SPARKS

Alan Liddell · Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2006 4:50 pm Post subject:

I bought This Town as soon as I heard it on the radio (it was the strangest and best record I had ever heard). Loved the Top Of The Pops appearances, bought Kimono My House, joined the fan club and got Propaganda and the 1st two albums, Then my first ever gig with my pal Eric (who also posts on here) Sparks at Dundee Caird Hall (it was like Beatlemania) all in 1974, I was hooked.

I went to the Indiscreet tour at Edinburgh Odeon in 75 never thinking it woud be the last time I would see them for 20 years until the Gratuitous Sax tour. I lost track of them after Whomp That Sucker for a few years, It was Gratuitous Sax that reconvinced me they were still brilliant. Got right back into them and collected the albums I'd missed.

Flew down to London for Morrissey's Meltdown performance of Kimono My House & Li'l Beethoven, that was fantastic.

Bought the new album on 1st day of release and saw them for the 5th time at Glasgow Carling Academy, They are my favourite band again and I'm about to rejoin the fan club after 32 years. Funny old world MiniPop

Songbird · Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2006 3:43 am Post subject:

About 10 years I think... Seems like Sparks have always been there as long as I'm into music. :)

mr.pineapple · Newbie Joined: 05 Apr 2006 Posts: 7

First bought "Number 1 Song In Heaven" single in 1979, it was my first picture sleeve! Then bought "Beat The Clock". I was 12 at the time. My next purchase was, shamefully,15 years later with the "Gratuitious Sax" album. Since thenI haven't looked back and I have got Plagiarism, Balls, Lil Beethoven, Terminal Jive, Indiscreet and of course the fantastic Hello Young Lovers. I am currently trying to get the entire back catalogue even though one or two seem hard to get. Only seen them live once this year at The Sage. Unbelievable!

STEViE · Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 4:11 am Post subject:

25-30 for me

This is the Number one song in heaven - that was when I became a fan

although I can vaguely remember this town on top of the pops in 74

parus

I was not a great radio listener in the mid-70s, but I had friends at school who brought Kimono and Propaganda to a school party in fifth grade (which would be 1975). Soon both albums and Indiscreet were on heavy rotation in my home.

After that - nothing. Big Beat wasn't marketed much and I never noticed it arrive. A few years went, many record stores still had the "three great British albums", but no new additions. I was under the impression that Sparks were gone for good. In the early 80s, a friend tried to convince me that they had made another album, one where they wore boxing gloves on the cover and played hard rock. Yeah, right.

Then I found "Music that you can dance to" at a record sale. Soon after, i found "Pulling Rabbits" at a similar sale. These were clearly over-stock from American record companies sold for the sole purpose of being dumped at clearance sales. Record contracts usually have a clause about the company's permission to sell over-stock as "cut corners", with no royalty to the artists. Although I felt bad about RnR not getting paid (and angry at their poor distribution in Sweden), I was happy I had found my idols alive and recording. When I found the Interior Design CD at another record sale, it prompted me to go buy a CD player.

Then came "Gratuitous Sax" and everything changed. Suddenly Sparks were everywhere, and easily obtainable in Swedish record stores. I gleefully bought the CD re-issues of all the albums I had missed (and the ones I hadn't), and by the time Plagiarism came out, I had the entire back catalogue on CD (except "Introducing", of course - and that elusive "National Crime Awareness Week" ep).

So, have I really listened to Sparks for more than 30 years even though I missed the late 70s and early-to-mid 80s? Indeed I have. I stuck with the three albums I had. As a body of musical work, they are quite a universe in themselves. When I got my first "music computer", an 8 bit Yamaha CX5M with integrated 8 voice FM synth, I immediately set out to record a cover of "Mother Earth" (only to be reminded that Russel Mael is a great singer and I am not).

One of the joys of the Internet is that one need never lose track of a band just because it has disappeared off the local charts.
/MSj
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Annika · Posted: Fri May 26, 2006 11:19 pm Post subject:

LadyGodiva · Posted: Tue Jun 20, 2006 7:35 pm Post subject:

since I'm born, 18 years

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MrNormall · Groupie Joined: 25 Aug 2006 Posts: 242 Location: Finland

Only since 1994, but I've bought all the albums and some singles since then.
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Loreley · Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 3:54 pm Post subject:

7-8 years.

I was 10 years old, and I read my father's music magazines.

I didn't understand much, since I'd only been learning english for a year, but I saw a picture of Sparks and I thought Ron looked cute.

The next year I heard them on the radio, found out that they were the guys from the picture, and I was a fan.
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fossilise_apostle · Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:47 pm Post subject:

too many geezers! TOO MANY GEEZERS.

Missy en ski · Sub-Deity Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 924 Location: Finland

FA, were you born angry or has life just treated you badly? The tolerance towards the other people is one form of intelligence.

E-Clect-Eddy · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:38 pm Post subject:

No, i think he's just praying for a party

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Missy en ski · Sub-Deity Joined: 26 Jan 2006 Posts: 924 Location: Finland

Or LOVE! FA, open the doors of your soul to Love and you will see the sunshine!!

E-Clect-Eddy · Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 4:55 pm Post subject:

So, he can get under the table with her

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fossilise_apostle · Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:22 am Post subject:

may God have mercy on us all.

Martin Jordan · Posted: Wed Sep 27, 2006 6:07 pm Post subject:

33 years, now that makes me old, will see them live for the first time this year in Cambridge
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Sparks fan since 1973

bigbaz · Certified Fan Joined: 01 Feb 2006 Posts: 56

32 years now,I first bought the "Kimono my house" album after hearing "Amatuer hour"on top of the pops.Just thought "This town ai'nt big enough for the both us"was a bit too weird for me at first.

Lyekka · Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 5:17 pm Post subject:

Since 1982 - when I was two! I quickly became obsessed with my dad's copy of Kimono My House. So basically all my life!!!!!
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Alan Pardew is hot!!!!

Wraith · Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 7:42 pm Post subject:

I was 9 years old when This Town came out and I was totally hooked on Sparks. There are certain things which leave a mark on your life.......Ron and Russell did back then and they've been doing it ever since!

Jaws · Posted: Thu Oct 12, 2006 11:50 am Post subject:

Under a year, Wraith introduced me to the dvd he had of sparks a while ago and i've loved them ever since :D.I feel like I've been born since 1970s now but I am only 14 lol!