Record Store Day 2024 special! Monte Mallin is onboard with me again, and joining us is Sparks megafan - and sometimes DJ - Ad Rebirth. Ad joins us from Leeds, UK and arrives armed with thoughtful insights into the two Sparks vinyl re-releases

Episode 42: Telex - Sex (1981-1982) part two

Mar 25th, 2024 1h 17m

John Ashdown and I put a bow on the Telex album Sex. Well, sort of. Most of the world got the single disc version that was released in 1981, but the UK had a double album bestowed upon them when the record finally reached that country in 1982.

Episode 41: Telex - Sex (1981) part one

Feb 25th, 2024 1h 22m

I wasn't sure if I was ever going to really delve into this one, but here you go! This will be another two-parter. Telex was a Belgian technopop group active from 1978 to 1988. They made the acquaintance of Ron and Russell Mael in 1979, through

Episode 40: Interview with Thom Chiki

Jan 4th, 2024 1h 23m

Thom Chiki is SO DEVO. SO DEVO, that without Thom there would be no DEVOtional convention in Columbus, Ohio. Also a big Sparks fan, personal friend of DEVO and Sparks drummer David Kendrick, and an all-around awesome person. Check out Thom's vi

Episode 39: Interview With Timothy Hall

Jan 4th, 2024 1h 7m

Wrapping up 2023 (belatedly) with two great interviews from Sparks fans. This one is from Timothy Hall in Cardiff, Wales. He runs Daytrip Records in the UK! Go check it out!Write to us at [email protected]

Episode 38: Angst In My Pants part four (1982)

Dec 11th, 2023 1h 5m

At long last! Monte and Christian wrap up their inexhaustible discussion about Sparks' 1982 landmark LP. Plus, a doff of the cap to Los Angeles' KROQ, the radio station that helped introduce a whole new generation of punk and new wave fans to R

Episode 37: Angst In My Pants part three (1982)

Oct 14th, 2023 1h 17m

More from Monte and Christian about Spark's 1982 party-starter Angst In My Pants! Plus, a short history lesson on the man behind Ron's original "Ronald" synth.Monte Mallin has a brand-spankin' new YouTube series about Sparks! Check it out! Lin

Episode 36: Angst In My Pants part two (1982)

Sep 4th, 2023 1h 13m

Monte Mallin and I continue our dive into the effervescent waters of Angst In My Pants and the E.T.-induced wonder of 1982. Here, we wrap up side one!Email me if you want at [email protected] remember to check out Monte's podcast

Episode 35: Angst in my Pants part one (1982)

Aug 17th, 2023 1h 21m

Angst in my Pants is one of the greatest albums ever made!Now that that's out of the way, on this, our 35th episode, Christian spends a conspicuous amount of time comparing classic TV comedy Taxi to Sparks and vice versa, by way of Danny DeVit

Episode 34: ’Latte’ Listening Party part two

Jun 19th, 2023 1h 20m

PART TWO OF TWO!FOUR - count 'em - FOUR Sparks fans join me for a track-by-track look under the hood of Sparks' latest album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.Monte Mallin returns, along with Paul Barrett, Penny Brown, and Jo Sieger! That's a l

Episode 33: ’Latte’ Listening Party part one

Jun 15th, 2023 1h 17m

FOUR - count 'em - FOUR Sparks fans join me for a track-by-track look under the hood of Sparks' latest album The Girl Is Crying In Her Latte.Monte Mallin returns, along with Paul Barrett, Penny Brown, and Jo Sieger! That's a lot of Sparks gala

Episode 32: The Paul Barrett Interview

May 5th, 2023 1h 24m

Monte and Christian sit for a lengthy (and stimulating!) chat with Sparks superfan and author of the insightful blog One For the Ages (www.sparks-onefortheages.com) Paul Barrett.We discuss some of his fascinating meta-analyses of Sparks' lyri

Episode 31: Whomp That Sucker part two (1981)

