|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 14, 2021 22:33:01 GMT
The above photos are the album covers, yes, plural, for Sparks' 1977 album, Introducing Sparks. Ron Mael (on the left) was on the front cover and his brother, Ronald, was on the back cover. Or, was it the other way around? There was no designation which was the front cover and the back cover. You could make your own choice. Oh, and I guess I should mention that Introducing Sparks was the band's seventh album and they were around since 1970.
But, that's Sparks. A wild, wacky, and wonderful band. Actually, in reality, Sparks isn't really a band at all. Yes, there were periods of time, usually short periods of time, when Sparks had consistent band members. For most of their career, Sparks consisted of the brothers Mael, Ron and Russ, either with session musicians or just the brothers themselves in the studio. Ronald (born 8/12/45) plays keyboards and writes most (almost all) of the music. Russell (born 10/5/48) is the lead singer and also contributes to the music and lyrics. Over the course of 50 years they released 25 studio albums. They toured but only sporadically and in many configurations. Sparks had a few hit albums and a few hit singles. They produced many videos and appeared on MTV quite a bit in the 1980s. However, sadly, they always remained a kind of cult band. They weren't always treated positively by the critics, but they were usually praised by other artists, and they always had a loyal fan base.
It's difficult to describe Sparks' musical style because there were so many. Ron especially was always experimenting with a new sound. They have been described as a combination of The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, and, yes, The Beach Boys. Not too shabby. For this opening post, I contemplated doing a career review or a history of Sparks, but that was too daunting. I decided to do a number of posts, each one highlighting what I consider to be Sparks' eras or periods. Any opinions or input is certainly welcomed. I think it'll be a lot of fun. Sparks' music - and Ron and Russ Mael - can be a lot of fun.
For this initial post, I wanted to include a Sparks sampler that I compiled. I use it as a quick "Sparks fix", or to burn to CD when I'm trying to recruit new fans. I also want to emphasize that it is just a sampler, or some on my personal favorite Sparks' tracks (I am partial to the earlier music). Again, with 25 albums utilizing so many music styles spread out over 50 years, it is almost impossible to compile a definitive Best Of Sparks. I recently went on the internet to explore as many "Sparks' Best Songs" entries as I could find. What I found was that they are all significantly different. Yes, a few songs make most of the lists, but the opinions are all over the place. I like that, and I'm sure Ron and Russ like that, too. Maybe you can explore some of these on YouTube, Spotify, or itunes...
Sparks
01 Talent Is An Asset - from Kimono My House (1974) 02 Thanks But No Thanks - from Propaganda (1974) 03 Moon Over Kentucky - from A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing (1973) 04 That's Not Nastassia - from Whomp That Sucker (1981) 05 Nicotina - from Angst In My Pants (1982) 06 Hasta Manana, Monsieur - from Kimono My House (1974) 07 Hospitality On Parade - from Indiscreet (1975) 08 Get In The Swing - from Indiscreet (1975) 09 Goofing Off - from Introducing Sparks (1977) 10 Eaten By The Monster Of Love - from Angst In My Pants (1982) 11 Don't Leave Me Alone With Her - from Propaganda (1974) 12 Sherlock Holmes - from Angst In My Pants (1982) 13 Propaganda - from Propaganda (1974) 14 At Home, At Work, At Play - from Propaganda (1974)
15 Cool Places (With Jane Wiedlin) - from Sparks In Outer Space (1983) 16 Popularity - from Sparks In Outer Space (1983) 17 This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us - from Kimono My House (1974) 18 Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth - from Propaganda (1974) 19 When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' - from Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins (1994) 20 Perfume - from Hello Young Lovers (2006) 21 Something For The Girl With Everything (with Faith No More) - from Plagiarism (1997) 22 How Are You Getting Home - from Indiscreet (1975)
And, finally, to jump start the thread, here is a live performance of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" from 1974:
|
|
|
Post by lonelysummer on Jul 15, 2021 2:40:16 GMT
The above photos are the album covers, yes, plural, for Sparks' 1977 album, Introducing Sparks. Ron Mael (on the left) was on the front cover and his brother, Ronald, was on the back cover. Or, was it the other way around? There was no designation which was the front cover and the back cover. You could make your own choice. Oh, and I guess I should mention that Introducing Sparks was the band's seventh album and they were around since 1970.
