Song of the Day 7/8: Graham Parker and the Rumour, “Mercury Poisoning”

H/t El Somnambulo

It must be something in the water, nanoplastics or something, because suddenly politicians are saying shit that nobody looking for votes should ever say. First it was the Dogslayer, now it’s RFK Jr. saying a worm ate part of his brain … and, oh yes, also, he had mercury poisoning. I say this explains a lot. And be careful with the tuna – remember Jeremy Piven.

Graham Parker wasn’t thinking of sushi when he wrote “Mercury Poisoning.” With the encouragement of his manager, he was trashing his record company as he left Mercury for Arista in 1979. Though it was recorded at the same time as the material for “Squeezing Out Sparks,” his first LP for his new label, it wasn’t included. It was instead given limited release as a promotional single, and though it failed to spark the intended publicity, the tune quickly became a fan favorite.

Parker’s beef with Mercury centered on his middling success, which he and his manager blamed on a lack of promotional support. Arista gave him lots more money for touring and production, he said, “a deal with way too much money in it than was healthy. I can’t say that this deal was much healthier than the Mercury one in that respect.” Besides, “Before long my manager was just as pissed with Arista as he was with Mercury!”

The upshot, of course, is that Parker never broke through to the stardom many people thought he deserved. IMO the problem was not enough people saw him live, where, like most pub rockers, his energy came through better than it did in the studio. This performance came the month after “Squeezing Out Sparks” was released.