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| Songs of the Spires | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1981 | |||
| Recorded | 1980–1981 | |||
| Genre | New wave | |||
| Length | 35:27 | |||
| Label | Posh Boy Records | |||
| Producer | Stephen Hague | |||
| Gleaming Spires chronology | ||||
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Songs of the Spires is the debut album by American new wave pop group Gleaming Spires. It features the single "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" and was produced by Stephen Hague.
Gleaming Spires began as a side project of Leslie Bohem and David Kendrick. In 1980, they were enlisted as the bassist and drummer, respectively, for the art pop band Sparks, consisting of brothers Ron and Russell Mael. While in Sparks, Bohem and Kendrick convened with producer Stephen Hague to record a series of demos. The demo tape made its way to K-ROQ in Los Angeles, [1] and according to Kendrick, when Posh Boy founder Robbie Fields heard the tape, he decided to release the songs as they were; the Songs of the Spires album consists of these demos. [2] [3]
While the Spires themselves originally did not want it released as a single, "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" went on to become the band's only hit. [4] A music video was created for the song, featuring Bohem and Kendrick making coffee and baking a lemon meringue pie, as well as for "How to Get Girls Thru Hypnotism," featuring Bohem's head being shaved. [3] For the former, Kendrick observed that "one could easily make the worst contrived, hackneyed, sexist, insulting, exploitative and ridiculous video in the world to 'Sex Girls,' so why not leave sex and girls out altogether[?] Some people got it I hope." [3] "Sex Girls" later saw renewed popularity when it appeared in the 1984 film Revenge of the Nerds. Unlike the film the accompanying soundtrack album featured the later re-recording of the song.
The tongue-in-cheek liner notes were written by the Mael brothers. Russell Mael praises the album's virtues despite "not personally [having had] the time to listen to [the album]", and Ron Mael facetiously calls it "the best Gleaming Spires album ... ever."
Songs of the Spires was originally released on vinyl in 1981 by Posh Boy Records. [5] In 2015, the album was reissued on vinyl by Futurismo, [6] and again in 2021 for CD and streaming by Omnivore Recordings. [1]
All tracks are written by Les Bohem and David Kendrick, except where noted
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Going Hey Hey" | 3:14 | |
| 2. | "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?" | 4:01 | |
| 3. | "While We Can" | Les Bohem | 4:21 |
| 4. | "When Love Goes Under Glass" | 3:12 | |
| 5. | "The End of All Good Things" | 3:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Watch Your Blood Beat" | 4:49 | |
| 7. | "How to Get Girls Thru Hypnotism" | Les Bohem | 5:36 |
| 8. | "Talking in the Dark" | Les Bohem | 3:14 |
| 9. | "Big Hotels" | 3:30 |
Credits adopted from the Songs of the Spires liner notes. [5]
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.
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.
Total Devo is the seventh studio album by American new wave band Devo, released in 1988 by Enigma Records. "Disco Dancer" hit No. 45 on Billboard's Hot Dance Club Play chart for the week of September 3, 1988.
Stephen Hague is an American record producer most active with various British acts since the 1980s.
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Big Beat is the sixth album by American rock band Sparks, released in 1976.
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 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.
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).
Balls is the 18th album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 2000.
Gleaming Spires was an American new wave pop group in the 1980s.
"I Predict" is a song by the Los Angeles new wave band Sparks. It was released in 1982 as the first single from Angst in My Pants, although an effort was made to release "Eaten by the Monster of Love" as a second single. The group promoted the single with an eclectic performance on Saturday Night Live. They also performed "Mickey Mouse", another Angst in My Pants track. It was their first single to ever enter the Billboard Hot 100 charts in America.
David Kendrick is an American musician who is currently a member of the experimental pop band Xiu Xiu. A former member of Gleaming Spires and Devo, he has recorded and toured with Sparks, Andy Prieboy and Revolushn. He is based in Los Angeles, California.
"With All My Might" is a song by American pop and rock duo Sparks, which was released in 1984 as the lead single from their thirteenth studio album Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984). The song was written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael, and produced by Ian Little. "With All My Might" failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100 but reached No. 4 on the Bubbling Under the Hot 100 chart.
Walk on Well Lighted Streets is the second studio album by American new wave pop group Gleaming Spires. Like their debut, Songs of the Spires, the album was produced by Stephen Hague.
Welcoming a New Ice Age is the third and final studio album by American new wave pop group Gleaming Spires. It was produced by Greg Penny.
Annette is the 2021 musical romantic drama film directed by Leos Carax, starring Adam Driver and Marion Cotillard. The film featured original music composed by Ron Mael and Russell Mael of Sparks, with lyrics co-written by Carax, and two soundtracks were released for the film. The "Cannes Edition" soundtrack, consisting of 15 songs were released first ahead of the film's Cannes' debut and was preceded by two singles–"So May We Start" and "We Love Each Other So Much". The "Ultimate Edition" soundtrack was released in digitally and as a double CD shortly after and contains virtually all of the music from the film as well as demo music produced for the album.