I posted a Graham Parker album (Howlin’ Wind) a while back and it was the first time I’d heard it. This song…as soon as I heard it I remembered it. I remember MTV and Fridays playing this video in the 1980s.
This was on the album Squeezing Out Sparks released in 1979. The album peaked at #18 in the UK, #79 in Canada, and #40 on the Billboard 100. Parker had just left Mercury Records and this was his debut on Arista Records.
I’ve listened to Squeezing Out Sparks and there is not a weak song on the album. Parker had felt like Rumour had overplayed on his albums to this point. He told them they need to play like they were in a studio and not live. After that… once they were clicking, it only took 11 days to complete the album.
This album didn’t include horns that were on his albums up to this point. It was a no-frills approach that made it arguably his finest album. This song has everything you want. Smart writing, catchy hook, and Parker’s voice is on point.
Normally, Parker named his albums after song titles, although this time he toyed with calling it “The Basingstoke Canal” after a waterway connecting to the Thames River, about 30 miles from where he was born in the London area of Hackney…but he woke up one morning with a song on the album called You Can’t Be Too Strong going through his head with the lyric “I know it gets dark down by Luna Park/But everybody else is squeezing out a spark/That happened in the heat, somewhere in the dark.”
Graham Parker: “‘Local Girls,’ of course, refers to the girls in my/your hometown, not the girls in someone else’s town. … The idea for ‘Local’ is from remembering what it was like to be a boy at home, looking out the window, seeing a rather toothsome piece stroll by, nose in the air perhaps, down the quiet semi-detached suburban street, and knowing that she probably already (at 13/14 years of age) fancies herself as an army wife (I grew up next door to an army camp and the squaddies were always stealing the girlfolk) and is going to look upon your feeble advances with some disdain. It’s a fairly typical the-object-of-ones-desire-is-always-out-of-reach-type song, just about 30 times better and more pregnant with meaning/detail than pretty much anyone else on the planet could even begin to aspire to, is all”
Graham Parker: “It wasn’t until I’d done all my Hippie traveling and being a freak and all that, and got back and lived with my parents and started to absorb all influence of my earlier years. I just pushed myself out in the world, got to London and met the right people, including Dave Robinson, who became my manager. He put the band the Rumour around me. So that was basically the beginnings of my career. I was just basically what I consider to be a successful singer/songwriter/musician by the time I came to write Squeezing Out Sparks. It was very inspired times for me, and that’s what resulted in that album.”
Local Girls
Sit by my window and look outside, wonder why the sun don’t shine on me
What’s wrong with you, you stupid child, don’t you think that I’m the one
You’re waiting to see?
Don’t talk too much ’cause she falls for the suckers, makes her feel
Everything is secure
Don’t ever leave a footprint on the floor
Don’t bother with the local girls, don’t bother with the local girls
They don’t bother me
She’s probably half-wit, she must be straight,
Or bound to have a mother who knows nothing but hate
Don’t want to love her, I’d rather knock her down
Standing at the bus stop where she waits each morning
So isolated that she thinks that the army is the place where a man ought to be
Don’t bother with them, they don’t bother me
Don’t bother with the local girls, don’t bother with the local girls
They don’t bother me
They got the walk, they got the talk, right down without a flaw
At 6:00 I got to stop my dreaming at the counter of the store
Don’t bother with the local girls, don’t bother with the local girls
They don’t bother me
Without a doubt I got to intercept, must be time someone ran and shouted in
Their head
You look all right in the cheap print dress,
But every time you swish it ’round you make me disappear
I’m aware of exactly what I’m doing, making everything a mystery
Don’t bother with it, it don’t bother me
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Did Parker really say that about his own writing?: “just about 30 times better and more pregnant with meaning/detail than pretty much anyone else on the planet could even begin to aspire to, is all”. So humble!
Thats is attributed to him…
“I watched Parker from a distance as he put out one strong album after another on Mercury…but despite our intensive efforts, something didn’t click…the public’s indifference to him remains mystifying” – Clive Davis (who ran Arista) in his book. He really liked Parker’s songs and stage show but just couldn’t get any big interest in him.
It’s a shame because he had a quality many didn’t have.
This is my first time hearing about Graham Parker and he sounds a bit like Elvis Costello, but I do like this song.
