Ronald David Mael is an American musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is the keyboard player and principal songwriter in the band Sparks which he founded with vocalist, occasional songwriter and younger brother Russell Mael in 1971. Mael is known for his quirky and idiosyncratic approach to songwriting, his intricate and rhythmic keyboard playing style and for his deadpan and low key, scowling demeanour onstage often remaining motionless over his keyboard in sharp contrast to Russell's animated and hyperactive frontman antics. Ron Mael is also noted for his conservative clothes and distinctive moustache. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records.
Russell Craig Mael is an American singer best known as the lead singer for the band Sparks which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother Ron Mael. Mael is known for his wide vocal range, in particular his far-reaching falsetto. He has a flamboyant and hyperactive stage presence which contrasts sharply with Ron Mael's inexpressive demeanour. The band released an album with British rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled FFS, released in 2015. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records.
Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references—and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept the band at the forefront of modern, artful pop music.
Kimono My House is the third studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on May 1, 1974, by Island Records. The album is considered to be their commercial breakthrough, and was met with widespread acclaim.
Martin Gordon is an English musician who plays bass guitar, double bass, and piano. After a long period as band member and session musician, he embarked on a solo career in 2004. His most recent album release was in 2021.
"This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" is a song by American pop band Sparks. Written by Ron Mael, it is the opening track on their third studio album Kimono My House (1974), and was the lead single from the album. Although it did not chart on the Billboard Hot 100, "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" achieved major success in Europe, peaking within the top ten of the charts in the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. In the latter country, the song peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart, where it remained for two consecutive weeks. The song has become the highest-charting for Sparks on the UK Singles Chart, held off from the top spot by The Rubettes' bubblegum pop song "Sugar Baby Love".
Propaganda is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on November 11, 1974. Following up their previous year's commercial breakthrough, Kimono My House, it was a moderate success in the United States and peaked at No. 9 in the U.K. in 1975. The album cover features an image of a tied-up and gagged Mael brothers, titled "Welcome on Board," which was taken by photographer Monty Coles.
Indiscreet is the fifth album by Sparks. It was released in 1975 and later re-released with three bonus tracks. The album was a departure from the glam rock sound of Kimono My House and Propaganda, and emphasised the theatrical elements of their work, with greater use of orchestral arrangements and drawing from non-rock orientated styles such as jazz, big band, swing, vaudeville, and classical music. The album was produced by Tony Visconti, with whom the group reunited in 1997 to produce several tracks for their retrospective album Plagiarism. The song "How Are You Getting Home?" was used in Leos Carax's film Holy Motors.
Angst in My Pants is the eleventh studio album by American pop and rock band Sparks. The album was released in 1982 by Atlantic Records in both the US and UK, and this was the sixth overall label that the band was signed to in the US, and, for the first time since the mid-1970s, the band would be signed to the same label in both the US and UK for three consecutive studio albums.
Plagiarism is the 17th album by American rock band Sparks. It is a tribute album of sorts featuring new alternate versions of some of their best known songs.
Lil' Beethoven is the 19th album by the American rock band Sparks, released on November 26, 2002. The album was a radical musical departure compared to their previous works. The band only used strings, piano, and voices but sporadic drums: the result was both classical and pop music.
Jet were an English glam rock band from London, England, formed in 1974. They released one album in 1975 before splitting up, with the bulk of the band going on to become the punk/new wave band Radio Stars.
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 songwriting, Sparks' music is often accompanied by cutting and acerbic lyrics, and an idiosyncratic stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell's wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's sedentary scowling.
Exotic Creatures of the Deep is the 21st album by the American rock band Sparks.
"Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" is a song by the American rock group Sparks. The song was recorded by the group's mid-1970s glam line-up. It was released in late 1974 as the first single from the group's fourth album, Propaganda.
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman is the 22nd album by American rock group Sparks, released in August 2009. The duo's first work in the radio musical genre, the album is built around an imaginary visit to Hollywood by Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman in the mid-1950s. Its storyline focuses on the divides between European and American culture, between art and commerce. Unlike other Sparks albums, the work is conceived as a single piece, to be listened to as a whole, rather than a collection of stand-alone songs.
Tammy Glover is a television producer, film producer, and musician. She served as the VP of Production for Comedy Central from 2007 to 2011, Senior Vice President of Production for FremantleMedia and is currently the Head of Physical Production for TNT, TBS, and TruTV, part of Warner Bros Discovery. Glover was on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences representing Production Executives. She played drums for Sparks from 1997 to 2011 and contributed to BBC Radio 6 Music's This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us: The Story Of Sparks presented by Mark Radcliffe. She also performs with Billy Zimmer as the duo Thorcraft Cobra. Modern Drummer has done a number of features on Glover. and she has contributed session work for many projects, including solo work for David Dattner, and playing live drums for the Peter G Adams soundtrack of CodeGirl.
Adrian Fisher was an English guitarist and member of the band Toby, Sparks and Boxer. Fisher played on Sparks' first two albums under Island Records, Kimono My House and Propaganda.
Norman Victor "Dinky" Diamond was a British drummer who played with the rock band Sparks at the height of their fame in the UK in the early 1970s, playing on the albums Kimono My House (1974), Propaganda (1974) and Indiscreet (1975). In 1975 Diamond was voted Drummer of the Year in a poll held by Premier Drums. He committed suicide by hanging in 2004 after a long-running dispute with noisy neighbours.
"When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" is a song by American rock band Sparks, released in October 1994 as the first single from their 16th album, Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (1994). It makes reference to the Frank Sinatra signature-tune "My Way" and was a top-40 hit in the United Kingdom while peaking at number seven in Germany. In the US, it reached number nine on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. In 1995, the song was re-released, this time peaking at number 32 in the UK. Its accompanying music video was directed by British music video director Sophie Muller.
