The Up Escalator
The Up Escalator | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 1980 May 23 | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Label | Stiff Records Arista | |||
Producer | Jimmy Iovine | |||
Graham Parker chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [1] |
Smash Hits | 9/10[2] |
The Up Escalator is an album by Graham Parker and The Rumour and was released on May 23, 1980 by Stiff Records as LP (SEEZ 23) and as cassette (ZSEEZ 23).[3] In the USA, the album was released by Arista.
The Up Escalator was released as the follow-up to Parker's successful 1979 release, Squeezing Out Sparks. The Rumour's keyboardist, Bob Andrews had left the band after the Squeezing Out Sparks tour, being replaced on The Up Escalator by studio musician Nicky Hopkins, the E-Street Band's Danny Federici, and Peter Wood of Quiver.[4] The album was produced by Jimmy Iovine, who had been a popular producer at the time for his work on Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers' Damn the Torpedoes and Patti Smith's Easter.
Compared to the band's previous album, The Up Escalator was commercially less successful, staying on the charts for less time. Following a few additional concerts and television appearances, Parker and the Rumour split due to musical differences (Parker claimed the band had been "butchering" his songs).[4]
"Stupefaction" was released as a single, backed with the non-album track "Woman in Charge"; the single failed to chart.[4] The track "Endless Night" features backing vocals from American rock musician Bruce Springsteen, who named Parker as the only musician he would pay to see perform.[5][6]
Track listing
All tracks composed by Graham Parker.
UK
Up (Side 1)
- "No Holding Back"
- "Devil's Sidewalk"
- "Stupefaction"
- "Love Without Greed"
- "Jolie Jolie"
Down (Side 2)
- "Endless Night"
- "Paralyzed"
- "Maneuvers"
- "Empty Lives"
- "The Beating of Another Heart"
US and Australia
Up (Side 1)
- "No Holding Back"
- "Devil's Sidewalk"
- "Stupefaction"
- "Empty Lives"
- "The Beating of Another Heart"
Down (Side 2)
- "Endless Night"
- "Paralyzed"
- "Maneuvers"
- "Jolie Jolie"
- "Love Without Greed"
Bonus tracks (2003 Lemon Records reissue)
- "Women In Charge"
- "Hey Lord, Don't Ask Me Questions" (Live 1981)"
Personnel
- Graham Parker - guitar, vocals
- Bruce Springsteen - background vocals on "Endless Night"
- Nicky Hopkins - acoustic piano
- Jimmy Maelen - percussion
- Martin Belmont - guitar
- Danny Federici - organ
- Steve Goulding - drums
- Brinsley Schwarz - guitar, background vocals
- Peter Wood - synthesizer
- Andrew Bodnar - bass
Certifications
Canada-Gold [7]
Sources
- The Up Escalator album cover
References
- ^ Deming, Mark. "The Up Escalator – Graham Parker & the Rumour / Graham Parker". AllMusic. Retrieved 12 October 2015.
- ^ Hepworth, David. "Albums". Smash Hits (June 12–25, 1980): 31.
- ^ "Stiff - Home". Stiff-records.com. Retrieved 2015-07-14.
- ^ a b c Cabin, Geoff. "Graham Parker and the Rumour: The Complete History - Part Four". Rock Beat International. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
- ^ Himes, Geoffrey. "Graham Parker -- 'The Up Escalator'". The Washington Post. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ Cohen, Debra Rae. "The Up Escalator". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 May 2019.
- ^ "Gold/Platinum". Music Canada. Retrieved 2015-07-14.