But, that's Sparks. A wild, wacky, and wonderful band. Actually, in reality, Sparks isn't really a band at all. Yes, there were periods of time, usually short periods of time, when Sparks had consistent band members. For most of their career, Sparks consisted of the brothers Mael, Ron and Russ, either with session musicians or just the brothers themselves in the studio. Ronald (born 8/12/45) plays keyboards and writes most (almost all) of the music. Russell (born 10/5/48) is the lead singer and also contributes to the music and lyrics. Over the course of 50 years they released 25 studio albums. They toured but only sporadically and in many configurations. Sparks had a few hit albums and a few hit singles. They produced many videos and appeared on MTV quite a bit in the 1980s. However, sadly, they always remained a kind of cult band. They weren't always treated positively by the critics, but they were usually praised by other artists, and they always had a loyal fan base.
It's difficult to describe Sparks' musical style because there were so many. Ron especially was always experimenting with a new sound. They have been described as a combination of The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, and, yes, The Beach Boys. Not too shabby. For this opening post, I contemplated doing a career review or a history of Sparks, but that was too daunting. I decided to do a number of posts, each one highlighting what I consider to be Sparks' eras or periods. Any opinions or input is certainly welcomed. I think it'll be a lot of fun. Sparks' music - and Ron and Russ Mael - can be a lot of fun.
For this initial post, I wanted to include a Sparks sampler that I compiled. I use it as a quick "Sparks fix", or to burn to CD when I'm trying to recruit new fans. I also want to emphasize that it is just a sampler, or some on my personal favorite Sparks' tracks (I am partial to the earlier music). Again, with 25 albums utilizing so many music styles spread out over 50 years, it is almost impossible to compile a definitive Best Of Sparks. I recently went on the internet to explore as many "Sparks' Best Songs" entries as I could find. What I found was that they are all significantly different. Yes, a few songs make most of the lists, but the opinions are all over the place. I like that, and I'm sure Ron and Russ like that, too. Maybe you can explore some of these on YouTube, Spotify, or itunes...
Sparks
01 Talent Is An Asset - from Kimono My House (1974) 02 Thanks But No Thanks - from Propaganda (1974) 03 Moon Over Kentucky - from A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing (1973) 04 That's Not Nastassia - from Whomp That Sucker (1981) 05 Nicotina - from Angst In My Pants (1982) 06 Hasta Manana, Monsieur - from Kimono My House (1974) 07 Hospitality On Parade - from Indiscreet (1975) 08 Get In The Swing - from Indiscreet (1975) 09 Goofing Off - from Introducing Sparks (1977) 10 Eaten By The Monster Of Love - from Angst In My Pants (1982) 11 Don't Leave Me Alone With Her - from Propaganda (1974) 12 Sherlock Holmes - from Angst In My Pants (1982) 13 Propaganda - from Propaganda (1974) 14 At Home, At Work, At Play - from Propaganda (1974) 15 Cool Places (With Jane Wiedlin) - from Sparks In Outer Space (1983) 16 Popularity - from Sparks In Outer Space (1983) 17 This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us - from Kimono My House (1974) 18 Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth - from Propaganda (1974) 19 When Do I Get To Sing 'My Way' - from Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins (1994) 20 Perfume - from Hello Young Lovers (2006) 21 Something For The Girl With Everything (with Faith No More) - from Plagiarism (1997) 22 How Are You Getting Home - from Indiscreet (1975)
And, finally, to jump start the thread, here is a live performance of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" from 1974:
I must confess to having missed the boat on Sparks. There's a channel on youtube I've been watching lately where the reviewer constantly praises them. I do remember a brief time in the 80s where Sparks was getting a little mainstream play. Cool Places was an MTV hit, and I remember seeing them on SNL doing I Predict and Mickey Mouse. I might have heard a concert on the radio, too, because there are a few other song titles that jump out at me - Angst In My Pants was the current album at the time. It just points out to me how there is so much music out there, you can't possibly get to it all. I had the 45 of Mickey Mouse, loaned it to a MM fan, and never got it back.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 15, 2021 3:05:27 GMT
I must confess to having missed the boat on Sparks. There's a channel on youtube I've been watching lately where the reviewer constantly praises them. I do remember a brief time in the 80s where Sparks was getting a little mainstream play. Cool Places was an MTV hit, and I remember seeing them on SNL doing I Predict and Mickey Mouse. I might have heard a concert on the radio, too, because there are a few other song titles that jump out at me - Angst In My Pants was the current album at the time. It just points out to me how there is so much music out there, you can't possibly get to it all. I had the 45 of Mickey Mouse, loaned it to a MM fan, and never got it back. Based on your above post, lonelysummer, I wouldn't say you completely missed the boat on Sparks. Actually by naming three Sparks' songs and an album, well, that's more than most music fans could come up with. And, you even owned a Sparks' 45. Wow!
Yes, in the early 80's, Sparks was getting a little more airplay and exposure. Like I mentioned above, they had a couple of videos which made it onto MTV, and they appeared on American Bandstand a few times. Dick Clark always enjoyed trying to interview Ron Mael, who was notorious for saying very little.
|
|
|
Post by jk on Jul 15, 2021 10:26:45 GMT
The above photos are the album covers, yes, plural, for Sparks' 1977 album, Introducing Sparks. Ron Mael (on the left) was on the front cover and his brother Russell was on the back cover. Or, was it the other way around? There was no designation which was the front cover and the back cover. You could make your own choice. Oh, and I guess I should mention that Introducing Sparks was the band's seventh album and they were around since 1970.
***
And, finally, to jump start the thread, here is a live performance of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" from 1974:
Oh yes, Sparks have a wonderful if slightly black sense of humour! I remember hearing "TTABEFBOU" at the time and being floor by the originality of the song. I only saw them perform it on TV much later... There's a wonderful comment on YouTube somewhere where someone's kid brother shouts at them from the living room to "Come quick! Hitler's on the telly and he's looking really weird!" I see nothing from the magnificent Li'l Beethoven has made it to your playlist, Sheriff. Listening to "I Married Myself", it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lil%27_Beethoven
|
|
|
Sparks
Jul 15, 2021 16:39:55 GMT
jk likes this
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 15, 2021 16:39:55 GMT
The above photos are the album covers, yes, plural, for Sparks' 1977 album, Introducing Sparks. Ron Mael (on the left) was on the front cover and his brother Russell was on the back cover. Or, was it the other way around? There was no designation which was the front cover and the back cover. You could make your own choice. Oh, and I guess I should mention that Introducing Sparks was the band's seventh album and they were around since 1970.
***
And, finally, to jump start the thread, here is a live performance of "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" from 1974:
Oh yes, Sparks have a wonderful if slightly black sense of humour! I remember hearing "TTABEFBOU" at the time and being floor by the originality of the song. I only saw them perform it on TV much later... There's a wonderful comment on YouTube somewhere where someone's kid brother shouts at them from the living room to "Come quick! Hitler's on the telly and he's looking really weird!" I see nothing from the magnificent Li'l Beethoven has made it to your playlist, Sheriff. Listening to "I Married Myself", it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry... Good one, jk, with "I Married Myself", one of the more laid back Sparks' songs. You can hear the BW/BB vocal influence, mostly in the backgrounds, on this and other Sparks' tracks.
