WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:07.000 Downloaded from YTS.MX 2 00:00:08.000 --> 00:00:13.000 Official YIFY movies site: YTS.MX 3 00:00:27.418 --> 00:00:29.507 [ambient synth music playing] 4 00:00:43.608 --> 00:00:46.568 ♪ Fanfare 5 00:00:50.267 --> 00:00:52.487 [throat clears] 6 00:00:52.530 --> 00:00:56.273 ♪ The opening film fanfare 7 00:01:00.886 --> 00:01:04.629 ♪ Documentary film fanfare 8 00:01:11.071 --> 00:01:14.509 ♪ Edgar Wright film fanfare. 9 00:01:14.552 --> 00:01:16.467 -And look right in the camera? -Yeah. Yeah, yeah. 10 00:01:16.511 --> 00:01:17.903 -Okay. Okay, great. -Just talk to me through the camera. 11 00:01:17.947 --> 00:01:20.689 -Speeding. -Beck. Take one. Mark. 12 00:01:22.343 --> 00:01:24.867 BECK: Throughout all the years that I've been making music, 13 00:01:24.910 --> 00:01:26.695 if you get on a tour bus 14 00:01:26.738 --> 00:01:30.002 and you sit on a long drive with a bunch of musicians, 15 00:01:30.046 --> 00:01:33.049 eventually, the conversation will go to Sparks. 16 00:01:33.093 --> 00:01:35.095 My good friends, Sparks. 17 00:01:35.138 --> 00:01:37.619 -Sparks. -Sparks. -Sparks. -Sparks. 18 00:01:37.662 --> 00:01:39.621 FLEA: I remember just seeing them all the time 19 00:01:39.664 --> 00:01:41.144 and like, "Who are those guys?" 20 00:01:41.188 --> 00:01:43.799 They are an anomaly. 21 00:01:43.842 --> 00:01:45.583 JASON SCHWARTZMAN: I don't feel like they purposely 22 00:01:45.627 --> 00:01:46.758 have been 23 00:01:46.802 --> 00:01:48.543 trying to be mysterious, right? 24 00:01:48.586 --> 00:01:50.153 They don't really look like a band. 25 00:01:50.197 --> 00:01:52.024 They do just look like people who've been sort of 26 00:01:52.068 --> 00:01:53.809 let out for a day. 27 00:01:53.852 --> 00:01:55.898 ♪ And it ain't me who's gonna leave... ♪ 28 00:01:55.941 --> 00:01:57.291 CREW: Look into camera. 29 00:01:57.334 --> 00:01:59.031 -You want to look in the lens. -Yeah. 30 00:01:59.075 --> 00:02:00.990 Damn you and your three-quarterness. 31 00:02:01.033 --> 00:02:03.340 -[laughter] -It's a damn mole! 32 00:02:03.384 --> 00:02:05.386 Two members of like mind, 33 00:02:05.429 --> 00:02:07.388 and they're conspirators. 34 00:02:07.431 --> 00:02:11.261 It's a very clever thing they've got going on. 35 00:02:11.305 --> 00:02:15.352 KATIE PUCKRIK: They really tiptoe through the tulips 36 00:02:15.396 --> 00:02:17.354 between beauty 37 00:02:17.398 --> 00:02:20.052 and revulsion. 38 00:02:20.096 --> 00:02:21.489 What's going on? Oh, my God. 39 00:02:21.532 --> 00:02:23.404 It's insane, but it's fantastic. 40 00:02:23.447 --> 00:02:24.970 [crowd cheering] 41 00:02:25.014 --> 00:02:26.233 They would make really good Muppets. 42 00:02:27.321 --> 00:02:29.018 ♪ Daily, except for Sunday... 43 00:02:29.061 --> 00:02:30.541 PATTON OSWALT: You have this snaky lead singer-- 44 00:02:30.585 --> 00:02:32.239 you know, something for the ladies. 45 00:02:32.282 --> 00:02:35.894 And then you got Adolf Hitler on-on the keyboards. 46 00:02:35.938 --> 00:02:36.895 It is a little strange. 47 00:02:38.114 --> 00:02:40.029 Why has that bloke got a Hitler mustache? 48 00:02:40.769 --> 00:02:42.597 That's a good look. 49 00:02:42.640 --> 00:02:43.728 DAVID KENDRICK: Dean Martin was hanging out, 50 00:02:43.772 --> 00:02:45.208 and he would always, like, 51 00:02:45.252 --> 00:02:47.341 look at Ron like, "What the...?" 52 00:02:47.384 --> 00:02:49.430 ♪ 53 00:02:52.781 --> 00:02:54.696 [vocalizing] 54 00:02:54.739 --> 00:02:56.437 CHRIS DIFFORD: When I first discovered Sparks, 55 00:02:56.480 --> 00:02:58.569 I never thought of them as being American at all. 56 00:02:58.613 --> 00:02:59.614 I thought of them 57 00:02:59.657 --> 00:03:01.746 just being this, like... Sparks. 58 00:03:01.790 --> 00:03:03.618 They're otherworldly. 59 00:03:03.661 --> 00:03:07.535 ALEX KAPRANOS: I always thought Sparks were a... a British band. 60 00:03:07.578 --> 00:03:09.276 PAUL MORLEY: They're the best, uh, British group 61 00:03:09.319 --> 00:03:10.668 ever to come out of America. 62 00:03:10.712 --> 00:03:12.366 Je suis américain. 63 00:03:12.409 --> 00:03:14.977 ♪ Everywhere, heartbeat, increasing heartbeat... ♪ 64 00:03:15.020 --> 00:03:17.240 They are a total enigma to me. 65 00:03:17.284 --> 00:03:19.677 They are a band who you can look up on Wikipedia 66 00:03:19.721 --> 00:03:21.766 and know nothing. 67 00:03:21.810 --> 00:03:24.204 Who the fuck are these guys? 68 00:03:24.247 --> 00:03:27.424 Ron has a huge snow globe collection. 69 00:03:27.468 --> 00:03:29.600 Like... [gasps] Really? 70 00:03:29.644 --> 00:03:32.690 LES BOHEM: It's quite special and, um... 71 00:03:32.734 --> 00:03:34.649 odd. 72 00:03:34.692 --> 00:03:36.346 APRIL RICHARDSON: If you try to describe them to people, 73 00:03:36.390 --> 00:03:38.435 it's like, what do they sound like? Sparks. 74 00:03:38.479 --> 00:03:41.003 The work speaks for itself, so I don't have to know them. 75 00:03:41.046 --> 00:03:42.787 JACK ANTONOFF: All pop music is rearranged Vince Clarke 76 00:03:42.831 --> 00:03:44.267 and rearranged Sparks. 77 00:03:44.311 --> 00:03:45.355 That's the truth. 78 00:03:45.399 --> 00:03:47.139 So we have influenced everyone. 79 00:03:47.183 --> 00:03:49.751 SCHWARTZMAN: Honestly, I don't want to see this movie. 80 00:03:49.794 --> 00:03:52.362 I don't want to learn too much about 'em. 81 00:03:52.406 --> 00:03:56.061 Um, I'll watch it because I'm in it. 82 00:03:56.105 --> 00:03:57.585 EDGAR WRIGHT: What do you think about me 83 00:03:57.628 --> 00:03:59.500 calling the documentary The Sparks Brothers? 84 00:03:59.543 --> 00:04:01.502 [laughter] 85 00:04:02.764 --> 00:04:06.724 -Um, in lieu of anything better... -Yeah, yeah. 86 00:04:09.379 --> 00:04:11.599 RUSSELL MAEL: We hate that name. 87 00:04:16.995 --> 00:04:18.823 We are Sparks. 88 00:04:20.303 --> 00:04:21.870 Sparks are a band. 89 00:04:23.175 --> 00:04:24.481 Next question. 90 00:04:25.874 --> 00:04:28.659 -We are not an English band. -Dude. 91 00:04:30.095 --> 00:04:31.314 I'm the singer. 92 00:04:31.358 --> 00:04:32.881 I'm not the singer. 93 00:04:34.317 --> 00:04:36.537 BOTH: We are not identical twins. 94 00:04:37.755 --> 00:04:38.974 We are brothers. 95 00:04:40.410 --> 00:04:42.586 We are brothers. 96 00:04:44.066 --> 00:04:45.415 We do not live together. 97 00:04:46.851 --> 00:04:49.767 We are from a middle-class background. 98 00:04:51.856 --> 00:04:55.251 My sexual persuasion is slightly horny. 99 00:04:57.384 --> 00:05:00.604 There are 25 Sparks albums. 100 00:05:03.215 --> 00:05:05.783 With advances in medical technology, 101 00:05:05.827 --> 00:05:09.265 hopefully there will be 200 to 300 more Sparks albums. 102 00:05:09.309 --> 00:05:10.875 [crew laughing] 103 00:05:10.919 --> 00:05:13.530 WRIGHT: Sparks-- how did this glam rock anomaly 104 00:05:13.574 --> 00:05:17.317 become a band with a career spanning five decades? 105 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.321 How can Ron and Russell Mael be successful, underrated, 106 00:05:21.364 --> 00:05:23.888 hugely influential and overlooked 107 00:05:23.932 --> 00:05:25.673 all at the same time? 108 00:05:25.716 --> 00:05:28.371 How do two brothers survive in a rock and roll world 109 00:05:28.415 --> 00:05:30.460 without killing each other? 110 00:05:30.504 --> 00:05:32.114 And where does one even start 111 00:05:32.157 --> 00:05:36.118 with 25 studio albums and nearly 500 songs? 112 00:05:37.206 --> 00:05:41.471 Join us as we pull back the curtain 113 00:05:41.515 --> 00:05:45.606 to shine a light on the brothers Mael 114 00:05:45.649 --> 00:05:48.783 and crucially offer a window into the psyche 115 00:05:48.826 --> 00:05:51.351 of these extraordinary musicians 116 00:05:51.394 --> 00:05:55.093 and, through their music, paint a long overdue portrait 117 00:05:55.137 --> 00:05:57.835 of them as real artists. 118 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:02.362 Our story begins not in gloomy old England 119 00:06:02.405 --> 00:06:04.407 but in sunny California. 120 00:06:04.451 --> 00:06:07.410 ♪ Gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John ♪ 121 00:06:07.454 --> 00:06:10.282 ♪ He claim he has the misery, but he has a lot of fun ♪ 122 00:06:10.326 --> 00:06:13.851 ♪ Oh, baby, yeah, baby 123 00:06:13.895 --> 00:06:15.940 ♪ Whoo, baby... 124 00:06:15.984 --> 00:06:17.420 To a kid seeing them on TV, 125 00:06:17.464 --> 00:06:19.814 they just came from another world. 126 00:06:19.857 --> 00:06:21.642 ♪ Well, long tall Sally... 127 00:06:21.685 --> 00:06:23.644 They weren't supposed to come from anywhere. 128 00:06:23.687 --> 00:06:26.603 I think, originally, I did think they were a British band. 129 00:06:26.647 --> 00:06:28.344 I'm still not convinced that they're American. 130 00:06:28.388 --> 00:06:29.954 JOHN CONGLETON: I always sort of thought of them as like 131 00:06:29.998 --> 00:06:32.000 Cheap Trick in a way, like, oh, they're probably 132 00:06:32.043 --> 00:06:33.349 from the Midwest somewhere. 133 00:06:33.393 --> 00:06:35.264 RON: We're kind of the rare breed 134 00:06:35.307 --> 00:06:37.571 of native-born Californians. 135 00:06:37.614 --> 00:06:40.704 RUSSELL: I was born in Santa Monica, California. 136 00:06:40.748 --> 00:06:43.533 He was born in Culver City, California. 137 00:06:43.577 --> 00:06:46.710 Our father was an artist, a painter 138 00:06:46.754 --> 00:06:48.669 and was also a commercial artist 139 00:06:48.712 --> 00:06:50.671 for theHollywood Citizen-News. 140 00:06:50.714 --> 00:06:52.281 ♪ Well, I saw Uncle John... 141 00:06:52.324 --> 00:06:54.283 RON: Some of the images that he painted were 142 00:06:54.326 --> 00:06:56.894 places that we would go to quite a bit. 143 00:06:56.938 --> 00:06:59.157 One of them was the Santa Monica Pier. 144 00:06:59.201 --> 00:07:02.857 We would spend days fishing for perch. 145 00:07:02.900 --> 00:07:04.728 And kind of-- the pier, to me, 146 00:07:04.772 --> 00:07:08.079 looks like that painting, not like the real thing is. 147 00:07:08.123 --> 00:07:09.777 ♪ Have some fun tonight... 148 00:07:09.820 --> 00:07:12.432 RUSSELL: He always had these records from Elvis 149 00:07:12.475 --> 00:07:15.304 and Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard. 150 00:07:15.347 --> 00:07:18.568 Him introducing us to cool music 151 00:07:18.612 --> 00:07:21.484 was something that we kind of retained. 152 00:07:21.528 --> 00:07:24.574 ♪ One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock rock... ♪ 153 00:07:24.618 --> 00:07:26.663 RON: It really was an amazing time 154 00:07:26.707 --> 00:07:30.928 because we were exposed to the first seismic shift in music. 155 00:07:30.972 --> 00:07:33.714 I remember the first time I went to see 156 00:07:33.757 --> 00:07:36.107 Blackboard Jungle. 157 00:07:36.151 --> 00:07:38.196 One instance of hearing the title music 158 00:07:38.240 --> 00:07:40.634 changed my whole DNA. 159 00:07:40.677 --> 00:07:44.028 This kind of music was really overturning 160 00:07:44.072 --> 00:07:47.205 that staid Eisenhower-era lifestyle. 161 00:07:47.249 --> 00:07:51.079 This was wrong but in all the kind of right ways. 162 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:54.822 KAPRANOS: If you want to understand 163 00:07:54.865 --> 00:07:56.476 Ron and Russell, you need to see them 164 00:07:56.519 --> 00:07:58.521 through one prism, and that-that prism is 165 00:07:58.565 --> 00:08:02.003 cinema but specifically Hollywood. 166 00:08:03.874 --> 00:08:06.790 RON: I remember spending a lot of time at the movies 167 00:08:06.834 --> 00:08:08.923 with Russell and our father. 168 00:08:08.966 --> 00:08:12.927 We would go see a lot of Westerns and war films. 169 00:08:15.582 --> 00:08:17.235 I really cherished those 170 00:08:17.279 --> 00:08:18.889 Saturday matinees. 171 00:08:18.933 --> 00:08:20.630 It was a rich experience. 172 00:08:20.674 --> 00:08:22.327 It was more than just a movie. 173 00:08:22.371 --> 00:08:24.547 It was a... a total afternoon 174 00:08:24.591 --> 00:08:28.986 with popcorn and cartoons and newsreels. 175 00:08:29.030 --> 00:08:31.946 Why don't you try a juicy, good hot dog? 176 00:08:31.989 --> 00:08:34.557 Our parents didn't care if a movie had started, 177 00:08:34.601 --> 00:08:36.298 so we would just come in the middle of the movie 178 00:08:36.341 --> 00:08:40.650 and try to imagine what the beginning of it was. 179 00:08:40.694 --> 00:08:42.347 And I think part of our, uh, 180 00:08:42.391 --> 00:08:44.698 jagged sense of narrative in the songs 181 00:08:44.741 --> 00:08:48.440 might have been, uh, initiated in some way by that. 182 00:08:52.314 --> 00:08:54.403 ♪ 183 00:09:01.758 --> 00:09:07.242 RUSSELL: Um, when our father died, uh, 184 00:09:07.285 --> 00:09:11.638 obviously, it was a really traumatic experience. 185 00:09:13.335 --> 00:09:17.600 You don't even understand, really, how that's possible 186 00:09:17.644 --> 00:09:20.647 or that he's not gonna ever be there again. 187 00:09:20.690 --> 00:09:24.389 And-and, uh, it's something that's so abstract, 188 00:09:24.433 --> 00:09:26.609 just the concept of death. 189 00:09:26.653 --> 00:09:29.569 And, uh... and it's when... when it's your father, 190 00:09:29.612 --> 00:09:31.832 and then especially at that age, too, 191 00:09:31.875 --> 00:09:35.705 that you're so young that you never 192 00:09:35.749 --> 00:09:37.707 got to ask the questions 193 00:09:37.751 --> 00:09:41.363 that you would now like to have asked to him 194 00:09:41.406 --> 00:09:43.539 and to have known more about him. 195 00:09:43.583 --> 00:09:46.237 And I think that's kind of part of the sad thing, too, 196 00:09:46.281 --> 00:09:49.893 is that, uh, so much you'll never find out 197 00:09:49.937 --> 00:09:52.200 about, uh, your own father. 198 00:09:58.293 --> 00:10:00.774 RON: We were both very, very young. 199 00:10:00.817 --> 00:10:04.038 I was... I was 11, and Russell was eight, and... 200 00:10:04.081 --> 00:10:07.955 kind of everything changed at that moment for us, 201 00:10:07.998 --> 00:10:11.001 and I think it did bring us closer together. 202 00:10:14.004 --> 00:10:16.267 RUSSELL: 'Cause it was all very unexpected, 203 00:10:16.311 --> 00:10:18.922 the three of us were then kind of 204 00:10:18.966 --> 00:10:21.577 forced to be stronger as a unit. 205 00:10:21.621 --> 00:10:23.144 Um, Ron and I would, 206 00:10:23.187 --> 00:10:25.625 you know, do everything that we could 207 00:10:25.668 --> 00:10:27.627 to help out our mom. 208 00:10:29.280 --> 00:10:31.805 RON: Our mother decided that I should have piano lessons. 209 00:10:31.848 --> 00:10:33.545 I didn't want to admit that I enjoyed 210 00:10:33.589 --> 00:10:35.286 taking the piano lessons 211 00:10:35.330 --> 00:10:36.679 because, you know, there... 212 00:10:36.723 --> 00:10:38.638 always a rebellious streak in me, 213 00:10:38.681 --> 00:10:41.858 but piano lessons were actually something I really enjoyed. 214 00:10:41.902 --> 00:10:45.166 And they would have talent shows at elementary school, 215 00:10:45.209 --> 00:10:47.908 and I would get up there in a pink sport jacket 216 00:10:47.951 --> 00:10:50.780 and a... a tie, and my hair 217 00:10:50.824 --> 00:10:53.391 really kind of greased and everything, 218 00:10:53.435 --> 00:10:56.394 and performing those talent shows was an addictive thing. 219 00:10:56.438 --> 00:10:59.180 You really saw the audience reaction, 220 00:10:59.223 --> 00:11:00.616 and you thought, "This is kind of cool." 221 00:11:00.660 --> 00:11:02.139 And it-it also 222 00:11:02.183 --> 00:11:04.054 blended in with our interest in sports. 223 00:11:04.098 --> 00:11:08.189 Both music and sports were things that garnered attention. 224 00:11:08.232 --> 00:11:11.018 ♪ Going out when the rest are coming home ♪ 225 00:11:11.061 --> 00:11:14.238 ♪ Coming home when the rest are going out ♪ 226 00:11:14.282 --> 00:11:17.372 ♪ And when I'm broke and really down, I'm down... ♪ 227 00:11:17.415 --> 00:11:19.809 RUSSELL: It's an odd thing that our huge passion 228 00:11:19.853 --> 00:11:23.813 when we were growing up in school was-was athletics. 229 00:11:25.380 --> 00:11:28.818 Hard to believe that, uh, this scrawny body 230 00:11:28.862 --> 00:11:33.997 once played against, uh, 250-pound guys. 231 00:11:34.041 --> 00:11:36.870 I sometimes equate the experience 232 00:11:36.913 --> 00:11:39.611 of going out onto the field on Friday night 233 00:11:39.655 --> 00:11:43.050 as the same sensation as when you go onstage. 234 00:11:43.093 --> 00:11:45.400 There's the same adrenaline rush. 235 00:11:47.881 --> 00:11:51.580 ♪ I want to be, I want to be 236 00:11:51.623 --> 00:11:55.018 ♪ I want to be, I want to be ♪ 237 00:11:55.062 --> 00:11:58.630 ♪ I want to be like everybody else. ♪ 238 00:12:02.330 --> 00:12:04.288 [song ends] 239 00:12:04.332 --> 00:12:07.552 -♪ Ooh, ooh -♪ Over the summer 240 00:12:07.596 --> 00:12:09.946 -♪ Over the summer -♪ Ooh 241 00:12:09.990 --> 00:12:11.295 ♪ Over the summer 242 00:12:11.339 --> 00:12:12.775 ♪ Ooh... 243 00:12:12.819 --> 00:12:14.690 We lived always near 244 00:12:14.734 --> 00:12:17.301 the ocean, so both in Venice and then Pacific Palisades. 245 00:12:17.345 --> 00:12:21.044 ♪ You've got to trust in summer ♪ 246 00:12:21.088 --> 00:12:24.091 ♪ Miracles can happen if you do... ♪ 247 00:12:24.134 --> 00:12:25.832 In the summer, we would walk down. 248 00:12:25.875 --> 00:12:27.747 There's a little bluff that you have to walk 249 00:12:27.790 --> 00:12:29.226 from our house in the Palisades, 250 00:12:29.270 --> 00:12:31.054 and it led down to the ocean. 251 00:12:31.098 --> 00:12:33.535 It took maybe a half an hour. 252 00:12:33.578 --> 00:12:35.276 We'd do that routine every day. 253 00:12:35.319 --> 00:12:37.800 We'd stay from like 9:00 in the morning 254 00:12:37.844 --> 00:12:39.628 to maybe, you know, 7:00 at night. 255 00:12:39.671 --> 00:12:42.413 So that was our life for three months every year. 256 00:12:42.457 --> 00:12:45.808 ♪ July, you were the plainest of Janes... ♪ 257 00:12:45.852 --> 00:12:49.116 RON: People say that they don't see any Los Angeles 258 00:12:49.159 --> 00:12:52.815 in what we're doing, and I think that, actually, 259 00:12:52.859 --> 00:12:55.862 they're missing a lot of what the influence was on us. 260 00:12:58.603 --> 00:13:00.692 We had our transistor radio, 261 00:13:00.736 --> 00:13:03.260 and, uh, AM music at that time in Los Angeles 262 00:13:03.304 --> 00:13:04.784 was really incredible. 263 00:13:04.827 --> 00:13:08.178 It was just one big mass of pop music. 264 00:13:09.571 --> 00:13:11.312 RADIO ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, the beat goes on. 265 00:13:11.355 --> 00:13:13.444 ♪ More music. 266 00:13:13.488 --> 00:13:16.143 The Real Don Steele. 267 00:13:16.186 --> 00:13:17.753 ♪ 93 KHJ. 268 00:13:17.797 --> 00:13:20.800 ♪ Please, please, please... 269 00:13:20.843 --> 00:13:23.541 RUSSELL: There was no distinction between 270 00:13:23.585 --> 00:13:27.067 British bands or soul groups, Black groups, white groups. 271 00:13:27.110 --> 00:13:28.895 It-it didn't really matter. 272 00:13:28.938 --> 00:13:33.682 Like, no one cared or questioned the genres of music. 273 00:13:33.725 --> 00:13:37.425 You would always want to go see any British band 274 00:13:37.468 --> 00:13:39.383 that would come to Los Angeles. 275 00:13:39.427 --> 00:13:42.212 The high point of our lives-- uh, we can actually say 276 00:13:42.256 --> 00:13:46.173 we've seen The Beatles twice because we had a cool mom. 277 00:13:46.216 --> 00:13:47.696 ANNOUNCER: The Beatles, 278 00:13:47.739 --> 00:13:49.741 on their way to the Hollywood Bowl. 279 00:13:49.785 --> 00:13:52.092 Some of the youngsters don't give up easily. 280 00:13:52.135 --> 00:13:53.876 RUSSELL: For whatever reason, 281 00:13:53.920 --> 00:13:56.661 she agreed to drive us to Las Vegas, 282 00:13:56.705 --> 00:13:59.055 where they were playing a concert. 283 00:13:59.099 --> 00:14:03.059 So there we were in our little Fiat Multipla that our mom had 284 00:14:03.103 --> 00:14:07.368 and had this sort of bad futuristic shape to it. 285 00:14:07.411 --> 00:14:10.066 And, uh, we're putting along the highway to Las Vegas 286 00:14:10.110 --> 00:14:12.199 just to see The Beatles. 287 00:14:12.242 --> 00:14:13.983 That's a mom. 288 00:14:14.027 --> 00:14:16.116 ["Happenings Ten Years Time Ago" by The Yardbirds playing] 289 00:14:21.686 --> 00:14:25.386 RON: While we were at UCLA, everything coalesced for us 290 00:14:25.429 --> 00:14:29.520 as far as soaking in all of these things from the outside. 291 00:14:29.564 --> 00:14:32.915 RUSSELL: We played in bands early on with ridiculous names. 292 00:14:32.959 --> 00:14:35.875 I don't know, we were in Moonbaker Abbey, 293 00:14:35.918 --> 00:14:38.486 and we were in The Urban Renewal Project. 294 00:14:38.529 --> 00:14:41.532 I mean, how successful could a band ever get 295 00:14:41.576 --> 00:14:44.231 calling themselves Urban Renewal Project? 296 00:14:45.580 --> 00:14:47.669 RON: The first two songs that we ever recorded 297 00:14:47.712 --> 00:14:51.194 were "Computer Girl" and, uh, the other one-- what was this? 298 00:14:51.238 --> 00:14:52.804 -What was the second one? -RUSSELL: "Windmill." 299 00:14:52.848 --> 00:14:55.024 I'm ashamed that I forgot that, but "W-Windmill." 300 00:14:55.068 --> 00:14:57.418 -So classic that he forgot it. -Yeah. 301 00:14:57.461 --> 00:15:01.291 RON: It's really strange to have a song in 1966 302 00:15:01.335 --> 00:15:03.685 called "Computer Girl," because we didn't even 303 00:15:03.728 --> 00:15:06.427 really know what a computer was at that time. 304 00:15:06.470 --> 00:15:10.866 ♪ Computer girl 305 00:15:10.910 --> 00:15:14.783 ♪ My computer girl 306 00:15:14.826 --> 00:15:16.567 ♪ This is a recording 307 00:15:16.611 --> 00:15:20.049 ♪ She's got no arms 308 00:15:20.093 --> 00:15:26.534 ♪ She's got no legs 309 00:15:26.577 --> 00:15:31.756 ♪ For computers 310 00:15:31.800 --> 00:15:35.151 ♪ Have no limbs... 311 00:15:35.195 --> 00:15:37.240 -WRIGHT: Pre-Kraftwerk? -RON: Pre-Kraftwerk. Yes. 312 00:15:37.284 --> 00:15:38.720 RUSSELL: Yeah, we predate Kraftwerk 313 00:15:38.763 --> 00:15:41.853 when it comes to computer songs. 314 00:15:41.897 --> 00:15:43.681 RON: The first time that we really got 315 00:15:43.725 --> 00:15:47.250 serious about music was when we met Earle Mankey 316 00:15:47.294 --> 00:15:49.296 and the three of us got together 317 00:15:49.339 --> 00:15:52.255 and had similar musical taste. 318 00:15:52.299 --> 00:15:54.083 EARLE MANKEY: They seemed pretty much 319 00:15:54.127 --> 00:15:56.651 just like normal college students. 320 00:15:56.694 --> 00:15:58.653 But once we got into the recording process, 321 00:15:58.696 --> 00:16:01.438 they-they turned out to be different. 322 00:16:01.482 --> 00:16:04.528 You have three people in a room and a two-track tape recorder, 323 00:16:04.572 --> 00:16:07.662 and you want to emulate, let's say The Beatles. 324 00:16:07.705 --> 00:16:10.230 Well, uh, first, you might think you need drums. 325 00:16:10.273 --> 00:16:11.971 Well, we didn't have any drums. 326 00:16:12.014 --> 00:16:13.059 So, uh, 327 00:16:13.102 --> 00:16:14.712 bang on some boxes 328 00:16:14.756 --> 00:16:17.672 and find a table that had a nice tone, 329 00:16:17.715 --> 00:16:19.674 and if you needed a cymbal, that was harder. 330 00:16:19.717 --> 00:16:20.718 But as I recall, 331 00:16:20.762 --> 00:16:22.982 there was a brass lampshade 332 00:16:23.025 --> 00:16:25.462 that, uh, didn't really ring like a cymbal, 333 00:16:25.506 --> 00:16:27.421 but it would give us a nice clank. 334 00:16:28.857 --> 00:16:30.685 HARLEY FEINSTEIN: When I joined the band, 335 00:16:30.728 --> 00:16:32.469 it was called Halfnelson. 336 00:16:32.513 --> 00:16:35.298 I was contacted by Russell, and he explained to me, 337 00:16:35.342 --> 00:16:37.561 "Well, we're not just getting together 338 00:16:37.605 --> 00:16:40.477 "to drink beer, meet girls and play music. 339 00:16:40.521 --> 00:16:43.567 We're actually gonna become big." 340 00:16:43.611 --> 00:16:46.005 That sounds like the scene from our biopic 341 00:16:46.048 --> 00:16:47.832 that's, uh, upcoming soon. 342 00:16:49.486 --> 00:16:51.053 ♪ Whoo! 343 00:16:51.097 --> 00:16:54.056 ♪ Fa-fa-fa, fa-fa, fa-fa-fa... ♪ 344 00:16:54.100 --> 00:16:56.885 RUSSELL: I think, at the beginning, I was trying to be 345 00:16:56.928 --> 00:17:01.324 as much like Mick Jagger or Roger Daltrey 346 00:17:01.368 --> 00:17:03.283 as I could possibly be. 347 00:17:03.326 --> 00:17:07.069 I kind of missed the mark by a few thousand miles, 348 00:17:07.113 --> 00:17:09.593 but something else emerged. 349 00:17:09.637 --> 00:17:11.334 ♪ From champagne 350 00:17:11.378 --> 00:17:14.729 ♪ And I have never met the queen ♪ 351 00:17:14.772 --> 00:17:17.558 ♪ And I wish I could have all he has got ♪ 352 00:17:17.601 --> 00:17:20.735 ♪ And I wish I could be like David Watts... ♪ 353 00:17:20.778 --> 00:17:22.084 RUSSELL: I think there was 354 00:17:22.128 --> 00:17:23.433 sometimes a conscious 355 00:17:23.477 --> 00:17:25.870 and sometimes an unconscious attempt 356 00:17:25.914 --> 00:17:28.873 at trying to emulate the early Who songs 357 00:17:28.917 --> 00:17:31.572 and the early Kinks songs that really felt 358 00:17:31.615 --> 00:17:33.748 in tune with what we really wanted to be doing. 359 00:17:33.791 --> 00:17:36.055 ♪ I'd lead the school team to victory... ♪ 360 00:17:36.098 --> 00:17:38.579 FEINSTEIN: I remember I liked bands that they didn't like. 361 00:17:38.622 --> 00:17:40.668 And I remember one time I made the comment that, 362 00:17:40.711 --> 00:17:43.236 "Hey, Blood Sweat & Tears, they're great, huh?" 363 00:17:43.279 --> 00:17:46.456 All the eyes rolled back simultaneously. 364 00:17:46.500 --> 00:17:47.892 It could've been worse. He could have mentioned 365 00:17:47.936 --> 00:17:50.504 Chicago or somebody like that, and... 366 00:17:50.547 --> 00:17:54.421 then he would have been out of the band immediately. 367 00:17:54.464 --> 00:17:57.641 ["When You're a French Director" by Sparks playing] 368 00:17:58.860 --> 00:18:02.733 ♪ When you're a French director... ♪ 369 00:18:02.777 --> 00:18:04.561 RON: There was a sense at the time 370 00:18:04.605 --> 00:18:07.260 that if you were kind of a hip person 371 00:18:07.303 --> 00:18:10.263 that you would also automatically be interested 372 00:18:10.306 --> 00:18:13.004 in French New Wave films and Bergman. 373 00:18:13.048 --> 00:18:16.921 It kind of went hand in hand with liking the British bands. 374 00:18:16.965 --> 00:18:19.185 It was just kind of a badge of honor, 375 00:18:19.228 --> 00:18:23.276 liking nonmainstream things. 376 00:18:25.278 --> 00:18:28.281 LARRY DUPONT: When I first met Ron, 377 00:18:28.324 --> 00:18:33.155 we were all deeply, deeply rooted in film. 378 00:18:33.199 --> 00:18:36.202 As far as Russ was concerned, uh, 379 00:18:36.245 --> 00:18:38.595 he wanted to be a filmmaker. 380 00:18:38.639 --> 00:18:39.857 Early on, I was dabbling 381 00:18:39.901 --> 00:18:42.425 in French New Wave cinema 382 00:18:42.469 --> 00:18:46.603 and, uh, made a film when I was at UCLA. 383 00:18:46.647 --> 00:18:48.344 Um, and I don't know if it's... 384 00:18:48.388 --> 00:18:50.651 I-I wouldn't call it a great film, 385 00:18:50.694 --> 00:18:53.393 -but it wasn't... -Oh, don't be so modest. 386 00:18:53.436 --> 00:18:57.136 MANKEY: I starred in Russell's student film, 387 00:18:57.179 --> 00:18:59.442 Très Sérieux, which means, I guess, 388 00:18:59.486 --> 00:19:01.923 Very Serious or something like that. 389 00:19:01.966 --> 00:19:05.753 My name in the movie was Jean-Paul Mankey. 390 00:19:05.796 --> 00:19:10.149 You know, it was poking fun at, uh, French art films. 391 00:19:11.367 --> 00:19:13.064 That's the cool thing about them. 392 00:19:13.108 --> 00:19:14.631 You know, they take something that seems to be 393 00:19:14.675 --> 00:19:16.720 really great and arty, 394 00:19:16.764 --> 00:19:18.722 and then they shoot it in the pants. 395 00:19:18.766 --> 00:19:21.769 Other times, people think they're making fun of something 396 00:19:21.812 --> 00:19:23.510 when they're deadly serious. 397 00:19:23.553 --> 00:19:25.294 [laughing]: They're kind of inscrutable, those guys. 398 00:19:28.254 --> 00:19:30.647 MIKE BERNS: Well, I had a chance to meet Ron and Russell 399 00:19:30.691 --> 00:19:32.823 when I worked at, uh, Universal Records. 400 00:19:32.867 --> 00:19:34.825 They brought their demo tape in, 401 00:19:34.869 --> 00:19:39.308 and I was taken by the creativity, 402 00:19:39.352 --> 00:19:42.311 the artistry, uh, the individuality. 403 00:19:42.355 --> 00:19:44.183 And it was something 404 00:19:44.226 --> 00:19:46.315 that you just knew was something. 405 00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:51.146 And I lobbied my brains out to have them get signed. 406 00:19:52.974 --> 00:19:55.933 MANKEY: Every office we'd go into was all excited. 407 00:19:57.196 --> 00:19:59.241 They'd call their friends in and say, "Listen to this stuff. 408 00:19:59.285 --> 00:20:01.025 Isn't this weird? Isn't this great?" 409 00:20:01.069 --> 00:20:03.114 Uh, and then they wouldn't sign us. 410 00:20:04.551 --> 00:20:06.466 DUPONT: The thing that marked them 411 00:20:06.509 --> 00:20:09.817 was their unwillingness to give up on rejection. 