All You Ever Think About Is Sparks

In which I wrap up a discussion of Sparks' until-recently maligned 1977 album. Ron and Russell shared a studio with a revolving door of play-for-pay studio cats, and the end result was a record that sounded good, but didn't sell.

Oh, BTW, yes I know Ron Popeil was famous for saying "but wait, there's more," not "but that's not all."

You can write me at [email protected] or visit the pod's page on Facebook at facebook.com/podcastsparks

--Christian

I'm so lucky to have gotten to speak with both halves of Big Beat's rhythm section! As you'll hear from the interview, Sal's been everywhere, man. Sal's been everywhere. Another Sparks player who favors a Rick as his weapon of choice (see: Gordon, Martin), he and Hilly Michaels locked down that bone-crushing groove heard all throughout that aforementioned album.

He toured with Roxy Music, Cracker, played on at least one Runaways LP, and don't get me started on all of the 1960s-70s legends he rubbed elbows with (no spoilers).

Check out his 2017 autobiography/massive review compendium of classic 45s: Four Strings, Fake Proof, and 300 45s. And he's got a new book in the works.

He's the real deal, and I thank him for his time. Here's my time with Sal Maida.

You can contact me (Christian) via [email protected] or find this podcast's FB page. Next up it's Introducing Sparks, part 2.

Ron and Russell ditch the whole notion of having a standing army - er, band, and rely on studio cats hired by the hour on Columbia Records' dime.

Introducing was out of print for over 30 years, until it finally got a new lease on life on CD format in 2009. A badly underexplored chapter in Sparks' history, find out more about that mysterious album that came and went in a flash in 1977.

While my first episode on Introducing keeps cookin', I've had a couple of great opportunities to interview former Sparks players, including a chap who's been on the show before, and I'm thankful to have him back on again.

If you're not yet privy, Martin was the bassist on Kimono My House, and was part of that seminal, yet short-lived lineup (in more ways than one, sad to say). He has a new album out, the politically pointed song suite Another Words. He also had some thoughts about the new Edgar Wright documentary The Sparks Brothers, and the level of his involvement with the project.

Martin is always a pleasure to talk to, and I hope to do it again. Check out his website at Homepage (martingordon.de). You can find his music on Spotify as well as on CD. It's great stuff.

You can write me at: [email protected] or follow All You Ever Think About Is Sparks on Facebook.

No, it isn't Sparks-related, but I'm not a rich enough man for TWO podcast feeds!

Instead this is my side project "What We Do Is What We Do," where I basically publish stuff I've recorded that I felt was interesting enough to share with other humans.

This ep is my interview with playwright Peter Gordon from June 2020. He wrote (among other things) "Murdered by Death," a genuinely funny farce posing as an Agatha Christie murder mystery.

For me, it's the show that never was, because of some dumb ol' pandemic. I played a two-bit British thief playing a French art dealer, but I made him look a bit like Ron Mael.

Welp, enjoy!

--Christian

[email protected]

[email protected]

Here's Hilly! From starstruck Sparks fan, to fully-fledged member, Hilly was responsible for the Big Beat in Big Beat. He's had a hell of a career post-Sparks, and enjoyed an early MTV smash with Calling All Girls.

This interview is stupid long, but I ain't apologizing. Listen to it on a transatlantic flight or something. Have as many cuba libres as I probably did during the proceedings.

Next up is Introducing Sparks, part 1! I've already recorded some of it!

OH! Thanks to Tom Ferranti for arranging the interview and to Mark Gilbert for the new (personalized) theme song!

Email me at [email protected] or visit our FB page.

--Christian

Back from extended hiatus. Finally, I take to the waters of Lake Sparks once more. I finish off the story of Big Beat and delve into the last several songs on side 2, as well as the bonus tracks. Next episode should be my long-anticipated interview with Big Beat drummer Hilly Michaels. It's so easy tearing the place apart, eh?

You can email the pod here, or check us out on our Facebook page of the same name.

Thanks! - Christian

It's been a minute since I rapped at ya, Sparks fans. Hope all is well. At long last, here's the next chapter in the Sparks saga: the story of Big Beat. Recorded in NYC with an all-new, all-American band, and with Rupert Holmes at the helm (yes, THAT Rupert Holmes), Big Beat was released by Columbia Records in October 1976. Inspired in part by the emerging punk/new wave scene of the moment, Big Beat eschews the baroque pop stylings of the Island records, and opts for a bare bones rock and roll attack. This episode covers the making of the album and the first half of the songs found on modern CD rereleases of Big Beat.

You can always reach Christian (me) here, or via our Facebook page here.

UPDATE: Incredibly, I've already gotten word that my Mr. Bill song at the end suffered volume issues. No doubt that was thanks to Levelator. You can hear a better version here.

We're back! Finally I get down to the nitty gritty of Indiscreet side 2, plus a bevy of bonus tracks. That wraps it up for Sparks in England! Next we head to NYC for Big Beat.

Check us out on Facebook or drop me a line at [email protected].

Christian interviews preeminent (he probably hates that term) rock journalist Dave Thompson in this free-wheeling interview that occasionally even has us discussing Sparks! Dave is the author of the 2009 biography about Sparks, No. 1 Songs in Heaven, a tome that practically stands as this podcast's bible in terms of getting the story of Sparks right.

You can check out his author homepage here, just in case you want to feel hopelessly underproductive and undistinguished.

Write me if you like at [email protected] or check out our page on Facebook. Next episode (I promise) is Indiscreet, Part 2. It's gonna be a doozy.

One more thing: not that I have to tell you this, but Sparks' new album A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is out! You can purchase a digital copy from Amazon, or other, less-evil online outlets. And yes, it's on Spotify, too. Enjoy! It's incredible.