Oh, and the YouTube comment about "coming to the TV". That's just about how I discovered Sparks. It was in 1974 on Don Kirshner's Rock concert late on a Friday or Saturday night. I never heard of or saw Sparks before, but they came on and, well, it was definitely a WTF moment.
|
|
|
Post by carllove on Jul 15, 2021 17:13:50 GMT
Oh yes, Sparks have a wonderful if slightly black sense of humour! I remember hearing "TTABEFBOU" at the time and being floor by the originality of the song. I only saw them perform it on TV much later... There's a wonderful comment on YouTube somewhere where someone's kid brother shouts at them from the living room to "Come quick! Hitler's on the telly and he's looking really weird!" I see nothing from the magnificent Li'l Beethoven has made it to your playlist, Sheriff. Listening to "I Married Myself", it's hard to know whether to laugh or cry... Good one, jk, with "I Married Myself", one of the more laid back Sparks' songs. You can hear the BW/BB vocal influence, mostly in the backgrounds, on this and other Sparks' tracks.
Oh, and the YouTube comment about "coming to the TV". That's just about how I discovered Sparks. It was in 1974 on Don Kirshner's Rock concert late on a Friday or Saturday night. I never heard of or saw Sparks before, but they came on and, well, it was definitely a WTF moment. I have to thank shows like Rock Concert and The Midnight Special for introducing me to Sparks, as well as Roxy Music, King Crimson and Emerson, Lake and Palmer. Growing up in my small town and Kansas, I would never have heard of them otherwise.
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 17, 2021 14:25:14 GMT
1970-1973: Halfnelson Into Sparks
Ron and Russell Mael grew up in Pacific Palisades, California. They both attended UCLA, with Ron studying cinema and graphic art, and Russell theater arts and filmmaking. Their musical influences were The Beatles, The Kinks, The Who, early Pink Floyd, Frank Zappa, and The Move. They recorded some demos in 1967, and formed Halfnelson in 1968. The band was noticed by Todd Rundgren who persuaded Albert Grossman to sign them to Bearsville Records. Their first album, Halfnelson, was released in September 1971. The band consisted of:
Ron Mael - keyboards Russell Mael - vocals Earle Mankey - guitar (Earle later became an engineer at The Beach Boys' Brother Studio and produced The Runaways among others) Jim Mankey - bass (Earle's brother; Jim also played guitar with Concrete Blond)
Harley Feinstein - drums (Harley later became a prominent attorney in Southern California)
Todd Rundgren became the producer of Hafnelson. He basically allowed Ron and Russ to record what they wanted and didn't change much, mostly working on the fidelity of the album. Halfnelson is a collection of some straightforward rock/pop songs with a large dose of wacky Ron/Russell Mael songs. A single, "Wonder Girl", was released, but the album was not a commercial success.
Albert Grossman suggested that Halfnelson change their name; he came up with The Sparks Brothers after The Marx Brothers. A compromise was reached and Halfnelson became Sparks (the group's first album was then reissued as simply, Sparks). Sparks appeared on American Bandstand in July 1972, and then decided to go to London, England to tour and promote their next album. Sparks' second album, A Tweeter In Woofer's Clothing, was released in January 1973 with Thaddeus James Lowe (Todd Rundgren's engineer and ex-singer of The Electric Prunes) producing. There isn't much difference in the sound of the first two Sparks' albums, though A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing might rock a little more and isn't as "out there". A single, "Girl From Germany" was released, but that and the album were, again, not a commercial success. However, Sparks got a new manager, John Hewlett, and began to play The Marquee Club in London regularly. The band started to attract a cult following, and it wasn't long before things would change. Big Time.
Below is a video of Sparks' appearance on British TV in 1972. I'm also including two videos/songs from Sparks first two albums - "Saccharin And The War" from Halfnelson/Sparks and "Moon Over Kentucky" from A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing:
|
|
|
Post by Kapitan on Jul 17, 2021 15:30:49 GMT
This morning I put on Kimono My House while making breakfast and reading the paper. I haven't been paying close attention, checking song titles, or anything--just letting it run in the background.
