That's one of the most stunning hit of music history. Note that this band has made a lot of seminal records and is still one of the few doing great songs 50 years after their beginnings. Ron Mael is a genius actually.
26 records to be exact, and so innovative and artistic. Most underrated group ever. "(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing" is probably my favorite song at the moment.
@@garymcghee2249 My first introduction was 'Propaganda'. Which begin with 'Propaganda' and 'At Home, At Work, At Play'. I had that face then. Shame on me, but I lost them after (thanks to) 'Big Beat', hated it (not now!). Rediscovered them just when 'Hippopotamus' came out. Made the mistake to begin with the title track... I GASPED for air like a fish on dry land, while my brain tried to process whether this was for real, or for children 🤣🤣🤣! "Hieronymus... BOSCH" Told me it wasn't, and I was even more in love with them than ever!🤪😍💖 (I kept playing the only two albums I knew of all the years from 1976 to 2017, 'Propaganda' is the better in my opinion, but 'Kimono' has the wonderfully 'Here in Heaven', which I hold for even better than 'This Town'.🤩
They couldn't make it in the US, so they came here to the UK in the early 70s. Had enormous success. They got homesick and went back to LA in the late 70s. You still wouldn't listen. We were right, here in the UK, they're magnificent. They've been continuing to release fantastic music, in numerous genres for nearly 50 years, and are still utterly brilliant approaching their 70s in age. One of the most underrated bands ever, and, well, I think the brothers Mael sort of like it that way.
It is always fun seeing someone watch Sparks for the first time. You never know what to expect next coming out of Ron Mael's brain. They keep changing with the times, pop, rock, disco, techno and who knows what. They just released new material in the last few months and are as eccentric, inventive and creative as ever. Other interesting songs include Amatuer Hour, When do I get to sing "My Way" & Dick Around.
Got this album when it came out. Tail end of glam rock period. Have enjoyed every single album release since then. They released one of if not their best album THIS year- A STEADY DRIP DRIP DRIP. Remarkable songwriting talent. A plethora of musical ideas. Thank you so much for spreading this around.
One of the most original, influential, prolific and creative double-acts in the history of music is comprised of Ron and Russell Mael, aka Sparks. Now both in their seventies, they are still making albums, and Russell's voice sounds as good as ever, while Ron's writing is as distinctive as it's always been, with their most recent, 25th album ("A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip") recently released, and the one before that ("Hippopotamus") getting to number 6 in the UK album charts. There's also a Sparks musical being released as a movie soon ("Annette") with Adam Driver playing the lead. The most recent album to achieve universal acclaim was the indescribable "Lil Beethoven" which no one knew how to categorise but everyone seemed to love. If you want to get a sense of the evolution of Sparks, you could listen to "Kimono My House" (1974), "Lil Beethoven" (2002) and the most recent album, but there are many others which deserve a listen, too.
The Sparks "Propaganda" album is superb it's loud, chaotic melodic and it rocks. I drew a picture of the band and sent it to the Sparks fan club and they sent me back a flyer of the band and a nice letter thanking me for the art work. Check out that album sometime a lot of good songs on it- in fact no bad ones on it.⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Somewhere I still have some old "newsletters" from the Sparks Fan Club, from 1974-75. It was kinda cool because they didn't have some big corporate p.r. firm or management company running this. It was obviously just this girl in Los Angeles who was a big fan, and she just did this on her own time for love of the band. She'd print these out longhand and then mimeograph copies. It had a real sort of underground look.
@@jonathanlocke6404 Yes my newsletter did have that sort of underground look to it. Also around that time my dad went on a business trip to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Since it was a long weekend he took the family with him . Saturday night my sister and I got bored and walked downtown to the local movie house. The movie Rollercoaster was showing. About a guy trying to blow up the rollercoaster for ransom money at a Magic Mountain theme park. Well the cool thing about the movie was Sparks was the band playing at the theme park. At the time when I saw it was Sparks well , mind blown 😂🤯
I got to see Sparks when they toured with Franz Ferdinand a few years ago. They were at the forefront of glam, Euro disco, and synth pop. Recommend “#1 Song In Heaven” for disco, and “Tips For Teens” would have been a huge hit in another universe. Ron Maels wrote a song about the controversial mustache. Some of the cleverest stuff out there.
The changing time signatures, unexpected chord changes and the vocals swooping lightning-fast between tenor and falsetto all produce an effect for the listener which is like going backwards on a rollercoaster in the dark. A brilliantly-original pop song, written - as is usual for Sparks - by the Chaplinesque keyboard-playing Ron Mael, and sung by his brother Russell. The other musicians have constantly come and gone over the decades, but there doesn't seem to be a pop band in existence who don't credit Sparks as a major influence, even though they are all far more well-known than Sparks is. Their mid-nineties album 'Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins' is one of my favorites, but their latest album is also one of their best, so I'd advise you to catch up on Sparks if you can.
My friend and I used to go see Sparks at Magic Mountain (theme park in CA). We never missed a show. Kimono My House was an excellent album to sit and trip out to.
Sparks are huge movie fans and Ron's moustache was actually modelled on Charlie Chaplin's! Everyone thought he looked like a certain dictator though...... He always keeps a straight face on stage, leaving the more flamboyant stuff to his brother, but is actually extremely funny, gracious and warm in interviews (and in his lyrics).
What very rarely was exposed back then, but we can enjoy pretty often nowadays, is Ron's contagious smile. When he smiles, it's from ear to ear (or ear strap to ear strap, as Simon Helberg expressed it - face mask), you can't stop yourself from smiling when he smiles 😁😂!
One of the very best singles ever made. This composition deserves a symphonic approach by a Full Symphonic Orchestra, I think it would be great to arrange that!
When I was a teenager, my house was the 'party' house, Everyone would hang out there because we had the big stereo with huge honking speakers. My brother and I loved this album (Kimono My House), but most hated it. We used to put this one on to break up the party as it drove most people away LMAO. Still, the entire album is brilliant. I have tried to listen to some of their other albums, but sadly none of them clicked like this one.
