Martin Belmont

Guitarist Martin Belmont began his professional musical career as the lead guitarist for the pub rock band <a href="spotify:artist:0M4IFoE14SkNQbMjRLAnH7">Ducks Deluxe</a>. <a href="spotify:artist:0M4IFoE14SkNQbMjRLAnH7">The Ducks</a> toured the U.K. constantly during the mid-'70s and released four albums before breaking up in 1975. Belmont moved on to <a href="spotify:artist:6c8INA1EQQe9TkukfEdiCA">Graham Parker</a>'s backing band, <a href="spotify:artist:34XOKvo8R7mnjdS8S0Gwvq">the Rumour</a>. For the next five years, he was part of <a href="spotify:artist:34XOKvo8R7mnjdS8S0Gwvq">the Rumour</a>, who supported <a href="spotify:artist:2gINJ8xw86xawPyGvx1bla">Parker</a> on tour and on his records and also recorded three albums on their own. Following <a href="spotify:artist:34XOKvo8R7mnjdS8S0Gwvq">the Rumour</a>'s disbanding, Belmont played in supporting roles for various artists, including on records by <a href="spotify:artist:2wKZKjNTOtH2vjxIsUBZqY">Carlene Carter</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0FFuvdY7fuiuTmHN9unYoz">Paul Carrack</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:4Sld5LOPbAm1QSq9U32fFV">John Hiatt</a> before eventually becoming the guitarist for <a href="spotify:artist:3BqaUtuQmqIHg7B5Bc7fP7">Nick Lowe</a>'s mid-'80s group, the Cowboy Outfit. Once the Cowboy Outfit bit the dust, Belmont continued to support a number of artists, including an appearance on <a href="spotify:artist:5yXAFDZNUNyO92l5WTImkO">Billy Bragg</a>'s 1988 album Worker's Playtime. In the late '80s, he recorded his only solo album, Big Guitar, which was released on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Demon%22">Demon</a> label. During the '90s, Belmont quietly faded from the spotlight, but in the 2000s, he appeared as a sideman on albums by <a href="spotify:artist:2igp1GDqAEWP2906CUXcKu">Los Pistoleros</a> and <a href="spotify:artist:5Ot0jNIA7bhfOB1fGZ3MsA">Hank Wangford</a>, and in 2007, he was part of a <a href="spotify:artist:0M4IFoE14SkNQbMjRLAnH7">Ducks Deluxe</a> reunion concert at London's 100 Club. The reunion gig led to new rounds of recording and touring for the group, and <a href="spotify:artist:0M4IFoE14SkNQbMjRLAnH7">Ducks Deluxe</a> released the EP Box of Shorts in 2009 and the album Side Tracks & Smokers in 2010. As <a href="spotify:artist:0M4IFoE14SkNQbMjRLAnH7">Ducks Deluxe</a> returned to action, Belmont released his second solo album, 2009's The Guest List, which featured guest spots from several of his old mates, including <a href="spotify:artist:3BqaUtuQmqIHg7B5Bc7fP7">Nick Lowe</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:6c8INA1EQQe9TkukfEdiCA">Graham Parker</a>, <a href="spotify:artist:0FFuvdY7fuiuTmHN9unYoz">Paul Carrack</a>, and <a href="spotify:artist:2wKZKjNTOtH2vjxIsUBZqY">Carlene Carter</a>. In 2012, <a href="spotify:artist:2CZj6Atoe6w2JhkMQnOEXo">Graham Parker & the Rumour</a> reunited for an appearance in Judd Apatow's film This Is 40, with Belmont reclaiming his place on guitar, and the group went into the studio and cut a new album, Three Chords Good, that came out the same year. An international tour followed, and in 2015 <a href="spotify:artist:2CZj6Atoe6w2JhkMQnOEXo">Parker & the Rumour</a> were back with a second reunion set, Mystery Glue. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rovi