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[AMBIENT SYNTH MUSIC PLAYING]
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♪ Fanfare
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[THROAT CLEARS]
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♪ The opening film fanfare
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♪ Documentary film fanfare
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♪ Edgar Wright film fanfare.
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- And look right in the camera?
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
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- Okay. Okay, great. - Just talk
to me through the camera.
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- Speeding.
- Beck. Take one. Mark.
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BECK: Throughout all the years
that I've been making music,
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if you get on a tour bus
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and you sit on a long drive
with a bunch of musicians,
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eventually, the conversation
will go to Sparks.
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My good friends, Sparks.
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- Sparks. -Sparks.
- Sparks. -Sparks.
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FLEA: I remember just
seeing them all the time
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and like, "Who are those guys?"
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They are an anomaly.
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JASON SCHWARTZMAN: I don't feel
like they purposely
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have been
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trying to be mysterious, right?
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They don't really
look like a band.
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They do just look like people
who've been sort of
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let out for a day.
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♪ And it ain't me
who's gonna leave... ♪
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CREW:
Look into camera.
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- You want to look in the lens.
- Yeah.
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Damn you
and your three-quarterness.
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- [LAUGHTER]
- It's a damn mole!
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Two members of like mind,
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and they're conspirators.
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It's a very clever thing
they've got going on.
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KATIE PUCKRIK: They really
tiptoe through the tulips
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between beauty
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and revulsion.
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What's going on? Oh, my God.
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It's insane, but it's fantastic.
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[CROWD CHEERING]
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They would make
really good Muppets.
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♪ Daily, except for Sunday...
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PATTON OSWALT: You have
this snaky lead singer...
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you know,
something for the ladies.
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And then you got Adolf Hitler
on-on the keyboards.
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It is a little strange.
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Why has that bloke got
a Hitler mustache?
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That's a good look.
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DAVID KENDRICK:
Dean Martin was hanging out,
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and he would always, like,
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look at Ron like,
"What the...?"
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♪
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[VOCALIZING]
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CHRIS DIFFORD:
When I first discovered Sparks,
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I never thought of them
as being American at all.
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I thought of them
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just being this, like... Sparks.
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They're otherworldly.
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ALEX KAPRANOS: I always thought
Sparks were a... a British band.
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PAUL MORLEY: They're the best,
uh, British group
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ever to come out of America.
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Je suis américain.
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♪ Everywhere, heartbeat,
increasing heartbeat... ♪
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They are a total enigma to me.
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They are a band who
you can look up on Wikipedia
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and know nothing.
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Who the fuck are these guys?
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Ron has a huge
snow globe collection.
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Like... [GASPS] Really?
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LES BOHEM:
It's quite special and, um...
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odd.
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APRIL RICHARDSON: If you try
to describe them to people,
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it's like, what do they
sound like? Sparks.
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The work speaks for itself,
so I don't have to know them.
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JACK ANTONOFF: All pop music
is rearranged Vince Clarke
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and rearranged Sparks.
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That's the truth.
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So we have influenced everyone.
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SCHWARTZMAN: Honestly,
I don't want to see this movie.
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I don't want to learn
too much about 'em.
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Um, I'll watch it
because I'm in it.
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EDGAR WRIGHT:
What do you think about me
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calling the documentary
The Sparks Brothers?
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[LAUGHTER]
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- Um, in lieu of anything
better... - Yeah, yeah.
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RUSSELL MAEL:
We hate that name.
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We are Sparks.
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Sparks are a band.
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Next question.
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- We are not an English band.
- Dude.
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I'm the singer.
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I'm not the singer.
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BOTH:
We are not identical twins.
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We are brothers.
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We are brothers.
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We do not live together.
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We are from
a middle-class background.
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My sexual persuasion is
slightly horny.
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There are 25 Sparks albums.
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With advances
in medical technology,
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hopefully there will be
200 to 300 more Sparks albums.
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[CREW LAUGHING]
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WRIGHT: Sparks... how did
this glam rock anomaly
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become a band with a career
spanning five decades?
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How can Ron and Russell Mael
be successful, underrated,
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hugely influential
and overlooked
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all at the same time?
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How do two brothers survive
in a rock and roll world
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without killing each other?
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And where does one even start
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with 25 studio albums
and nearly 500 songs?
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Join us as we
pull back the curtain
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to shine a light
on the brothers Mael
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and crucially offer
a window into the psyche
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of these extraordinary musicians
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and, through their music,
paint a long overdue portrait
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of them as real artists.
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Our story begins
not in gloomy old England
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but in sunny California.
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♪ Gonna tell Aunt Mary
'bout Uncle John ♪
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♪ He claim he has the misery,
but he has a lot of fun ♪
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♪ Oh, baby, yeah, baby
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♪ Whoo, baby...
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To a kid seeing them on TV,
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they just came
from another world.
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♪ Well, long tall Sally...
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They weren't supposed
to come from anywhere.
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I think, originally, I did
think they were a British band.
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I'm still not convinced
that they're American.
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JOHN CONGLETON: I always
sort of thought of them as like
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Cheap Trick in a way, like,
oh, they're probably
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from the Midwest somewhere.
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RON:
We're kind of the rare breed
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of native-born Californians.
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RUSSELL: I was born in
Santa Monica, California.
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He was born in
Culver City, California.
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Our father was an artist,
a painter
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and was also a commercial artist
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for theHollywood Citizen-News.
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♪ Well, I saw Uncle John...
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RON: Some of the images
that he painted were
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places that we would go to
quite a bit.
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One of them was
the Santa Monica Pier.
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We would spend days
fishing for perch.
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And kind of... the pier, to me,
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looks like that painting,
not like the real thing is.
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♪ Have some fun tonight...
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RUSSELL: He always had
these records from Elvis
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and Jerry Lee Lewis
and Little Richard.
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Him introducing us to cool music
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was something that
we kind of retained.
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♪ One, two, three o'clock,
four o'clock rock... ♪
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RON:
It really was an amazing time
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because we were exposed to the
first seismic shift in music.
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I remember the first time
I went to see
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Blackboard Jungle.
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One instance of hearing
the title music
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changed my whole DNA.
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This kind of music
was really overturning
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that staid
Eisenhower-era lifestyle.
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This was wrong but in
all the kind of right ways.
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KAPRANOS:
If you want to understand
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Ron and Russell,
you need to see them
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through one prism,
and that-that prism is
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cinema
but specifically Hollywood.
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RON: I remember spending
a lot of time at the movies
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with Russell and our father.
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We would go see a lot
of Westerns and war films.
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I really cherished those
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Saturday matinees.
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It was a rich experience.
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It was more than just a movie.
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It was a... a total afternoon
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with popcorn and cartoons
and newsreels.
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Why don't you try
a juicy, good hot dog?
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Our parents didn't care
if a movie had started,
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so we would just come
in the middle of the movie
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and try to imagine
what the beginning of it was.
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And I think part of our, uh,
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jagged sense of narrative
in the songs
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might have been, uh,
initiated in some way by that.
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♪
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RUSSELL:
Um, when our father died, uh,
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obviously, it was
a really traumatic experience.
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You don't even understand,
really, how that's possible
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or that he's not gonna
ever be there again.
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And-and, uh, it's something
that's so abstract,
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just the concept of death.
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And, uh... and it's when...
when it's your father,
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and then especially
at that age, too,
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that you're so young
that you never
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got to ask the questions
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that you would now like
to have asked to him
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and to have known
more about him.
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And I think that's kind of
part of the sad thing, too,
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is that, uh, so much
you'll never find out
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about, uh, your own father.
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RON:
We were both very, very young.
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I was... I was 11,
and Russell was eight, and...
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kind of everything changed
at that moment for us,
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and I think it did
bring us closer together.
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RUSSELL: 'Cause it was all
very unexpected,
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the three of us
were then kind of
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forced to be stronger as a unit.
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Um, Ron and I would,
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you know,
do everything that we could
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to help out our mom.
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00:10:28,290 --> 00:10:30,820
RON: Our mother decided that
I should have piano lessons.
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I didn't want to admit
that I enjoyed
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taking the piano lessons
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because, you know, there...
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always a rebellious streak
in me,
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but piano lessons were actually
something I really enjoyed.
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And they would have talent
shows at elementary school,
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and I would get up there
in a pink sport jacket
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and a... a tie, and my hair
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00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:52,410
really kind of greased
and everything,
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00:10:52,450 --> 00:10:55,410
and performing those talent
shows was an addictive thing.
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00:10:55,450 --> 00:10:58,190
You really saw
the audience reaction,
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and you thought,
"This is kind of cool."
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00:10:59,670 --> 00:11:01,150
And it-it also
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00:11:01,200 --> 00:11:03,070
blended in
with our interest in sports.
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00:11:03,110 --> 00:11:07,200
Both music and sports were
things that garnered attention.
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00:11:07,240 --> 00:11:10,030
♪ Going out when the rest
are coming home ♪
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00:11:10,070 --> 00:11:13,250
♪ Coming home when the rest
are going out ♪
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00:11:13,290 --> 00:11:16,380
♪ And when I'm broke
and really down, I'm down... ♪
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00:11:16,430 --> 00:11:18,820
RUSSELL: It's an odd thing
that our huge passion
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00:11:18,870 --> 00:11:22,830
when we were growing up
in school was-was athletics.
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00:11:24,390 --> 00:11:27,830
Hard to believe that, uh,
this scrawny body
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00:11:27,870 --> 00:11:33,010
once played against, uh,
250-pound guys.
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00:11:33,050 --> 00:11:35,880
I sometimes equate
the experience
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00:11:35,930 --> 00:11:38,630
of going out onto the field
on Friday night
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00:11:38,670 --> 00:11:42,070
as the same sensation
as when you go onstage.
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00:11:42,110 --> 00:11:44,420
There's the same
adrenaline rush.
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00:11:46,890 --> 00:11:50,590
♪ I want to be, I want to be
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00:11:50,630 --> 00:11:54,030
♪ I want to be,
I want to be ♪
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00:11:54,070 --> 00:11:57,640
♪ I want to be like
everybody else. ♪
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00:12:01,340 --> 00:12:03,300
[SONG ENDS]
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-♪ Ooh, ooh
-♪ Over the summer
238
00:12:06,610 --> 00:12:08,960
-♪ Over the summer
-♪ Ooh
239
00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,310
♪ Over the summer
240
00:12:10,350 --> 00:12:11,790
♪ Ooh...
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00:12:11,830 --> 00:12:13,700
We lived always near
242
00:12:13,750 --> 00:12:16,320
the ocean, so both in Venice
and then Pacific Palisades.
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00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:20,060
♪ You've got to trust
in summer ♪
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00:12:20,100 --> 00:12:23,100
♪ Miracles can happen
if you do... ♪
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00:12:23,150 --> 00:12:24,850
In the summer,
we would walk down.
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00:12:24,890 --> 00:12:26,760
There's a little bluff
that you have to walk
247
00:12:26,800 --> 00:12:28,240
from our house in the Palisades,
248
00:12:28,280 --> 00:12:30,060
and it led down to the ocean.
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00:12:30,110 --> 00:12:32,550
It took maybe a half an hour.
250
00:12:32,590 --> 00:12:34,290
We'd do that routine every day.
251
00:12:34,330 --> 00:12:36,810
We'd stay from
like 9:00 in the morning
252
00:12:36,860 --> 00:12:38,640
to maybe, you know,
7:00 at night.
