Whenever Sparks were on the TV in the UK, my brother and I would ONLY watch to see Ron on the keyboards. On one occasion, after a series of sinister expressions on close-up, he stared straight into the camera and gave a full-toothed smile. MY GOD THAT WAS SCARY! Forget the Daleks from Doctor Who, my brother and I didn't sleep that night...
I love how Ron is alternately somewhat bewildered and outright scornful at his own song. There are other videos where he starts out all stoic at the keyboard, then gets up, becomes almost cartoonishly animated out of nowhere for a minute--then sits back down and the mask resumes (some performances of No. 1 Song in Heaven, most notably). But yeah, he is truly the heart and soul of Sparks.
Back in the day, every kid in the UK watched Top of the Pops on the BBC on a Thursday evening. The first time Sparks appeared on the show, on the Friday morning, in every schoolyard in the country, everybody had exactly the same reaction as you! Did you see that keyboard player on TOTP last night!!!??? Something like that happened maybe once a year. It made their career. People might not know their songs but everybody knew who they were.
An excellent summary. Alice Cooper’s snake Alvin Stardust’s microphone technique Noddy Holder & sideburns in a bubble on the screen Dave Hill... Sweet’s bassist’s vibrato & many more?! Oh how could i omit the Crazy Horses Donny Osmond synth pitch shifter scream throttle thing? Unbelievable!
I’ve read different versions of this anecdote (this one’s from the Guardian), but it cracks me up: In 1974, John Lennon was startled as he was watching Top of the Pops. He rang Ringo Starr. “You won’t believe what’s on television,” he reportedly said. “Marc Bolan is playing a song with Adolf Hitler.”
It's quoted and so lovely animated (by Joseph Wallace who made the video for 'Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)') in the documentary 'The Sparks Brothers', but not claimed to be the exact truth. But it's so crazy it could be true 😂
JP, you should watch the recent documentary The Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright (the guy who made Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). It takes you through their entire career, going back to childhood, and really shows how they’re just cool, down-to-earth, very nice guys who just happen to be rather eccentric. I was especially surprised when I found out that Ron does a good deal of the speaking in their interviews. I figured he’d be this silent oddball making weird stares at the camera the whole time, but his stage persona is not at all like his normal self.
And if you’re up for taking the plunge, they’re going on tour starting February 7th. My girlfriend and I are seeing them in March. I’ve never seen them before, but I did see them tour as part of FFS, a one-album band they did with Franz Ferdinand back in 2015. They put on one hell of a show- especially considering they’re both in their 70’s now. They’ve taken good care of themselves throughout the years, and Russell can still hit the high notes.
With Prog keyboard players trying more and more to be flamboyant and outrageous (Wakeman, Emerson, Elton John even) this personality was perfectly judged and novel.These are two smart guys who wrote intelligent and fun music and worth your time!
On tv in the 70s bands weren’t allowed to do live performances that often, so this is a lip sync version. But there are live videos of them from the time that are stunning.
Ron has said that he was channeling Charlie Chaplin with his look. He looked even more outrageous before they became Sparks, when they were known as HalfNelson. Rundgren produced their first album.
Everyone thought they were British. Hell I did too till about five years ago. Their music evolved so I hope you follow their hit songs over their many years. Ron thought he looked like Chaplin.
He aimed for looking like a silent movie character. Such as Chaplin for instance. He has told that he thought it was "Chaplinesque". Oh, Ron💖 BUT to his defense, the mustache was there long before he had that haircut and slick back. It had been there even before he let his hair grow long, as it looked around the two first albums. My personal opinion is, cutting his hair was a very good idea... Have you (everyone who reads this) seen a picture, or a video ('Girl from Germany', definitely written to provoke, saying "That was then, now is now, we have to move on", a cool song, great lyrics, from the 'A Woofer in a Tweeter's Clothing')? I think many will agree, stache or not 😂
really glad you enjoyed this. Imagine how hilarious I found it in 1974 especially when Ron bore a passing resemblance in my 9 year old mind to my grandpa (no, he wasn't Hitler, just an old man with a 'tache) and yes Ron is totally playing up for the camera. Good times
Ron Mael. Imagine the culture shock us 70's kids had when he first stared at the camera. How did he mould our young maliable minds? Great times. :) Later live videos show just a trio, Russ, Ron (on his Ronald (not Roland, no) keyboard), and Christi Haydon on drums. Quite striking, as usual, but still keeping that uniqueness they have. Good promo videos of theirs are "All you ever think about is sex", "When do I get to sing my way" and "Lawnmower" (which was released in 2021... yep, they're still going). They've also done a couple of collaborations... "Faith No More with Sparks - This Town" and FFS.. Franz Ferdinand and Sparks doing "This Town" (yeah, another one), "No 1 song" and "When do I get to sing my way". Ron's also known to get up from the keyboard and dance.
Show's over for this time after the last gigs in order: Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius. (Today, May 10 posting a photo, eating ice cream in Paris 😂) They have announced both a new album AND a new musical movie! Both in working progress, the album about finished 😊😍👍 Can't wait! I saw the concerts in Stockholm (where the local arrangements had a lot more to be asked for. Due to the postponed schedule (pandemic) they had changed venues, so the tickets didn't match. Instead of having the new seats in the system (they have had a year to fix that!), so it automatically came up when the old ones were scanned, they had to look up YOUR NAME in a register, and from there have your new seats handwritten on a paper! Took half an eternity, and around a hundred people, or more, missed the first up to 5-6 songs! The magical feeling from a Sparks show never appeared. IF the guys had known the circumstances I'm pretty sure they had waited a little while, but perhaps it was too shameful to inform them? However in Copenhagen, that was THE night! Both audience and band in the best mood, Russell moved to tears of the enthusiasm in the concert hall! (The Danish Radio's Concert hall is not a typical rock concert place, they have all kinds of theater and music played there, but it's obviously built mainly for classical music.)
That's Ron for you, (nearly) always keeps a straight-face on stage. But listen to him being interviewed, or to most of his lyrics and he's one really funny guy. Glad you enjoyed the video. They may be brothers, but they're such a contrast on stage, Russell is so flamboyant, the natural showman, allowing Ron to just be Ron. Check out Paul McCartney's video for his 1980 number 1 hit single 'Coming Up' in which Paul parodies a host of famous musicians including Hank Marvin from the Shadows on guitar and Ron on keys!
On BBC Radio 1 back in ‘74 there was a show called My Top 12. Performers were invited to choose their 12 fave discs. Anyway, Ron and Russell chose the ‘facsimile’ version of This Town, from the cheapo album compilation series, either Top of the Pops or Hot Hits or whatever. Naturally it sounded nothing like them 🤣
@@mickcapewell6369 That's really funny! Typical of their sense of humour. My parents used to buy some of those Top of the Pops covers albums! They definitely sounded nothing like the originals!
@@-davidolivares Exactly like that! We got the K-tel and Pickwick albums here too. They'd play them as piped music in supermarkets, etc, too - presumably because it was cheaper than playing the originals. You could *always* tell the difference!
Evening Justin. Dave from Beyond The Sea. Love your reaction when you first saw Ron! Takes me back, as that is exactly how my friends and I reacted when we first saw them on the UK's TV show Top of The Pops in 74. And when I saw them live about thirty years later (when they played the whole of Kimono My House and Lil' Beethoven), although he'd ditched the 'tache, his expression hadn't changed much! Oh, if you're good, he sometimes does his dance! P.S. My song ref Beyond The Sea is by Bobby Darin.