I don't know what I think of it. Any given moment strikes me as really great, any other given moment strikes me as annoying (usually falsetto vocal parts). There is a lot of great musicianship and no shortage of ideas employed. I'll at least listen again or check out something else from their catalog.
|
|
|
Sparks
Jul 17, 2021 16:04:15 GMT
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 17, 2021 16:04:15 GMT
This morning I put on Kimono My House while making breakfast and reading the paper. I haven't been paying close attention, checking song titles, or anything--just letting it run in the background.
I don't know what I think of it. Any given moment strikes me as really great, any other given moment strikes me as annoying (usually falsetto vocal parts). There is a lot of great musicianship and no shortage of ideas employed. I'll at least listen again or check out something else from their catalog.
Thank you for listening; I appreciate it. And your description - great given moments, a lot of great musicianship, and no shortage of ideas - tells me that you "get it". Also, the annoyance of Russell's vocals, especially his falsetto voice, is one of the most common complaints or criticisms of Sparks' music. It can grate on you. I'm not rationalizing and I will use a cliche' - Sparks is an acquired taste. They definitely are not for everybody. I'm glad that you dipped your toes into their music. Maybe later you can wade.
|
|
|
Sparks
Jul 17, 2021 17:38:46 GMT
Post by carllove on Jul 17, 2021 17:38:46 GMT
This morning I put on Kimono My House while making breakfast and reading the paper. I haven't been paying close attention, checking song titles, or anything--just letting it run in the background.
I don't know what I think of it. Any given moment strikes me as really great, any other given moment strikes me as annoying (usually falsetto vocal parts). There is a lot of great musicianship and no shortage of ideas employed. I'll at least listen again or check out something else from their catalog.
I found that the more I listened to Kimono My House, the more I enjoyed it. The hooks start to get you. It also helps when you can sing along. Might be harder for you guys though. You can just dance around though. Give it a good listen. One listen while doing other stuff isn’t going to cut it with this album. Before you know it though, Amateur Hour might become your ear worm!
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 17, 2021 18:01:08 GMT
This morning I put on Kimono My House while making breakfast and reading the paper. I haven't been paying close attention, checking song titles, or anything--just letting it run in the background.
I don't know what I think of it. Any given moment strikes me as really great, any other given moment strikes me as annoying (usually falsetto vocal parts). There is a lot of great musicianship and no shortage of ideas employed. I'll at least listen again or check out something else from their catalog.
I found that the more I listened to Kimono My House, the more I enjoyed it. The hooks start to get you. It also helps when you can sing along. Might be harder for you guys though. You can just dance around though. Give it a good listen. One listen while doing other stuff isn’t going to cut it with this album. Before you know it though, Amateur Hour might become your ear worm! Absolutely. Hooks, melodies that become earwooms, a funny piano fill or a guitar riff, a lyric or a phrase. Yes, repeated listens are recommended.
|
|
|
Post by carllove on Jul 17, 2021 18:28:48 GMT
“You mentioned Kant and I was shocked You know, where I come from, none of the girls have such foul tongues”
“It's a lot like playing the violin You cannot start off and be Yehudi Menuhin”
“Zoo time is she and you time The mammals are your favourite type, and you want her tonight”
“We are his relatives That's parenthetical”
Such clever lyrics!
