Ron Mael

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Ron Mael
Glasto2023 (93 of 468) (53008353617) (cropped).jpg
Mael onstage in 2023
Background information
Birth nameRonald David Mael
Born (1945-08-12) August 12, 1945 (age 78)
Culver City, California, U.S.
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • composer
  • record producer
  • music programmer
  • film director
Instrument(s)
  • Keyboards
  • synthesizer
Years active1963–present
Labels
Website allsparks.com

Ronald David Mael (born August 12, 1945) [1] is an American musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. [2] 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, [3] 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.

Contents

Early life

Ronald David Mael was born on August 12, 1945, in Culver City, California. The Mael brothers grew up in Pacific Palisades – an affluent beach neighbourhood of Los Angeles – with their father, Meyer Mael, [4] [5] who was a graphic designer and caricaturist for the Hollywood Citizen-News, [6] [7] and their mother, Miriam (née Moskowitz), a librarian. Both Meyer and Miriam were the children of Jewish immigrants, Meyer from Russia and Austria and Miriam from Poland; [8] [9] despite this, a source affiliated with the brothers' 2021 documentary stated that they "weren't raised, nor do they identify as Jewish", and the documentary does not mention their Jewish heritage. [10] Much of the Mael brothers' initial inspiration came from their father taking them to the cinema as children, where they developed an interest in film, visual arts and narrative. Meyer died when Mael was 11. [11]

After being educated at Palisades High School, both brothers enrolled at UCLA; [12] Ron began a course in cinema and graphic arts in 1963 while Russell studied theatre arts and filmmaking between 1966 and 1968. [13] It was during their time at UCLA the brothers formed their first band, The Urban Renewal Project, who recorded a series of demos in 1967.

Sparks

Ron Mael plays the keyboards and synthesizers and writes most of the songs for Sparks. When the band hit the peak of its popularity in the 1970s, he was well known for his strange appearance, often remaining motionless over his keyboard in sharp contrast to Russell's animated and hyperactive frontman antics. Ron's conservative clothes and unfashionable, Charlie Chaplin-esque toothbrush moustache attracted much attention, as does his current pencil moustache. Onstage, Ron alternates between playing the keyboard and engaging in comic mime routines, often in connection with projections on backdrop.

For the first two albums with Halfnelson/Sparks, Mael played a Wurlitzer electronic piano, but found that it did not stand up to road use because the metal reeds broke frequently. When Sparks relocated to the UK, Mael began using an RMI Electra-Piano, played through an Echoplex tape echo unit, and this distinctive sound featured prominently on their breakthrough single "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us", the albums Kimono My House and Propaganda and in their live shows. Since 1981, he has used various Yamaha and Roland keyboards and synthesizers live. That year, he altered the Roland logo on the back of his Roland Jupiter-8 to read "Ronald", which he has done on all of his keyboards since then. [14] He currently uses a Yamaha Motif XF8.

The pair appeared as themselves in the 1977 disaster film Rollercoaster , performing live. They also appeared in episode twenty-two of season six of the Gilmore Girls .

In a rare non-Sparks related musical turn, Ron and Russell Mael wrote the lyrics to Telex's 1982 album, Sex.

Mael dancing during a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2023. SparksRAH290523 (32 of 90) (cropped).jpg
Mael dancing during a performance at the Royal Albert Hall in May 2023.

In June 2018, Edgar Wright announced he would be making a documentary on the cult pop-rock band Sparks. [15] He had covered the band's concert in London in May at O2 Forum Kentish Town. This concert would also be a part of the documentary. [16] [17] The film, The Sparks Brothers , had its world premiere at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival on January 30, 2021. [18]

Personal life

In 2017, a reviewer noted that while the brothers' biographies recount an LA childhood in which they surfed and were both models for mail order catalogues, their private lives are otherwise almost entirely unknown. "Well, we're in good company with Bob Dylan", was their reported response. "We feel the less you do know, it keeps the mythology and the image in a better position." Even to the question of whether they have partners or spouses, they refused to give an indication, insisting that "the vagueness is more interesting than the reality." [19]

Discography

With Sparks

YearAlbum
1971 Halfnelson
1973 A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
1974 Kimono My House
1974 Propaganda
1975 Indiscreet
1976 Big Beat
1977 Introducing Sparks
1979 No. 1 in Heaven
1980 Terminal Jive
1981 Whomp That Sucker
1982 Angst in My Pants
1983 In Outer Space
1984 Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat
1986 Music That You Can Dance To
1988 Interior Design
1994 Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
1997 Plagiarism
2000 Balls
2002 Lil' Beethoven
2006 Hello Young Lovers
2008 Exotic Creatures of the Deep
2009 The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman
2017 Hippopotamus
2020 A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
2023 The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte

With FFS

YearAlbum
2015 FFS

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Russell Mael</span> American musician and co-founder of the band Sparks

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sparks (band)</span> American rock and pop band

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.

<i>Kimono My House</i> 1974 studio album by Sparks

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us</span> 1974 single by Sparks

"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".

<i>Sparks</i> (Sparks album) 1971 studio album by Sparks

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.