412 00:20:09.860 --> 00:20:12.254 They just wouldn't give up. 413 00:20:12.298 --> 00:20:14.038 RUSSELL: There's always just been 414 00:20:14.082 --> 00:20:17.172 one person throughout our whole career 415 00:20:17.216 --> 00:20:20.088 that would kind of get what it was 416 00:20:20.131 --> 00:20:22.351 that we were doing at any one particular time-- 417 00:20:22.395 --> 00:20:25.006 and the first one was Todd Rundgren-- 418 00:20:25.049 --> 00:20:28.879 when everybody else at every record label rejected us. 419 00:20:30.838 --> 00:20:32.274 If it hadn't been for him, 420 00:20:32.318 --> 00:20:35.146 there wouldn't have been a Sparks now. 421 00:20:35.190 --> 00:20:38.149 RUNDGREN: Well, without me, there would be no Halfnelson. 422 00:20:38.193 --> 00:20:41.457 Sparks was something that happened a little later. 423 00:20:41.501 --> 00:20:43.894 ANNOUNCER: Todd Rundgren first discovered Sparks 424 00:20:43.938 --> 00:20:45.853 and produced their debut album. 425 00:20:46.897 --> 00:20:48.551 BERNS: We sent the demo album 426 00:20:48.595 --> 00:20:50.597 to Todd Rundgren. I had some notoriety 427 00:20:50.640 --> 00:20:52.599 in the business, so he took my call. 428 00:20:52.642 --> 00:20:58.257 My memory was that, uh, Russell's, uh, girlfriend, 429 00:20:58.300 --> 00:21:01.477 part-time girlfriend, girlfriend on and off, uh, 430 00:21:01.521 --> 00:21:04.437 was Miss Christine from the GTO's. 431 00:21:04.480 --> 00:21:07.222 Miss Christine was like my girlfriend for a while, 432 00:21:07.266 --> 00:21:09.964 and then she became Russell's girlfriend for a while. 433 00:21:10.007 --> 00:21:11.444 RUSSELL: We became friends 434 00:21:11.487 --> 00:21:14.621 with-with, uh, Miss Christine as well. 435 00:21:14.664 --> 00:21:18.799 And so, um, at that time, I, uh... 436 00:21:18.842 --> 00:21:20.844 -We did? -[laughing]: We did. We did. 437 00:21:20.888 --> 00:21:22.933 -[crew laughing] -[Russell clears throat] 438 00:21:22.977 --> 00:21:24.848 Let me... let me, uh... yeah, we were... 439 00:21:24.892 --> 00:21:27.764 So I became... I became friends with Miss Christine. 440 00:21:29.549 --> 00:21:32.203 I think Russell thought it was weird, 441 00:21:32.247 --> 00:21:34.162 but I didn't consider it any sort of affront, 442 00:21:34.205 --> 00:21:35.946 but I think I knew Miss Christine 443 00:21:35.990 --> 00:21:37.992 better than he did. 444 00:21:38.035 --> 00:21:39.559 PAMELA DES BARRES: Yeah, I'm sure Miss Christine 445 00:21:39.602 --> 00:21:41.343 played Todd the demo. 446 00:21:41.387 --> 00:21:43.867 She was... she and Todd were together quite a while, 447 00:21:43.911 --> 00:21:46.435 um, and she loved Sparks. 448 00:21:46.479 --> 00:21:47.958 MANKEY: Christine said, "Oh, Todd, 449 00:21:48.002 --> 00:21:49.482 "you've got to hear these guys. 450 00:21:49.525 --> 00:21:52.615 It's so great. You're gonna want to sign 'em." 451 00:21:54.182 --> 00:21:56.358 RUNDGREN: I was struck by the fact that it wasn't like 452 00:21:56.402 --> 00:21:59.753 anything else that I was normally getting. 453 00:21:59.796 --> 00:22:03.017 It is sometimes like butterfly hunting. 454 00:22:03.060 --> 00:22:05.149 You're looking for some species 455 00:22:05.193 --> 00:22:08.370 that nobody has ever discovered before. 456 00:22:11.286 --> 00:22:13.636 So they set up a demo 457 00:22:13.680 --> 00:22:15.682 as if it was like a whole venue. 458 00:22:15.725 --> 00:22:19.468 They had this rehearsal space out in the Valley. 459 00:22:19.512 --> 00:22:21.470 They called it the Doggy Factory, 460 00:22:21.514 --> 00:22:23.603 which implied that doggies were made there, 461 00:22:23.646 --> 00:22:26.257 but it was actually doggy beds. [chuckles] 462 00:22:26.301 --> 00:22:28.347 JAMES LOWE: Yeah, that's... it was all left-handed. 463 00:22:28.390 --> 00:22:30.610 It was... I mean, this band, you're gonna go see 'em 464 00:22:30.653 --> 00:22:32.394 at a doggy bed factory. 465 00:22:32.438 --> 00:22:35.310 I thought they were joking. I thought it was a club. 466 00:22:35.354 --> 00:22:37.312 RUNDGREN: We all sat down in some folding chairs, 467 00:22:37.356 --> 00:22:39.445 and they put on a whole show. 468 00:22:39.488 --> 00:22:41.925 MANKEY: The biggest number, uh, 469 00:22:41.969 --> 00:22:43.536 I guess it would have to be the song 470 00:22:43.579 --> 00:22:45.451 "Slowboat." 471 00:22:45.494 --> 00:22:48.149 There was a papier-mâché boat. 472 00:22:48.192 --> 00:22:50.412 Russell would sit in this boat 473 00:22:50.456 --> 00:22:53.110 and be towed across the floor by the roadie. 474 00:22:53.154 --> 00:22:56.157 RUSSELL: I got in it as if it was like a Rose Parade float, 475 00:22:56.200 --> 00:22:58.246 and I was waving to the audience 476 00:22:58.289 --> 00:23:00.379 as the captain of this slow boat. 477 00:23:00.422 --> 00:23:02.729 MANKEY: And about three feet later, he'd have to stop 478 00:23:02.772 --> 00:23:05.558 because it would be the end of the stage. 479 00:23:05.601 --> 00:23:06.646 LOWE: My wife thought 480 00:23:06.689 --> 00:23:08.735 Russ was, uh, very cute, 481 00:23:08.778 --> 00:23:10.998 and I kept asking her about the music, 482 00:23:11.041 --> 00:23:13.000 but she kept telling me how cute Russ was. 483 00:23:13.043 --> 00:23:15.959 Russ was really cute. [laughs] 484 00:23:18.658 --> 00:23:20.399 RUNDGREN: I was 485 00:23:20.442 --> 00:23:22.705 well proud of the effort that they put out 486 00:23:22.749 --> 00:23:25.491 and said, "We'll make a record." 487 00:23:25.534 --> 00:23:30.539 ♪ Slow boat, bring me back another day... ♪ 488 00:23:30.583 --> 00:23:33.803 Of course, everything that happened after that was... 489 00:23:33.847 --> 00:23:35.631 was evolutionary. 490 00:23:35.675 --> 00:23:38.025 ♪ 491 00:23:49.950 --> 00:23:51.734 -[song ends] -[crowd cheering] 492 00:23:51.778 --> 00:23:54.084 [indistinct radio chatter] 493 00:23:56.652 --> 00:23:58.785 MAN: Sorry, Sam, can we take that back a little ways? 494 00:23:58.828 --> 00:24:00.700 We'll pick it up. 495 00:24:00.743 --> 00:24:03.442 RUSSELL: We really were elated that now things 496 00:24:03.485 --> 00:24:05.226 seemed real for once. 497 00:24:05.269 --> 00:24:07.271 FEINSTEIN: It was really amazing. 498 00:24:07.315 --> 00:24:08.708 It was really surreal. 499 00:24:08.751 --> 00:24:10.187 It was like, "My God, this is... 500 00:24:10.231 --> 00:24:11.406 How did I get here? This is incredible." 501 00:24:11.450 --> 00:24:14.191 RUSSELL: It just, uh, seemed like 502 00:24:14.235 --> 00:24:18.152 we were soon gonna be at the Hollywood Bowl ourselves. 503 00:24:21.242 --> 00:24:23.505 FEINSTEIN: The making of the album was so much fun. 504 00:24:23.549 --> 00:24:26.247 It was great. Uh, we had what seemed like 505 00:24:26.290 --> 00:24:28.510 an unlimited amount of time in a good studio. 506 00:24:28.554 --> 00:24:29.772 ♪ All will join in 507 00:24:29.816 --> 00:24:31.687 ♪ In the big scene... ♪ 508 00:24:31.731 --> 00:24:34.342 RON: To Todd's credit, he really made us feel at home 509 00:24:34.385 --> 00:24:37.954 and more importantly made us feel at home musically 510 00:24:37.998 --> 00:24:40.957 because he really wanted us to keep to the essence 511 00:24:41.001 --> 00:24:43.133 of what the demos were. 512 00:24:43.177 --> 00:24:45.788 ♪ Take a tall one, take a small one... ♪ 513 00:24:45.832 --> 00:24:47.747 RUNDGREN: I didn't want to mess with 514 00:24:47.790 --> 00:24:50.619 this latent outsider genius. 515 00:24:50.663 --> 00:24:52.665 I'm just gonna figure out 516 00:24:52.708 --> 00:24:54.667 how to make it a little bit more high-fidelity, 517 00:24:54.710 --> 00:24:56.886 and that... [laughs] and that will be fine, 518 00:24:56.930 --> 00:24:59.585 I think. 519 00:24:59.628 --> 00:25:01.369 FEINSTEIN: This album was gonna be 520 00:25:01.412 --> 00:25:03.937 just phenomenal, 521 00:25:03.980 --> 00:25:05.242 just really good. 522 00:25:07.593 --> 00:25:10.204 RUSSELL: We released the Halfnelson album, 523 00:25:10.247 --> 00:25:13.512 and it didn't really get the commercial success 524 00:25:13.555 --> 00:25:17.472 that I think Todd was hoping for. 525 00:25:18.604 --> 00:25:20.562 KAPRANOS: With Sparks, you have this 526 00:25:20.606 --> 00:25:22.869 strange combination of... 527 00:25:22.912 --> 00:25:24.871 almost creative recklessness 528 00:25:24.914 --> 00:25:27.047 because they don't follow the conventional path, 529 00:25:27.090 --> 00:25:29.049 which is what makes them great as a fan. 530 00:25:31.181 --> 00:25:33.183 There's this force of creativity 531 00:25:33.227 --> 00:25:35.359 that goes into that experimentation, 532 00:25:35.403 --> 00:25:37.579 but the culture isn't there yet. 533 00:25:37.623 --> 00:25:39.799 And then you find yourself in the real world 534 00:25:39.842 --> 00:25:41.757 where you have to sell records. 535 00:25:41.801 --> 00:25:43.672 Well, you did it again. 536 00:25:43.716 --> 00:25:45.195 JACK ANTONOFF: You look at Sparks, 537 00:25:45.239 --> 00:25:47.110 they're-they're just blazing this trail, um, 538 00:25:47.154 --> 00:25:48.677 because there's just no... 539 00:25:48.721 --> 00:25:50.331 It-It's the ultimate experience 540 00:25:50.374 --> 00:25:52.115 of what you want from your artists. 541 00:25:52.159 --> 00:25:55.989 There's just no connection to what is actually going on 542 00:25:56.032 --> 00:25:58.295 in the world. 543 00:25:58.339 --> 00:26:00.950 FEINSTEIN: The album didn't sell very well, 544 00:26:00.994 --> 00:26:05.215 so the, uh, marketing geniuses at the record company said, 545 00:26:05.259 --> 00:26:07.130 "Well, maybe a different name 546 00:26:07.174 --> 00:26:09.480 and a different album cover would make the difference." 547 00:26:09.524 --> 00:26:11.265 And he goes, 548 00:26:11.308 --> 00:26:13.267 "You guys like comedy. You like the Marx Brothers. 549 00:26:13.310 --> 00:26:16.052 You're brothers. So the Sparks Brothers." 550 00:26:16.096 --> 00:26:19.752 And that met with one of those pregnant pauses from us 551 00:26:19.795 --> 00:26:23.277 where we both stare at-at him, uh, kind of aghast. 552 00:26:23.320 --> 00:26:25.279 FEINSTEIN: I think we negotiated out 553 00:26:25.322 --> 00:26:28.587 the word "brothers" and ended up with just Sparks. 554 00:26:29.631 --> 00:26:32.112 ["Wonder Girl" by Sparks playing] 555 00:26:32.155 --> 00:26:33.722 ♪ She was a wonder girl ♪ 556 00:26:33.766 --> 00:26:35.855 ♪ Some girl, that girl 557 00:26:35.898 --> 00:26:37.900 ♪ She was a wonder girl 558 00:26:37.944 --> 00:26:40.860 ♪ Some girl, that girl 559 00:26:40.903 --> 00:26:46.039 ♪ It was a grand old time we had ♪ 560 00:26:46.082 --> 00:26:47.910 ♪ She was there 561 00:26:47.954 --> 00:26:50.739 ♪ And I was pretty glad... 562 00:26:50.783 --> 00:26:52.872 HILLY MICHAELS: We're driving around, 563 00:26:52.915 --> 00:26:55.004 and the radio is kind of on, 564 00:26:55.048 --> 00:26:57.528 and I hear this voice, and I yell, 565 00:26:57.572 --> 00:26:59.835 "Yo, turn that up! 566 00:26:59.879 --> 00:27:02.969 "What is that? Turn that up. 567 00:27:03.012 --> 00:27:05.188 "Who is that? 568 00:27:05.232 --> 00:27:07.495 "Turn it up louder. 569 00:27:07.538 --> 00:27:09.584 That's amazing." 570 00:27:09.628 --> 00:27:11.194 ♪ To her friends 571 00:27:11.238 --> 00:27:13.675 ♪ It's a wonder that 572 00:27:13.719 --> 00:27:16.417 ♪ She always started trends... ♪ 573 00:27:16.460 --> 00:27:20.029 MICHAELS: All the bells and whistles went off in my head. 574 00:27:20.073 --> 00:27:21.770 The radio announcer 575 00:27:21.814 --> 00:27:24.599 never got back on and said who that was, 576 00:27:24.643 --> 00:27:26.340 and it haunted me for years. 577 00:27:27.994 --> 00:27:32.302 ♪ Ooh, wonder girl... 578 00:27:32.346 --> 00:27:34.435 RON: We had made our first appearance 579 00:27:34.478 --> 00:27:36.611 onAmerican Bandstand, which was pretty much 580 00:27:36.655 --> 00:27:39.788 the equivalent of being, like, onTop of the Pops in the UK, 581 00:27:39.832 --> 00:27:42.356 but we still had no... no money 582 00:27:42.399 --> 00:27:45.533 and we were on food assistance plans, food stamps. 583 00:27:45.576 --> 00:27:48.884 And so we went into a supermarket the next week, 584 00:27:48.928 --> 00:27:51.147 and the checker said, 585 00:27:51.191 --> 00:27:53.715 "Hey, I saw you on television last week. 586 00:27:53.759 --> 00:27:55.499 You guys were great." 587 00:27:55.543 --> 00:27:58.415 RUSSELL: And then we have to pull out our food stamps 588 00:27:58.459 --> 00:28:00.548 to the nice lady, and then she's going, 589 00:28:00.591 --> 00:28:02.768 "Can we get approval for these poor guys 590 00:28:02.811 --> 00:28:04.900 "on aisle six, please? 591 00:28:04.944 --> 00:28:08.034 Poor people over here who are on a television show." 592 00:28:08.077 --> 00:28:10.036 ♪ Ooh, wonder girl... 593 00:28:10.079 --> 00:28:12.081 -Being humiliated in public. -RON: Yeah. Yeah. 594 00:28:12.125 --> 00:28:14.344 -Good training. -Yeah. 595 00:28:14.388 --> 00:28:18.348 I'm immune to humiliation after that. 596 00:28:18.392 --> 00:28:20.220 ♪ Hey, Lisa, they're having a big party ♪ 597 00:28:20.263 --> 00:28:22.439 ♪ Down at the Allele Pool tonight ♪ 598 00:28:22.483 --> 00:28:25.181 ♪ Ooh, let's do it 599 00:28:25.225 --> 00:28:27.401 ["Biology 2" by Sparks playing] 600 00:28:27.444 --> 00:28:29.664 DUPONT: It was a struggle finding gigs for the band. 601 00:28:29.708 --> 00:28:30.709 So the thing that happened is 602 00:28:30.752 --> 00:28:32.580 the band went far afield. 603 00:28:32.623 --> 00:28:34.060 MANKEY: It's just ridiculous. 604 00:28:34.103 --> 00:28:36.366 We played some just terrible places 605 00:28:36.410 --> 00:28:38.804 where they all hated us. [laughs] 606 00:28:38.847 --> 00:28:40.457 DUPONT: They went to Redding, California. 607 00:28:40.501 --> 00:28:42.459 It's like, why the hell Redding? 608 00:28:42.503 --> 00:28:47.116 But Houston got off to a bad start and went downhill. 609 00:28:48.074 --> 00:28:50.076 FEINSTEIN: So, there we are 610 00:28:50.119 --> 00:28:52.382 playing for this redneck audience 611 00:28:52.426 --> 00:28:56.256 that had been there to come see a band called Cold Blood. 612 00:28:56.299 --> 00:28:59.607 Needless to say, uh, they did not like us very much. 613 00:29:00.956 --> 00:29:03.132 RUSSELL: I used to, as part of the stage act, 614 00:29:03.176 --> 00:29:05.395 have this giant wooden sledgehammer, 615 00:29:05.439 --> 00:29:08.616 with this, like, really heavy mallet on it. 616 00:29:08.659 --> 00:29:10.879 MANKEY: He'd throw the sledgehammer up in the air 617 00:29:10.923 --> 00:29:13.012 and catch it, but this time, he didn't catch it. 618 00:29:15.623 --> 00:29:18.278 Came down-- slam!-- on his head. 619 00:29:18.321 --> 00:29:20.019 And I won't say it knocked him out, 620 00:29:20.062 --> 00:29:21.847 but he was extremely bloody. 621 00:29:21.890 --> 00:29:24.588 RUSSELL: And I had this giant gash on my head, 622 00:29:24.632 --> 00:29:26.939 and I'm bleeding and blood's flowing down. 623 00:29:26.982 --> 00:29:28.810 But the audience seemed to think it was 624 00:29:28.854 --> 00:29:30.464 part of our show, like it was... you know, 625 00:29:30.507 --> 00:29:31.813 it was Alice Cooper with a blood capsule, 626 00:29:31.857 --> 00:29:33.772 but this was no blood capsule. 627 00:29:33.815 --> 00:29:38.472 This was my kind of brain, uh, oozing out onto the stage. 628 00:29:38.515 --> 00:29:41.997 We're all laughing up until we see Ron's reaction. 629 00:29:42.041 --> 00:29:44.913 And Ron's reaction is a combination of, 630 00:29:44.957 --> 00:29:48.047 "How dare you laugh?" 631 00:29:48.090 --> 00:29:51.050 and, "Oh, my God, Russ is gonna die." 632 00:29:51.093 --> 00:29:52.747 FEINSTEIN: I didn't even know 633 00:29:52.791 --> 00:29:54.444 he hit himself in the head until after it was over. 634 00:29:54.488 --> 00:29:56.142 Then we went backstage, 635 00:29:56.185 --> 00:29:59.275 and I saw he was bleeding, and big brother Ron, 636 00:29:59.319 --> 00:30:00.886 of course, was very concerned. 637 00:30:00.929 --> 00:30:02.757 -Was I? -WRIGHT: Yeah. 638 00:30:02.801 --> 00:30:05.455 -Oh, times change. -[laughter] 639 00:30:09.895 --> 00:30:11.331 RUSSELL: The next album 640 00:30:11.374 --> 00:30:12.898 that we would come up with, 641 00:30:12.941 --> 00:30:14.725 which was called Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing, 642 00:30:14.769 --> 00:30:16.684 was produced by Jim Lowe. 643 00:30:16.727 --> 00:30:18.120 LOWE: They were what I thought 644 00:30:18.164 --> 00:30:20.383 rock and roll was supposed to be. 645 00:30:20.427 --> 00:30:21.863 And I thought, "If this doesn't happen, 646 00:30:21.907 --> 00:30:23.517 what am I gonna go do next?" 647 00:30:23.560 --> 00:30:25.998 What would you produce after you did Sparks? 648 00:30:27.173 --> 00:30:29.044 MANKEY: The fact that the second album 649 00:30:29.088 --> 00:30:31.307 was more experimental than the first album, 650 00:30:31.351 --> 00:30:33.179 I think, was just a natural progression. 651 00:30:33.222 --> 00:30:34.876 It might have been better. 652 00:30:34.920 --> 00:30:37.879 It was certainly more complex, more artistic. 653 00:30:37.923 --> 00:30:41.361 I thought that made for a more interesting album. 654 00:30:41.404 --> 00:30:44.668 RON: In a way, that album is even more eccentric, 655 00:30:44.712 --> 00:30:46.888 I think, than... than the first album. 656 00:30:46.932 --> 00:30:50.152 And so, you know, it was really inspiring to us to know 657 00:30:50.196 --> 00:30:51.719 that they were giving us this permission 658 00:30:51.762 --> 00:30:55.027 to kind of commit self-destruction. 659 00:30:55.070 --> 00:30:57.420 [tires squealing] 660 00:31:00.946 --> 00:31:02.991 ♪ Whippings and apologies... 661 00:31:04.688 --> 00:31:07.822 LOWE: Those two records are my two favorite records 662 00:31:07.866 --> 00:31:09.824 that I've been involved with. 663 00:31:09.868 --> 00:31:10.912 And I told my wife 664 00:31:10.956 --> 00:31:12.958 after the Wooferalbum, 665 00:31:13.001 --> 00:31:15.090 I said, "If this album doesn't... 666 00:31:15.134 --> 00:31:16.787 "doesn't make some noise or do something, 667 00:31:16.831 --> 00:31:18.702 I'm gonna go into another business." 668 00:31:18.746 --> 00:31:21.053 It was just, "I-I don't know anything about music. 669 00:31:21.096 --> 00:31:22.968 If people don't like this stuff, it's crazy." 670 00:31:23.011 --> 00:31:25.666 And so I started, uh, 671 00:31:25.709 --> 00:31:27.755 directing television commercials. 672 00:31:27.798 --> 00:31:29.539 [laughter] 673 00:31:29.583 --> 00:31:30.540 RUNDGREN: It didn't create the spark 674 00:31:30.584 --> 00:31:31.846 that they... [laughs] 675 00:31:31.890 --> 00:31:33.804 that they had hoped for. 676 00:31:35.415 --> 00:31:37.243 RUSSELL: They said, "Well, it's not really 677 00:31:37.286 --> 00:31:39.288 "clicking here in the States, but the sensibility 678 00:31:39.332 --> 00:31:41.508 "seems to be something that we think 679 00:31:41.551 --> 00:31:43.597 would go over better in the UK." 680 00:31:43.640 --> 00:31:45.773 And all of a sudden, one day, 681 00:31:45.816 --> 00:31:48.210 we're on a frigging airplane to London. 682 00:31:50.343 --> 00:31:52.606 ["Girl from Germany" by Sparks playing] 683 00:31:56.697 --> 00:32:00.005 ♪ How I wished my folks were gracious hosts... ♪ 684 00:32:00.048 --> 00:32:02.790 RUSSELL: Getting to see, you know, Buckingham Palace 685 00:32:02.833 --> 00:32:05.184 and riding on the tube, and we were 686 00:32:05.227 --> 00:32:08.187 living the good life in our small little way. 687 00:32:10.580 --> 00:32:12.887 FEINSTEIN: Back in the Doggy Factory, we had a picture 688 00:32:12.931 --> 00:32:14.933 on the wall of John's Children, 689 00:32:14.976 --> 00:32:17.152 and they were really cool-looking guys. 690 00:32:17.196 --> 00:32:20.242 When we got over there, John was our manager. 691 00:32:20.286 --> 00:32:22.070 JOHN HEWLETT: The idea was, would I look after them 692 00:32:22.114 --> 00:32:25.030 and try and secure TV, et cetera, and, uh, 693 00:32:25.073 --> 00:32:27.858 some shows in London and press, which we did. 694 00:32:27.902 --> 00:32:30.122 ♪ What a war, some war 695 00:32:30.165 --> 00:32:32.646 ♪ Lord knows she's from Germany ♪ 696 00:32:32.689 --> 00:32:34.256 ♪ Well, it's the same old country ♪ 697 00:32:34.300 --> 00:32:35.779 ♪ But the people have changed... ♪ 698 00:32:35.823 --> 00:32:37.085 HEWLETT: The only TV we did, I think, 699 00:32:37.129 --> 00:32:38.652 was theGrey Whistle Test, 700 00:32:38.695 --> 00:32:41.002 which Bob Harris said was, like, the worst band 701 00:32:41.046 --> 00:32:42.177 he'd ever seen. 702 00:32:44.397 --> 00:32:46.442 MORLEY: Old Grey Whistle Test was dark and underground, 703 00:32:46.486 --> 00:32:48.227 and it was a bit worthy. 704 00:32:48.270 --> 00:32:52.057 And the-the presenter Bob Harris didn't like Sparks. 705 00:32:52.100 --> 00:32:53.841 That was actually a-a real turn-on 706 00:32:53.884 --> 00:32:56.191 because whatever Bob didn't like, you kind of liked. 707 00:32:56.235 --> 00:32:57.801 Great stuff. 708 00:32:57.845 --> 00:32:59.673 Everybody saw us on Old Grey Whistle Test, 709 00:32:59.716 --> 00:33:01.283 and being on the telly was a big deal. 710 00:33:01.327 --> 00:33:04.504 So, when we then got the follow-up gig 711 00:33:04.547 --> 00:33:08.464 at the Marquee Club, the place was packed. 712 00:33:08.508 --> 00:33:10.292 MORLEY: Almost in that first moment, 713 00:33:10.336 --> 00:33:12.207 when you see something like Sparks, 714 00:33:12.251 --> 00:33:13.643 which is just so distinctive 715 00:33:13.687 --> 00:33:15.689 and sounds so distinctive, 716 00:33:15.732 --> 00:33:17.343 everything that you ever feel about them 717 00:33:17.386 --> 00:33:19.562 for the rest of time is in there. 718 00:33:19.606 --> 00:33:22.478 ♪ Oh, my word, she's from Germany ♪ 719 00:33:22.522 --> 00:33:24.437 ♪ Well, it's the same old country ♪ 720 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:26.787 ♪ But the people have changed... ♪ 721 00:33:26.830 --> 00:33:29.137 RON: "Girl from Germany" was kind of a harbinger 722 00:33:29.181 --> 00:33:33.228 of things to come for us in a lyrical way, I think. 723 00:33:33.272 --> 00:33:37.276 It's about a guy who's defending his girlfriend, 724 00:33:37.319 --> 00:33:39.365 who happens to be from Germany, 725 00:33:39.408 --> 00:33:41.758 to his parents who are Jewish. 726 00:33:41.802 --> 00:33:44.283 ♪ Well, the car I drive is parked outside... ♪ 727 00:33:44.326 --> 00:33:45.849 JANE WIEDLIN: They come out with this song, 728 00:33:45.893 --> 00:33:46.850 and it's like, are you kidding me? 729 00:33:46.894 --> 00:33:48.678 They're, like, talking about 730 00:33:48.722 --> 00:33:51.116 how people still hate Germans and stuff, 731 00:33:51.159 --> 00:33:53.161 and it's so sick and so funny. 732 00:33:54.467 --> 00:33:57.513 MIKE MYERS: My favorite lyric from a Sparks song is 733 00:33:57.557 --> 00:34:00.386 from "Girl from Germany," which is, uh... 734 00:34:00.429 --> 00:34:02.649 "My word, she's from Germany. 735 00:34:02.692 --> 00:34:05.217 It's the same old country, but the people have changed." 736 00:34:05.260 --> 00:34:08.742 Which is, like, well played, well played. 737 00:34:08.785 --> 00:34:13.094 ♪ With its splendid castles and its fine cuisine ♪ 738 00:34:13.138 --> 00:34:14.791 ♪ Its lovely German women 739 00:34:14.835 --> 00:34:17.446 -♪ And you and me. -[song ends] 740 00:34:18.752 --> 00:34:20.406 FEINSTEIN: There's a better than even chance 741 00:34:20.449 --> 00:34:23.148 that it would've continued moving onward and upward 742 00:34:23.191 --> 00:34:25.672 had the record company at that point not decided 743 00:34:25.715 --> 00:34:26.847 that, "Well, we've invested enough. 744 00:34:26.890 --> 00:34:28.501 "We're gonna pull the plug, 745 00:34:28.544 --> 00:34:30.764 and we're gonna bring 'em back to America." 746 00:34:30.807 --> 00:34:32.679 DUPONT: They literally were thrown out of England. 747 00:34:32.722 --> 00:34:34.246 It was like one day's notice, 748 00:34:34.289 --> 00:34:36.291 you're on an airplane, you're out of here. 749 00:34:36.335 --> 00:34:37.945 "Pack your gear and get out of here." 750 00:34:39.294 --> 00:34:41.122 FEINSTEIN: We had built up way more momentum 751 00:34:41.166 --> 00:34:42.776 in London than we had in L.A., 752 00:34:42.819 --> 00:34:45.126 but whatever momentum we had built up in L.A. 753 00:34:45.170 --> 00:34:47.389 had completely died out. 754 00:34:47.433 --> 00:34:49.739 My memory of what the mood was like 755 00:34:49.783 --> 00:34:51.828 at that time was, 756 00:34:51.872 --> 00:34:54.614 "Well, you know, this thing may have run its course." 757 00:34:54.657 --> 00:34:56.746 ["Do-Re-Mi" by Sparks playing] 758 00:35:02.143 --> 00:35:04.319 RON: We were kind of stuck in a way, 759 00:35:04.363 --> 00:35:06.147 knowing that there was 760 00:35:06.191 --> 00:35:09.150 this promised land that was... that was there for us 761 00:35:09.194 --> 00:35:12.110 if we could only figure out how to get there. 762 00:35:12.153 --> 00:35:14.677 HEWLETT: They called and said they'd like to come over 763 00:35:14.721 --> 00:35:16.766 and, um, yeah, could I help? 764 00:35:16.810 --> 00:35:18.507 Which I could and did. 765 00:35:18.551 --> 00:35:21.597 I talked to David Betteridge at Island Records, 766 00:35:21.641 --> 00:35:23.860 and David said, "Yeah, go for it." 767 00:35:23.904 --> 00:35:25.210 [cheering] 768 00:35:25.253 --> 00:35:26.689 As soon as I saw the pictures 769 00:35:26.733 --> 00:35:27.908 of Ron and Russell-- 770 00:35:27.951 --> 00:35:29.562 this was before I'd met them-- 771 00:35:29.605 --> 00:35:31.172 just looking at the pictures 772 00:35:31.216 --> 00:35:34.001 and listening to those first two albums, 773 00:35:34.044 --> 00:35:36.264 straightaway, it all made sense. 774 00:35:36.308 --> 00:35:38.832 It seemed to me that the only way 775 00:35:38.875 --> 00:35:40.529 that we could get this happening 776 00:35:40.573 --> 00:35:43.750 is if we made it a little bit more rock and roll 777 00:35:43.793 --> 00:35:47.057 and get an English backing group with them. 778 00:35:47.101 --> 00:35:48.450 FEINSTEIN: A friend of mine said, 779 00:35:48.494 --> 00:35:50.278 "I saw your old band buddies. 780 00:35:50.322 --> 00:35:52.193 "They're having a garage sale. 781 00:35:52.237 --> 00:35:54.195 And they told me that they were moving to England." 782 00:35:54.239 --> 00:35:55.936 And I said, "What? They're moving to England? 783 00:35:55.979 --> 00:35:56.980 News to me." 784 00:35:58.199 --> 00:35:59.461 RON: A yard sale in anybody's yard 785 00:35:59.505 --> 00:36:02.595 in Los Angeles means bad news for somebody. 786 00:36:02.638 --> 00:36:04.901 It was an agonizing decision 787 00:36:04.945 --> 00:36:06.990 for Ron and Russ to-to, uh, 788 00:36:07.034 --> 00:36:09.558 cut the band loose and go to England. 789 00:36:09.602 --> 00:36:14.084 RON: To betray the other people was a really difficult thing, 790 00:36:14.128 --> 00:36:17.566 but also knowing that being 791 00:36:17.610 --> 00:36:21.266 a British band was a lifetime dream of ours. 792 00:36:21.309 --> 00:36:23.442 FEINSTEIN: They were on the horns of a dilemma. 793 00:36:23.485 --> 00:36:25.574 Obviously, I think they made the right decision. 794 00:36:25.618 --> 00:36:27.533 The rest is history. 795 00:36:27.576 --> 00:36:31.319 [bells chiming] 796 00:36:33.234 --> 00:36:35.236 RUSSELL: The bands that we had admired, 797 00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:38.108 these English bands that we liked so much, 798 00:36:38.152 --> 00:36:40.110 we always thought of them as being glamorous 799 00:36:40.154 --> 00:36:42.896 and-and bigger than life. 800 00:36:42.939 --> 00:36:45.377 So, when we put out these ads for band members, 801 00:36:45.420 --> 00:36:47.770 we were kind of trying to find people 802 00:36:47.814 --> 00:36:51.034 that would fulfill that image of ours of this England 803 00:36:51.078 --> 00:36:54.690 that was maybe just in our minds. 804 00:36:56.214 --> 00:36:57.737 WINWOOD: Straightaway, it worked. 805 00:36:57.780 --> 00:36:59.391 It just worked. 806 00:36:59.434 --> 00:37:01.697 HEWLETT: Each time you'd go to the rehearsal room, 807 00:37:01.741 --> 00:37:04.178 there'd be something new there. 808 00:37:04.222 --> 00:37:05.614 I'm like, "Shit, that's good." 809 00:37:05.658 --> 00:37:07.137 Um, you know, then the next rehearsal. 810 00:37:07.181 --> 00:37:08.400 "Wow, that song's good." 811 00:37:09.923 --> 00:37:12.665 WINWOOD: We found a momentum very quickly, 812 00:37:12.708 --> 00:37:15.581 and when we got enough tracks to make an album, 813 00:37:15.624 --> 00:37:17.322 then we said, 814 00:37:17.365 --> 00:37:18.758 "We've made an album." 815 00:37:18.801 --> 00:37:20.847 RUSSELL: Well, everybody at Island was 816 00:37:20.890 --> 00:37:22.631 really ecstatic about the album 817 00:37:22.675 --> 00:37:24.372 and really supportive. 818 00:37:24.416 --> 00:37:25.939 And-and especially in picking 819 00:37:25.982 --> 00:37:27.419 "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" 820 00:37:27.462 --> 00:37:29.464 to be the first song, 'cause it was... 821 00:37:29.508 --> 00:37:31.292 you know, it was taking a chance, 822 00:37:31.336 --> 00:37:34.687 it was going for something that was really extreme. 