The Rumour

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 albums: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs And Krauts (1978), 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 Fusion on October 17th, 2015. At this show, the surviving members of the horn section also reunited, the first time for 33 years.

History

Members of The Rumour came from the veteran UK pub rock bands Brinsley Schwarz 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 (album)

The Rumour is an album released by Olivia Newton-John in 1988. The title track was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin; and features backing vocals and piano by John. The album featured the singles 'The Rumour', 'Can't We Talk It Over In Bed' (later covered by Grayson Hugh) and the Australian-only promo-single 'It's Always Australia For Me', which was released for the Australian Bicentenary in 1988. This was also her first album not produced by longtime producer, John Farrar.

Track listing

The Rumour (New Zealand band)

The Rumour was a New Zealand pop/rock music band in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Formed in 1966 and featuring twin brothers Shade and Gerard Smith, Jacques Koolen and Ross Hindman they went on to achieve success in the NZ pop scene with chart-topping hits "L'amour Est L'enfant de la Liberte", No 1 on the New Zealand charts for four weeks and "Holy Morning". The band was at various times a duo, a trio, quartet and quintet.

Early years

In New Zealand in the early 1960s, Cliff Richard and the Shadows, Buddy Holly and the Crickets and Elvis Presley were soon to be replaced in the national psyche of the new teen generation by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and the rest of the British Pop Invasion. An awakening was underway in the new generation with this heightened level of interest in music. Bands sprang up in every town, at every school from church groups to scout clubs. In the small Waikato town of Huntly, twin brothers John (Shade) and Gerard Smith teamed up with their schoolmates and neighbours Jacques Koolen and Ross Hindman and formed a singing group which won a talent quest at Huntly College in 1962. Not long after, they became a Shadows-emulating band called The Sapphires and began performing at local and district functions, frequently in Hamilton at the Starlight Ballroom, the Waikato's entertainment mecca. Changing their name to the Surfires and moving to Auckland they recorded 3 singles on the Zodiac label at Stebbing's Recording Studio during 1966/67 "I Can't Wait For Summertime"/"Flying Saucers", "Friction"/"A True Gentleman" and "Notice Me"/"When Will The Seasons Bring". All songs were written by lead guitarist John Smith with Gerard Smith taking care of the vocals and rhythm guitar, Hindman on bass and Koolen on drums.