253
00:12:38,680 --> 00:12:41,420
So that was our life
for three months every year.
254
00:12:41,470 --> 00:12:44,820
♪ July, you were
the plainest of Janes... ♪
255
00:12:44,860 --> 00:12:48,120
RON: People say that
they don't see any Los Angeles
256
00:12:48,170 --> 00:12:51,830
in what we're doing,
and I think that, actually,
257
00:12:51,870 --> 00:12:54,870
they're missing a lot of
what the influence was on us.
258
00:12:57,610 --> 00:12:59,700
We had our transistor radio,
259
00:12:59,750 --> 00:13:02,270
and, uh, AM music
at that time in Los Angeles
260
00:13:02,320 --> 00:13:03,800
was really incredible.
261
00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:07,190
It was just one big mass
of pop music.
262
00:13:08,580 --> 00:13:10,320
RADIO ANNOUNCER: Ladies and
gentlemen, the beat goes on.
263
00:13:10,370 --> 00:13:12,460
♪ More music.
264
00:13:12,500 --> 00:13:15,160
The Real Don Steele.
265
00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:16,770
♪ 93 KHJ.
266
00:13:16,810 --> 00:13:19,810
♪ Please, please, please...
267
00:13:19,850 --> 00:13:22,550
RUSSELL: There was
no distinction between
268
00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:26,080
British bands or soul groups,
Black groups, white groups.
269
00:13:26,120 --> 00:13:27,910
It-it didn't really matter.
270
00:13:27,950 --> 00:13:32,690
Like, no one cared or
questioned the genres of music.
271
00:13:32,740 --> 00:13:36,440
You would always want
to go see any British band
272
00:13:36,480 --> 00:13:38,400
that would come to Los Angeles.
273
00:13:38,440 --> 00:13:41,230
The high point of our lives...
uh, we can actually say
274
00:13:41,270 --> 00:13:45,190
we've seen The Beatles twice
because we had a cool mom.
275
00:13:45,230 --> 00:13:46,710
ANNOUNCER:
The Beatles,
276
00:13:46,750 --> 00:13:48,750
on their way
to the Hollywood Bowl.
277
00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:51,110
Some of the youngsters
don't give up easily.
278
00:13:51,150 --> 00:13:52,890
RUSSELL:
For whatever reason,
279
00:13:52,930 --> 00:13:55,670
she agreed to drive us
to Las Vegas,
280
00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,070
where they were playing
a concert.
281
00:13:58,110 --> 00:14:02,070
So there we were in our little
Fiat Multipla that our mom had
282
00:14:02,110 --> 00:14:06,380
and had this sort of bad
futuristic shape to it.
283
00:14:06,420 --> 00:14:09,080
And, uh, we're putting along
the highway to Las Vegas
284
00:14:09,120 --> 00:14:11,210
just to see The Beatles.
285
00:14:11,250 --> 00:14:12,990
That's a mom.
286
00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:15,130
["HAPPENINGS TEN YEARS TIME
AGO" BY THE YARDBIRDS PLAYING]
287
00:14:20,700 --> 00:14:24,400
RON: While we were at UCLA,
everything coalesced for us
288
00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,530
as far as soaking in all of
these things from the outside.
289
00:14:28,570 --> 00:14:31,920
RUSSELL: We played in bands
early on with ridiculous names.
290
00:14:31,970 --> 00:14:34,890
I don't know,
we were in Moonbaker Abbey,
291
00:14:34,930 --> 00:14:37,500
and we were in
The Urban Renewal Project.
292
00:14:37,540 --> 00:14:40,540
I mean, how successful
could a band ever get
293
00:14:40,590 --> 00:14:43,250
calling themselves
Urban Renewal Project?
294
00:14:44,590 --> 00:14:46,680
RON: The first two songs
that we ever recorded
295
00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:50,200
were "Computer Girl" and, uh,
the other one... what was this?
296
00:14:50,250 --> 00:14:51,820
- What was the second one?
- RUSSELL: "Windmill."
297
00:14:51,860 --> 00:14:54,040
I'm ashamed that I forgot that,
but "W-Windmill."
298
00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,430
- So classic that he forgot it.
- Yeah.
299
00:14:56,470 --> 00:15:00,300
RON: It's really strange
to have a song in 1966
300
00:15:00,350 --> 00:15:02,700
called "Computer Girl,"
because we didn't even
301
00:15:02,740 --> 00:15:05,440
really know what
a computer was at that time.
302
00:15:05,480 --> 00:15:09,880
♪ Computer girl
303
00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,790
♪ My computer girl
304
00:15:13,840 --> 00:15:15,580
♪ This is a recording
305
00:15:15,620 --> 00:15:19,060
♪ She's got no arms
306
00:15:19,100 --> 00:15:25,540
♪ She's got no legs
307
00:15:25,590 --> 00:15:30,770
♪ For computers
308
00:15:30,810 --> 00:15:34,160
♪ Have no limbs...
309
00:15:34,210 --> 00:15:36,260
- WRIGHT: Pre-Kraftwerk?
- RON: Pre-Kraftwerk. Yes.
310
00:15:36,290 --> 00:15:37,730
RUSSELL:
Yeah, we predate Kraftwerk
311
00:15:37,770 --> 00:15:40,860
when it comes to computer songs.
312
00:15:40,910 --> 00:15:42,690
RON: The first time
that we really got
313
00:15:42,740 --> 00:15:46,270
serious about music
was when we met Earle Mankey
314
00:15:46,300 --> 00:15:48,300
and the three of us got together
315
00:15:48,350 --> 00:15:51,270
and had similar musical taste.
316
00:15:51,310 --> 00:15:53,090
EARLE MANKEY:
They seemed pretty much
317
00:15:53,140 --> 00:15:55,660
just like normal
college students.
318
00:15:55,700 --> 00:15:57,660
But once we got into
the recording process,
319
00:15:57,710 --> 00:16:00,450
they-they turned out
to be different.
320
00:16:00,490 --> 00:16:03,540
You have three people in a room
and a two-track tape recorder,
321
00:16:03,580 --> 00:16:06,670
and you want to emulate,
let's say The Beatles.
322
00:16:06,710 --> 00:16:09,240
Well, uh, first,
you might think you need drums.
323
00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:10,980
Well, we didn't have any drums.
324
00:16:11,020 --> 00:16:12,070
So, uh,
325
00:16:12,110 --> 00:16:13,720
bang on some boxes
326
00:16:13,770 --> 00:16:16,690
and find a table
that had a nice tone,
327
00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:18,680
and if you needed a cymbal,
that was harder.
328
00:16:18,730 --> 00:16:19,730
But as I recall,
329
00:16:19,770 --> 00:16:21,990
there was a brass lampshade
330
00:16:22,030 --> 00:16:24,470
that, uh, didn't really ring
like a cymbal,
331
00:16:24,520 --> 00:16:26,440
but it would give us
a nice clank.
332
00:16:27,870 --> 00:16:29,700
HARLEY FEINSTEIN:
When I joined the band,
333
00:16:29,740 --> 00:16:31,480
it was called Halfnelson.
334
00:16:31,520 --> 00:16:34,310
I was contacted by Russell,
and he explained to me,
335
00:16:34,350 --> 00:16:36,570
"Well, we're not just
getting together
336
00:16:36,610 --> 00:16:39,480
"to drink beer,
meet girls and play music.
337
00:16:39,530 --> 00:16:42,580
We're actually gonna
become big."
338
00:16:42,620 --> 00:16:45,010
That sounds like the scene
from our biopic
339
00:16:45,060 --> 00:16:46,840
that's, uh, upcoming soon.
340
00:16:48,500 --> 00:16:50,070
♪ Whoo!
341
00:16:50,110 --> 00:16:53,070
♪ Fa-fa-fa, fa-fa,
fa-fa-fa... ♪
342
00:16:53,110 --> 00:16:55,900
RUSSELL: I think, at the
beginning, I was trying to be
343
00:16:55,940 --> 00:17:00,340
as much like Mick Jagger
or Roger Daltrey
344
00:17:00,380 --> 00:17:02,300
as I could possibly be.
345
00:17:02,340 --> 00:17:06,080
I kind of missed the mark
by a few thousand miles,
346
00:17:06,120 --> 00:17:08,600
but something else emerged.
347
00:17:08,650 --> 00:17:10,350
♪ From champagne
348
00:17:10,390 --> 00:17:13,740
♪ And I have never
met the queen ♪
349
00:17:13,780 --> 00:17:16,570
♪ And I wish I could have
all he has got ♪
350
00:17:16,610 --> 00:17:19,740
♪ And I wish I could be
like David Watts... ♪
351
00:17:19,790 --> 00:17:21,100
RUSSELL:
I think there was
352
00:17:21,140 --> 00:17:22,450
sometimes a conscious
353
00:17:22,490 --> 00:17:24,880
and sometimes
an unconscious attempt
354
00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:27,880
at trying to emulate
the early Who songs
355
00:17:27,930 --> 00:17:30,590
and the early Kinks songs
that really felt
356
00:17:30,620 --> 00:17:32,750
in tune with what
we really wanted to be doing.
357
00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,060
♪ I'd lead the school team
to victory... ♪
358
00:17:35,110 --> 00:17:37,590
FEINSTEIN: I remember I liked
bands that they didn't like.
359
00:17:37,630 --> 00:17:39,680
And I remember one time
I made the comment that,
360
00:17:39,720 --> 00:17:42,250
"Hey, Blood Sweat & Tears,
they're great, huh?"
361
00:17:42,290 --> 00:17:45,470
All the eyes rolled back
simultaneously.
362
00:17:45,510 --> 00:17:46,900
It could've been worse.
He could have mentioned
363
00:17:46,950 --> 00:17:49,520
Chicago or somebody
like that, and...
364
00:17:49,560 --> 00:17:53,430
then he would have been
out of the band immediately.
365
00:17:53,470 --> 00:17:56,650
["WHEN YOU'RE A FRENCH
DIRECTOR" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
366
00:17:57,870 --> 00:18:01,740
♪ When you're
a French director... ♪
367
00:18:01,790 --> 00:18:03,570
RON:
There was a sense at the time
368
00:18:03,610 --> 00:18:06,270
that if you were
kind of a hip person
369
00:18:06,310 --> 00:18:09,270
that you would also
automatically be interested
370
00:18:09,310 --> 00:18:12,010
in French New Wave films
and Bergman.
371
00:18:12,060 --> 00:18:15,930
It kind of went hand in hand
with liking the British bands.
372
00:18:15,970 --> 00:18:18,190
It was just
kind of a badge of honor,
373
00:18:18,240 --> 00:18:22,290
liking nonmainstream things.
374
00:18:24,290 --> 00:18:27,290
LARRY DUPONT:
When I first met Ron,
375
00:18:27,330 --> 00:18:32,160
we were all deeply,
deeply rooted in film.
376
00:18:32,210 --> 00:18:35,210
As far as Russ
was concerned, uh,
377
00:18:35,250 --> 00:18:37,600
he wanted to be a filmmaker.
378
00:18:37,650 --> 00:18:38,870
Early on, I was dabbling
379
00:18:38,910 --> 00:18:41,430
in French New Wave cinema
380
00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:45,610
and, uh, made a film
when I was at UCLA.
381
00:18:45,660 --> 00:18:47,360
Um, and I don't know if it's...
382
00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,660
I-I wouldn't call it
a great film,
383
00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:52,400
- but it wasn't...
