Sparks discography
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Releases | ||
|---|---|---|
| ↙Studio albums | 22 | |
| ↙Compilation albums | 12 | |
| ↙Singles | 49 | |
| ↙Video albums | 4 | |
| ↙Music videos | 24 | |
The following is a comprehensive discography of Sparks, an American rock and pop music band formed in Los Angeles in 1970 by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals), initially under the name Halfnelson. Best known for their quirky approach to song writing,[1] Sparks' music is often accompanied by cutting and acerbic lyrics,[2] and an idiosyncratic stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell's wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's sedentary scowling.[3]
Contents |
[edit] Albums
[edit] Studio albums
| Year | Album details | Chart positions | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| US [4] |
GER [5] |
SWE [6] |
UK [7][8] |
|||
| 1968 | A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1971 | Halfnelson (as Halfnelson)
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1972 | Sparks (as Sparks) (Reissue of Halfnelson)
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1973 | A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1974 | Kimono My House
|
101 | – | – | 4 | |
Propaganda
|
63 | 49 | 50 | 9 | ||
| 1975 | Indiscreet
|
169 | – | 6 | 18 | |
| 1976 | Big Beat
|
– | – | 24 | – | |
| 1977 | Introducing Sparks
|
– | – | 41 | – | |
| 1979 | No. 1 In Heaven
|
204 | – | 43 | 73 | |
| 1980 | Terminal Jive
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1981 | Whomp That Sucker
|
182 | – | – | – | |
| 1982 | Angst in My Pants
|
173 | – | – | – | |
| 1983 | In Outer Space
|
88 | – | – | – | |
| 1984 | Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat
|
202 | – | – | – | |
| 1986 | Music That You Can Dance To
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1988 | Interior Design
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 1994 | Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
|
– | 29 | – | 150 | |
| 1997 | Plagiarism
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 2000 | Balls
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 2002 | Lil' Beethoven
|
– | – | – | – | |
| 2006 | Hello Young Lovers
|
– | – | 48 | 66 | |
| 2008 | Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
|
– | – | – | 54 | |
| 2009 | The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman
|
– | – | – | – | |
[edit] Compilation albums
- 2 Originals of Sparks (1975, Bearsville) - Double LP set consisting of Halfnelson and A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
- The Best of Sparks (1979, Island Records)
- The History of the Sparks (1981, Carrere)
- Mael Intuition (The Best of the Sparks 1974-76) (1990, Island)
- Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection (1991, Rhino)
- The Heaven Collection (1993, Underdog/Sony France)
- The Hell Collection (1993, Underdog/Sony France)
- In the Swing (1993, Spectrum/Karussell)
- The 12 Inch Mixes (1996, Kiosk)
- 12" Mixes (1999, Oglio Records)
- The Best of Sparks (2000, Repertoire Records)
- This Album's Big Enough... The Best of Sparks (2002, Music Club)
[edit] Singles
| Year | Title | Album |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | "Wonder Girl" | Sparks |
| 1972 | "Girl from Germany" | A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing |
| 1974 | "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (UK #2) | Kimono My House |
| "Amateur Hour" (UK #7) | ||
| "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" (UK #13) | Propaganda | |
| 1975 | "Something for the Girl with Everything" (UK #17) | |
| "Get in the Swing" (UK #27) | Indiscreet | |
| "Looks, Looks, Looks" (UK #26) | ||
| 1976 | "Big Boy" | Big Beat |
| "I Like Girls" | ||
| "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | — | |
| 1977 | "A Big Surprise" | Introducing Sparks |
| 1979 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" (UK #14) | No. 1 In Heaven |
| "Beat the Clock" (UK #10) | ||
| "Tryouts for the Human Race" (UK #45) | ||
| "La Dolce Vita" | ||
| 1980 | "When I'm With You" | Terminal Jive |
| "Young Girls" | ||
| 1981 | "Tips for Teens" | Whomp That Sucker |
| "Funny Face" | ||
| 1982 | "I Predict" | Angst in My Pants |
| 1983 | "Get Crazy" | — |
| "Modesty Plays" | — | |
| "Cool Places" | In Outer Space | |
| "All You Ever Think About is Sex" | ||
| 1984 | "With All My Might" | Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat |
| "Pretending to be Drunk" | ||
| "Progress" | ||
| 1985 | "Change" | — |
| 1986 | "Music that You Can Dance To" | Music That You Can Dance To |
| "Fingertips" | ||
| 1987 | "Rosebud" | |
| 1988 | "So Important" | Interior Design |
| 1989 | "Just Got Back from Heaven" | |
| "Singing in the Shower" (Les Rita Mitsouko and Sparks) | Marc et Robert | |
