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 humans. This ep is my interview with playwright Peter Gordon from June 2020. He wrote (among other things) "Murdered by Death," a genuinely funny farce posing as an Agatha Christie murder mystery. For me, it's the show that never was, because of some...

Here's Hilly! From starstruck Sparks fan, to fully-fledged member, Hilly was responsible for the Big Beat in Big Beat. He's had a hell of a career post-Sparks, and enjoyed an early MTV smash with Calling All Girls. This interview is stupid long, but I ain't apologizing. Listen to it on a transatlantic flight or something. Have as many cuba libres as I probably did during the proceedings. Next up is Introducing Sparks, part 1! I've already recorded some of it! OH! Thanks to Tom Ferranti for...

I finish discussing Sparks' 1976 album Big Beat.

It's been a minute since I rapped at ya, Sparks fans. Hope all is well. At long last, here's the next chapter in the Sparks saga: the story of Big Beat. Recorded in NYC with an all-new, all-American band, and with Rupert Holmes at the helm (yes, THAT Rupert Holmes), Big Beat was released by Columbia Records in October 1976. Inspired in part by the emerging punk/new wave scene of the moment, Big Beat eschews the baroque pop stylings of the Island records, and opts for a bare bones rock and...

We're back! Finally I get down to the nitty gritty of Indiscreet side 2, plus a bevy of bonus tracks. That wraps it up for Sparks in England! Next we head to NYC for Big Beat. Check us out on Facebook or drop me a line at [email protected].

Christian interviews preeminent (he probably hates that term) rock journalist Dave Thompson in this free-wheeling interview that occasionally even has us discussing Sparks! Dave is the author of the 2009 biography about Sparks, No. 1 Songs in Heaven, a tome that practically stands as this podcast's bible in terms of getting the story of Sparks right. You can check out his author homepage here, just in case you want to feel hopelessly underproductive and undistinguished. Write me if you like...

CAVEAT DOWNLOAD-OR: NOT SPARKS-RELATED! Doing some logrolling today. After months of idle threats, I have finally assembled the first episode of my new podcast What We Do Is What We Do. No, it's not about the DEVO song. It's about hobbies, pastimes, and passion projects! Starring maybe you one day! The new show will have its own feed, but it's going to play nice here with the Sparks feed for now. Mr. Dario Western (an avid Sparks fan himself, natch) joins me on my maiden voyage, giving me the...

Sparks' final album as a British band finds them at a whole new level of ambition. Hoping to make their own Sgt Pepper's, Ron and Russell find their personal George Martin in Tony Visconti, who helped Sparks arrange songs for swing bands, marching bands, string quartets, etc. I also tell the sad story of the Jacques Tati film that never was. Check us out on FB here, or email Christian here. Next episode will be an in-depth one-on-one with rock journalist Dave Thompson!

I'm joined by Pini Schatz, director of the documentary about Sparks fandom Never Turn Your Back on Sparks. Listen to Pini's wild ride through the world of Sparks fans across continents, cultures, and income levels. As well as revealing how he nabbed some of those interviews with famous music icons, we get to find out who flaked out on him (hint: Lighten Up)! See the trailer for yourself here and check out the film's Facebook page here. Stay well, Sparks fans. Love, Christian

I delve into side two of Propaganda in this one, including B-side Alabamy Right. Propaganda was a deliberate step forward from Kimono My House, in terms of musical ambition. The second and final album produced by Muff Winwood, Ron employs his "Jam-proof your composition" manifesto here to ensure no one does the same thing twice, and to ensure that Adrian Fisher never gets to play a single blues lick. How was Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth misunderstood by Ray Davies? Exactly WHAT the...

(I updated a new version of the file March 25, with the final versions of Martin's songs "Will of the People" and "Idiots.") What excuse did I have for waiting longer than this for uploading and sharing? None, that's what! While I'm more or less quarantined in my house here in SXSW-less Austin, TX, I've got time on my hands. Thank goodness cabin fever is the only fever in my household at the moment! Here's that interview with Martin Gordon I promised! He couldn't have been more generous with...