- Oh, don't be so modest.
384
00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:56,140
MANKEY: I starred
in Russell's student film,
385
00:18:56,190 --> 00:18:58,450
Très Sérieux,
which means, I guess,
386
00:18:58,490 --> 00:19:00,930
Very Serious
or something like that.
387
00:19:00,970 --> 00:19:04,760
My name in the movie was
Jean-Paul Mankey.
388
00:19:04,800 --> 00:19:09,150
You know, it was poking fun
at, uh, French art films.
389
00:19:10,380 --> 00:19:12,080
That's the cool thing
about them.
390
00:19:12,120 --> 00:19:13,640
You know, they take something
that seems to be
391
00:19:13,680 --> 00:19:15,730
really great and arty,
392
00:19:15,770 --> 00:19:17,730
and then they shoot it
in the pants.
393
00:19:17,770 --> 00:19:20,770
Other times, people think
they're making fun of something
394
00:19:20,820 --> 00:19:22,520
when they're deadly serious.
395
00:19:22,560 --> 00:19:24,300
[LAUGHING]: They're kind of
inscrutable, those guys.
396
00:19:27,260 --> 00:19:29,650
MIKE BERNS: Well, I had
a chance to meet Ron and Russell
397
00:19:29,700 --> 00:19:31,830
when I worked at, uh,
Universal Records.
398
00:19:31,880 --> 00:19:33,840
They brought their demo tape in,
399
00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:38,320
and I was taken
by the creativity,
400
00:19:38,360 --> 00:19:41,320
the artistry,
uh, the individuality.
401
00:19:41,360 --> 00:19:43,190
And it was something
402
00:19:43,230 --> 00:19:45,320
that you just knew
was something.
403
00:19:45,370 --> 00:19:50,160
And I lobbied my brains out
to have them get signed.
404
00:19:51,980 --> 00:19:54,940
MANKEY: Every office
we'd go into was all excited.
405
00:19:56,200 --> 00:19:58,250
They'd call their friends in
and say, "Listen to this stuff.
406
00:19:58,290 --> 00:20:00,030
Isn't this weird?
Isn't this great?"
407
00:20:00,080 --> 00:20:02,130
Uh, and then
they wouldn't sign us.
408
00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:05,480
DUPONT:
The thing that marked them
409
00:20:05,520 --> 00:20:08,830
was their unwillingness
to give up on rejection.
410
00:20:08,870 --> 00:20:11,260
They just wouldn't give up.
411
00:20:11,310 --> 00:20:13,050
RUSSELL:
There's always just been
412
00:20:13,090 --> 00:20:16,180
one person
throughout our whole career
413
00:20:16,220 --> 00:20:19,090
that would kind of get
what it was
414
00:20:19,140 --> 00:20:21,360
that we were doing
at any one particular time...
415
00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:24,010
and the first one
was Todd Rundgren...
416
00:20:24,060 --> 00:20:27,890
when everybody else at every
record label rejected us.
417
00:20:29,850 --> 00:20:31,290
If it hadn't been for him,
418
00:20:31,330 --> 00:20:34,160
there wouldn't have been
a Sparks now.
419
00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,160
RUNDGREN: Well, without me,
there would be no Halfnelson.
420
00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:40,460
Sparks was something
that happened a little later.
421
00:20:40,510 --> 00:20:42,900
ANNOUNCER: Todd Rundgren
first discovered Sparks
422
00:20:42,950 --> 00:20:44,870
and produced their debut album.
423
00:20:45,900 --> 00:20:47,550
BERNS:
We sent the demo album
424
00:20:47,600 --> 00:20:49,600
to Todd Rundgren.
I had some notoriety
425
00:20:49,650 --> 00:20:51,610
in the business,
so he took my call.
426
00:20:51,650 --> 00:20:57,270
My memory was that, uh,
Russell's, uh, girlfriend,
427
00:20:57,310 --> 00:21:00,490
part-time girlfriend,
girlfriend on and off, uh,
428
00:21:00,530 --> 00:21:03,450
was Miss Christine
from the GTO's.
429
00:21:03,490 --> 00:21:06,230
Miss Christine was like
my girlfriend for a while,
430
00:21:06,270 --> 00:21:08,970
and then she became Russell's
girlfriend for a while.
431
00:21:09,010 --> 00:21:10,450
RUSSELL:
We became friends
432
00:21:10,490 --> 00:21:13,620
with-with, uh,
Miss Christine as well.
433
00:21:13,670 --> 00:21:17,810
And so, um,
at that time, I, uh...
434
00:21:17,850 --> 00:21:19,850
- We did?
- [LAUGHING]: We did. We did.
435
00:21:19,900 --> 00:21:21,950
- [CREW LAUGHING]
- [RUSSELL CLEARS THROAT]
436
00:21:21,980 --> 00:21:23,850
Let me... let me, uh...
yeah, we were...
437
00:21:23,900 --> 00:21:26,770
So I became... I became friends
with Miss Christine.
438
00:21:28,560 --> 00:21:31,210
I think Russell thought
it was weird,
439
00:21:31,250 --> 00:21:33,170
but I didn't consider it
any sort of affront,
440
00:21:33,210 --> 00:21:34,950
but I think I knew
Miss Christine
441
00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,000
better than he did.
442
00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:38,560
PAMELA DES BARRES:
Yeah, I'm sure Miss Christine
443
00:21:38,610 --> 00:21:40,350
played Todd the demo.
444
00:21:40,390 --> 00:21:42,870
She was... she and Todd
were together quite a while,
445
00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:45,440
um, and she loved Sparks.
446
00:21:45,490 --> 00:21:46,970
MANKEY:
Christine said, "Oh, Todd,
447
00:21:47,010 --> 00:21:48,490
"you've got to hear these guys.
448
00:21:48,530 --> 00:21:51,620
It's so great.
You're gonna want to sign 'em."
449
00:21:53,190 --> 00:21:55,370
RUNDGREN: I was struck by
the fact that it wasn't like
450
00:21:55,410 --> 00:21:58,760
anything else
that I was normally getting.
451
00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:02,020
It is sometimes like
butterfly hunting.
452
00:22:02,070 --> 00:22:04,160
You're looking for some species
453
00:22:04,200 --> 00:22:07,380
that nobody has ever
discovered before.
454
00:22:10,290 --> 00:22:12,640
So they set up a demo
455
00:22:12,690 --> 00:22:14,690
as if it was like a whole venue.
456
00:22:14,730 --> 00:22:18,470
They had this rehearsal space
out in the Valley.
457
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:20,480
They called it
the Doggy Factory,
458
00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:22,610
which implied that doggies
were made there,
459
00:22:22,650 --> 00:22:25,260
but it was actually doggy beds.
[CHUCKLES]
460
00:22:25,310 --> 00:22:27,360
JAMES LOWE: Yeah, that's...
it was all left-handed.
461
00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:29,620
It was... I mean, this band,
you're gonna go see 'em
462
00:22:29,660 --> 00:22:31,400
at a doggy bed factory.
463
00:22:31,440 --> 00:22:34,310
I thought they were joking.
I thought it was a club.
464
00:22:34,360 --> 00:22:36,320
RUNDGREN: We all sat down
in some folding chairs,
465
00:22:36,360 --> 00:22:38,450
and they put on a whole show.
466
00:22:38,490 --> 00:22:40,930
MANKEY:
The biggest number, uh,
467
00:22:40,980 --> 00:22:42,550
I guess it would have to be
the song
468
00:22:42,590 --> 00:22:44,460
"Slowboat."
469
00:22:44,500 --> 00:22:47,160
There was a papier-mâché boat.
470
00:22:47,200 --> 00:22:49,420
Russell would sit in this boat
471
00:22:49,460 --> 00:22:52,110
and be towed across the floor
by the roadie.
472
00:22:52,160 --> 00:22:55,160
RUSSELL: I got in it as if it
was like a Rose Parade float,
473
00:22:55,210 --> 00:22:57,260
and I was waving to the audience
474
00:22:57,300 --> 00:22:59,390
as the captain
of this slow boat.
475
00:22:59,430 --> 00:23:01,740
MANKEY: And about three feet
later, he'd have to stop
476
00:23:01,780 --> 00:23:04,570
because it would be
the end of the stage.
477
00:23:04,610 --> 00:23:05,660
LOWE:
My wife thought
478
00:23:05,700 --> 00:23:07,750
Russ was, uh, very cute,
479
00:23:07,780 --> 00:23:10,000
and I kept asking her
about the music,
480
00:23:10,050 --> 00:23:12,010
but she kept telling me
how cute Russ was.
481
00:23:12,050 --> 00:23:14,970
Russ was really cute. [LAUGHS]
482
00:23:17,660 --> 00:23:19,400
RUNDGREN:
I was
483
00:23:19,450 --> 00:23:21,710
well proud of the effort
that they put out
484
00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:24,500
and said,
"We'll make a record."
485
00:23:24,540 --> 00:23:29,550
♪ Slow boat, bring me back
another day... ♪
486
00:23:29,590 --> 00:23:32,810
Of course, everything
that happened after that was...
487
00:23:32,850 --> 00:23:34,630
was evolutionary.
488
00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:37,030
♪
489
00:23:48,960 --> 00:23:50,740
- [SONG ENDS]
- [CROWD CHEERING]
490
00:23:50,780 --> 00:23:53,090
[INDISTINCT RADIO CHATTER]
491
00:23:55,660 --> 00:23:57,790
MAN: Sorry, Sam, can we
take that back a little ways?
492
00:23:57,830 --> 00:23:59,700
We'll pick it up.
493
00:23:59,750 --> 00:24:02,450
RUSSELL: We really were
elated that now things
494
00:24:02,490 --> 00:24:04,230
seemed real for once.
495
00:24:04,270 --> 00:24:06,270
FEINSTEIN:
It was really amazing.
496
00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:07,710
It was really surreal.
497
00:24:07,760 --> 00:24:09,200
It was like, "My God, this is...
498
00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:10,420
How did I get here?
This is incredible."
499
00:24:10,460 --> 00:24:13,200
RUSSELL:
It just, uh, seemed like
500
00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,160
we were soon gonna be at
the Hollywood Bowl ourselves.
501
00:24:20,250 --> 00:24:22,510
FEINSTEIN: The making of
the album was so much fun.
502
00:24:22,550 --> 00:24:25,250
It was great.
Uh, we had what seemed like
503
00:24:25,300 --> 00:24:27,520
an unlimited amount of time
in a good studio.
504
00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:28,780
♪ All will join in
505
00:24:28,820 --> 00:24:30,690
♪ In the
big scene... ♪
506
00:24:30,740 --> 00:24:33,350
RON: To Todd's credit,
he really made us feel at home
507
00:24:33,390 --> 00:24:36,960
and more importantly
made us feel at home musically
508
00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:39,960
because he really wanted us
to keep to the essence
509
00:24:40,010 --> 00:24:42,140
of what the demos were.
510
00:24:42,180 --> 00:24:44,790
♪ Take a tall one,
take a small one... ♪
511
00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:46,760
RUNDGREN:
I didn't want to mess with
512
00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,630
this latent outsider genius.
513
00:24:49,670 --> 00:24:51,670
I'm just gonna figure out
514
00:24:51,710 --> 00:24:53,670
how to make it
a little bit more high-fidelity,
515
00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:55,900
and that... [LAUGHS]
and that will be fine,
516
00:24:55,940 --> 00:24:58,600
I think.
