Sparks: When will they Burn Out?

Of recent, Sparks has surfaced up in many blogs. They have come to light simply because of the fact that French world dominators Justice decided to include their outrageous song "Tryouts For the Human Race" into their Christmas mix, the mix everybody loved, the mix Fabric Live rejected.

Sparks were always considered "different." This difference, however you like to think of it, can probably explain their longevity, and the popularity the can hold today. "Tryouts For the Human Race" is an exceptional piece, but it is not the only song that is as accessible.

With little success leading up to 1979, Ron and Russell Mael found themselves in a stale place. Instead of working with session musicians as they did before, the brothers decided to take an experimental and electronic turn; they hired a producer we should all now be familiar with. Large credit is due to the larger-than-life musical godfather, Giorgio Moroder, as he oversaw production for two albums, the sound probably most associated with the two Mael brothers.

The first album under Moroder, an LP titled "Number 1 Song in Heaven," was the breakout album noted for the essential sound Sparks were established for, and has been noted for influencing Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, and New Order. Here is a song which is probably aware of it's title, and the title aware of the song: it's the number one song in heaven.

Sparks - Number One Song In Heaven (zshare)

Another excellent song from the LP is "Beat the Clock." The song's lyrics are about the fanaticism about being timely, doing everything that can be done tommorrow, but today, excelling in life, when there is probably nothing to life at all, nothing that necessitates an outrageous and almost neurotic attention to time, one held at the expense of peoples' unawareness that they ought to stop and maybe have some fun in life.

Sparks - Beat the Clock

Their second and last album to feature the production of Moroder, "Terminal Jive," produced the single "When I'm with You." This song became a huge hit in France, and the single also broke into the Top 20 in Australia. France and Australia; it doesn't ring a bell . . .

Sparks - When I'm With You