Talent Is an Asset- The Story of Sparks

by Daryl Easlea

  Sue Harris: “They have always changed. If they had stayed as the Sparks of ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For Both Of Us’ / ‘Amateur Hour’, they would have probably had more success at that time and carried on steadily into the Eighties but today they would have less critical respect. Possibly they have repeatedly shot themselves in the foot by changing, but I’m so delighted they did. If they hadn’t, we wouldn’t have had extraordinary music like Lil’ Beethoven, Hello Young Lovers, Exotic Creatures or The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman”

  David Betteridge: “I find it amazing, here they are today, 22 albums later, and their longevity has been remarkable. There was no marker before. Ron and Russell still around today is extraordinary.”

  Another key to their longevity is down to the success of the band as a live force. From early gigs to recent live extravaganzas, for most of their career, Sparks have made music to be replicated in concert.

  David Sefton: “They are the Gilbert and George of pop music. They have fully committed their lives to being Sparks. They do still appear to be good at it. To me, Exotic Creatures Of The Deep is their best record for a significant period of time. When I saw it live, I really got it. They’ve come back into their own. Maybe the world is ready for Sparks. They should be applauded for their tenacity.”

  And their appearance. From halfway down a concert venue it looks as though the brothers were cryogenically frozen in 1974. “They are both bone thin,” says Sefton. “You look up and think ‘Bloody hell, you’re both doing very well’. Russell still has that youthful thing going on. I’ll have a pint of what he’s had, or not had.”

  The mainstream will always elude Sparks because they are simply too clever. “It’s hard to get away from that one since it is patently clear,” says Ira Robbins. “Russell’s voice may be too much of an acquired taste for people. They have been able to survive in the same way as Ray Davies who can still write a song that you want to hear 50 years later. I think Sparks just have found a way continually to develop and reinvent themselves. The music they have done in the last 10 years sounds very little like anything they did in the first 10 years and that’s certainly to their credit. I mean, Russell’s voice has changed, Ron’s style of orchestration has changed. Their lyrical concerns have changed but they have never stopped making the effort.”

  Jon Savage: “Sparks’ records created their own world and they have this ability to live in that world. Which every artist of note has to do. You set the whole thing rolling and you can just continue doing it and also be paid for doing it.”

  Jim Wilson: “I’ve always loved how they changed. Because if they’d stayed the same and kept making Kimono My House over and over, their audience would be full of old guys and they wouldn’t have the audience that have been coming to the shows. Sparks are still a new band as well. Sparks is the only thing that means a lot to them whereas other people have ups and downs, but they’re just real guys that are in it for the right reasons, because they love music and they want to make fresh music. It’s an honour for me to have anything to do with them… The more I find out about them as people the more I think, ‘Wow, they’re great guys’, which is refreshing in LA.”

  Marcus Blake: “I don’t think their career was premeditated to be long lasting, it just worked out that way. They don’t follow anybody’s rules other than their own and I don’t think they’re much worried about pop chart success, but they are worried about making the best music that they can. That’s number one to them rather than how successful it’s going to be.”

  As we have seen, for the brothers, it has always been about moving forward, and it will remain so. Russell told Clash magazine in 2008, “We’re proud of the past, but we’re not wallowing in it because that’s where you can run into trouble by dwelling on it, trying to re-create something even though the parameters have changed and it’s not possible.”

  Former manager John Hewlett feels there should have been longer periods of stability in the quest for constant reinvention. “When you are rejecting something good purely for change, I don’t agree with it. I have utmost respect for them, but as they are they are very focused on themselves, that’s survival. Their talent is unquestionable, sometimes with a stroke of genius. When it was blended with that earthiness it was wonderful, a fantastic combination that could have taken them to the status of major rock. As it is, they are still a very interesting cult — enormous credit to them for sticking with it.

  “In many respects, I think there is something tremendously positive about their attitude,” Hewlett concludes. “This is this year’s release, and then there’ll be the next one. We will sell some records somewhere as we have a hardcore following around the world.”

  “We’re genuine in our own way,” Ron said in 2008. “There is a sort of pose to what we are doing, but it’s a natural pose. A heightened version of what we are when we’re not being Sparks. There is irony to what we do, but not to the point that we feel we are outsiders working within pop music, we really love pop. That’s the reason we keep doing it.”