517
00:24:58,630 --> 00:25:00,370
FEINSTEIN:
This album was gonna be
518
00:25:00,420 --> 00:25:02,950
just phenomenal,
519
00:25:02,990 --> 00:25:04,250
just really good.
520
00:25:06,600 --> 00:25:09,210
RUSSELL: We released
the Halfnelson album,
521
00:25:09,250 --> 00:25:12,520
and it didn't really get
the commercial success
522
00:25:12,560 --> 00:25:16,480
that I think Todd
was hoping for.
523
00:25:17,610 --> 00:25:19,570
KAPRANOS:
With Sparks, you have this
524
00:25:19,610 --> 00:25:21,870
strange combination of...
525
00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:23,880
almost creative recklessness
526
00:25:23,920 --> 00:25:26,050
because they don't follow
the conventional path,
527
00:25:26,100 --> 00:25:28,060
which is what makes them
great as a fan.
528
00:25:30,190 --> 00:25:32,190
There's this force of creativity
529
00:25:32,230 --> 00:25:34,360
that goes into
that experimentation,
530
00:25:34,410 --> 00:25:36,590
but the culture isn't there yet.
531
00:25:36,630 --> 00:25:38,810
And then you find yourself
in the real world
532
00:25:38,850 --> 00:25:40,770
where you have to sell records.
533
00:25:40,810 --> 00:25:42,680
Well, you did it again.
534
00:25:42,720 --> 00:25:44,200
JACK ANTONOFF:
You look at Sparks,
535
00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:46,110
they're-they're just
blazing this trail, um,
536
00:25:46,160 --> 00:25:47,680
because there's just no...
537
00:25:47,730 --> 00:25:49,340
It-It's the ultimate experience
538
00:25:49,380 --> 00:25:51,120
of what you want
from your artists.
539
00:25:51,160 --> 00:25:54,990
There's just no connection
to what is actually going on
540
00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:57,300
in the world.
541
00:25:57,340 --> 00:25:59,950
FEINSTEIN: The album
didn't sell very well,
542
00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:04,220
so the, uh, marketing geniuses
at the record company said,
543
00:26:04,260 --> 00:26:06,130
"Well, maybe a different name
544
00:26:06,180 --> 00:26:08,490
and a different album cover
would make the difference."
545
00:26:08,530 --> 00:26:10,270
And he goes,
546
00:26:10,310 --> 00:26:12,270
"You guys like comedy.
You like the Marx Brothers.
547
00:26:12,310 --> 00:26:15,050
You're brothers.
So the Sparks Brothers."
548
00:26:15,100 --> 00:26:18,760
And that met with one of those
pregnant pauses from us
549
00:26:18,800 --> 00:26:22,280
where we both stare at-at him,
uh, kind of aghast.
550
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:24,280
FEINSTEIN:
I think we negotiated out
551
00:26:24,330 --> 00:26:27,600
the word "brothers"
and ended up with just Sparks.
552
00:26:28,640 --> 00:26:31,120
["WONDER GIRL"
BY SPARKS PLAYING]
553
00:26:31,160 --> 00:26:32,730
♪ She was
a wonder girl ♪
554
00:26:32,770 --> 00:26:34,860
♪ Some girl, that girl
555
00:26:34,900 --> 00:26:36,900
♪ She was a wonder girl
556
00:26:36,950 --> 00:26:39,870
♪ Some girl, that girl
557
00:26:39,910 --> 00:26:45,050
♪ It was a grand old time
we had ♪
558
00:26:45,090 --> 00:26:46,920
♪ She was there
559
00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:49,750
♪ And I was pretty glad...
560
00:26:49,790 --> 00:26:51,880
HILLY MICHAELS:
We're driving around,
561
00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:54,010
and the radio is kind of on,
562
00:26:54,050 --> 00:26:56,530
and I hear this voice,
and I yell,
563
00:26:56,580 --> 00:26:58,840
"Yo, turn that up!
564
00:26:58,880 --> 00:27:01,970
"What is that? Turn that up.
565
00:27:02,020 --> 00:27:04,200
"Who is that?
566
00:27:04,240 --> 00:27:06,500
"Turn it up louder.
567
00:27:06,540 --> 00:27:08,590
That's amazing."
568
00:27:08,630 --> 00:27:10,200
♪ To her friends
569
00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,680
♪ It's a wonder that
570
00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,420
♪ She always
started trends... ♪
571
00:27:15,460 --> 00:27:19,030
MICHAELS: All the bells and
whistles went off in my head.
572
00:27:19,080 --> 00:27:20,780
The radio announcer
573
00:27:20,820 --> 00:27:23,610
never got back on
and said who that was,
574
00:27:23,650 --> 00:27:25,350
and it haunted me for years.
575
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:31,310
♪ Ooh, wonder girl...
576
00:27:31,350 --> 00:27:33,440
RON: We had made
our first appearance
577
00:27:33,480 --> 00:27:35,610
onAmerican Bandstand,
which was pretty much
578
00:27:35,660 --> 00:27:38,790
the equivalent of being, like,
onTop of the Pops in the UK,
579
00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,360
but we still had no... no money
580
00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,530
and we were on food
assistance plans, food stamps.
581
00:27:44,580 --> 00:27:47,890
And so we went into
a supermarket the next week,
582
00:27:47,930 --> 00:27:50,150
and the checker said,
583
00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:52,720
"Hey, I saw you
on television last week.
584
00:27:52,760 --> 00:27:54,500
You guys were great."
585
00:27:54,550 --> 00:27:57,420
RUSSELL: And then we have
to pull out our food stamps
586
00:27:57,460 --> 00:27:59,550
to the nice lady,
and then she's going,
587
00:27:59,590 --> 00:28:01,770
"Can we get approval
for these poor guys
588
00:28:01,810 --> 00:28:03,900
"on aisle six, please?
589
00:28:03,950 --> 00:28:07,040
Poor people over here
who are on a television show."
590
00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:09,040
♪ Ooh, wonder girl...
591
00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:11,080
- Being humiliated in public.
- RON: Yeah. Yeah.
592
00:28:11,130 --> 00:28:13,350
- Good training.
- Yeah.
593
00:28:13,390 --> 00:28:17,350
I'm immune to humiliation
after that.
594
00:28:17,400 --> 00:28:19,230
♪ Hey, Lisa,
they're having a big party ♪
595
00:28:19,270 --> 00:28:21,450
♪ Down at
the Allele Pool tonight ♪
596
00:28:21,490 --> 00:28:24,190
♪ Ooh, let's do it
597
00:28:24,230 --> 00:28:26,410
["BIOLOGY 2" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
598
00:28:26,450 --> 00:28:28,670
DUPONT: It was a struggle
finding gigs for the band.
599
00:28:28,710 --> 00:28:29,710
So the thing that happened is
600
00:28:29,760 --> 00:28:31,590
the band went far afield.
601
00:28:31,630 --> 00:28:33,070
MANKEY:
It's just ridiculous.
602
00:28:33,110 --> 00:28:35,370
We played some
just terrible places
603
00:28:35,410 --> 00:28:37,800
where they all hated us.
[LAUGHS]
604
00:28:37,850 --> 00:28:39,460
DUPONT: They went
to Redding, California.
605
00:28:39,500 --> 00:28:41,460
It's like, why the hell Redding?
606
00:28:41,510 --> 00:28:46,120
But Houston got off to
a bad start and went downhill.
607
00:28:47,080 --> 00:28:49,080
FEINSTEIN:
So, there we are
608
00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,380
playing for
this redneck audience
609
00:28:51,430 --> 00:28:55,260
that had been there to come see
a band called Cold Blood.
610
00:28:55,300 --> 00:28:58,610
Needless to say, uh,
they did not like us very much.
611
00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:02,140
RUSSELL: I used to,
as part of the stage act,
612
00:29:02,180 --> 00:29:04,400
have this giant wooden
sledgehammer,
613
00:29:04,440 --> 00:29:07,620
with this, like,
really heavy mallet on it.
614
00:29:07,660 --> 00:29:09,880
MANKEY: He'd throw
the sledgehammer up in the air
615
00:29:09,930 --> 00:29:12,020
and catch it, but this time,
he didn't catch it.
616
00:29:14,630 --> 00:29:17,290
Came down... slam!
on his head.
617
00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:19,020
And I won't say
it knocked him out,
618
00:29:19,070 --> 00:29:20,860
but he was extremely bloody.
619
00:29:20,890 --> 00:29:23,590
RUSSELL: And I had
this giant gash on my head,
620
00:29:23,640 --> 00:29:25,950
and I'm bleeding
and blood's flowing down.
621
00:29:25,990 --> 00:29:27,820
But the audience seemed
to think it was
622
00:29:27,860 --> 00:29:29,470
part of our show,
like it was... you know,
623
00:29:29,510 --> 00:29:30,820
it was Alice Cooper
with a blood capsule,
624
00:29:30,860 --> 00:29:32,780
but this was no blood capsule.
625
00:29:32,820 --> 00:29:37,480
This was my kind of brain, uh,
oozing out onto the stage.
626
00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:41,000
We're all laughing
up until we see Ron's reaction.
627
00:29:41,040 --> 00:29:43,910
And Ron's reaction is
a combination of,
628
00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:47,050
"How dare you laugh?"
629
00:29:47,090 --> 00:29:50,050
and, "Oh, my God,
Russ is gonna die."
630
00:29:50,100 --> 00:29:51,750
FEINSTEIN:
I didn't even know
631
00:29:51,790 --> 00:29:53,440
he hit himself in the head
until after it was over.
632
00:29:53,490 --> 00:29:55,140
Then we went backstage,
633
00:29:55,190 --> 00:29:58,280
and I saw he was bleeding,
and big brother Ron,
634
00:29:58,320 --> 00:29:59,890
of course, was very concerned.
635
00:29:59,930 --> 00:30:01,760
- Was I?
- WRIGHT: Yeah.
636
00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,450
- Oh, times change.
- [LAUGHTER]
637
00:30:08,900 --> 00:30:10,340
RUSSELL:
The next album
638
00:30:10,380 --> 00:30:11,900
that we would come up with,
639
00:30:11,940 --> 00:30:13,720
which was called
Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing,
640
00:30:13,770 --> 00:30:15,690
was produced by Jim Lowe.
641
00:30:15,730 --> 00:30:17,120
LOWE:
They were what I thought
642
00:30:17,170 --> 00:30:19,390
rock and roll was
supposed to be.
643
00:30:19,430 --> 00:30:20,870
And I thought,
"If this doesn't happen,
644
00:30:20,910 --> 00:30:22,520
what am I gonna go do next?"
645
00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:25,000
What would you produce
after you did Sparks?
646
00:30:26,180 --> 00:30:28,050
MANKEY:
The fact that the second album
647
00:30:28,090 --> 00:30:30,310
was more experimental
than the first album,
648
00:30:30,350 --> 00:30:32,180
I think, was just
a natural progression.
649
00:30:32,220 --> 00:30:33,870
It might have been better.
650
00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:36,880
It was certainly
more complex, more artistic.
651
00:30:36,930 --> 00:30:40,370
I thought that made for
a more interesting album.
652
00:30:40,410 --> 00:30:43,670
RON: In a way, that album is
even more eccentric,
653
00:30:43,710 --> 00:30:45,890
I think, than...
than the first album.
