Episodes
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Part 2 of our 3-parter on Sparks' 1983 LP In Outer Space! We get through the rest of side A! Plus, a brief history of the Linn Drum! Lucky me, lucky you!
Monte's Sparks-themed YouTube channel at: Monte Mallin - YouTube
And Paul Barrett's MetaSparks at: MetaSparks - YouTube
Drop me a line at [email protected]
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Monte Mallin and I take the wayback machine to 1983, when Sparks were kings of the mountain - the Magic Mountain. In Outer Space was Sparks' 12th LP, and was released when the group was white-hot, at least in Los Angeles! This episode focuses mostly on the smash single "Cool Places," a duet with Go-Go Jane Wiedlin. So, sit back and let the soothing strains of the Linn Drum lull you to a state of bliss. This is "All You Ever Think About Is Sparks!"
Monte's Sparks-themed YouTube channel at: Monte Mallin - YouTube
And Paul Barrett's MetaSparks at: MetaSparks - YouTube
Drop me a line at [email protected]
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Missing episodes?
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Record Store Day 2024 special! Monte Mallin is onboard with me again, and joining us is Sparks megafan - and sometimes DJ - Ad Rebirth. Ad joins us from Leeds, UK and arrives armed with thoughtful insights into the two Sparks vinyl re-releases for RSD '24: Number One in Heaven and Noël: Is There More to Life Than Dancing?, both originally released in 1979.
Lots of great Sparks-related fan material to cross-promote on this momentous day! Monte's Sparks: Entertainment and Art, Paul Barrett's MetaSparks, and Larry Graves' Canadian Studmuffin channel all have RSD-themed episodes out this week (Monte and I make appearances on the Larry Graves' one, too).
Drop me a line at [email protected]
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John Ashdown and I put a bow on the Telex album Sex. Well, sort of. Most of the world got the single disc version that was released in 1981, but the UK had a double album bestowed upon them when the record finally reached that country in 1982. We just didn't possess the ambition to tackle nearly 20 songs, but we did pay lip service two a couple of choice tracks from the expanded British version.
Check out John's own sparkling grooves with his electronic dance music outfit Christ on a Bike, right here: christonabike.net
You can always drop me a line at: [email protected]
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I wasn't sure if I was ever going to really delve into this one, but here you go! This will be another two-parter. Telex was a Belgian technopop group active from 1978 to 1988. They made the acquaintance of Ron and Russell Mael in 1979, through a mutual collaborator, the 18-year-old French pop singer Lio. Ron and Marc Moulin, in particular, struck up a lifelong friendship. But where the 1981 album Sex (hilariously neutered with the title Birds and Bees in the UK one year later) enters the Sparks canon is in that album's lyrics. Telex wanted to crack the Anglophone market with their third album, and enlisted Ron Mael to write the words. Songs like "Brainwashed," "Drama Drama," and "Haven't We Met Somewhere Before," sparkle with crystalline synth lines and disco grooves. And they really could pass for Sparks songs of the era.
I'm joined by John Ashdown, zooming in from London, on this one, and I can't thank him enough for his time and for sharing his insights. John himself produces electronic dance music under the name Christ on a Bike, and I strongly encourage you to check it out here: christonabike.net
You can always drop me a line at: [email protected]
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Thom Chiki is SO DEVO. SO DEVO, that without Thom there would be no DEVOtional convention in Columbus, Ohio. Also a big Sparks fan, personal friend of DEVO and Sparks drummer David Kendrick, and an all-around awesome person. Check out Thom's videos here: Thom CD-ROM - YouTube
You can write to me (as always) at [email protected]
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Wrapping up 2023 (belatedly) with two great interviews from Sparks fans. This one is from Timothy Hall in Cardiff, Wales. He runs Daytrip Records in the UK! Go check it out!
Write to us at [email protected]
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At long last! Monte and Christian wrap up their inexhaustible discussion about Sparks' 1982 landmark LP. Plus, a doff of the cap to Los Angeles' KROQ, the radio station that helped introduce a whole new generation of punk and new wave fans to Ron and Russell's 80s incarnation.
I've been cleaning house, in terms of shoring up unused material for this podcast so that it might see the light of day. That means I have a couple of episodes I'm working to get out by year's end. Ready to start 2024 afresh, and really looking forward to delving into Sparks' self-produced era, starting with 1983's Linn-drummy Sparks in Outer Space.
