Once a bottom man, always a bottom man

https://youtu.be/8YQw6KLJGf8

Sparks - The Final Derriere

Here's a little music documentary that you might enjoy, if you like Sparks that is

Very nice, if a little amateurish but as it features Sparks I will let jedenobel off.

This Charming Man celebrates his 55th birthday today

This Charming Man celebrates his 55th birthday today, no wonder he's miserable now...




Happy birthday Morrissey and lighten up...



That's Sparks not Morrissey, if you hadn't realised.


I was going to leave this post there but I've just found out that Miley Cyrus has covered There's A Light That Never Goes Out...


From the sound of it, her fans weren't overly familiar with the Smiths' oeuvre!

Here's the original for them to educate themselves with...

I love this song and video... "Sparks - "Lighten Up Morrissey" (official video)" on YouTube

Sparks - "Lighten Up Morrissey" 

'...forgotten pop classics' FORGOTTEN!

I have long detested The Independent newspaper for it's 'right-on' stance, it's anti-Israel outlook and its supposed championing of individuality when it's so often read by identikit left-wing faux intellectuals of the worst and sheepiest kind. However today they have gone too far.

This article about Alan Partridge's new film 'Alpha Papa' is headlined 'A-ha! Alan Partridge movie Alpha Papa gives airtime to forgotten pop classics'.

'The soundtrack to Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, which receives its world premiere in Norwich on Wednesday, will deliver an unexpected sales boost to a collection of one-hit wonders, 70s novelty hits and soft rock obscurities hand-picked by the spoof DJ, created by Steve Coogan.'

Here's the film's tracklisting:

Philip Glass – Koyaanisquatsi
The Police - Roxanne
Roachford - Cuddly Toy
Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get it Right
Chicago - Hard to Say I’m sorry
Calvin Harris (Feat. Kelis) - Bounce
Jakob Liedholm - Swede Love
Andy Fairweather Low - Wide Eyed And Legless
Sam Fonteyn - Pop Looks Bach (Theme from Ski Sunday)
Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
The Outlaws  - Swingin’ Low
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay
Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together
John Farnham - You're The Voice
Sparks - Number 1 Song In Heaven
Steeleye Span - Gaudete
The Human League - Don’t You Want Me
Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger
Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
Hot Chocolate - It Started With a Kiss
Andrew Gold - Never Let Her Slip Away
Denis King & the South Bank Orchestra -  Galloping Home (The New Adventures of Black Beauty)

Forgotten pop classics?


Mrs NotaSheep listened to Hot Chocolate's 'It atarted with a kiss' this morning, before I knew it was in Alpha Papa.

Barely a day goes by without me singing or listening to 'Enola Gay' or 'Number 1 Song In Heaven'.

Wichita Lineman is a regular listen, albeit usually the Glenn Gregory version.

Mrs NotaSheep is fond of breaking into 'Don't You Want Me', indeed she did so this morning.

Mrs NotaSheep will often break into a magnificent impression of Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger if that film is on television which it is regularly at the moment on Sky Film 007.

And as for the Police's Roxanne, forgotten? Please... I think not.


So here's some of this 'forgotten' music

Police - Roxanne




Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger (This is of course a 1964 track not an early 1980s one)



Human League - Don't You Want Me?




Glen Gregory - Wichita Lineman




Hot Chocolate - It Started With A Kiss



Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay



Sparks - Number One Song In Heaven



And because I love this version as much, if not more than the original, here's Sparks - Number One Song In Heaven (12" version)



And because this version has it's own special ethereal quality, the Plagiarism album version of Number One Song In Heaven (part 1) including Jimmy Somerville



And the Plagiarism album version of Number One Song In Heaven (part 2)


If you want to hear some more Sparks, and why wouldn't you? Then I recommend following this link to my previous Sparks postings.


So 'forgotten'? I think not!

It's Sparks time

This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us - introduced by Lauren Laverne

And a documentary 'Brothers In Arms' that I have only just discovered... Here's Sally James interviewing Sparks in 1974 from a freebie disk, with recipes... So young... and doesn't Sally James sound posh? And this is what would become Sparks from 1969 Urban Renewal Project - "Computer Girl" 1969 - computers?

Sparks & Faith No More reprise 'This Town ain't big enough for the both of us'

Faith No More and Sparks (with former FNM guitarist Dean Menta) perform "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" from the Sparks covers album 'Plagiarism' live at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles on December 1, 2010, on the final U.S. date of Faith No More's Second Coming Tour. (okeastron video)


Here's the 'Plagiarism' version...