654
00:30:45,930 --> 00:30:49,150
And so, you know, it was
really inspiring to us to know
655
00:30:49,200 --> 00:30:50,720
that they were giving us
this permission
656
00:30:50,760 --> 00:30:54,030
to kind of commit
self-destruction.
657
00:30:54,070 --> 00:30:56,420
[TIRES SQUEALING]
658
00:30:59,950 --> 00:31:02,000
♪ Whippings and apologies...
659
00:31:03,690 --> 00:31:06,820
LOWE: Those two records are
my two favorite records
660
00:31:06,870 --> 00:31:08,830
that I've been involved with.
661
00:31:08,870 --> 00:31:09,910
And I told my wife
662
00:31:09,960 --> 00:31:11,960
after the Wooferalbum,
663
00:31:12,000 --> 00:31:14,090
I said,
"If this album doesn't...
664
00:31:14,140 --> 00:31:15,790
"doesn't make some noise
or do something,
665
00:31:15,830 --> 00:31:17,700
I'm gonna go into
another business."
666
00:31:17,750 --> 00:31:20,060
It was just, "I-I don't know
anything about music.
667
00:31:20,100 --> 00:31:21,970
If people don't like
this stuff, it's crazy."
668
00:31:22,010 --> 00:31:24,670
And so I started, uh,
669
00:31:24,710 --> 00:31:26,760
directing
television commercials.
670
00:31:26,800 --> 00:31:28,540
[LAUGHTER]
671
00:31:28,590 --> 00:31:29,550
RUNDGREN:
It didn't create the spark
672
00:31:29,590 --> 00:31:30,850
that they... [LAUGHS]
673
00:31:30,890 --> 00:31:32,800
that they had hoped for.
674
00:31:34,420 --> 00:31:36,250
RUSSELL: They said,
"Well, it's not really
675
00:31:36,290 --> 00:31:38,290
"clicking here in the States,
but the sensibility
676
00:31:38,330 --> 00:31:40,510
"seems to be something
that we think
677
00:31:40,550 --> 00:31:42,600
would go over better
in the UK."
678
00:31:42,640 --> 00:31:44,770
And all of a sudden, one day,
679
00:31:44,820 --> 00:31:47,210
we're on a frigging airplane
to London.
680
00:31:49,350 --> 00:31:51,610
["GIRL FROM GERMANY" BY SPARKS
PLAYING]
681
00:31:55,700 --> 00:31:59,010
♪ How I wished my folks
were gracious hosts... ♪
682
00:31:59,050 --> 00:32:01,790
RUSSELL: Getting to see,
you know, Buckingham Palace
683
00:32:01,830 --> 00:32:04,180
and riding on the tube,
and we were
684
00:32:04,230 --> 00:32:07,190
living the good life
in our small little way.
685
00:32:09,580 --> 00:32:11,890
FEINSTEIN: Back in the Doggy
Factory, we had a picture
686
00:32:11,930 --> 00:32:13,930
on the wall of John's Children,
687
00:32:13,980 --> 00:32:16,160
and they were really
cool-looking guys.
688
00:32:16,200 --> 00:32:19,250
When we got over there,
John was our manager.
689
00:32:19,290 --> 00:32:21,070
JOHN HEWLETT: The idea was,
would I look after them
690
00:32:21,120 --> 00:32:24,040
and try and secure TV,
et cetera, and, uh,
691
00:32:24,070 --> 00:32:26,860
some shows in London and press,
which we did.
692
00:32:26,900 --> 00:32:29,120
♪ What a war, some war
693
00:32:29,170 --> 00:32:31,650
♪ Lord knows
she's from Germany ♪
694
00:32:31,690 --> 00:32:33,260
♪ Well, it's
the same old country ♪
695
00:32:33,300 --> 00:32:34,780
♪ But the people
have changed... ♪
696
00:32:34,820 --> 00:32:36,080
HEWLETT:
The only TV we did, I think,
697
00:32:36,130 --> 00:32:37,650
was theGrey Whistle Test,
698
00:32:37,700 --> 00:32:40,010
which Bob Harris said
was, like, the worst band
699
00:32:40,050 --> 00:32:41,180
he'd ever seen.
700
00:32:43,400 --> 00:32:45,450
MORLEY: Old Grey Whistle Test
was dark and underground,
701
00:32:45,490 --> 00:32:47,230
and it was a bit worthy.
702
00:32:47,270 --> 00:32:51,060
And the-the presenter
Bob Harris didn't like Sparks.
703
00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:52,840
That was actually
a-a real turn-on
704
00:32:52,890 --> 00:32:55,200
because whatever Bob
didn't like, you kind of liked.
705
00:32:55,240 --> 00:32:56,810
Great stuff.
706
00:32:56,850 --> 00:32:58,680
Everybody saw us
on Old Grey Whistle Test,
707
00:32:58,720 --> 00:33:00,290
and being on the telly
was a big deal.
708
00:33:00,330 --> 00:33:03,510
So, when we then got
the follow-up gig
709
00:33:03,550 --> 00:33:07,470
at the Marquee Club,
the place was packed.
710
00:33:07,510 --> 00:33:09,290
MORLEY:
Almost in that first moment,
711
00:33:09,340 --> 00:33:11,210
when you see something
like Sparks,
712
00:33:11,250 --> 00:33:12,640
which is just so distinctive
713
00:33:12,690 --> 00:33:14,690
and sounds so distinctive,
714
00:33:14,730 --> 00:33:16,340
everything that you ever
feel about them
715
00:33:16,390 --> 00:33:18,570
for the rest of time
is in there.
716
00:33:18,610 --> 00:33:21,480
♪ Oh, my word,
she's from Germany ♪
717
00:33:21,520 --> 00:33:23,440
♪ Well, it's
the same old country ♪
718
00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:25,790
♪ But the people
have changed... ♪
719
00:33:25,830 --> 00:33:28,140
RON: "Girl from Germany"
was kind of a harbinger
720
00:33:28,180 --> 00:33:32,230
of things to come for us
in a lyrical way, I think.
721
00:33:32,270 --> 00:33:36,270
It's about a guy
who's defending his girlfriend,
722
00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,370
who happens to be from Germany,
723
00:33:38,410 --> 00:33:40,760
to his parents who are Jewish.
724
00:33:40,800 --> 00:33:43,280
♪ Well, the car I drive
is parked outside... ♪
725
00:33:43,330 --> 00:33:44,850
JANE WIEDLIN:
They come out with this song,
726
00:33:44,890 --> 00:33:45,850
and it's like,
are you kidding me?
727
00:33:45,900 --> 00:33:47,680
They're, like, talking about
728
00:33:47,720 --> 00:33:50,110
how people still hate
Germans and stuff,
729
00:33:50,160 --> 00:33:52,160
and it's so sick and so funny.
730
00:33:53,470 --> 00:33:56,520
MIKE MYERS: My favorite lyric
from a Sparks song is
731
00:33:56,560 --> 00:33:59,390
from "Girl from Germany,"
which is, uh...
732
00:33:59,430 --> 00:34:01,650
"My word, she's from Germany.
733
00:34:01,690 --> 00:34:04,220
It's the same old country,
but the people have changed."
734
00:34:04,260 --> 00:34:07,740
Which is, like,
well played, well played.
735
00:34:07,790 --> 00:34:12,100
♪ With its splendid castles
and its fine cuisine ♪
736
00:34:12,140 --> 00:34:13,790
♪ Its lovely German women
737
00:34:13,840 --> 00:34:16,450
- ♪ And you and me.
- [SONG ENDS]
738
00:34:17,750 --> 00:34:19,400
FEINSTEIN: There's a better
than even chance
739
00:34:19,450 --> 00:34:22,150
that it would've continued
moving onward and upward
740
00:34:22,190 --> 00:34:24,670
had the record company
at that point not decided
741
00:34:24,720 --> 00:34:25,850
that, "Well, we've
invested enough.
742
00:34:25,890 --> 00:34:27,500
"We're gonna pull the plug,
743
00:34:27,540 --> 00:34:29,760
and we're gonna bring 'em
back to America."
744
00:34:29,810 --> 00:34:31,680
DUPONT: They literally were
thrown out of England.
745
00:34:31,720 --> 00:34:33,240
It was like one day's notice,
746
00:34:33,290 --> 00:34:35,290
you're on an airplane,
you're out of here.
747
00:34:35,340 --> 00:34:36,950
"Pack your gear
and get out of here."
748
00:34:38,290 --> 00:34:40,120
FEINSTEIN: We had built up
way more momentum
749
00:34:40,170 --> 00:34:41,780
in London than we had in L.A.,
750
00:34:41,820 --> 00:34:44,130
but whatever momentum
we had built up in L.A.
751
00:34:44,170 --> 00:34:46,390
had completely died out.
752
00:34:46,430 --> 00:34:48,740
My memory of what the mood
was like
753
00:34:48,780 --> 00:34:50,830
at that time was,
754
00:34:50,870 --> 00:34:53,610
"Well, you know, this thing
may have run its course."
755
00:34:53,660 --> 00:34:55,750
["DO-RE-MI" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
756
00:35:01,140 --> 00:35:03,320
RON:
We were kind of stuck in a way,
757
00:35:03,360 --> 00:35:05,140
knowing that there was
758
00:35:05,190 --> 00:35:08,150
this promised land that was...
that was there for us
759
00:35:08,190 --> 00:35:11,110
if we could only figure out
how to get there.
760
00:35:11,150 --> 00:35:13,670
HEWLETT: They called and said
they'd like to come over
761
00:35:13,720 --> 00:35:15,770
and, um, yeah, could I help?
762
00:35:15,810 --> 00:35:17,510
Which I could and did.
763
00:35:17,550 --> 00:35:20,600
I talked to David Betteridge
at Island Records,
764
00:35:20,640 --> 00:35:22,860
and David said,
"Yeah, go for it."
765
00:35:22,900 --> 00:35:24,210
[CHEERING]
766
00:35:24,250 --> 00:35:25,690
As soon as I saw the pictures
767
00:35:25,730 --> 00:35:26,910
of Ron and Russell...
768
00:35:26,950 --> 00:35:28,560
this was before I'd met them...
769
00:35:28,610 --> 00:35:30,180
just looking at the pictures
770
00:35:30,220 --> 00:35:33,010
and listening
to those first two albums,
771
00:35:33,040 --> 00:35:35,260
straightaway, it all made sense.
772
00:35:35,310 --> 00:35:37,830
It seemed to me
that the only way
773
00:35:37,880 --> 00:35:39,530
that we could get this happening
774
00:35:39,570 --> 00:35:42,750
is if we made it
a little bit more rock and roll
775
00:35:42,790 --> 00:35:46,050
and get an English
backing group with them.
776
00:35:46,100 --> 00:35:47,450
FEINSTEIN:
A friend of mine said,
777
00:35:47,490 --> 00:35:49,270
"I saw your old band buddies.
778
00:35:49,320 --> 00:35:51,190
"They're having a garage sale.
779
00:35:51,240 --> 00:35:53,200
And they told me that
they were moving to England."
780
00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:54,940
And I said, "What?
They're moving to England?
781
00:35:54,980 --> 00:35:55,980
News to me."
782
00:35:57,200 --> 00:35:58,460
RON:
A yard sale in anybody's yard
783
00:35:58,500 --> 00:36:01,590
in Los Angeles means
bad news for somebody.
784
00:36:01,640 --> 00:36:03,900
It was an agonizing decision
785
00:36:03,940 --> 00:36:05,990
for Ron and Russ to-to, uh,
786
00:36:06,030 --> 00:36:08,550
cut the band loose
and go to England.
