All You Ever Think About Is Sparks

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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

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

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:

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