Sparks

Frank La Rocca extends the genre of the festal Missa solemnis in his Mass of the Americas, a sublime setting of the Traditional Latin Mass for choir and orchestra. La Rocca weaves a rich tapestry with serene Gregorian chants, folk melodies from 18th-century regions of México, and florid praises in Nahuatl, the language spoken by Our Lady of Guadalupe to St. Juan Diego in 1531. Cultures past and present are joined musically as a witness to faith, hope, and reconciliation in this masterpiece of liturgical art.

Brothers Ron and Russell Mael from Los Angeles, USA have been making diverse music since 1969 under various incarnations of Sparks. In 1979 they ditched the guitars and keyboards of glam geek rock and started working with Italian producer Giorgio Moroder, beginning a love affair with electronic music. Since then they have worked with a variety of people including Finitribe, Les Rita Mitsouko, Erasure and Faith No More.

Within the first track of their debut album – the crisp, minimal pounder "Wonder Girl," featuring Russell Mael's falsetto already engaged in swooping acrobatics and Ron Mael's sparkling piano work to the fore, singing ever-so-slightly-weird lyrics about love that couldn't quite be taken at face value – Sparks established themselves so perfectly that arguably the rest of the brothers' long career has been a continual refinement from that basic formula…

Tim Sparks - Little Princess. Tim Sparks Plays Naftule Brandwein (2009) {Tzadik}
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© Tzadik | TZ 8143
Jazz / Klezmer / Contemporary Instrumental

Acoustic fingerstyle guitarist Tim Sparks has always set himself apart from the pack of his peers. Rather than rely strictly on playing blues or age-old folk and bluegrass tunes, or even following in the well-worn paths of John Fahey, Peter Lang, and Robbie Basho, Sparks has followed his muse down into the corridors of musical and cultural history. While no one can dent the influence of great jazzmen on his playing, one can hear the sounds of saxophonists, pianists, and of course the sounds of Yiddish folk and popular music, klezmer among them.

Sparks - New Music For Amnesiacs. The Essential Collection (2013) [2CD] {Lil Beethoven Records}
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© 2013 Lil Beethoven Records | LBRCD7
Rock / New Wave / Synth Pop / Dance Rock

Following the release of their boxset Sparks: New Music For Amnesiacs, The Ultimate Collection, Sparks now release a condensed 2 CD selection spanning their 40+ year career entitled Sparks: New Music For Amnesiacs, The Essential Collection. One of the most influential bands in pop, Sparks have been at the forefront of music from the glam rock of the 70s, their reinvention as an electronic pop duo when collaborating with Giorgio Moroder, through to their most recent chamber rock/pop. Their frequently changing styles and visual presentations have kept them on the cutting edge of modern artful pop music.

Sparks - Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat (1984) {2013 Repertoire Records Remaster}
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© 2013 Repertoire Records / Warner | REP 5287
Rock / Pop Rock / New Wave / Dance Rock / Synth Pop

Conjuring fresh and original material out of thin air can be as tricky as pulling rabbits out a hat. But that’s just what Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks have been doing throughout their extraordinary career. The talented duo came to fame with ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us’ in 1974 and went to create many more hit singles and extraordinary albums. ‘Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat’ is a fine example of their post-disco period, when they were moving into the realms of novelty electronica pop. And if that sounds a convoluted description of their art, that’s because Sparks have always been difficult to categorise - so why bother categorising! Just enjoy these eleven quirky and entrancing performances from a 1984 album that has Ron Mael let loose on hi-tech synthesizers and Russell singing with all his high pitched charm.