823 00:37:36.210 --> 00:37:38.473 TONY VISCONTI: "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" 824 00:37:38.517 --> 00:37:40.954 was the first record I heard by them on the radio. 825 00:37:40.997 --> 00:37:43.696 I remember I-I had a, uh... a darkroom in my home, 826 00:37:43.739 --> 00:37:45.437 and that came on in the dark. 827 00:37:45.480 --> 00:37:47.352 I nearly dropped my tongs, 828 00:37:47.395 --> 00:37:49.441 as they say in the photography world. 829 00:37:49.484 --> 00:37:51.486 VINCE CLARKE: The first thing that I ever bought was, um, 830 00:37:51.530 --> 00:37:53.183 "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us." 831 00:37:53.227 --> 00:37:54.794 I just played it nonstop 832 00:37:54.837 --> 00:37:57.231 until the grooves wore out pretty much, you know. 833 00:37:57.275 --> 00:38:00.060 ANDY BELL: My granddad was a wedding DJ, and he had 834 00:38:00.103 --> 00:38:01.148 "This Town Ain't Big Enough 835 00:38:01.191 --> 00:38:03.019 for the Both of Us" by Sparks. 836 00:38:03.063 --> 00:38:05.848 I remember hearing, uh, 837 00:38:05.892 --> 00:38:08.286 "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" and just going, 838 00:38:08.329 --> 00:38:11.332 "I've never heard anything like this." 839 00:38:11.376 --> 00:38:14.292 ♪ 840 00:38:25.041 --> 00:38:26.652 RUSSELL: Everyone at the record label said, 841 00:38:26.695 --> 00:38:28.480 "It's gonna become a big hit if we can just 842 00:38:28.523 --> 00:38:30.612 get you on theTop of the Pops." 843 00:38:30.656 --> 00:38:33.223 The producer of the show was a very dapper gentleman, 844 00:38:33.267 --> 00:38:35.878 and he said, "Oh, hello. My name is Robin Nash. 845 00:38:35.922 --> 00:38:37.315 Nice to meet you." 846 00:38:37.358 --> 00:38:39.578 I said, "Hi. My name is Russell." 847 00:38:39.621 --> 00:38:42.450 He was taken aback a bit that I was an American, 848 00:38:42.494 --> 00:38:44.409 and he went and made a phone call 849 00:38:44.452 --> 00:38:46.062 and had taken us off the show 850 00:38:46.106 --> 00:38:48.630 because we hadn't gotten work permits. 851 00:38:48.674 --> 00:38:51.894 -So everyone at Island was just distraught.-[screaming] 852 00:38:51.938 --> 00:38:53.592 It allowed another band, 853 00:38:53.635 --> 00:38:55.811 one of the greats of all time, The Rubettes, 854 00:38:55.855 --> 00:38:58.118 to take our place, 855 00:38:58.161 --> 00:39:00.903 and so they sadly reached number one. 856 00:39:00.947 --> 00:39:03.471 RON: You know, all through our career, there have been 857 00:39:03.515 --> 00:39:07.519 The Rubettes in-in some form or other. 858 00:39:07.562 --> 00:39:09.869 I love "Sugar Baby Love" by The Rubettes. 859 00:39:09.912 --> 00:39:12.480 -WRIGHT: Ron will hate you for that. -[laughs] 860 00:39:12.524 --> 00:39:15.440 DIFFORD: But where are they now? 861 00:39:15.483 --> 00:39:18.094 RUSSELL: Finally, the British Musicians' Union relented, 862 00:39:18.138 --> 00:39:19.705 and there we were. 863 00:39:19.748 --> 00:39:21.924 "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us." 864 00:39:21.968 --> 00:39:23.230 ♪ 865 00:39:23.273 --> 00:39:24.971 BJOÖRK: I loved his voice. 866 00:39:25.014 --> 00:39:27.756 You know, I-I guess it was kind of like a bit-- 867 00:39:27.800 --> 00:39:31.020 I don't know what it was-- quite feminine, I guess. 868 00:39:31.064 --> 00:39:34.502 Quite sort of... possessed or something. 869 00:39:34.546 --> 00:39:36.809 It definitely wasn't like rock and roll. 870 00:39:36.852 --> 00:39:38.898 ♪ Zoo time is she and you time ♪ 871 00:39:38.941 --> 00:39:40.856 ♪ The mammals are your favorite type ♪ 872 00:39:40.900 --> 00:39:43.424 ♪ And you want her tonight 873 00:39:43.468 --> 00:39:45.426 ♪ Heartbeat, increasing heartbeat ♪ 874 00:39:45.470 --> 00:39:48.037 ♪ You hear the thunder of stampeding rhinos ♪ 875 00:39:48.081 --> 00:39:50.257 ♪ Elephants and tacky tigers 876 00:39:50.300 --> 00:39:54.087 ♪ This town ain't big enough for the both of us ♪ 877 00:39:54.130 --> 00:39:58.047 ♪ And it ain't me who's gonna leave... ♪ 878 00:39:58.091 --> 00:40:00.093 I think there were 60 million people 879 00:40:00.136 --> 00:40:01.964 at that time in the UK, and... 880 00:40:02.008 --> 00:40:05.315 and 15 million of them were watching Top of the Pops. 881 00:40:06.795 --> 00:40:09.450 CLARKE: When I was growing up, I never knew anybody 882 00:40:09.494 --> 00:40:11.365 that went to university, but I never knew anyone 883 00:40:11.409 --> 00:40:13.019 that didn't watch Top of the Pops. 884 00:40:13.062 --> 00:40:14.629 DIFFORD: When I saw them 885 00:40:14.673 --> 00:40:16.152 onTop of the Pops for the first time, 886 00:40:16.196 --> 00:40:19.504 I instantly wanted to be the keyboard player. 887 00:40:19.547 --> 00:40:22.158 I wanted to be the quiet one that didn't say anything. 888 00:40:22.202 --> 00:40:25.379 I remember sitting there probably with my parents 889 00:40:25.423 --> 00:40:27.947 in front of Top of the Pops on a Thursday night 890 00:40:27.990 --> 00:40:30.210 and seeing these two guys on there, 891 00:40:30.253 --> 00:40:32.473 thinking, "What is that?" 892 00:40:32.517 --> 00:40:33.909 ♪ Daily, except for Sunday 893 00:40:33.953 --> 00:40:36.042 ♪ You dawdle into the café... 894 00:40:36.085 --> 00:40:37.260 MARK GATISS: Everyone came 895 00:40:37.304 --> 00:40:38.827 to school the next day saying, 896 00:40:38.871 --> 00:40:40.525 "Did you see that guy?" 897 00:40:40.568 --> 00:40:41.961 [laughs] 898 00:40:42.004 --> 00:40:43.179 The-the man who looked like Hitler. 899 00:40:44.746 --> 00:40:47.140 RON: A lot of people say, "Why the Charlie Chaplin look?" 900 00:40:47.183 --> 00:40:49.447 And a lot of people say, "Why the Hitler look?" 901 00:40:49.490 --> 00:40:51.492 And both of those people 902 00:40:51.536 --> 00:40:55.148 seem to me to be cartoon characters in a way. 903 00:40:56.541 --> 00:40:58.368 MORLEY: The next day, when you talk about it, 904 00:40:58.412 --> 00:41:00.849 the word of mouth begins in a way that is viral-- 905 00:41:00.893 --> 00:41:02.329 like we now have, obviously, on everything-- 906 00:41:02.372 --> 00:41:03.896 but back then, that was a rare thing. 907 00:41:03.939 --> 00:41:05.506 And you start to make things up slightly. 908 00:41:05.550 --> 00:41:07.160 One of my favorite anecdotes 909 00:41:07.203 --> 00:41:09.379 about thatTop of the Pops appearance is... 910 00:41:09.423 --> 00:41:11.904 is John Lennon ringing up Ringo Starr and saying... 911 00:41:11.947 --> 00:41:14.472 -You won't believe what's on the television. -What? 912 00:41:14.515 --> 00:41:17.910 -Marc Bolan is playing a song with Adolf Hitler. -Hitler? 913 00:41:17.953 --> 00:41:19.912 MORLEY: But that's how, unfortunately, we all thought. 914 00:41:19.955 --> 00:41:20.913 We all thought 915 00:41:20.956 --> 00:41:22.567 Adolf Hitler. 916 00:41:22.610 --> 00:41:25.004 SHELLEY WINTERS: Two years ago, there was somebody 917 00:41:25.047 --> 00:41:27.049 dressed like Hitler playing the piano on the BBC. 918 00:41:27.093 --> 00:41:30.531 Sparks. She's talking about Sparks. 919 00:41:30.575 --> 00:41:32.838 He-he was born looking like Hitler, that guy. 920 00:41:32.881 --> 00:41:34.100 [laughter] 921 00:41:35.710 --> 00:41:37.407 MORLEY: From then on, every single piece ever written 922 00:41:37.451 --> 00:41:40.541 about the group would just say "Adolf Hitler," which also 923 00:41:40.585 --> 00:41:42.064 really kind of weirdly tangled up 924 00:41:42.108 --> 00:41:43.370 in the myth of the group. 925 00:41:43.413 --> 00:41:45.590 You know, the shock to the system 926 00:41:45.633 --> 00:41:48.897 as a piece of choreography, let alone his appearance, 927 00:41:48.941 --> 00:41:50.551 was so remarkable that immediately 928 00:41:50.595 --> 00:41:52.988 it started to grow in your imagination. 929 00:41:53.032 --> 00:41:54.337 GILLIAN GILBERT: They're playing this upbeat, 930 00:41:54.381 --> 00:41:56.818 energetic, fantastic music, 931 00:41:56.862 --> 00:41:58.690 and he just stood there. 932 00:41:58.733 --> 00:42:01.562 I think it's really clever. 933 00:42:01.606 --> 00:42:04.347 WINWOOD: The following day, I remember going in 934 00:42:04.391 --> 00:42:07.002 and one of the sales guys saying, 935 00:42:07.046 --> 00:42:10.310 "We've done 200,000 singles today already. 936 00:42:10.353 --> 00:42:11.964 "The vans are out everywhere, 937 00:42:12.007 --> 00:42:15.228 and there were people buying boxes of them." 938 00:42:15.271 --> 00:42:17.926 That is a fantastic feeling. 939 00:42:17.970 --> 00:42:20.712 RHODES: John and I have said, "Always judge an album 940 00:42:20.755 --> 00:42:22.409 by its cover." 941 00:42:22.452 --> 00:42:25.238 Um, so if something has a dreadful album cover, 942 00:42:25.281 --> 00:42:26.892 don't buy it. 943 00:42:26.935 --> 00:42:29.590 ♪ 944 00:42:29.634 --> 00:42:31.374 JONATHAN ROSS: The cover's amazing, with the two 945 00:42:31.418 --> 00:42:33.333 kind of Geisha girls with the smeared makeup on. 946 00:42:33.376 --> 00:42:36.031 Here, you have this image which should be and could be 947 00:42:36.075 --> 00:42:37.337 perfect and pristine, and if it had been 948 00:42:37.380 --> 00:42:38.773 another band of the period, 949 00:42:38.817 --> 00:42:40.383 it would have been-- there would have been... 950 00:42:40.427 --> 00:42:41.863 They would have been more objectified. 951 00:42:41.907 --> 00:42:43.430 They're doing-- even with the visual, 952 00:42:43.473 --> 00:42:45.171 they're doing something interesting, 953 00:42:45.214 --> 00:42:46.955 but you can't quite put your finger on what it is. 954 00:42:46.999 --> 00:42:49.610 MYERS: I was like, "Oh, my God, this is fantastic." 955 00:42:49.654 --> 00:42:52.961 At once like fashion photography, 956 00:42:53.005 --> 00:42:56.486 and at once making fun of fashion photography. 957 00:42:56.530 --> 00:42:59.228 And I think that is something I love about Sparks is that 958 00:42:59.272 --> 00:43:00.926 they are the ones 959 00:43:00.969 --> 00:43:02.754 they were to mock, you know, in a weird way. 960 00:43:03.842 --> 00:43:05.583 TAYLOR: The art direction's just superb. 961 00:43:05.626 --> 00:43:07.802 Imagine, you know, us trying to convince our record label, 962 00:43:07.846 --> 00:43:10.109 "No, no, no, we don't want the name of the band, 963 00:43:10.152 --> 00:43:12.633 "uh, uh, and the title of the album on the front. 964 00:43:12.677 --> 00:43:15.070 No, that's going on the back." 965 00:43:15.114 --> 00:43:18.030 JULIA MARCUS: The joy of actually having this fantastic 966 00:43:18.073 --> 00:43:19.466 12-inch vinyl in front of you, 967 00:43:19.509 --> 00:43:21.076 and it had the lyrics on it as well, 968 00:43:21.120 --> 00:43:22.643 and then you're reading through the lyrics, 969 00:43:22.687 --> 00:43:23.731 and you're thinking, 970 00:43:23.775 --> 00:43:25.603 "This band are amazing." 971 00:43:25.646 --> 00:43:27.909 I had to know everything about them 972 00:43:27.953 --> 00:43:30.651 and threw myself into being a fan. 973 00:43:30.695 --> 00:43:33.219 [cheering] 974 00:43:33.262 --> 00:43:35.351 ♪ 975 00:43:47.189 --> 00:43:49.278 RICHARD COBLE: The first tour was really exciting. 976 00:43:49.322 --> 00:43:50.584 The audience would just go crazy. 977 00:43:50.628 --> 00:43:53.805 I mean, it was just fandom. 978 00:43:53.848 --> 00:43:55.545 RUSSELL: We were now thrown into kind of 979 00:43:55.589 --> 00:43:57.112 what we thought was the... sort of the big league, 980 00:43:57.156 --> 00:44:00.289 having the success ofKimono My House. 981 00:44:00.333 --> 00:44:03.031 The concerts we were doing at that time were just 982 00:44:03.075 --> 00:44:04.642 -really wild events. -[raucous cheering] 983 00:44:04.685 --> 00:44:06.948 And I remember one in Liverpool, 984 00:44:06.992 --> 00:44:08.602 we were pressed against the glass 985 00:44:08.646 --> 00:44:10.430 of the exterior of the hotel, 986 00:44:10.473 --> 00:44:13.041 just smashed against the front of the building, 987 00:44:13.085 --> 00:44:14.652 and then finally somebody helped rescue us 988 00:44:14.695 --> 00:44:16.305 and we went through the kitchen. 989 00:44:16.349 --> 00:44:18.090 You know, it was a really special period. 990 00:44:18.133 --> 00:44:20.483 ♪ Amateur hour goes on and on, and when you turn pro ♪ 991 00:44:20.527 --> 00:44:22.050 ♪ You know, she'll let you know... ♪ 992 00:44:22.094 --> 00:44:24.096 STEVE JONES: I remember vividly seeing them 993 00:44:24.139 --> 00:44:25.967 at Hammersmith Odeon. 994 00:44:26.011 --> 00:44:29.492 And I remember being really excited about seeing them. 995 00:44:29.536 --> 00:44:34.062 There was a lot of screaming 'cause of cutie-pie on vocals. 996 00:44:34.106 --> 00:44:36.630 It was a given after they'd been onTop of the Pops. 997 00:44:36.674 --> 00:44:38.893 ♪ Our voices change at a rapid pace... ♪ 998 00:44:38.937 --> 00:44:39.938 NICK HEYWARD: I lived in Beckenham, 999 00:44:39.981 --> 00:44:42.375 and, uh, that's where I saw 1000 00:44:42.418 --> 00:44:44.638 Ron and Russell walking down the street. 1001 00:44:44.682 --> 00:44:46.205 And that was a very strange experience. 1002 00:44:46.248 --> 00:44:48.076 I thought they didn't really exist. 1003 00:44:48.120 --> 00:44:50.383 You know, they existed onstage, they existed on the TV, 1004 00:44:50.426 --> 00:44:52.733 and, you know, they were from other lands. 1005 00:44:52.777 --> 00:44:54.213 I remember sort of wanting to hide. 1006 00:44:54.256 --> 00:44:55.997 ♪ Amateur hour goes on and on 1007 00:44:56.041 --> 00:44:57.782 ♪ And when you turn pro, you know... ♪ 1008 00:44:57.825 --> 00:44:59.827 We knew when they were gonna be at the BBC. 1009 00:44:59.871 --> 00:45:01.699 We knew when they were gonna be at Capital. 1010 00:45:01.742 --> 00:45:03.962 We knew when they were getting off a plane at Heathrow. 1011 00:45:04.005 --> 00:45:06.138 We were detectives in terms of actually 1012 00:45:06.181 --> 00:45:07.879 finding stuff out about them. 1013 00:45:07.922 --> 00:45:09.707 You know, it was a full-time job 1014 00:45:09.750 --> 00:45:11.621 to make sure we were on top of it. 1015 00:45:11.665 --> 00:45:14.755 We'd been to see them quite a few times in London. 1016 00:45:14.799 --> 00:45:17.410 The excitement never, ever went away. 1017 00:45:17.453 --> 00:45:19.717 It was always just a-a thrill. 1018 00:45:19.760 --> 00:45:22.110 COBLE: Somebody cut the budget the morning of the show, 1019 00:45:22.154 --> 00:45:23.851 so they canceled security, 1020 00:45:23.895 --> 00:45:25.940 so it was really insane. 1021 00:45:25.984 --> 00:45:28.551 Oh, God, there I am, yeah. 1022 00:45:28.595 --> 00:45:30.684 -[Coble laughs] -[raucous cheering] 1023 00:45:32.381 --> 00:45:34.296 MARCUS: Obviously, Russell was beautiful, 1024 00:45:34.340 --> 00:45:35.950 but I always loved Ron. 1025 00:45:35.994 --> 00:45:38.039 He was different. 1026 00:45:38.083 --> 00:45:40.346 He was a little bit more challenging. 1027 00:45:40.389 --> 00:45:45.046 I really felt like I could kind of go places with Ron. 1028 00:45:45.090 --> 00:45:47.353 Oh, that's me. That's me. That's me. 1029 00:45:47.396 --> 00:45:49.790 I've just put my arm round him. 1030 00:45:49.834 --> 00:45:52.314 [laughing] 1031 00:45:52.358 --> 00:45:54.316 I kind of got to him 1032 00:45:54.360 --> 00:45:58.320 and sort of really did realize in that moment 1033 00:45:58.364 --> 00:46:00.714 that this was a terrible thing to do. 1034 00:46:00.758 --> 00:46:02.977 This was a disaster. 1035 00:46:03.021 --> 00:46:05.066 I'm never gonna be able to talk to him 1036 00:46:05.110 --> 00:46:06.981 on a serious level now about, you know, 1037 00:46:07.025 --> 00:46:09.941 his love of French cinema or The Beach Boys. 1038 00:46:09.984 --> 00:46:13.509 I was doomed forever to be a child to him. 1039 00:46:13.553 --> 00:46:16.643 For everyone's safety, I think we should have 1040 00:46:16.686 --> 00:46:18.819 a little restraint in the hall, okay? 1041 00:46:18.863 --> 00:46:21.213 HEWLETT: I mean, I've always been, like, 1042 00:46:21.256 --> 00:46:23.781 a believer in just-- go for it, you know? 1043 00:46:23.824 --> 00:46:24.825 If you've got material, 1044 00:46:24.869 --> 00:46:26.174 record. 1045 00:46:26.218 --> 00:46:27.872 Tour, record. Just keep doing it. 1046 00:46:27.915 --> 00:46:29.308 ["Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" by Sparks plays] 1047 00:46:29.351 --> 00:46:34.269 ♪ When she's on her best behavior ♪ 1048 00:46:34.313 --> 00:46:39.187 ♪ Don't be tempted by her favors ♪ 1049 00:46:39.231 --> 00:46:42.843 ♪ Never turn your back 1050 00:46:42.887 --> 00:46:45.237 ♪ On Mother Earth 1051 00:46:49.458 --> 00:46:53.941 ♪ Towns are hurled from A to B ♪ 1052 00:46:53.985 --> 00:46:59.425 ♪ By hands that looked so smooth to me ♪ 1053 00:46:59.468 --> 00:47:02.907 ♪ Never turn your back 1054 00:47:02.950 --> 00:47:05.518 ♪ On Mother Earth... 1055 00:47:05.561 --> 00:47:07.607 COBLE: For two years, we toured the world, 1056 00:47:07.650 --> 00:47:08.782 and we had a great time. 1057 00:47:09.870 --> 00:47:11.611 IAN HAMPTON: It was very, very hectic 1058 00:47:11.654 --> 00:47:13.656 touring withKimono and then recordingPropaganda 1059 00:47:13.700 --> 00:47:15.571 kind of at the same time. 1060 00:47:15.615 --> 00:47:17.312 But it was good fun. 1061 00:47:17.356 --> 00:47:20.098 ♪ To my friends 1062 00:47:20.141 --> 00:47:22.143 ♪ To my friends... 1063 00:47:22.187 --> 00:47:23.841 HEWLETT: Ron's like a writing machine. 1064 00:47:23.884 --> 00:47:25.494 He wasn't, you know, one for 1065 00:47:25.538 --> 00:47:27.322 drinking in the bar with the guys, 1066 00:47:27.366 --> 00:47:29.237 and in some ways, he was quite aloof, 1067 00:47:29.281 --> 00:47:30.848 but that's what Ronnie would be doing-- 1068 00:47:30.891 --> 00:47:32.327 thinking and writing. 1069 00:47:32.371 --> 00:47:34.590 And so the material kept coming. 1070 00:47:34.634 --> 00:47:36.897 Obviously, that was a demand upon him 1071 00:47:36.941 --> 00:47:39.900 but one that I think he kind of thrives on. 1072 00:47:39.944 --> 00:47:42.860 ♪ On Mother Earth. 1073 00:47:47.386 --> 00:47:49.910 WINWOOD: There's always massive pressures 1074 00:47:49.954 --> 00:47:51.738 if you've been successful the first time 1075 00:47:51.781 --> 00:47:53.740 because, first of all, everybody tells you 1076 00:47:53.783 --> 00:47:55.916 you're a genius, and then they say, 1077 00:47:55.960 --> 00:47:58.571 "Now do it again." 1078 00:47:58.614 --> 00:48:01.052 Eins, zwei, drei, vier. Eins, zwei, drei, vier. 1079 00:48:01.095 --> 00:48:04.055 ♪ Something for the girl with everything ♪ 1080 00:48:04.098 --> 00:48:05.665 ♪ See, the writing's on the wall ♪ 1081 00:48:05.708 --> 00:48:07.710 ♪ You bought the girl a wall 1082 00:48:07.754 --> 00:48:10.191 ♪ Complete with matching ballpoint pen ♪ 1083 00:48:10.235 --> 00:48:12.193 ♪ You can breathe another day 1084 00:48:12.237 --> 00:48:15.066 ♪ Secure in knowing she won't break you yet ♪ 1085 00:48:15.109 --> 00:48:17.764 ♪ Something for the girl with everything... ♪ 1086 00:48:17.807 --> 00:48:19.592 RON: I'm not exactly sure 1087 00:48:19.635 --> 00:48:22.203 how we were able to come up with Propagandaso soon 1088 00:48:22.247 --> 00:48:24.945 after Kimono My House, and especially 1089 00:48:24.989 --> 00:48:25.946 with all the touring. 1090 00:48:25.990 --> 00:48:27.034 I mean, I think 1091 00:48:27.078 --> 00:48:28.775 part of the thing was just being 1092 00:48:28.818 --> 00:48:29.950 in that milieu. 1093 00:48:29.994 --> 00:48:31.343 ♪ Yes, everything 1094 00:48:31.386 --> 00:48:33.301 ♪ Hey, come out and say hello 1095 00:48:33.345 --> 00:48:34.824 ♪ Before our friends all go... ♪ 1096 00:48:34.868 --> 00:48:36.739 RON: There was pure excitement 1097 00:48:36.783 --> 00:48:40.308 knowing that you're on this, you know, fast-moving train 1098 00:48:40.352 --> 00:48:42.484 and-and kind of you had to kind of 1099 00:48:42.528 --> 00:48:45.357 keep up with that by coming up with the material. 1100 00:48:46.880 --> 00:48:49.056 MAN: Great, boys. We'll have to put the piano on again 1101 00:48:49.100 --> 00:48:51.406 'cause Ronnie fell off the stool. 1102 00:48:51.450 --> 00:48:53.452 -[train screeching] -Is that a train? 1103 00:48:54.714 --> 00:48:58.370 And now, as all good things come to an end, 1104 00:48:58.413 --> 00:49:01.634 we must say goodbye to Zurich, 1105 00:49:01.677 --> 00:49:04.071 auf Wiedersehen to Zurich, 1106 00:49:04.115 --> 00:49:06.073 uh, ciao, Zurich, 1107 00:49:06.117 --> 00:49:09.207 and bon voyage, Zurich. 1108 00:49:09.250 --> 00:49:10.948 ♪ Bon voyage... 1109 00:49:10.991 --> 00:49:12.601 HEWLETT: When the idea was presented 1110 00:49:12.645 --> 00:49:14.690 for the cover, there was no question. 1111 00:49:14.734 --> 00:49:17.867 I mean, it was like, "These guys know what they're doing. 1112 00:49:17.911 --> 00:49:19.913 You know, we'll go along with whatever you want." 1113 00:49:19.957 --> 00:49:23.873 WINWOOD: Yet again, this is that thing of theirs 1114 00:49:23.917 --> 00:49:27.007 where somehow they marry their music 1115 00:49:27.051 --> 00:49:30.271 and their visuals so brilliantly together. 1116 00:49:30.315 --> 00:49:32.708 This is me holding up the front of it 1117 00:49:32.752 --> 00:49:34.710 so that you can cut to it. 1118 00:49:34.754 --> 00:49:37.975 This is me holding up the back of it. 1119 00:49:38.018 --> 00:49:40.890 They're obviously being kidnapped. 1120 00:49:40.934 --> 00:49:43.154 Probably, they're gonna be thrown overboard and drowned. 1121 00:49:43.197 --> 00:49:46.896 Then you go to the back, and they're tied up 1122 00:49:46.940 --> 00:49:48.246 in the back of the car. 1123 00:49:48.289 --> 00:49:49.987 And the inside cover, 1124 00:49:50.030 --> 00:49:52.859 they have somehow not been drowned, 1125 00:49:52.902 --> 00:49:54.556 they haven't been thrown out of a car, 1126 00:49:54.600 --> 00:49:57.037 and by working together, 1127 00:49:57.081 --> 00:50:00.693 you think maybe they are phoning the police. 1128 00:50:00.736 --> 00:50:04.044 And I love the fact that there is some kind of story. 1129 00:50:04.088 --> 00:50:05.785 WRIGHT: It could be in the other order. 1130 00:50:05.828 --> 00:50:07.526 It could be that the hotel one is the start, 1131 00:50:07.569 --> 00:50:09.006 then they're put in the car, 1132 00:50:09.049 --> 00:50:10.572 and then they're killed on the boat. 1133 00:50:10.616 --> 00:50:13.053 -That's why you're a director. -[laughter] 1134 00:50:13.097 --> 00:50:16.578 WINWOOD: When you make successful records, 1135 00:50:16.622 --> 00:50:21.496 there's always a moment in time where you've got to say, 1136 00:50:21.540 --> 00:50:24.717 "Do we carry on using the same formula, 1137 00:50:24.760 --> 00:50:27.024 or do we change the formula?" 1138 00:50:27.067 --> 00:50:28.677 You've got to make changes. 1139 00:50:28.721 --> 00:50:30.375 You've got to move things on. 1140 00:50:30.418 --> 00:50:32.725 And, uh, I was one of the things that was moved on, 1141 00:50:32.768 --> 00:50:34.335 but that's okay. 1142 00:50:34.379 --> 00:50:36.816 ["Get in the Swing" by Sparks playing] 1143 00:50:36.859 --> 00:50:38.948 ♪ Get in the swing, pal ♪ 1144 00:50:38.992 --> 00:50:40.515 ♪ Get in the swing 1145 00:50:40.559 --> 00:50:43.214 ♪ With everybody and everything... ♪ 1146 00:50:43.257 --> 00:50:47.261 HAMPTON: I loved what Muff did onPropaganda andKimono, 1147 00:50:47.305 --> 00:50:49.089 and the next album went to Tony Visconti, 1148 00:50:49.133 --> 00:50:51.048 and it changed rapidly. 1149 00:50:51.091 --> 00:50:53.180 Everything changed. 1150 00:50:53.224 --> 00:50:55.878 ♪ When salmon spawn... 1151 00:50:55.922 --> 00:50:57.924 They certainly got Tony Visconti 1152 00:50:57.967 --> 00:50:59.708 at the height of his powers, 1153 00:50:59.752 --> 00:51:02.581 when he was working with Bowie a lot and T. Rex, 1154 00:51:02.624 --> 00:51:05.323 uh, making amazing-sounding records. 1155 00:51:05.366 --> 00:51:07.368 ♪ But on they go... 1156 00:51:07.412 --> 00:51:09.370 VISCONTI: They didn't want to make it necessarily 1157 00:51:09.414 --> 00:51:11.677 a strict, straight-up band record. 1158 00:51:11.720 --> 00:51:12.721 They wanted 1159 00:51:12.765 --> 00:51:14.636 kind of the equivalent of 1160 00:51:14.680 --> 00:51:17.291 Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Bandfor themselves, 1161 00:51:17.335 --> 00:51:20.425 which was difficult for the other members of the band. 1162 00:51:20.468 --> 00:51:22.992 ♪ And have a warm bed waiting... ♪ 1163 00:51:23.036 --> 00:51:24.690 RON: We're not gonna be fooling 1164 00:51:24.733 --> 00:51:26.561 either ourselves or anybody else 1165 00:51:26.605 --> 00:51:30.130 if the thing just sounds like it's going through the motions. 1166 00:51:30.174 --> 00:51:32.001 We're willing to take the chance, 1167 00:51:32.045 --> 00:51:34.569 however many people are... feel alienated. 1168 00:51:34.613 --> 00:51:36.223 ♪ With everybody and everything... ♪ 1169 00:51:36.267 --> 00:51:38.051 BECK: I know that feeling. 1170 00:51:38.095 --> 00:51:40.358 Maybe that's just the-the instinct 1171 00:51:40.401 --> 00:51:43.056 of somebody who's coming 1172 00:51:43.100 --> 00:51:44.579 from a place of art, 1173 00:51:44.623 --> 00:51:46.538 not necessarily trying to make a hit. 1174 00:51:46.581 --> 00:51:49.236 ♪ All for one, one for all... 1175 00:51:49.280 --> 00:51:50.542 VISCONTI: We just let our imaginations 1176 00:51:50.585 --> 00:51:52.152 soar on every song in it. 1177 00:51:52.196 --> 00:51:54.372 You know, it does sound like Sparks, but I mean, 1178 00:51:54.415 --> 00:51:55.808 it's so far out. 1179 00:51:55.851 --> 00:51:58.158 ♪ One, two, three, one, two 1180 00:51:58.202 --> 00:52:00.073 ["Under the Table with Her" by Sparks playing] 1181 00:52:00.117 --> 00:52:01.944 HAMPTON: I never understood any of it, actually. 1182 00:52:01.988 --> 00:52:04.121 Things like "Under the Table with Her." 1183 00:52:04.164 --> 00:52:06.166 My God, what's that about? [chuckles] 1184 00:52:06.210 --> 00:52:07.907 ♪ Nobody misses 1185 00:52:07.950 --> 00:52:10.170 ♪ Diminutive offspring 1186 00:52:10.214 --> 00:52:12.433 ♪ Not when there's big wigs there... ♪ 1187 00:52:12.477 --> 00:52:14.174 VISCONTI: "Dinner for 12 is now 1188 00:52:14.218 --> 00:52:16.742 dinner for ten because I'm under the table with her." 1189 00:52:16.785 --> 00:52:19.397 I mean, it... I... [laughs]: That's just so funny. 1190 00:52:19.440 --> 00:52:21.399 ♪ With her... 1191 00:52:24.228 --> 00:52:26.708 GAIMAN: You had Russell singing songs 1192 00:52:26.752 --> 00:52:30.756 with lyrics that I always suspected, 1193 00:52:30.799 --> 00:52:34.760 as a 12-, 13-, 14-year-old, were dirty. 1194 00:52:34.803 --> 00:52:37.154 What made it even weirder was the only song of theirs 1195 00:52:37.197 --> 00:52:40.418 that I was convinced wasn't dirty 1196 00:52:40.461 --> 00:52:42.115 was called "Tits." 1197 00:52:42.159 --> 00:52:43.812 GARY STEWART: The minute, I think, a lot of people 1198 00:52:43.856 --> 00:52:45.510 see that or saw that song title, 1199 00:52:45.553 --> 00:52:47.729 which was asterisked, think like, 1200 00:52:47.773 --> 00:52:50.297 "Oh, this is, like, a, you know... 1201 00:52:50.341 --> 00:52:53.082 a sexy, rockin', hyper-masculine song," 1202 00:52:53.126 --> 00:52:54.736 if you didn't know Sparks. 1203 00:52:54.780 --> 00:52:57.304 If you knew Sparks, you probably should have known better. 1204 00:52:57.348 --> 00:53:00.046 GAIMAN: It's about a drunk in a bar 1205 00:53:00.089 --> 00:53:03.571 grumbling about the fact that his wife's tits 1206 00:53:03.615 --> 00:53:06.574 are no longer recreational pleasure objects for him 1207 00:53:06.618 --> 00:53:08.794 but she's using them for feeding the baby. 1208 00:53:10.448 --> 00:53:11.840 ♪ God, these drinks... 1209 00:53:11.884 --> 00:53:14.452 And by the way, you realize 1210 00:53:14.495 --> 00:53:17.237 he's also, uh, complaining that the guy that he is drunkenly 1211 00:53:17.281 --> 00:53:20.458 telling this to is also having an affair with his wife. 1212 00:53:20.501 --> 00:53:21.763 ♪ Fine from behind... 1213 00:53:21.807 --> 00:53:23.330 That one, at least, 1214 00:53:23.374 --> 00:53:26.203 I-I figured I got to decode properly. 1215 00:53:26.246 --> 00:53:28.030 ♪ Harry, drink till you can't see... ♪ 1216 00:53:28.074 --> 00:53:30.598 And normally, the codes were not that easily cracked. 1217 00:53:30.642 --> 00:53:32.165 You can look at the title, 1218 00:53:32.209 --> 00:53:34.123 you can look at the idea and laugh, 1219 00:53:34.167 --> 00:53:35.516 or you can go deeper 1220 00:53:35.560 --> 00:53:37.779 and grow and maybe have a good time, 1221 00:53:37.823 --> 00:53:39.912 maybe a sense of humor. 1222 00:53:39.955 --> 00:53:42.262 And... cue Sparks. 1223 00:53:42.306 --> 00:53:44.569 FLEA: Something that's always kind of confounded me 1224 00:53:44.612 --> 00:53:46.266 in popular music 1225 00:53:46.310 --> 00:53:49.704 is people's inability to take humor seriously. 1226 00:53:49.748 --> 00:53:51.706 And I think that's one of the things, like, 1227 00:53:51.750 --> 00:53:53.926 why a band like Sparks isn't as big 1228 00:53:53.969 --> 00:53:55.319 as the biggest bands in the world. 1229 00:53:55.362 --> 00:53:57.234 'Cause they're fucking funny. 1230 00:53:57.277 --> 00:53:59.279 ♪ Looks, looks, looks 1231 00:53:59.323 --> 00:54:02.413 ♪ You had sense, you had style, you had cash galore... ♪ 1232 00:54:02.456 --> 00:54:04.545 "WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC: A lot of critics and some fans, 1233 00:54:04.589 --> 00:54:05.764 uh, sometimes denigrate bands 1234 00:54:05.807 --> 00:54:07.418 that show their sense of humor. 