"Some" isn't enough!!😅!! 'Kimono' and 'Propaganda' are alike. The two first have similarities. Then there are a couple in the mid eighties that is a bit alike too. The rest is standing steady in solitude. Both 'Hippopotamus', 2017, and 'A Steady Drip Drip Drip', 2020, are campared to 'Kimono'. Well, the spirit is the same, but not the albums, per se.
Haven't read all the comments but likely agree with most of them - you had a great reaction to this song/video. As a born-again Sparks fan, having rediscovered them over the last two years, trust me/us when it's said that Sparks is like no other band and that's what makes them so current and so timeless. Saw them in Toronto in April (2022) -- an amazing, tight, energetic love letter of a show. The Brothers Mael will be 77 (Ron on keyboard) and 74 (Russell on vocals) this year; so brilliantly talented, so passionate about their music; they've never become a tribute act to their former selves. Some people are referring to the "Netflix documentary" when actually it, The Sparks Brothers by Edgar Wright, was a theatrical release. I bought it on TH-cam a year ago, then acquired the BluRay with the 2nd disc of featurettes and a full concert. Sorry for the gushing, but Sparks will do that to a person. One other thing: th-cam.com/video/AfA4FphZHbc/w-d-xo.html is their first appearance peforming This Town on Top Of The Pops in 1974. Yes, it looks like it was filmed through a potato, but it's so good - especially when the top of Russell's mic falls off at about the 1:45 mark. Stay safe, and see more Sparks!
One of my favorites groups. They are very unusual and hilarious. I like all their albums. I can’t tell my favorite song, because I like them all. And the keyboardist was aiming for Charlie Chaplin look, not Hitler
All of Sparks 1970s albums are immensely creative, often bizarre, and always wonderfully observed and regularly lyrically hilarious. Their first two albums (1972-73) were the first 'American' band before the two Mael brothers moved to the UK for their next three albums: Kimono My House & Propaganda (both 1974) and Indiscreet (1975). Those three albums in particular are a virtual blueprint for new wave, punk and alternative rock baroque country disco (or something?). It's music that never settles into a comfortable swing. I am old enough to remember Sparks on UK TV in the mid 70s. They were bizarrely treated as a teen idol pop band with hordes of screaming teenage girls. They returned to the USA in 1976 for a series of always changing albums: Big Beat (1976) Introducing Sparks (1977) and the seminal electronica of Number One in Heaven (1979). Every song on the Kimono My House to Indiscreet period is a genre bursting classic and well worth checking out. Oh, just one last thing. The performance that 'broke' Sparks big in the UK (referenced by John Lennon) was their April 1974 Top Of The Pops (TOTP) appearance - here: th-cam.com/video/-ztSKDbDRXc/w-d-xo.html watch closely as singer (miming, as was the norm on that show) Russell's microphone breaks as he sings. His reaction is funny. It was a low budget show. Anyways, thanks for giving Sparks a listen. Love this band. Much appreciated.
One which sticks in the head is 'Brenda's Always In The Way'! "Brenda, Brenda, Brenda's always in the way, always in the way, though she's A-OK, she's always in the way Little, little Brenda, little, little Brenda, always in the way....."
Before I got into prog rock and rock I was into Roxy Music and Sparks in a big way. When you get past the madness of this song there is a solid rock piece going on here. Ron and Russell are still going strong today (as far as I know). Please react to any of the other hits such as Amateur Hour or Something for the girl with Everything - by the way, that mark is still on your wall!
Still going strong, as you hopefully know! The album 'A Steady Drip Drip Drip' came out in 2020, due to the global stop the tour starts now, two gigs, filled up the Disney hall in LA twice, a couple of days ago (now Feb 15, 2022), but starts up first week in March in North America, followed by Europe, ending first week in May. In July 2021 their musical movie 'Annette' directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver, Marion Cottilard and Simon Helberg opened The Cannes Film Festival, where Carax won the Best Director, and Ron and Russell had a reward for Best Soundtrack. Earlier last year Edgar Wright's documentary on them, 'The Sparks Brothers' (premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January) went up on theaters. They also are working on next album AND a new movie... They were born in August 12, 1945 (Ron), and October 5, 1948 (Russell). Right now 76 and 73 years YOUNG.
Well would you look at Daniel, he finally got around to bringing in the Mael. To say that Ron M. is one of the unsung geniuses of the last 50 years of music doesn't even do him a trillionth of a shred of justice, and it's so lovely to see 1) The Sparks Brothers finally getting their due after 5 decades of global success avoidance, and 2) brilliant young listeners and players such as yourself discovering the treasures this most unclassifiable and beloved band has to offer. When I was 12, my dad got HBO, and one of the films they'd show over and over was called ROLLERCOASTER, which was essentially a formulaic disaster flick about a mad bomber who blows up rollercoasters in amusement parks and his pursuit by a grizzled cop. This movie was shot at Magic Mountain in LA when it first opened in 1976, and in several of the sequences a band is featured playing a concert at the park whilst the cop chases after the bomber. At 12, I thought the band featured was just made up for the movie, but in the years that followed I began to hear them on the radio and found out they were realer than real. Fast forward to today and I'm a lifelong Sparks fan, engaged in a project over the last three months to compile all their non-album and rare tracks into one 5-hour compendium. Here's one of their classics that will be on this thing when it's done, going out to all the Elon Musks and Jeff Bezoses out there: th-cam.com/video/KM--muMnMrY/w-d-xo.html
Have loved Sparks for much of my music-loving life. Love them or hate them, they are always original and sound as modern as anyone, even now, 50+ years later. Their latest work (last three albums) is just fantastic. The Mael brothers are in their mid-70's and still make great records, unlike most older artists who refuse to die and release lousy albums or none at all (Hello, Mick & Keith). Queen actually did admit that they were inspired by Sparks. They have a new album coming out later this Month and are touring this summer (they have always toured a lot) and I will finally see them live in July...by the way, Ron Mael said he was trying to channel Charlie Chaplin, not Hitler...Ron writes all of those wry, humorous, intelligent lyrics. The band's cult status is untouchable...