Don't sleep on Monte's Sparks-themed YouTube channel at: Monte Mallin - YouTube
And Paul Barrett's MetaSparks at: MetaSparks - YouTube
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More from Monte and Christian about Spark's 1982 party-starter Angst In My Pants! Plus, a short history lesson on the man behind Ron's original "Ronald" synth.
Monte Mallin has a brand-spankin' new YouTube series about Sparks! Check it out! Link below.
Feel free to drop me a line at [email protected] or Facebook
Links:Ikutaro Kakehashi | NAMM.org
Sparks - Entertainment and Art! Episode One - YouTube
MetaSparks - YouTube
Sparks Talk (sparkstalkbypenny.blogspot.com)
Roland - JUPITER-8 | Software Synthesizer
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Monte Mallin and I continue our dive into the effervescent waters of Angst In My Pants and the E.T.-induced wonder of 1982. Here, we wrap up side one!
Email me if you want at [email protected]
...and remember to check out Monte's podcast So Important, as well as his Sparks blog at: So Important: The Interview Podcast! | a podcast by Monte Mallin (podbean.com)
AND:Monte's One Stop Blog!: Revisiting Kimono My House! (Spoiler: It's Still Great) (montesnewblog.blogspot.com)
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Angst in my Pants is one of the greatest albums ever made!
Now that that's out of the way, on this, our 35th episode, Christian spends a conspicuous amount of time comparing classic TV comedy Taxi to Sparks and vice versa, by way of Danny DeVito (briefly) sharing a stage with the Mael Bros. and company on a 1982 episode of Saturday Night Live.
After that, Christian and Monte Mallin can barely contain their own angst over Sparks' 1982 release being just. that. good. It's a lot of great chatter, but alas, they only get to the first two songs on side one, after spending the lion's share of their time gushing like smitten schoolgirls, and in Monte's case, sharing some very cool personal Sparks stories.
But have no fear! There's a LOT more convo to share from that session, and it'll hit your eardrums soon enough!
Email me if you want at [email protected]
and remember to check out Monte's podcast So Important, as well as his Sparks blog at: So Important: The Interview Podcast! | a podcast by Monte Mallin (podbean.com)
SOURCES FOR THIS EPISODE (in addition to the usual):
'Taxi's' Last Stand - The Washington Post
The Life of a Night Driver in the Dover Taxi Fleet -- New York Magazine - Nymag
SNL Transcripts: Danny DeVito: 05/15/82 - SNL Transcripts Tonight (jt.org)
Sparks | Concerts Wiki | Fandom
'TAXI,' DROPPED BY ABC, PICKED UP BY NBC - The New York Times (nytimes.com)
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PART TWO OF TWO!
FOUR - count 'em - FOUR Sparks fans join me for a track-by-track look under the hood of Sparks' latest album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.
Monte Mallin returns, along with Paul Barrett, Penny Brown, and Jo Sieger! That's a lot of Sparks galaxy brain for a single sitting. So much, in fact, that we did what we often do: chop it in half and save the rest for later. And later is now!
You won't hear the songs in their entireties here, so if you really want to "play along" at home, GO BUY THE ALBUM!
OUR LINKS:
So Important: The Interview Podcast! | a podcast by Monte Mallin (podbean.com)
Home | One for the ages (sparks-onefortheages.com)
MetaSparks - YouTube
sparkstalkbypenny.blogspot.com
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FOUR - count 'em - FOUR Sparks fans join me for a track-by-track look under the hood of Sparks' latest album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.
Monte Mallin returns, along with Paul Barrett, Penny Brown, and Jo Sieger! That's a lot of Sparks galaxy brain for a single sitting. So much, in fact, that we did what we often do: chop it in half and save the rest for later.
You won't hear the songs in their entireties here, so if you really want to "play along" at home, GO BUY THE ALBUM!
OUR LINKS:
So Important: The Interview Podcast! | a podcast by Monte Mallin (podbean.com)
Home | One for the ages (sparks-onefortheages.com)
MetaSparks - YouTube
sparkstalkbypenny.blogspot.com
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Monte and Christian sit for a lengthy (and stimulating!) chat with Sparks superfan and author of the insightful blog One For the Ages (www.sparks-onefortheages.com) Paul Barrett.