1235 00:54:07.461 --> 00:54:09.811 Like, "Oh, it's a comedy band. It's a joke band." 1236 00:54:09.855 --> 00:54:11.509 I just don't get that. 1237 00:54:11.552 --> 00:54:13.728 I don't know why it has to be so stinking serious. 1238 00:54:13.772 --> 00:54:16.253 ♪ You got a built-in seat that makes you look effete... ♪ 1239 00:54:16.296 --> 00:54:18.472 VISCONTI: I thought it was gonna be a smash hit album 1240 00:54:18.516 --> 00:54:20.648 because it was so different and anyone could see 1241 00:54:20.692 --> 00:54:23.825 that we spent hours of work and put detail in it 1242 00:54:23.869 --> 00:54:25.566 and the songs were so great 1243 00:54:25.610 --> 00:54:26.872 and Russell's singing 1244 00:54:26.915 --> 00:54:28.526 was amazing. 1245 00:54:28.569 --> 00:54:30.354 The world just didn't agree with us, you know? 1246 00:54:30.397 --> 00:54:32.747 It did well but not that well. 1247 00:54:32.791 --> 00:54:36.273 RON: We were so irate at just 1248 00:54:36.316 --> 00:54:38.231 the lack of acceptance for what we thought 1249 00:54:38.275 --> 00:54:40.625 was an amazing album 1250 00:54:40.668 --> 00:54:42.322 that we were seriously considering 1251 00:54:42.366 --> 00:54:44.281 recording "Louie Louie" as our next single, 1252 00:54:44.324 --> 00:54:46.761 you know, just for spite. 1253 00:54:46.805 --> 00:54:52.071 ♪ Someday we'll have one extra coastline ♪ 1254 00:54:52.114 --> 00:54:56.162 ♪ We'll tire of the Atlantic 1255 00:54:56.205 --> 00:54:59.774 ♪ By then, we'll be rid of your lot ♪ 1256 00:54:59.818 --> 00:55:02.603 ♪ A shot heard round the world will soon be shot ♪ 1257 00:55:02.647 --> 00:55:04.605 ♪ Will soon be shot... 1258 00:55:04.649 --> 00:55:06.825 HEWLETT: When that tour ended, Ron and Russell put it in 1259 00:55:06.868 --> 00:55:08.827 that they don't want to live in London anymore. 1260 00:55:08.870 --> 00:55:11.351 They want to go back to L.A. Totally understandable. 1261 00:55:11.395 --> 00:55:13.571 Um, after, you know, some years away and touring. 1262 00:55:13.614 --> 00:55:17.966 But to ditch the band needn't have been part of that. 1263 00:55:18.010 --> 00:55:19.707 HAMPTON: They didn't actually sack me. 1264 00:55:19.751 --> 00:55:21.840 It was mutual, really. 1265 00:55:23.102 --> 00:55:24.712 That was it. 1266 00:55:24.756 --> 00:55:26.279 Band over. 1267 00:55:26.323 --> 00:55:27.846 HEWLETT: Certainly, it gutted me. 1268 00:55:27.889 --> 00:55:29.674 I mean, I was really upset. 1269 00:55:29.717 --> 00:55:32.024 I mean, it was just folded, and that was it. 1270 00:55:32.067 --> 00:55:33.982 You know, people went their separate ways. 1271 00:55:34.026 --> 00:55:36.202 It was a shock, of course, you know, 1272 00:55:36.245 --> 00:55:38.770 but Ian, I think, just accepted it. 1273 00:55:38.813 --> 00:55:40.902 HAMPTON: I could understand why. 1274 00:55:40.946 --> 00:55:43.731 They don't care about the money or the fame. 1275 00:55:43.775 --> 00:55:44.732 Art for art's sake-- 1276 00:55:44.776 --> 00:55:46.734 I respect them for it. 1277 00:55:46.778 --> 00:55:49.520 ♪ I am the king. 1278 00:55:49.563 --> 00:55:51.609 [cheering] 1279 00:55:53.915 --> 00:55:55.830 -Thank you! Thank you! -[song ends] 1280 00:56:01.749 --> 00:56:05.144 RON: I've always admired French directors like Godard 1281 00:56:05.187 --> 00:56:08.016 that were kind of rebellious against the whole system 1282 00:56:08.060 --> 00:56:10.628 and the whole idea even of what cinema was 1283 00:56:10.671 --> 00:56:14.762 that they were almost slightly standing outside 1284 00:56:14.806 --> 00:56:17.548 of filmmaking while they were making a film. 1285 00:56:17.591 --> 00:56:19.898 It was kind of inspirational to us. 1286 00:56:19.941 --> 00:56:22.422 HEWLETT: Ron and Russell always had a desire 1287 00:56:22.466 --> 00:56:24.076 to write music in movies, 1288 00:56:24.119 --> 00:56:27.427 and they love movies and wanted to be a part of movies. 1289 00:56:27.471 --> 00:56:29.516 RON: In the '70s, one of our favorite filmmakers 1290 00:56:29.560 --> 00:56:31.649 was Jacques Tati. 1291 00:56:31.692 --> 00:56:34.782 Tati, at that time, was looking to expand his audience 1292 00:56:34.826 --> 00:56:36.915 to younger people, 1293 00:56:36.958 --> 00:56:38.569 and somehow he thought that 1294 00:56:38.612 --> 00:56:40.397 maybe connecting with a band 1295 00:56:40.440 --> 00:56:42.137 would be a way for him to broaden 1296 00:56:42.181 --> 00:56:43.835 the appeal of his films. 1297 00:56:43.878 --> 00:56:46.141 INTERVIEWER: Well, how was that, uh, film project 1298 00:56:46.185 --> 00:56:47.708 with, uh, Jacques Tati? 1299 00:56:47.752 --> 00:56:49.449 -Whoa. There. You got it. -Lost the cake. 1300 00:56:49.493 --> 00:56:51.277 Did you get it? Did you get it? 1301 00:56:51.320 --> 00:56:52.583 That's a film project, that is. 1302 00:56:52.626 --> 00:56:54.236 Did you get it? 1303 00:56:54.280 --> 00:56:57.849 Our-our film project with Tati is... 1304 00:56:57.892 --> 00:57:00.895 could relate to that cake, what just happened to it. 1305 00:57:00.939 --> 00:57:02.767 It's just fallen to bits. 1306 00:57:02.810 --> 00:57:06.248 RON: His health was not as good as it had been, 1307 00:57:06.292 --> 00:57:09.077 and so the project just sort of dissipated. 1308 00:57:09.121 --> 00:57:11.297 You know, we have very few things 1309 00:57:11.340 --> 00:57:14.474 that we regret not having happened, but, 1310 00:57:14.518 --> 00:57:16.911 you know, I probably would have retired after that. 1311 00:57:17.869 --> 00:57:20.785 ♪ 1312 00:57:20.828 --> 00:57:24.963 HEWLETT: Evolving their concept of art is 1313 00:57:25.006 --> 00:57:26.704 paramount to them. 1314 00:57:26.747 --> 00:57:28.923 That's what they have always striven for and believe in. 1315 00:57:28.967 --> 00:57:30.751 RUSSELL: I think, when we didBig Beat, 1316 00:57:30.795 --> 00:57:32.057 we really just wanted 1317 00:57:32.100 --> 00:57:34.712 to change the sound yet again. 1318 00:57:34.755 --> 00:57:38.716 RON: We're trying to be a little less British, 1319 00:57:38.759 --> 00:57:40.674 in a certain sense. 1320 00:57:41.719 --> 00:57:43.677 In any sort of art form, you need to keep 1321 00:57:43.721 --> 00:57:45.679 pushing yourself forward. 1322 00:57:45.723 --> 00:57:47.942 Otherwise, you just sort of... you're a shark, 1323 00:57:47.986 --> 00:57:50.075 and you stop moving, and you just... you die. 1324 00:57:50.118 --> 00:57:52.730 SAL MAIDA: Ron and Russell had come to New York 1325 00:57:52.773 --> 00:57:54.601 to do this hard rock record 1326 00:57:54.645 --> 00:57:56.298 and change directions 1327 00:57:56.342 --> 00:57:59.127 and try to break America. 1328 00:57:59.171 --> 00:58:01.260 MICHAELS: Russell says, "Well, look, 1329 00:58:01.303 --> 00:58:02.653 "we don't have a band 1330 00:58:02.696 --> 00:58:05.917 anymore, so do you know a great drummer?" 1331 00:58:05.960 --> 00:58:08.180 -[drumbeat playing] -[laughs] 1332 00:58:10.878 --> 00:58:16.710 Sparks is musically an enigma to begin with. 1333 00:58:16.754 --> 00:58:21.323 Indiscreet doesn't sound likeKimono My House, 1334 00:58:21.367 --> 00:58:25.371 and Big Beatis completely different. 1335 00:58:25.414 --> 00:58:28.766 THURSTON MOORE: I remember Big Beat coming out 1336 00:58:28.809 --> 00:58:29.854 and sort of considering it, 1337 00:58:29.897 --> 00:58:32.552 like, more as this kind of part 1338 00:58:32.596 --> 00:58:34.859 of the new punk records. 1339 00:58:37.601 --> 00:58:39.994 PETER KNEGO: Sparks are always pushing new boundaries 1340 00:58:40.038 --> 00:58:41.561 and changing their sound, 1341 00:58:41.605 --> 00:58:43.781 often to the deep frustration of their fan base. 1342 00:58:43.824 --> 00:58:45.739 ♪ I'm coming and I'm going... 1343 00:58:45.783 --> 00:58:48.699 KAPRANOS: You know, I think the fans ofKimono My House 1344 00:58:48.742 --> 00:58:50.178 andIndiscreet 1345 00:58:50.222 --> 00:58:51.832 and Propaganda, 1346 00:58:51.876 --> 00:58:54.182 I imagine they felt a little bit let down. 1347 00:58:54.226 --> 00:58:56.445 And that's great-- you shouldn't pander 1348 00:58:56.489 --> 00:58:58.143 to the expectations 1349 00:58:58.186 --> 00:59:01.712 of the conservative element of your fan base. 1350 00:59:01.755 --> 00:59:04.715 Because if you did, you-you'd make conservative music. 1351 00:59:06.151 --> 00:59:08.893 MICHAEL SILVERBLATT: That record is written by 1352 00:59:08.936 --> 00:59:11.243 the anti-Sparks. 1353 00:59:11.286 --> 00:59:13.201 Lyrically, they'd just go mental. 1354 00:59:13.245 --> 00:59:15.247 [chuckles] "Everybody's Stupid," right? 1355 00:59:15.290 --> 00:59:17.945 [imitating guitar riff from "Everybody's Stupid"] 1356 00:59:19.207 --> 00:59:20.861 TOSH BERMAN: When I first heard that record, 1357 00:59:20.905 --> 00:59:22.471 I found it kind of shocking because the songs were 1358 00:59:22.515 --> 00:59:23.908 so angry and kind of bitter. 1359 00:59:23.951 --> 00:59:25.518 What's he saying? What's he... 1360 00:59:25.562 --> 00:59:27.172 No, you know what he's saying. 1361 00:59:27.215 --> 00:59:29.000 It's clear as a bell. 1362 00:59:29.043 --> 00:59:31.306 ♪ Everybody's stupid 1363 00:59:31.350 --> 00:59:33.091 ♪ That's for sure. 1364 00:59:33.134 --> 00:59:36.181 I could visibly see the audience being confused. 1365 00:59:36.224 --> 00:59:37.791 ♪ You're stupid, you're stupid. ♪ 1366 00:59:37.835 --> 00:59:39.663 [laughing] 1367 00:59:39.706 --> 00:59:42.013 ♪ Everybody's stupid 1368 00:59:42.056 --> 00:59:43.971 ♪ That's for sure. 1369 00:59:44.015 --> 00:59:46.626 MAIDA: There's probably two of the most 1370 00:59:46.670 --> 00:59:49.237 politically incorrect songs on that record, 1371 00:59:49.281 --> 00:59:50.804 which are "White Women" 1372 00:59:50.848 --> 00:59:52.719 and "Throw Her Away [and Get a New One]." 1373 00:59:53.851 --> 00:59:55.592 Which... 1374 00:59:55.635 --> 00:59:57.594 uh, you got to have a sense of humor 1375 00:59:57.637 --> 01:00:01.119 and know the ironic intent on both those. 1376 01:00:01.162 --> 01:00:03.904 ♪ Throw her away and get a new one... ♪ 1377 01:00:03.948 --> 01:00:06.080 RUSSELL: We want to shake up people, 1378 01:00:06.124 --> 01:00:08.343 and we think that pop music at its best 1379 01:00:08.387 --> 01:00:10.345 has always been something where you-you hear it 1380 01:00:10.389 --> 01:00:12.434 and you go, "Oh, my God, what is that?" 1381 01:00:12.478 --> 01:00:14.480 ROSS: Sparks often do that kind of thing 1382 01:00:14.523 --> 01:00:17.178 which has, I think, a punk sensibility to it. 1383 01:00:17.222 --> 01:00:19.528 A desire to stir things up 1384 01:00:19.572 --> 01:00:21.661 and shake things up and make you think. 1385 01:00:21.705 --> 01:00:24.708 -[playful screaming] -[dramatic music plays] 1386 01:00:29.103 --> 01:00:30.975 My first experience of Sparks 1387 01:00:31.018 --> 01:00:33.586 was watching the film Rollercoaster. 1388 01:00:33.630 --> 01:00:36.850 [guitar solo playing] 1389 01:00:36.894 --> 01:00:40.027 I assumed that they were a made-up band 1390 01:00:40.071 --> 01:00:42.464 because I'd never heard of them before. 1391 01:00:42.508 --> 01:00:45.467 And then years later, I came across 1392 01:00:45.511 --> 01:00:47.948 "This Town Ain't Big Enough for the Both of Us" and thought, 1393 01:00:47.992 --> 01:00:49.907 "Oh, it's those guys from Rollercoaster." 1394 01:00:49.950 --> 01:00:53.388 MICHAELS: I had never been on a huge movie set like that. 1395 01:00:53.432 --> 01:00:55.390 And I didn't know what to make of it. 1396 01:00:55.434 --> 01:00:57.828 And I was looking to Ron and Russell, 1397 01:00:57.871 --> 01:01:00.091 and I remember Ron-- I'll never forget this-- 1398 01:01:00.134 --> 01:01:02.223 Ron said... 1399 01:01:02.267 --> 01:01:04.443 "This might be great. 1400 01:01:04.486 --> 01:01:06.793 "Maybe this is gonna be the one 1401 01:01:06.837 --> 01:01:10.057 that breaks the band worldwide." 1402 01:01:10.101 --> 01:01:12.190 This disaster movie. 1403 01:01:12.233 --> 01:01:14.192 I-I mean, you know, the movie is what it was. 1404 01:01:14.235 --> 01:01:17.674 It was kind of like... it-it was pretty lame, 1405 01:01:17.717 --> 01:01:19.414 but how else was I gonna see them? 1406 01:01:20.241 --> 01:01:22.287 [cheering] 1407 01:01:22.330 --> 01:01:24.768 MAIDA: They're connoisseurs, and this was just, 1408 01:01:24.811 --> 01:01:26.160 you know, "a disaster movie" 1409 01:01:26.204 --> 01:01:28.249 in more ways than one. 1410 01:01:28.293 --> 01:01:31.644 I-I think I leaned over to him at one point, I said, 1411 01:01:31.688 --> 01:01:34.603 "I guess this is not a Jacques Tati movie." [laughs] 1412 01:01:34.647 --> 01:01:35.996 ♪ Big boy... 1413 01:01:36.040 --> 01:01:37.606 RON: Rollercoaster is kind of 1414 01:01:37.650 --> 01:01:40.174 theCitizen Kane of disaster movies. 1415 01:01:40.218 --> 01:01:43.090 I mean, the disaster was that nobody went to see the movie. 1416 01:01:48.400 --> 01:01:51.577 -[sirens blaring] -[tires screeching] 1417 01:01:51.620 --> 01:01:53.710 ♪ 1418 01:01:56.756 --> 01:01:58.671 FLEA: I was in high school, 1419 01:01:58.715 --> 01:02:00.891 and I had a friend who was the first friend in my group 1420 01:02:00.934 --> 01:02:02.588 to have his own apartment. 1421 01:02:02.631 --> 01:02:04.372 We used to just get in all kinds of crazy 1422 01:02:04.416 --> 01:02:06.548 drugged-out states at this guy's house. 1423 01:02:06.592 --> 01:02:08.899 I remember, like, stumbling into his bathroom all the time 1424 01:02:08.942 --> 01:02:10.770 to either throw up or pee, 1425 01:02:10.814 --> 01:02:12.511 and on the wall, 1426 01:02:12.554 --> 01:02:14.600 there was a picture of Sparks. 1427 01:02:14.643 --> 01:02:16.123 And I remember just seeing them all the time, 1428 01:02:16.167 --> 01:02:17.951 like, "Who are those guys?" 1429 01:02:17.995 --> 01:02:19.910 And I was kind of in love, and they were sort of like 1430 01:02:19.953 --> 01:02:24.001 these mysterious, like, icons, like patron saints. 1431 01:02:24.044 --> 01:02:27.091 I looked at that picture, like, kind of marveled at it 1432 01:02:27.134 --> 01:02:29.571 a thousand times before I heard them. 1433 01:02:29.615 --> 01:02:32.792 ♪ Why is there time? 1434 01:02:34.838 --> 01:02:38.015 ♪ Why is there space? 1435 01:02:38.058 --> 01:02:41.235 ♪ Why are there dogs and cats 1436 01:02:41.279 --> 01:02:45.500 ♪ And trees and the human race? ♪ 1437 01:02:45.544 --> 01:02:48.242 MICHAELS: I was sitting in my motel room 1438 01:02:48.286 --> 01:02:50.244 doing nothing, thinking, 1439 01:02:50.288 --> 01:02:51.724 "No matter what happens, 1440 01:02:51.768 --> 01:02:52.899 I'm sticking with you guys." 1441 01:02:52.943 --> 01:02:54.292 [laughs] 1442 01:02:54.335 --> 01:02:57.164 And then we got a phone call saying, 1443 01:02:57.208 --> 01:02:59.123 "Party's over, guys. 1444 01:02:59.166 --> 01:03:02.387 "Big Beat didn't do what it was supposed to do. 1445 01:03:02.430 --> 01:03:04.911 We're flying you guys back to New York." 1446 01:03:04.955 --> 01:03:07.435 That was the end of it. 1447 01:03:07.479 --> 01:03:09.611 I was really brokenhearted. 1448 01:03:09.655 --> 01:03:13.528 And, uh, they came out with a new record, 1449 01:03:13.572 --> 01:03:16.314 Introducing Sparks. 1450 01:03:17.489 --> 01:03:19.143 ♪ Ooh, those mysteries... 1451 01:03:19.186 --> 01:03:22.059 Here you have Russell, and here you have Ron here. 1452 01:03:22.102 --> 01:03:25.192 This is a great fucking album. 1453 01:03:25.236 --> 01:03:28.413 "Those Mysteries," most poignant song, 1454 01:03:28.456 --> 01:03:31.851 like, that's funny as hell but also a question-- 1455 01:03:31.895 --> 01:03:33.679 this kind of yearning, searching, 1456 01:03:33.722 --> 01:03:36.203 trying to make sense of, like, the awkwardness 1457 01:03:36.247 --> 01:03:37.944 and the pain of being a human being 1458 01:03:37.988 --> 01:03:41.992 and doing it in a funny, smart way. 1459 01:03:42.035 --> 01:03:44.385 Cool. I'm into it. 1460 01:03:44.429 --> 01:03:47.171 STEWART: I think so much of their music requires 1461 01:03:47.214 --> 01:03:49.651 not taking it on face value. 1462 01:03:49.695 --> 01:03:53.786 If you want to work with them and think about the music, 1463 01:03:53.830 --> 01:03:55.309 you can get more out of it. 1464 01:03:55.353 --> 01:03:57.398 If you want to just absorb it, 1465 01:03:57.442 --> 01:03:59.792 you're going to be missing the point entirely. 1466 01:03:59.836 --> 01:04:01.359 That's what hurt them, I think. 1467 01:04:01.402 --> 01:04:03.883 It hurt Sparks that they came of age 1468 01:04:03.927 --> 01:04:07.147 at a time when people could only take things at face value. 1469 01:04:07.191 --> 01:04:08.148 One of the snottier 1470 01:04:08.192 --> 01:04:10.368 metal/punk magazines, 1471 01:04:10.411 --> 01:04:13.675 the review was:"Introducing Sparks, dot-dot-dot. 1472 01:04:13.719 --> 01:04:15.982 Unfortunately, we've already met." 1473 01:04:18.463 --> 01:04:21.466 HEWLETT: From the adulation that they had been receiving 1474 01:04:21.509 --> 01:04:23.947 to the non-adulation around 1475 01:04:23.990 --> 01:04:25.774 Big Beatand Introducing, 1476 01:04:25.818 --> 01:04:28.168 it was just obvious it wasn't working. 1477 01:04:28.212 --> 01:04:30.170 It became very difficult, 1478 01:04:30.214 --> 01:04:31.868 and I really liked Ron and Russell. 1479 01:04:31.911 --> 01:04:34.261 I still admired their abilities, 1480 01:04:34.305 --> 01:04:39.397 but I couldn't be 100% behind what they were doing. 1481 01:04:39.440 --> 01:04:41.486 I mean, Ronnie was really desperate, too, at this time. 1482 01:04:41.529 --> 01:04:43.270 I mean, he knew it wasn't working. 1483 01:04:43.314 --> 01:04:47.013 ♪ I want a big surprise tonight... ♪ 1484 01:04:47.057 --> 01:04:49.494 STEWART: The record comes out in the heat 1485 01:04:49.537 --> 01:04:51.235 of punk rock, 1486 01:04:51.278 --> 01:04:52.845 and an album 1487 01:04:52.889 --> 01:04:57.894 that could not sound more out of sorts with that. 1488 01:04:57.937 --> 01:04:59.765 ♪ 1489 01:04:59.808 --> 01:05:03.595 ♪ Where is that Yankee ingenuity? ♪ 1490 01:05:03.638 --> 01:05:05.510 RON: The whole passion and energy 1491 01:05:05.553 --> 01:05:07.164 and kind of statement of punk 1492 01:05:07.207 --> 01:05:09.514 seemed like it was almost partially directed 1493 01:05:09.557 --> 01:05:11.429 towards what we were doing. 1494 01:05:11.472 --> 01:05:13.039 So we thought, "Is this, like, 1495 01:05:13.083 --> 01:05:14.649 kind of dinosaur music?" 1496 01:05:14.693 --> 01:05:16.608 We never felt that before, 1497 01:05:16.651 --> 01:05:18.784 and we've never felt that since. 1498 01:05:18.827 --> 01:05:20.612 -♪ Big surprise tonight -♪ Big surprise 1499 01:05:20.655 --> 01:05:23.615 ♪ A really big surprise tonight ♪ 1500 01:05:23.658 --> 01:05:27.401 ♪ I want a big surprise tonight... ♪ 1501 01:05:27.445 --> 01:05:29.316 RON: The Sex Pistols' album is one of 1502 01:05:29.360 --> 01:05:31.405 the greatest albums of all time, 1503 01:05:31.449 --> 01:05:34.278 but that wasn't where we should be going, 1504 01:05:34.321 --> 01:05:37.063 so we had to find a proper direction 1505 01:05:37.107 --> 01:05:39.848 so that we would feel unthreatened. 1506 01:05:39.892 --> 01:05:42.677 -[applause] -[chuckling] 1507 01:05:42.721 --> 01:05:45.985 [announcer speaking French] 1508 01:05:46.029 --> 01:05:48.945 RUSSELL: After we did theIntroducing Sparks album, 1509 01:05:48.988 --> 01:05:51.991 we did an interview with a journalist in Los Angeles. 1510 01:05:52.035 --> 01:05:54.733 She said, "Well, what's next for Sparks?" 1511 01:05:54.776 --> 01:05:56.778 And then we said, "Oh, well, we're going to be 1512 01:05:56.822 --> 01:05:59.390 working with Giorgio Moroder on our next album." 1513 01:05:59.433 --> 01:06:01.435 She said, "Oh, that's funny. 1514 01:06:01.479 --> 01:06:03.350 "Giorgio didn't mention that to me. 1515 01:06:03.394 --> 01:06:05.178 I'm really good friends with him." And we went, 1516 01:06:05.222 --> 01:06:07.572 "Uh, eh, uh..." Gulp. 1517 01:06:07.615 --> 01:06:09.835 RON: 'Cause it was a total lie. 1518 01:06:09.878 --> 01:06:11.924 ♪ Ooh... 1519 01:06:11.968 --> 01:06:13.708 We wanted to work with Giorgio Moroder, 1520 01:06:13.752 --> 01:06:16.146 and we had heard "I Feel Love" on the radio, 1521 01:06:16.189 --> 01:06:19.018 the great Donna Summer song that Giorgio produced, 1522 01:06:19.062 --> 01:06:22.456 but we didn't know how to contact Giorgio. 1523 01:06:22.500 --> 01:06:24.937 RUSSELL: And then she said, "Well, I could introduce you." 1524 01:06:24.981 --> 01:06:28.027 ANNOUNCER: The number 30 song this week on the Top 30, 1525 01:06:28.071 --> 01:06:29.594 the young man called Giorgio, who's with us here 1526 01:06:29.637 --> 01:06:31.335 on Top of the Pops this evening. 1527 01:06:31.378 --> 01:06:32.727 Let's give him a nice Top of the Popswelcome. 1528 01:06:32.771 --> 01:06:34.120 -Thank you. -[cheering, applause] 1529 01:06:34.164 --> 01:06:35.992 RUSSELL: And he was really, 1530 01:06:36.035 --> 01:06:37.994 surprisingly to us, up for the challenge 1531 01:06:38.037 --> 01:06:40.213 of working with a... you know, a band. 1532 01:06:40.257 --> 01:06:43.434 RON: It really was pretty brave of him. 1533 01:06:43.477 --> 01:06:46.176 ["La Dolce Vita" by Sparks playing] 1534 01:06:46.219 --> 01:06:48.787 We did the recordings in Los Angeles. 1535 01:06:49.962 --> 01:06:53.705 Interesting studio because it was totally electronic 1536 01:06:53.748 --> 01:06:58.492 with a massive amount of Moog modular 1537 01:06:58.536 --> 01:07:02.061 and Roland synthesizers 1538 01:07:02.105 --> 01:07:04.324 and thousands of sounds. 1539 01:07:05.804 --> 01:07:08.024 RON: We were aware that we were kind of reinventing ourselves 1540 01:07:08.067 --> 01:07:09.677 as we were making that, 1541 01:07:09.721 --> 01:07:11.766 but we knew that we were doing something 1542 01:07:11.810 --> 01:07:13.942 that was totally new. 1543 01:07:15.379 --> 01:07:17.468 For me as a fan, it would be hard to know 1544 01:07:17.511 --> 01:07:20.558 if it's willful or if it's the innocence of: 1545 01:07:20.601 --> 01:07:22.995 "Wouldn't it be a great idea if we just made 1546 01:07:23.039 --> 01:07:27.956 a synthesizer record in 1979, before the '80s?" 1547 01:07:28.000 --> 01:07:31.134 ♪ You're the only bank that's open all night ♪ 1548 01:07:31.177 --> 01:07:34.615 ♪ La dolce vita 1549 01:07:34.659 --> 01:07:37.836 ♪ Now that that's clear, can you give me a light? ♪ 1550 01:07:37.879 --> 01:07:40.752 ♪ La dolce vita... 1551 01:07:40.795 --> 01:07:43.102 RUSSELL: We all went in it with this kind of 1552 01:07:43.146 --> 01:07:45.757 naive spirit to just do something that we thought 1553 01:07:45.800 --> 01:07:47.933 was really fresh-sounding. 1554 01:07:47.976 --> 01:07:49.761 And we think it was something really special. 1555 01:07:49.804 --> 01:07:54.113 ♪ Can I have another plate of your la dolce vita? ♪ 1556 01:07:54.157 --> 01:07:58.378 It took one year after that album was recorded 1557 01:07:58.422 --> 01:08:01.251 before a label wanted to sign it. 1558 01:08:01.294 --> 01:08:04.254 ♪ Gold diggers are we 1559 01:08:04.297 --> 01:08:07.474 ♪ Step up, follow me... 1560 01:08:07.518 --> 01:08:09.998 Someone at Virgin Records in Germany 1561 01:08:10.042 --> 01:08:12.000 saw the tape sitting there and said, 1562 01:08:12.044 --> 01:08:15.003 "Hmm, Sparks, Giorgio Moroder. Let me give that a listen." 1563 01:08:15.047 --> 01:08:16.788 And said, "This is pretty amazing," 1564 01:08:16.831 --> 01:08:19.399 and shipped it off to Richard Branson and company 1565 01:08:19.443 --> 01:08:22.750 in-in the UK, and they agreed. 1566 01:08:22.794 --> 01:08:24.665 STEWART: WhenNo. 1 in Heaven came out, 1567 01:08:24.709 --> 01:08:28.016 it was two years after the massive failure of Introducing, 1568 01:08:28.060 --> 01:08:31.281 and you're kind of seeing the DNA of so much 1569 01:08:31.324 --> 01:08:33.761 of what would come later on. 1570 01:08:33.805 --> 01:08:35.589 TAYLOR: This was probably one of the first 1571 01:08:35.633 --> 01:08:37.374 electropop dance records 1572 01:08:37.417 --> 01:08:38.679 of all time. 1573 01:08:38.723 --> 01:08:40.899 [dance beat playing] 1574 01:08:40.942 --> 01:08:43.162 [imitating beat] 1575 01:08:43.206 --> 01:08:45.773 MOORE: That, to me, was such an astounding record. 1576 01:08:45.817 --> 01:08:47.340 It seemed really audacious. 1577 01:08:47.384 --> 01:08:49.081 DJ LANCE ROCK: It just takes you on 1578 01:08:49.125 --> 01:08:51.562 this incredible, hypnotic trip. 1579 01:08:51.605 --> 01:08:54.347 Just belied and denied anything else that was happening. 1580 01:08:54.391 --> 01:08:56.262 It just rose above it. 1581 01:08:56.306 --> 01:08:58.046 ♪ We're just gleams in lovers' eyes ♪ 1582 01:08:58.090 --> 01:09:01.398 ♪ Steam on sweaty bodies in the night ♪ 1583 01:09:03.356 --> 01:09:05.706 ♪ But one of us might make it through ♪ 1584 01:09:05.750 --> 01:09:09.580 ♪ All the rest will disappear like dew ♪ 1585 01:09:11.016 --> 01:09:13.149 ♪ Pressure building, getting hot ♪ 1586 01:09:13.192 --> 01:09:16.761 ♪ Give it, give it, give it all you got ♪ 1587 01:09:18.676 --> 01:09:20.852 ♪ When that love explosion comes ♪ 1588 01:09:20.895 --> 01:09:23.768 ♪ My, oh, my, we want to be someone ♪ 1589 01:09:24.856 --> 01:09:26.901 ♪ Tryouts for the human race... ♪ 1590 01:09:26.945 --> 01:09:30.862 RHODES: It was a huge influence on-on our early material. 1591 01:09:30.905 --> 01:09:33.169 Uh, we were already big Moroder fans, 1592 01:09:33.212 --> 01:09:35.997 but this combination, uh, it was just perfect. 1593 01:09:36.041 --> 01:09:39.000 ♪ We just want to be someone... ♪ 1594 01:09:39.044 --> 01:09:40.785 That's why I ended up working with Vince-- 1595 01:09:40.828 --> 01:09:42.569 'cause those synths, 1596 01:09:42.613 --> 01:09:44.310 they just drove me. 1597 01:09:45.311 --> 01:09:47.008 MAN: Sparks, "Beat the Clock," 1598 01:09:47.052 --> 01:09:49.837 uh, Millaney/Grant, sixth of June. 1599 01:09:49.881 --> 01:09:53.014 ["Beat the Clock" by Sparks playing] 1600 01:09:53.058 --> 01:09:56.017 ♪ You gotta beat the clock, you gotta beat the clock... ♪ 1601 01:09:56.061 --> 01:09:58.150 Sparks-- well, they're back in Britain, 1602 01:09:58.194 --> 01:09:59.717 they're back in business, 1603 01:09:59.760 --> 01:10:01.588 and they're currently trying to beat the clock. 1604 01:10:01.632 --> 01:10:03.721 ♪ You gotta beat the clock, you gotta beat the clock... ♪ 1605 01:10:03.764 --> 01:10:05.375 BERNARD BUTLER: As a synthesizer duo, 1606 01:10:05.418 --> 01:10:07.115 I guess you could say that 1607 01:10:07.159 --> 01:10:09.205 they sort of set a template. 1608 01:10:09.248 --> 01:10:11.250 ♪ You gotta beat the clock, you gotta beat the clock... ♪ 1609 01:10:11.294 --> 01:10:16.212 WRIGHT: I became first aware of Sparks in their 1979 period. 1610 01:10:16.255 --> 01:10:19.258 Just seeing them on, like, Top of the Popsaround that time. 1611 01:10:19.302 --> 01:10:22.870 You know, it's a very sort of stark dynamic image-- 1612 01:10:22.914 --> 01:10:25.264 Russell singing, Ron on the synths. 1613 01:10:25.308 --> 01:10:28.224 He had his '79 kind of hipster hair. 1614 01:10:28.267 --> 01:10:30.182 ANNOUNCER: Sparks and their new single 1615 01:10:30.226 --> 01:10:31.966 called "Beat the Clock." Billy? 1616 01:10:32.010 --> 01:10:33.707 I think it was real great. 1617 01:10:33.751 --> 01:10:35.535 ♪ Well, I've seen everything there is ♪ 1618 01:10:35.579 --> 01:10:37.537 ♪ I've done everything there is... ♪ 1619 01:10:37.581 --> 01:10:39.713 There's myself, uh, there's the guy from the Pet Shop Boys, 1620 01:10:39.757 --> 01:10:41.411 there's the guy from Duran Duran. 1621 01:10:41.454 --> 01:10:43.587 I mean, we were all miserable fuckers, you know? 1622 01:10:43.630 --> 01:10:45.328 It's a look, isn't it, which we just stole 1623 01:10:45.371 --> 01:10:47.286 from Sparks. 1624 01:10:47.330 --> 01:10:50.376 ["The Number One Song in Heaven" by Sparks playing] 1625 01:10:54.641 --> 01:10:57.731 RUSTY EGAN: I was desperately searching 1626 01:10:57.775 --> 01:11:02.519 for music to put in my DJ sets 1627 01:11:02.562 --> 01:11:04.172 at the Blitz Club. 1628 01:11:04.216 --> 01:11:07.654 I came across "Number One Song in Heaven." 1629 01:11:07.698 --> 01:11:09.439 BELL: It's just one of those songs 1630 01:11:09.482 --> 01:11:11.049 that gives me goose bumps. 1631 01:11:11.092 --> 01:11:13.051 EGAN: What I loved about it 1632 01:11:13.094 --> 01:11:14.922 was the first four minutes, 1633 01:11:14.966 --> 01:11:17.882 and it was all synthesizers 1634 01:11:17.925 --> 01:11:19.623 and sequences. 1635 01:11:19.666 --> 01:11:21.668 And I was like, "This is great." 1636 01:11:22.887 --> 01:11:27.108 ♪ This is the number one song in heaven ♪ 1637 01:11:29.546 --> 01:11:34.028 ♪ Written, of course, by the mightiest hand... ♪ 1638 01:11:34.072 --> 01:11:35.943 STEPHEN MORRIS: In Joy Division, when we were doing 1639 01:11:35.987 --> 01:11:37.554 "Love Will Tear Us Apart," 1640 01:11:37.597 --> 01:11:40.992 there were two records that we were listening to. 1641 01:11:41.035 --> 01:11:42.080 Uh, one was 1642 01:11:42.123 --> 01:11:43.908 Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits, 1643 01:11:43.951 --> 01:11:46.127 and then the other one was "Number One Song in Heaven." 