Apr 10th, 2023 1h 45m

Christian and Monte wax philosophical about talking hippos, gastric distress and getting kicked in the bonbons. Plus! What is this salt discharge in my latte?We wrap up Whomp That Sucker, the first of the twin quasars of Reinhold Mack-produced

Episode 30: Interview with Jim Goodwin

Mar 2nd, 2023 1h 37m

He started out a middle class kid from Oregon who grumbled about taking his piano lessons. But by the time he was thirty, Jim Goodwin had worked with the likes of Sparks, John Cale, Simple Minds, Bono, Peter Gabriel and other luminaries.Jim wa

Episode 29: Whomp That Sucker part one (1980-1981)

Jan 18th, 2023 1h 53m

Ron and Russ were dying for some decent espresso and pastries. Voila, they found their newest muses at the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles.The Maels teamed up with a talented band by the name (at that time) of The Bates Motel, and with

Episode 28: Terminal Jive (1979-1980)

Oct 22nd, 2022 1h 50m

Terminal Jive had the misfortune of following up No. 1 in Heaven, which enjoys legendary status today. It also had the misfortune of Ron and Russ's original slate of songs being defenestrated outright by Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer.

Episode 27: Noel: Is There More to Life Than Dancing? (1979)

Sep 8th, 2022 1h 21m

Hey, Sparkskateers. This episode is entirely about the Mael-produced album by Noel: Is There More to Life Than Dancing. I'm chatting with Monte Mallin on this one, and then another conversation with Jim Wellen.This is an interesting, and fun(!

Episode 26: Number One in Heaven part 2 (1979)

Aug 19th, 2022 1h 30m

I wrap up discussion of side 2 of Number One in Heaven, with the help of my friend Monte Mallin in this ep. We also discussed the Sparks side project for Noël, but I'm saving that for the next episode. To paraphrase DJ Steve Dahl, this one's go

Episode 25: Number One in Heaven part one (1978-1979)

Jul 22nd, 2022 1h 48m

It's been a while. What can I say? This is maybe *the best* if not just one of the best of the Mael brothers' albums.I had a great conversation with Monte Mallin on the second half, and you'll be hearing more of Monte in the near future.Giorg

Episode 24: Interview with David Kendrick

Aug 29th, 2021 1h 36m

He brought that crashy, nearly out of control funhouse sound to early 80s albums Whomp that Sucker and Angst in my Pants. Later he worked with two different sets of brothers when he joined DEVO as their first corporeal drummer in years. His own

Episode 23: Introducing Sparks part 2 (1977-1978)

Aug 23rd, 2021 1h 21m

In which I wrap up a discussion of Sparks' until-recently maligned 1977 album. Ron and Russell shared a studio with a revolving door of play-for-pay studio cats, and the end result was a record that sounded good, but didn't sell.Oh, BTW, yes I

Episode 22: Interview with Sal Maida

Jul 19th, 2021 1h 21m

I'm so lucky to have gotten to speak with both halves of Big Beat's rhythm section! As you'll hear from the interview, Sal's been everywhere, man. Sal's been everywhere. Another Sparks player who favors a Rick as his weapon of choice (see: Gord

Episode 21: Introducing Sparks part one (1977)

Jul 12th, 2021 1h 9m

Ron and Russell ditch the whole notion of having a standing army - er, band, and rely on studio cats hired by the hour on Columbia Records' dime.Introducing was out of print for over 30 years, until it finally got a new lease on life on CD for

Episode 20: Martin Gordon returns!

Jun 21st, 2021 45m 18s

While my first episode on Introducing keeps cookin', I've had a couple of great opportunities to interview former Sparks players, including a chap who's been on the show before, and I'm thankful to have him back on again.If you're not yet priv

Interview with Peter Gordon (NOT SPARKS-RELATED)

Jun 14th, 2021 37m 35s

No, it isn't Sparks-related, but I'm not a rich enough man for TWO podcast feeds!Instead this is my side project "What We Do Is What We Do," where I basically publish stuff I've recorded that I felt was interesting enough to share with other h