Steady Nerves

Last updated

Steady Nerves
Steadynerves.jpg
Studio album by
Graham Parker and the Shot
Released1985
Genre Rock
Label Elektra
Producer William Wittman, Graham Parker
Graham Parker and the Shot chronology
The Real Macaw
(1983)		Steady Nerves
(1985)		 The Mona Lisa's Sister
(1988)

Steady Nerves is a 1985 album by Graham Parker and the Shot. [1]

Contents

The album was produced by William Wittman, who Parker's record company, Elektra, initially opposed. Parker had originally proposed Squeezing Out Sparks producer Jack Nitzsche, but this had been rejected by Elektra. As a result, Elektra only forwarded the funds for four songs to be recorded before the company gave approval for Wittman; ultimately, the rest of the album was recorded and released. [2] Parker recalled,

I mentioned that Wittman, who had somehow or other come across my transom, had just engineered C. Lauper's rather brill She's So Unusual LP. Well, truth be told, Bill W. is quite a forceful little fella and I really had no input in the production at all and just gave up and let him get on with it. He obviously knew what he was doing, and that, to me, is the problem with the record. My weakness and laziness let it happen. I was really hoping for a much more unusual sounding collection but didn't have the brains and moxie to accomplish such a feat. [3]

The album contains his only US Top 40 hit, "Wake Up (Next to You)". [4] Parker said of the song, "That breathy voice - I wrote the song like that. It was in my imagination, and when it came to recording, I could do it, with a bit of tuning up and stuff." [5] Of "The Weekend's Too Short", he said, "'Weekend's Too Short' is definitely a song not written from my point of view. I mean, I don't care about the weekends particularly, do I? I don't work 9 to 5 all week and let loose on Friday night."

Track listing

All songs written by Graham Parker.

  1. "Break Them Down"
  2. "Mighty Rivers"
  3. "Lunatic Fringe"
  4. "Wake Up (Next to You)"
  5. "When You Do That to Me"
  6. "The Weekend's Too Short"
  7. "Take Everything"
  8. "Black Lincoln Continental"
  9. "Canned Laughter"
  10. "Everyone's Hand Is On The Switch"
  11. "Locked Into Green"
  12. "Too Much Time to Think" [CD bonus track]

Charts

Chart (1985)Peak
position
United States (Billboard 200) [6] 57

Personnel

Technical

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Dave Clark Five</span> English rock band

The Dave Clark Five, also known as the DC5, were an English rock and roll band formed in 1958 in Tottenham, London. Drummer Dave Clark served as the group's leader, producer and co-songwriter. In January 1964, they had their first UK top-ten single, "Glad All Over", which knocked the Beatles' "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK Singles Chart. It peaked at No. 6 in the United States in April 1964. Although this was their only UK No. 1, they topped the US chart in December 1965, with their cover of Bobby Day's "Over and Over". Their other UK top-ten hits include "Bits and Pieces", "Can't You See That She's Mine", "Catch Us If You Can", "Everybody Knows", "The Red Balloon", "Good Old Rock 'n' Roll", and a version of Chet Powers' "Get Together".

<i>Candy-O</i> 1979 studio album by the Cars

Candy-O is the second studio album by American new wave band the Cars, released on June 13, 1979, by Elektra Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Graham Parker</span> English singer-songwriter

Graham Thomas Parker is an English singer-songwriter, who is best known as the lead singer of the British band Graham Parker & the Rumour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Louise Goffin</span> American musician

Louise Goffin is an American singer-songwriter and producer of the 2011 album A Holiday Carole. Signed by record executive Lenny Waronker to DreamWorks in 1999, Goffin released Sometimes a Circle in 2002. She went on to release five albums, an EP, and several singles independently through her own label Majority of One Records, which was launched May 2008. She teaches songwriting to teen girls from disadvantaged backgrounds in partnership with the charitable organization WriteGirl.

<i>The Mona Lisas Sister</i> 1988 studio album by Graham Parker

The Mona Lisa's Sister is a 1988 album by Graham Parker. It was Parker's first album for RCA following an acrimonious split with Atlantic and the first he produced himself. The "stripped-down" sound of the album garnered critical acclaim and presaged a back-to-basics trend in rock music in the 1990s. It was re-released by Buddah Records in 1999 with a bonus track, "Ordinary Girl", the B-side to "Get Started. Start a Fire". The album debuted at #132 on Billboard 200 Album chart on 28 May 1988, peaking at #77.

