| Interior Design | ||||
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 26, 1988 | |||
| Studio | The Pentagon Studio (Los Angeles) | |||
| Genre | Synth-pop | |||
| Length | 44:25 | |||
| Label |
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| Producer | ||||
| Sparks chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Interior Design | ||||
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| Review scores | |
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| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [1] |
Interior Design is the fifteenth studio album by the American rock band Sparks, released in August 1988 by Fine Art Records.
Interior Design did little in the way to reverse the commercial fortunes of the group, and did not appear on the album charts in the US or the UK. The singles "So Important" and "Just Got Back from Heaven" did better, both of which reached the top ten of the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart at No. 8 [2] and No. 7 [2] respectively. "Just Got Back from Heaven" also appeared on the Hot Dance Music/Maxi-Singles Sales chart at No. 24. [2]
CD versions of the album included a number of bonus tracks including three versions of the LPs final track "Madonna", a remix of "So Important" and the short instrumental "The Big Brass Ring". In 2008, Sparks' own record label Lil' Beethoven Records reissued the album in a digipak sleeve retaining the bonus tracks.
For unknown reasons, Interior Design has been re-released multiple times in various European territories as a budget CD. The most common retitled version is Just Got Back from Heaven. However, many other versions have been released often utilising images of the mid-seventies Island-era iteration of the band. Other releases market the album as if it were a greatest hits album.
The alternate titles of Interior Design are as follows: Just Got Back from Heaven (Soundwings, Success, Hallmark Music & Entertainment), The World of the Sparks / Madonna (Trace Trading), So Important (Trend, LaserLight Digital), Gold (Gold), The Magic Collection (ABC Records).
Interior Design was the first Sparks album since 1979's Nº 1 in Heaven that wasn't supported by live performances. However, they staged a promotional event called Love-O-Rama at the Tower Records store in Sherman Oaks, California on September 15, 1988.
All tracks are written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "So Important" | 4:33 |
| 2. | "Just Got Back From Heaven" | 4:09 |
| 3. | "Lots Of Reasons" | 3:47 |
| 4. | "You've Got a Hold of My Heart" | 4:58 |
| 5. | "Love-O-Rama" | 4:44 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "The Toughest Girl in Town" | 4:16 |
| 7. | "Let's Make Love" | 4:45 |
| 8. | "Stop Me if You've Heard this Before" | 3:41 |
| 9. | "A Walk Down Memory Lane" | 4:53 |
| 10. | "Madonna" | 4:39 |
| Total length: | 44:25 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Madonna" (French Version) | 4:39 |
| 12. | "Madonna" (German Version) | 4:39 |
| 13. | "Madonna" (Spanish Version) | 4:39 |
| 14. | "The Big Brass Ring" | 2:20 |
| 15. | "So Important" (Extremely Important Remix) | 7:02 |
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.
"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".
Sparks, originally titled Halfnelson, is the debut album by the Los Angeles rock band Sparks. The album was first released as Halfnelson, the band's original name, and reissued a year later under the group’s new name.
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.
Introducing Sparks is the seventh album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 1977 by Columbia Records.
Nº 1 in Heaven is the eighth studio album by American rock band Sparks. Recorded with Italian disco producer Giorgio Moroder, the album marked a change of musical direction for the group and became influential on later synth-pop bands.
Whomp That Sucker is the tenth album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 1981.
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 6th 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 the same label in both the US and UK for 3 consecutive albums.
In Outer Space is the twelfth studio album by American pop band Sparks, released in April 1983 by Atlantic Records. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks self-produced the album.
Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat is the thirteenth studio album by American pop and rock band Sparks, released in June 1984 by Atlantic Records. It was not very well received and failed to capitalise on the commercial success of their previous studio album In Outer Space (1983). The album developed the light synth-pop sound of In Outer Space but with slightly darker lyrics revolving around Ron Mael's favourite subject matter: relationships.
Music That You Can Dance To is the fourteenth studio album by American pop band Sparks, released in September 1986 by MCA Records in the US and Consolidated Allied Records in the UK, two years after their previous studio album, Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984).
Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins is the 16th album by American rock band Sparks. It was released in 1994, after an absence from the music industry of 6 years, and marked the duo's transition into a more techno/Eurobeat-influenced sound, which earned them popularity in Germany.
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.
Balls is the 18th album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 2000.
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.
Hello Young Lovers is the 20th album by Sparks. A continuation of the repetitious, orchestral sound of their previous album Lil' Beethoven, though with a much greater emphasis on guitar and drums, It is a concept album which addresses aspects of modern love.
Exotic Creatures of the Deep is the 21st album by the American rock band Sparks.
Marc & Robert is the third studio album by French pop rock group Les Rita Mitsouko. It was released in 1988 and reached number thirty-five on the French Albums Chart. Marc & Robert includes the singles "Mandolino City", "Singing in the Shower", "Le Petit Train" and "Tongue Dance".