They do sound like each other some…Parker actually came before Elvis.
I remember this, and I didn’t watch much MTV in the ’80’s. Good song!
Thanks John…the video is what I remember alot…it is a good song.
I’m going to jump on the stationary and listen to this record. ‘Local Girls’ just wouldnt pay any attention to Graham. Great cut Max.
Lush music and thoughtful lyrics. There is a definite Elvis Costello flavor to it. I see your comment that he came before Elvis. Interesting!
Yes he did…he released his first album in 1976…CB got me into him…he is a fantastic writer.
You know, music is where I go when I seek truth.
GP’s masterpiece. I also love the promo version “Live Sparks” which has live versions of each song. It was also later released as double CD along with the original.
I’ll have to get that… Thanks Mike
Teen angst and frustration front and centre on this one. And, yes what Halffastcyclingclub. That’s a bit beyond having a healthy ego.
Yea…he didn’t suffer from a lack of confidence!
Great tune! I remember we discussed the “Howlin’ Wind” album at the time you posted about it. This prompted to further check out Graham Parker which is how I found “Local Girl.” I immediately dug it and ended up picking that tune for my Song Musings feature in mid-June. Now that your post reminded me of Parker again, I should probably do some more listening! 🙂
Thanks for listening to the first one…he does have some quality songs Christian. CB and I are doing another artist on Saturday…if we get it done.
Alright, keep ’em coming! 🙂
Whole album is great IMO
I’ve listened to some but it’s on my list. I like his debut album a lot.
Graham…your site will not take any comments from me…and I’m guess everyone because none have commented on the quiz….wanted to let you know.
Can you try now? Wondering if it’s because I hadn’t updated a plugin.
Ok…hold on
No…it says “Sorry – there was a problem posting your comment.”
I’ve cleared some caches – do you mind trying again – sorry, and thanks for reporting!
No problem….in what I do…I know how you feel.
Dang…same thing. I could try to completely log out and back in but I dont’ think it would help…I’ll try anyway.
Same thing.
Eclectic Music Lover just commented – I wonder if my recent fixes did achieve something, but that the old version is still caching for you.
Let me try now.
It says 6 comments but no comments show up…I’ll try a different browser now.
Yea I’m trying the “Brave” browser now…again showing the number of comments but no comments. It must be with just me.
You scored 16/20, right? I can write your score in for you.
Yes…I did…I think it just posted…I’m an idiot…why didn’t I try straight to your site? The reader still isnt’ working and my guess is it’s not working for other people. You should have more people than this. The comments don’t show on the reader but your blog is working fine.
Scratch that…now it’s working…all of the comments just showed up in the reader…so it is working now.
I know you are tired of me…but all the comments vanished again only on the reader.
Thanks. I imagine it’s a Jetpack issue at this point – I’ve done some diagnostics at my end and it seems OK. Seems a bit intermittent.
There was Parker, then Costello, then Joe Jackson.
Thanks Paul…Joe Jackson is who I couldn’t think of…
This would have been a good title for a Star Trek episode…lol
LOL…Kirk on the prowl…well that would be a good title also.
Or call the episode Tase Me Phase Me!
LOL..thats not all Kirk would want.
Hahaha! Dirty Kirk Done Spock Cheap
Lol… WINNER!
Parker also did a killer punky version of the Jackson 5’s I Want You Back. It works too.
Springsteen was also into Parker around 1977-79 and you can can hear his influence on many of the tracks recorded on The River sessions (mainly the ones that didn’t make it).
Parker is so much the forgotten sound of 1976-80.
Oh I posted his version of I Want You Back…his version is really cool…I call it the “Adult Version”
You know after thinking about it…I can hear some of that influence on Bruce. I’m shocked that he didn’t get more attention.
Check out Fool’s Gold. It is pure Bruce circa 1980.
I will…Thanks Paul!
Great song! I can clearly hear Bruce…a no brainer!
Loved early Graham Parker and the Rumour stuff, you mentioned his cover of “I Want You Back”, which is superb but he also did another great soul cover of The Trammps “Hold Back the Night”, which is equally as good….
https://youtu.be/8kQXko2W0sU?si=1SjFSJuqx02O4_0g
Thank you! He would make anything in his style…just great.
Lets throw in ‘Tear Your Playhouse Down’ just for kicks.