Paul McCartney does a parody of the keyboard player in the video for his 1980 hit 'Coming Up' where he also mimicked many other musicians including Hank Marvin
Sparks appeared in the movie "Rollercoaster", starring George Segal, Henry Fonda, a teenaged Helen Hunt, about a young man (Timothy Bottoms) who extorts the owners of amusement parks for $1 million by sabotaging rollercoasters. In his video, "Coming Up", Paul McCartney dresses up in different costumes and disguises. One of those is Sparks' keyboardist, Ron Mael.
I was actually an extra in Rollercoaster - the crowd shots near the end. It was shot in Magic Mountain and I was a student at Cal Arts which was down the Interstate 5 by a couple of miles.
Ha! I'm still trying to figure out what *I* mean to me. This song is 70s madness, and although I hadn't seen this before, I recognize the weirdly cool, demented vibe. I dug it, as the Neanderthals used to say. Ah, if only I could remember those times.
The guy is stunned into silence. I love his reactions. A an awesome tune and yes their some sort of classical influence. A pleasure to watch your reaction.💕💕
As I mentioned at the time of this reaction, Sparks appeared in the 1977 thriller "Rollercoaster", starring George Segal. Segal passed away yesterday at the age of 87. RIP. Segal was a jazz aficionado and an excellent banjo player.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! These guys are still going at it! Next to queen they are my favorites. You have hundreds of hours of beautiful listening ahead of you. They’re the funniest and sharpest wittiest musicians ever, and have also written the best love song of all time IMHO: The Toughest Girl in Town. I have been a fan since 1973!
Sparks are great & still together, touring & putting out weird & wonderful stuff. In fact their latest single came out a couple of days ago. It's called iphone & you won't be hearing it on any radio station anytime soon.
Last evening i heard this song again at an oldies station (i've always loved it!!) which made me think and see if there would ever be a videoreaction made of it, so i found you :) Great one, and i so can imagine that's how you look when you hear it for the first time :D Good old times :) Another song i heard from back then but couldn't find a reaction to is Cockney Rebel with Sebastian. A classic too, but totally different vibe. Extremely good song though in my opinion so i'd love it if you would react to it.
Sparks reaction to the changing times: LATE '70's (DISCO): "Beat The Clock"......EARLY '80's (NEW WAVE): "Angst In My Pants"......2020: "Put The F*ckin' iPhone Down And Listen To Me"
This was incredibly original and weird-sounding at the time when I was fifteen and yet shot straight to number two in the UK. They were unique in every way. They followed with a succession of equally great and original hit songs and albums. Never Turn You Back On Mother Earth is a masterpiece song with one of the greatest Middle 8's I ever heard. Do check it out.
Interesting, cant believe living thru the 70s I never heard this...Hahahaha guy at keyboard def didnt look happy...Thanx Daniel, Sending you and your family wishes of a safe and Happy New Year
I saw these guys at the old music amphitheater at Magic Mountain. The same one that's at the end of This Is Spinal Tap...with just about as many people in the audience.
There was a bad action movie in the late 1970s about bombing a Rollercoaster, which I believe was the films title. In any case they can be seen in that film performing live in the amusement park.
Yes, Sparks played "Big Boy" and another song I can't remember ! What I remember is that at the end of the song Ron Mael goes berserk and smashes his piano stool to pieces !!!
Here's a band that did and still does what ever it wants. Other songs by them to check out: Dick Around, Tryouts For The Human Race, Wonder Girl, Edith Pief, Beat The Clock, etc. etc.
That melody in the song which you think may be classically influenced, I think you're right. In the Romeo and Juliet ballet by Sergei Prokofiev, there's a theme called Dance of the Knights, which was used as the theme for The Apprentice and as the intro music for Muse concerts. What it shares in common with the melody in the Sparks song is the fact that the melody arpeggiates a minor chord past the octave and back, creating a similar effect in both pieces of music.
Maybe inspired to 'Here in Heaven' too? "It is hell Knowing that your health Will keep you out of here For many many years" If the lyrics to 'This Town' is special, 'Here in Heaven' is nuts!
I have this record and enjoy it. Sounds like Rocky Horror Picture Show. The performance was in german television here in 1974 called DISCO with Illya Richter as Mod. Can never forget it.
I know the Sparks well, they were in my wheelhouse in my early teens. Lead vocalist and keyboard player were brothers, with the latter writing all the material. It was said that he wrote the lyrics in high falsetto just to piss his brother off. Clearly he capable in the high register, but it did toy with his emotions. Glam rock was a strange time. Check out Slade for the counter point.
@@kirbywilliamson2942 The Hitler thing was Chaplinesque. On stage he was mimicking a silent movie character, hence his facial expressions. Have you heard 'Pineapple' or 'Gone with the wind'? Russell's own. Pineapple is all through falsetto. He never had problems with high notes, but the lower gave him a challenge. Nowadays it's turning the opposite, but he still reaches up to the sky, but not as clear and crisp as 50 years ago. Until the 'Indiscreet' album they co-wrote a lot, but after that Ron took over. Since 'No. One In Heaven' Russell has become more and more active in mixing and engineering, nowadays he does nearly all of that. I think he got the taste for it when they produced 'Is There More To Life Than Dancing?' with Noel, just after they recorded 'No.1'
Sparks is an entity unto themselves. Try "When I kiss You(I hear Charlie Parker playing) or "The Rythym Thief" , "Eaten by the Monster of Love" is great too 😉
I was living in the UK, 12-13 years old, when this song was a smash hit. It was the weirdest music I’d heard up to that point. I believe it made me much more receptive to The B-52s a couple years later.
There is so much amazing music from Sparks. Their latest album was released earlier THIS YEAR. (A Steady Drip Drip Drip). It is their 25th, with nary a dull moment. (Well, some are better than others.) What an astonishing achievement - and so many people have never heard of them. Where to start? Kimono is as good as any, but you can drop the needle (i.e. pick at random) pretty much anyplace and get a reward. They have been doing structured repetition for some time now, which might seem a bit simplistic for a reaction video, but even these have something to say. There are at least three gems per album. Usually more. Want an earworm? Here is a link to one off Drip. It's about a Lawnmower. th-cam.com/video/tPSFpaCQEvA/w-d-xo.html
Brilliant band - the earlier stuff was even less 'friendly' - The tracks on 'A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing' ( a reference to the contrast between their 'glam pop' image and heavy material). You'll enjoy the humour of 'Here comes Bob', and even 'Girl from Germany' but for sheer innovation, try 'Moon over Kentucky'. Enjoy.