Here's the original



And here's the Siouxsie & the Banshees cover

Sparks demean themselves on the Katy Puckrick Pyjama Party show 1996

Headbanging to Motorhead's Ace of Spades


I am assuming that this show did not have a long run...

The cheapest ever Pop Video?

Sparks on TV AM in 1985 to promote their new single "Change". Incredibly the interview comes complete with Ron Mael speaking!



As I Can't find the original on YouTube, here's the 1997 remixed version of "Change" from the excellent "Plagiarism" album...

Welcome back the music or "Can you hear the drums?"

YouTube has finally signed an agreement with the PRS to allow music videos back on YouTube for UK users. This will take some time to implement but over the next month or two many thousands of music videos will be brought back onto the site.

Since March YouTube UK has been, officially at least, bereft of copyrighted music as a result of the Google-owned service failing to reach agreement with the PRS. I believe that YouTube is now paying a lump-sum payment for a licence to run from January 2009, when the last agreement expired, until 2012.

Some music has been available since March, I was listening to various Sparks tracks just last weekend as well as researching for an upcoming "House of the Rising Sun" posting...

Popularity (reprise)

Sparks - "Popularity"

"I like you and you like me a lot
And we do those things that can make us feel hot
Then we join some friends, all of them are all right
And we talk a while, then we climb in our cars

What a night, we all drive into town
Where we'll park our cars, and meet the rest of our friends
At a place that's called, I forget what it's called
But it's really great, and all our friends will be there

Popularity
Popularity

I like you and you like me a lot
And it's nice to be all alone with you too
But it's also nice being out with our friends
Cause they're all all right, maybe that's why we're friends

Popularity
Popularity
Popularity

I feel great, but it's getting real late
So I'll drive you home and you'll slide up real close
I'm so glad we met, and I like you so much
And I'm also glad that I got all those friends

Popularity
Popularity
Popularity "

Ron speaks

The normally taciturn Ron Mael speaks!

Happy Birthday Morrissey

The song is of course The Smiths' most excellent "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"

"Why do I give valuable time to people who don't care if I live or die?"

Damn good question and one that I ask myself quite regularly...



The Smiths' almost as excellent "This Charming Man"



And finally some birthday advice to for the Pope of Mope from the Mael Brothers (Sparks)- "Lighten Up Morrissey"

Sparks - Masters of the witty song title

Following their performance on the Jonathan Ross show last night here is a video of the song they performed - "I cant believe that you would fall for all the crap in this song"


And also from the "Exotic Creatures of the Deep" album here is "Lighten Up, Morrissey"


And finally from Sky's "The Basement" here's "Good Morning" listen to the lyrics...

I believe this song is meant to be Russell playing the ageing lothario recalling what is sure to be the last one-night stand of his life with a woman who will have other lovers:

"Good morning
Who are you?
I woke up and saw you
I'm dreaming, still dreaming
My life is now about to have some meaning

Good morning
I'm thinking
I must have
Been drinking
And said something clever
It must have been the best line from me ever

Thank you, God, for something rare as this
What surely must have been a holy night of bliss
Gratitude for having thought of me
I know your time is tight, and yet you thought of me

Good morning
You woke up
Got dressed up
Hair messed up
While I fix you breakfast
I hope it's just your laugh that is infectious

Good morning
In sorrow
I know that
Tomorrow
You'll be with some winner
Who's richer, younger, maybe even thinner

Rubles in the bank and petrol in the tank of some Mercedes Benz
Who spends and spends and spends on booked up restaurants
A thousand phony fronts
But will he ever wish you a good morning?

Thank you, God, for something rare as this
What surely must have been a holy night of bliss
Gratitude for having thought of me
I know your time is tight, and yet you thought of me

And did I stumble have a fall,
Hit my head against a wall
At some point did we trade vows?
Are you just some high-priced service from uptown?

Good morning
Buon giorno
Ohayo,
Buenas dias
Hey, where you going?
Hey, where you going?
Does dasvedonya really mean good morning?

Please spare me derision
I'll do my rendition
A lengthy recital
Of every song with foolish in the title

Good morning
Good morning

Good morning
I need you, I need you
Who are you?"