We discuss some of his fascinating meta-analyses of Sparks' lyrics, as well as geek out as all proud Sparks fans do, and (checks watch) *just in time* for the release of new LP The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte. Can't wait to have you back, Paul!
Don't forget Monte's excellent podcast So Important!
Drop me a line if you wanna!
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Christian and Monte wax philosophical about talking hippos, gastric distress and getting kicked in the bonbons. Plus! What is this salt discharge in my latte?
We wrap up Whomp That Sucker, the first of the twin quasars of Reinhold Mack-produced Sparks rock albums, recorded yet again at Giorgio's Musicland Studios in Munich.
Check us out on Larry Graves' YouTube channel discussing (gasp) Sparks!
Don't forget Monte's podcast So Important!
Drop me a line if you wanna!
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He started out a middle class kid from Oregon who grumbled about taking his piano lessons. But by the time he was thirty, Jim Goodwin had worked with the likes of Sparks, John Cale, Simple Minds, Bono, Peter Gabriel and other luminaries.
Jim was exceedingly generous with his time when chatting with myself and Monte Mallin. He's had a hell of a career, and I, for one, enjoyed geeking out with him over vintage synths.
One-time keyboardist for Sparks, Gleaming Spires, The Call, and John Cale on tour, here's Jim Goodwin!
--Christian
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Ron and Russ were dying for some decent espresso and pastries. Voila, they found their newest muses at the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles.
The Maels teamed up with a talented band by the name (at that time) of The Bates Motel, and with the assistance of uber-producer Reinhold Mack, they found a new lease on life. Here's the first half of Whomp That Sucker, as discussed by myself and Monte Mallin.
Stay tuned! We have a wonderful interview with keyboardist Jim Goodwin coming up!
podbean.com/sparkspodcast.com
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Terminal Jive had the misfortune of following up No. 1 in Heaven, which enjoys legendary status today. It also had the misfortune of Ron and Russ's original slate of songs being defenestrated outright by Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer.
What we have instead is seven-and-a-half songs (you'll figure out what I mean) written by committee - the lead single being a crucial exception.
Terminal Jive was written and recorded in a hurry, but it doesn't mean there isn't a lot to enjoy here. Faltermeyer, along with W. Snuffy Walden and a coterie of studio cats, work to fashion a sound that was new and vibrant and fresh. You know the gated drum sounds of the 80s? It's here already. The synths are a generation newer than the Moog on N1iH, and Walden's guitar is pure new wave angular punchiness. Oh - and several songs on here are actually damn good.
I begin the episode eulogizing Marc Moulin of Telex, whom Ron called his "best friend since 1979." Then Monte and I begin our Jive to see if it truly is Terminal.
You can email me (Christian) at [email protected]
important links: Marc Moulin - Official Website
FanMael https://www.sparks-onefortheages.com
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Hey, Sparkskateers. This episode is entirely about the Mael-produced album by Noel: Is There More to Life Than Dancing. I'm chatting with Monte Mallin on this one, and then another conversation with Jim Wellen.
This is an interesting, and fun(!) Sparks-adjacent album (Jim asserts it's a true Sparks album)!
Stick around for next time, when we get into Terminal Jive, from 1980!
https://postpunkmonk.com/2021/07/20/record-review-noel-dancing-is-dangerous-us-7/http://discodelivery.blogspot.com/2006/10/disco-delivery-27-noel-is-there-more.html
https://cherryaudio.com/news/the-syndrum-saga
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I wrap up discussion of side 2 of Number One in Heaven, with the help of my friend Monte Mallin in this ep. We also discussed the Sparks side project for Noël, but I'm saving that for the next episode. To paraphrase DJ Steve Dahl, this one's gonna blow up reeeeeal good.
sources:
https://wgntv.com/news/wgn-news-now/disco-demolition-night-how-an-anti-disco-baseball-night-led-to-a-riot-in-comiskey-park/
https://www.wbur.org/onlyagame/2019/07/12/disco-demolition-dahl-veeck-chicago-white-sox
https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=paul+barrett+one+for+the+ages
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=7n515ucve20C&pg=GBS.PT214.w.2.0.0_205
https://www.amazon.com/No-1-Songs-Heaven-Sparks/dp/1901447464
https://www.fanmael.nl/
Also, check out Monte's podcast So Important!: https://soimportant.podbean.com/
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