1644 01:11:46.171 --> 01:11:48.739 ANTONOFF: "Number One Song in Heaven" just sort of, like, 1645 01:11:48.782 --> 01:11:50.262 moves in this crazy way. 1646 01:11:50.306 --> 01:11:52.090 And there's even a moment of silence 1647 01:11:52.133 --> 01:11:53.787 pretty early on in the song. It's, like, this cut 1648 01:11:53.831 --> 01:11:56.050 and then it starts back up. It's wild. 1649 01:11:56.094 --> 01:11:57.051 EGAN: One, two, three. 1650 01:11:57.095 --> 01:11:58.139 [imitates drumbeat] 1651 01:11:58.183 --> 01:11:59.576 And it goes, like, I don't know, 1652 01:11:59.619 --> 01:12:01.447 180 BPM or something. 1653 01:12:01.491 --> 01:12:04.363 Oh, my God, that's... that's too fast. 1654 01:12:04.407 --> 01:12:07.758 ♪ 1655 01:12:07.801 --> 01:12:09.716 MARTYN WARE: This is the absolute apogee 1656 01:12:09.760 --> 01:12:10.978 of electronic pop music 1657 01:12:11.022 --> 01:12:12.328 for me. 1658 01:12:12.371 --> 01:12:14.155 I can't think of anything better. 1659 01:12:14.199 --> 01:12:16.288 We can only, with Heaven 17, 1660 01:12:16.332 --> 01:12:18.290 kind of aspire to it. 1661 01:12:18.334 --> 01:12:20.379 ♪ 1662 01:12:22.990 --> 01:12:26.080 ♪ It's number one all over heaven ♪ 1663 01:12:26.124 --> 01:12:27.473 ♪ It's number one 1664 01:12:27.517 --> 01:12:29.345 ♪ All over heaven 1665 01:12:29.388 --> 01:12:32.304 ♪ It's number one all over heaven ♪ 1666 01:12:32.348 --> 01:12:35.916 ♪ The number one song all over heaven... ♪ 1667 01:12:35.960 --> 01:12:39.790 MORODER: If they would release nowNo. 1 in Heaven, 1668 01:12:39.833 --> 01:12:42.227 they would say, "Wow, geniuses." 1669 01:12:42.270 --> 01:12:44.838 I mean, they were geniuses then, but now even more 1670 01:12:44.882 --> 01:12:48.146 because this could be the second sound of the future. 1671 01:12:48.189 --> 01:12:50.017 ♪ Gabriel plays it 1672 01:12:50.061 --> 01:12:51.584 ♪ God, how he plays it 1673 01:12:51.628 --> 01:12:53.194 ♪ Gabriel plays it 1674 01:12:53.238 --> 01:12:54.761 ♪ God, how he plays it 1675 01:12:54.805 --> 01:12:56.284 ♪ Gabriel plays it 1676 01:12:56.328 --> 01:12:57.808 ♪ God, how he plays it 1677 01:12:57.851 --> 01:12:59.636 ♪ Gabriel plays it 1678 01:12:59.679 --> 01:13:01.855 ♪ Let's hear him play it... 1679 01:13:01.899 --> 01:13:05.076 ♪ 1680 01:13:05.119 --> 01:13:07.861 ROSS: I really liked seeing them stripped down, 1681 01:13:07.905 --> 01:13:09.210 and in a way, it made the image 1682 01:13:09.254 --> 01:13:11.082 more impactful. 1683 01:13:11.125 --> 01:13:12.736 ♪ 1684 01:13:12.779 --> 01:13:14.477 It was shortly after that period, I guess, 1685 01:13:14.520 --> 01:13:18.785 that Paul McCartney did that video "Coming Up." 1686 01:13:18.829 --> 01:13:21.875 ♪ You want a love to last forever... ♪ 1687 01:13:21.919 --> 01:13:23.964 It was all Paul McCartney doing loads of 1688 01:13:24.008 --> 01:13:25.531 very instantly recognizable characters. 1689 01:13:25.575 --> 01:13:27.098 And, of course, he did Ron. 1690 01:13:27.141 --> 01:13:28.882 I mean, I know how much Ron and Russell 1691 01:13:28.926 --> 01:13:30.580 are fans of The Beatles, 1692 01:13:30.623 --> 01:13:32.973 and so I suspect they were really excited to see that. 1693 01:13:33.017 --> 01:13:34.671 SCHWARTZMAN: That's amazing, like, 1694 01:13:34.714 --> 01:13:36.455 that a Beatle would pretend to be all these... 1695 01:13:36.499 --> 01:13:38.283 like, Buddy Holly and all these different people, 1696 01:13:38.326 --> 01:13:40.067 and he's Ron Mael. 1697 01:13:41.460 --> 01:13:43.070 RUSSELL: I started respecting Ron a lot more 1698 01:13:43.114 --> 01:13:44.768 after Paul McCartney, uh, 1699 01:13:44.811 --> 01:13:47.684 gave his tribute to Ron-- then I realized, 1700 01:13:47.727 --> 01:13:50.687 "God, I'm working with somebody that Paul McCartney likes." 1701 01:13:50.730 --> 01:13:52.428 FRED ARMISEN: How cool is that? 1702 01:13:52.471 --> 01:13:53.690 It is the ultimate. 1703 01:13:53.733 --> 01:13:55.343 And it's Paul McCartney. 1704 01:13:55.387 --> 01:13:57.302 Just incredible. 1705 01:13:57.345 --> 01:13:59.826 RON: After doingNo. 1 in Heaven 1706 01:13:59.870 --> 01:14:01.915 and working with Giorgio Moroder, 1707 01:14:01.959 --> 01:14:04.265 which was such an inspiring experience, 1708 01:14:04.309 --> 01:14:06.354 it was the time for the follow-up album, 1709 01:14:06.398 --> 01:14:09.096 but Giorgio wasn't, uh, available, 1710 01:14:09.140 --> 01:14:11.229 so it was kind of farmed out. 1711 01:14:11.272 --> 01:14:15.668 I think, for that reason, the album became more generic. 1712 01:14:17.278 --> 01:14:19.585 To Giorgio's credit, he was 1713 01:14:19.629 --> 01:14:21.500 involved with the selection, 1714 01:14:21.544 --> 01:14:24.242 and there was the song "When I'm with You." 1715 01:14:24.285 --> 01:14:27.637 He thought that that song was really something special. 1716 01:14:27.680 --> 01:14:29.769 ["When I'm with You" by Sparks playing] 1717 01:14:31.771 --> 01:14:33.643 EGAN: "When I'm with You." [imitates bass line] 1718 01:14:33.686 --> 01:14:35.732 That bass line, 1719 01:14:35.775 --> 01:14:37.385 that beautiful string line. 1720 01:14:39.257 --> 01:14:41.433 It wasn't anything that we kind of planned on, 1721 01:14:41.477 --> 01:14:43.043 but it became, uh, 1722 01:14:43.087 --> 01:14:46.264 the biggest-selling song that we've ever done. 1723 01:14:46.307 --> 01:14:49.136 ♪ When I'm with you 1724 01:14:49.180 --> 01:14:51.095 ♪ I never have a problem 1725 01:14:51.138 --> 01:14:53.358 ♪ When I'm with you... 1726 01:14:53.401 --> 01:14:55.403 RON: Most of those sales were in France, 1727 01:14:55.447 --> 01:14:58.537 and the song was kind of the soundtrack of the country 1728 01:14:58.581 --> 01:15:01.235 during that whole period. 1729 01:15:02.323 --> 01:15:04.325 "When I'm with You," the Sparks. 1730 01:15:04.369 --> 01:15:05.892 ♪ When I'm with you... 1731 01:15:05.936 --> 01:15:07.590 RUSSELL: The video for "When I'm with You" 1732 01:15:07.633 --> 01:15:10.331 was Ron being the ventriloquist 1733 01:15:10.375 --> 01:15:11.985 and me being the dummy, 1734 01:15:12.029 --> 01:15:15.249 and some things never change in life. 1735 01:15:15.293 --> 01:15:17.600 DAVID WEIGEL: It's a love song. Someone's in love. 1736 01:15:17.643 --> 01:15:19.166 Okay, I know what's going on. 1737 01:15:19.210 --> 01:15:20.951 And then the more he sings, 1738 01:15:20.994 --> 01:15:22.953 you realize that-that you're listening to somebody panic. 1739 01:15:22.996 --> 01:15:25.869 ♪ It's the break in the song 1740 01:15:25.912 --> 01:15:29.394 ♪ When I should say something special ♪ 1741 01:15:30.874 --> 01:15:33.659 ♪ But the pressure is on 1742 01:15:33.703 --> 01:15:37.794 ♪ And I can't make up nothing special ♪ 1743 01:15:37.837 --> 01:15:40.971 ♪ Not when I'm with you 1744 01:15:41.014 --> 01:15:43.103 ♪ When I'm with you... 1745 01:15:43.147 --> 01:15:45.541 OSWALT: There is never a "June, moon, spoon" 1746 01:15:45.584 --> 01:15:47.630 aspect to their lyrics. 1747 01:15:47.673 --> 01:15:49.806 There is always a three, four, 1748 01:15:49.849 --> 01:15:52.722 five times removed aspect of: 1749 01:15:52.765 --> 01:15:55.376 So, is the narrator... This is clearly not the singer. 1750 01:15:55.420 --> 01:15:57.727 He's playing a character, and then the... and you kind of 1751 01:15:57.770 --> 01:16:00.686 work out what the character's biography is. 1752 01:16:00.730 --> 01:16:03.863 Each song has such a personality to it. 1753 01:16:03.907 --> 01:16:05.735 That middle eight is the thing that I think, 1754 01:16:05.778 --> 01:16:08.389 for some listeners who might be investing 1755 01:16:08.433 --> 01:16:10.827 in, like, a love song, will say, like, 1756 01:16:10.870 --> 01:16:13.046 "Oh, hold up. Is this a joke?" 1757 01:16:13.090 --> 01:16:15.309 It could be seen as being insincere. 1758 01:16:15.353 --> 01:16:16.920 In reality, 1759 01:16:16.963 --> 01:16:18.574 it's the thing that makes them more memorable. 1760 01:16:18.617 --> 01:16:20.837 [cheering and applause] 1761 01:16:20.880 --> 01:16:23.491 RUSSELL: The thing of doing TV shows that we did 1762 01:16:23.535 --> 01:16:26.582 in a period of, like, "When I'm with You" in France-- 1763 01:16:26.625 --> 01:16:28.584 and we did a lot in Germany at that time-- 1764 01:16:28.627 --> 01:16:31.238 I think, you know, we realized that the appeal of Sparks 1765 01:16:31.282 --> 01:16:33.284 was going to an area that wasn't 1766 01:16:33.327 --> 01:16:35.025 where we wanted to be going. 1767 01:16:35.068 --> 01:16:38.158 And so, um, that was why we wanted to start having 1768 01:16:38.202 --> 01:16:40.030 a band context again. 1769 01:16:40.073 --> 01:16:42.293 Please, uh, can you smile? 1770 01:16:42.336 --> 01:16:44.338 Uh, cheese. 1771 01:16:44.382 --> 01:16:46.297 Ah. [speaks French] 1772 01:16:46.340 --> 01:16:48.560 -Merci. Thank you. -[applause] 1773 01:16:48.604 --> 01:16:50.562 [continues in French] 1774 01:16:50.606 --> 01:16:52.477 BOHEM: My relationship to Sparks, 1775 01:16:52.520 --> 01:16:54.000 like most everything else, is based on coffee. 1776 01:16:54.044 --> 01:16:56.960 I am an avid, to this day, coffee drinker. 1777 01:16:57.003 --> 01:16:59.571 And in 1980, it was pretty rough. 1778 01:16:59.615 --> 01:17:01.617 The one place you could go in Los Angeles 1779 01:17:01.660 --> 01:17:03.575 was the Farmers Market. 1780 01:17:03.619 --> 01:17:05.969 They had a Belgian waffle stand with one espresso machine. 1781 01:17:06.012 --> 01:17:07.579 RODDY BOTTUM: People started to say, 1782 01:17:07.623 --> 01:17:10.234 "I saw the Sparks brothers 1783 01:17:10.277 --> 01:17:11.844 at Farmers Market." 1784 01:17:11.888 --> 01:17:13.585 And we're like, "What?" 1785 01:17:14.847 --> 01:17:17.850 -Small soy cappuccino, please. -And for you? 1786 01:17:17.894 --> 01:17:19.939 Uh, what's a red-eye? 1787 01:17:19.983 --> 01:17:22.899 So, a coffee with a shot of espresso. 1788 01:17:22.942 --> 01:17:24.640 -Really? -Yeah, double caffeine. 1789 01:17:24.683 --> 01:17:26.032 -Wow. I'll try that. -You want one? 1790 01:17:26.076 --> 01:17:27.555 -Yeah. Yeah. -Small? 1791 01:17:27.599 --> 01:17:29.340 I'll... I hope I live to tell the tale. 1792 01:17:29.383 --> 01:17:30.776 BOHEM: I started noticing 1793 01:17:30.820 --> 01:17:32.517 Ron and Russell at this other table. 1794 01:17:32.560 --> 01:17:34.432 They were there almost every day that we were there, 1795 01:17:34.475 --> 01:17:36.347 and then after a while, we-we started saying 1796 01:17:36.390 --> 01:17:38.001 sort of a grudging hello to each other. 1797 01:17:38.044 --> 01:17:41.569 RUSSELL: One thing led to the next, and we, uh, 1798 01:17:41.613 --> 01:17:43.223 poached their entire band, 1799 01:17:43.267 --> 01:17:45.008 and, uh, that was the end of Bates Motel. 1800 01:17:45.051 --> 01:17:48.489 But it was the start of the '80s version of Sparks. 1801 01:17:52.015 --> 01:17:53.930 BOHEM: We went to S.I.R.-- 1802 01:17:53.973 --> 01:17:56.019 Studio Instrument Rentals-- on Santa Monica 1803 01:17:56.062 --> 01:17:59.022 and we started rehearsing the songs 1804 01:17:59.065 --> 01:18:01.633 for what eventually was Whomp That Sucker. 1805 01:18:01.677 --> 01:18:03.548 KENDRICK: It was very different thanTerminal Jive. 1806 01:18:03.591 --> 01:18:05.811 It was like, this is a new thing going on. 1807 01:18:05.855 --> 01:18:08.684 I want to say we rehearsed for six weeks, 1808 01:18:08.727 --> 01:18:10.468 and then we were on a plane to Munich 1809 01:18:10.511 --> 01:18:12.165 and-and recording the album. 1810 01:18:12.209 --> 01:18:14.037 ♪ And, boy, am I sorry... 1811 01:18:15.429 --> 01:18:17.301 All of a sudden, we're in Musicland Studios. 1812 01:18:17.344 --> 01:18:19.259 It's Giorgio Moroder's studio. 1813 01:18:19.303 --> 01:18:22.045 It's in the basement of this groovy hotel. 1814 01:18:22.088 --> 01:18:23.699 RON: Sometimes, we just kind of drift into things, 1815 01:18:23.742 --> 01:18:26.919 but that really was a conscious decision 1816 01:18:26.963 --> 01:18:29.269 to work with a band. 1817 01:18:29.313 --> 01:18:30.836 KENDRICK: They were inseparable. 1818 01:18:30.880 --> 01:18:32.533 At that time, I kind of had this thing. 1819 01:18:32.577 --> 01:18:35.188 They were almost like a symbiotic thing. 1820 01:18:35.232 --> 01:18:37.147 They were like one sort of complete form. 1821 01:18:37.190 --> 01:18:38.714 You know, it's an interesting thing 1822 01:18:38.757 --> 01:18:40.106 about how they wrote at that time 1823 01:18:40.150 --> 01:18:41.804 that the lyrics came last. 1824 01:18:41.847 --> 01:18:43.806 Russell would kind of do, 1825 01:18:43.849 --> 01:18:47.592 like, nonsense verbiage just to fill in the space. 1826 01:18:47.635 --> 01:18:49.115 It was kind of incredible. 1827 01:18:49.159 --> 01:18:51.596 Ron would furiously finish the lyrics, 1828 01:18:51.639 --> 01:18:54.381 literally, it seemed like, the night before. 1829 01:18:54.425 --> 01:18:56.166 The lyrics would show up, and we'd go, 1830 01:18:56.209 --> 01:18:58.255 "Wow, I had no idea." [laughs] 1831 01:18:58.298 --> 01:19:01.824 ♪ I've got a snapshot of your Aunt Maureen ♪ 1832 01:19:01.867 --> 01:19:04.827 ♪ She's 90 and you're a teen 1833 01:19:04.870 --> 01:19:07.394 ♪ I'm trying to cheer you up 1834 01:19:07.438 --> 01:19:10.658 ♪ Don't be so mean, don't be so mean... ♪ 1835 01:19:13.096 --> 01:19:15.054 "I've got a snapshot of your Aunt Maureen." 1836 01:19:15.098 --> 01:19:16.882 [camera clicks] 1837 01:19:16.926 --> 01:19:20.451 I can't think of a cooler way to start a pop song than that. 1838 01:19:20.494 --> 01:19:23.454 Who are you? Who is Aunt Maureen? 1839 01:19:23.497 --> 01:19:25.151 I love that lyric. 1840 01:19:25.195 --> 01:19:26.892 It grabs me. 1841 01:19:26.936 --> 01:19:30.417 ♪ Crash, bam, now you're looking good ♪ 1842 01:19:30.461 --> 01:19:33.551 ♪ Tip-top, now you're feeling good ♪ 1843 01:19:33.594 --> 01:19:35.509 ♪ Once more, here's your Aunt Maureen ♪ 1844 01:19:35.553 --> 01:19:38.817 ♪ Don't you feel good? Don't you feel good? ♪ 1845 01:19:38.861 --> 01:19:40.819 RICHARDSON: It was a funny thing of listening 1846 01:19:40.863 --> 01:19:42.560 to, like, two grown men being like, 1847 01:19:42.603 --> 01:19:44.388 "Here are tips for teens," then sing about, like, zits. 1848 01:19:44.431 --> 01:19:45.824 Like, literally being like, 1849 01:19:45.868 --> 01:19:47.304 "Here's what you do when you get a zit." 1850 01:19:47.347 --> 01:19:48.958 That's genius. 1851 01:19:49.001 --> 01:19:50.611 Songs are about, like, two things. 1852 01:19:50.655 --> 01:19:52.048 Will you please fuck me? 1853 01:19:52.091 --> 01:19:53.614 Don't shut my party down. 1854 01:19:53.658 --> 01:19:55.834 ♪ Tips for teens, the kind you don't see... ♪ 1855 01:19:55.878 --> 01:19:59.577 ANNOUNCER: Their wacko training bra and blemish cream sound 1856 01:19:59.620 --> 01:20:03.102 is not typical fare in the L.A. club scene, 1857 01:20:03.146 --> 01:20:07.193 and after several albums, brothers Russell and Ron Mael 1858 01:20:07.237 --> 01:20:10.849 have yet to give up the fight back home. 1859 01:20:10.893 --> 01:20:13.199 RON: The radio station that really mattered was 1860 01:20:13.243 --> 01:20:16.420 "K-Rock," KROQ, and they were playing 1861 01:20:16.463 --> 01:20:19.902 a lot of things that just fit into our style. 1862 01:20:19.945 --> 01:20:21.729 ["Don't Go" by Yazoo playing] 1863 01:20:21.773 --> 01:20:24.080 I never knew Ron and Russell to ever make 1864 01:20:24.123 --> 01:20:26.734 a calculated move to capture an audience. 1865 01:20:26.778 --> 01:20:28.649 Sometimes they hit it 1866 01:20:28.693 --> 01:20:30.913 because they liked something everybody else liked. 1867 01:20:30.956 --> 01:20:34.090 KROQ played all the-the weird stuff coming from England: 1868 01:20:34.133 --> 01:20:38.224 The Cure, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, New Order. 1869 01:20:38.268 --> 01:20:40.618 SHERMAN-PALLADINO: If you listened to KROQ, you generally 1870 01:20:40.661 --> 01:20:43.447 didn't listen to other stations. 1871 01:20:43.490 --> 01:20:45.841 Like, it was sort of like you just listened to KROQ. 1872 01:20:45.884 --> 01:20:47.581 KNEGO: I remember just falling out 1873 01:20:47.625 --> 01:20:49.757 of my chair, you know, hearing Sparks 1874 01:20:49.801 --> 01:20:51.455 actually on the radio. 1875 01:20:51.498 --> 01:20:52.978 BOHEM: You know, we're in Munich, and somebody's calling, 1876 01:20:53.022 --> 01:20:54.110 like, "Hey they're playing 'Tips for Teens' 1877 01:20:54.153 --> 01:20:55.198 on KROQ every 15 minutes." 1878 01:20:55.241 --> 01:20:56.547 I'm like, 1879 01:20:56.590 --> 01:20:58.157 "Can we hear it?" [laughs]: You know? 1880 01:20:58.201 --> 01:21:00.029 Sparks is extraordinarily popular in Europe. 1881 01:21:00.072 --> 01:21:02.683 You are very popular in this country, 1882 01:21:02.727 --> 01:21:04.685 but I think it's safe to say that perhaps 1883 01:21:04.729 --> 01:21:06.687 you-your reception over there is wilder 1884 01:21:06.731 --> 01:21:08.776 and more, uh, outgoing than it is here. 1885 01:21:08.820 --> 01:21:10.778 What are you doing to correct that situation? 1886 01:21:10.822 --> 01:21:12.650 We're gonna be concentrating really heavily 1887 01:21:12.693 --> 01:21:14.652 on the States in the next year. 1888 01:21:14.695 --> 01:21:16.480 DICK CLARK: Would you introduce me to your associates, please? 1889 01:21:16.523 --> 01:21:18.438 RUSSELL: On bass, Les Bohem. 1890 01:21:18.482 --> 01:21:19.918 BOHEM: I thinkWhomp That Sucker is 1891 01:21:19.962 --> 01:21:22.268 the Bates Motel backup band, 1892 01:21:22.312 --> 01:21:25.881 andAngst, that is the point where we were a band. 1893 01:21:25.924 --> 01:21:29.058 STEWART: Angst in My Pants is a record where culture 1894 01:21:29.101 --> 01:21:32.017 and zeitgeist all come together in that record. 1895 01:21:32.061 --> 01:21:35.499 We have Ron and Russell. Who is the older? 1896 01:21:35.542 --> 01:21:37.066 You are. 1897 01:21:37.109 --> 01:21:38.894 [laughter] 1898 01:21:38.937 --> 01:21:39.895 RICHARDSON: First of all, best cover. 1899 01:21:39.938 --> 01:21:41.548 That cover totally rules. 1900 01:21:41.592 --> 01:21:43.159 This is how you do an album cover. 1901 01:21:44.160 --> 01:21:45.596 DJ LANCE ROCK: I just remember 1902 01:21:45.639 --> 01:21:47.076 looking at that, and it's like, 1903 01:21:47.119 --> 01:21:49.252 there's this guy in a wedding dress with this, 1904 01:21:49.295 --> 01:21:50.731 you know, weird mustache. 1905 01:21:50.775 --> 01:21:52.429 It was just such a striking image. 1906 01:21:52.472 --> 01:21:54.213 Even now, it is. 1907 01:21:54.257 --> 01:21:56.172 STEWART: They themselves are heterosexual, but they had 1908 01:21:56.215 --> 01:21:57.782 a huge gay following. 1909 01:21:57.825 --> 01:21:59.740 Their songs questioned notions of masculinity. 1910 01:21:59.784 --> 01:22:02.830 They did it in their music, they did it in their videos, 1911 01:22:02.874 --> 01:22:04.745 and I think they did it on that album cover. 1912 01:22:04.789 --> 01:22:08.662 I mean, that is in the great rock and roll tradition of: 1913 01:22:08.706 --> 01:22:11.143 "'F' you, America." 1914 01:22:11.187 --> 01:22:14.451 You know, it's-it's disturbing, it's unsettling. 1915 01:22:14.494 --> 01:22:16.496 It's not right. It's not Republican. 1916 01:22:16.540 --> 01:22:18.455 It's not apple pie. 1917 01:22:18.498 --> 01:22:20.022 MADELINE BOCCHIARO: Some dudes wouldn't even buy the album, 1918 01:22:20.065 --> 01:22:21.719 'cause they didn't want to bring it to the counter, 1919 01:22:21.762 --> 01:22:23.329 but that's their problem. 1920 01:22:23.373 --> 01:22:25.375 RON: We think it's important to do something 1921 01:22:25.418 --> 01:22:27.551 that is polarizing. 1922 01:22:27.594 --> 01:22:30.423 We don't feel bad about that in-in the slightest. 1923 01:22:30.467 --> 01:22:32.425 It kind of encourages us to... 1924 01:22:32.469 --> 01:22:35.733 to push what we're doing even more. 1925 01:22:35.776 --> 01:22:38.910 ["I Predict" by Sparks playing] 1926 01:22:38.954 --> 01:22:42.392 ♪ You're gonna take a walk in the rain ♪ 1927 01:22:42.435 --> 01:22:44.916 ♪ And you're gonna get wet 1928 01:22:44.960 --> 01:22:47.266 ♪ I predict... 1929 01:22:47.310 --> 01:22:49.355 It's probably one of the most macho, 1930 01:22:49.399 --> 01:22:52.619 badass Sparks songs that's out there. 1931 01:22:52.663 --> 01:22:54.926 And the way they illustrate it is 1932 01:22:54.970 --> 01:22:57.320 with Ron stripping, 1933 01:22:57.363 --> 01:23:00.932 and it's disgusting and creepy 1934 01:23:00.976 --> 01:23:03.152 and delicious. 1935 01:23:03.195 --> 01:23:06.198 ♪ Philip don't care, I predict... ♪ 1936 01:23:06.242 --> 01:23:08.809 PUCKRIK: There's Russell being the pretty boy, matinee idol, 1937 01:23:08.853 --> 01:23:12.422 and Ron, in his own way, is a matinee idol, 1938 01:23:12.465 --> 01:23:15.903 but he's one from the dark side of the lens. 1939 01:23:15.947 --> 01:23:17.731 [crowd cheering] 1940 01:23:17.775 --> 01:23:19.646 KAPRANOS: He doesn't fit in any of the traditional roles 1941 01:23:19.690 --> 01:23:22.127 that you would have in a... a rock and roll band. 1942 01:23:22.171 --> 01:23:23.650 That's almost 1943 01:23:23.694 --> 01:23:26.218 more powerful than a front man in many ways. 1944 01:23:26.262 --> 01:23:27.350 Certainly very distracting. 1945 01:23:31.223 --> 01:23:32.790 FLEA: Yeah, it's shtick and it's showbiz, 1946 01:23:32.833 --> 01:23:35.314 but it's also 1947 01:23:35.358 --> 01:23:37.534 emblematic and symbolic 1948 01:23:37.577 --> 01:23:40.406 of what their true essence of who they are is. 1949 01:23:40.450 --> 01:23:42.452 BOTTUM: Who is the star of Sparks? 1950 01:23:42.495 --> 01:23:44.454 Sometimes it's Ron, sometimes it's Russell. 1951 01:23:44.497 --> 01:23:46.717 Russell is, like, a sort of traditional singer, 1952 01:23:46.760 --> 01:23:49.067 but Ron was... yeah, really shined 1953 01:23:49.111 --> 01:23:51.852 as just this sort of strange, odd presence. 1954 01:23:52.853 --> 01:23:55.552 Thank you. Thank you. 1955 01:23:55.595 --> 01:23:57.075 Tell us, though, about Sparks. 1956 01:23:57.119 --> 01:23:58.859 I know that you're an underground band. 1957 01:23:58.903 --> 01:24:00.252 What-what are you saying 1958 01:24:00.296 --> 01:24:01.601 to those kids out there or to adults? 1959 01:24:01.645 --> 01:24:03.081 What-what is Sparks saying? 1960 01:24:03.125 --> 01:24:05.605 Sparks is a rock band with a point of view. 1961 01:24:05.649 --> 01:24:08.695 The thing that we wish to convey is-is a sense of joy 1962 01:24:08.739 --> 01:24:10.915 about the music that we are creating. 1963 01:24:10.958 --> 01:24:13.048 And I think most of this sense of joy 1964 01:24:13.091 --> 01:24:17.617 is from Russell's singing and from my lyrical approach. 1965 01:24:17.661 --> 01:24:19.880 Sometimes it's satirical 1966 01:24:19.924 --> 01:24:23.493 but never without some sort of witty point of view. 1967 01:24:23.536 --> 01:24:26.104 -HOST: Sparks. -[cheering] 1968 01:24:29.499 --> 01:24:31.240 DJ LANCE ROCK: "Cool Places" is a big hit. 1969 01:24:31.283 --> 01:24:32.284 I think that's the first time 1970 01:24:32.328 --> 01:24:33.807 some of my contemporaries 1971 01:24:33.851 --> 01:24:35.592 became aware of Sparks. 1972 01:24:35.635 --> 01:24:37.115 -Our time has come. -Okay. 1973 01:24:37.159 --> 01:24:39.117 -And here we are. -We've arrived. 1974 01:24:39.161 --> 01:24:41.859 I hope you like our new single, "Cool Places." 1975 01:24:43.078 --> 01:24:46.385 ♪ I wanna go to cool places with you ♪ 1976 01:24:46.429 --> 01:24:49.127 ♪ I wanna take you cool places tonight... ♪ 1977 01:24:49.171 --> 01:24:51.564 RUSSELL: The video for that song was 1978 01:24:51.608 --> 01:24:54.263 really played a lot on MTV in the States, 1979 01:24:54.306 --> 01:24:56.787 and so it was really reaching 1980 01:24:56.830 --> 01:24:58.876 a new audience that perhaps we wouldn't have had. 1981 01:24:58.919 --> 01:25:01.008 ♪ A minimum of chitchat... 1982 01:25:01.052 --> 01:25:05.491 WIEDLIN: It's hard to overstate how important MTV was 1983 01:25:05.535 --> 01:25:08.407 to the music business at that time. 1984 01:25:08.451 --> 01:25:12.890 And the "Cool Places" video is so wacky and so fun. 1985 01:25:12.933 --> 01:25:14.761 ♪ I gotta tell you... 1986 01:25:14.805 --> 01:25:15.980 CHRISTI HAYDON: I guess I would've been in high school 1987 01:25:16.023 --> 01:25:17.547 when "Cool Places" came out. 1988 01:25:17.590 --> 01:25:20.419 And I saw the video on MTV. 1989 01:25:20.463 --> 01:25:22.378 And I knew exactly who Jane Wiedlin was 1990 01:25:22.421 --> 01:25:23.857 'cause I loved the Go-Go's. 1991 01:25:23.901 --> 01:25:25.424 But I thought, "Who are these two guys 1992 01:25:25.468 --> 01:25:27.557 with my Go-Go?" [laughs] 1993 01:25:27.600 --> 01:25:29.602 ♪ And they could tell we're cooler now... ♪ 1994 01:25:29.646 --> 01:25:32.388 SCOTT AUKERMAN: I remember the video very, very distinctly 1995 01:25:32.431 --> 01:25:34.346 for the dancing in it, 1996 01:25:34.390 --> 01:25:35.956 which was very '80s dancing, 1997 01:25:36.000 --> 01:25:39.482 which was just basic swaying. 1998 01:25:39.525 --> 01:25:41.266 Has anybody traced back that dance? 1999 01:25:41.310 --> 01:25:44.182 People call it the Molly Ringwald. 2000 01:25:44.226 --> 01:25:47.316 WIEDLIN: No, no, no. I think we thought of it, personally. 2001 01:25:47.359 --> 01:25:49.013 When we saw Molly Ringwald doing it, 2002 01:25:49.056 --> 01:25:51.494 we were like, "Oh, my God, she stole our dance." 2003 01:25:51.537 --> 01:25:54.714 ♪ I wanna go, I wanna go... 2004 01:25:54.758 --> 01:25:57.152 How did you fall in with this company? 2005 01:25:57.195 --> 01:26:00.024 -We met on a love boat cruise. -[laughs] 2006 01:26:00.067 --> 01:26:02.157 No, no, seriously. How did the... 2007 01:26:02.200 --> 01:26:03.854 Did you get a telephone call? Did you see her? 2008 01:26:03.897 --> 01:26:05.725 What... Who made the first call? 2009 01:26:05.769 --> 01:26:07.814 Oh, it was mutual admiration 2010 01:26:07.858 --> 01:26:11.166 for, uh, each other's respective groups 2011 01:26:11.209 --> 01:26:13.951 and then mutual, uh, admiration 2012 01:26:13.994 --> 01:26:15.909 for each other's bodies. 2013 01:26:15.953 --> 01:26:17.911 -[laughter] -Would you stop that? 2014 01:26:17.955 --> 01:26:20.740 I knew, if I let you go long enough, I'd be in trouble. 2015 01:26:20.784 --> 01:26:23.178 WIEDLIN: As you can imagine, I was madly in love with Russell 2016 01:26:23.221 --> 01:26:27.704 all through my teenage-hood, and then I got to meet him, and 2017 01:26:27.747 --> 01:26:30.272 I basically threw myself at him. 2018 01:26:30.315 --> 01:26:32.230 Let's just put it that way. And, um... 2019 01:26:32.274 --> 01:26:36.713 so we had sort of this brief, brief romance 2020 01:26:36.756 --> 01:26:40.238 that, uh, didn't ever really get deep or anything, 2021 01:26:40.282 --> 01:26:43.198 and it was fun, and I think, really, a lot of it for me 2022 01:26:43.241 --> 01:26:45.287 was getting to fulfill a fantasy. 2023 01:26:45.330 --> 01:26:47.593 You know, one thing led to the next, you know. 2024 01:26:47.637 --> 01:26:49.204 You're now getting a little insight 2025 01:26:49.247 --> 01:26:50.901 into how things happen in the music world. 2026 01:26:50.944 --> 01:26:52.381 You think it's all just kind of-- 2027 01:26:52.424 --> 01:26:53.860 people come out with albums and record 2028 01:26:53.904 --> 01:26:55.166 and it's all lovey-dovey. 2029 01:26:55.210 --> 01:26:56.559 You know, this... this is how... 2030 01:26:56.602 --> 01:26:57.690 We thought it was limos and ludes, 2031 01:26:57.734 --> 01:26:59.257 but it's really sex, huh? 2032 01:26:59.301 --> 01:27:01.259 -This is how it happens, yes. -It's really sex. 2033 01:27:01.303 --> 01:27:02.869 WIEDLIN: I was so in love with Russell 'cause he was so cute, 2034 01:27:02.913 --> 01:27:05.132 so I chose beauty over brains, but... 2035 01:27:05.176 --> 01:27:07.004 and I'm not saying Russell's not smart 2036 01:27:07.047 --> 01:27:09.702 or Ron's not beautiful-- don't get me wrong-- 2037 01:27:09.746 --> 01:27:12.662 but, like, now, like, I think of Ron, and I'm like... 2038 01:27:12.705 --> 01:27:14.185 [swooning]: "Oh, Ron Mael." 2039 01:27:14.229 --> 01:27:15.882 Like, I mean, he just wrote 2040 01:27:15.926 --> 01:27:17.841 some of my favorite songs I've ever heard. 2041 01:27:17.884 --> 01:27:19.886 ["I Wish I Looked a Little Better" by Sparks playing] 2042 01:27:19.930 --> 01:27:22.149 KAPRANOS: There is this continual theme 2043 01:27:22.193 --> 01:27:23.586 through Ron's lyrics 2044 01:27:23.629 --> 01:27:25.109 in Sparks songs 2045 01:27:25.152 --> 01:27:27.285 of somehow not being good enough. 