| 1993 | "National Crime Awareness Week" | — |
| 1994 | "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" (UK #32) | Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins |
| 1995 | "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)" (UK #36) | |
| 1996 | "Now that I Own the BBC" (UK #60) | |
| 1997 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" (UK #70) | Plagiarism |
| "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (UK #40) | ||
| 1999 | "More than A Sex Machine" | Balls |
| 2000 | "The Calm Before the Storm" | |
| "The Angels" | ||
| 2003 | "Suburban Homeboy" | Lil' Beethoven |
| 2006 | "Perfume" | Hello Young Lovers |
| "Dick Around" / "Waterproof" | ||
| 2008 | "Good Morning" | Exotic Creatures of the Deep |
| 2009 | "Lighten Up, Morrissey" | |
| 2009 | "I Can't Believe That You Would Fall for All the Crap in This Song" |
[edit] Chart singles
| Year | Single | Chart positions | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. Hot 100 [12] |
U.S. Dance Play [12][13] |
AUS | DEU [14] |
FR [14] |
IRL [15] |
NL [16] |
SWI [17] |
U.K. [7][8] |
||
| 1972 | "Wonder Girl" | 112 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1974 | "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" | – | – | – | 12 | – | – | 4 | 7 | 2 |
| "Amateur Hour" | – | – | – | 12 | – | 19 | 6 | – | 7 | |
| "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" | – | – | – | 40 | – | – | – | – | 13 | |
| 1975 | "Something for the Girl with Everything" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 17 |
| "Get in the Swing" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 27 | |
| "Looks, Looks, Looks" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 26 | |
| 1979 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" | – | – | – | – | – | 5 | – | – | 14 |
| "Beat the Clock" | – | – | – | – | – | – | 16 | – | 10 | |
| "Tryouts for the Human Race" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 45 | |
| 1980 | "When I'm With You" | – | – | 14 | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| 1982 | "I Predict" | 60 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1983 | "Cool Places" (with Jane Wiedlin) |
49 | 13 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1984 | "With All My Might" | 104 | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1985 | "Change" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 85 |
| 1986 | "Music that You Can Dance To" | – | 6 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| "Fingertips" / "The Scene" | – | 38 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | |
| 1988 | "So Important" | – | 8 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 1989 | "Just Got Back from Heaven" | – | 7 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| "Singing in the Shower" (Les Rita Mitsouko and Sparks) |
– | 24 | – | – | 37 | – | – | – | – | |
| 1994 | "When Do I Get to Sing "My Way"" | – | 9 | – | 7 | – | – | 35 | 22 | 38 |
| 1995 | "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)" | – | 24 | – | 61 | – | – | – | – | 36 |
| "When Do I Get to Sing "My Way"" (re-issue) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 32 | |
| 1996 | "Now That I Own the BBC" | – | – | – | 81 | – | – | – | – | 60 |
| 1997 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" (re-recording) |
– | 28 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 70 |
| "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (re-recording with Faith No More) |
– | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 40 | |
| 2003 | "Suburban Homeboy" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 142 |
| 2006 | "Perfume" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 80 |
| "Dick Around" / "Waterproof" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 139 | |
| 2008 | "Good Morning" | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 147 |
| "—" denotes releases that did not chart. | ||||||||||
[edit] Collaborations & Contributions
- 1979 - produced and wrote an album called Is There More To Life Than Dancing? for a singer named Noël.
- 1979 - produced the album Pas Dormir for a French band Bijou.
- 1979 - produced the single "C’est Sheep" by Adrian Munsey.
- 1981 - wrote the lyrics for the album Sex by Telex.
- 1982 - worked with Lio on her album Suite Sixtine, which was a compilation of French rarities and English versions (translated by Sparks) of tracks from her first album.
- 1984 - wrote a song called "Yes or No" for The Go-Go's album Talk Show.
- 1988 - "Singing in the Shower", "Live in Las Vegas" and "Hip Kit" with Les Rita Mitsouko from Marc et Robert.
- 2001 - "Kimono" with Pizzicato Five from Çà et là du Japon.
- 2001 - "La nuit est là" and "Yo quiero màs dinero" with Grand Popo Football Club from Shampoo Victims.
- 2004 - "Acid Pants" with Orbital from Blue Album.
