With a career spanning more than 50 years, Sparks continues to entertain and innovate.

It was sometime in the Fall of 1981, and I, a high school senior and budding “New Wave” acolyte, heard a song on LA alternative station KROQ that discussed a man whose life was ruined by his beauty. Everyone only liked him for his looks, which left him shallow. The song concludes with the subject being involved in a terrible accident, disfiguring his face and thus providing him with a life of bliss.

Sometime later, I heard a song on the same radio station discussing someone who fell in love with a girl from Mars. They had a great time (And obviously, great sex) and had a quickie Vegas marriage. Once the vows were complete, she became an unrecognizable alien, thus ending the romance and the union.

By now, I knew the name Sparks but knew nothing about them. Way before the days of Google (Or even an easy ride to a good record store like Tower Records) to investigate, I thought they were some new band. Once I did get that ride to Tower, I picked up the album containing these wonderfully delightful songs (And many others). Whomp That Sucker was, and remains my favorite Sparks album.

They’re HOW old?

While perusing their bin at good old Tower Records in West Covina (Sidenote: RIP to that extraordinary location now just a part of the parking lot at the West Covina Plaza), I discovered a trove of Sparks albums going back to the early 70s. Not having enough money to cover collecting their entire catalog, I left with Whomp That Sucker in tow and listened blissfully over and over.

So it turned out that Sparks had albums from the early 70s. “Oh yeah, they were a glam band,” a friend and seasoned LPaholic told me. Aside from Bowie, the only thing I knew about glam back then was that one song by Gary Glitter, who, as it turned out, was deemed a laughable parody of the genre (Not to mention the handful of convictions for sexual abuse over his lifetime).

Sparks got me through the rest of my teenage years with two more incredible albums: Angst In My Pants and Sparks in Outer Space. The latter dials into the 80s dance phenomenon and features the smash single Cool Places, featuring Go-Go Jane Wiedlin.

Wait, back up. Who are Sparks again?

While they’ve formed bands off and on over the years, collaborating to create some of their (IMHO) best albums, Sparks has consistently remained brothers Ronald and Russell Mael. Ronald has the slicked-back hair and “Chaplin” mustache and has written most of their songs. Russell is the frontman with an incredible vocal range. Together they have recorded 27 albums, including their soon-to-be-released latest album, The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte. Now both in their seventies, neither brother appears to show any signs of slowing down.

Known initially as Halfnelson, they released their first eponymous LP in 1971 before changing their name to Sparks (And ultimately renaming the album in rerelease). In a music world redefining itself in the post-psychedelic era, Sparks was (and still is) quirky, unique, and fun to listen to. Never seeming to take themselves too seriously, they have grown a fan base that now spans a new generation. After failing to make a dent with their second album, A Woofer In Tweeter’s Clothing, the brothers broke up their original band and moved to England. The change in atmosphere helped produce three smash albums (Kimono My House, Propaganda, and Indiscreet), solidifying the brothers as bona fides in the rock world of the early and mid-70s.

Returning to the US in 1976, Sparks began experimenting with sounds that seemed to push them backward. The Big Beat failed at hard rock, while their following three albums languished through the rest of the decade with little notice. This takes us back to 1981 and the release of Whomp That Sucker! and their meteoric re-establishment as New Wave icons.

Tenacity and Dedication

From the mid-80s on, Sparks has continued to record, although with varying success. Try as I might to attempt to listen to their entire discography, I found myself torn between pure bliss at some of their work and pure distraction at others. They still manage to record some significant gems in between it all.  This century’s Dick Around and Lighten Up Morrissey are two singles that come to mind.

The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte

So far, we have been offered a taste of what’s to come from Sparks with the release of their single; The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte. A video featuring the Brothers Mael and well-known actress Cate Blanchett has also been released. It’s catchy and upbeat, and the chorus becomes a fantastic earworm. The release date of the whole album is set for May 26. Until then, could you pick your favorite Sparks album (Or albums) and give them a listen?