Perfect, this was *the* "This Town" performance to watch. West German TV audience, "subdued" was the norm - admittedly, watching a dude rock a Hitler 'stache onstage may have been weird. Cool that you're obsessed with "This Town" - that is the correct response. Do check out *Siouxsie & The Banshees'* 1987 cover - immaculate interpretation from an underrated covers album. And McCartney's Sparks parody in the "Coming Up" video. More early Sparks gems: - "Arts & Crafts Spectacular" - "(No More) Mr Nice Guys"
I watched the documentary about them on Netflix and I love their sound and the singer's voice. They influenced so many after them! Most of their lyrics are too crazy for me but they are sure super creative and talented! Love this song! Yeah, his brother on the keyboards...so funny! 😅 Didn't know about Sparks before your channel.
Hello Justin! Ron is famous for his deadpan/creepy/vicious facial expressions. The Clip you showed is from a German TV-program called "Disco" (you can occasionally see the logo in the background), and it may be it is not really live but playback; unlike the predecessors "Beat-Club" and "Musikladen" that only had the bands playing live "Disco" used both formats.
there's a ton of proper live performances in recent years on YT, and they sound exactly the same, brilliant. Also they did a collaboration with Franz Ferdinand called FFS a few years ago which definitely worth looking into.
Evidently not a live recording, being a pop show mime to the released master but a good way to see the contrasting character of the two brothers. Paul McCartney later dressed up and acted as Ron Mael in one of his videos.
I think it was more usual to have the artists mime to the record recordings, OR to record the sound before the actual show. Technology doesn't always work as attended today, much less back then, and having several artists, especially bands with many instruments too, was risky. However, sometimes they had the music recorded, and singing live. All live shows, music or not was a little bit of a gamble, and the show hosts had to master improvising. (On some videos, not particular Sparks, in general, you can see a cord here and there not connected to anything, just hanging loose 😂)
Hey Justin, just thought that you would enjoy listening and watching to some Talk Talk live! Their phenomenal live at Montreux from 1986 is superb. Especially "Such a shame" and "It's my life". Really, the musicianship performed there is like no other I've experienced.
Haha! I love them SO MUCH! Their videos are so damn entertaining and always fantastic! Keep ‘em going, man! So awesome they’re from California. 🤘🏽🤩 *Ron has such an influence, Paul McCartney plays him in his “Coming Up” video. All of Paul’s favorite musicians “appear” in the clip.
Glad you're checking out Sparks, great band still successful today , you really should watch with lyrics they're incredible very witty, check out Something for the girl with everything and then from their recent album, When you leave.
@@silgen Yeah, THAT is scary today. Now the eighties is as far back, as the fourties is from the eighties... 40 years each way. We who were around 20 in the eighties, I mean, the eighties, how far back i that? Two years?🤔😱😖 You see what I'm trying to say, in the seventies it was only 30 years since it was a full war roaring. At least a half of living people had lived through that war, and had it in a very living memory. Chaplin or Hitler, it awaken those memories.
Yes. This was released in 74 so it would have been brand new to everyone. It did rock the boat a bit Ron remained impassive, but I did see him raise an eyebrow once. Best track they did in my opinion.
Glad you liked this Dude, I'm gonna recommend you take a look at the official video for "Beat the Clock" Not only is it a very catchy tune ( way ahead of it's time, thanks in no small part to Gorgio Moroder ) - but these two talented bros are doing what they do best.
I remember seeing them at the time on Top of the Pops in the UK. When they saw Ron Mael on the keyboards, about a millon kids in the UK all shouted, hey, mum, Hitler's in Top of the Pops!
im from uk and remember these guys well and were renowned for there live performances being spot on , , they are brothers i think i also see your a fan of XTC so am i have you heard there tune called" complicated game" ,much darker than what youve played of theres so far and also travels in nihilon , thanks for your channel alot of your tunes are in my list of faves thankyou .
Now you know where Freddy and Queen got their sound from, think Bohemian rhapsody. If you missed it... Disco.... In the background... No wonder the crowd looked stunned if they were expecting dance music.
Which leads me to think of how the song and album 'Music That You Can Dance To' came about. They had had a low period, their current label wanted something that was going to sell. Ron and Russell were told to make some "music you can dance to". Sparks don't follow the stream, they don't like to follow commands. But they also know when you need to compromise. So they wrote that title track... And yes, you can dance to it. That is a sample of Sparks's humor! The album wasn't a big hit, but that itself wasn't the reason they had a new label for the next album...
As I said in the video about the studio version, the first time I heard this back in 1974 I believed this was by Curved Air with the beautiful Sonja Kristina singing. I could not believe my eyes when I saw them on TV. Ron was just too far out to be believable. It's like a rock band picked up two weirdo aliens at the side of the road. Love the channel. Please keep going with perhaps a bit more Roy Harper or even Curved Air.
In 74, on hearing this on the radio for the first time that was my first reaction too! "Curved Air? New album coming?" Curved Air's 'Back Street Luv', 'Phantasmagoria', 'Marie Antoinette' or 'Metamorphosis' are worth checking out.
Check out Propaganda by them, when you feel like it of course! There's a nice one called At Home, At Work, At Play, but it's preluded by Propaganda, an 'a capella' lasting about 30 seconds...
And don't worry, the whole song isn't like the preludium! Just almost 😉 That was the first I ever heard of Sparks, fell in love five seconds into 'At Home, At Work, At Play', when I caught my breath again!
"Kimono My House" was the first Sparks album I ever bought, so this was the first Sparks song I ever heard. Great song. Ron is hilarious. If you thought this performance was funny you should check out their video for "All You Ever Think About is Sex (Official Video)" it's a classic!
Following your suggestion, I've just watched "All You Ever Think About is Sex (Official Video)". Nearly fell off my chair! The way Ron looks across to Russell at one point as if to say 'Is this in my contract?' is hilarious. And then later on he's hanging on to his keyboard fighting to stay upright! And did I detect a genuine laugh at one point? Thanks for the suggestion! Funniest thing I've seen in ages. JUSTIN! YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH IT!
Hi JP , i saw Sparks as a warm up act several times back then .They were always a lot of fun a & laughs Russell jumping around & Ron with that dead pan look of his face .I think there best album is Propaganda check it out sometime . They also just came out with a documentary film on them that looks interesting .
i have no patience to read through 123 comments (as of this writing) so, yes, this is a lip sync. you can tell by the fade-in. but, there are plenty of truly live clips and concert footage all over the youtube to enjoy. their presentation is something to behold too. oh, and the ron dance. (...and 'dick around'-album version)
Maybe not love at first listen but man I tell you.. Then more you listen to then better and it never gets old. And a Spliff Nina Hagen live reaction would be perfect like Bahnhof Zoo
We had seen lots of different bands in the UK when Sparks first came on the scene, amazing bands such as David Bowie, Roxy Music, and T. Rex. Pop bands usually wore lots of glitter, or dressed as fake 1950's Rock 'n' Roll Teddy boys. Their latter's music was very derivative and pretty dire. It was also the time of Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, ELP et al. We thought we'd seen and heard it all. Sparks were well received by all the camps. Their music was original, interesting, Russell could sing, the music was catchy and different and complex enough to please everyone - 'This town ain''t big enough' got to #2 in the singles chart. Ron's persona was a treat, and only grandmothers and uptight mums would screech 'he looks like Hitler', to the giggles of their children.
No 2 on the British charts is much different then No 2 on the American charts….they left America because quite frankly….the hitler look did not go over well with the KIDS….the parents had nothing to do with it…the KIDS were the ones who spent the money.
This band keeps growing on me. I don't think I have then in my library yet but I definitely have to add them. This would have been pretty edgy for 1974.
Definitely start with Kimono My House, Propaganda, and (my favorite) Indiscreet- the three albums they made with their English backing band. Those are widely considered their best albums, and for good reason. They were superstars in the UK at that point, and they were just riding high on a big wave of fame and creativity, which really worked in their favor.