787
00:36:08,600 --> 00:36:13,080
RON: To betray the other people
was a really difficult thing,
788
00:36:13,130 --> 00:36:16,570
but also knowing that being
789
00:36:16,610 --> 00:36:20,270
a British band
was a lifetime dream of ours.
790
00:36:20,310 --> 00:36:22,440
FEINSTEIN: They were
on the horns of a dilemma.
791
00:36:22,480 --> 00:36:24,570
Obviously, I think
they made the right decision.
792
00:36:24,620 --> 00:36:26,540
The rest is history.
793
00:36:26,580 --> 00:36:30,320
[BELLS CHIMING]
794
00:36:32,230 --> 00:36:34,230
RUSSELL:
The bands that we had admired,
795
00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:37,110
these English bands
that we liked so much,
796
00:36:37,150 --> 00:36:39,110
we always thought of them
as being glamorous
797
00:36:39,150 --> 00:36:41,890
and-and bigger than life.
798
00:36:41,940 --> 00:36:44,380
So, when we put out
these ads for band members,
799
00:36:44,420 --> 00:36:46,770
we were kind of trying
to find people
800
00:36:46,810 --> 00:36:50,030
that would fulfill that image
of ours of this England
801
00:36:50,080 --> 00:36:53,690
that was maybe
just in our minds.
802
00:36:55,210 --> 00:36:56,730
WINWOOD:
Straightaway, it worked.
803
00:36:56,780 --> 00:36:58,390
It just worked.
804
00:36:58,430 --> 00:37:00,690
HEWLETT: Each time
you'd go to the rehearsal room,
805
00:37:00,740 --> 00:37:03,180
there'd be something new there.
806
00:37:03,220 --> 00:37:04,610
I'm like, "Shit, that's good."
807
00:37:04,660 --> 00:37:06,140
Um, you know,
then the next rehearsal.
808
00:37:06,180 --> 00:37:07,400
"Wow, that song's good."
809
00:37:08,920 --> 00:37:11,660
WINWOOD: We found a momentum
very quickly,
810
00:37:11,710 --> 00:37:14,580
and when we got enough tracks
to make an album,
811
00:37:14,620 --> 00:37:16,320
then we said,
812
00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:17,750
"We've made an album."
813
00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:19,850
RUSSELL:
Well, everybody at Island was
814
00:37:19,890 --> 00:37:21,630
really ecstatic about the album
815
00:37:21,670 --> 00:37:23,370
and really supportive.
816
00:37:23,420 --> 00:37:24,940
And-and especially in picking
817
00:37:24,980 --> 00:37:26,420
"This Town Ain't Big Enough
for Both of Us"
818
00:37:26,460 --> 00:37:28,460
to be the first song,
'cause it was...
819
00:37:28,510 --> 00:37:30,290
you know,
it was taking a chance,
820
00:37:30,340 --> 00:37:33,690
it was going for something
that was really extreme.
821
00:37:35,210 --> 00:37:37,470
TONY VISCONTI: "This Town Ain't
Big Enough for the Both of Us"
822
00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:39,960
was the first record I heard
by them on the radio.
823
00:37:40,000 --> 00:37:42,700
I remember I-I had a, uh...
a darkroom in my home,
824
00:37:42,740 --> 00:37:44,440
and that came on in the dark.
825
00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:46,350
I nearly dropped my tongs,
826
00:37:46,390 --> 00:37:48,440
as they say
in the photography world.
827
00:37:48,480 --> 00:37:50,480
VINCE CLARKE: The first thing
that I ever bought was, um,
828
00:37:50,530 --> 00:37:52,180
"This Town Ain't Big Enough
for the Both of Us."
829
00:37:52,230 --> 00:37:53,800
I just played it nonstop
830
00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:56,230
until the grooves wore out
pretty much, you know.
831
00:37:56,270 --> 00:37:59,050
ANDY BELL: My granddad was
a wedding DJ, and he had
832
00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:00,150
"This Town Ain't Big Enough
833
00:38:00,190 --> 00:38:02,020
for the Both of Us" by Sparks.
834
00:38:02,060 --> 00:38:04,850
I remember hearing, uh,
835
00:38:04,890 --> 00:38:07,280
"This Town Ain't Big Enough for
the Both of Us" and just going,
836
00:38:07,330 --> 00:38:10,330
"I've never heard
anything like this."
837
00:38:10,370 --> 00:38:13,290
♪
838
00:38:24,040 --> 00:38:25,650
RUSSELL: Everyone at
the record label said,
839
00:38:25,690 --> 00:38:27,480
"It's gonna become a big hit
if we can just
840
00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:29,610
get you
on theTop of the Pops."
841
00:38:29,650 --> 00:38:32,220
The producer of the show was
a very dapper gentleman,
842
00:38:32,270 --> 00:38:34,880
and he said, "Oh, hello.
My name is Robin Nash.
843
00:38:34,920 --> 00:38:36,310
Nice to meet you."
844
00:38:36,360 --> 00:38:38,580
I said,
"Hi. My name is Russell."
845
00:38:38,620 --> 00:38:41,450
He was taken aback a bit
that I was an American,
846
00:38:41,490 --> 00:38:43,410
and he went
and made a phone call
847
00:38:43,450 --> 00:38:45,060
and had taken us off the show
848
00:38:45,100 --> 00:38:47,620
because we hadn't gotten
work permits.
849
00:38:47,670 --> 00:38:50,890
- So everyone at Island was
just distraught. - [SCREAMING]
850
00:38:50,940 --> 00:38:52,590
It allowed another band,
851
00:38:52,630 --> 00:38:54,810
one of the greats of all time,
The Rubettes,
852
00:38:54,850 --> 00:38:57,110
to take our place,
853
00:38:57,160 --> 00:38:59,900
and so they sadly reached
number one.
854
00:38:59,950 --> 00:39:02,470
RON: You know, all through
our career, there have been
855
00:39:02,510 --> 00:39:06,510
The Rubettes
in-in some form or other.
856
00:39:06,560 --> 00:39:08,870
I love "Sugar Baby Love"
by The Rubettes.
857
00:39:08,910 --> 00:39:11,480
- WRIGHT: Ron will hate you
for that. - [LAUGHS]
858
00:39:11,520 --> 00:39:14,440
DIFFORD:
But where are they now?
859
00:39:14,480 --> 00:39:17,090
RUSSELL: Finally, the British
Musicians' Union relented,
860
00:39:17,140 --> 00:39:18,710
and there we were.
861
00:39:18,750 --> 00:39:20,930
"This Town Ain't Big Enough
for the Both of Us."
862
00:39:20,970 --> 00:39:22,230
♪
863
00:39:22,270 --> 00:39:23,970
BJOÖRK:
I loved his voice.
864
00:39:24,010 --> 00:39:26,750
You know, I-I guess it was
kind of like a bit...
865
00:39:26,800 --> 00:39:30,020
I don't know what it was...
quite feminine, I guess.
866
00:39:30,060 --> 00:39:33,500
Quite sort of...
possessed or something.
867
00:39:33,540 --> 00:39:35,800
It definitely wasn't
like rock and roll.
868
00:39:35,850 --> 00:39:37,900
♪ Zoo time is
she and you time ♪
869
00:39:37,940 --> 00:39:39,860
♪ The mammals are
your favorite type ♪
870
00:39:39,900 --> 00:39:42,420
♪ And you want her tonight
871
00:39:42,470 --> 00:39:44,430
♪ Heartbeat,
increasing heartbeat ♪
872
00:39:44,470 --> 00:39:47,040
♪ You hear the thunder
of stampeding rhinos ♪
873
00:39:47,080 --> 00:39:49,260
♪ Elephants and tacky tigers
874
00:39:49,300 --> 00:39:53,090
♪ This town ain't big enough
for the both of us ♪
875
00:39:53,130 --> 00:39:57,050
♪ And it ain't me
who's gonna leave... ♪
876
00:39:57,090 --> 00:39:59,090
I think there were
60 million people
877
00:39:59,130 --> 00:40:00,960
at that time in the UK, and...
878
00:40:01,010 --> 00:40:04,320
and 15 million of them were
watching Top of the Pops.
879
00:40:05,790 --> 00:40:08,450
CLARKE: When I was growing up,
I never knew anybody
880
00:40:08,490 --> 00:40:10,360
that went to university,
but I never knew anyone
881
00:40:10,410 --> 00:40:12,020
that didn't watch
Top of the Pops.
882
00:40:12,060 --> 00:40:13,630
DIFFORD:
When I saw them
883
00:40:13,670 --> 00:40:15,150
onTop of the Pops
for the first time,
884
00:40:15,190 --> 00:40:18,500
I instantly wanted to be
the keyboard player.
885
00:40:18,540 --> 00:40:21,150
I wanted to be the quiet one
that didn't say anything.
886
00:40:21,200 --> 00:40:24,380
I remember sitting there
probably with my parents
887
00:40:24,420 --> 00:40:26,940
in front of Top of the Pops
on a Thursday night
888
00:40:26,990 --> 00:40:29,210
and seeing these two guys
on there,
889
00:40:29,250 --> 00:40:31,470
thinking, "What is that?"
890
00:40:31,510 --> 00:40:32,900
♪ Daily, except for Sunday
891
00:40:32,950 --> 00:40:35,040
♪ You dawdle into the café...
892
00:40:35,080 --> 00:40:36,260
MARK GATISS:
Everyone came
893
00:40:36,300 --> 00:40:37,820
to school the next day saying,
894
00:40:37,870 --> 00:40:39,520
"Did you see that guy?"
895
00:40:39,570 --> 00:40:40,960
[LAUGHS]
896
00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:42,180
The-the man
who looked like Hitler.
897
00:40:43,740 --> 00:40:46,130
RON: A lot of people say,
"Why the Charlie Chaplin look?"
898
00:40:46,180 --> 00:40:48,440
And a lot of people say,
"Why the Hitler look?"
899
00:40:48,490 --> 00:40:50,490
And both of those people
900
00:40:50,530 --> 00:40:54,140
seem to me to be
cartoon characters in a way.
901
00:40:55,540 --> 00:40:57,370
MORLEY: The next day,
when you talk about it,
902
00:40:57,410 --> 00:40:59,850
the word of mouth begins
in a way that is viral...
903
00:40:59,890 --> 00:41:01,330
like we now have, obviously,
on everything...
904
00:41:01,370 --> 00:41:02,890
but back then,
that was a rare thing.
905
00:41:02,940 --> 00:41:04,510
And you start
to make things up slightly.
906
00:41:04,550 --> 00:41:06,160
One of my favorite anecdotes
907
00:41:06,200 --> 00:41:08,380
about thatTop of the Pops
appearance is...
908
00:41:08,420 --> 00:41:10,900
is John Lennon ringing up
Ringo Starr and saying...
909
00:41:10,940 --> 00:41:13,470
- You won't believe what's
on the television. - What?
910
00:41:13,510 --> 00:41:16,910
- Marc Bolan is playing a song
with Adolf Hitler. - Hitler?
911
00:41:16,950 --> 00:41:18,910
MORLEY: But that's how,
unfortunately, we all thought.
912
00:41:18,950 --> 00:41:19,910
We all thought
913
00:41:19,950 --> 00:41:21,560
Adolf Hitler.
914
00:41:21,610 --> 00:41:24,000
SHELLEY WINTERS: Two years ago,
there was somebody
915
00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:26,040
dressed like Hitler
playing the piano on the BBC.