I discovered them recently and they are very unique and talented! Great music but most of their lyrics are funny. They influenced many many others after them. American brothers but became more famous in England and Europe. There is a very interesting documentary about them on Netflix. I love his voice!
Want to see Keith Moon of The Who introducing Sparks in 1974 on TVs In Concert (with Ringo Starr assisting the introduction)? th-cam.com/video/xvK1ZA81duA/w-d-xo.html These guys knew how to produce ear worms like no other - and the lyrics are pretty interesting, too.
Ha these were my mothers favourite, the only time she would join us in watching Top of the Pops was when Sparks were on, I think she had a crush on the keyboard player :-) great song.
I hope you have discovered Edgar Wright's documentary on Sparks, 'The Sparks Brothers', came out 2021, was up on theaters for a while, but is now streaming. I don't remember on which channel, I've bought the Blu-Ray. DVD is also available. They come with LOADS of bonus material and a nearly one hour concert in London 2019. Also the musical movie'Annette', directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver, Marion Cottilard and Simon Helberg. A movie people either love or hate. For God's sake, Sparks + Carax, what to expect? Nothing grey and conventional, that's for sure. Carax got the "Best Director" prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and Ron and Russell a "Best Soundtrack" reward.
Daniel, once again you've surprised me. I haven't heard this song or anything else from 'Kimono My House' in at least forty years. Thank you (once again) for sliding another half-remembered thread of my life's tapestry back into place. I first heard Sparks from their appearance on 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert'. At the time, DKRC was considered the least of the three late-night music shows. But DKRC introduced us to Kansas and UFO as well as Sparks - so it certainly wasn't that much less.
I certainly hope you have seen Edgar Wright's documentary on them, 'The Sparks Brothers', 2021? Streaming and available on DVD and Blu-Ray! Check trailers on TH-cam! Also their musical movie 'Annette' directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver, Marion Cottilard and Simon Helberg. It's a love or hate movie, some people can't deal with the combination Sparks-Carax. Carax has always made a little "different" films. Sparks have always made a little "different" music. So you should know from start, this is not an ordinary movie. No it isn't. First 50 minutes are slow, but they show things that makes the rest more comprehendible, and after another 15 minutes it ends! 50 minutes + 15 minutes are 65 minutes. Where the heck the missing 135 minutes went, I don't know. Both the documentary and 'Annette' are 240 minutes (2h 40m), neither feels near that long.
Haha thanks for doing Sparks! Grew up watching top of the pops on BBC. Littlle Hitler on the keyboard was great (I’m a son of Germans born and raised abroad). They had another song “my white bicicle” in the beginning I thought it’s “my wife buys nickers”
Ha. Funny this video was from 'disco'. That was an actually pretty cheesy music show on German TV, mostly presenting bubblegum fluff and German "Schlager". Sparks must have irritated the audience quite a bit...
My best friend John Thomas from high school produced a couple of their albums I’m glad you like them they’re from Santa Monica Check out “my baby’s taking me home “ by them
I bought this album when it first came out. Never heard from them again, but it was somehow quirky and I liked it. Totally forgot out about it. Thanks for the memory refresh!
Wow..Never heard this before... Took a few minutes to get into it... My first thought was that this is what Supertramp would have sounded like if they did a song written by Yoko Ono...after drinking a case of Red Bull :) But really cool unique sound once you get used to it!
That's one of the most stunning hit of music history. Note that this band has made a lot of seminal records and is still one of the few doing great songs 50 years after their beginnings. Ron Mael is a genius actually.
26 records to be exact, and so innovative and artistic. Most underrated group ever. "(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing" is probably my favorite song at the moment.
Sparks were so far ahead of other bands that even today no one has quite caught up with them........or possibly ever will!
The look of shock on your face was priceless - the 70s were fantastic.
His mouth stayed open for several seconds after it finished but no words came out... bless. I had the same reaction in 1974.
Try fitting in those pants today. I had my grandfathers....impossible
@@MrMarcodarko Hahaha! I know that syndrome!
@@garymcghee2249 My first introduction was 'Propaganda'. Which begin with 'Propaganda' and 'At Home, At Work, At Play'. I had that face then.
Shame on me, but I lost them after (thanks to) 'Big Beat', hated it (not now!).
Rediscovered them just when 'Hippopotamus' came out. Made the mistake to begin with the title track... I GASPED for air like a fish on dry land, while my brain tried to process whether this was for real, or for children 🤣🤣🤣! "Hieronymus... BOSCH" Told me it wasn't, and I was even more in love with them than ever!🤪😍💖 (I kept playing the only two albums I knew of all the years from 1976 to 2017, 'Propaganda' is the better in my opinion, but 'Kimono' has the wonderfully 'Here in Heaven', which I hold for even better than 'This Town'.🤩
Sparks is a universe with a unique voice and concepts
Great review, you captured all the important details. Cheers.
This is real MUSIC!
They couldn't make it in the US, so they came here to the UK in the early 70s. Had enormous success. They got homesick and went back to LA in the late 70s. You still wouldn't listen. We were right, here in the UK, they're magnificent. They've been continuing to release fantastic music, in numerous genres for nearly 50 years, and are still utterly brilliant approaching their 70s in age. One of the most underrated bands ever, and, well, I think the brothers Mael sort of like it that way.
It is always fun seeing someone watch Sparks for the first time. You never know what to expect next coming out of Ron Mael's brain. They keep changing with the times, pop, rock, disco, techno and who knows what. They just released new material in the last few months and are as eccentric, inventive and creative as ever. Other interesting songs include Amatuer Hour, When do I get to sing "My Way" & Dick Around.
Sparks are bigger now than they were back then. They're amazing.
Great song. Siouxsie and the Banshees loved it so much they did a cover of this.
A lot of uk glam era songs were awesome - ‘72 to ‘74 especially!
Got this album when it came out. Tail end of glam rock period. Have enjoyed every single album release since then. They released one of if not their best album THIS year- A STEADY DRIP DRIP DRIP. Remarkable songwriting talent. A plethora of musical ideas. Thank you so much for spreading this around.