<i>Squeezing Out Sparks</i> 1979 studio album by Graham Parker

Squeezing Out Sparks is the fourth studio album by English singer-songwriter Graham Parker and his band the Rumour. The album was released in March 1979. Although the Rumour were not credited on the cover, their name was included on the album label.

<i>Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins</i> 1994 studio album by Sparks

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins is the 16th album by American rock band Sparks. It was released in 1994, after an absence from the music industry of 6 years, and marked the duo's transition into a more techno/Eurobeat-influenced sound, which earned them popularity in Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aimee Allen</span> American singer-songwriter

Aimee Allen is an American singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. She is currently the lead vocalist for the ska-punk band the Interrupters under the moniker Aimee Interrupter. As a singer-songwriter, she has collaborated with Mark Ronson, Sublime with Rome, Tim Armstrong of Rancid, Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day, Linda Perry, Lee "Scratch" Perry, Jimmy Cliff, the Mighty Mighty Bosstones, Travis Barker, Dirty Heads, and Tom Morello.

<i>The Up Escalator</i> 1980 studio album by Graham Parker

The Up Escalator is an album by Graham Parker and the Rumour, released on 23 May 1980 by Stiff Records as LP and as cassette. In the USA, the album was released by Arista. Released after Parker's successful 1979 album Squeezing Out Sparks, the album features production by Jimmy Iovine.

<i>The Real Macaw</i> 1983 studio album by Graham Parker

The Real Macaw is an album by Graham Parker, released in 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local Girls</span> 1979 song by Graham Parker

"Local Girls" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks.

<i>Another Grey Area</i> 1982 studio album by Graham Parker

Another Grey Area is the first solo album by Graham Parker. It was released in 1982 on the Arista label. The album was produced by Jack Douglas and Graham Parker, and features Nicky Hopkins on acoustic piano.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mercury Poisoning</span> 1979 song by Graham Parker

"Mercury Poisoning" is a song written by rock musician Graham Parker and performed by Graham Parker and the Rumour. Inspired by Parker's frustration with his record company, Mercury Records, the song was released as a promotional single by Parker's new label, Arista Records, in February 1979. Because of the song's controversial nature, it was pulled from its planned release as the B-side to Parker's 1979 single, "Protection."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Discovering Japan</span> 1979 song by British rock musician Graham Parker

"Discovering Japan" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Protection (Graham Parker song)</span> 1979 song by Graham Parker

"Protection" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">You Can't Be Too Strong</span> 1979 song by Graham Parker

"You Can't Be Too Strong" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks. Written about abortion, the song originated as a country-style shuffle before Parker and producer Jack Nitzsche changed it to a slower acoustic ballad.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endless Night (Graham Parker song)</span> 1980 song by Graham Parker

"Endless Night" is a song written by rock musician Graham Parker and performed by Graham Parker and the Rumour for their 1980 studio album The Up Escalator. Originally written for the 1980 film Cruising, "Endless Night" features lyrics about aging in rock 'n' roll. The song notably featured backing vocals from musician and Parker fan Bruce Springsteen.

"Passion Is No Ordinary Word" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks. Written about faking one's emotion, the song features a stripped-down arrangement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wake Up (Next to You)</span> 1985 song by Graham Parker

"Wake Up (Next to You)" is a song written by British rock musician Graham Parker and performed by Graham Parker and the Shot. Inspired by Smokey Robinson, the song was crucial in convincing Elektra Records to allow Parker and producer William Wittman to record a full album. The song is also notable for Parker's breathy singing and its lush arrangement.

"Saturday Nite Is Dead" is a song by British rock musician Graham Parker, recorded with his backing band the Rumour. The song was released on his 1979 album, Squeezing Out Sparks. Written about his experiences growing up in suburbia, the song features caustic lyrics and an angry vocal delivery.

References

  1. ↑ "Steady Nerves - Graham Parker & the Shot | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  2. ↑ "'NERVES' STEADIES PARKER'S CAREER". chicagotribune.com. 2 May 1985. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  3. ↑ "GP Answers Your Questions: Part 11". www.grahamparker.net. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  4. ↑ "Graham Parker - Chart history | Billboard". www.billboard.com. Retrieved 16 January 2017.
  5. ↑ ""Parker's Still Pretty Angry," by J.D. Considine". homepages.uni-regensburg.de. Retrieved 16 June 2020.
  6. ↑ "Squeezing Out Sparks– Graham Parker > Charts & Awards > Billboard Albums". allmusic.com. Billboard. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.