Sheltered-in-place so long you've got serious cabin fever? Perfect time to listen to Sparks' second hit LP for Island, Propaganda. Propaganda was recorded in just a few weeks, in the wake of the seismic smash of its predecessor. In this episode, I dig deep into the making of the record and explore side one. As always, drop me a note at [email protected] or check us out on Facebook. Stay safe, my friends! Wash your hands and eyeballs after reading this! Much love, Christian 

(NOTE: I uploaded a new version of this episode with different sound levels 2/26) I explore side 2 of Kimono My House in episode 9, and throw in random tidbits about OPEC-induced vinyl shortages and Japanese musical theatre troupes. Did Doris Day know she had a doppleganger? Is there a gorilla out there doing his best impression of Ron Mael? Do YOU know how to tie a kimono? I expect the answers on my desk by the end of the day. As promised in my intro, here's the link to Andy Moore's podcast...

We're back! Happy 2020, Sparks fans. In episode 8, I take an obsessive gander at side one of Sparks' most famous album Kimono My House. Learn how Sparks catapulted from esoteric Los Angeles weirdos to British superstars in 1974 with the monumental "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us," and its stellar parent album.After the history lesson, I bend the ear of Monte Mallin again, this time asking him about what made the late Dinky Diamond the highest-regarded of all of Sparks' many...

(Amended re-release) Richard Martinez rejoins Christian for a Sparks listening party, as we examine the first Halfnelson/Sparks album on Bearsville Records. Christian reads Joseph Fleury's liner notes from a 1975 repackaging of the first two albums, and a rare interview (from another source) with Earle Mankey rounds out the episode. Email me here, and check us out on FB here!

Ron and Russell recruit a new band in England, and sharpen their sound with new songs. Hear how Martin Gordon, Dinky Diamond and Adrian Fisher were discovered, and how Island Records had set Sparks up to be 1974's Next Big Thing. Stick around for an interview with James Lowe, producer of Sparks' previous album A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing, and founding member of the Electric Prunes. Thanks for your support in 2019, dear listeners! Happy Holidays/Christmas/Hannukah/whatever and I'll see you...

In this episode, Sparks jet off to the UK for a three-month mini-tour of England and mainland Europe. Find out how Ron, Russ and company take advantage of the 1972 exchange rate of 10,000 US dollars = infinity pounds sterling. Witness the bittersweet end of Sparks Mark I that following spring, and (briefly) hear what became of Sparks' original players. After that, stick around for a fantastic interview with drummer Harley Feinstein! I can't thank him enough for his generosity. Email us here...

Christian delves into the making of, the glory of, and the frustration with, Sparks' second album for Bearsville: "A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing." It should have been a hit... But what a ride it was, and what would come next was legendary.

The original interview with Monte Mallin was a victim of the interviewer being unfamiliar with his recording tech. So, Monte was nice enough to come back for a do-over, where we ended up covering more ground than before. (And eventually Christian will learn to get up closer on that mic himself.) Because so much of the interview rendered the original superfluous, welcome to the new official episode 3! Check out Monte's podcast So Important and his blog here. Email our show here!

Ron and Russell get their first shot at the big time courtesy a "Runt" named Todd. Sparks crack the Deep South, and Russell cracks his head open. Big thanks to Monte Mallin and his podcast So Important, as well as his blog, which can be found here. Email us here!

Mr. Ruud Swart, friend of the podcast and Sparksologist-cum-Fan-Club-President-Emeritus waxes nostalgic about his near lifelong quest to uncover the one-time holy grail of Sparks, the unreleased Halfnelson demo album. And that's just the very tip of the Sparksberg. Enjoy! Email us here.

Hear Christian regale you about the band's early days and then join him as he takes the plunge, alongside Richard Martinez, into Sparks' unofficial first album. 'Halfnelson '69' is a wild, wooly record that points the way forward for Ron and Russell's skewed pop smarts. Email the show here.