They have made incredible good album since then too. I think it's mostly a matter of what music you grow up with, and your general taste. They have made 25 (or 26, depends on how you count) albums, no one copies another. You can find similarities between 'Kimono My House' and 'Propaganda'. The two albums previous them had some likeness too. Also some similarities between a couple of albums from the eighties, but no riding on the waves from the album before. Some "milestones": 'No.1 in Heaven', 1979 (recorded almost a year before release, literally too ahead of time, their label didn't know how to label the music, what was that music!? It was called synthesizers, produced by Giorgio Moroder.) 'Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins' 1994 (Despite what the Germans on the label thought, they had a mega hit in Germany, and did well in general.) 'Li'l Beethoven', 2002 (For the first time totally free from any limitations. And you can tell! A couple of songs that should've been super hits... But... You listen and see.) ('Hello Young Lovers', 2006, maybe not a wall breaker, but a damn good album!) 'Exotic Creatures of the Deep', 2008 (A fresher and more original development from 'Hello Young Lovers', more outside the box, so to speak. Don't misunderstand, I wrote DEVELOPMENT, not the same with a twist.) The release of that album was something only Sparks would do. They (IMAGINE preparations and rehearsal 😱) played every of their previous 20 albums and singles of the same era, plus some more, one at the time, 20 nights on the row, and presented "ECotD' the 21st night. Somewhere around 240-250 songs to learn for the band, rehearsal and for Russell to memorize the lyrics... OH BOY I wish I could go back in time, and have that ticket that covered all 21 nights!!! You can find a lot of it on YT, unfortunately no official recordings. SHOUT-OUT!! There is a guy who has made an ENORMOUS job on looking up the best of the best, and put together a video of each night. CUDOS! Just look for "Sparks Spectacular Live! 21 albums in 21 nights" or simply "Sparks 21x21". Then three very different projects that was a little surprising, but worth to check out. 2009 'The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman'. A radio musical, commissioned by the Swedish public radio. Predicts the music for the movie 'Annette', but was very special, and had a huge positive response. 2012 'Two Hands And One Mouth', only Ron and Russell went on a tour in Europe, where a live album was recorded, the same name as the tour. They followed up the tour in North America, 'The Revenge of Two Hands, One Mouth' tour. 2015 Collaboration with Franz Ferdinand, the album FFS (FranzFerdinandSparks) and a tour on both sides of the pond. It was meant to make a song or two. Ended up a 12 songs album (a later release has 16) and a tour. And they say "Collaborations Don't Work"? (Name of a track on the album.) 'Hippopotamus', 2017. "The comeback" some say, but Sparks were never gone. Not seen on the same spot at same time, that's all. Tellus is a large place to us humans. Brought Sparks back to the top 10 English list of sold albums (no. 7), success "everywhere". A bit back to their basics, "quirky" in a good way. And last but NOT least the latest (yes, they are working on another one): 'A Steady Drip Drip Drip', 2020. Awesome album. Due to the worldwide circumstances we hope the tour finally can be reality now! Check their website www allsparks. com for tour dates! Many have said they are an amazing live band. I have seen them once, and WOW 😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩! Get your tickets! Do I have? Oh yes. Stockholm and Copenhagen 😊 Always going ahead for new experiences, new sounds. Often ahead of time for most people. Hence the subtitle to the documentary "The Sparks Brothers, your favorite band's favorite band". A lot of musicians listened to them, but common people didn't "get" them. Now a repeated situation with the movie 'Annette', directed by Leos Carrax, music and original story by Sparks. People either love it or hate it. Just wait ten years... It will be a united hail, about the timelessness, the depth, THE MUSIC, everything.
Sparks was ahead of their time, and this song is strangely beautiful and extremely catchy to me, Its very glam/art rockey! One can hear Cardiacs was influenced by them.
This was the first time the UK had heard of Russell and Ron Mael, absolute legends..and you have to admire their longevity...yup, this was a performance on top of the studio version
The First Shot That Included Mr. Moustache Had His Head Tragically Tilted Or Rolled To The Side And The Obvious Realization By The Viewer Is That He Ain't Going To Look, Talk Or Reveal Who He Is To Anyone.
I've heard the studio audiences were under instructions to behave or get out. No moving round and bumping things the mikes might pick up. There was a lot of lip synching back then, so it's possible they just hammed it up (although at least some of the German music shows were recorded live - thinking of a Gentle Giant concert you'll have to watch one day that was shot live in Germany AFAIK.) For that aspect you'd have to find someone with "expert" knowledge (in that direction, anyway). Loved your reaction to Ron! He really is the greatest, isn't he? (And you'll be glad to know that he even often keeps in character right to this very day). They have a pertinent recent song with the lyric, "Put your effing iPhone down, and listen to me ..." that you might enjoy. Here's the lyrics video: ua-cam.com/video/ypXyxdVQj2w/v-deo.html (and then if you want to feature it on your channel one day you could look at the video they've made for this song, and check whether Ron really remains in character for that show.
In a completely different musical mood, the Markus Reuter band, *Anchor and Burden* has a new piece out: *Becoming the Sun* ua-cam.com/video/G6FpYyM0qKY/v-deo.html (Markus has been in Krimson ProjeKts, and was in Tony Levin's Stick Men, too. I think he may have featured in King Crimson at times, too, but can't recall properly. He'll be back with Devin Townsend when the big concerts get going again, I think, too. On his channel he does generally long format interviews - which I tend to watch in bits, since I seem to have lost my attention span over time. Great stuff. I think you'd find at least something of interest there.)
I think Musikladen ("Music Shop") did proper live shows. (And looking at the dubbed-looking shows featuring The Sweet it certainly was the case that at least sometimes the teenage girls who'd come to see the band either just ignored the rules about sitting still, or else were allowed to dance there.) Here's a live show featuring just the band and not the fans. *No You Don't* (have to be so bloody cool ... ) ua-cam.com/video/Ndnidos5HRU/v-deo.html
I've said it before, I'll say it again. *White Punks on Dope* (is much better than it might sound). I think the show was meant to be live, but everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and parts were recorded. Never mind that; it's the thought that counts. ua-cam.com/video/rs9wuaVV33I/v-deo.html
Ron was famous for his scowl to camera whenever they appeared on TV. Us kids used to think it was hilarious, especially with the 'tache being associated with a certain historical figure.
Probably overdubbed for the TV . But heard it live times many times on stage and they get it very close with additions now and then, an extra an extra verse added etc.. The studio audience at that place always reacted in a no reaction fashion :) to all the acts, as I think they were instructed to..
They co-wrote a lot the first years, until 'Indiscreet' I think. On the first two albums ('Halfnelson', self named, 1971, a year later both the band and album re-named 'Sparks', and 'A Woofer In A Tweeter's Clothing', 1972) the Mankey brothers and Harley Feinstein were involved in writing a couple of songs too. Russell also has only his name on six songs, 'Pineapple' ('Indiscreet', 1975) is probably the best known. A personal favorite of mine 😍😄. 'Roger' and 'Saccharin and the war' ('Halfnelson'/'Sparks', 1971), 'The Wedding of Jacqueline Kennedy to Russell Mael' ('Indiscreet', 1975, not really a song per se, but so silly and weird, it's hilarious!), 'Gone With the Wind' (written and recorded around 1974 - -75, I don't remember which, during the Island years anyway. I THINK it was a B-side for something, somewhere, but not sure. It was a bonus track on a 1994 re-release of 'Big Beat , and later on the '21st Century Edition' of the same album. I love that funny song 😆😍! It's in the same 1920 - -30-style as 'Here Comes Bob', which is a HILARIOUS song, by Ron AND Russell, 'Indiscreet', 1975,😂! Russell also wrote 'The Great Leap Forward', a B-side on the 1997 single 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us', Sparks vs. Faith No More, the 'Plagiarism' album. Only music, very East Asia inspired.)