  Sparks remain ‘musical Marmite’. Love them or hate them, you are certainly aware of them. This is a story to be continued. As long as there remains a ‘y’ in the day, Ron and Russell will keep on working. The novelty, the fairground ride, the carnie carousel; it is not without irony that their only significant film appearance was set in a fairground. It is still all lights and glitter.

  Ron and Russell Mael are one of the great comic double-acts of all time. They made us laugh and intrigued us when we first saw them on Top Of The Pops. Think of Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, Morecambe and Wise — the relationship is symbiotic with instantly recognisable, defined personas. The comparison with artists Gilbert and George is telling as well. Their music and personas make people smile, and then their art challenges you. The Maels are rarely out of each other’s company and now produce music that suggests that they have never listened to another record in their lives.

  Rather like they did when they first appeared in 1970. They’ve been around a lot of scenes yet never really been part of them; original alliances with Todd Rundgren, Albert Grossman and Jim Lowe and then their affiliation with the UK mid-Seventies glam rock movement, Giorgio Moroder later that decade and their LA associations in the Eighties.

  Some 33 people have passed through the Sparks line-up; The Pheasantry on King’s Road is now a Pizza Express; Cleethorpes’ Winter Gardens — the scene of the opening night of their 1974 tour at the height of the mania — was demolished in summer 2007; Heron Garages and the Heron Stamps featured on the Propaganda sleeve are long gone. The South Kensington Hotel where the brothers stayed on their first wintry visit to the UK is now called the Brompton. Miss Christine, Albert Grossman, Joseph Fleury, Roy Silver, Norman ‘Dinky’ Diamond, Adrian Fisher and Jeffrey Salen are no longer with us. Disco has long been rehabilitated.

  As for those questions about their personal lives or spare time, they remain largely unanswered. Mainly because they have no spare time. Is there any noticeable difference between them? “One sings and one plays piano!” says Sue Harris, laughing. “They are charming gentlemen. I don’t know everything about their personalities or their personal lives. And I don’t need to. It’s not relevant. I don’t need to know anything else about them than what is on the record.”

  The credits for The Seduction Of Ingmar Bergman show a pair of brothers who ultimately got their wish for complete and utter artistic autonomy:

  All words and music by: Ron Mael and Russell Mael Produced by: Ron Mael and Russell Mael Story by: Ron Mael and Russell Mael Orchestrations by Ron Mael Recorded and mixed by Ron Mael and Russell Mael

  Running their own record label, with a small and supportive team, suits the Maels down to the ground. Now they only have themselves to deal with. For those who mourn the democracy of Sparks’ earliest outings, it isn’t coming back. Russell was unequivocal about this in his comments to Clash magazine in early 2008: “Ron and I have such a clear vision of what Sparks shou
ld be, what a band should be. It’s that thing of having a kind of purity about your music and we become very precious about it. And we want that purity to be conveyed by the people who play it with us. You can read that as purity equals dictatorship or a lack of democracy, but it has a purpose. Early on, there was more democracy among the people we played with. But as time has gone on we’ve become more insular about what we want.”

  Insularity. Singularity. Autocracy. The devil is now in Sparks’ painterly detail. Since they took over their own career in 2002, they have become the artistic institutions that they have always wanted to be. Living small and thinking big. It is paying off. It is all about talent. And talent, as we know, is an asset. Musically, they married themselves. They’re very happy together.

  Living with Sparks is always a particular pleasure. When you assess their legacy, for all their foibles and missteps, thanks to a dozen stunning albums and over 100 truly memorable songs, it will always be something rather special.

  As the late, great Derek Taylor concluded in his autobiography, 50 Years Adrift: “And in the end… Sparks did well. They were good. They always had a certain je ne sais quoi but it took time for sufficient people to hear it. ’Twas ever thus.”

  Now for their next trick…

  What Happened Next?

  MIKE BERNS (manager, 1969/70): Whereabouts unknown.

  MARCUS BLAKE (bass guitar, 2007—present): Still recording and touring with Sparks. At time of writing, has finished recording and mixing the tenth Mother Superior CD, to be released in 2010. www.mother-superior.com/ http://www.myspace.com/mothersuperiorrock.