|
|
|
Post by jk on Jul 17, 2021 22:08:21 GMT
This one amuses me. "Wunderbar" is a bonus track on the 2004 deluxe edition of Lil' Beethoven. But read on: "In 2001, the Maels were commissioned by a German broadcasting company to produce a song for Günther Koch Revisited (Voll In Den Mann), an album that featured samples of sports commentator Günther Koch set to music. The band's contribution, 'Wunderbar', placed Koch's highly-spirited exclamations over an orchestral backing. The duo acknowledged that making the track provided them a blueprint for the direction that they would take on Lil' Beethoven." [ Source]
|
|
|
Post by Sheriff John Stone on Jul 25, 2021 17:33:17 GMT
1974-1975: The Big Three - Kimono My House, Propaganda, Indiscreet
In 1972, Sparks went to Europe to tour and promote their second album, A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing. While touring, Queen opened for them and Freddie was very intrigued. In 1973, new manager, John Hewlett, who Sparks met in England, helped the band get a recording offer from Island Records, but not without a hitch. First, Ron and Russell were required to move to England. The problem was, second, Island Records was only interested in signing the Mael brothers, which would mean the end of the original band. Ron and Russ signed the deal, and now needed a new band. Several musicians were interviewed and auditioned, and the new version of Sparks now consisted of:
Ron Mael - keyboards Russell Mael - vocals Adrian Fisher - guitar Martin Gordon - bass Norman "Dinky" Diamond - drums
In the summer of 1973, Ron Mael wrote several new songs, and in the fall of 1973, recording began on what would become Kimono My House. Ron and Russell wanted Roy Wood to produce the album, but he was busy with his new group, Wizzard. Muff Winwood, former bass player with The Spencer Davis Group, and older brother of Steve Winwood, was brought in to produce the album. In May, 1, 1974, Kimono My House was released.
Kimono presented a new Sparks' sound - more standard pop music, but also more rock. It was also a more unified sound. Adrian Fisher's guitar was especially prominent, as was Ron's electric piano playing. Lyrically, the songs remained humorous and full of puns. Kimono My House was very successful, reaching No. 4 on the U.K. Album chart while the single, "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us" reached No. 2 on the U.K. Singles chart. A second single, "Amateur Hour", went Top Ten in the U.K. In 2020, Kimono My House was ranked No. 476 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
Inspired by the success of Kimono My House, Sparks quickly recorded and released their next album, Propaganda, on November 11, 1974. Muff Winwood remained as the producer. New bass player, Ian Hampton, and guitarist, Trevor White, were brought in for the sessions. Kimono My House guitarist, Adrian Fisher, played on Propaganda, but due to "creative differences" with Ron Mael, left the band shortly after the Propaganda sessions. Propaganda continued the now popular Sparks' sound of Kimono My House, though maybe not as "hard rock". That was one of the main issues which led to Adrian Fisher's departure. Propaganda reached No. 9 on the U.K. Album chart.
Almost a year went by until Sparks released their next album, Indiscreet, in October 1975. The band who recorded Propaganda remained intact, however, this would be the last Sparks' album recorded by the British-based lineup. Tony Visconti (who, incidentally was married to Mary Hopkin and May Pang), who worked with Marc Bolan/T. Rex and David Bowie, was brought in to produce. Indiscreet moved even farther from rock/rock and roll, but it was a very diverse album employing many different music styles. Strings, brass, and other orchestra instruments were used on Indiscreet, though it remained very much a true Sparks' album. Indiscreet reached No. 18 on the U.K. Album chart.
The period of 1974-1975 - and specifically the albums Kimono My House, Propaganda, and Indiscreet - is my personal favorite Sparks' era. Basically, it was my favorite Sparks' band and sound. I really like(d) the guitar/keyboards/bass/drums Sparks' sound, and it would change several more times in the ensuing years. Ron Mael was on a roll. He was composing some brilliant music - and lyrics. He struck a chord with Sparks' audience, both with the recordings and the stage act. It was very creative, weird, wacky, melodic, humorous, rock & roll...well, it was everything! Unfortunately, it didn't last very long. Sparks never really acquired a mass following or a mass audience. They almost did; they came very close, especially during 1974-75. They appeared on major TV shows including American Bandstand, Don Kirshner's Rock Concert, The Midnight Special, and The Top Of The Pops. Maybe they were...too weird. Anyway, after 1975, yes, there would be more changes.
From Kimono My House, "Amateur Hour":
From Propaganda, "Thanks But No Thanks":
From Indiscreet, "In The Future":
|
|
|
Post by jk on Jul 28, 2021 19:27:07 GMT
Great informative posts there, Sheriff. I’ll have more to say in a day or two — here, but also generally...
|
|