- 2005 - remixed Morrissey's song, "Suedehead", for the compilation Future Retro
- 2010 - remixed the song "Give Me Something" by Yoko Ono
- 2011 - remixed the song "A Happy Place" by Katie Melua as Sparks Vs Katie Melua
- 2012 - produced Gemma Ray's cover versions of Sparks songs "How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall" and "Eaten by the Monster of Love"
[edit] Soundtrack appearances
- Rollercoaster (1977) - "Big Boy" and "Fill 'Er Up"
- Valley Girl (1983) - "Angst in My Pants" and "Eaten By The Monster Of Love"
- Get Crazy (1983) - "Get Crazy"
- Heavenly Bodies (1984) - "Breaking Out Of Prison"
- Growing Pains (aka Bad Manners) (1984)
- Fright Night (1985) - "The Armies of the Night"
- Rad (1986) - "Music That You Can Dance To"
- Black Rain (1989) - "Singing In The Shower"
- Unlawful Entry (1992) - "National Crime Awareness Week"
- Knock Off (1998) - Original Musical Score and "It's A Knockoff"
- Cabin Fever 2: Spring Fever (2009) - "Eaten by the Monster of Love"
- Kick Ass (2010) - "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us"
[edit] Video
- Amateur Hour (V-CD, 1995)
- Live in London (2003)
- Lil' Beethoven - Live In Stockholm (2004)
- DEE VEE DEE - Live at the London Forum (2007)
[edit] Music videos
| Year | Video | Director |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" | Bruce Gowers[18] |
| "Beat the Clock" | Brian Grant[18] | |
| "La Dolce Vita" | Bruce Gowers[18] | |
| "Tryouts for the Human Race" | Brian Grant[18] | |
| 1980 | "When I'm With You" | Brian Grant[18] |
| "Stereo" | Brian Grant[18] | |
| 1981 | "Tips for Teens" | |
| "Funny Face" | Sam Peckinpah | |
| 1982 | "I Predict" | David Lynch[19] |
| 1983 | "Cool Places" | Graham Whiffler[20] |
| "All You Ever Think About is Sex" | ||
| 1984 | "With All My Might" | Graham Whiffler |
| 1986 | "Music that You Can Dance To" | Ron & Russell Mael |
| 1988 | "So Important" | Ron & Russell Mael |
| 1989 | "Singing in the Shower" | |
| 1994 | "When Do I Get to Sing "My Way"" | Sophie Muller[18] |
| 1995 | "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)" | Sophie Muller[18] |
| "Now that I Own the BBC" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas | |
| 1997 | "The Number One Song in Heaven" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas |
| 2000 | "The Calm Before the Storm" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas |
| 2003 | "The Rhythm Thief" | Oliver Kuntzel & Florence Deygas |
| 2004 | "My Baby's Taking Me Home" | Shaw Petronio[18] |
| 2006 | "Perfume" | Shaw Petronio |
| "Dick Around" | Shaw Petronio | |
| 2009 | "Lighten Up Morrissey" | Shaw Petronio |
[edit] References
- ^ Dye, David (2006). "Sparks: Elegantly Whimsical". npr.org. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5555691. Retrieved 2006-09-24.
- ^ Alfvegren, Skylaire (1998-11-04). "Shooting Off Sparks". LA Weekly. http://www.laweekly.com/music/music/shooting-off-sparks/12237/. Retrieved 2006-04-13.
- ^ McNair, James (2006). "Sparks: Creating mischief again with their latest album". Enjoyment (London). http://enjoyment.independent.co.uk/music/features/article347014.ece/. Retrieved 2006-04-18.[dead link]
- ^ "Allmusic - Billboard Albums - Sparks". Billboard. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5494/charts-awards/billboard-albums. Retrieved 2008-12-04.
- ^ "Chartverfolgung / Sparks / Longplay". MusicLine.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Sparks/?type=longplay. Retrieved 2010-01-16.
- ^ "swedishcharts.com - Discography Sparks". Hung Medien. http://swedishcharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Sparks. Retrieved 2009-11-03. Charts cover period from 1975 - 2005
- ^ a b "Chart Stats - Sparks". chartstats.com. http://www.chartstats.com/artistinfo.php?id=2474. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ a b "Chart Log UK: DJ S - The System Of Life". Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz, 1994–2009. http://zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_S.HTM. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
- ^ Xavier Lorente-Darracq. "SPARKS first Lp album on Bearsville Records". http://graphikdesigns.free.fr. http://graphikdesigns.free.fr/sparks-bearsville-lp-album.html. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- ^ Xavier Lorente-Darracq. "SPARKS "A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing" second Lp album on Bearsville Records". http://graphikdesigns.free.fr. http://graphikdesigns.free.fr/sparks-a-woofer-tweeters.html. Retrieved 2011-12-02.
- ^ a b "Album artist 970 - Sparks". © 2007-9, Steve Hawtin et al. http://tsort.info/music/4q0w19.htm. Retrieved 2009-11-03.
- ^ a b "Allmusic - Billboard Singles - Sparks". Billboard. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p5494/charts-awards/billboard-albums. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
- ^ "Billboard.com - Artist Chart History - Sparks". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=5727&model.vnuAlbumId=1148676. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ a b "Charts Surfer - UK, German and French charts". charts-surfer.de. http://www.charts-surfer.de. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ "The Irish Charts - Sparks search". irishcharts.ie. http://www.irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
- ^ "dutchcharts.nl - Discography Sparks". © 2006-2010 Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.. http://dutchcharts.nl/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Sparks. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
- ^ "chitparade.ch - Discography Sparks". © 2006-2010 Hung Medien / hitparade.ch.. http://hitparade.ch/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Sparks. Retrieved 2010-07-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Sparks Videography - Music Video Database - The Base Of Music Videos". © 2006 onlinemusikvideos.com. http://onlinemusikvideos.com/videos/sparks. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- ^ "allmusic - I Predict - Sparks". © 2009 Macrovision Corporation. All Rights Reserved.. http://www.allmusic.com/song/t2361068. Retrieved 2009-09-21.
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/song/t2359489
[edit] External links
|
|||||||||||||||||