  LESLIE BOEHM (bass guitar, 1980–1986): Hollywood screenwriter. Boehm wrote Dante’s Peak and Daybreak and the Steven Spielberg science fiction cycle Taken.

  NORMAN ‘DINKY’ DIAMOND (drums, 1973–1975): Took his life in 2005. “When I look at it now,” John Hewlett says, “there could be absolutely no other drummer to play Kimono My House but him. He was a clever drummer and a clever man. He had the perfect feel for every track.”

  LARRY DUPONT (friend, photographer and road manager, 1968— 1973): Photographer and visual artist, working on album covers and film posters. Through Todd Rundgren, became involved in building train sets for people. “I started to build these large train set-ups for people who don’t have the time but have the money and are willing to hire somebody to do it for them. This is the second time I succeeded in taking a hobby and turning it into work.”

  HAROLD FALTERMEYER (producer, 1980): Renowned producer. Wrote soundtrack for Beverly Hills Cop and its theme ‘Axel F’. Producer of Pet Shop Boys’ Behaviour album.

  HARLEY A. FEINSTEIN (drums, 1970–1973): Became an attorney at law, currently practising in San Diego, CA. Recently playing drums again with James Lowe.

  FRED FRANK (Urban Renewal Project, 1967): Frederic Gary Frank was born November 3, 1944 in New York. “Last place I think he lived was in Aurora, in the San Fernando Valley, California,” ex-wife Ronna Frank says.

  RONNA FRANK (Urban Renewal Project, 1967): Lived in England between 1973 and 2000. “In London, I composed five film scores for various documentaries. I also wrote and adapted children’s books as stage musicals, including Roald Dahl’s Charlie And The Chocolate Factory and James And The Giant Peach. I have two children’s musicals published by The Dramatic Publishing Company: Stuart Little and The Just So Stories. I work with US playwright Joseph Robinette. He wrote the adaptations and I wrote the music, lyrics and full orchestral scores. I have also written three children’s books.”

  JOSEPH FLEURY (friend, fan, wordsmith, manager, 1972–1991): Aside from managing Sparks, looked after acts such as Mumps and Milk’n’Cookies. Passed away in 1991.

  CHRISTINE FRKA (MISS CHRISTINE) (brought Halfnelson to the attention of Todd Rundgren, 1970): Died: November 5, 1972.

  ADRIAN FISHER (guitar, 1973–1974): Joined Boxer after leaving Sparks. Played with Trevor White, John Hewlett, Ian Hampton and Dinky Diamond in The Four Squares in the early Eighties. Relocated to Thailand where he made his living playing guitar. Died of a heart attack in 2000.

  KEITH FORSEY (drums, 1979–1980): Produced Billy Idol in the Eighties and helped make him a superstar. Co-wrote ‘Flashdance (What A Feeling’) for the 1983 film of the same name and wrote ‘Don’t You (Forget About Me)’ for The Breakfast Club. Idol turned it down, as did Bryan Ferry. Simple Minds scored the massive worldwide hit. Produced debut album for Rooney in 2003.

  TAMERA ‘TAMMY’ GLOVER (drums, 1997—present): Still studio drummer for Sparks, Glover is also the Vice President of Production at US cable and satellite channel Comedy Central.

  JIM GOODWIN (keyboards, 1981–1983): After playing with The Call (1983–1991), Goodwin started Eggchair Music (www.eggchairmusic.com) creating original music for all media. Is founder of Central Oregon School of Performing Arts in Bend, Oregon, a non-profit centre where young people can learn to express themselves through artistic performance with an emphasis on community and commerce.

  ALBERT GROSSMAN (head of Bearsville): Continued supervising Bearsville, while overseeing the legacy of another of his artists, Janis Joplin. Died January 25, 1986 and is buried behind his Bearsville Theater in Woodstock, New York. As the Bob Dylan legend continues to grow, Grossman’s place in pop history — as his manager throughout the Sixties — is secure.

  MARTIN GORDON (bass guitar, 1973–1974): Currently pursuing a solo career after decades spent silently fuming while others spouted drivel and nonsense. Now, finally, he spouts his own drivel and nonsense at will. The fifth and final part of the Mammal Trilogy (Time Gentlemen Please) was released by Radiant Future Records in 2009, and all MG exploits and current affairs can be found at www.martingordon.de.