2046 01:27:27.329 --> 01:27:28.939 VERA HEGARTY: Sparks do that thing-- 2047 01:27:28.982 --> 01:27:30.419 it's like, they have a really poignant theme, 2048 01:27:30.462 --> 01:27:34.205 and they're addressing something quite serious, 2049 01:27:34.249 --> 01:27:36.163 but it's done in a kind of a playful, 2050 01:27:36.207 --> 01:27:37.817 slightly throwaway way. 2051 01:27:37.861 --> 01:27:39.428 And then you kind of think about it and you go, 2052 01:27:39.471 --> 01:27:42.257 "You know, it really is quite sad." 2053 01:27:42.300 --> 01:27:43.693 ♪ Turn out the light, yeah, the light ♪ 2054 01:27:43.736 --> 01:27:44.998 ♪ And I might have a chance 2055 01:27:45.042 --> 01:27:46.652 ♪ I guess I look slightly worse ♪ 2056 01:27:46.696 --> 01:27:48.132 ♪ Than the Elephant Man 2057 01:27:48.175 --> 01:27:49.786 ♪ Whoa-oh-oh 2058 01:27:49.829 --> 01:27:52.702 ♪ I wish I looked a little better... ♪ 2059 01:27:54.269 --> 01:27:57.750 BOTTUM: All of the songs come from the perspective of Ron, 2060 01:27:57.794 --> 01:28:00.492 and, you know, he's socially awkward 2061 01:28:00.536 --> 01:28:03.321 and sort of, you know, like, runs into issues, 2062 01:28:03.365 --> 01:28:05.976 which is what makes the band so interesting to me, too, 2063 01:28:06.019 --> 01:28:10.285 'cause the face of Sparks and the voice of Sparks is Russell, 2064 01:28:10.328 --> 01:28:11.851 and Russell is so handsome 2065 01:28:11.895 --> 01:28:13.505 and, you know, kind of a ladies' man, 2066 01:28:13.549 --> 01:28:15.899 but he's singing these really fucked-up, like, 2067 01:28:15.942 --> 01:28:18.554 "can't get the girl" lyrics. 2068 01:28:18.597 --> 01:28:19.859 JONES: It didn't occur to me, 2069 01:28:19.903 --> 01:28:22.862 but being brothers, at the time, 2070 01:28:22.906 --> 01:28:24.342 when he was the cutie-pie 2071 01:28:24.386 --> 01:28:26.301 and all the teenagers loved him, 2072 01:28:26.344 --> 01:28:29.739 did he get jealous that he wasn't getting any attention? 2073 01:28:29.782 --> 01:28:32.872 I mean, that would've done me in if I was his brother. 2074 01:28:34.831 --> 01:28:36.223 CONGLETON: He's celebrating all the things 2075 01:28:36.267 --> 01:28:38.400 that awkward kids feel. 2076 01:28:38.443 --> 01:28:39.705 Ultimately, at the end of the day, 2077 01:28:39.749 --> 01:28:40.880 he's making you feel less alone. 2078 01:28:40.924 --> 01:28:43.622 ♪ Dress for success 2079 01:28:43.666 --> 01:28:46.364 ♪ Oh, that's what they said 2080 01:28:46.408 --> 01:28:48.540 ♪ Oh, give me some clothes 2081 01:28:48.584 --> 01:28:51.543 ♪ To slap over my head 2082 01:28:51.587 --> 01:28:55.199 ♪ I went to Balboa Island and laid in the sand ♪ 2083 01:28:55.242 --> 01:28:58.115 ♪ I may be ugly as sin, but at least now I'm tan ♪ 2084 01:28:58.158 --> 01:28:59.812 ♪ Whoa-oh-oh 2085 01:28:59.856 --> 01:29:02.641 ♪ I wish I looked a little better... ♪ 2086 01:29:02.685 --> 01:29:04.687 KENDRICK: We were headlining, 2087 01:29:04.730 --> 01:29:06.645 like, the Greek Theatre by the end, 2088 01:29:06.689 --> 01:29:09.082 which is, like, a 5,000-seat venue. 2089 01:29:09.126 --> 01:29:10.519 You know, it was big. 2090 01:29:11.389 --> 01:29:12.782 STEWART: There they are, playing 2091 01:29:12.825 --> 01:29:14.349 multiple nights at the Whisky, 2092 01:29:14.392 --> 01:29:15.828 and then larger venues 2093 01:29:15.872 --> 01:29:17.526 like the Country Club or the Palace 2094 01:29:17.569 --> 01:29:19.223 and even headlining the Hollywood Bowl. 2095 01:29:19.266 --> 01:29:20.355 YANKOVIC: I thought they were one of 2096 01:29:20.398 --> 01:29:21.921 the biggest bands in the world, 2097 01:29:21.965 --> 01:29:23.793 because if you lived in L.A. in the early '80s, 2098 01:29:23.836 --> 01:29:26.012 that was pretty much the impression you got. 2099 01:29:26.056 --> 01:29:28.841 ♪ 2100 01:29:28.885 --> 01:29:30.408 KNEGO: I was happy for them 2101 01:29:30.452 --> 01:29:31.888 because they deserved the success. 2102 01:29:31.931 --> 01:29:34.194 ♪ Let's go. 2103 01:29:34.238 --> 01:29:35.892 [cheering and applause] 2104 01:29:35.935 --> 01:29:38.111 And then sadly, you know, with Pulling Rabbits, 2105 01:29:38.155 --> 01:29:40.244 you know, everything started going south. 2106 01:29:42.289 --> 01:29:44.944 I can't believe what I'm seeing. 2107 01:29:44.988 --> 01:29:47.251 Me, either. [laughs] 2108 01:29:48.470 --> 01:29:50.559 ♪ That is what I had intended 2109 01:29:50.602 --> 01:29:52.387 ♪ Pretending to be drunk... 2110 01:29:52.430 --> 01:29:55.825 SILVERBLATT: Along comes Sparks with a swing song 2111 01:29:55.868 --> 01:29:59.132 called "Pretending to Be Drunk." 2112 01:29:59.176 --> 01:30:01.178 ♪ You think I am weak and feeble ♪ 2113 01:30:01.221 --> 01:30:03.354 ♪ You think I'm a bore... 2114 01:30:03.398 --> 01:30:05.835 Doesn't sound like a Sparks song... 2115 01:30:05.878 --> 01:30:08.403 ♪ Soon I'm out the door... 2116 01:30:08.446 --> 01:30:11.144 ...but it doesn't sound like any other kind of song, either. 2117 01:30:11.188 --> 01:30:14.757 It sounds like an alpine glockenspiel song. 2118 01:30:14.800 --> 01:30:16.411 It's crazy. 2119 01:30:16.454 --> 01:30:18.978 ♪ Pretending to be drunk... 2120 01:30:19.022 --> 01:30:20.980 RON: We really do enjoy those periods 2121 01:30:21.024 --> 01:30:23.069 when we do have commercial success, 2122 01:30:23.113 --> 01:30:24.636 but we wanted to do something 2123 01:30:24.680 --> 01:30:27.073 that was not as easily pigeonholed, 2124 01:30:27.117 --> 01:30:29.162 obviously not wanting to commit 2125 01:30:29.206 --> 01:30:31.426 commercial suicide at the same time. 2126 01:30:31.469 --> 01:30:33.471 ♪ Pretending to be drunk... ♪ 2127 01:30:33.515 --> 01:30:37.910 In America, Sparks had a hard time. 2128 01:30:37.954 --> 01:30:39.477 They were a bit much for most people. 2129 01:30:39.521 --> 01:30:41.566 DJ LANCE ROCK: What can I say? I'm an American, 2130 01:30:41.610 --> 01:30:43.438 so I don't want to criticize too much, 2131 01:30:43.481 --> 01:30:45.527 but, you know, Sparks are a lot of things 2132 01:30:45.570 --> 01:30:48.747 that many Americans don't seem to care for. 2133 01:30:48.791 --> 01:30:51.054 People were immediately, you know, taken aback. 2134 01:30:51.097 --> 01:30:52.403 They just thought they were weird 2135 01:30:52.447 --> 01:30:53.883 or that they were a novelty. 2136 01:30:53.926 --> 01:30:56.929 ♪ That is what I had intended 2137 01:30:56.973 --> 01:30:59.628 ♪ Pretending to be drunk... 2138 01:30:59.671 --> 01:31:01.281 ROSS: I felt like their career was over 2139 01:31:01.325 --> 01:31:02.892 more often than any other band. 2140 01:31:02.935 --> 01:31:04.763 You know, it felt to me like, "I love this band. 2141 01:31:04.807 --> 01:31:06.156 "Oh, they're gone. 2142 01:31:06.199 --> 01:31:07.679 Oh, never mind. Oh, they're back." 2143 01:31:07.723 --> 01:31:09.594 [laughs] Some music from two young men 2144 01:31:09.638 --> 01:31:11.683 who had a host of hits when I was but a... 2145 01:31:11.727 --> 01:31:13.293 but a child disc jockey. 2146 01:31:13.337 --> 01:31:14.860 I'm pleased to say they're back to delight us 2147 01:31:14.904 --> 01:31:16.427 with a record entitled "Change." 2148 01:31:16.471 --> 01:31:18.385 Ladies and gentlemen, Sparks. 2149 01:31:18.429 --> 01:31:20.562 -[applause] -["Change" playing] 2150 01:31:20.605 --> 01:31:22.607 WIEDLIN: They just keep doing it, 2151 01:31:22.651 --> 01:31:24.783 and they never let anything stop them. 2152 01:31:24.827 --> 01:31:26.785 Whether they're popular or not popular, 2153 01:31:26.829 --> 01:31:29.135 it just doesn't seem to matter to them, 2154 01:31:29.179 --> 01:31:31.181 and I love that about them. 2155 01:31:31.224 --> 01:31:33.270 ROSS: They don't want to stick with just one thing. 2156 01:31:33.313 --> 01:31:35.838 You know, and what an audience seems to want is: 2157 01:31:35.881 --> 01:31:37.404 "This is what this band does, 2158 01:31:37.448 --> 01:31:39.276 and this is what they'll continue doing for me." 2159 01:31:39.319 --> 01:31:40.973 And if you change too much, I think it upsets people, 2160 01:31:41.017 --> 01:31:42.540 but in their case, they needed to. 2161 01:31:42.584 --> 01:31:45.282 And I kind of love them all the more for that. 2162 01:31:45.325 --> 01:31:48.198 ♪ The rain is falling down... 2163 01:31:48.241 --> 01:31:50.026 RON: People, a lot of the time, 2164 01:31:50.069 --> 01:31:52.985 they think of our image as being maybe a bit eccentric 2165 01:31:53.029 --> 01:31:54.857 and they don't think that it's dealing 2166 01:31:54.900 --> 01:31:56.554 with-with sort of real things, 2167 01:31:56.598 --> 01:31:58.251 and we really think that by and large-- 2168 01:31:58.295 --> 01:31:59.992 and I emphasize "by and large"-- 2169 01:32:00.036 --> 01:32:00.950 we're dealing 2170 01:32:00.993 --> 01:32:02.386 with real situations. 2171 01:32:02.429 --> 01:32:04.301 ♪ But wait, there's a rainbow... ♪ 2172 01:32:04.344 --> 01:32:07.260 STEWART: "Change" was this, um, 2173 01:32:07.304 --> 01:32:08.566 radical departure for them. 2174 01:32:08.610 --> 01:32:10.742 HEGARTY: It was kind of more muted, 2175 01:32:10.786 --> 01:32:12.483 and it was sort of darker. 2176 01:32:12.527 --> 01:32:14.920 STEWART: You couldn't make a less commercial record 2177 01:32:14.964 --> 01:32:16.792 or release it as a single. 2178 01:32:16.835 --> 01:32:20.317 And I remember how much I loved it at the time 2179 01:32:20.360 --> 01:32:21.710 because of those qualities. 2180 01:32:21.753 --> 01:32:23.407 ♪ Change 2181 01:32:23.450 --> 01:32:28.238 ♪ Every dog is gonna have his day ♪ 2182 01:32:28.281 --> 01:32:30.109 ♪ Change 2183 01:32:30.153 --> 01:32:34.723 ♪ Every loser's gonna have his way ♪ 2184 01:32:34.766 --> 01:32:36.551 ♪ Change 2185 01:32:36.594 --> 01:32:39.989 ♪ I don't care what other people say... ♪ 2186 01:32:40.032 --> 01:32:42.034 BOHEM: There's this ability-- 2187 01:32:42.078 --> 01:32:43.906 so few people have it-- it's like... 2188 01:32:43.949 --> 01:32:47.039 you say very little, you're funny as could be, 2189 01:32:47.083 --> 01:32:49.694 and all of a sudden, it-it's devastating. 2190 01:32:49.738 --> 01:32:52.523 ♪ It's a complete waste of time... ♪ 2191 01:32:52.567 --> 01:32:54.960 DEAN MENTA: When I was touring with them, they would do that. 2192 01:32:55.004 --> 01:32:56.571 And I always thought, "Wow, 2193 01:32:56.614 --> 01:32:58.529 that's a super poignant song," 2194 01:32:58.573 --> 01:33:00.357 considering their ups and downs 2195 01:33:00.400 --> 01:33:02.751 in the recording industry. 2196 01:33:02.794 --> 01:33:03.795 RUSSELL: We were given 2197 01:33:03.839 --> 01:33:05.623 the unenviable task 2198 01:33:05.667 --> 01:33:08.713 of being on a show on British TV 2199 01:33:08.757 --> 01:33:12.761 and our record label didn't want to finance a video. 2200 01:33:12.804 --> 01:33:15.938 If there's any other local bands out there 2201 01:33:15.981 --> 01:33:20.333 that would like this same sort of video, uh, treatment, 2202 01:33:20.377 --> 01:33:23.554 they can contact me through London Records. 2203 01:33:23.598 --> 01:33:25.730 ♪ Change, change, change 2204 01:33:25.774 --> 01:33:29.908 ♪ I don't care what other people say... ♪ 2205 01:33:29.952 --> 01:33:31.780 RUSSELL: We hoped it would embarrass 2206 01:33:31.823 --> 01:33:33.869 our record label enough to, 2207 01:33:33.912 --> 01:33:37.742 the next time around, maybe, uh, fling to do a video for us. 2208 01:33:37.786 --> 01:33:40.310 ♪ I got places that I've gotta be... ♪ 2209 01:33:40.353 --> 01:33:42.094 RON: We billed the record company 2210 01:33:42.138 --> 01:33:44.140 for the two pounds to buy the, uh, board 2211 01:33:44.183 --> 01:33:46.446 that we made the TV out of, too. 2212 01:33:46.490 --> 01:33:48.231 Still are waiting to get paid back for that. 2213 01:33:48.274 --> 01:33:49.275 ANNOUNCER: Ladies and gentlemen, 2214 01:33:49.319 --> 01:33:52.670 please welcome Sparks. 2215 01:33:52.714 --> 01:33:55.238 [cheering and applause] 2216 01:33:55.281 --> 01:33:57.240 RUSSELL: We really liked that song, 2217 01:33:57.283 --> 01:34:00.678 but unfortunately, it didn't have the commercial success 2218 01:34:00.722 --> 01:34:03.289 that they had hoped for, so there was one time 2219 01:34:03.333 --> 01:34:05.727 where the head of that label, he just said, you know, 2220 01:34:05.770 --> 01:34:07.554 "You guys really should write 2221 01:34:07.598 --> 01:34:09.818 some music that you can dance to." 2222 01:34:09.861 --> 01:34:12.124 ♪ Music that you can dance to 2223 01:34:12.168 --> 01:34:13.648 ♪ That and that alone 2224 01:34:13.691 --> 01:34:16.389 ♪ Is enough for me 2225 01:34:17.564 --> 01:34:20.045 ♪ Stark naked modern music 2226 01:34:20.089 --> 01:34:22.613 ♪ Hotter than your mama will ever be... ♪ 2227 01:34:22.657 --> 01:34:24.833 RUSSELL: "Hotter than your mama will ever be." 2228 01:34:24.876 --> 01:34:27.226 I mean, every song I write, I try to make it hotter 2229 01:34:27.270 --> 01:34:28.924 than your mama will ever be. 2230 01:34:28.967 --> 01:34:30.969 ♪ Music that you can dance to ♪ 2231 01:34:31.013 --> 01:34:32.754 ♪ Cracks you like a whip ♪ 2232 01:34:32.797 --> 01:34:35.408 ♪ But it feels so right... 2233 01:34:35.452 --> 01:34:39.108 RON: The lyrics sound like it's trying to be kind of 2234 01:34:39.151 --> 01:34:41.893 nasty and oversimplistic, but I swear to God, 2235 01:34:41.937 --> 01:34:43.982 they were... they were done with total sincerity. 2236 01:34:44.026 --> 01:34:45.592 ♪ So what's it gonna be? 2237 01:34:45.636 --> 01:34:47.507 ♪ Gonna be, gonna be 2238 01:34:47.551 --> 01:34:50.206 -♪ A symphony tonight -♪ Symphony tonight... 2239 01:34:50.249 --> 01:34:52.817 STEWART: It's a perfectly crafted sellout song, 2240 01:34:52.861 --> 01:34:56.995 except it's not and it's mocking that idea, and... 2241 01:34:57.039 --> 01:34:59.171 "Here's your fucking dance pop record." 2242 01:34:59.215 --> 01:35:01.739 ♪ Music that you can dance to 2243 01:35:01.783 --> 01:35:06.657 ♪ Every single beat where it ought to be... ♪ 2244 01:35:06.701 --> 01:35:08.528 RUSSELL: The record executive at that company 2245 01:35:08.572 --> 01:35:11.053 took it the wrong way, and he wasn't 2246 01:35:11.096 --> 01:35:14.317 so happy, so we, uh, severed our relationship 2247 01:35:14.360 --> 01:35:15.274 with that label. 2248 01:35:15.318 --> 01:35:18.277 ♪ 2249 01:35:18.321 --> 01:35:20.715 Fuck the guy from London Records, right? 2250 01:35:22.064 --> 01:35:24.370 ♪ Music that you can dance to... ♪ 2251 01:35:24.414 --> 01:35:27.112 SCHWARTZMAN: I told Ron and Russell that I loved that song, 2252 01:35:27.156 --> 01:35:28.766 and they said something in the email like, 2253 01:35:28.810 --> 01:35:31.247 "Yes, you're in the age bracket for that song. 2254 01:35:31.290 --> 01:35:34.250 "That was in a really cheesy '80s BMX movie 2255 01:35:34.293 --> 01:35:36.382 calledRad, if you've ever seen it." 2256 01:35:36.426 --> 01:35:38.297 And I wrote back, "Yes, I've seen it. 2257 01:35:38.341 --> 01:35:40.343 My mom was in it." 2258 01:35:42.084 --> 01:35:44.216 [sighs] 2259 01:35:44.260 --> 01:35:45.609 ♪ 2260 01:35:45.652 --> 01:35:47.306 KNEGO: Their base of music, KROQ, 2261 01:35:47.350 --> 01:35:49.221 which was such a great support to them 2262 01:35:49.265 --> 01:35:50.962 in the early '80s, was moving on. 2263 01:35:51.006 --> 01:35:52.790 They wanted bands like Red Hot Chili Peppers 2264 01:35:52.834 --> 01:35:55.532 and more of a angry, edgier sound. 2265 01:35:55.575 --> 01:35:58.100 It seemed like the Top 40 era, 2266 01:35:58.143 --> 01:36:00.493 that, uh, wasn't happening at that point. 2267 01:36:00.537 --> 01:36:03.888 STEWART: I bought intoInterior Design 2268 01:36:03.932 --> 01:36:06.717 and would've put out any Sparks record for any reason. 2269 01:36:06.761 --> 01:36:08.588 Unfortunately, at that time, 2270 01:36:08.632 --> 01:36:11.287 they had less relevance 2271 01:36:11.330 --> 01:36:13.158 than they ever had 2272 01:36:13.202 --> 01:36:14.943 to what was going on in the market. 2273 01:36:14.986 --> 01:36:16.596 So we got to put the record out, 2274 01:36:16.640 --> 01:36:18.598 but we weren't able to do much for it. 2275 01:36:18.642 --> 01:36:22.341 KNEGO: You know, they weren't, like, 20-somethings anymore. 2276 01:36:22.385 --> 01:36:25.431 It was a very, very hard time commercially for them, 2277 01:36:25.475 --> 01:36:27.346 but creatively, they never stopped. 2278 01:36:27.390 --> 01:36:28.913 They were always working on something. 2279 01:36:28.957 --> 01:36:32.264 Is there anybody out there at all right now? 2280 01:36:34.397 --> 01:36:36.616 DICK CLARK: Let's take a look and see 2281 01:36:36.660 --> 01:36:38.793 what's going on out there in California. 2282 01:36:38.836 --> 01:36:40.533 They're bringing it in in style. 2283 01:36:42.448 --> 01:36:44.929 HAYDON: They recorded every day, 2284 01:36:44.973 --> 01:36:46.235 sometimes seven days a week. 2285 01:36:46.278 --> 01:36:48.193 They were in their home studio 2286 01:36:48.237 --> 01:36:50.717 just coming up with brilliant material 2287 01:36:50.761 --> 01:36:53.459 that wasn't being signed, and it wasn't necessarily 2288 01:36:53.503 --> 01:36:55.940 going to culminate into an album. 2289 01:36:55.984 --> 01:37:00.031 CLARK: 1990. Happy New Year! 2290 01:37:00.075 --> 01:37:03.034 HAYDON: Because of the lack of a record deal 2291 01:37:03.078 --> 01:37:07.430 and any kind of record company financial support, you know, 2292 01:37:07.473 --> 01:37:10.476 there comes a point where the well is getting a bit dry. 2293 01:37:10.520 --> 01:37:12.696 It seemed, like, really imperative 2294 01:37:12.739 --> 01:37:16.439 that Russell learn how to be the engineer. 2295 01:37:18.745 --> 01:37:22.358 CLARK: It's 1991 onNew Year's Rockin' Eve. 2296 01:37:24.055 --> 01:37:26.101 HAYDON: Had they have been two guys 2297 01:37:26.144 --> 01:37:27.493 that did drugs and all of that 2298 01:37:27.537 --> 01:37:29.626 and blew their money in the past, 2299 01:37:29.669 --> 01:37:31.149 they wouldn't have been able 2300 01:37:31.193 --> 01:37:32.890 to pay their bills during that time. 2301 01:37:32.934 --> 01:37:36.241 It's a testament to them in every aspect, you know, 2302 01:37:36.285 --> 01:37:38.200 to how they had... had, 2303 01:37:38.243 --> 01:37:40.898 um, you know, saved for that rainy day. 2304 01:37:40.942 --> 01:37:42.639 So they were able to have, you know, 2305 01:37:42.682 --> 01:37:45.033 almost six years of rainy days. 2306 01:37:45.076 --> 01:37:48.253 CLARK: Now, 1992. Happy New Year. 2307 01:37:50.212 --> 01:37:51.822 HAYDON [crying]: Like, I get emotional 2308 01:37:51.866 --> 01:37:53.737 when I think about that time. 2309 01:37:58.785 --> 01:38:02.702 Every day-- like I said, sometimes seven days a week... 2310 01:38:06.706 --> 01:38:10.580 ...from morning till night, they were working so hard. 2311 01:38:12.408 --> 01:38:15.933 And they never... they never tried to, 2312 01:38:15.977 --> 01:38:18.109 you know, do their version of being commercial. 2313 01:38:18.153 --> 01:38:22.722 They never tried to... to dumb it down, water it down. 2314 01:38:22.766 --> 01:38:27.118 They stayed so true to exactly... 2315 01:38:27.162 --> 01:38:29.425 what they've always been. 2316 01:38:29.468 --> 01:38:31.993 CLARK: Five seconds to 1993. 2317 01:38:32.036 --> 01:38:35.561 Happy New Year's Rockin' Eve '93. 2318 01:38:35.605 --> 01:38:38.913 RUSSELL: The one thing that I'm proudest of with Sparks 2319 01:38:38.956 --> 01:38:41.959 is just our determination and resilience. 2320 01:38:42.003 --> 01:38:44.831 For instance, we devoted six years of our lives 2321 01:38:44.875 --> 01:38:46.616 to work on a movie musical project 2322 01:38:46.659 --> 01:38:49.053 that was called Mai, the Psychic Girl. 2323 01:38:49.097 --> 01:38:51.795 It was based on a Japanese manga. 2324 01:38:51.838 --> 01:38:53.710 We were really up for the challenge of that 2325 01:38:53.753 --> 01:38:54.972 because we-we thought 2326 01:38:55.016 --> 01:38:57.322 that this could be a way also 2327 01:38:57.366 --> 01:39:00.412 for Sparks to channel what we were doing 2328 01:39:00.456 --> 01:39:03.154 but in another form yet again. 2329 01:39:03.198 --> 01:39:06.636 And Tim Burton was signed on early on to direct it. 2330 01:39:08.681 --> 01:39:11.336 We did miss performing live during that period, 2331 01:39:11.380 --> 01:39:13.295 but I think, in the back of our heads, 2332 01:39:13.338 --> 01:39:15.340 we were also thinking a lot of people 2333 01:39:15.384 --> 01:39:17.299 are gonna see this Tim Burton movie 2334 01:39:17.342 --> 01:39:22.782 and it will obviously help the cause for Sparks. 2335 01:39:22.826 --> 01:39:26.612 HAYDON: When we got word that Tim was 2336 01:39:26.656 --> 01:39:28.788 bowing out of Mai, the Psychic Girl, 2337 01:39:28.832 --> 01:39:29.876 there were tears, 2338 01:39:29.920 --> 01:39:32.009 and... [chuckles] 2339 01:39:32.053 --> 01:39:35.926 And I-I-I cry easily, but Ron and Russell don't, 2340 01:39:35.970 --> 01:39:37.972 and there were tears. 2341 01:39:39.625 --> 01:39:42.324 RON: We kind of had put all of our chips on that one thing, 2342 01:39:42.367 --> 01:39:45.718 and-and maybe that was the wrong thing to do. 2343 01:39:47.285 --> 01:39:50.680 RUSSELL: Somehow, you know, you muster up the enthusiasm 2344 01:39:50.723 --> 01:39:52.464 to-to continue on. 2345 01:39:52.508 --> 01:39:54.858 I think sometimes it's the setbacks 2346 01:39:54.901 --> 01:39:58.340 that-that actually make you stronger. 2347 01:39:58.383 --> 01:40:00.646 And sometimes, as a result of those things, 2348 01:40:00.690 --> 01:40:05.129 you end up doing something even better. 2349 01:40:05.173 --> 01:40:09.090 CLARK: Happy 1994. 2350 01:40:09.133 --> 01:40:10.569 KAPRANOS: I remember going to Fopp 2351 01:40:10.613 --> 01:40:12.136 on Byres Road in Glasgow 2352 01:40:12.180 --> 01:40:15.052 and, um, this new Sparks album was out. 2353 01:40:15.096 --> 01:40:16.880 Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. 2354 01:40:16.923 --> 01:40:18.795 I was thinking, like, "Oh, wow. 2355 01:40:18.838 --> 01:40:20.449 So this band still exists?" 2356 01:40:20.492 --> 01:40:24.061 ♪ No, no use in lecturing them ♪ 2357 01:40:24.105 --> 01:40:26.020 ♪ Or in threatening them 2358 01:40:26.063 --> 01:40:28.457 ♪ They will just say, "Who are you?" ♪ 2359 01:40:28.500 --> 01:40:30.807 GLORIA HUNNIFORD: That unusual duo from the '70s 2360 01:40:30.850 --> 01:40:32.548 are back and still brilliant. 2361 01:40:32.591 --> 01:40:34.680 Bloody hell, they look amazing. 2362 01:40:34.724 --> 01:40:35.986 Have they not aged? 2363 01:40:36.030 --> 01:40:37.335 HUNNIFORD: It's like a time warp. 2364 01:40:37.379 --> 01:40:38.510 The pair of you look exactly the same. 2365 01:40:38.554 --> 01:40:40.773 Well, thank you. What can I say? 2366 01:40:40.817 --> 01:40:42.210 So, after a six-year gap, 2367 01:40:42.253 --> 01:40:44.081 they came back with a vengeance. 2368 01:40:44.125 --> 01:40:47.389 ♪ No, no use in taking their time ♪ 2369 01:40:47.432 --> 01:40:49.391 ♪ Or in wasting two dimes 2370 01:40:49.434 --> 01:40:52.742 ♪ On a call to God knows who 2371 01:40:52.785 --> 01:40:55.136 ♪ When all you feel is the rain ♪ 2372 01:40:55.179 --> 01:40:57.181 ♪ And it's hard to be vain 2373 01:40:57.225 --> 01:41:00.576 ♪ When no person looks at you 2374 01:41:00.619 --> 01:41:05.450 ♪ So just be gracious and wait in the queue ♪ 2375 01:41:07.496 --> 01:41:11.413 ♪ So when do I get to sing "My Way"? ♪ 2376 01:41:11.456 --> 01:41:14.242 ♪ When do I get to feel like Sinatra... ♪ 2377 01:41:14.285 --> 01:41:16.505 Oh, my God, "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way.'" 2378 01:41:16.548 --> 01:41:18.420 Oh, I love it. 2379 01:41:18.463 --> 01:41:20.335 It absolutely was the perfect song 2380 01:41:20.378 --> 01:41:23.120 for this big comeback. 2381 01:41:23.164 --> 01:41:25.862 RUSSELL: Our German manager at the time said, 2382 01:41:25.905 --> 01:41:28.691 "Ja, ja,this is ein Hit." 2383 01:41:28.734 --> 01:41:31.563 So he approached BMG Records in Germany, 2384 01:41:31.607 --> 01:41:33.609 and they said, "Ja, you are right. 2385 01:41:33.652 --> 01:41:35.437 Das ist ein Hit." 2386 01:41:35.480 --> 01:41:39.136 ♪ Don't see, is my smiley face still on? ♪ 2387 01:41:39.180 --> 01:41:41.007 HAYDON: The video did showcase them 2388 01:41:41.051 --> 01:41:43.140 as these glamorous guys 2389 01:41:43.184 --> 01:41:45.925 who at least one of them has it all, 2390 01:41:45.969 --> 01:41:47.536 but it's coming out of a time when 2391 01:41:47.579 --> 01:41:49.712 they didn't have it all. 2392 01:41:49.755 --> 01:41:51.453 -I feel wonderful. -[laughter] 2393 01:41:51.496 --> 01:41:53.498 ♪ When do I get to feel like Sinatra felt? ♪ 2394 01:41:53.542 --> 01:41:56.458 KNEGO: Sparks singing "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" 2395 01:41:56.501 --> 01:41:58.416 is, like, the ultimate statement. 2396 01:41:58.460 --> 01:41:59.896 It's like, "Yeah, okay, you liked it 2397 01:41:59.939 --> 01:42:01.637 "when Frank Sinatra did it. 2398 01:42:01.680 --> 01:42:03.508 "You liked it when Sid Vicious did it, you know? 2399 01:42:03.552 --> 01:42:05.684 Why can't we do it?" 2400 01:42:05.728 --> 01:42:09.210 ♪ When do I get to feel like Sid Vicious felt? ♪ 2401 01:42:09.253 --> 01:42:11.386 KAPRANOS: The irony is I don't think Ron or Russell want 2402 01:42:11.429 --> 01:42:13.431 to be either Sinatra 2403 01:42:13.475 --> 01:42:15.085 or Sid Vicious. 2404 01:42:15.129 --> 01:42:18.784 They just want to feel as famous. 2405 01:42:18.828 --> 01:42:21.352 ♪ They'll introduce me 2406 01:42:21.396 --> 01:42:23.833 ♪ Hello, hello 2407 01:42:23.876 --> 01:42:25.139 RUSSELL: We were being perceived 2408 01:42:25.182 --> 01:42:26.575 as a brand-new band now. 2409 01:42:26.618 --> 01:42:28.446 ♪ Women seduce me... 2410 01:42:28.490 --> 01:42:30.318 RON: Some of the radio stations 2411 01:42:30.361 --> 01:42:33.930 kind of accused us of ripping off bands that, 2412 01:42:33.973 --> 01:42:37.977 in all modesty, were influenced by what we had done, 2413 01:42:38.021 --> 01:42:40.806 and it was kind of humiliating. 2414 01:42:40.850 --> 01:42:43.157 Backstage at a Pet Shop Boys concert, 2415 01:42:43.200 --> 01:42:44.723 while I was promoting their records, 2416 01:42:44.767 --> 01:42:46.856 I approached Neil Tennant, and I said, 2417 01:42:46.899 --> 01:42:49.380 "Why don't you guys ever acknowledge Sparks?" 2418 01:42:49.424 --> 01:42:51.991 And he just gave me a, you know, sort of a scornful look 2419 01:42:52.035 --> 01:42:55.473 and said, "You're very naughty," and walked away. 2420 01:42:55.517 --> 01:42:56.866 MORRIS: It was weird coming back... 2421 01:42:56.909 --> 01:42:58.215 GILBERT: Yeah. 2422 01:42:58.259 --> 01:43:00.652 ...to find something you invented. 2423 01:43:00.696 --> 01:43:03.264 [laughing]: Yeah. And you've left behind. 2424 01:43:03.307 --> 01:43:05.048 KNEGO: We had a top ten with 2425 01:43:05.091 --> 01:43:06.441 "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" 2426 01:43:06.484 --> 01:43:08.399 and another couple charting singles 2427 01:43:08.443 --> 01:43:10.227 off of that album as well. 2428 01:43:10.271 --> 01:43:12.708 So Sparks really sort of made a name for themselves 2429 01:43:12.751 --> 01:43:14.536 in the clubs, which was really cool. 2430 01:43:14.579 --> 01:43:17.930 RON: It became the number one airplay song in Germany. 2431 01:43:17.974 --> 01:43:20.933 RUSSELL: Thank you, uh, especially to... 2432 01:43:20.977 --> 01:43:24.110 everyone in Germany for making this past year 2433 01:43:24.154 --> 01:43:25.938 so super special for Sparks. 2434 01:43:25.982 --> 01:43:28.245 So thank you very much. 2435 01:43:28.289 --> 01:43:30.943 [cheering] 2436 01:43:30.987 --> 01:43:33.032 [wind whistling] 2437 01:43:34.904 --> 01:43:37.123 [thunder crashes] 2438 01:43:37.167 --> 01:43:40.605 ♪ 2439 01:43:40.649 --> 01:43:42.607 RON: If we had stayed strong, 2440 01:43:42.651 --> 01:43:44.174 we probably wouldn't have done 2441 01:43:44.218 --> 01:43:46.872 thePlagiarism album. 2442 01:43:46.916 --> 01:43:49.048 Plagiarism was something that was 2443 01:43:49.092 --> 01:43:51.660 recommended from outside forces. 2444 01:43:53.314 --> 01:43:54.793 It's a retrospective of their own career, 2445 01:43:54.837 --> 01:43:56.491 but they've done it 2446 01:43:56.534 --> 01:44:00.886 as grandiose, orchestral, bombastic versions. 2447 01:44:00.930 --> 01:44:03.280 RON: It was felt that since we had 2448 01:44:03.324 --> 01:44:05.761 reached a whole new audience, 2449 01:44:05.804 --> 01:44:08.242 maybe there's a group of young people 2450 01:44:08.285 --> 01:44:10.592 that haven't heard earlier stuff, 2451 01:44:10.635 --> 01:44:13.812 and we reluctantly went along with that. 2452 01:44:13.856 --> 01:44:16.162 PUCKRIK: They're not interested in looking backwards. 2453 01:44:16.206 --> 01:44:18.426 They're always on a quest. They're always on a mission 2454 01:44:18.469 --> 01:44:22.560 to further their musical perversions. 2455 01:44:22.604 --> 01:44:24.127 RON: One of the reasons why 2456 01:44:24.170 --> 01:44:25.998 we've been able to go on for so long 2457 01:44:26.042 --> 01:44:28.305 is because we're always kind of looking to the next album 2458 01:44:28.349 --> 01:44:30.829 and not even bothering with the past. 2459 01:44:30.873 --> 01:44:33.049 And so when we get back to Los Angeles, 2460 01:44:33.092 --> 01:44:35.443 that's the first thing we're gonna be working on 2461 01:44:35.486 --> 01:44:37.923 is an album of new material. 2462 01:44:37.967 --> 01:44:40.012 ♪ 2463 01:44:42.101 --> 01:44:46.062 SILVERBLATT: Sparks is the quintessence of a band 2464 01:44:46.105 --> 01:44:49.718 that starts and starts again and starts again. 2465 01:44:49.761 --> 01:44:53.461 No success is big enough for them. 2466 01:44:53.504 --> 01:44:56.420 No failure is small enough for them. 2467 01:44:56.464 --> 01:44:59.075 They can always move on. 2468 01:44:59.118 --> 01:45:01.773 ["Balls" by Sparks playing] 2469 01:45:01.817 --> 01:45:03.427 TAMMY GLOVER: Every single album, 2470 01:45:03.471 --> 01:45:07.126 we think, is going to be the breakthrough album 2471 01:45:07.170 --> 01:45:09.868 where, you know, the world finally gets wise. 2472 01:45:09.912 --> 01:45:11.392 ♪ To succeed are balls 2473 01:45:11.435 --> 01:45:14.264 ♪ All you need are balls... 