Sparks is the vehicle for the skewed pop smarts and wise-guy wordplay of brothers Ron and Russell Mael, Los Angeles natives who spent their childhood modeling young men's apparel for mail-order catalogs. While attending UCLA in 1970, the Maels formed their first group, Halfnelson, which featured songwriter Ron on keyboards and Russell as lead vocalist; the band was rounded out by another pair of brothers, guitarist Earle and bassist Jim Mankey, and drummer Harley Feinstein.
Halfnelson soon came to the attention of Todd Rundgren, who helped land the group a contract with Bearsville and produced their self-titled 1971 debut. Their quirky, tongue-in-cheek art pop failed to find an audience, however, and their manager successfully convinced the Maels to change the group's name. After becoming Sparks, they almost reached the Hot 100 with the single "Wonder Girl," and 1972's sublimely bizarre A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing cemented the band's cult status, scoring another near-hit with "Girl from Germany."
While touring the U.K., Sparks were warmly received by the British music press, and ultimately, the Mael brothers relocated to London, leaving the rest of the band behind; Earle Mankey subsequently became a noted producer, while Jim later joined Concrete Blonde. In need of a new support unit, the Maels placed an advertisement in Melody Maker, and with guitarist Adrian Fisher, bassist Martin Gordon, and drummer Norman "Dinky" Diamond firmly in place, they recorded 1974's glam-bubblegum opus Kimono My House, which reached the Top Five of the U.K. album charts and spawned two major British hits, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" and "Amateur Hour."
With new guitarist Trevor White and bassist Ian Hampton, Sparks returned later that year with Propaganda, another U.K. smash that scored with the hits "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and "Something for the Girl with Everything." Overblown production from Tony Visconti derailed 1975's Indiscreet, however, and when the record fared less successfully than its predecessors, the Maels returned to the U.S., where they recruited Tuff Darts guitarist Jeff Salen, former Milk & Cookies bassist Sal Maida, and drummer Hilly Michaels for 1976's Big Beat.
By 1977's ironic Introducing Sparks, recorded with a series of Los Angeles session players, the Mael brothers were treading water, so they enlisted disco producer Giorgio Moroder to helm 1979's synth-powered dance-pop confection No. 1 in Heaven, which spurred the group to renewed success in England on the strength of the hit singles "The Number One Song in Heaven," "Beat the Clock," and "Tryouts for the Human Race." Moroder's sidekick Harold Faltermeyer took the production reins for the immediate follow-up, Terminal Jive, which scored a massive French hit with "When I'm with You."
Sparks left disco in the dust with 1981's Whomp That Sucker, recorded in Munich with a new supporting band comprised of guitarist Bob Haag, bassist Leslie Bohem, and drummer David Kendrick (who also played together as the Gleaming Spires). After 1982's Angst in My Pants, they recorded 1983's Sparks in Outer Space; the wonderful "Cool Places," a duet with the Go-Go's Jane Wiedlin, nearly reached the U.S. Top 40, and was the band's biggest hit.
LOSSLESS ALBUMS:
1972 - Sparks [1990, Repertoire Records - RR 4052-C]
1973 - A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing [1990, Repertoire Records - RR 4051-C]
1973 - A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing [Japan, Pony Canyon PCCY-00821]
1974 - Kimono My House (2006 Island Records - 984 341 7)
1974 - Kimono My House [1994, Japan, Island Rec. PHCR-4828]
1974 - Propaganda (2006, Island Records - 984 341 0)
1974 - Propaganda [1994, Island Masters - IMCD 199]
1974, 1975 - Propaganda, Indiscreet (2000, Russia, Two Originals)
1975 - Indiscreet (2009 Universal Japan, UICY-94100)
1976 - Big Beat [1993, Japan, Island Records - PHCR-6720]
1977 - Introducing Sparks [2006, Lil' Beethoven Records - LBRCDRUS]
1979 - No. 1 in Heaven [1995, Germany, Oasis - CMP 62004]
1979- No. 1 in Heaven [2009, Imperial, TECI-26547]
1979,1981 - No. 1 In Heaven + Whomp That Sucker [Dog Entertainment - dog 10015]
1980 - Terminal Jive (1995, Oasis - CMP 62005)
1981 - Whomp That Sucker [2008, Repertoire Records - REP 5126]
1982 - Angst In My Pants [1995, Germany, Oasis - CMP 62007 ]
1982 - Angst In My Pants [2013, Repertoire Records - REP 5311]
1983 - In Outer Space [1996, Oasis - CMP 62008]
1983 - In Outer Space [1999, Repertoire Records - REP 4761-WG]
1983 - In Outer Space [2013, Repertoire Records - REP 5312]
1984 - Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat (2013, Repertoire Records - REP 5287)