@@joebeer2160 I heard 'Propaganda' the first time in December 1975, soon later 'Kimono'. LOVED THEM! As we know this was looooooong before the Internet so I totally missed 'Indiscreet', and when I heard 'Big Beat', I hated it. How they went under my radar for 40 years, I don't know (😳😖😫HIT ME!!) but rediscovered them when 'Hippopotamus' came out. I'm obsessed since 😂😂😂💖! And... 14 years old me has grown up, and consider 'Big Beat' a GREAT album 😆
Not live just lip syncing here but still great, and there are much better live videos of Ron, including one show where they are introduced by Keith Moon and Ringo Starr.
"Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" from the album Propaganda (also 1974). Gorgeous & haunting tune, everyone should go listen to it! On youtube there are multiple TV performances of it from this time (canned but worth it for the visual element, like the vid JP reacts to here), plus actual live clips from more recently. I saw them live this year & they played that one brilliantly as ever.
The guy on the keyboard always was like that. His brother is the singer. this was different for the time. Audiences were told not to react too much. Studios weren't so free and easy then.
Apparently John Lennon was shocked when he saw it, along the lines of 'Oh my god, they've got Hitler on Top Of The Pops, what the hell's happening in England?'
Both Ron and Russell are movie nerds, and both of them studied similar subjects on UCLA back in the time. Ron had a special penchant for old silent movies and considered his mustache "Chaplinesque", and thought it was obvious, together with his facial expressions and moves, or no moves 😂, on stage. Just look at him! When you know it, you see it! It's a caricature of a silent movie actor! Unfortunately not everyone got it, and when they were literally thrown out of a French TV studio, where they were supposed to be in a show because of that mustache, Ron had to rethink the matter. Since then he has worn a discrete pencil stache.
It’s incredible to me that no one ever spotted that Sparks had Hitler playing keyboards in this band ! It proves the conspiracy theorists right that the burnt out body found outside the bunker near the end of the war wasn’t Adolf so they were right all along ! He did escape and later got the keyboard gig with Sparks 👀 👍🏴
one of those odd tunes from an odd couple of performer that sticks in the mind, despite all the other, more superior music that has been absorbed over the years. A tune I sometimes spin on the vinyl decks too.
This was taken from the German TV show "Disco". Those kids were always sitting like they had been forced to be there ( I don't know : maybe they were). Probably it was an order by the director. I did not watch that show very often first of all because I did not like the presenter. He was somewhat like the favorite son-in-law of the people you would not want to have as parents-in-law and so was the behavior of the audience. Though from time to time there were some interesting acts like Golden Earring or Nazareth I avoided to watch the show. Sometimes the price for some things is too high.
Sparks + Rita Mitsouko ua-cam.com/video/DBBrRb7P9KQ/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/sqhEvPGdv4Q/v-deo.html by the way band : Niagara ua-cam.com/video/Fe8mocHKHnM/v-deo.html ua-cam.com/video/kmAHp645l4c/v-deo.html
Unfortunately this isn't a live performance. Disco was back in the 70's a playback TV show in Germany. And if I recall correctly, the singer ist the weird looking guy.
It's a catchy tune but Ron playing deadpan to the camera is Marmite un/funny. If they weren't miming it would be a rare thing on 70s TV - everything closely choreographed in rehearsal so that the director maximises the opportunities for televisual delight - Ron plays up to this by going for deadpan rather than 'acting up'. Other than Russ and Ron, the rest of the band don't look too worried about the sound they are producing. Watch The Beatles mime to Ticket To Ride ua-cam.com/video/SyNt5zm3U_M/v-deo.html or Daytripper ua-cam.com/video/DO6msI11PYo/v-deo.html for TV - they barely pretend to play; on Daytripper, cutting between two versions of staging, in one Ringo has drumsticks and tambourine, but no drums - at one point he produces a saw and attacks the set. Whether it was Sparks or The Beatles, these performances were much more memorable to an audience, and so likely to encourage sales.
Anyway the shows did their job; to present artists and music. By the way, Ron's acting on stage is exactly that. Together with the Chaplinesque (his own word) mustache the moves and facial expressions are like a silent movie actor would have done.
Noooo I'm thinking you got the audience mixed up. Most of the audience were doing the Ron (maybe instructed or fans I dunno) then there were a couple like that girl who couldn't help smile. Like they were in on a joke but couldn't help but laugh anyways.To make it look exact opposite to other bands live performances. Artistic choice. I might be wrong with the above but anyways Ron is a god, does an awesome bored af look whilst having a great time 😂
Oh, the joy of seeing somebody experiencing Ron for the first time and then remembering your own first time! He's great!
Whenever Sparks were on the TV in the UK, my brother and I would ONLY watch to see Ron on the keyboards. On one occasion, after a series of sinister expressions on close-up, he stared straight into the camera and gave a full-toothed smile. MY GOD THAT WAS SCARY! Forget the Daleks from Doctor Who, my brother and I didn't sleep that night...
I had a similar experience when seeing Kraftwerk on TV as an 8-year-old; They'd totally freaked me out 😬😅
I love how Ron is alternately somewhat bewildered and outright scornful at his own song. There are other videos where he starts out all stoic at the keyboard, then gets up, becomes almost cartoonishly animated out of nowhere for a minute--then sits back down and the mask resumes (some performances of No. 1 Song in Heaven, most notably). But yeah, he is truly the heart and soul of Sparks.
@@hammock879 Here's one from 2018 (I put the timestamp in the link for you) ua-cam.com/video/aa5xiQYwVBc/v-deo.html
Back in the day, every kid in the UK watched Top of the Pops on the BBC on a Thursday evening. The first time Sparks appeared on the show, on the Friday morning, in every schoolyard in the country, everybody had exactly the same reaction as you! Did you see that keyboard player on TOTP last night!!!??? Something like that happened maybe once a year. It made their career. People might not know their songs but everybody knew who they were.
An excellent summary. Alice Cooper’s snake
Alvin Stardust’s microphone technique
Noddy Holder & sideburns in a bubble on the screen
Dave Hill...
Sweet’s bassist’s vibrato
& many more?!
Oh how could i omit the Crazy Horses Donny Osmond synth pitch shifter scream throttle thing?
Unbelievable!
I’ve read different versions of this anecdote (this one’s from the Guardian), but it cracks me up: In 1974, John Lennon was startled as he was watching Top of the Pops. He rang Ringo Starr. “You won’t believe what’s on television,” he reportedly said. “Marc Bolan is playing a song with Adolf Hitler.”
It's quoted and so lovely animated (by Joseph Wallace who made the video for 'Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)') in the documentary 'The Sparks Brothers', but not claimed to be the exact truth.
But it's so crazy it could be true 😂
@@annabackman3028 - Possibly a tall tale but a great one all the same 😊
Top of the pops aired in the USA? Lennon was living in new york that year. Left England in 71 and never came back.
He always had the air of “I’m busy how dare you point a camera at me”, love that guy
JP, you should watch the recent documentary The Sparks Brothers, directed by Edgar Wright (the guy who made Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. the World). It takes you through their entire career, going back to childhood, and really shows how they’re just cool, down-to-earth, very nice guys who just happen to be rather eccentric. I was especially surprised when I found out that Ron does a good deal of the speaking in their interviews. I figured he’d be this silent oddball making weird stares at the camera the whole time, but his stage persona is not at all like his normal self.
And if you’re up for taking the plunge, they’re going on tour starting February 7th. My girlfriend and I are seeing them in March. I’ve never seen them before, but I did see them tour as part of FFS, a one-album band they did with Franz Ferdinand back in 2015. They put on one hell of a show- especially considering they’re both in their 70’s now. They’ve taken good care of themselves throughout the years, and Russell can still hit the high notes.