2474 01:45:14.308 --> 01:45:15.831 RUSSELL: Maybe there's something 2475 01:45:15.874 --> 01:45:18.224 to that lyric that resonates 2476 01:45:18.268 --> 01:45:20.270 with-with Sparks. 2477 01:45:25.014 --> 01:45:26.929 -[laughter] -And I turn it over to Ron, 2478 01:45:26.972 --> 01:45:28.887 -who would like to... -Such a... I'm just moved. 2479 01:45:28.931 --> 01:45:31.629 ♪ Balls, all you need are balls ♪ 2480 01:45:31.673 --> 01:45:33.805 ♪ To succeed are balls 2481 01:45:33.849 --> 01:45:35.981 ♪ All you need are... 2482 01:45:36.025 --> 01:45:39.376 GLOVER: Balls didn't break through. 2483 01:45:39.420 --> 01:45:43.075 But every time that happens, Ron reinvents everything. 2484 01:45:43.119 --> 01:45:45.164 It's just in Sparks's DNA 2485 01:45:45.208 --> 01:45:48.385 to rip up the rule book and start over. 2486 01:45:48.429 --> 01:45:50.518 KNEGO: They've reinvented themselves several times, 2487 01:45:50.561 --> 01:45:52.215 but Lil' Beethovenwas, I think, 2488 01:45:52.258 --> 01:45:54.696 phase three in the Sparks genre. 2489 01:45:54.739 --> 01:45:56.741 MAIDA: It's almost as if they erased 2490 01:45:56.785 --> 01:45:59.918 the chalkboard, you know, and started over again. 2491 01:45:59.962 --> 01:46:03.705 ♪ I am the rhythm thief 2492 01:46:03.748 --> 01:46:06.708 ♪ Say goodbye to the beat 2493 01:46:06.751 --> 01:46:10.146 ♪ I am the rhythm thief 2494 01:46:10.189 --> 01:46:13.149 ♪ Auf Wiedersehen to the beat 2495 01:46:13.192 --> 01:46:14.759 ♪ Oh, no... 2496 01:46:14.803 --> 01:46:16.370 PALLADINO: It was a really interesting variation 2497 01:46:16.413 --> 01:46:18.110 on everything they had done before. 2498 01:46:18.154 --> 01:46:20.678 It was almost like a-- you're combining 2499 01:46:20.722 --> 01:46:23.333 Steve Reich and his repetition 2500 01:46:23.377 --> 01:46:26.118 with Sparks and their comedy. 2501 01:46:26.162 --> 01:46:29.513 ♪ You'll never get it back, you'll never get it back ♪ 2502 01:46:29.557 --> 01:46:32.777 ♪ The rhythm thief has got it and you'll never get it back ♪ 2503 01:46:32.821 --> 01:46:35.998 ♪ You'll never get it back, you'll never get it back ♪ 2504 01:46:36.041 --> 01:46:37.608 ♪ The rhythm thief has got it 2505 01:46:37.652 --> 01:46:39.567 ♪ Lights out, Ibiza... 2506 01:46:39.610 --> 01:46:41.133 There's all these group vocals and chants 2507 01:46:41.177 --> 01:46:42.700 that are almost like raps, 2508 01:46:42.744 --> 01:46:45.877 kind of neoclassical feel to the music. 2509 01:46:45.921 --> 01:46:49.011 -♪ I am the rhythm thief -♪ Rhythm, rhythm thief♪ 2510 01:46:49.054 --> 01:46:52.362 ♪ Auf Wiedersehen to the beat. ♪ 2511 01:46:53.581 --> 01:46:55.974 STEWART: What they remind me of with that album 2512 01:46:56.018 --> 01:46:56.975 is how important it is 2513 01:46:57.019 --> 01:46:58.890 to stay on your toes 2514 01:46:58.934 --> 01:47:01.284 and be alert and be challenged as a listener 2515 01:47:01.327 --> 01:47:04.418 and to move away from nostalgia and comfort food. 2516 01:47:04.461 --> 01:47:07.682 ♪ I married myself 2517 01:47:07.725 --> 01:47:09.901 ♪ I'm very happy together 2518 01:47:09.945 --> 01:47:12.861 ♪ Long, long walks on the beach ♪ 2519 01:47:12.904 --> 01:47:16.342 ♪ Lovely times 2520 01:47:16.386 --> 01:47:19.781 ♪ I married myself 2521 01:47:19.824 --> 01:47:22.784 ♪ I'm very happy together 2522 01:47:22.827 --> 01:47:25.003 ♪ Candlelight dinners home 2523 01:47:25.047 --> 01:47:27.310 ♪ Lovely times... 2524 01:47:27.353 --> 01:47:28.877 KNEGO: They weren't trying to be 2525 01:47:28.920 --> 01:47:30.269 something to please a record company. 2526 01:47:30.313 --> 01:47:31.270 They were just taking 2527 01:47:31.314 --> 01:47:33.142 all their creative juices 2528 01:47:33.185 --> 01:47:35.013 and putting it into something that they loved. 2529 01:47:35.057 --> 01:47:37.059 It's that ability and desire 2530 01:47:37.102 --> 01:47:38.800 to take risks 2531 01:47:38.843 --> 01:47:41.585 and to mess things up that makes them Sparks. 2532 01:47:42.717 --> 01:47:45.023 RUSSELL: I think we spent over a year 2533 01:47:45.067 --> 01:47:48.331 recordingLil' Beethoven, not even knowing for sure 2534 01:47:48.374 --> 01:47:50.725 what the end product was going to be. 2535 01:47:50.768 --> 01:47:52.291 And I think, when you kind of 2536 01:47:52.335 --> 01:47:54.424 approach an album in that sort of way, 2537 01:47:54.468 --> 01:47:56.513 we tend to spend a lot of time on it. 2538 01:48:01.518 --> 01:48:03.955 It's you. 2539 01:48:05.827 --> 01:48:07.742 RON: The albumLil' Beethoven, 2540 01:48:07.785 --> 01:48:11.485 in particular, was one where the studio was essential. 2541 01:48:12.747 --> 01:48:16.446 Just creatively, you know, we feel so energized 2542 01:48:16.490 --> 01:48:18.535 by working in this kind of way 2543 01:48:18.579 --> 01:48:20.450 where we don't have to feel foolish 2544 01:48:20.494 --> 01:48:21.973 if we do something foolish. 2545 01:48:22.017 --> 01:48:25.237 And we do quite a bit of foolish things, 2546 01:48:25.281 --> 01:48:27.675 but you'll never hear about 'em. 2547 01:48:30.155 --> 01:48:31.983 RUSSELL: Not being dependent 2548 01:48:32.027 --> 01:48:34.986 on massive budgets and record companies 2549 01:48:35.030 --> 01:48:36.901 became a really liberating thing 2550 01:48:36.945 --> 01:48:38.468 that now we could record 2551 01:48:38.512 --> 01:48:41.732 on our own, and then we just hand that off 2552 01:48:41.776 --> 01:48:43.168 to a... to a label, 2553 01:48:43.212 --> 01:48:45.388 and then, uh, take it or leave it. 2554 01:48:45.431 --> 01:48:47.956 [playing "My Baby's Taking Me Home"] 2555 01:48:51.133 --> 01:48:54.310 ♪ Home, my baby's taking me home ♪ 2556 01:48:54.353 --> 01:48:56.312 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2557 01:48:56.355 --> 01:48:59.489 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2558 01:49:00.446 --> 01:49:02.100 ♪ Home... 2559 01:49:02.144 --> 01:49:03.667 RON: "My Baby's Taking Me Home" is 2560 01:49:03.711 --> 01:49:05.843 one of my favorites off of that album. 2561 01:49:05.887 --> 01:49:07.541 It's an emotional song 2562 01:49:07.584 --> 01:49:09.325 that has lots of bumps and curves 2563 01:49:09.368 --> 01:49:11.675 and poetic images would have, 2564 01:49:11.719 --> 01:49:13.285 but it's only pretty much saying, 2565 01:49:13.329 --> 01:49:15.026 "Home, my baby's taking me home." 2566 01:49:15.070 --> 01:49:16.854 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2567 01:49:16.898 --> 01:49:19.335 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2568 01:49:19.378 --> 01:49:22.033 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2569 01:49:22.077 --> 01:49:24.427 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2570 01:49:24.470 --> 01:49:26.908 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2571 01:49:26.951 --> 01:49:29.388 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2572 01:49:29.432 --> 01:49:31.782 ♪ My baby's taking me home... 2573 01:49:31.826 --> 01:49:34.742 GLOVER: It was amazing to me that you could repeat a lyric 2574 01:49:34.785 --> 01:49:37.614 and have it mean something different 2575 01:49:37.658 --> 01:49:39.137 as the narrator 2576 01:49:39.181 --> 01:49:42.967 starts saying it over and over and over again. 2577 01:49:43.011 --> 01:49:45.274 It was almost like an acting technique. 2578 01:49:45.317 --> 01:49:47.015 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2579 01:49:47.058 --> 01:49:49.408 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2580 01:49:49.452 --> 01:49:51.889 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2581 01:49:51.933 --> 01:49:54.457 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2582 01:49:54.500 --> 01:49:56.851 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2583 01:49:56.894 --> 01:49:59.375 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2584 01:49:59.418 --> 01:50:01.203 Sing it! 2585 01:50:01.246 --> 01:50:04.728 ♪ Home, my baby's taking me home ♪ 2586 01:50:04.772 --> 01:50:06.600 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2587 01:50:06.643 --> 01:50:09.385 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2588 01:50:09.428 --> 01:50:11.866 ♪ My baby's taking me home... 2589 01:50:11.909 --> 01:50:13.215 BEN HOUSE: I can remember playing 2590 01:50:13.258 --> 01:50:14.651 "My Baby's Taking Me Home" 2591 01:50:14.695 --> 01:50:15.826 for a friend of mine, 2592 01:50:15.870 --> 01:50:17.959 and as the song keeps going, 2593 01:50:18.002 --> 01:50:20.048 her eyes just got wider and wider. 2594 01:50:20.091 --> 01:50:21.876 ♪ My baby's taking me home... 2595 01:50:21.919 --> 01:50:23.660 Hearing it live, oh, man, 2596 01:50:23.704 --> 01:50:26.010 that is a hypnotic, great, great song. 2597 01:50:26.054 --> 01:50:29.579 ♪ Home, my baby's taking me home ♪ 2598 01:50:29.623 --> 01:50:31.755 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2599 01:50:31.799 --> 01:50:34.584 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2600 01:50:34.628 --> 01:50:37.413 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2601 01:50:37.456 --> 01:50:39.458 ♪ My baby's taking me home ♪ 2602 01:50:39.502 --> 01:50:42.418 ♪ My baby's taking me home 2603 01:50:42.461 --> 01:50:44.420 ♪ My baby's taking me home... ♪ 2604 01:50:44.463 --> 01:50:46.248 HARRIS: There were a lot of critics out there 2605 01:50:46.291 --> 01:50:49.468 that wanted to be able to like Sparks and wanted to be able 2606 01:50:49.512 --> 01:50:51.296 to rave about them and, you know, 2607 01:50:51.340 --> 01:50:53.385 run around shouting about them, 2608 01:50:53.429 --> 01:50:54.865 and Lil' Beethoven 2609 01:50:54.909 --> 01:50:56.562 enabled them to do that. 2610 01:50:56.606 --> 01:50:58.826 [cheering and applause] 2611 01:50:58.869 --> 01:51:01.916 With the Lil' Beethoven album, the last album, 2612 01:51:01.959 --> 01:51:05.310 we-we were able to do something 2613 01:51:05.354 --> 01:51:07.530 that woke up people in a certain way, 2614 01:51:07.573 --> 01:51:09.663 and we wanted to go to the next step 2615 01:51:09.706 --> 01:51:12.404 with the Hello Young Lovers album, 2616 01:51:12.448 --> 01:51:14.929 and-and we think we've accomplished that. 2617 01:51:14.972 --> 01:51:17.018 [playing loud, distorted chords] 2618 01:51:19.194 --> 01:51:20.586 HARRIS: It was just a celebration. 2619 01:51:20.630 --> 01:51:21.979 This is fantastic. 2620 01:51:22.023 --> 01:51:24.982 We can just go mad now, and we did. 2621 01:51:25.026 --> 01:51:28.725 ♪ All I do now is dick around 2622 01:51:28.769 --> 01:51:31.467 ♪ All I do now is dick around ♪ 2623 01:51:31.510 --> 01:51:33.164 ♪ Dick around 2624 01:51:34.339 --> 01:51:35.689 ♪ Think about the recent past 2625 01:51:35.732 --> 01:51:37.168 ♪ The cynics said too good to last ♪ 2626 01:51:37.212 --> 01:51:38.692 ♪ But she could change her mind again ♪ 2627 01:51:38.735 --> 01:51:39.823 ♪ Oh, no, this movie said "the end" ♪ 2628 01:51:39.867 --> 01:51:41.259 ♪ So I will go about my day 2629 01:51:41.303 --> 01:51:42.696 ♪ Just dicking round, my métier ♪ 2630 01:51:42.739 --> 01:51:43.958 ♪ And realize that life is change ♪ 2631 01:51:44.001 --> 01:51:46.134 ♪ And furniture to rearrange 2632 01:51:46.177 --> 01:51:48.092 -♪ Why the hell, why the hell -♪ Why the hell, why the hell 2633 01:51:48.136 --> 01:51:49.703 ♪ Why the hell did she desert you ♪ 2634 01:51:49.746 --> 01:51:51.835 ♪ When you were so influential? ♪ 2635 01:51:51.879 --> 01:51:53.750 -♪ Why the hell, why the hell -♪ Why the hell, why the hell 2636 01:51:53.794 --> 01:51:55.360 ♪ Why did she desert you 2637 01:51:55.404 --> 01:51:56.840 ♪ When you told her she was so essential? ♪ 2638 01:51:56.884 --> 01:51:58.363 ♪ Pull yourself up off the ground ♪ 2639 01:51:58.407 --> 01:52:00.061 ♪ You've started liking being down... ♪ 2640 01:52:00.104 --> 01:52:01.279 ANTONOFF: If you took a "Dancing in the Dark" 2641 01:52:01.323 --> 01:52:03.760 or a "Heroes" by Bowie 2642 01:52:03.804 --> 01:52:06.067 or a... you know, any of the great ABBA songs, 2643 01:52:06.110 --> 01:52:08.156 "Dick Around" rips right through that 2644 01:52:08.199 --> 01:52:09.418 and just gives you 2645 01:52:09.461 --> 01:52:10.811 the underbelly of a pop song. 2646 01:52:10.854 --> 01:52:13.770 A 600-vocal-tracked 2647 01:52:13.814 --> 01:52:15.772 orchestral arrangement of vocal shouting, 2648 01:52:15.816 --> 01:52:18.688 "All I do now is dick around," right in your face, 2649 01:52:18.732 --> 01:52:20.734 it never lets you in slowly, 2650 01:52:20.777 --> 01:52:21.996 and it's just the saddest thing 2651 01:52:22.039 --> 01:52:23.127 in the world. 2652 01:52:23.171 --> 01:52:24.389 And it's so fucking catchy. 2653 01:52:25.608 --> 01:52:30.047 ♪ All I do now is dick around, dick around ♪ 2654 01:52:30.091 --> 01:52:32.093 ♪ Then I got the late-night call ♪ 2655 01:52:32.136 --> 01:52:34.922 ♪ I really miss you after all, I had a fling and that is all ♪ 2656 01:52:34.965 --> 01:52:36.445 ♪ A stupid fling, then hit the wall... ♪ 2657 01:52:36.488 --> 01:52:39.143 "Dick Around" is, uh, incredibly demanding 2658 01:52:39.187 --> 01:52:41.232 on me as a... as a vocalist. 2659 01:52:41.276 --> 01:52:43.800 PALLADINO: Ron has used Russell's voice 2660 01:52:43.844 --> 01:52:45.802 as an instrument 2661 01:52:45.846 --> 01:52:47.586 as much as he's used that keyboard. 2662 01:52:47.630 --> 01:52:50.415 ♪ All I do now 2663 01:52:50.459 --> 01:52:52.243 ♪ Is dick around... 2664 01:52:52.287 --> 01:52:53.375 ANTONOFF: If I was producing that song, 2665 01:52:53.418 --> 01:52:55.246 like a fucking idiot, 2666 01:52:55.290 --> 01:52:56.987 I'd, like, put a beat on it or something 2667 01:52:57.031 --> 01:52:58.684 and be like, "Oh, my God, this is amazing. 2668 01:52:58.728 --> 01:53:00.121 "Everyone's gonna feel so sad about this, 2669 01:53:00.164 --> 01:53:02.558 and we're gonna sneak it into them." 2670 01:53:02.601 --> 01:53:05.082 And then Sparks would have been like, "No, you idiot." 2671 01:53:05.126 --> 01:53:06.997 [laughs]: Like... 2672 01:53:07.041 --> 01:53:09.043 "Let Queen do that." 2673 01:53:09.086 --> 01:53:10.435 ♪ All I do is dick around... 2674 01:53:10.479 --> 01:53:12.394 If you don't like this, we don't care. 2675 01:53:12.437 --> 01:53:14.570 I think that that... you know, that's kind of 2676 01:53:14.613 --> 01:53:18.617 the essence of what popular music should be. 2677 01:53:18.661 --> 01:53:22.317 ♪ But all I do now is dick around ♪ 2678 01:53:22.360 --> 01:53:24.841 ♪ All I do now is dick around 2679 01:53:24.885 --> 01:53:27.452 ♪ Dick around. 2680 01:53:27.496 --> 01:53:29.498 -[song ends] -[cheering and applause] 2681 01:53:29.541 --> 01:53:32.196 HARRIS: Ron and Russell toured comprehensively, 2682 01:53:32.240 --> 01:53:35.199 and they played the album in its entirety, and then 2683 01:53:35.243 --> 01:53:37.593 the second set was greatest hits; 2684 01:53:37.636 --> 01:53:39.638 so, then withExotic Creatures of the Deep, 2685 01:53:39.682 --> 01:53:41.292 we were thinking about, 2686 01:53:41.336 --> 01:53:42.685 well, how do you perform this live? 2687 01:53:42.728 --> 01:53:44.948 You know, what would be the concept? 2688 01:53:44.992 --> 01:53:48.082 And it was just a really sort of seemingly stupid idea-- 2689 01:53:48.125 --> 01:53:51.737 what if you perform every album followed by the new album? 2690 01:53:54.610 --> 01:53:56.917 RON: Sue Harris came up with the idea 2691 01:53:56.960 --> 01:53:59.571 to do 21 of our albums-- 2692 01:53:59.615 --> 01:54:03.837 the entire catalog-- one each night live. 2693 01:54:03.880 --> 01:54:06.927 By our nature, we said, "Sounds great." 2694 01:54:06.970 --> 01:54:10.321 And then we realized the enormity of the task. 2695 01:54:10.365 --> 01:54:12.715 ♪ 2696 01:54:14.673 --> 01:54:16.501 STEVIE NISTOR: Russell said, 2697 01:54:16.545 --> 01:54:18.547 "We're thinking about playing every song we've ever written 2698 01:54:18.590 --> 01:54:20.201 night after night in London. What do you think?" 2699 01:54:20.244 --> 01:54:23.378 And I just laughed. It's just impossible. 2700 01:54:23.421 --> 01:54:24.988 And Ron said, "We're even gonna do 2701 01:54:25.032 --> 01:54:26.598 the B-sides for the encores." 2702 01:54:26.642 --> 01:54:28.078 And I said, "How many songs is that?" 2703 01:54:28.122 --> 01:54:29.123 RUSSELL: There were approximately, 2704 01:54:29.166 --> 01:54:32.387 I don't know, I think 270 songs. 2705 01:54:32.430 --> 01:54:35.781 I think the final total was... it-it was closer to 300. 2706 01:54:35.825 --> 01:54:38.567 ♪ 2707 01:54:38.610 --> 01:54:40.047 HARRIS: They rehearsed for... 2708 01:54:40.090 --> 01:54:43.441 I think it was four months or so in-in L.A. 2709 01:54:43.485 --> 01:54:46.488 ♪ Let the monkey drive, we can have our fun... ♪ 2710 01:54:46.531 --> 01:54:48.403 NISTOR: It was like boot camp. 2711 01:54:48.446 --> 01:54:49.578 We start with the first record, right? 2712 01:54:49.621 --> 01:54:52.189 And, well, okay, once you rehearse 2713 01:54:52.233 --> 01:54:54.017 the first record for the day, 2714 01:54:54.061 --> 01:54:55.627 it sounds pretty good, and by the end of the week, 2715 01:54:55.671 --> 01:54:57.629 you feel great about the first record. 2716 01:54:57.673 --> 01:54:58.717 Well, now it's time to start rehearsing the second record. 2717 01:54:58.761 --> 01:55:00.371 Okay, well, here's a new thing. 2718 01:55:00.415 --> 01:55:01.938 It's starting to sound good by the end of the week. 2719 01:55:01.982 --> 01:55:03.722 Well, by the end of week two, 2720 01:55:03.766 --> 01:55:05.420 you've got the second record sounding pretty good 2721 01:55:05.463 --> 01:55:07.378 and you've completely forgotten the first record. 2722 01:55:07.422 --> 01:55:09.424 ♪ Let him take the wheel 2723 01:55:09.467 --> 01:55:11.295 ♪ Neath the setting sun... 2724 01:55:11.339 --> 01:55:13.689 Each day, the-the problem gets compounded 2725 01:55:13.732 --> 01:55:16.866 about retaining everything that you had been rehearsing, 2726 01:55:16.910 --> 01:55:19.564 and it just starts compounding and compounding. 2727 01:55:19.608 --> 01:55:22.263 As you get to album number 18, you go, 2728 01:55:22.306 --> 01:55:25.092 "Does anybody have a clue about Big Beat?" 2729 01:55:25.135 --> 01:55:26.963 ♪ While we have our fun... 2730 01:55:27.007 --> 01:55:29.183 It was a test of short- and long-term memory. 2731 01:55:29.226 --> 01:55:30.706 I wouldn't advise it. 2732 01:55:30.749 --> 01:55:32.969 ♪ Uh-huh. 2733 01:55:33.013 --> 01:55:35.319 ♪ 2734 01:55:35.363 --> 01:55:36.668 ROSS: It was... 2735 01:55:36.712 --> 01:55:38.061 almost foolish. 2736 01:55:39.758 --> 01:55:42.283 And the day after we finished recording the album, 2737 01:55:42.326 --> 01:55:45.155 we started in rehearsing, so it's been four full months 2738 01:55:45.199 --> 01:55:48.071 of, uh... of work to get to this point. 2739 01:55:48.115 --> 01:55:49.943 ♪ Receiving favors for what I am ♪ 2740 01:55:49.986 --> 01:55:53.424 ♪ Seems rather strange, but I understand ♪ 2741 01:55:53.468 --> 01:55:55.035 ♪ 'Cause I am likable... 2742 01:55:55.078 --> 01:55:56.993 BERMAN: The middle of the night, 2743 01:55:57.037 --> 01:55:59.213 and I woke up, I'm thinking, "I have to go see every show." 2744 01:55:59.256 --> 01:56:00.214 It was almost like 2745 01:56:00.257 --> 01:56:01.867 God came to me and said, 2746 01:56:01.911 --> 01:56:03.913 "Tosh, you must see every show." 2747 01:56:03.957 --> 01:56:06.046 ♪ I'm just likable 2748 01:56:06.089 --> 01:56:08.135 ♪ Night and day... 2749 01:56:08.178 --> 01:56:09.397 RHODES: Let's face it, 2750 01:56:09.440 --> 01:56:10.876 you got to be completely crazy 2751 01:56:10.920 --> 01:56:12.661 to do 21 shows in a row 2752 01:56:12.704 --> 01:56:15.620 with a different album every single night. 2753 01:56:15.664 --> 01:56:18.014 It's insane, but it's fantastic. 2754 01:56:18.058 --> 01:56:20.234 Number one! 2755 01:56:20.277 --> 01:56:22.018 Number two. 2756 01:56:22.062 --> 01:56:23.759 Number three. 2757 01:56:23.802 --> 01:56:25.282 ROSS: They treated every single one of their albums 2758 01:56:25.326 --> 01:56:26.805 with the same level of respect 2759 01:56:26.849 --> 01:56:28.459 and the same attention to detail, 2760 01:56:28.503 --> 01:56:30.374 regardless of how well it did 2761 01:56:30.418 --> 01:56:32.028 commercially or critically at the time. 2762 01:56:32.072 --> 01:56:35.031 ♪ I'm just likable night and day... ♪ 2763 01:56:35.075 --> 01:56:37.991 HARRIS: So it went on for a month. 2764 01:56:38.034 --> 01:56:39.731 But it was fun. It was just exhausting. 2765 01:56:39.775 --> 01:56:41.516 I think everyone lost a stone in weight 2766 01:56:41.559 --> 01:56:43.909 in the first week and couldn't eat. 2767 01:56:43.953 --> 01:56:45.781 It was nerve-racking. 2768 01:56:48.218 --> 01:56:49.480 ♪ Ah... 2769 01:56:49.524 --> 01:56:51.091 NISTOR: It was hard. 2770 01:56:51.134 --> 01:56:52.788 Any time I was feeling sorry for myself, 2771 01:56:52.831 --> 01:56:54.050 I would look at Ron doing 2772 01:56:54.094 --> 01:56:55.791 a sliding knee dive across the stage 2773 01:56:55.834 --> 01:56:57.662 and Russell clapping his hands above his head, 2774 01:56:57.706 --> 01:56:59.316 running like a crazy man, 2775 01:56:59.360 --> 01:57:00.622 and I'd just think, "Yeah, I can do this." 2776 01:57:02.232 --> 01:57:05.366 ROSS: I admire their stamina, but I admire 2777 01:57:05.409 --> 01:57:06.889 anyone who went to see 'em 21 nights. 2778 01:57:06.932 --> 01:57:09.283 I admire your stamina more. [laughs] 2779 01:57:09.326 --> 01:57:11.981 ♪ Just so you like me... 2780 01:57:12.025 --> 01:57:13.896 HARRIS: It's just the most ridiculous thing. 2781 01:57:13.939 --> 01:57:16.464 It was preposterous, and it was extraordinary, 2782 01:57:16.507 --> 01:57:17.900 but it was a triumph. 2783 01:57:19.597 --> 01:57:23.036 KAPRANOS: There's often this, uh, terrible fate 2784 01:57:23.079 --> 01:57:27.605 which awaits bands either when they keep going for too long 2785 01:57:27.649 --> 01:57:29.955 or when they re-form. 2786 01:57:29.999 --> 01:57:31.870 And that terrible fate is becoming 2787 01:57:31.914 --> 01:57:34.438 a tribute to the band that you once were. 2788 01:57:35.570 --> 01:57:37.137 DJ LANCE ROCK: They could rest on their laurels 2789 01:57:37.180 --> 01:57:38.703 and just come out and just do some sort of, like, 2790 01:57:38.747 --> 01:57:40.531 "Now we're gonna do a greatest hits show," 2791 01:57:40.575 --> 01:57:42.968 but no, they're challenging themselves and their audience 2792 01:57:43.012 --> 01:57:45.319 and they're doing, like, you know, radio opera. 2793 01:57:45.362 --> 01:57:48.887 ♪ Bergman, Bergman 2794 01:57:48.931 --> 01:57:51.020 ♪ Bergman, Bergman... 2795 01:57:51.064 --> 01:57:53.544 HARRIS: Ron and Russell came up with the idea 2796 01:57:53.588 --> 01:57:55.807 of Ingmar Bergman, the film director-- 2797 01:57:55.851 --> 01:57:57.766 what if he had been lured to Hollywood 2798 01:57:57.809 --> 01:57:59.202 with the promise 2799 01:57:59.246 --> 01:58:00.943 of big budgets and big bosoms? 2800 01:58:00.986 --> 01:58:04.729 And it was played on Swedish national radio. 2801 01:58:04.773 --> 01:58:08.342 After that, they performed it at the L.A. Film Festival 2802 01:58:08.385 --> 01:58:11.432 and, you know, got a really good reaction. 2803 01:58:11.475 --> 01:58:14.826 KAPRANOS: They've always had the desire to push on 2804 01:58:14.870 --> 01:58:16.915 and create something new, and I think that's 2805 01:58:16.959 --> 01:58:20.005 probably what appealed to... to them about the FFS project. 2806 01:58:22.878 --> 01:58:24.271 [Russell snickering] 2807 01:58:24.314 --> 01:58:26.142 -For fuck's sake. -[laughter] 2808 01:58:26.186 --> 01:58:28.318 RUSSELL: We had met the guys in Franz Ferdinand 2809 01:58:28.362 --> 01:58:31.713 12 or 13 years ago in Los Angeles. 2810 01:58:31.756 --> 01:58:34.803 We had, you know, like bands tend to do, they say, 2811 01:58:34.846 --> 01:58:37.980 "Hey, we should try to do something together sometime." 2812 01:58:38.023 --> 01:58:41.462 ♪ I'm just a little guy from the suburbs... ♪ 2813 01:58:41.505 --> 01:58:43.246 Ten years later, 2814 01:58:43.290 --> 01:58:45.118 we're walking in the morning, just taking a little stroll 2815 01:58:45.161 --> 01:58:46.815 in downtown San Francisco, 2816 01:58:46.858 --> 01:58:48.947 and we see this guy walking by, and we go, 2817 01:58:48.991 --> 01:58:52.125 "That looks like Alex Kapranos. Hey, it is Alex Kapranos." 2818 01:58:52.168 --> 01:58:53.822 So we say, "Hey, Alex." 2819 01:58:53.865 --> 01:58:55.345 He goes, "Hey, Sparks guys." 2820 01:58:55.389 --> 01:58:56.955 He was on his way to the dentist. 2821 01:58:56.999 --> 01:58:59.393 He had chipped one of his teeth. 2822 01:58:59.436 --> 01:59:01.786 So we said, "Remember we were gonna do a project together?" 2823 01:59:01.830 --> 01:59:04.049 He said, "Yeah, we got to do that." 2824 01:59:04.093 --> 01:59:05.964 So we talked about, "Well, let's just try 2825 01:59:06.008 --> 01:59:07.966 one song together, see what happens." 2826 01:59:08.010 --> 01:59:12.101 KAPRANOS: In Ron's typically perverse way... [laughs] 2827 01:59:12.145 --> 01:59:13.494 he sent over 2828 01:59:13.537 --> 01:59:15.757 "Collaborations Don't Work." 2829 01:59:15.800 --> 01:59:18.238 ♪ Collaborations don't work 2830 01:59:18.281 --> 01:59:19.935 ♪ They don't work 2831 01:59:19.978 --> 01:59:21.893 ♪ They don't work... 2832 01:59:21.937 --> 01:59:23.939 And it was so obviously a test. It was like, 2833 01:59:23.982 --> 01:59:25.810 "All right, you think you can collaborate, do you?" 2834 01:59:25.854 --> 01:59:28.726 ♪ Collaborations don't work 2835 01:59:28.770 --> 01:59:31.207 ♪ They don't work, they don't work... ♪ 2836 01:59:31.251 --> 01:59:33.383 RON: We opened up the door for, uh, 2837 01:59:33.427 --> 01:59:34.863 any return ammunition 2838 01:59:34.906 --> 01:59:36.125 coming our way. 2839 01:59:36.169 --> 01:59:39.563 ♪ I ain't no collaborator... 2840 01:59:39.607 --> 01:59:41.174 CONGLETON: As a response to that, 2841 01:59:41.217 --> 01:59:43.654 Alex sent kind of a country groove. 2842 01:59:43.698 --> 01:59:44.873 So this song was 2843 01:59:44.916 --> 01:59:47.571 literally a strange little argument 2844 01:59:47.615 --> 01:59:49.617 that they were doing online. 2845 01:59:49.660 --> 01:59:51.662 ♪ I ain't no collaborator... 2846 01:59:51.706 --> 01:59:53.447 We sent it over to Ron, and then suddenly, 2847 01:59:53.490 --> 01:59:56.450 it came back with Russell singing on top of it 2848 01:59:56.493 --> 01:59:58.452 and these new melodies. We got this great buzz. 2849 01:59:58.495 --> 02:00:00.845 It was like, "Oh, God, this is fantastic." 2850 02:00:00.889 --> 02:00:02.543 Everybody was tentatively kind of going like, 2851 02:00:02.586 --> 02:00:04.675 "You know, this sounds like it could almost be... 2852 02:00:04.719 --> 02:00:06.329 [whispers]: like, an album, maybe." 2853 02:00:06.373 --> 02:00:07.983 [laughs] 2854 02:00:08.026 --> 02:00:09.419 ♪ I ain't no collaborator... 2855 02:00:09.463 --> 02:00:11.160 AUKERMAN: One day, I pull up Pitchfork, 2856 02:00:11.204 --> 02:00:13.118 and I read that Franz Ferdinand 2857 02:00:13.162 --> 02:00:17.079 has made an entire record with Sparks. 2858 02:00:17.122 --> 02:00:19.386 And it was just like, "What?" 2859 02:00:19.429 --> 02:00:22.345 It made me say, "Yeah, Sparks is back. 2860 02:00:22.389 --> 02:00:24.304 "Okay, yeah, let me pay attention 2861 02:00:24.347 --> 02:00:26.741 to what they've been doing over the past ten years." 2862 02:00:31.789 --> 02:00:34.183 RUSSELL: "Johnny Delusional" became the first single. 2863 02:00:34.227 --> 02:00:36.316 One of my favorite lines-- it's kind of one of 2864 02:00:36.359 --> 02:00:40.320 the saddest lines, I think, in a, uh, Sparks song is: 2865 02:00:40.363 --> 02:00:41.756 "I'm borderline attractive 2866 02:00:41.799 --> 02:00:43.888 from afar." 2867 02:00:43.932 --> 02:00:46.456 And that-that line, to me, is really, uh, touching. 2868 02:00:46.500 --> 02:00:50.678 ♪ Some might find me borderline attractive from afar... ♪ 2869 02:00:50.721 --> 02:00:52.549 CONGLETON: "Some might find me 2870 02:00:52.593 --> 02:00:55.291 "borderline attractive from afar, 2871 02:00:55.335 --> 02:00:57.598 but afar is not where I can stay, and there you are." 2872 02:00:57.641 --> 02:00:59.252 It's beautiful. I mean, that's hilarious, 2873 02:00:59.295 --> 02:01:01.210 but it's also really beautiful. 2874 02:01:01.254 --> 02:01:03.256 ♪ Though I want you 2875 02:01:04.518 --> 02:01:07.608 ♪ I know I haven't a chance... ♪ 2876 02:01:07.651 --> 02:01:10.045 There's a real melancholic vulnerability about it. 2877 02:01:10.088 --> 02:01:13.527 CONGLETON: It's very sad, but it sounds celebratory. 2878 02:01:13.570 --> 02:01:14.528 It's, like, this meditation 2879 02:01:14.571 --> 02:01:15.964 on loneliness. 2880 02:01:16.007 --> 02:01:18.967 ♪ Paging Mr. Delusional... 2881 02:01:19.010 --> 02:01:21.056 KAPRANOS: I often feel, with Ron's lyricism, 2882 02:01:21.099 --> 02:01:22.840 that he's metaphorically, 2883 02:01:22.884 --> 02:01:24.494 like, slicing his chest open 2884 02:01:24.538 --> 02:01:26.583 and kind of going like, "Here's my heart." 