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Sparks (band)

Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting;[1] their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references[2]—and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept the band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.[3][4]

Sparks

Halfnelson

Pacific Palisades, California, United States

1971–present

FFS

Career highlights include "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1974; the disco hit "The Number One Song in Heaven" in 1979, resulting from a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder and marking a stylistic shift towards new wave/synth-pop; "When I'm with You", which made the Australian and French Singles Charts in 1980; the single "I Predict", which provided Sparks' first appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, reaching No. 60 in May 1982; the 1983 single "Cool Places" with the Go-Go's rhythm guitarist and vocalist Jane Wiedlin, and "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'", which was the top airplay record in Germany for 1994.[5]


The 2002 release of Lil' Beethoven, the duo's self-proclaimed "genre-defining opus",[6] fused repetitive song structures with orchestral arrangements, and brought them renewed critical success. In 2015, the band released an album with Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled FFS. In 2017, returning to a rock-group format, Sparks released Hippopotamus, which entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 7,[7] as did their next album, A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, released in 2020, bringing their tally of UK Top 10 albums to four. In 2021, Sparks were involved in two films: the Leos Carax musical film Annette for which they wrote all songs (winning the César Award for Best Original Music), and the Edgar Wright documentary The Sparks Brothers recounting the history of the band.[8][9] The band's latest album, The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte, was released on May 26, 2023, via Island Records, and again entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 7.[10][11]

History[edit]

Inception[edit]

Brothers Ron and Russell Mael grew up in Pacific Palisades, in west Los Angeles County, California,[12] during the "Golden Age" of the L.A. club scene, when the Doors, the Standells, and Love played the Whisky a Go Go on Sunset Strip[13] and the Beach Boys played in the late afternoon at Teen-Age Fair at Pickwick Recreation Center[14] in Burbank, California.[15][16]


Both Ron and Russell Mael are seen in the audience during the Ronettes' section of the concert film The Big T.N.T. Show, filmed in 1965.[17] Both attended UCLA, Ron studying cinema and graphic art and Russell, theatre arts and filmmaking. Detesting the folk music scene, which they considered "cerebral and sedate and we had no time for that",[13] they developed a particular taste in English bands of the time such as the Who, Syd Barrett's Pink Floyd, the Kinks and the Move, which led to their description of themselves as "Anglophiles".[13]


Their very first recordings were made under the name of "Urban Renewal Project", on January 14, 1967, at the Fidelity Recording Studios in Hollywood. Four tracks were recorded with married couple Fred and Ronna Frank, who were close friends of the Maels at the time. Other members of the band were 16-year old drummer Raymond Clayton and 22-year old Harold Zellman on bass guitar. Ron was considered the lead guitarist and Russell was the singer. He also played the tambourine and harmonica. The songs were pressed on two acetates and have never been released, apart from the track "Computer Girl", which was featured on a CD included with the Japanese semi-biography from 2006 and more widely released on the Past Tense greatest hits album in 2019. The other three tracks were titled "The Windmill", "A Quick Thought" and "As You Like It". Of all four songs, "Computer Girl" was the least traditional. Russell plays pan flute on "A Quick Thought".[18]


Forming Halfnelson, named after a wrestling hold, in 1968, they soon came to the attention of producer Todd Rundgren, at whose urging Albert Grossman signed the band to his Bearsville record label. Their debut album was released on Bearsville Records in 1971 with the line-up consisting of college friend Earle Mankey on guitar, Mankey's brother James on bass, Harley Feinstein on drums and Rundgren producing. It sold poorly. The Whole Burbank Catalog, a 1972 Warner Brothers $2, 2-LP loss leader sampler included, "Biology II".[19][20] After renaming themselves Sparks in 1972, a play on the Marx Brothers,[21] the album was then re-released by Bearsville Records in 1972 as Sparks. The re-issued debut spawned the minor regional hit "Wonder Girl".


Their follow-up album, A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing, led to a tour of the United Kingdom, including a residency at the Marquee Club in London,[4][22] These London appearances helped them to secure a significant cult following.[12]

Legacy[edit]

Sparks has influenced many later genres including synth-pop, new wave, post-punk, and alternative rock, influencing a wide range of singers and bands including Joy Division, New Order, Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Sonic Youth, They Might Be Giants, and Björk.


Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols said that he constantly listened to Kimono My House back in 1974 at Paul Cook's room. "We'd sit in his bedroom for hours listening to them".[93] Joy Division cited "Number One Song in Heaven" as a primary influence during the recording of "Love Will Tear Us Apart". Joy Division's drummer Stephen Morris stated: "When we were doing 'Love Will Tear Us Apart', there were two records we were into: Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits and Number One Song in Heaven by Sparks. That was the beginning of getting interested in Giorgio Moroder".[94] Peter Hook of New Order cited Moroder's production on "The Number One Song in Heaven" as a major influence when his band changed musical style to produce electro/dance-rock songs like "Temptation" in 1982. New Order also delivered an extended live version of "When I'm With You" that same year in Milan.[95] When they started playing music, singer Dave Gahan[96] and composer Martin Gore[97] of Depeche Mode cited them as one of their favorite bands. Gore also later covered "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" on his Counterfeit EP in 1989. Other early electronic acts like the Human League,[98] and Erasure,[99] also mentioned the group. Nick Rhodes of Duran Duran stated about "This Town ain't ...": "There was something about them that was very different. I was immediately fascinated with that song."[100]


Sparks have also been name-checked by indie pop band the Smiths. Their singer Morrissey named Kimono My House as one of "his favourite LPs of all time".[101] Smiths' guitarist and composer Johnny Marr said : "There's nothing better than commerciality crossed with an interesting mind" and named "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" as an instance,[102] qualifying it as one of these "Trojan singles".[103] Siouxsie and the Banshees recorded a version of the first Sparks' success as the opening song of their covers album Through the Looking Glass. Thurston Moore of Sonic Youth also included the Sparks' song "Equator" in his list of all-time favorite songs.[104] Joey Ramone also mentioned his liking for their records,[105] as did later the group They Might Be Giants.[106] Devo's singer Mark Mothersbaugh described himself as a big "Ron Mael fan" and of his look: "it was so not rock n' roll, in an unexpected way, that you just couldn't help but think that there was something there". He also listened to Kimono my House during his formative years.[107]


Björk talked about Kimono my House as one of the records that changed her life. "[Sparks] were exotic ... [they] were the most refreshing thing in my life" when she was eight.[108] "I loved the way Russell Mael sung like a geisha, and that they were into wearing geisha clothes, as I was really into Japanese people".[109] Faith No More also mentioned the group and their performances. Their keyboard player Roddy Bottum said: "I saw Sparks play on American Bandstand in 1975. My sister and I went out and immediately bought Indiscreet.[100] In 2004, Franz Ferdinand singer Alex Kapranos published an article in the NME titled, "why I love the Sparks". He said about their music: "It's only after a few listens you really can get into it ... Then you really fall in love and bands change your life. Now I can't imagine life without them."[110] John Frusciante of Red Hot Chili Peppers said that he used to listen to Kimono My House and Propaganda for Adrian Fisher's guitar playing adding, "I'm sure that it is Ron Mael who told him what to play".[111]


Other notable acts that have mentioned Sparks include Ween,[112] Will Sheff of Okkervil River,[113] Mark Burgess of the Chameleons,[114] and Cait Brennan.[115] Electronic band Justice hailed the group saying: "this is ... something we like in music, this kind of epic feeling, ... and we were really inspired by bands like Sparks ... who have this really operatic sound".[116] In 2012, synth-pop duo Spray released the song "Sparks Called and They Want Their Ideas Back".


In 1980, Paul McCartney also gave a nod to the band in the music video for "Coming Up", in which he mimicked Ron Mael on keyboards.[117][118]

(2012)

Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe

Easlea, Daryl (2009). Talent Is an Asset: The Story of Sparks. . ISBN 978-1-78038-150-3.

Omnibus Press

(2009). Sparks: No. 1 Songs in Heaven. Cherry Red Books. ISBN 978-1-901447-46-0.

Thompson, Dave

Official website

discography at Discogs

Sparks

discography at MusicBrainz

Sparks

FanMael