And these guys RARELY tour. This is a huge opportunity to see them!!!
Ron's blank expression on piano reminds me of Guitarist Billy Zoom from LA proto-punk band X, who'd smile unnervingly while playing.
With Prog keyboard players trying more and more to be flamboyant and outrageous (Wakeman, Emerson, Elton John even) this personality was perfectly judged and novel.These are two smart guys who wrote intelligent and fun music and worth your time!
On tv in the 70s bands weren’t allowed to do live performances that often, so this is a lip sync version. But there are live videos of them from the time that are stunning.
Ron has said that he was channeling Charlie Chaplin with his look. He looked even more outrageous before they became Sparks, when they were known as HalfNelson. Rundgren produced their first album.
Everyone thought they were British. Hell I did too till about five years ago.
Their music evolved so I hope you follow their hit songs over their many years.
Ron thought he looked like Chaplin.
He aimed for looking like a silent movie character. Such as Chaplin for instance.
He has told that he thought it was "Chaplinesque". Oh, Ron💖
BUT to his defense, the mustache was there long before he had that haircut and slick back. It had been there even before he let his hair grow long, as it looked around the two first albums.
My personal opinion is, cutting his hair was a very good idea... Have you (everyone who reads this) seen a picture, or a video ('Girl from Germany', definitely written to provoke, saying "That was then, now is now, we have to move on", a cool song, great lyrics, from the 'A Woofer in a Tweeter's Clothing')? I think many will agree, stache or not 😂
Haha, brilliant. So glad you watched this. One of my all time favourite performances by anyone xx
really glad you enjoyed this. Imagine how hilarious I found it in 1974 especially when Ron bore a passing resemblance in my 9 year old mind to my grandpa (no, he wasn't Hitler, just an old man with a 'tache) and yes Ron is totally playing up for the camera. Good times
Ron Mael. Imagine the culture shock us 70's kids had when he first stared at the camera. How did he mould our young maliable minds? Great times. :)
Later live videos show just a trio, Russ, Ron (on his Ronald (not Roland, no) keyboard), and Christi Haydon on drums. Quite striking, as usual, but still keeping that uniqueness they have. Good promo videos of theirs are "All you ever think about is sex", "When do I get to sing my way" and "Lawnmower" (which was released in 2021... yep, they're still going). They've also done a couple of collaborations... "Faith No More with Sparks - This Town" and FFS.. Franz Ferdinand and Sparks doing "This Town" (yeah, another one), "No 1 song" and "When do I get to sing my way".
Ron's also known to get up from the keyboard and dance.
Sparks are currently on a sell out tour. Check out the latest live versions of this song on youtube.... they've still got what it takes!
Show's over for this time after the last gigs in order: Oslo, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Tallinn, Riga, Vilnius.
(Today, May 10 posting a photo, eating ice cream in Paris 😂)
They have announced both a new album AND a new musical movie! Both in working progress, the album about finished 😊😍👍 Can't wait!
I saw the concerts in Stockholm (where the local arrangements had a lot more to be asked for. Due to the postponed schedule (pandemic) they had changed venues, so the tickets didn't match. Instead of having the new seats in the system (they have had a year to fix that!), so it automatically came up when the old ones were scanned, they had to look up YOUR NAME in a register, and from there have your new seats handwritten on a paper! Took half an eternity, and around a hundred people, or more, missed the first up to 5-6 songs! The magical feeling from a Sparks show never appeared. IF the guys had known the circumstances I'm pretty sure they had waited a little while, but perhaps it was too shameful to inform them?
However in Copenhagen, that was THE night! Both audience and band in the best mood, Russell moved to tears of the enthusiasm in the concert hall!
(The Danish Radio's Concert hall is not a typical rock concert place, they have all kinds of theater and music played there, but it's obviously built mainly for classical music.)
OH! They have a new musical called “Annette” on Netflix. :)
That's Ron for you, (nearly) always keeps a straight-face on stage. But listen to him being interviewed, or to most of his lyrics and he's one really funny guy. Glad you enjoyed the video. They may be brothers, but they're such a contrast on stage, Russell is so flamboyant, the natural showman, allowing Ron to just be Ron. Check out Paul McCartney's video for his 1980 number 1 hit single 'Coming Up' in which Paul parodies a host of famous musicians including Hank Marvin from the Shadows on guitar and Ron on keys!
On BBC Radio 1 back in ‘74 there was a show called My Top 12. Performers were invited to choose their 12 fave discs. Anyway, Ron and Russell chose the ‘facsimile’ version of This Town, from the cheapo album compilation series, either Top of the Pops or Hot Hits or whatever. Naturally it sounded nothing like them 🤣
@@mickcapewell6369 That's really funny! Typical of their sense of humour. My parents used to buy some of those Top of the Pops covers albums! They definitely sounded nothing like the originals!
Must be like the filled to the brim sound-a-like albums K-tel and Pickwick sold on TV in the states.
@@-davidolivares Exactly like that! We got the K-tel and Pickwick albums here too. They'd play them as piped music in supermarkets, etc, too - presumably because it was cheaper than playing the originals. You could *always* tell the difference!
This - your reaction - is joyous.
Saw them live in 82. They are still putting new stuff. Check out steady drip drip
And more is coming... A new album is practically finished, a new musical movie in progress.
Evening Justin. Dave from Beyond The Sea. Love your reaction when you first saw Ron! Takes me back, as that is exactly how my friends and I reacted when we first saw them on the UK's TV show Top of The Pops in 74. And when I saw them live about thirty years later (when they played the whole of Kimono My House and Lil' Beethoven), although he'd ditched the 'tache, his expression hadn't changed much! Oh, if you're good, he sometimes does his dance! P.S. My song ref Beyond The Sea is by Bobby Darin.
Perfect, this was *the* "This Town" performance to watch. West German TV audience, "subdued" was the norm - admittedly, watching a dude rock a Hitler 'stache onstage may have been weird. Cool that you're obsessed with "This Town" - that is the correct response. Do check out *Siouxsie & The Banshees'* 1987 cover - immaculate interpretation from an underrated covers album. And McCartney's Sparks parody in the "Coming Up" video. More early Sparks gems:
- "Arts & Crafts Spectacular"
- "(No More) Mr Nice Guys"
I love Through the the Looking Glass, certainly one of the best cover albums already made.
@João Inácio Right? Spot on. It's the Banshees album I return to most often. A beautiful work.
I watched the documentary about them on Netflix and I love their sound and the singer's voice. They influenced so many after them! Most of their lyrics are too crazy for me but they are sure super creative and talented! Love this song! Yeah, his brother on the keyboards...so funny! 😅 Didn't know about Sparks before your channel.
Hello Justin!
Ron is famous for his deadpan/creepy/vicious facial expressions. The Clip you showed is from a German TV-program called "Disco" (you can occasionally see the logo in the background), and it may be it is not really live but playback; unlike the predecessors "Beat-Club" and "Musikladen" that only had the bands playing live "Disco" used both formats.
there's a ton of proper live performances in recent years on YT, and they sound exactly the same, brilliant. Also they did a collaboration with Franz Ferdinand called FFS a few years ago which definitely worth looking into.
Collaborations don't work.
@@unkindestcut That one definitely did.
@@annabackman3028 ua-cam.com/video/tGAwp5syXyE/v-deo.html
The Netflix documentary is really well worth watching. I heard songs from their latter years that I never realized was them.
Amazing video JP! Keep up the fire content. Have an awesome day everyone!
That's Ron's signature...even in their official videos.
Evidently not a live recording, being a pop show mime to the released master but a good way to see the contrasting character of the two brothers. Paul McCartney later dressed up and acted as Ron Mael in one of his videos.