<i>A Woofer in Tweeters Clothing</i> 1973 studio album by Sparks

A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing is the second studio album by the American rock band Sparks. It was released in 1973 and includes the single "Girl from Germany". It was the last release by the original five-member incarnation of Sparks.

<i>Propaganda</i> (Sparks album) 1974 studio album by Sparks

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.

<i>Indiscreet</i> (Sparks album) 1975 studio album by Sparks

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.

<i>Whomp That Sucker</i> 1981 studio album by Sparks

Whomp That Sucker is the tenth album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 1981.

<i>Angst in My Pants</i> 1982 studio album by Sparks

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.

<i>In Outer Space</i> 1983 studio album by Sparks

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.

<i>Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat</i> 1984 studio album by Sparks

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.

<i>Music That You Can Dance To</i> 1986 studio album by Sparks

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).

<i>Exotic Creatures of the Deep</i> 2008 studio album by Sparks

Exotic Creatures of the Deep is the 21st album by the American rock band Sparks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amateur Hour (song)</span> 1974 single by Sparks

"Amateur Hour" is a song by Sparks. It was released as the second single from their 1974 album Kimono My House. Bassist Martin Gordon was requested to replace his original bass part with a Fender Precision bass, belonging to his subsequent replacement in the band.

<i>The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman</i> 2009 studio album by Sparks

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">FFS (band)</span> Supergroup band

FFS was a supergroup formed by Scottish indie rock band Franz Ferdinand and American art rock band Sparks. Their formation was announced on 9 March 2015, but the two bands had been recording since at least the mid-2000s. The group's eponymous debut studio album was recorded in late 2014 and released through the Domino Recording Company in the UK on 8 June and in the US on 9 June 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norman "Dinky" Diamond</span> British drummer

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.

<i>A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip</i> 2020 studio album by Sparks

A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip is the 24th studio album by American rock group Sparks. Recorded in gaps between Sparks' film projects, the album uses a full rock-group format to draw on the band's full range of musical styles and was universally acclaimed by critics, who praised both its lyrical and melodic content.

<i>The Sparks Brothers</i> 2021 documentary film directed by Edgar Wright

The Sparks Brothers is a 2021 British-American documentary film about Ron and Russell Mael, members of the pop and rock duo Sparks. The film, directed by Edgar Wright, and produced by Wright, Nira Park, George Hencken and Laura Richardson, premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival and was theatrically released the following summer. It received critical acclaim.

References

  1. ↑ Easlea, Daryl (April 7, 2010). Talent Is An Asset: The Story Of Sparks. Omnibus Press. ISBN   978-0-85712-237-7.
  2. ↑ Strong, Martin Charles (November 1, 2002). The Great Rock Discography. The National Academies. pp. 214–?. ISBN   9781841953120 . Retrieved June 1, 2012.
  3. ↑ Dye, David (2006). "Sparks: Elegantly Whimsical". Npr.org. Retrieved September 24, 2006.
  4. ↑ "1940 United States Federal Census". Ancestry.com. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  5. ↑ Axelrod, Merry Anne. "Re: (It's A Samuel) Mael World". Genealogy.com. Retrieved November 8, 2012. [The author is a cousin of Russell and Ron; her father, Alvin, is listed as being Meyer's brother on the 1940 census]
  6. ↑ "Myer Mael: "Roy Rogers" Object Record". Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Harrietta Hughes on the cover of Republic Insider Magazine 1947". Flickr.com. October 16, 2009. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  8. ↑ "Russian-American Heritage Museum: Ron and Russell Mael". russianheritagemuseum.com. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  9. ↑ Buffa, Dan (June 18, 2021). "Edgar Wright introduces the world to "The Sparks Brothers" in insightful and often comical music documentary". St. Louis Jewish Light. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  10. ↑ Marric, Linda (July 29, 2021). "Film review: The Sparks Brothers". The Jewish Chronicle. Retrieved August 27, 2022.
  11. ↑ The Sparks Brothers, Edgar Wright, 2021 - Netflix Documentary
  12. ↑ Welch, Chris. "Bright Sparks". Melody Maker. Retrieved November 8, 2012.
  13. ↑ Lorente-Darracq, Xavier. "RON MAEL AND RUSSELL MAEL - BIOGRAPHY". Graphik Designs.
  14. ↑ "LIVE REPORT: Sparks". The Quietus. June 17, 2012. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  15. ↑ "Edgar Wright to Tackle 70s Cult Band "Sparks" in New Documentary". Collider. June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  16. ↑ "Edgar Wright's Next Film is Pop-Rock Documentary About Sparks". ComingSoon.net. June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  17. ↑ Sharf, Zack (June 21, 2018). "Edgar Wright's Next Film Is a Documentary on Cult Pop-Rock Band Sparks – Exclusive". IndieWire. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
  18. ↑ Edgar Wright's 'The Sparks Brothers' Gives Cult Rock Icons Their Due
  19. ↑ Lister, David (September 6, 2017). "Sparks' Ron and Russell Mael on their new album, collaborating with Franz Ferdinand and being mysterious". The Independent.
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