1984 - Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat [1998, Oglio Records - OGL 81604-2]
1985 - Best of Sparks [Underdog - CA 96272]
1988 - Interior Design [1990, Castle Communications - CHC 7009]
1988 - Interior Design [2008, Lil' Beethoven Records - LBRCD104]
1988 - Just Got Back From Heaven (1993 re-issue, Success - 22505CD)
1991 - Profile_The Ultimate Sparks Collection (Rhino Records - R2 70731)
1992 - The World Of The Sparks - Madonna [Trace Trading, MCPS 0401102]
1993 - The Heaven Collection (Columbia - 473515 2)
1994 - Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violin [Logic Records - 74321232672]
1994 - Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins [2005, Lil' Beethoven Records - LBRCD102]
1994 - When Do I Get To Sing My Way (Logic Records - LOC 151)
1994 - When Do I Get To Sing My Way [1995, UK, Logic Records - 74321274012]
1995 - Now That I Own The BBC [Germany, Logic Records - LOC 183]
1995 - When Do I Get To Sing My Way (Logic Records (US) - LUS 010)
1995 - When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing) (US CDM)
1995 - When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing) [Logic Records - 74321 26427 2]
1995 - When I Kiss You [Germany, BMG - 74321 25482 2]
1997 - Plagiarism [Germany, Virgin - 7243 8 44275 2 8]
1997 - The Number One Song In Heaven [Virgin - 7243 8 94284 2 1]
1999 - Plagiarism (Radio Sampler) [US, Oglio Records}2000 - Balls [2008, Lil' Beethoven Records - LBRCD103]
2000 - Balls [Oglio Records - OGL89119-2]
2000 - The Best Of Sparks (Germany, Repertoire Records - REP 4906)
2001 - HTV Music History (Invisible Halahup - HAL124)
2002 - Lil' Beethoven [UK, Artful Rec., Cat. # LILBCD2]
2002 - The Best Of (Quality Group Company, QGA 097)
2006 - Big Beat [1976, Island Records - 984 341 2]
2006 - Hello Young Lovers (Japan PCCY-01763)
2006 - Hello Young Lovers [UK, Gut Records - GUTCD53]
2008 - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep [Japan, Imperial Records - TECI-32490]
2008 - Exotic Creatures of the Deep [Lil' Beethoven Records - LBRCD111]
2009 - The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman (SR Records, SRCD 2055)
2012 - Extended-The 12 Inch Mixes (Repertoire Records - REP 5251)
2012 - Shortcuts-The 7 Inch Mixes [Repertoire Records - REP 5255]2xCD
2013 - New Music for Amnesiacs (Essential Collection)
2015 - FFS (Franz Ferdinand & Sparks) - FFS (Deluxe Edition, Domino - WIGCD349X)
MP3 ALBUMS
Studio Albums
1971 - Halfnelson/1972 - Sparks
1973 - A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing
1974 - Kimono My House
1974 - Propaganda
1975 - Indiscreet
1976 - Big Beat
1977 - Introducing Sparks
1979 - No.1 In Heaven
1980 - Terminal Jive
1981 - Whomp That Sucker
1982 - Angst In My Pants
1983 - In Outer Space
1984 - Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat
1986 - Music That You Can Dance To
1988 - Interior Design
1994 - Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violin
1997 - Plagiarism
2000 - Balls
2002 - Lil' Beethoven
2006 - Hello Young Lovers
2008 - Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
2009 - The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman
Live Albums
1995 - Amateur Hour [1995 MasterTone MM5125 Video CD Bonus CD] UK (15:03)
2013 - Two Hands One Mouth [2013 Lil' Beethoven Records LBRCD115] UK (65:46+20:25)
Compilations
1989 - Just Got Back From Heaven [1993 Success 16151CD] UK (44:23)
1990 - Mael Intuition-The Best of Sparks 1974-76 [1990 Island 842 546-2] UK (61:31)
1991 - Profile - The Ultimate Sparks Collection [1991 Rhino R2 70731] USA (72:14+74:23)
1992 - The World Of The Sparks – Madonna [1992 Trace 0401102] Russia (44:32)
1993 - In The Swing [Uknown Edition] (43:38)
1993 - The Heaven Collection [1993 Columbia COL 473515-2] France (76:53)
1993 - The Hell Collection [1993 Columbia 473516 2] France (76:23)
2001 - Music History [2001 Halahup HAL124] Russia (80:15)
2002 - The Best [2002 Quality Group Company QGA 097] (69:47)
2002 - This Album's Big Enough - The Best of Sparks [2002 Music Club MCCD 503] UK (57:50)
2012 - Shortcuts-The 7 Inch Mixes [2012 Remaster Repertoire REP 5255] Germany (53:55+53:35)
2012 - Extended-The 12 Inch Mixes [2012 Remaster Repertoire REP 5251] Germany (49:18+46:39)
EP's & Promo
1994 - When Do I Get To Sing My Way
1995 - Now That I Own the BBC
1995 - When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing) [1995 Logic 74321 26427 2] UK (20:11)
1997 - The No. 1 Song in Heaven
1997 - This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us (with Faith No More) [1997 Roadrunner RR 2251-3] Europe (12:59)
1999 - More Than A Sex Machine
1999 - Plagiarism (Radio Sampler) [1999 Oglio] (17:00)
2006 - Dick Around [2006 In The Red Recordings ITR 137] USA (28:52)
2006 - Dick Around / Waterproof [2006 Gut CDGUT79] UK (14:23)
2006 - Perfume [2006 Gut CDGUT77] UK (14:26)