I think it was more usual to have the artists mime to the record recordings, OR to record the sound before the actual show.
Technology doesn't always work as attended today, much less back then, and having several artists, especially bands with many instruments too, was risky. However, sometimes they had the music recorded, and singing live.
All live shows, music or not was a little bit of a gamble, and the show hosts had to master improvising.
(On some videos, not particular Sparks, in general, you can see a cord here and there not connected to anything, just hanging loose 😂)
Listen a few times, you will become hooked on one of the greatest anthems of all time.
Hey Justin, just thought that you would enjoy listening and watching to some Talk Talk live! Their phenomenal live at Montreux from 1986 is superb. Especially "Such a shame" and "It's my life". Really, the musicianship performed there is like no other I've experienced.
Haha! I love them SO MUCH! Their videos are so damn entertaining and always fantastic!
Keep ‘em going, man! So awesome they’re from California. 🤘🏽🤩
*Ron has such an influence, Paul McCartney plays him in his “Coming Up” video. All of Paul’s favorite musicians “appear” in the clip.
Glad you're checking out Sparks, great band still successful today , you really should watch with lyrics they're incredible very witty, check out Something for the girl with everything and then from their recent album, When you leave.
I thiought you'd already reacted to this one. What a treat this song is. I actually remember it in the charts when I was about 7.... Yeah...I'm old.
Ron has a Fender Rhodes but the keyboard used on the record was an RMI Electrapiano.
Don't forget the private "Ronald" label 😂
This song blew me away when I first heard it in 1974. Ron Mael with the Hitler mustache creeped us all out but we loved it.
It creeped a few people out, including me. But then 1974 was closer to WWII than it is to now...
@@silgen Yeah, THAT is scary today.
Now the eighties is as far back, as the fourties is from the eighties... 40 years each way.
We who were around 20 in the eighties, I mean, the eighties, how far back i that? Two years?🤔😱😖
You see what I'm trying to say, in the seventies it was only 30 years since it was a full war roaring. At least a half of living people had lived through that war, and had it in a very living memory. Chaplin or Hitler, it awaken those memories.
Yes. This was released in 74 so it would have been brand new to everyone. It did rock the boat a bit Ron remained impassive, but I did see him raise an eyebrow once. Best track they did in my opinion.
Would love to hear you review their next album, Propaganda, it's even better than Kimono My House.
This track is a real one off, I loved it when it came out
Glad you liked this Dude, I'm gonna recommend you take a look at the official video for "Beat the Clock" Not only is it a very catchy tune ( way ahead of it's time, thanks in no small part to Gorgio Moroder ) - but these two talented bros are doing what they do best.
I remember seeing them at the time on Top of the Pops in the UK. When they saw Ron Mael on the keyboards, about a millon kids in the UK all shouted, hey, mum, Hitler's in Top of the Pops!
im from uk and remember these guys well and were renowned for there live performances being spot on , , they are brothers i think i also see your a fan of XTC so am i have you heard there tune called" complicated game" ,much darker than what youve played of theres so far and also travels in nihilon , thanks for your channel alot of your tunes are in my list of faves thankyou .
Complected Game is awesome! Nice choice. Yes please; I second the request.
To me, Travels In Nihilon is what The Overload is to Talking Head’s Remain In Light, a great dark ending to XTC’s Black Sea. Yes, please.
Now you know where Freddy and Queen got their sound from,
think Bohemian rhapsody.
If you missed it... Disco....
In the background...
No wonder the crowd looked stunned if they were expecting dance music.
Which leads me to think of how the song and album 'Music That You Can Dance To' came about.
They had had a low period, their current label wanted something that was going to sell.
Ron and Russell were told to make some "music you can dance to".
Sparks don't follow the stream, they don't like to follow commands.
But they also know when you need to compromise. So they wrote that title track... And yes, you can dance to it.
That is a sample of Sparks's humor!
The album wasn't a big hit, but that itself wasn't the reason they had a new label for the next album...
Sparks brings nice memories. 1974…
Sparks "Angst In My Pants" & "Eaten By The Monster Of Love"
Now you know why I ran out and bought this album the day after I saw them on late night TV! Ron is so deadpan funny while Russell is so frantic.
First appearance on UK TV, a big hit single here. Top 5, I think. One of a few US bands that were maybe bigger in Europe.
Sparks is as Sparks does. Don't we all NEED Sparks in our lives?
As I said in the video about the studio version, the first time I heard this back in 1974 I believed this was by Curved Air with the beautiful Sonja Kristina singing. I could not believe my eyes when I saw them on TV. Ron was just too far out to be believable. It's like a rock band picked up two weirdo aliens at the side of the road. Love the channel. Please keep going with perhaps a bit more Roy Harper or even Curved Air.
I second that emotion. Roy and Sonja.
Always thought they were more proggy . Back street luv etc all the violins etc... Great band though !
In 74, on hearing this on the radio for the first time that was my first reaction too! "Curved Air? New album coming?"
Curved Air's 'Back Street Luv', 'Phantasmagoria', 'Marie Antoinette' or 'Metamorphosis' are worth checking out.
Check out Propaganda by them, when you feel like it of course!
There's a nice one called At Home, At Work, At Play, but it's preluded by Propaganda, an 'a capella' lasting about 30 seconds...
And don't worry, the whole song isn't like the preludium! Just almost 😉
That was the first I ever heard of Sparks, fell in love five seconds into 'At Home, At Work, At Play', when I caught my breath again!
"Kimono My House" was the first Sparks album I ever bought, so this was the first Sparks song I ever heard. Great song. Ron is hilarious. If you thought this performance was funny you should check out their video for "All You Ever Think About is Sex (Official Video)" it's a classic!
Following your suggestion, I've just watched "All You Ever Think About is Sex (Official Video)". Nearly fell off my chair! The way Ron looks across to Russell at one point as if to say 'Is this in my contract?' is hilarious. And then later on he's hanging on to his keyboard fighting to stay upright! And did I detect a genuine laugh at one point? Thanks for the suggestion! Funniest thing I've seen in ages. JUSTIN! YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH IT!
Hi JP , i saw Sparks as a warm up act several times back then .They were always a lot of fun a & laughs Russell jumping around & Ron with that dead pan look of his face .I think there best album is Propaganda check it out sometime . They also just came out with a documentary film on them that looks interesting .
LOVE (I lived in England in the mid 70s, you cracked up the same way I did back in the day…)
I'm actually seeing them live in a couple months, super excited for Rons thrilling stage presence
This is a perfect video IMHO. For Ron's other antics try finding some American Bandstand videos. You won't regret it for long!
i have no patience to read through 123 comments (as of this writing) so, yes, this is a lip sync. you can tell by the fade-in. but, there are plenty of truly live clips and concert footage all over the youtube to enjoy. their presentation is something to behold too. oh, and the ron dance. (...and 'dick around'-album version)
Also, Russell was never a good lip syncer, often waving the mic all over the place 😂
Maybe not love at first listen but man I tell you.. Then more you listen to then better and it never gets old. And a Spliff Nina Hagen live reaction would be perfect like Bahnhof Zoo
We had seen lots of different bands in the UK when Sparks first came on the scene, amazing bands such as David Bowie, Roxy Music, and T. Rex. Pop bands usually wore lots of glitter, or dressed as fake 1950's Rock 'n' Roll Teddy boys. Their latter's music was very derivative and pretty dire. It was also the time of Genesis, Yes, Jethro Tull, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, ELP et al. We thought we'd seen and heard it all. Sparks were well received by all the camps. Their music was original, interesting, Russell could sing, the music was catchy and different and complex enough to please everyone - 'This town ain''t big enough' got to #2 in the singles chart. Ron's persona was a treat, and only grandmothers and uptight mums would screech 'he looks like Hitler', to the giggles of their children.