2885 02:01:26.627 --> 02:01:28.933 ♪ You're wanted at the front desk ♪ 2886 02:01:28.977 --> 02:01:30.370 "Here's my heart. 2887 02:01:30.413 --> 02:01:31.893 Has nobody noticed?" 2888 02:01:31.936 --> 02:01:34.243 ♪ Wouldn't it be terrible 2889 02:01:34.287 --> 02:01:37.202 ♪ If there's no music there? 2890 02:01:37.246 --> 02:01:40.728 HARRIS: TheFFS album, it-it introduced them to a crowd 2891 02:01:40.771 --> 02:01:42.686 that maybe hadn't been aware of them before. 2892 02:01:42.730 --> 02:01:45.123 We particularly noticed it in Latin America 2893 02:01:45.167 --> 02:01:47.822 where Franz Ferdinand, uh, were very popular there. 2894 02:01:47.865 --> 02:01:50.651 ♪ Wouldn't it be terrible if there's no music there? ♪ 2895 02:01:50.694 --> 02:01:52.783 RUSSELL: A lot of those people, 2896 02:01:52.827 --> 02:01:54.742 they've become Sparks fans and really 2897 02:01:54.785 --> 02:01:56.613 kind of hard-core Sparks fans, 2898 02:01:56.657 --> 02:01:59.877 and they had been introduced via theFFS album. 2899 02:01:59.921 --> 02:02:02.402 ♪ Though I want you... 2900 02:02:02.445 --> 02:02:04.142 INTERVIEWER: Been watching you play live. 2901 02:02:04.186 --> 02:02:05.840 It seems to be more 2902 02:02:05.883 --> 02:02:07.624 of a kind of enjoyment thing. It just seems to be fun. 2903 02:02:07.668 --> 02:02:08.669 Oh, we're faking it. 2904 02:02:08.712 --> 02:02:10.323 [laughter] 2905 02:02:10.366 --> 02:02:12.629 ♪ Johnny Delusional here... 2906 02:02:12.673 --> 02:02:14.283 Does Franz Ferdinand know how lucky they are 2907 02:02:14.327 --> 02:02:15.937 that that happened? 2908 02:02:15.980 --> 02:02:18.635 I hope that they were grateful and psyched. 2909 02:02:18.679 --> 02:02:20.550 CONGLETON: That's their most exciting record they've done 2910 02:02:20.594 --> 02:02:23.248 in quite some time, and I really think they learned a lot 2911 02:02:23.292 --> 02:02:24.815 from working with these 2912 02:02:24.859 --> 02:02:27.688 elder statesmans of-of pop, you know? 2913 02:02:29.646 --> 02:02:32.954 [playing "What the Hell Is It This Time?"] 2914 02:02:32.997 --> 02:02:34.825 Hello. 2915 02:02:37.262 --> 02:02:40.744 ♪ Historically, historically, we make an appeal ♪ 2916 02:02:40.788 --> 02:02:43.399 ♪ To something greater than we are ♪ 2917 02:02:43.443 --> 02:02:45.358 ♪ When we need to heal... 2918 02:02:45.401 --> 02:02:47.098 HARRIS: Doing the FFS project, 2919 02:02:47.142 --> 02:02:49.753 they fell in love again with the pop song, 2920 02:02:49.797 --> 02:02:50.928 and because of that love for the pop song, 2921 02:02:50.972 --> 02:02:52.843 Hippopotamus was born. 2922 02:02:52.887 --> 02:02:57.108 ♪ What the hell is it this time? ♪ 2923 02:02:57.152 --> 02:02:58.719 WINWOOD: Listening toHippopotamus took me 2924 02:02:58.762 --> 02:03:01.504 straightaway back toKimono My House. 2925 02:03:01.548 --> 02:03:03.288 The energy of that album 2926 02:03:03.332 --> 02:03:04.725 is just great. 2927 02:03:04.768 --> 02:03:06.422 MANKEY: When I put the headphones on 2928 02:03:06.466 --> 02:03:08.685 and listened to it for the first time, I thought, 2929 02:03:08.729 --> 02:03:11.427 "Holy cow. This is like when we were back 2930 02:03:11.471 --> 02:03:13.821 at Ron and Russ's mom's house, you know?" 2931 02:03:13.864 --> 02:03:15.039 I loved that. 2932 02:03:16.737 --> 02:03:19.130 HARRIS: The reviews were incredible. 2933 02:03:19.174 --> 02:03:21.306 It was near four- and five-star reviews across the board. 2934 02:03:21.350 --> 02:03:22.743 It was, um, included in 2935 02:03:22.786 --> 02:03:24.179 the "album of the year" lists, 2936 02:03:24.222 --> 02:03:26.007 you know, worldwide. 2937 02:03:26.050 --> 02:03:30.054 And the fact that Sparks have had a top-ten record 2938 02:03:30.098 --> 02:03:34.232 is because they're not trying to be 2939 02:03:34.276 --> 02:03:36.496 what other people want them to be. 2940 02:03:36.539 --> 02:03:39.281 RUSSELL [a cappella]: ♪ I wish you were fun 2941 02:03:39.324 --> 02:03:42.371 ♪ I wish you were fun in every way ♪ 2942 02:03:42.415 --> 02:03:44.939 ♪ I wish you were fun 2943 02:03:44.982 --> 02:03:48.203 ♪ To brighten the dark, cold winter day ♪ 2944 02:03:48.246 --> 02:03:52.990 ♪ In every other way I find you amazing but one ♪ 2945 02:03:53.034 --> 02:03:58.082 ♪ I wish you were fun, I wish you were fun ♪ 2946 02:03:58.126 --> 02:04:00.345 ♪ La-la-la... Everybody. 2947 02:04:00.389 --> 02:04:01.869 -♪ La-la-la-la-la... -[music joins in] 2948 02:04:01.912 --> 02:04:03.348 STEWART: Here they are, 2949 02:04:03.392 --> 02:04:05.263 playing to some of the largest crowds 2950 02:04:05.307 --> 02:04:06.743 in the last ten years 2951 02:04:06.787 --> 02:04:08.528 and playing to crowds that weren't around 2952 02:04:08.571 --> 02:04:11.444 for the first, second and often the third phase. 2953 02:04:13.010 --> 02:04:15.796 RUSSELL: The only part that... that the public sees 2954 02:04:15.839 --> 02:04:18.755 is that 90 minutes onstage, 2955 02:04:18.799 --> 02:04:20.931 and they don't see all the other stuff. 2956 02:04:20.975 --> 02:04:24.282 They don't see, uh, security opening up our suitcases 2957 02:04:24.326 --> 02:04:26.197 and having the guy, uh, you know, 2958 02:04:26.241 --> 02:04:27.982 taking out all your stuff 2959 02:04:28.025 --> 02:04:30.288 day after day after day after day at the airport. 2960 02:04:30.332 --> 02:04:33.117 And, uh, they don't see the jet lag 2961 02:04:33.161 --> 02:04:35.293 that I currently have right now. 2962 02:04:35.337 --> 02:04:38.645 Uh, but obviously, we're doing all this 2963 02:04:38.688 --> 02:04:41.735 'cause we really are passionate about our music. 2964 02:04:41.778 --> 02:04:45.303 It definitely outweighs all of the downside. 2965 02:04:45.347 --> 02:04:46.914 "Viva México, cabrones." 2966 02:04:46.957 --> 02:04:48.916 -Okay. -Viva México... 2967 02:04:48.959 --> 02:04:50.265 -"Cabrones." -"Cabrones." 2968 02:04:50.308 --> 02:04:52.397 -Cabrones. -Yeah! 2969 02:04:58.752 --> 02:05:01.015 Viva México, cabrones. 2970 02:05:01.058 --> 02:05:02.973 [cheering] 2971 02:05:03.017 --> 02:05:04.322 ♪ La-la-la-la-la♪ 2972 02:05:04.366 --> 02:05:06.542 ♪ I wish you were fun 2973 02:05:06.586 --> 02:05:08.805 ♪ Fun in every way 2974 02:05:08.849 --> 02:05:10.764 ♪ La-la-la-la-la♪ 2975 02:05:10.807 --> 02:05:12.766 ♪ I wish you were fun 2976 02:05:12.809 --> 02:05:15.377 ♪ Have some chardonnay 2977 02:05:15.420 --> 02:05:20.034 ♪ In every other way I find you amazing but one ♪ 2978 02:05:20.077 --> 02:05:21.862 ♪ I wish you were fun 2979 02:05:22.819 --> 02:05:25.082 ♪ I wish you were fun. 2980 02:05:26.170 --> 02:05:28.129 Okay, I'm tired. 2981 02:05:28.172 --> 02:05:29.565 I'm going to go to sleep. 2982 02:05:29.609 --> 02:05:31.175 Good night. 2983 02:05:31.219 --> 02:05:33.177 ♪ La-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la♪ 2984 02:05:33.221 --> 02:05:35.571 ♪ I'm pushin' on my lawn mower... ♪ 2985 02:05:35.615 --> 02:05:37.660 SCHWARTZMAN: The way they live their life 2986 02:05:37.704 --> 02:05:41.272 is just in service of the music. 2987 02:05:41.316 --> 02:05:43.100 ♪ The mornin', it's my lawn mower... ♪ 2988 02:05:43.144 --> 02:05:45.102 RON: I kind of have to force myself to take this walk 2989 02:05:45.146 --> 02:05:47.278 'cause I've been doing it 2990 02:05:47.322 --> 02:05:49.585 for about 20 years at this same park, and if... 2991 02:05:49.629 --> 02:05:52.806 I know, if I kind of put it off for one day, 2992 02:05:52.849 --> 02:05:55.417 that it's all over and I'll just be 2993 02:05:55.460 --> 02:05:57.593 laying in bed extra long in the mornings. 2994 02:05:57.637 --> 02:06:01.641 ♪ The neighbors look in awe at my lawn mower... ♪ 2995 02:06:01.684 --> 02:06:04.469 PUCKRIK: They love ritual. 2996 02:06:04.513 --> 02:06:06.080 They love repetition. 2997 02:06:06.123 --> 02:06:08.865 I mean, you can hear their love of repetition 2998 02:06:08.909 --> 02:06:10.432 in their music. 2999 02:06:10.475 --> 02:06:12.913 You know, they have a hook, they have a phrase 3000 02:06:12.956 --> 02:06:15.872 that's repeated over and over and over again. 3001 02:06:15.916 --> 02:06:19.659 And in their life, even the way their day is structured-- 3002 02:06:19.702 --> 02:06:23.706 you know, wake up, work out, go to the studio, 3003 02:06:23.750 --> 02:06:26.143 have your 4:00 p.m. coffee break, 3004 02:06:26.187 --> 02:06:29.407 go back to the studio, you know, power down. 3005 02:06:31.235 --> 02:06:32.715 SCHWARTZMAN: They are rock stars 3006 02:06:32.759 --> 02:06:34.238 that go to breakfast at the same place 3007 02:06:34.282 --> 02:06:35.413 and get the same thing in the morning, 3008 02:06:35.457 --> 02:06:36.893 and then go work at... 3009 02:06:36.937 --> 02:06:38.503 You know, they just... they figured out 3010 02:06:38.547 --> 02:06:40.984 what works for them and how to do it. 3011 02:06:41.028 --> 02:06:43.552 I come here religiously every morning 3012 02:06:43.596 --> 02:06:46.076 to get a little peace and quiet, 3013 02:06:46.120 --> 02:06:49.427 just to be by myself before we start working. 3014 02:06:49.471 --> 02:06:52.430 And even once a week, Ron comes here. 3015 02:06:55.346 --> 02:06:58.262 [quiet chatter] 3016 02:06:59.960 --> 02:07:02.179 HAYDON: They just keep going up musically 3017 02:07:02.223 --> 02:07:03.833 with what they're writing. 3018 02:07:03.877 --> 02:07:06.836 They keep finding new ways to tell their stories. 3019 02:07:08.403 --> 02:07:11.145 HARRIS: Ron and Russell were in Cannes 3020 02:07:11.188 --> 02:07:13.843 and met the French film director Leos Carax. 3021 02:07:13.887 --> 02:07:15.236 They got chatting, 3022 02:07:15.279 --> 02:07:17.151 and they were talking to him about 3023 02:07:17.194 --> 02:07:20.110 their screenplay calledAnnette. 3024 02:07:20.154 --> 02:07:22.591 We got along really well, and when we came back to L.A. 3025 02:07:22.635 --> 02:07:24.375 after Cannes, we said, 3026 02:07:24.419 --> 02:07:26.682 "Let's send Leos this project, Annette." 3027 02:07:26.726 --> 02:07:29.163 And then he said, uh, "God, I really like this. 3028 02:07:29.206 --> 02:07:31.252 Let me think about it a little bit more." 3029 02:07:31.295 --> 02:07:32.993 And he did, and he got back to us, and he said, 3030 02:07:33.036 --> 02:07:35.299 "You know, I'd really like to direct this." 3031 02:07:35.343 --> 02:07:37.388 We thought, "Oh, this is amazing," but then we were also 3032 02:07:37.432 --> 02:07:40.087 thinking about our Tim Burton experience 3033 02:07:40.130 --> 02:07:42.306 and our Jacques Tati experience and going, 3034 02:07:42.350 --> 02:07:44.091 "Please, dear God, we don't want 3035 02:07:44.134 --> 02:07:45.527 to have one more of those." 3036 02:07:45.570 --> 02:07:46.833 -Did you get it? -That's a film project. 3037 02:07:46.876 --> 02:07:48.312 HARRIS: Historically, 3038 02:07:48.356 --> 02:07:50.619 they've, you know, nearly had films made on, 3039 02:07:50.663 --> 02:07:51.968 you know, more than one occasion, 3040 02:07:52.012 --> 02:07:54.362 and you feel that now is the time, 3041 02:07:54.405 --> 02:07:56.320 and it will be amazing for them to be able 3042 02:07:56.364 --> 02:07:58.540 to see their work on a big screen. 3043 02:07:58.583 --> 02:08:00.150 Oh, hello. 3044 02:08:00.194 --> 02:08:02.413 Welcome to the set. 3045 02:08:02.457 --> 02:08:05.982 RUSSELL: After several attempts to get a movie off the ground, 3046 02:08:06.026 --> 02:08:08.506 Annette has finally been the one 3047 02:08:08.550 --> 02:08:10.900 film project that's sticking, 3048 02:08:10.944 --> 02:08:14.730 and it's being shot here in swinging Brussels, Belgium. 3049 02:08:14.774 --> 02:08:18.691 RON: To get a movie made is a miracle. 3050 02:08:18.734 --> 02:08:21.084 We obviously feel good about the film, 3051 02:08:21.128 --> 02:08:25.567 but we also feel good in a really personal kind of way-- 3052 02:08:25.610 --> 02:08:28.178 this proves that we were right all along. 3053 02:08:28.222 --> 02:08:30.920 So, uh... so there. 3054 02:08:30.964 --> 02:08:33.140 Or voilà. 3055 02:08:34.619 --> 02:08:36.404 SCHWARTZMAN: When you get a Sparks album, I feel like 3056 02:08:36.447 --> 02:08:38.536 that's where they are, this is what they're into, 3057 02:08:38.580 --> 02:08:40.364 and they're not gonna be here for long. 3058 02:08:40.408 --> 02:08:42.149 Do you know what I mean? Like, I feel like by the time 3059 02:08:42.192 --> 02:08:43.324 you get the album, they're already 3060 02:08:43.367 --> 02:08:44.760 on to something else. 3061 02:08:46.806 --> 02:08:49.896 RON: Sparks have a certain sensibility that we've had 3062 02:08:49.939 --> 02:08:51.549 through all of our albums, 3063 02:08:51.593 --> 02:08:54.422 whatever the shift in styles through time 3064 02:08:54.465 --> 02:08:57.207 or different producers or different countries. 3065 02:08:57.251 --> 02:09:01.168 It's kind of something that we really can't change. 3066 02:09:01.211 --> 02:09:03.997 ♪ And all the holy places... 3067 02:09:04.040 --> 02:09:06.260 RUSSELL: From the beginning of rock music 3068 02:09:06.303 --> 02:09:07.783 when, uh,Blackboard Jungle-- 3069 02:09:07.827 --> 02:09:10.264 for them to go and start ripping up, 3070 02:09:10.307 --> 02:09:12.657 uh, movie theater seats-- 3071 02:09:12.701 --> 02:09:14.442 that, to us, is like the essence 3072 02:09:14.485 --> 02:09:16.749 and the spirit of what music can be. 3073 02:09:16.792 --> 02:09:18.794 And I think that those sorts of things 3074 02:09:18.838 --> 02:09:20.753 have always been maybe in the back of our minds. 3075 02:09:20.796 --> 02:09:22.929 We don't sit down and say, "What can we do 3076 02:09:22.972 --> 02:09:25.409 to be provocative or rebellious?" 3077 02:09:25.453 --> 02:09:27.890 But I think, just by our nature, 3078 02:09:27.934 --> 02:09:30.066 that's just inherent in what we do. 3079 02:09:30.110 --> 02:09:32.677 ♪ All that we've done 3080 02:09:32.721 --> 02:09:36.072 ♪ We've lost, we've won 3081 02:09:36.116 --> 02:09:39.467 ♪ All that, all that and more... ♪ 3082 02:09:41.382 --> 02:09:42.775 PALLADINO: I think their creative process has sustained 3083 02:09:42.818 --> 02:09:44.298 their friendship and brotherliness, 3084 02:09:44.341 --> 02:09:46.866 and I think being brothers has also sustained 3085 02:09:46.909 --> 02:09:48.476 their creativity over the years. 3086 02:09:48.519 --> 02:09:49.520 It's-it's unusual, 3087 02:09:49.564 --> 02:09:51.044 but they like each other 3088 02:09:51.087 --> 02:09:52.523 and they respect each other. 3089 02:09:52.567 --> 02:09:54.177 [cheering] 3090 02:09:54.221 --> 02:09:55.918 HARRIS: They are... first and foremost, 3091 02:09:55.962 --> 02:09:58.834 they're-they're gentlemen, and they are, 3092 02:09:58.878 --> 02:10:00.749 you know... they're polite and they're considerate, 3093 02:10:00.793 --> 02:10:05.275 extraordinarily creative, you know, and they're funny. 3094 02:10:05.319 --> 02:10:06.973 -Oh, did I not push the button? -Yeah. 3095 02:10:07.016 --> 02:10:09.018 [laughs] You got to push the button. 3096 02:10:09.062 --> 02:10:12.674 RON: We're able to work kind of without a lot of conversation. 3097 02:10:12.717 --> 02:10:14.763 The quieter it is, the better it is, 3098 02:10:14.807 --> 02:10:17.113 because we know we're kind of onto something 3099 02:10:17.157 --> 02:10:19.724 and we can communicate with each other 3100 02:10:19.768 --> 02:10:22.510 in-in kind of nonverbal ways 3101 02:10:22.553 --> 02:10:25.208 just by having worked together for so long. 3102 02:10:25.252 --> 02:10:26.862 DES BARRES: It's some kind of magical 3103 02:10:26.906 --> 02:10:31.562 combination of brother blood and, I don't know, 3104 02:10:31.606 --> 02:10:34.087 cosmic interference, 3105 02:10:34.130 --> 02:10:36.567 but I have loved them for all these years, 3106 02:10:36.611 --> 02:10:38.352 and I'm really proud of it. 3107 02:10:38.395 --> 02:10:41.703 ♪ All that we've done 3108 02:10:41.746 --> 02:10:43.879 ♪ We've lost, we've won... 3109 02:10:43.923 --> 02:10:46.882 RUSSELL: I can't imagine having done a career as a solo artist 3110 02:10:46.926 --> 02:10:50.407 'cause I just think the two of us are sort of inseparable 3111 02:10:50.451 --> 02:10:53.323 when it comes to our passion for music. 3112 02:10:53.367 --> 02:10:56.587 I think his songs and my singing 3113 02:10:56.631 --> 02:10:58.894 are one and the same. 3114 02:10:58.938 --> 02:11:01.723 RON: I have that security when I'm working with Russell. 3115 02:11:01.766 --> 02:11:04.639 If I were to work with myself, 3116 02:11:04.682 --> 02:11:08.686 I-I feel, you know, really, really nervous. 3117 02:11:08.730 --> 02:11:11.124 It would put me in a position 3118 02:11:11.167 --> 02:11:14.823 where I-I just wouldn't be able to-to take... take it. 3119 02:11:14.867 --> 02:11:17.913 EVAN WEISS: To me, they've been such an example of how to age 3120 02:11:17.957 --> 02:11:20.829 in this business with grace and dignity 3121 02:11:20.873 --> 02:11:22.962 and treat your band and your crew, uh, kindly. 3122 02:11:23.005 --> 02:11:25.878 And not to reduce it to such crude terms, 3123 02:11:25.921 --> 02:11:27.009 but they're just cool as fuck. 3124 02:11:27.053 --> 02:11:28.358 [laughing]: Yeah. 3125 02:11:28.402 --> 02:11:29.794 RUSSELL: Now that Ron isn't around, 3126 02:11:29.838 --> 02:11:31.971 I can finally tell the real story. 3127 02:11:32.014 --> 02:11:33.363 Uh, all of the songs are mine. 3128 02:11:33.407 --> 02:11:36.845 All 840 songs written by me, 3129 02:11:36.889 --> 02:11:38.847 sung by me, performed by me. 3130 02:11:38.891 --> 02:11:43.330 So, uh, anyway, I just thought it should come out now. 3131 02:11:45.245 --> 02:11:47.682 [whispers]: Just between you and me... 3132 02:11:49.075 --> 02:11:50.990 Sparks. 3133 02:11:51.033 --> 02:11:52.861 He's just a singer. 3134 02:11:53.993 --> 02:11:56.778 [playing "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'"] 3135 02:12:01.652 --> 02:12:04.960 ♪ No, no use in lecturing them... ♪ 3136 02:12:05.004 --> 02:12:07.876 RUNDGREN: There's some comfort in the fact that 3137 02:12:07.920 --> 02:12:10.444 something this weird can survive 3138 02:12:10.487 --> 02:12:13.838 that long without being corrupted ultimately 3139 02:12:13.882 --> 02:12:15.275 into something less weird. 3140 02:12:15.318 --> 02:12:17.146 ♪ The plot is predictable... 3141 02:12:17.190 --> 02:12:18.756 I wouldn't really have seen how they could've gotten any better, 3142 02:12:18.800 --> 02:12:20.149 'cause they were kind of unique, 3143 02:12:20.193 --> 02:12:22.151 but they're doing something right. 3144 02:12:22.195 --> 02:12:24.893 Nobody stays around that long if they're making mistakes. 3145 02:12:24.937 --> 02:12:26.590 ♪ No, no use in... 3146 02:12:26.634 --> 02:12:28.636 FLEA: If they had been a band that just, 3147 02:12:28.679 --> 02:12:30.855 like, went and tried to make hits that were sort of, like, 3148 02:12:30.899 --> 02:12:34.685 inorganic, outside of their real natural inclinations, 3149 02:12:34.729 --> 02:12:37.123 they would've broken up by 1977. 3150 02:12:37.166 --> 02:12:38.994 ♪ It's hard to be vain... 3151 02:12:39.038 --> 02:12:40.865 ANTONOFF: Some of the greatest artists in the world 3152 02:12:40.909 --> 02:12:42.519 just sort of had a period. 3153 02:12:42.563 --> 02:12:43.999 Sparks is way more prolific than 3154 02:12:44.043 --> 02:12:45.958 all of the artists we consider to be 3155 02:12:46.001 --> 02:12:48.308 the greatest in the world, so it's overwhelming. 3156 02:12:48.351 --> 02:12:52.007 ♪ So when do I get to sing "My Way"? ♪ 3157 02:12:52.051 --> 02:12:56.620 ♪ When do I get to feel like Sinatra felt? ♪ 3158 02:12:56.664 --> 02:13:00.015 ♪ When do I get to sing "My Way"? ♪ 3159 02:13:00.059 --> 02:13:02.235 ♪ In heaven or hell... 3160 02:13:02.278 --> 02:13:04.150 RUSSELL: You can knock us for not 3161 02:13:04.193 --> 02:13:06.717 having sold two trillion records, 3162 02:13:06.761 --> 02:13:10.939 but staying true to our vision and being consistent 3163 02:13:10.983 --> 02:13:13.289 for this long a period of time, I think that that's 3164 02:13:13.333 --> 02:13:15.639 the measure of success. 3165 02:13:15.683 --> 02:13:17.990 ♪ In heaven or hell... 3166 02:13:19.904 --> 02:13:22.037 JONES: I don't think they could be really massive. 3167 02:13:22.081 --> 02:13:23.604 They're too weird. 3168 02:13:23.647 --> 02:13:26.215 Which is great. Who wants to be really popular? 3169 02:13:26.259 --> 02:13:28.565 You know, you just want to do your art 3170 02:13:28.609 --> 02:13:31.046 and love what you're doing and be happy with that. 3171 02:13:31.090 --> 02:13:33.396 [cheering and applause] 3172 02:13:35.877 --> 02:13:37.966 It's been an amazing evening for us. 3173 02:13:38.010 --> 02:13:39.272 Thank you very much. 3174 02:13:39.315 --> 02:13:40.925 RON: We're deeply appreciative. 3175 02:13:40.969 --> 02:13:43.406 We don't... we don't take any of this for granted, 3176 02:13:43.450 --> 02:13:46.366 and, uh, we'll be back soon. 3177 02:13:46.409 --> 02:13:48.368 [cheering] 3178 02:13:48.411 --> 02:13:49.978 Thank you. 3179 02:13:50.022 --> 02:13:51.675 RON: A lot of times, people are trying 3180 02:13:51.719 --> 02:13:53.808 to find the key to Sparks somehow, 3181 02:13:53.851 --> 02:13:55.897 and I think that really it's out in the open 3182 02:13:55.940 --> 02:13:59.031 with what we're doing lyrically and musically. 3183 02:14:00.119 --> 02:14:02.382 RUSSELL: Being Russell and being Ron 3184 02:14:02.425 --> 02:14:04.775 and being Sparks, it's kind of one and the same. 3185 02:14:05.776 --> 02:14:07.735 RON: That is what we are. 3186 02:14:07.778 --> 02:14:11.521 There isn't some thing behind the curtain. 3187 02:14:11.565 --> 02:14:13.393 SHERMAN-PALLADINO: The mystique and that whole thing 3188 02:14:13.436 --> 02:14:17.092 is part of what makes them cool no matter what. 3189 02:14:17.136 --> 02:14:18.746 They don't owe us anything. 3190 02:14:18.789 --> 02:14:20.356 They-they give us the music. 3191 02:14:20.400 --> 02:14:22.228 That's... We... That's all we need. 3192 02:14:22.271 --> 02:14:24.056 BOHEM: It is symbiotic. 3193 02:14:24.099 --> 02:14:25.666 It's like the two of them make up 3194 02:14:25.709 --> 02:14:27.276 this whole that is Sparks. 3195 02:14:27.320 --> 02:14:28.886 You know, those of us who've been lucky enough 3196 02:14:28.930 --> 02:14:30.627 to come and go in that, like, it-it... 3197 02:14:30.671 --> 02:14:32.803 it's an amazing and very cool thing to be around. 3198 02:14:32.847 --> 02:14:35.110 ♪ 3199 02:14:35.154 --> 02:14:37.156 STEWART: I don't feel a kind of ownership with them. 3200 02:14:37.199 --> 02:14:40.594 I think it's really important when people come along 3201 02:14:40.637 --> 02:14:43.205 20 or 40 years later, you don't say, 3202 02:14:43.249 --> 02:14:45.642 "Oh, I was there all along, and where were you?" 3203 02:14:45.686 --> 02:14:48.993 You say, "Welcome aboard, and here's more." 3204 02:14:50.169 --> 02:14:51.909 WRIGHT: There's something to be said for the fact 3205 02:14:51.953 --> 02:14:53.389 that sleeper success 3206 02:14:53.433 --> 02:14:55.304 will keep people talking about them 3207 02:14:55.348 --> 02:14:57.915 a lot longer than artists that are a lot more popular. 3208 02:14:59.178 --> 02:15:00.788 I think the fact that they've always kept hungry 3209 02:15:00.831 --> 02:15:02.920 and consistently pushed the envelope 3210 02:15:02.964 --> 02:15:05.358 is exactly why I wanted to make this film. 3211 02:15:06.750 --> 02:15:08.404 OSWALT: Their songs are worlds 3212 02:15:08.448 --> 02:15:10.841 that you really need to delve into, 3213 02:15:10.885 --> 02:15:13.583 but once you delve into 'em, the rewards are incredible. 3214 02:15:15.324 --> 02:15:18.284 JONES: I wish I had that drive or that commitment. 3215 02:15:18.327 --> 02:15:20.590 I'm just like, "Ah, fuck it. I can't be bothered." 3216 02:15:21.635 --> 02:15:23.376 FLEA: Some bands will give you an outfit to wear, 3217 02:15:23.419 --> 02:15:25.769 and some bands will give you a sewing machine 3218 02:15:25.813 --> 02:15:27.858 and some needle and some thread 3219 02:15:27.902 --> 02:15:29.817 and let you make what you want but inspire you 3220 02:15:29.860 --> 02:15:31.471 and give you the energy to make stuff. 3221 02:15:31.514 --> 02:15:33.690 And that's the kind of band that Sparks is to me. 3222 02:15:35.214 --> 02:15:38.130 BECK: There's several kind of archetypes of bands. 3223 02:15:38.173 --> 02:15:40.436 There's the bands who are wildly popular 3224 02:15:40.480 --> 02:15:43.309 in their day and adulation, 3225 02:15:43.352 --> 02:15:46.268 and then there's bands that sow all these seeds 3226 02:15:46.312 --> 02:15:50.838 and foment all these ideas that grow up in other places. 3227 02:15:50.881 --> 02:15:53.710 And, uh, there's some corollary in nature. 3228 02:15:53.754 --> 02:15:56.278 Like, we wouldn't survive without the bees. 3229 02:15:56.322 --> 02:15:59.934 Sparks are part of the ecosystem of music. 3230 02:15:59.977 --> 02:16:03.155 And they may have given birth to other bands 3231 02:16:03.198 --> 02:16:07.855 who don't even know that the lineage goes back to them. 3232 02:16:07.898 --> 02:16:10.727 They might not even be aware of it. 3233 02:16:10.771 --> 02:16:16.211 ♪ This is the number one song in heaven ♪ 3234 02:16:16.255 --> 02:16:18.257 [crowd cheering] 3235 02:16:19.214 --> 02:16:21.303 ♪ Written, of course 3236 02:16:21.347 --> 02:16:25.525 ♪ By the mightiest hand 3237 02:16:28.354 --> 02:16:30.660 ♪ All of the angels are sheep 3238 02:16:30.704 --> 02:16:35.187 ♪ In the fold of their master 3239 02:16:37.406 --> 02:16:43.238 ♪ They always follow the master and his plan ♪ 3240 02:16:46.546 --> 02:16:52.160 ♪ This is the number one song in heaven ♪ 3241 02:16:55.598 --> 02:17:01.474 ♪ Why are you hearing it now, you ask ♪ 3242 02:17:04.694 --> 02:17:07.697 ♪ Maybe you're closer to here 3243 02:17:07.741 --> 02:17:10.831 ♪ Than you imagine 3244 02:17:13.747 --> 02:17:15.923 ♪ Maybe you're closer to here 3245 02:17:15.966 --> 02:17:20.536 ♪ Than you care to be... 3246 02:17:27.891 --> 02:17:30.546 We fear that, over the course of the documentary, 3247 02:17:30.590 --> 02:17:32.722 we have revealed way more about ourselves 3248 02:17:32.766 --> 02:17:34.942 than we are comfortable with. 3249 02:17:34.985 --> 02:17:37.292 So, in an attempt to create some further mystique, 3250 02:17:37.336 --> 02:17:39.729 we'd like to leave you with a bunch of Sparks facts 3251 02:17:39.773 --> 02:17:42.471 that are all 100% true. 3252 02:17:42.515 --> 02:17:44.908 Russell has been an uncredited voice actor 3253 02:17:44.952 --> 02:17:48.912 in 27 Hollywood animated feature films. 3254 02:17:48.956 --> 02:17:52.220 Ron briefly dated EÉdith Piaf. 3255 02:17:52.264 --> 02:17:56.659 Russell is not singing in English on Kimono My House. 3256 02:17:56.703 --> 02:17:59.140 Ron has worn the same white shirt, 3257 02:17:59.183 --> 02:18:01.316 a shirt he purchased at Marks and Spencer 3258 02:18:01.360 --> 02:18:05.494 in December 1973, for the last 46 years. 3259 02:18:05.538 --> 02:18:08.845 Between 1989 and 1993, 3260 02:18:08.889 --> 02:18:11.848 Russell was a NASCAR driver. 3261 02:18:11.892 --> 02:18:14.460 Ron has written many novels under the pen name 3262 02:18:14.503 --> 02:18:16.766 John le Carré. 3263 02:18:16.810 --> 02:18:18.551 After realizing he was too small 3264 02:18:18.594 --> 02:18:20.292 to compete in college football, 3265 02:18:20.335 --> 02:18:24.208 Russell trained for nine months as a jockey. 3266 02:18:24.252 --> 02:18:29.039 26 days before every tour, Ron goes on the alphabet diet, 3267 02:18:29.083 --> 02:18:31.738 eating foods in alphabetical order. 3268 02:18:31.781 --> 02:18:34.480 Day one: avocados or asparagus. 3269 02:18:34.523 --> 02:18:37.047 Day 26: zucchini. 3270 02:18:37.091 --> 02:18:39.702 In 1982, we started the first ever 3271 02:18:39.746 --> 02:18:43.576 seahorse rehabilitation ranch, Back in the Saddle. 3272 02:18:43.619 --> 02:18:46.361 The tragic decline in the seahorse population 3273 02:18:46.405 --> 02:18:50.365 has been a cause we've long felt strongly about. 3274 02:18:50.409 --> 02:18:52.585 Sparks really only have two songs, 3275 02:18:52.628 --> 02:18:54.500 a fast one and a slow one. 3276 02:18:54.543 --> 02:18:57.024 We constantly rewrite the lyrics for these songs 3277 02:18:57.067 --> 02:18:58.852 to give the appearance of having written 3278 02:18:58.895 --> 02:19:01.158 nearly 300 songs. 3279 02:19:01.202 --> 02:19:03.073 And finally, we would like to reveal 3280 02:19:03.117 --> 02:19:05.772 that Ron is really Russell. 3281 02:19:05.815 --> 02:19:08.731 And Russell is really Ron. 3282 02:19:12.518 --> 02:19:17.697 ♪ This is the number one song in heaven ♪ 3283 02:19:20.569 --> 02:19:26.836 ♪ Why are you hearing it now, you ask ♪ 3284 02:19:29.535 --> 02:19:32.668 ♪ Maybe you're closer to here 3285 02:19:32.712 --> 02:19:35.889 ♪ Than you imagine 3286 02:19:38.587 --> 02:19:40.807 ♪ Maybe you're closer to here 3287 02:19:40.850 --> 02:19:45.333 ♪ Than you care to be. 3288 02:19:45.377 --> 02:19:47.596 ♪ 3289 02:19:47.640 --> 02:19:49.816 [audience cheering] 3290 02:19:49.859 --> 02:19:52.166 [audience clapping rhythmically] 3291 02:20:14.623 --> 02:20:16.930 ♪ 3292 02:20:41.650 --> 02:20:43.957 ♪ 3293 02:20:49.092 --> 02:20:51.094 [song ends] 3294 02:20:51.138 --> 02:20:53.183 [cheering and applause]