I just love Daniel’s gobsmacked face at the end of the song!
One of the most original, influential, prolific and creative double-acts in the history of music is comprised of Ron and Russell Mael, aka Sparks. Now both in their seventies, they are still making albums, and Russell's voice sounds as good as ever, while Ron's writing is as distinctive as it's always been, with their most recent, 25th album ("A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip") recently released, and the one before that ("Hippopotamus") getting to number 6 in the UK album charts.
There's also a Sparks musical being released as a movie soon ("Annette") with Adam Driver playing the lead. The most recent album to achieve universal acclaim was the indescribable "Lil Beethoven" which no one knew how to categorise but everyone seemed to love.
If you want to get a sense of the evolution of Sparks, you could listen to "Kimono My House" (1974), "Lil Beethoven" (2002) and the most recent album, but there are many others which deserve a listen, too.
These two are officially British by proclamation of the people.
The Sparks "Propaganda" album is superb it's loud, chaotic melodic and it rocks. I drew a picture of the band and sent it to the Sparks fan club and they sent me back a flyer of the band and a nice letter thanking me for the art work. Check out that album sometime a lot of good songs on it- in fact no bad ones on it.⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡⚡
Yes both "Kimono My House" and "Propaganda" back to back!
Somewhere I still have some old "newsletters" from the Sparks Fan Club, from 1974-75. It was kinda cool because they didn't have some big corporate p.r. firm or management company running this. It was obviously just this girl in Los Angeles who was a big fan, and she just did this on her own time for love of the band. She'd print these out longhand and then mimeograph copies. It had a real sort of underground look.
@@jonathanlocke6404 Yes my newsletter did have that sort of underground look to it. Also around that time my dad went on a business trip to Rock Springs, Wyoming. Since it was a long weekend he took the family with him . Saturday night my sister and I got bored and walked downtown to the local movie house. The movie Rollercoaster was showing. About a guy trying to blow up the rollercoaster for ransom money at a Magic Mountain theme park. Well the cool thing about the movie was Sparks was the band playing at the theme park. At the time when I saw it was Sparks well , mind blown 😂🤯
@@midnightfury9001 Heh, yeah I think I remember going to see that in the theatre just because Sparks were supposed to be in it...
This was 1974. The Mael brothers are still going strong.
could have been any decade, its that good
Queen actually opened for Sparks in the early years.
I got to see Sparks when they toured with Franz Ferdinand a few years ago. They were at the forefront of glam, Euro disco, and synth pop. Recommend “#1 Song In Heaven” for disco, and “Tips For Teens” would have been a huge hit in another universe. Ron Maels wrote a song about the controversial mustache. Some of the cleverest stuff out there.
Also "Beat the Clock" is a great one from their 'disco goes new wave'-phase.
My favourite is "Tryouts for the Human Race" :-)
@@murdockreviews 'Tryouts' is the best on the album, and one of their best ever!
The changing time signatures, unexpected chord changes and the vocals swooping lightning-fast between tenor and falsetto all produce an effect for the listener which is like going backwards on a rollercoaster in the dark. A brilliantly-original pop song, written - as is usual for Sparks - by the Chaplinesque keyboard-playing Ron Mael, and sung by his brother Russell. The other musicians have constantly come and gone over the decades, but there doesn't seem to be a pop band in existence who don't credit Sparks as a major influence, even though they are all far more well-known than Sparks is. Their mid-nineties album 'Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins' is one of my favorites, but their latest album is also one of their best, so I'd advise you to catch up on Sparks if you can.
"Your favorite band's favorite band"
My friend and I used to go see Sparks at Magic Mountain (theme park in CA). We never missed a show. Kimono My House was an excellent album to sit and trip out to.
Sparks has a song called "Dick Around" that's just as interesting. Actually, any Sparks music is definitely interesting.
Sparks are huge movie fans and Ron's moustache was actually modelled on Charlie Chaplin's! Everyone thought he looked like a certain dictator though...... He always keeps a straight face on stage, leaving the more flamboyant stuff to his brother, but is actually extremely funny, gracious and warm in interviews (and in his lyrics).
What very rarely was exposed back then, but we can enjoy pretty often nowadays, is Ron's contagious smile. When he smiles, it's from ear to ear (or ear strap to ear strap, as Simon Helberg expressed it - face mask), you can't stop yourself from smiling when he smiles 😁😂!
"music that you can dance to", "equator", "the rhythm thief", "high c", "pulling rabbits out of my hat",.. many years, many songs.
One of my favourite songs of the seventies. Sparks were a great band. Still going strong today!
I've been a fan since 1974. Documentary by Edgar Wright coming out in early 2021. 😊
One of the very best singles ever made. This composition deserves a symphonic approach by a Full Symphonic Orchestra, I think it would be great to arrange that!
When I was a teenager, my house was the 'party' house, Everyone would hang out there because we had the big stereo with huge honking speakers. My brother and I loved this album (Kimono My House), but most hated it. We used to put this one on to break up the party as it drove most people away LMAO. Still, the entire album is brilliant. I have tried to listen to some of their other albums, but sadly none of them clicked like this one.
"Some" isn't enough!!😅!! 'Kimono' and 'Propaganda' are alike. The two first have similarities.
Then there are a couple in the mid eighties that is a bit alike too. The rest is standing steady in solitude.
Both 'Hippopotamus', 2017, and 'A Steady Drip Drip Drip', 2020, are campared to 'Kimono'. Well, the spirit is the same, but not the albums, per se.
We had a party house as well...
Whenever i wanted my sisters friends to leave I would play the A-Side of Propaganda
My fav Sparks album by far is Indiscreet, gotta love those Brothers Mael
Indiscreet is a masterpiece, fireworks of styles and lyrics, also quite devastating moments (Tits)
Haven't read all the comments but likely agree with most of them - you had a great reaction to this song/video. As a born-again Sparks fan, having rediscovered them over the last two years, trust me/us when it's said that Sparks is like no other band and that's what makes them so current and so timeless. Saw them in Toronto in April (2022) -- an amazing, tight, energetic love letter of a show. The Brothers Mael will be 77 (Ron on keyboard) and 74 (Russell on vocals) this year; so brilliantly talented, so passionate about their music; they've never become a tribute act to their former selves. Some people are referring to the "Netflix documentary" when actually it, The Sparks Brothers by Edgar Wright, was a theatrical release. I bought it on TH-cam a year ago, then acquired the BluRay with the 2nd disc of featurettes and a full concert. Sorry for the gushing, but Sparks will do that to a person. One other thing: th-cam.com/video/AfA4FphZHbc/w-d-xo.html is their first appearance peforming This Town on Top Of The Pops in 1974. Yes, it looks like it was filmed through a potato, but it's so good - especially when the top of Russell's mic falls off at about the 1:45 mark. Stay safe, and see more Sparks!