No 2 on the British charts is much different then No 2 on the American charts….they left America because quite frankly….the hitler look did not go over well with the KIDS….the parents had nothing to do with it…the KIDS were the ones who spent the money.
This band keeps growing on me. I don't think I have then in my library yet but I definitely have to add them. This would have been pretty edgy for 1974.
Definitely start with Kimono My House, Propaganda, and (my favorite) Indiscreet- the three albums they made with their English backing band. Those are widely considered their best albums, and for good reason. They were superstars in the UK at that point, and they were just riding high on a big wave of fame and creativity, which really worked in their favor.
They have made incredible good album since then too.
I think it's mostly a matter of what music you grow up with, and your general taste.
They have made 25 (or 26, depends on how you count) albums, no one copies another. You can find similarities between 'Kimono My House' and 'Propaganda'. The two albums previous them had some likeness too. Also some similarities between a couple of albums from the eighties, but no riding on the waves from the album before.
Some "milestones":
'No.1 in Heaven', 1979 (recorded almost a year before release, literally too ahead of time, their label didn't know how to label the music, what was that music!? It was called synthesizers, produced by Giorgio Moroder.)
'Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins' 1994 (Despite what the Germans on the label thought, they had a mega hit in Germany, and did well in general.)
'Li'l Beethoven', 2002 (For the first time totally free from any limitations. And you can tell! A couple of songs that should've been super hits... But... You listen and see.)
('Hello Young Lovers', 2006, maybe not a wall breaker, but a damn good album!)
'Exotic Creatures of the Deep', 2008 (A fresher and more original development from 'Hello Young Lovers', more outside the box, so to speak. Don't misunderstand, I wrote DEVELOPMENT, not the same with a twist.)
The release of that album was something only Sparks would do. They (IMAGINE preparations and rehearsal 😱) played every of their previous 20 albums and singles of the same era, plus some more, one at the time, 20 nights on the row, and presented "ECotD' the 21st night. Somewhere around 240-250 songs to learn for the band, rehearsal and for Russell to memorize the lyrics...
OH BOY I wish I could go back in time, and have that ticket that covered all 21 nights!!!
You can find a lot of it on YT, unfortunately no official recordings. SHOUT-OUT!! There is a guy who has made an ENORMOUS job on looking up the best of the best, and put together a video of each night. CUDOS!
Just look for "Sparks Spectacular Live! 21 albums in 21 nights" or simply "Sparks 21x21".
Then three very different projects that was a little surprising, but worth to check out.
2009 'The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman'. A radio musical, commissioned by the Swedish public radio. Predicts the music for the movie 'Annette', but was very special, and had a huge positive response.
2012 'Two Hands And One Mouth', only Ron and Russell went on a tour in Europe, where a live album was recorded, the same name as the tour.
They followed up the tour in North America, 'The Revenge of Two Hands, One Mouth' tour.
2015 Collaboration with Franz Ferdinand, the album FFS (FranzFerdinandSparks) and a tour on both sides of the pond. It was meant to make a song or two. Ended up a 12 songs album (a later release has 16) and a tour. And they say "Collaborations Don't Work"? (Name of a track on the album.)
'Hippopotamus', 2017. "The comeback" some say, but Sparks were never gone. Not seen on the same spot at same time, that's all. Tellus is a large place to us humans. Brought Sparks back to the top 10 English list of sold albums (no. 7), success "everywhere".
A bit back to their basics, "quirky" in a good way.
And last but NOT least the latest (yes, they are working on another one):
'A Steady Drip Drip Drip', 2020. Awesome album. Due to the worldwide circumstances we hope the tour finally can be reality now!
Check their website www allsparks. com for tour dates!
Many have said they are an amazing live band. I have seen them once, and WOW 😍🤩😍🤩😍🤩!
Get your tickets!
Do I have? Oh yes. Stockholm and Copenhagen 😊
Always going ahead for new experiences, new sounds. Often ahead of time for most people. Hence the subtitle to the documentary "The Sparks Brothers, your favorite band's favorite band". A lot of musicians listened to them, but common people didn't "get" them.
Now a repeated situation with the movie 'Annette', directed by Leos Carrax, music and original story by Sparks. People either love it or hate it.
Just wait ten years... It will be a united hail, about the timelessness, the depth, THE MUSIC, everything.
@@crescentfreshbret Kimono My House purchased today.
This is perfect!
Sparks was ahead of their time, and this song is strangely beautiful and extremely catchy to me, Its very glam/art rockey! One can hear Cardiacs was influenced by them.
I saw them 4 times back in the 70s. So much fun and how hot is Russell?
I saw them live at the Santa Monica Civic Center Wayback when
As a 10 yr old we were.... omg!
The key board guy was very scary . I love this group .
This was the first time the UK had heard of Russell and Ron Mael, absolute legends..and you have to admire their longevity...yup, this was a performance on top of the studio version
The First Shot That Included Mr. Moustache Had His Head Tragically Tilted Or Rolled To The Side And The Obvious Realization By The Viewer Is That He Ain't Going To Look, Talk Or Reveal Who He Is To Anyone.
I've heard the studio audiences were under instructions to behave or get out. No moving round and bumping things the mikes might pick up. There was a lot of lip synching back then, so it's possible they just hammed it up (although at least some of the German music shows were recorded live - thinking of a Gentle Giant concert you'll have to watch one day that was shot live in Germany AFAIK.) For that aspect you'd have to find someone with "expert" knowledge (in that direction, anyway).
Loved your reaction to Ron! He really is the greatest, isn't he? (And you'll be glad to know that he even often keeps in character right to this very day). They have a pertinent recent song with the lyric, "Put your effing iPhone down, and listen to me ..." that you might enjoy. Here's the lyrics video: ua-cam.com/video/ypXyxdVQj2w/v-deo.html (and then if you want to feature it on your channel one day you could look at the video they've made for this song, and check whether Ron really remains in character for that show.
In a completely different musical mood, the Markus Reuter band, *Anchor and Burden* has a new piece out: *Becoming the Sun* ua-cam.com/video/G6FpYyM0qKY/v-deo.html
(Markus has been in Krimson ProjeKts, and was in Tony Levin's Stick Men, too. I think he may have featured in King Crimson at times, too, but can't recall properly. He'll be back with Devin Townsend when the big concerts get going again, I think, too.
On his channel he does generally long format interviews - which I tend to watch in bits, since I seem to have lost my attention span over time. Great stuff. I think you'd find at least something of interest there.)
I think Musikladen ("Music Shop") did proper live shows. (And looking at the dubbed-looking shows featuring The Sweet it certainly was the case that at least sometimes the teenage girls who'd come to see the band either just ignored the rules about sitting still, or else were allowed to dance there.) Here's a live show featuring just the band and not the fans. *No You Don't* (have to be so bloody cool ... ) ua-cam.com/video/Ndnidos5HRU/v-deo.html
I've said it before, I'll say it again. *White Punks on Dope* (is much better than it might sound). I think the show was meant to be live, but everything that could go wrong did go wrong, and parts were recorded. Never mind that; it's the thought that counts. ua-cam.com/video/rs9wuaVV33I/v-deo.html
Sparks have been a band where many times I've thought l must buy one of their albums. 50 years later....... 🙄
You have a lot of shopping to do!
Ron was famous for his scowl to camera whenever they appeared on TV. Us kids used to think it was hilarious, especially with the 'tache being associated with a certain historical figure.
It was meant to be another historical, but nice, cultural figure; Charlie Chaplin.
Probably overdubbed for the TV . But heard it live times many times on stage and they get it very close with additions now and then, an extra an extra verse added etc.. The studio audience at that place always reacted in a no reaction fashion :) to all the acts, as I think they were instructed to..