916
00:41:26,090 --> 00:41:29,530
Sparks.
She's talking about Sparks.
917
00:41:29,570 --> 00:41:31,830
He-he was born
looking like Hitler, that guy.
918
00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:33,100
[LAUGHTER]
919
00:41:34,710 --> 00:41:36,410
MORLEY: From then on,
every single piece ever written
920
00:41:36,450 --> 00:41:39,540
about the group would just say
"Adolf Hitler," which also
921
00:41:39,580 --> 00:41:41,060
really kind of weirdly
tangled up
922
00:41:41,110 --> 00:41:42,370
in the myth of the group.
923
00:41:42,410 --> 00:41:44,590
You know,
the shock to the system
924
00:41:44,630 --> 00:41:47,890
as a piece of choreography,
let alone his appearance,
925
00:41:47,940 --> 00:41:49,550
was so remarkable
that immediately
926
00:41:49,590 --> 00:41:51,980
it started to grow
in your imagination.
927
00:41:52,030 --> 00:41:53,340
GILLIAN GILBERT:
They're playing this upbeat,
928
00:41:53,380 --> 00:41:55,820
energetic, fantastic music,
929
00:41:55,860 --> 00:41:57,690
and he just stood there.
930
00:41:57,730 --> 00:42:00,560
I think it's really clever.
931
00:42:00,600 --> 00:42:03,340
WINWOOD: The following day,
I remember going in
932
00:42:03,390 --> 00:42:06,000
and one of
the sales guys saying,
933
00:42:06,040 --> 00:42:09,300
"We've done 200,000 singles
today already.
934
00:42:09,350 --> 00:42:10,960
"The vans are out everywhere,
935
00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,220
and there were people
buying boxes of them."
936
00:42:14,270 --> 00:42:16,930
That is a fantastic feeling.
937
00:42:16,970 --> 00:42:19,710
RHODES: John and I have said,
"Always judge an album
938
00:42:19,750 --> 00:42:21,400
by its cover."
939
00:42:21,450 --> 00:42:24,240
Um, so if something has
a dreadful album cover,
940
00:42:24,280 --> 00:42:25,890
don't buy it.
941
00:42:25,930 --> 00:42:28,590
♪
942
00:42:28,630 --> 00:42:30,370
JONATHAN ROSS: The cover's
amazing, with the two
943
00:42:30,410 --> 00:42:32,330
kind of Geisha girls
with the smeared makeup on.
944
00:42:32,370 --> 00:42:35,030
Here, you have this image
which should be and could be
945
00:42:35,070 --> 00:42:36,330
perfect and pristine,
and if it had been
946
00:42:36,380 --> 00:42:37,770
another band of the period,
947
00:42:37,810 --> 00:42:39,380
it would have been...
there would have been...
948
00:42:39,420 --> 00:42:40,860
They would have been
more objectified.
949
00:42:40,900 --> 00:42:42,420
They're doing...
even with the visual,
950
00:42:42,470 --> 00:42:44,170
they're doing
something interesting,
951
00:42:44,210 --> 00:42:45,950
but you can't quite put
your finger on what it is.
952
00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:48,610
MYERS: I was like, "Oh, my God,
this is fantastic."
953
00:42:48,650 --> 00:42:51,960
At once like
fashion photography,
954
00:42:52,000 --> 00:42:55,480
and at once making fun
of fashion photography.
955
00:42:55,530 --> 00:42:58,230
And I think that is something
I love about Sparks is that
956
00:42:58,270 --> 00:42:59,920
they are the ones
957
00:42:59,970 --> 00:43:01,760
they were to mock,
you know, in a weird way.
958
00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:04,580
TAYLOR:
The art direction's just superb.
959
00:43:04,620 --> 00:43:06,800
Imagine, you know, us trying
to convince our record label,
960
00:43:06,840 --> 00:43:09,100
"No, no, no, we don't want
the name of the band,
961
00:43:09,150 --> 00:43:11,630
"uh, uh, and the title
of the album on the front.
962
00:43:11,670 --> 00:43:14,060
No, that's going on the back."
963
00:43:14,110 --> 00:43:17,030
JULIA MARCUS: The joy of
actually having this fantastic
964
00:43:17,070 --> 00:43:18,460
12-inch vinyl in front of you,
965
00:43:18,510 --> 00:43:20,080
and it had the lyrics
on it as well,
966
00:43:20,120 --> 00:43:21,640
and then you're reading
through the lyrics,
967
00:43:21,680 --> 00:43:22,720
and you're thinking,
968
00:43:22,770 --> 00:43:24,600
"This band are amazing."
969
00:43:24,640 --> 00:43:26,900
I had to know everything
about them
970
00:43:26,950 --> 00:43:29,650
and threw myself
into being a fan.
971
00:43:29,690 --> 00:43:32,210
[CHEERING]
972
00:43:32,260 --> 00:43:34,350
♪
973
00:43:46,190 --> 00:43:48,280
RICHARD COBLE: The first tour
was really exciting.
974
00:43:48,320 --> 00:43:49,580
The audience would
just go crazy.
975
00:43:49,620 --> 00:43:52,800
I mean, it was just fandom.
976
00:43:52,840 --> 00:43:54,540
RUSSELL:
We were now thrown into kind of
977
00:43:54,590 --> 00:43:56,110
what we thought was the...
sort of the big league,
978
00:43:56,150 --> 00:43:59,280
having the success
ofKimono My House.
979
00:43:59,330 --> 00:44:02,030
The concerts we were doing
at that time were just
980
00:44:02,070 --> 00:44:03,640
- really wild events.
- [RAUCOUS CHEERING]
981
00:44:03,680 --> 00:44:05,940
And I remember one in Liverpool,
982
00:44:05,990 --> 00:44:07,600
we were pressed
against the glass
983
00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:09,420
of the exterior of the hotel,
984
00:44:09,470 --> 00:44:12,040
just smashed against
the front of the building,
985
00:44:12,080 --> 00:44:13,650
and then finally somebody
helped rescue us
986
00:44:13,690 --> 00:44:15,300
and we went through the kitchen.
987
00:44:15,340 --> 00:44:17,080
You know, it was
a really special period.
988
00:44:17,130 --> 00:44:19,480
♪ Amateur hour goes on and on,
and when you turn pro ♪
989
00:44:19,520 --> 00:44:21,040
♪ You know,
she'll let you know... ♪
990
00:44:21,090 --> 00:44:23,090
STEVE JONES:
I remember vividly seeing them
991
00:44:23,130 --> 00:44:24,960
at Hammersmith Odeon.
992
00:44:25,010 --> 00:44:28,490
And I remember being really
excited about seeing them.
993
00:44:28,530 --> 00:44:33,060
There was a lot of screaming
'cause of cutie-pie on vocals.
994
00:44:33,100 --> 00:44:35,620
It was a given after they'd
been onTop of the Pops.
995
00:44:35,670 --> 00:44:37,890
♪ Our voices change
at a rapid pace... ♪
996
00:44:37,930 --> 00:44:38,930
NICK HEYWARD:
I lived in Beckenham,
997
00:44:38,980 --> 00:44:41,370
and, uh, that's where I saw
998
00:44:41,410 --> 00:44:43,630
Ron and Russell
walking down the street.
999
00:44:43,680 --> 00:44:45,200
And that was
a very strange experience.
1000
00:44:45,240 --> 00:44:47,070
I thought they didn't
really exist.
1001
00:44:47,120 --> 00:44:49,380
You know, they existed onstage,
they existed on the TV,
1002
00:44:49,420 --> 00:44:51,730
and, you know,
they were from other lands.
1003
00:44:51,770 --> 00:44:53,210
I remember sort of
wanting to hide.
1004
00:44:53,250 --> 00:44:54,990
♪ Amateur hour goes on and on
1005
00:44:55,040 --> 00:44:56,780
♪ And when you turn pro,
you know... ♪
1006
00:44:56,820 --> 00:44:58,820
We knew when they were
gonna be at the BBC.
1007
00:44:58,870 --> 00:45:00,700
We knew when they
were gonna be at Capital.
1008
00:45:00,740 --> 00:45:02,960
We knew when they were getting
off a plane at Heathrow.
1009
00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,130
We were detectives
in terms of actually
1010
00:45:05,180 --> 00:45:06,880
finding stuff out about them.
1011
00:45:06,920 --> 00:45:08,710
You know, it was a full-time job
1012
00:45:08,750 --> 00:45:10,620
to make sure we were
on top of it.
1013
00:45:10,660 --> 00:45:13,750
We'd been to see them
quite a few times in London.
1014
00:45:13,790 --> 00:45:16,400
The excitement never,
ever went away.
1015
00:45:16,450 --> 00:45:18,710
It was always just a-a thrill.
1016
00:45:18,760 --> 00:45:21,110
COBLE: Somebody cut the budget
the morning of the show,
1017
00:45:21,150 --> 00:45:22,850
so they canceled security,
1018
00:45:22,890 --> 00:45:24,940
so it was really insane.
1019
00:45:24,980 --> 00:45:27,550
Oh, God, there I am, yeah.
1020
00:45:27,590 --> 00:45:29,680
- [COBLE LAUGHS]
- [RAUCOUS CHEERING]
1021
00:45:31,380 --> 00:45:33,300
MARCUS: Obviously,
Russell was beautiful,
1022
00:45:33,340 --> 00:45:34,950
but I always loved Ron.
1023
00:45:34,990 --> 00:45:37,040
He was different.
1024
00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:39,340
He was a little bit
more challenging.
1025
00:45:39,380 --> 00:45:44,040
I really felt like I could
kind of go places with Ron.
1026
00:45:44,090 --> 00:45:46,350
Oh, that's me.
That's me. That's me.
1027
00:45:46,390 --> 00:45:48,780
I've just put my arm round him.
1028
00:45:48,830 --> 00:45:51,310
[LAUGHING]
1029
00:45:51,350 --> 00:45:53,310
I kind of got to him
1030
00:45:53,360 --> 00:45:57,320
and sort of really did realize
in that moment
1031
00:45:57,360 --> 00:45:59,710
that this was
a terrible thing to do.
1032
00:45:59,750 --> 00:46:01,970
This was a disaster.
1033
00:46:02,020 --> 00:46:04,070
I'm never gonna be able
to talk to him
1034
00:46:04,100 --> 00:46:05,970
on a serious level now
about, you know,
1035
00:46:06,020 --> 00:46:08,940
his love of French cinema
or The Beach Boys.
1036
00:46:08,980 --> 00:46:12,510
I was doomed forever
to be a child to him.
1037
00:46:12,550 --> 00:46:15,640
For everyone's safety,
I think we should have
1038
00:46:15,680 --> 00:46:17,810
a little restraint
in the hall, okay?
1039
00:46:17,860 --> 00:46:20,210
HEWLETT:
I mean, I've always been, like,
1040
00:46:20,250 --> 00:46:22,780
a believer in just...
go for it, you know?
1041
00:46:22,820 --> 00:46:23,820
If you've got material,
1042
00:46:23,860 --> 00:46:25,170
record.
1043
00:46:25,210 --> 00:46:26,860
Tour, record.
Just keep doing it.