One of my favorites groups. They are very unusual and hilarious. I like all their albums. I can’t tell my favorite song, because I like them all. And the keyboardist was aiming for Charlie Chaplin look, not Hitler
I saw them several times in the 70s. Brothers Russell and Ron (keyboards), so much fun!!
The Mael brothers are genius!
Oh, man, you gotta listen to their song “I Predict”.
Listen to!? Watch the video! It's insane and fabulous 😂😂😂
Your reaction videos are the best, especially when you really like the song. Your excitement is infectious. I have a lot of videos to catch up on. :D
All of Sparks 1970s albums are immensely creative, often bizarre, and always wonderfully observed and regularly lyrically hilarious. Their first two albums (1972-73) were the first 'American' band before the two Mael brothers moved to the UK for their next three albums: Kimono My House & Propaganda (both 1974) and Indiscreet (1975). Those three albums in particular are a virtual blueprint for new wave, punk and alternative rock baroque country disco (or something?). It's music that never settles into a comfortable swing. I am old enough to remember Sparks on UK TV in the mid 70s. They were bizarrely treated as a teen idol pop band with hordes of screaming teenage girls. They returned to the USA in 1976 for a series of always changing albums: Big Beat (1976) Introducing Sparks (1977) and the seminal electronica of Number One in Heaven (1979).
Every song on the Kimono My House to Indiscreet period is a genre bursting classic and well worth checking out. Oh, just one last thing. The performance that 'broke' Sparks big in the UK (referenced by John Lennon) was their April 1974 Top Of The Pops (TOTP) appearance - here: th-cam.com/video/-ztSKDbDRXc/w-d-xo.html watch closely as singer (miming, as was the norm on that show) Russell's microphone breaks as he sings. His reaction is funny. It was a low budget show.
Anyways, thanks for giving Sparks a listen. Love this band. Much appreciated.
Never turn your back on other earth is a great song by them
Mother Earth
Great song choice 👍 It became stuck in my head as well as many of their other songs
One which sticks in the head is 'Brenda's Always In The Way'!
"Brenda, Brenda, Brenda's always in the way, always in the way, though she's A-OK, she's always in the way
Little, little Brenda, little, little Brenda, always in the way....."
Sparks were very unique. Gotta love it♥️🎶🎶🎵
ARE!!! 😉💖 They are DEFINITELY not gone!
Before I got into prog rock and rock I was into Roxy Music and Sparks in a big way. When you get past the madness of this song there is a solid rock piece going on here. Ron and Russell are still going strong today (as far as I know). Please react to any of the other hits such as Amateur Hour or Something for the girl with Everything - by the way, that mark is still on your wall!
Still going strong, as you hopefully know!
The album 'A Steady Drip Drip Drip' came out in 2020, due to the global stop the tour starts now, two gigs, filled up the Disney hall in LA twice, a couple of days ago (now Feb 15, 2022), but starts up first week in March in North America, followed by Europe, ending first week in May.
In July 2021 their musical movie 'Annette' directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver, Marion Cottilard and Simon Helberg opened The Cannes Film Festival, where Carax won the Best Director, and Ron and Russell had a reward for Best Soundtrack.
Earlier last year Edgar Wright's documentary on them, 'The Sparks Brothers' (premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January) went up on theaters.
They also are working on next album AND a new movie...
They were born in August 12, 1945 (Ron), and October 5, 1948 (Russell). Right now 76 and 73 years YOUNG.
@@annabackman3028 - thanks for the info, nice to know they are going strong and still creating great music.
@@Young_Jim And movies! They are also working on next album plus another film project. Too. 😅
Thank you!!!
Thank you for the requests, I quite enjoyed it:)
Well would you look at Daniel, he finally got around to bringing in the Mael. To say that Ron M. is one of the unsung geniuses of the last 50 years of music doesn't even do him a trillionth of a shred of justice, and it's so lovely to see 1) The Sparks Brothers finally getting their due after 5 decades of global success avoidance, and 2) brilliant young listeners and players such as yourself discovering the treasures this most unclassifiable and beloved band has to offer.
When I was 12, my dad got HBO, and one of the films they'd show over and over was called ROLLERCOASTER, which was essentially a formulaic disaster flick about a mad bomber who blows up rollercoasters in amusement parks and his pursuit by a grizzled cop. This movie was shot at Magic Mountain in LA when it first opened in 1976, and in several of the sequences a band is featured playing a concert at the park whilst the cop chases after the bomber. At 12, I thought the band featured was just made up for the movie, but in the years that followed I began to hear them on the radio and found out they were realer than real.
Fast forward to today and I'm a lifelong Sparks fan, engaged in a project over the last three months to compile all their non-album and rare tracks into one 5-hour compendium. Here's one of their classics that will be on this thing when it's done, going out to all the Elon Musks and Jeff Bezoses out there:
th-cam.com/video/KM--muMnMrY/w-d-xo.html
Have loved Sparks for much of my music-loving life. Love them or hate them, they are always original and sound as modern as anyone, even now, 50+ years later. Their latest work (last three albums) is just fantastic. The Mael brothers are in their mid-70's and still make great records, unlike most older artists who refuse to die and release lousy albums or none at all (Hello, Mick & Keith).
Queen actually did admit that they were inspired by Sparks. They have a new album coming out later this Month and are touring this summer (they have always toured a lot) and I will finally see them live in July...by the way, Ron Mael said he was trying to channel Charlie Chaplin, not Hitler...Ron writes all of those wry, humorous, intelligent lyrics. The band's cult status is untouchable...