My favorite reviewer
Thats very kind of you 🙃
He's the dude who writes the song...and...that's the idea
German TV audiences. ...mimend😂
They co-wrote a lot the first years, until 'Indiscreet' I think. On the first two albums ('Halfnelson', self named, 1971, a year later both the band and album re-named 'Sparks', and 'A Woofer In A Tweeter's Clothing', 1972) the Mankey brothers and Harley Feinstein were involved in writing a couple of songs too.
Russell also has only his name on six songs, 'Pineapple' ('Indiscreet', 1975) is probably the best known. A personal favorite of mine 😍😄.
'Roger' and 'Saccharin and the war' ('Halfnelson'/'Sparks', 1971), 'The Wedding of Jacqueline Kennedy to Russell Mael' ('Indiscreet', 1975, not really a song per se, but so silly and weird, it's hilarious!), 'Gone With the Wind' (written and recorded around 1974 - -75, I don't remember which, during the Island years anyway. I THINK it was a B-side for something, somewhere, but not sure. It was a bonus track on a 1994 re-release of 'Big Beat , and later on the '21st Century Edition' of the same album. I love that funny song 😆😍! It's in the same 1920 - -30-style as 'Here Comes Bob', which is a HILARIOUS song, by Ron AND Russell, 'Indiscreet', 1975,😂!
Russell also wrote 'The Great Leap Forward', a B-side on the 1997 single 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us', Sparks vs. Faith No More, the 'Plagiarism' album. Only music, very East Asia inspired.)
@@annabackman3028 good remembering...I've been a fan since Woofers and met their Ma a couple of times in LA. Love the guys.
@@joebeer2160 I heard 'Propaganda' the first time in December 1975, soon later 'Kimono'. LOVED THEM! As we know this was looooooong before the Internet so I totally missed 'Indiscreet', and when I heard 'Big Beat', I hated it. How they went under my radar for 40 years, I don't know (😳😖😫HIT ME!!) but rediscovered them when 'Hippopotamus' came out. I'm obsessed since 😂😂😂💖!
And... 14 years old me has grown up, and consider 'Big Beat' a GREAT album 😆
subdued TV audiences were the norm back then, usually to do with non interference with tracking cameras.
My dad shouted "Hey Hitlers on the telly" 😂 fantastic song
Not live just lip syncing here but still great, and there are much better live videos of Ron, including one show where they are introduced by Keith Moon and Ringo Starr.
The audience all seem to be doing Ron impressions.
Trying to think of the song they did that had ' Mother Earth ' in the title. I could be incorrect.
"Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" from the album Propaganda (also 1974).
Gorgeous & haunting tune, everyone should go listen to it! On youtube there are multiple TV performances of it from this time (canned but worth it for the visual element, like the vid JP reacts to here), plus actual live clips from more recently. I saw them live this year & they played that one brilliantly as ever.
Funniest thing about this video is that it's a German audience looking at a guy with a Hitler moustache. They were not amused 🤣🤣🤣
If you want to see a genuine live version of Sparks playing "This town ain't big enough", it's here: ua-cam.com/video/PH701AgXKEg/v-deo.html
"So Stoic" is his rap name
Love your Sparks reactions, Please Justin do review Propaganda their next album after Kimono, it's just as good or maybe even better.
As regards 1970's W. German tv audiences I recommend you watch/show UFO performing Rock Bottom from1973(I think).
The guy on the keyboard always was like that. His brother is the singer. this was different for the time. Audiences were told not to react too much. Studios weren't so free and easy then.
you can clean your house really fast if you put Kimono My House on.....full blast.....
Queen and sparks were the first 2 groups I've been following since 1974
Apparently John Lennon was shocked when he saw it, along the lines of 'Oh my god, they've got Hitler on Top Of The Pops, what the hell's happening in England?'
Ron’s stare and that Hitler mustache is INSANE.
It really is😂
Both Ron and Russell are movie nerds, and both of them studied similar subjects on UCLA back in the time.
Ron had a special penchant for old silent movies and considered his mustache "Chaplinesque", and thought it was obvious, together with his facial expressions and moves, or no moves 😂, on stage. Just look at him! When you know it, you see it! It's a caricature of a silent movie actor!
Unfortunately not everyone got it, and when they were literally thrown out of a French TV studio, where they were supposed to be in a show because of that mustache, Ron had to rethink the matter. Since then he has worn a discrete pencil stache.
It’s incredible to me that no one ever spotted that Sparks had Hitler playing keyboards in this band ! It proves the conspiracy theorists right that the burnt out body found outside the bunker near the end of the war wasn’t Adolf so they were right all along ! He did escape and later got the keyboard gig with Sparks 👀
👍🏴
one of those odd tunes from an odd couple of performer that sticks in the mind, despite all the other, more superior music that has been absorbed over the years. A tune I sometimes spin on the vinyl decks too.
It's not quite live ... it's lip synced. The audio is from the original recording. But it's very cool anyway!
The first time they were on British TV John Lenon called McCartney and said " Adolf Hitler is playing piano for Marc Bolan on the telly."
Audience MIght Have Been Coached Prior To Taping That The Artistic Intention Of The Dissociative Properties Of The Song Should Be Through And Through.
This was taken from the German TV show "Disco". Those kids were always sitting like they had been forced to be there ( I don't know : maybe they were). Probably it was an order by the director. I did not watch that show very often first of all because I did not like the presenter. He was somewhat like the favorite son-in-law of the people you would not want to have as parents-in-law and so was the behavior of the audience.
Though from time to time there were some interesting acts like Golden Earring or Nazareth I avoided to watch the show. Sometimes the price for some things is too high.
Sparks + Rita Mitsouko ua-cam.com/video/DBBrRb7P9KQ/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/sqhEvPGdv4Q/v-deo.html
by the way band : Niagara ua-cam.com/video/Fe8mocHKHnM/v-deo.html
ua-cam.com/video/kmAHp645l4c/v-deo.html
Unfortunately this isn't a live performance. Disco was back in the 70's a playback TV show in Germany. And if I recall correctly, the singer ist the weird looking guy.
Keyboard player freaked me out a bit when I was a kid.
It's a catchy tune but Ron playing deadpan to the camera is Marmite un/funny. If they weren't miming it would be a rare thing on 70s TV - everything closely choreographed in rehearsal so that the director maximises the opportunities for televisual delight - Ron plays up to this by going for deadpan rather than 'acting up'. Other than Russ and Ron, the rest of the band don't look too worried about the sound they are producing.
Watch The Beatles mime to Ticket To Ride ua-cam.com/video/SyNt5zm3U_M/v-deo.html or Daytripper ua-cam.com/video/DO6msI11PYo/v-deo.html for TV - they barely pretend to play; on Daytripper, cutting between two versions of staging, in one Ringo has drumsticks and tambourine, but no drums - at one point he produces a saw and attacks the set.
Whether it was Sparks or The Beatles, these performances were much more memorable to an audience, and so likely to encourage sales.
Anyway the shows did their job; to present artists and music.
By the way, Ron's acting on stage is exactly that. Together with the Chaplinesque (his own word) mustache the moves and facial expressions are like a silent movie actor would have done.
Noooo I'm thinking you got the audience mixed up. Most of the audience were doing the Ron (maybe instructed or fans I dunno) then there were a couple like that girl who couldn't help smile. Like they were in on a joke but couldn't help but laugh anyways.To make it look exact opposite to other bands live performances. Artistic choice.
I might be wrong with the above but anyways Ron is a god, does an awesome bored af look whilst having a great time 😂
There's some top Ron action in this: ua-cam.com/video/OKUJpjh34C4/v-deo.html
Really live as well (no This Town, though).