Back Sparks Azerbaijani اسپارکس (موسیقی قروپو) AZB Sparks Breton Sparks (hudební skupina) Czech Sparks Danish Sparks (Band) German Sparks Spanish اسپارکس (گروه موسیقی) Persian Sparks Finnish Sparks (groupe) French
Sparks | |
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Halfnelson |
| Origin | Pacific Palisades, California, United States |
| Genres | |
| Discography | Sparks discography |
| Years active | 1971–present |
| Labels | |
| Spinoffs | FFS |
| Members | |
| Past members |
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| Website | allsparks |
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]
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]
- ^ Dye, David (2006). "Sparks: Elegantly Whimsical". Npr.org. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
- ^ Alfvegren, Skylaire (1998-11-04). "Shooting Off Sparks". LA Weekly. Archived from the original on 2006-12-07. Retrieved 2006-04-13.
- ^ Taylor, J.R. "Lively Sparks". New York Press. Archived from the original on 2006-05-27. Retrieved 2006-04-13.
- ^ Easlea, Daryl (July 2003). "Sparks Interview". Record Collector Magazine Issue. Vol. 287.
- ^ Ashlock, Jesse (2003). "Sparks profile". Epitonic.com. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
- ^ "Sparks Interview "Melting Down Beethoven" on musicohm.com". Archived from the original on 2007-12-22. Retrieved 2006-04-13.
- ^ Copsey, Rob (September 15, 2017). "The National secure their first Number 1 on the Official Albums Chart with Sleep Well Beast: 'It means a lot'". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 16, 2017.
- ^ Chiu, David (May 25, 2020). "Sparks' Ron Mael On The Duo's New Album, Upcoming Movie, And 50 Years Of Idiosyncratic Music". Forbes. Retrieved August 8, 2020.
- ^ "'Lost Illusions' Wins Best Film at France's Cesar Awards". Hollywoodreporter.com. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ "S P A R K S on Instagram: "BREAKING NEWS! Sparks signs with #IslandRecords! New album coming May 2023! #TheGirlIsCryingInHerLatte ☕️"". Instagram. Retrieved 2023-01-24.
- ^ "Sparks | full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved June 4, 2023.