The Singer and the organist are the Mael Brothers Ron and Russ.
Paul McCartney does a parody of the keyboard player in the video for his 1980 hit 'Coming Up' where he also mimicked many other musicians including Hank Marvin
Sparks appeared in the movie "Rollercoaster", starring George Segal, Henry Fonda, a teenaged Helen Hunt, about a young man (Timothy Bottoms) who extorts the owners of amusement parks for $1 million by sabotaging rollercoasters.
In his video, "Coming Up", Paul McCartney dresses up in different costumes and disguises. One of those is Sparks' keyboardist, Ron Mael.
I was actually an extra in Rollercoaster - the crowd shots near the end. It was shot in Magic Mountain and I was a student at Cal Arts which was down the Interstate 5 by a couple of miles.
Ha! I'm still trying to figure out what *I* mean to me. This song is 70s madness, and although I hadn't seen this before, I recognize the weirdly cool, demented vibe. I dug it, as the Neanderthals used to say. Ah, if only I could remember those times.
The guy is stunned into silence. I love his reactions. A an awesome tune and yes their some sort of classical influence. A pleasure to watch your reaction.💕💕
New Group? Sparks! We loved Sparks in the 70s. So entertaining and great music.
Check out their song Talent is an Asset. I would love to hear your analysis of the lyrics.
Sparks are American but the sounds are very Germanic. I love it.
As I mentioned at the time of this reaction, Sparks appeared in the 1977 thriller "Rollercoaster", starring George Segal. Segal passed away yesterday at the age of 87. RIP.
Segal was a jazz aficionado and an excellent banjo player.
Utterly brilliant!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
These guys are still going at it!
Next to queen they are my favorites.
You have hundreds of hours of beautiful listening ahead of you. They’re the funniest and sharpest wittiest musicians ever, and have also written the best love song of all time IMHO: The Toughest Girl in Town. I have been a fan since 1973!
I came of age in the 70's but was into progressive rock so this artist is unknown to me. Unique and therefore worthwhile.
Totally forgot this group even existed. Thanks for bring this to us.
Sparks are great & still together, touring & putting out weird & wonderful stuff. In fact their latest single came out a couple of days ago. It's called iphone & you won't be hearing it on any radio station anytime soon.
Last evening i heard this song again at an oldies station (i've always loved it!!) which made me think and see if there would ever be a videoreaction made of it, so i found you :) Great one, and i so can imagine that's how you look when you hear it for the first time :D Good old times :)
Another song i heard from back then but couldn't find a reaction to is Cockney Rebel with Sebastian. A classic too, but totally different vibe. Extremely good song though in my opinion so i'd love it if you would react to it.
Pure perfection!
Sparks reaction to the changing times:
LATE '70's (DISCO): "Beat The Clock"......EARLY '80's (NEW WAVE): "Angst In My Pants"......2020: "Put The F*ckin' iPhone Down And Listen To Me"
This was incredibly original and weird-sounding at the time when I was fifteen and yet shot straight to number two in the UK. They were unique in every way. They followed with a succession of equally great and original hit songs and albums. Never Turn You Back On Mother Earth is a masterpiece song with one of the greatest Middle 8's I ever heard. Do check it out.
Amateur hour, never turn your back on Mother Earth , something for the girl with everything, looks looks looks ,All hits all fab ! 😁✌️👍🇬🇧🙏
here in heaven
I still have Amateur Hour, and Beat the Clock on 45" single.
Beat The Clock, Number 1 Song In Heaven
The singer and keyboard player are the Mael brothers
Interesting, cant believe living thru the 70s I never heard this...Hahahaha guy at keyboard def didnt look happy...Thanx Daniel, Sending you and your family wishes of a safe and Happy New Year
Yes! I love this song. I first heard it in the movie Kickass. I then listened to their whole discography. They r amazing.
I saw these guys at the old music amphitheater at Magic Mountain. The same one that's at the end of This Is Spinal Tap...with just about as many people in the audience.
Dude their song after this amateur hour on repeat walking down the street...epic
There was a bad action movie in the late 1970s about bombing a Rollercoaster, which I believe was the films title. In any case they can be seen in that film performing live in the amusement park.
I remember that Movie, and yes it was called Rollercoaster. Great Movie !
Disaster movie of the week. Double feature with the Poseidon Adventure.
Yes!! I remember that movie with these in it 😁
Yes, Sparks played "Big Boy" and another song I can't remember !
What I remember is that at the end of the song Ron Mael goes berserk and smashes his piano stool to pieces !!!
They performed 21 entire albums in 21 days!!!
Here's a band that did and still does what ever it wants. Other songs by them to check out: Dick Around, Tryouts For The Human Race, Wonder Girl, Edith Pief, Beat The Clock, etc. etc.
That melody in the song which you think may be classically influenced, I think you're right. In the Romeo and Juliet ballet by Sergei Prokofiev, there's a theme called Dance of the Knights, which was used as the theme for The Apprentice and as the intro music for Muse concerts. What it shares in common with the melody in the Sparks song is the fact that the melody arpeggiates a minor chord past the octave and back, creating a similar effect in both pieces of music.
Maybe inspired to 'Here in Heaven' too?
"It is hell
Knowing that your health
Will keep you out of here
For many many years"
If the lyrics to 'This Town' is special, 'Here in Heaven' is nuts!
Wow Sparks ⚡️ that was fun. Great reaction.
That fun to hear, when it came out and fun to watch your reaction now.
I have this record and enjoy it. Sounds like Rocky Horror Picture Show. The performance was in german television here in 1974 called DISCO with Illya Richter as Mod. Can never forget it.
The melody makes me think of Prokofiev
Thanks for paying attention to Sparks. For those of you who like them, you might find fan mael interesting.
When I here of Sparks, I recall Flo and Eddie reviewing Pavlov’s Dog for Crawdaddy and likened it to Sparks on helium.
I know the Sparks well, they were in my wheelhouse in my early teens. Lead vocalist and keyboard player were brothers, with the latter writing all the material. It was said that he wrote the lyrics in high falsetto just to piss his brother off. Clearly he capable in the high register, but it did toy with his emotions. Glam rock was a strange time. Check out Slade for the counter point.
