The Rumour

The Rumour

Company type	Band
Industry	Music
Founded	1976
Defunct	1981, 2015
Headquarters	London , England
Products	Music albums, live performances

The Rumour was a British band known for pub rock and new wave styles, active from the late 1970s through the early 1980s. Its members originated from previously dissolved pub rock outfits such as Brinsley Schwarz and Ducks Deluxe. The band gained prominence primarily as Graham Parker’s backing ensemble, with their initial releases between 1976 and 1980 attributed to Graham Parker & the Rumour. Additionally, they independently produced three albums: Max (1977), Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts (1979), and Purity of Essence (1980).

Disbanding in 1980, The Rumour reunited in 2011 to support Parker once again, culminating in a final UK tour in October 2015 that concluded at the London Forum on 17 October. This event also marked the first time in 33 years that the surviving horn section members performed together.

History

The Rumour consisted of seasoned musicians from prominent UK pub rock bands including Brinsley Schwarz, Ducks Deluxe, and Bontemps Roulez. Between 1975 and 1980, the lineup featured founding members Bob Andrews on keyboards, Brinsley Schwarz and Martin Belmont on guitars, Andrew Bodnar handling bass, and Stephen Goulding on drums, with lead vocals shared among the group.

Their debut as Graham Parker’s backing band was showcased on his 1976 album Howlin' Wind. While continuing their collaboration with Parker, The Rumour launched their own projects starting with the 1977 album Max, which served as a playful nod to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours. In 1979, they explored a new wave direction with Frogs, Sprouts, Clogs and Krauts, offering musical reflections on European culture.

Renowned for their precise and expert ensemble performances, The Rumour earned comparisons to both The Band and The Rolling Stones. Together with Parker, they recorded several albums including the critically acclaimed Squeezing Out Sparks in 1979.

Members frequently contributed as session musicians for artists linked to pub rock and new wave scenes, supporting acts such as Nick Lowe, Dave Edmunds, Carlene Carter, and Garland Jeffreys. Notably, in 1977 Bodnar and Goulding played on Elvis Costello’s UK hit "Watching the Detectives." The band also toured with Garland Jeffreys during his Escape Artist promotion.

Aiming to establish an identity separate from Parker’s backing band role, they intended to release an album under the name the Duplicates but ultimately abandoned this project after issuing a single. Andrews departed in 1979; subsequently Nicky Hopkins joined briefly on piano. The remaining four members recorded Purity of Essence (1980) and supported Parker on his album The Up Escalator (1980) before disbanding by 1981. Bodnar later remarked that their split came after realizing there were no further musical directions to pursue, concluding with a live broadcasted show supporting The Police in Germany.

Post-Rumour careers

After The Rumour dissolved, all former members continued working extensively as session musicians. Schwarz, Bodnar, and Goulding reunited with Parker at various stages while Belmont contributed to recordings by Elvis Costello and Nick Lowe. Since 1984, Goulding has been part of the Mekons.

In 2000, Metro issued a compilation titled Not So Much a Rumour, More a Way of Life, featuring selections from their final two albums.

Reunion

On 21 October 2010, Parker reunited with Andrews, Belmont, Goulding, and bassist Jeremy Chatzky under the name Kippington Lodge Social Club for a preview screening of Don't Ask Me Questions, a documentary about Parker. In early 2011, these original five members came together once more with Parker to record Three Chords Good, which was released in November 2012. They also appeared filming a performance for the Judd Apatow movie This Is 40. Music critic Stephen Thomas Erlewine commended the album as “a rare reunion that honors the past while embracing the present.”

Discography

• Max (1977), released by Mercury Records
• Frogs Sprouts Clogs and Krauts (1979), issued through Stiff Records in the UK and Arista in the US
• Purity of Essence (1980), distributed by Stiff Records in the UK and Hannibal Records in the US – with notable variations in track selection and performances between the UK and US versions