Graham Parker – Hold Back The Night

I missed this song in Graham Parker’s discography. This is a good one and a cover of the Trammps song they released in 1975. The Trammps would later have some huge disco hits. This one was more Philly soul-sounding. Parker had already been bending R&B and soul into his own style with his first two albums, Howlin’ Wind and Heat Treatment.

It was released on the EP The Pink Parker in late ’77 (a live version was tacked onto the U.S. version of The Parkerilla in 1979). Graham’s version is raw and raucous, much more than the original. The Pink Parker peaked at #24 in the UK Charts and #58 on the Billboard 100 in 1977. He recorded this with his great backup band called The Rumour.

The Rumour would be Graham’s backing band for years. They also recorded their own albums separately and did three in all. They broke up in 1980 and then reformed and started to back Parker up again in 2011 and remain his backup band to this day.

The Pink Parker was an EP, and it basically functioned as a stealth single for Hold Back the Night. The track started getting serious airplay and attention. 

Hold Back The Night

Hold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you baby

When you leftYou took the sunRight out of my skyYes you didWonder whyYou went awayAnd never told me why

When the sun go downThe moon is nearI’m scared to death‘Cause your face appear

Hold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you baby

LonelinessHolding meWhen I go to bed yes it isLike a characterIn a bookThat I have read

When the sun go downThe moon is nearI’m scared to death‘Cause your face appear

Hold it hold it hold it hold it

Hold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyI said hold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you baby

Hold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you babyHold back the nightTurn on the lightDon’t wanna dream about you baby

…

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Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, Alternative music, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player. Not the slightest bit interested in politics at all.

34 thoughts on “Graham Parker – Hold Back The Night”

      2. Hey I would have loved to so those artists in their prime. For me…The Who with Moon would have been the band I would have wanted to see….over anyone else.

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  3. That’s a nice, bouncy little tune. More commercial than I thought it was going to be, yet not a hit. Like Jim alludes to, it’s like there was a career elevator going up and Edmunds and Lowe hopped on , then Costello and a business type pushed the close door button when Parker came dashing up…’we got all of your type we have room for, mate’

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    1. Yea the funny thing is…Graham came before Costello… he has some great albums. He was more expansive than Costello I think…he would go down more paths.

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  4. Pingback: Graham Parker – Hold Back The Night – MobsterTiger

  6. Very nice. I prefer Parker over Costello or Lowe any day. I never warmed up to Costello. I like a few of his songs, and I think he’s better when he collaborates with others, but all in all, he leaves me cold.

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    1. I think Graham is more versatile… I sure like Graham’s voice much more…very soulful voice. The man knew how to pick covers…

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      4. Yea he was hating on everything at that time…he came out with a book and talked about it. I don’t know what the hell he was trying to prove.

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  7. GP and the boys put on fantastic shows and always brought out covers that I had never heard (Like a lot of bands I like). because I had never heard them i just assumed they were his. One of my favorites is ‘I’m Gonna Tear Your Playhouse Down’. One of the people I listen to a lot. Go back for a fix regularly. Funny how the memory works. I can remember the day I bought ‘Parkerilla’ when it was released.

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    1. I thought this was his song CB. I just told someone he could pick them well to fit his style. I’ve been listening to Howlin’ Wind lately but I ran across this later. I never owned an EP…something I missed.

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      1. We’ve talked before about Howlin Wind. Stone cold killer album. When i comment on msic like this it’s easy. I listened to it a lot. Good thing for home and car listening devices because they weren’t playing it on the radio to speak of. It’s all that secret shit I like max.

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      2. Yes it is… yes I like secret shit as well. The only two albums I’ve really checked out is Howlin’ Wind and Squeezing Out The Sparks…I really like the both of them…and I added this EP to it.

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    1. He has some loyal fans though. That is the consolation prize for artists like this. They usually have really devoted fans…probably more knowing fans as well. I think the Replacements fit in that group.

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      2. Yea now that was tragic about Drake….and hell…Big Star. The Replacements were the Beatles in popularity compared to them.

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