And in case you couldn't catch the earlier songs, here's the lyrics for "Lighten Up, Morrissey"

"She won´t go out with me no she won´t go out
´Cause my intellect´s paper thin
She won´t go out with me no she won´t go out
Since my intellect´s not like him

So lighten up Morrissey

She won´t hang out with me no she won´t hang out
´Til my biting wit bites like his
She won´t hang out with me no she won´t hang out
´Til my quick retort´s quick as his

So lighten up Morrissey?Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey

She won´t have sex with me no she won´t have sex
´Less it´s done with a pseudonym
She won´t do sport with me no she won´t do sport
Says it´s way way too masculine look at him

So lighten up Morrissey?Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey

I got comparisons coming out my ears
And she never can hit the pause
If only Morrissey weren´t so Morrisseyesque
She might overlook all my flaws

So lighten up Morrissey
Lighten up lighten up
So lighten up Morrissey
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey´
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey
She won´t dine out with me no she won´t dine out
Says my t-bone steak is at fault
She won´t dine out with me no she won´t dine out
With a murderer pass the salt

Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey
Lighten up lighten up

Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey
Lighten up lighten up
Lighten up Morrissey"

Sparks, Ron and Russell Mael, more talented than almost all of the current crop of pop acts put together, and certainly wittier.


And here is, in my view, their finest moments:






Number One Song in Heaven - the Plagiarism album version


Number One Song in Heaven - the Plagiarism album version - videoed live at the Carling Academy on 7th June 2008 and including the return of Jimmy Somerville

Another Sparks fan writes...

Ned Raggett also seems to be a Sparks fan and a good writer as well.

Sparks sundries

Sparks - I want to hold your hand - an interesting cover of the Beatles' track





Siouxsie and the Banshees - This town ain't big enough for the both of us





Peter Cook's Sparks Promo track at the end of 12" version of Beat The Clock



Peter Cook's ramblings including impersonations of bmmmm and brm brm brm brm brrrrrmmm
from the Tryouts for the Human Race 12"

Oh yes...

"We're just a gleam in lover's eyes, steam on sweaty bodies in the night One of us might make it through, the rest will disappear like dew Pressure building, gettin' hot, give it, give it, give it all you got When that love explosion comes, my, oh my, we want to be someone
CHORUS
Tryouts for the human race, from Burlington to Bonn Ah, we are a quarter billion strong Tryouts for the human race, from twilight time 'til dawn
We just want to be someone
We're the future and the past, we're the only way you're gonna last We're just pawns in a funny game, tiny actors in the oldest play It's an angry sea we face, just to get the chance to join the race Gotta make it, gotta try, gotta get the chance to live and die
CHORUS
We must, we must, we must leave from here We must, we must, we must, we must leave from here Gotta make our play, gotta get away Gotta make our play, gotta get away Gotta make our play, gotta get away Gotta make our play
Let us out of here, let us out of here, let us out of here
We just want to feel the sun and be your little daughter or your son We're just words that lovers use, words that light that automatic fuse When that love explosion comes, my, oh my, we want to be someone
CHORUS"

"I was born a little premature
Mom just couldn't take no more
Had no time to learn to cry
Goodbye, Mama, got to fly
Bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye, bye
Entered school when I was two
PhD'd that afternoon
Never entered any sports
Didn't look too good in shorts
Got divorced when I was four
CHORUS:
I've seen everything there is
I've done everything there is
I've met everyone but Liz
Now I've even met ol' Liz
No time for relationship
Skip the foreplay, let 'er rip
You gotta beat the clock, beat the clock, Beat the clock, beat the clock
I did lots of travelling
Parts of me unraveling
The Army then rejected me
Said I had two flat feet
Wore them out when I was three
Too bad there ain't ten of you
Then I'd show you what I'd do
I could cheat on five of you
And be faithful to you too
But there's only one of you
CHORUS"

"This is the number one song in heaven Written, of course, by the mightiest hand It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
The number one song all over heaven
If you should die before you wake
If you should die while crossing the street The song that you'll hear, I guarantee
It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
It's number one, all over heaven
The number one song all over heaven
The one that's the rage up here in the clouds Loud as a crowd or soft as a doubt Lyrically weak, but the music's the thing
Gabriel plays it,
God how he plays it
Gabriel plays it,
God how he plays it
Gabriel plays it,
God how he plays it
Gabriel plays it, let's hear him play it
The song filters down, down through the clouds It reaches the earth and winds all around And then it breaks up in millions of ways
It goes la, la, la......
In cars it becomes a hit
In your homes it becomes advertisements And in the streets it becomes the children
singing..."