P.S. the Hitler thing was pursued shtick (as was the Yiddish).
@@kirbywilliamson2942 The Hitler thing was Chaplinesque. On stage he was mimicking a silent movie character, hence his facial expressions.
Have you heard 'Pineapple' or 'Gone with the wind'? Russell's own. Pineapple is all through falsetto.
He never had problems with high notes, but the lower gave him a challenge. Nowadays it's turning the opposite, but he still reaches up to the sky, but not as clear and crisp as 50 years ago.
Until the 'Indiscreet' album they co-wrote a lot, but after that Ron took over. Since 'No. One In Heaven' Russell has become more and more active in mixing and engineering, nowadays he does nearly all of that.
I think he got the taste for it when they produced 'Is There More To Life Than Dancing?' with Noel, just after they recorded 'No.1'
Sparks is an entity unto themselves. Try "When I kiss You(I hear Charlie Parker playing) or "The Rythym Thief" , "Eaten by the Monster of Love" is great too 😉
I was living in the UK, 12-13 years old, when this song was a smash hit. It was the weirdest music I’d heard up to that point. I believe it made me much more receptive to The B-52s a couple years later.
There is so much amazing music from Sparks. Their latest album was released earlier THIS YEAR. (A Steady Drip Drip Drip). It is their 25th, with nary a dull moment. (Well, some are better than others.) What an astonishing achievement - and so many people have never heard of them. Where to start? Kimono is as good as any, but you can drop the needle (i.e. pick at random) pretty much anyplace and get a reward.
They have been doing structured repetition for some time now, which might seem a bit simplistic for a reaction video, but even these have something to say. There are at least three gems per album. Usually more. Want an earworm? Here is a link to one off Drip. It's about a Lawnmower.
th-cam.com/video/tPSFpaCQEvA/w-d-xo.html
Been in love with them since 1974 when I was 7
Brilliant band - the earlier stuff was even less 'friendly' - The tracks on 'A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing' ( a reference to the contrast between their 'glam pop' image and heavy material). You'll enjoy the humour of 'Here comes Bob', and even 'Girl from Germany' but for sheer innovation, try 'Moon over Kentucky'. Enjoy.
I discovered them recently and they are very unique and talented! Great music but most of their lyrics are funny. They influenced many many others after them. American brothers but became more famous in England and Europe. There is a very interesting documentary about them on Netflix. I love his voice!
I've always had a soft spot for "Music that you can dance to", although "I married a Martian" and "Areoflot" are also classic.
Want to see Keith Moon of The Who introducing Sparks in 1974 on TVs In Concert (with Ringo Starr assisting the introduction)?
th-cam.com/video/xvK1ZA81duA/w-d-xo.html
These guys knew how to produce ear worms like no other - and the lyrics are pretty interesting, too.
I knew you were the coolest kid, ever. 😎
💜💫✌🏼🎵
If you liked this try Party Fears Two by The Associates.8 years later and to me obviously influenced by this.
Ha these were my mothers favourite, the only time she would join us in watching Top of the Pops was when Sparks were on, I think she had a crush on the keyboard player :-) great song.
:) Never heard this before & never heard of this band.
But, I enjoyed it! :)
Thanks, Daniel!
I hope you have discovered Edgar Wright's documentary on Sparks, 'The Sparks Brothers', came out 2021, was up on theaters for a while, but is now streaming. I don't remember on which channel, I've bought the Blu-Ray. DVD is also available. They come with LOADS of bonus material and a nearly one hour concert in London 2019.
Also the musical movie'Annette', directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver, Marion Cottilard and Simon Helberg. A movie people either love or hate. For God's sake, Sparks + Carax, what to expect? Nothing grey and conventional, that's for sure. Carax got the "Best Director" prize at the Cannes Film Festival, and Ron and Russell a "Best Soundtrack" reward.
Daniel, once again you've surprised me. I haven't heard this song or anything else from 'Kimono My House' in at least forty years. Thank you (once again) for sliding another half-remembered thread of my life's tapestry back into place.
I first heard Sparks from their appearance on 'Don Kirshner's Rock Concert'. At the time, DKRC was considered the least of the three late-night music shows. But DKRC introduced us to Kansas and UFO as well as Sparks - so it certainly wasn't that much less.
I certainly hope you have seen Edgar Wright's documentary on them, 'The Sparks Brothers', 2021? Streaming and available on DVD and Blu-Ray! Check trailers on TH-cam!
Also their musical movie 'Annette' directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver, Marion Cottilard and Simon Helberg. It's a love or hate movie, some people can't deal with the combination Sparks-Carax. Carax has always made a little "different" films. Sparks have always made a little "different" music. So you should know from start, this is not an ordinary movie. No it isn't.
First 50 minutes are slow, but they show things that makes the rest more comprehendible, and after another 15 minutes it ends! 50 minutes + 15 minutes are 65 minutes. Where the heck the missing 135 minutes went, I don't know.
Both the documentary and 'Annette' are 240 minutes (2h 40m), neither feels near that long.
Haha thanks for doing Sparks! Grew up watching top of the pops on BBC. Littlle Hitler on the keyboard was great (I’m a son of Germans born and raised abroad). They had another song “my white bicicle” in the beginning I thought it’s “my wife buys nickers”
I loved this when it came out back in the day, it was very different from anything I’d heard before, great band and worth a venture into
Ha. Funny this video was from 'disco'. That was an actually pretty cheesy music show on German TV, mostly presenting bubblegum fluff and German "Schlager". Sparks must have irritated the audience quite a bit...
My best friend John Thomas from high school produced a couple of their albums I’m glad you like them they’re from Santa Monica
Check out
“my baby’s taking me home “
by them
Always loved Amateur Hour, so mid 70's..
Love it !
I bought this album when it first came out. Never heard from them again, but it was somehow quirky and I liked it. Totally forgot out about it. Thanks for the memory refresh!
Wow..Never heard this before... Took a few minutes to get into it... My first thought was that this is what Supertramp would have sounded like if they did a song written by Yoko Ono...after drinking a case of Red Bull :) But really cool unique sound once you get used to it!
And some LSD I guess
Maybe Supertramp played at 78, or Yoko played at 16rpm.