[Mael-list] Sparks on NPR

[Jim Hewitt]

Don't know if this has been mentioned or not but check out
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5555691&ft=1&f=1039 for
an audio interview from July 13, 2006.

Jim

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World Cafe, July 13, 2006 · With quirky melodies and a uniquely clever
songwriting style, Sparks has remained one of the most innovative art-pop
bands of the past three decades. While never gaining much more than a cult
following, Sparks' peculiar brand of pop smarts has influenced everything
from '80s synth-pop to Queen.

After recording a self-titled album as Halfnelson in 1971 with producer Todd
Rundgren, the group's manager convinced the band to rename itself Sparks.
Upon relocating to England, Sparks solidified around the songwriting
abilities of Ron and Russell Mael, who remained at the center of a rotating
cast for the next 30+ years. The band hit it big with 1974's Kimono My
House, cracking the U.K. Top 5 and generating two hit singles with "This
Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" and "Amateur Hour." Sparks
continued to release critically well-received albums, going through a
variety of styles along the way.

On Hello Young Lovers, Sparks returns with all of the smartly funny lyrics
and hooks a fan could hope for. While embracing styles ranging from '70s
glam to orchestral art-rock, Hello Young Lovers remains grounded in the
sense of mischief that has sustained its career.



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