephen Goulding
Steve Goulding
Steve Goulding is an English drummer, best known for his memberships with Graham Parker and The Rumour, The Associates, Poi Dog Pondering and The Mekons. With the Associates he had a UK #9 hit single with "Party Fears Two"...
(drums). Lead vocals were shared amongst all group members.
The Rumour debuted on disc as Graham Parker's backing band on his 1976 album Howlin' Wind
Howlin' Wind
Howlin' Wind was the debut album by Graham Parker and The Rumour, released in 1976 to critical acclaim. The Rumour were mainly former pub rock scene musicians, including guitarist Brinsley Schwarz and keyboardist Bob Andrews of the band Brinsley Schwarz; Parker's recent jobs included pumping gas at...
. While continuing to work with Parker (and to receive billing on his albums), the following year The Rumour began to issue their own recordings, starting with the 1977 album Max.
The Rumour were noted for their hard driving, skilled, tightly arranged ensemble playing. They have been compared to The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
and the Rolling Stones, frequently recalling both simultaneously. Together with Parker they recorded several albums, most notably 1979's Squeezing Out Sparks
Squeezing Out Sparks
Squeezing Out Sparks is a 1979 album by Graham Parker and the Rumour. It was voted album of the year in the 1979 Village Voice Pazz & Jop Critics Poll and, in 2003, was ranked number 335 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time...
.
Members of The Rumour (often, but not always, acting as a unit) also kept themselves busy during this era appearing as session musician
Session musician
Session musicians are instrumental and vocal performers, musicians, who are available to work with others at live performances or recording sessions. Usually such musicians are not permanent members of a musical ensemble and often do not achieve fame in their own right as soloists or bandleaders...
s on various recordings issued by acts associated with pub rock
Pub rock (UK)
Pub rock was a rock music genre that developed in the mid 1970s in the United Kingdom. A back-to-basics movement, pub rock was a reaction against progressive and glam rock. Although short-lived, pub rock was notable for rejecting stadium venues and for returning live rock to the small pubs and...
and new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
. At various points, and on various recordings, The Rumour backed Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
, Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
, Carlene Carter
Carlene Carter
Carlene Carter is an American country singer and songwriter. She is the daughter of June Carter and her first husband, Carl Smith....
and other acts. As well, in 1977 Bodnar and Goulding played bass and drums, respectively, on Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
's first UK chart hit, "Watching the Detectives
Watching the Detectives (song)
"Watching the Detectives" is a 1977 single by English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello. It was his first single that credited his backing band, the Attractions, and gave him his first UK hit single...
". The band also backed Garland Jeffreys
Garland Jeffreys
Garland Jeffreys is a part African-American, and Puerto Rican American, singer and songwriter, transversing the musical genres of rock and roll, reggae, blues and soul.-Career:...
on the tour for his Escape Artist album.
Andrews left the group in 1979. The remaining quartet continued on, recording their own album Purity of Essence (1980) and serving as the backing band on Graham Parker's The Up Escalator
The Up Escalator
The Up Escalator is an album by Graham Parker and was released on May 23, 1980 by Stiff Records as LP and as cassette . In the USA distributed by Arista.-Up :# "No Holding Back"# "Devil's Sidewalk"# "Stupefaction"...
(1980) before breaking up by 1981.
Post Rumour careers
All of the former members of The Rumour worked fairly frequently as session musicians in the years following the Rumour's demise. Schwarz, Bodnar and Goulding all worked with Parker at various times since The Rumour's break-up, and Belmont has appeared on recordings by Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. Goulding has also been a member of The Mekons since 1984.A compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of Rumour material (from their last two albums only) was released by Metro in 2000, entitled Not So Much a Rumour, More a Way of Life.
Reunion
On October 21, 2010, Parker, Andrews, Belmont, Goulding, and bassist Jeremy Chatzky performed together under the name Kippington Lodge Social Club at a preview screening of Don't Ask Me Questions, a documentary about Parker. The following spring all five original members joined Parker to record a new album, tentatively titled Three Chords Good, and in September 2011 Parker and The Rumour filmed a performance scene for the Judd ApatowJudd Apatow
Judd Apatow is an American film producer, director, and screenwriter. He is well known for his work in comedy films, especially for films he has been involved with throughout the latter half of the 2000s. He is the founder of Apatow Productions, a film production company that also developed the...
film This Is Forty. Both the album and the Apatow film are due to be released in 2012.
Discography
- "Max", Mercury Records (1978)
- Frogs Sprouts Clogs and Krauts, Arista Records (1979)
- "Purity Of Essence", Stiff Records (UK version) (1980)
- "Purity Of Essence", Hannibal Records (US version - different recording) (1980)