  BOB HAAG (guitar 1980–1986): Returned to the desert. Current whereabouts unknown.

  IAN HAMPTON (bass guitar, 1974–1975): Became respected session player. In his own words, “Still slogging on, and hanging out with old chums!” At the time of writing had been with Ian Hunter at Mott The Hoople’s reunion show at Rockfield Studio, Monmouth. Hampton’s recent activity can be heard at www.myspace.com/heavenscenther.

  ERIC HARLE (manager, 1993–2000): Still a successful manager with acts such as Mylo, Robyn, Royksopp and Moby.

  SUE HARRIS (manager, 2003—present): Manages Sparks and runs successful music and entertainment PR business Republic Media.

  CHRISTIE HAYDON (drums, 1995–1996): Former regular extra on Star Trek: The Next Generation, she left Sparks to marry Larry Wilson, the scriptwriter of Mai The Psychic Girl. In 2009 the pair were co-writing and co-directing the film Me & My Shadow.

  JOHN HEWLETT (manager, 1973–1978): Went on to manage The Dickies, before returning to A&R at A&M in the Eighties. Attended Kingston University in early 21st century to study music technology; currently developing ideas. “I am content living life as an art form, dealing with what each day brings forth,” Hewlett says. “I will continue helping my aging family members; to work with Trevor [White] on music projects including creating a new band, The Zimmermen, hopefully with myself on vocals; to help develop a new record label; to visit the Caribbean following the England Cricket Team schedule on their next winter tour; possibly to record a blues album with Mick Jagger — he loves cricket, so maybe recording in the Caribbean; to help others and be a positive influence in the world”

  RUPERT HOLMES (producer, 1976): Had huge solo success with his fifth album, Partners In Crime, in 1979. Its lead single, ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’ became a US number one and a worldwide hit. Although a playwright, novelist and songwriter, has said that “no matter what I do, my tombstone will be a giant pineapple”.

  DAVID KENDRICK (drums, 1980–1986): Went on to drum for Devo (most recent stint 2002-2004) and Wall Of Voodoo. Founder of the band The Empire Of Fun, a ragingly eccentric melange with a core of two and many other players (sound familiar?). Kendrick is writer-lyricist-drummer with the music and voice of Steve Summers (www.empireoffun.com). He also drums with former Wall of Voodoo singer
Andy Prieboy.

  JOSH KLINGHOFFER (guitar, 2006): Musician and record producer, currently playing with Dot Matrix.

  IAN LITTLE (producer, 1984): Spent most of the later Eighties trying to break new acts. Had a Top 40 UK single with ‘Imagination’ by Belouis Some on EMI/Trident. Moved to New York in 1989 and set up one of the first CPU-based pre-production studios. Returned to London and is currently working with drum’n’bass artist DJ Harmony and developing singer/songwriters.

  JAMES LOWE (producer, A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing): After a long career in television production, now writes and records with a reactivated Electric Prunes.

  IAN KIMMETT Jook leader, 1971–1974): Went to work for Bearsville Records. Currently lives in New York.

  ROBERT MACHE (guitar, 1986): Guitarist in Steve Wynn and the Continental Drifters and The Swinging Madisons.

  RHEINHOLD MACK (producer, 1981–1982): Hugely successful producer, working with Queen in the early Eighties and on their retrospective releases.

  SAL MAIDA (bass guitar, 1976): Currently playing bass with Cracker — www.crackersoul.com.

  EARLE MANKEY (guitar, 1969–1973): Became engineer for The Beach Boys at their Brother Studios. Worked on a variety of releases for them and others including engineering and playing guitar on Dennis Wilson’s now legendary Pacific Ocean Blue. Set up own studio using the old Brother mixing desk that he bought when The Beach Boys upgraded. Recorded The Long Ryders, The Cramps, Mumps, Concrete Blonde, The Dickies and The Runaways among others.

  JIM MANKEY (bass guitar, 1970–1973): Formed Concrete Blonde with Johnette Napolitano and enjoyed considerable US success.

  JIM McALLISTER (guitar, 1976): Whereabouts unknown.