1044
00:46:26,910 --> 00:46:28,300
["NEVER TURN YOUR BACK ON
MOTHER EARTH" BY SPARKS PLAYS]
1045
00:46:28,350 --> 00:46:33,270
♪ When she's on
her best behavior ♪
1046
00:46:33,310 --> 00:46:38,180
♪ Don't be tempted
by her favors ♪
1047
00:46:38,230 --> 00:46:41,840
♪ Never turn your back
1048
00:46:41,880 --> 00:46:44,230
♪ On Mother Earth
1049
00:46:48,450 --> 00:46:52,930
♪ Towns are hurled
from A to B ♪
1050
00:46:52,980 --> 00:46:58,420
♪ By hands that looked
so smooth to me ♪
1051
00:46:58,460 --> 00:47:01,900
♪ Never turn your back
1052
00:47:01,940 --> 00:47:04,510
♪ On Mother Earth...
1053
00:47:04,560 --> 00:47:06,610
COBLE: For two years,
we toured the world,
1054
00:47:06,640 --> 00:47:07,770
and we had a great time.
1055
00:47:08,860 --> 00:47:10,600
IAN HAMPTON:
It was very, very hectic
1056
00:47:10,650 --> 00:47:12,650
touring withKimono
and then recordingPropaganda
1057
00:47:12,690 --> 00:47:14,560
kind of at the same time.
1058
00:47:14,610 --> 00:47:16,310
But it was good fun.
1059
00:47:16,350 --> 00:47:19,090
♪ To my friends
1060
00:47:19,140 --> 00:47:21,140
♪ To my friends...
1061
00:47:21,180 --> 00:47:22,830
HEWLETT:
Ron's like a writing machine.
1062
00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:24,490
He wasn't, you know, one for
1063
00:47:24,530 --> 00:47:26,310
drinking in the bar
with the guys,
1064
00:47:26,360 --> 00:47:28,230
and in some ways,
he was quite aloof,
1065
00:47:28,280 --> 00:47:29,850
but that's what Ronnie
would be doing...
1066
00:47:29,890 --> 00:47:31,330
thinking and writing.
1067
00:47:31,370 --> 00:47:33,590
And so the material kept coming.
1068
00:47:33,630 --> 00:47:35,890
Obviously, that was
a demand upon him
1069
00:47:35,940 --> 00:47:38,900
but one that I think
he kind of thrives on.
1070
00:47:38,940 --> 00:47:41,860
♪ On Mother Earth.
1071
00:47:46,380 --> 00:47:48,900
WINWOOD: There's always
massive pressures
1072
00:47:48,950 --> 00:47:50,730
if you've been successful
the first time
1073
00:47:50,780 --> 00:47:52,740
because, first of all,
everybody tells you
1074
00:47:52,780 --> 00:47:54,910
you're a genius,
and then they say,
1075
00:47:54,950 --> 00:47:57,560
"Now do it again."
1076
00:47:57,610 --> 00:48:00,050
Eins, zwei, drei, vier.
Eins, zwei, drei, vier.
1077
00:48:00,090 --> 00:48:03,050
♪ Something for the girl
with everything ♪
1078
00:48:03,090 --> 00:48:04,660
♪ See, the writing's
on the wall ♪
1079
00:48:04,700 --> 00:48:06,700
♪ You bought the girl a wall
1080
00:48:06,750 --> 00:48:09,190
♪ Complete with matching
ballpoint pen ♪
1081
00:48:09,230 --> 00:48:11,190
♪ You can breathe another day
1082
00:48:11,230 --> 00:48:14,060
♪ Secure in knowing
she won't break you yet ♪
1083
00:48:14,100 --> 00:48:16,760
♪ Something for the girl
with everything... ♪
1084
00:48:16,800 --> 00:48:18,590
RON:
I'm not exactly sure
1085
00:48:18,630 --> 00:48:21,200
how we were able to come up
with Propagandaso soon
1086
00:48:21,240 --> 00:48:23,940
after Kimono My House,
and especially
1087
00:48:23,980 --> 00:48:24,940
with all the touring.
1088
00:48:24,980 --> 00:48:26,020
I mean, I think
1089
00:48:26,070 --> 00:48:27,770
part of the thing was just being
1090
00:48:27,810 --> 00:48:28,940
in that milieu.
1091
00:48:28,990 --> 00:48:30,340
♪ Yes, everything
1092
00:48:30,380 --> 00:48:32,300
♪ Hey, come out and say hello
1093
00:48:32,340 --> 00:48:33,820
♪ Before our friends
all go... ♪
1094
00:48:33,860 --> 00:48:35,730
RON:
There was pure excitement
1095
00:48:35,780 --> 00:48:39,310
knowing that you're on this,
you know, fast-moving train
1096
00:48:39,350 --> 00:48:41,480
and-and kind of
you had to kind of
1097
00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:44,350
keep up with that
by coming up with the material.
1098
00:48:45,870 --> 00:48:48,050
MAN: Great, boys. We'll have
to put the piano on again
1099
00:48:48,090 --> 00:48:50,400
'cause Ronnie fell
off the stool.
1100
00:48:50,440 --> 00:48:52,440
- [TRAIN SCREECHING]
- Is that a train?
1101
00:48:53,710 --> 00:48:57,370
And now, as all good things
come to an end,
1102
00:48:57,410 --> 00:49:00,630
we must say goodbye to Zurich,
1103
00:49:00,670 --> 00:49:03,060
auf Wiedersehen to Zurich,
1104
00:49:03,110 --> 00:49:05,070
uh, ciao, Zurich,
1105
00:49:05,110 --> 00:49:08,200
and bon voyage, Zurich.
1106
00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:09,940
♪ Bon voyage...
1107
00:49:09,980 --> 00:49:11,590
HEWLETT:
When the idea was presented
1108
00:49:11,640 --> 00:49:13,690
for the cover,
there was no question.
1109
00:49:13,730 --> 00:49:16,860
I mean, it was like, "These
guys know what they're doing.
1110
00:49:16,900 --> 00:49:18,900
You know, we'll go along
with whatever you want."
1111
00:49:18,950 --> 00:49:22,870
WINWOOD: Yet again,
this is that thing of theirs
1112
00:49:22,910 --> 00:49:26,000
where somehow
they marry their music
1113
00:49:26,040 --> 00:49:29,260
and their visuals
so brilliantly together.
1114
00:49:29,310 --> 00:49:31,700
This is me holding up
the front of it
1115
00:49:31,750 --> 00:49:33,710
so that you can cut to it.
1116
00:49:33,750 --> 00:49:36,970
This is me holding up
the back of it.
1117
00:49:37,010 --> 00:49:39,880
They're obviously
being kidnapped.
1118
00:49:39,930 --> 00:49:42,150
Probably, they're gonna be
thrown overboard and drowned.
1119
00:49:42,190 --> 00:49:45,890
Then you go to the back,
and they're tied up
1120
00:49:45,930 --> 00:49:47,240
in the back of the car.
1121
00:49:47,280 --> 00:49:48,980
And the inside cover,
1122
00:49:49,020 --> 00:49:51,850
they have somehow
not been drowned,
1123
00:49:51,900 --> 00:49:53,550
they haven't been thrown
out of a car,
1124
00:49:53,590 --> 00:49:56,030
and by working together,
1125
00:49:56,070 --> 00:49:59,680
you think maybe they are
phoning the police.
1126
00:49:59,730 --> 00:50:03,040
And I love the fact that
there is some kind of story.
1127
00:50:03,080 --> 00:50:04,780
WRIGHT:
It could be in the other order.
1128
00:50:04,820 --> 00:50:06,520
It could be that
the hotel one is the start,
1129
00:50:06,560 --> 00:50:08,000
then they're put in the car,
1130
00:50:08,040 --> 00:50:09,560
and then they're killed
on the boat.
1131
00:50:09,610 --> 00:50:12,050
- That's why you're a director.
- [LAUGHTER]
1132
00:50:12,090 --> 00:50:15,570
WINWOOD: When you make
successful records,
1133
00:50:15,610 --> 00:50:20,480
there's always a moment in time
where you've got to say,
1134
00:50:20,530 --> 00:50:23,710
"Do we carry on
using the same formula,
1135
00:50:23,750 --> 00:50:26,010
or do we change the formula?"
1136
00:50:26,060 --> 00:50:27,670
You've got to make changes.
1137
00:50:27,710 --> 00:50:29,360
You've got to move things on.
1138
00:50:29,410 --> 00:50:31,720
And, uh, I was one of
the things that was moved on,
1139
00:50:31,760 --> 00:50:33,330
but that's okay.
1140
00:50:33,370 --> 00:50:35,810
["GET IN THE SWING"
BY SPARKS PLAYING]
1141
00:50:35,850 --> 00:50:37,940
♪ Get in
the swing, pal ♪
1142
00:50:37,980 --> 00:50:39,500
♪ Get in the swing
1143
00:50:39,550 --> 00:50:42,210
♪ With everybody
and everything... ♪
1144
00:50:42,250 --> 00:50:46,250
HAMPTON: I loved what Muff did
onPropaganda andKimono,
1145
00:50:46,300 --> 00:50:48,080
and the next album went
to Tony Visconti,
1146
00:50:48,130 --> 00:50:50,050
and it changed rapidly.
1147
00:50:50,080 --> 00:50:52,170
Everything changed.
1148
00:50:52,220 --> 00:50:54,870
♪ When salmon spawn...
1149
00:50:54,910 --> 00:50:56,910
They certainly got Tony Visconti
1150
00:50:56,960 --> 00:50:58,700
at the height of his powers,
1151
00:50:58,740 --> 00:51:01,570
when he was working
with Bowie a lot and T. Rex,
1152
00:51:01,620 --> 00:51:04,320
uh, making
amazing-sounding records.
1153
00:51:04,360 --> 00:51:06,360
♪ But on they go...
1154
00:51:06,400 --> 00:51:08,360
VISCONTI: They didn't want
to make it necessarily
1155
00:51:08,410 --> 00:51:10,670
a strict, straight-up
band record.
1156
00:51:10,710 --> 00:51:11,710
They wanted
1157
00:51:11,760 --> 00:51:13,630
kind of the equivalent of
1158
00:51:13,670 --> 00:51:16,280
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts
Club Bandfor themselves,
1159
00:51:16,330 --> 00:51:19,420
which was difficult for
the other members of the band.
1160
00:51:19,460 --> 00:51:21,980
♪ And have a warm bed
waiting... ♪
1161
00:51:22,030 --> 00:51:23,680
RON:
We're not gonna be fooling
1162
00:51:23,730 --> 00:51:25,560
either ourselves or anybody else
1163
00:51:25,600 --> 00:51:29,130
if the thing just sounds like
it's going through the motions.
1164
00:51:29,170 --> 00:51:31,000
We're willing
to take the chance,
1165
00:51:31,040 --> 00:51:33,560
however many people are...
feel alienated.
1166
00:51:33,610 --> 00:51:35,220
♪ With everybody
and everything... ♪
1167
00:51:35,260 --> 00:51:37,040
BECK:
I know that feeling.
1168
00:51:37,090 --> 00:51:39,350
Maybe that's just
the-the instinct
1169
00:51:39,390 --> 00:51:42,050
of somebody who's coming
1170
00:51:42,090 --> 00:51:43,570
from a place of art,
1171
00:51:43,620 --> 00:51:45,540
not necessarily trying
to make a hit.
1172
00:51:45,570 --> 00:51:48,230
♪ All for one, one for all...
1173
00:51:48,270 --> 00:51:49,530
VISCONTI:
We just let our imaginations
1174
00:51:49,580 --> 00:51:51,150
soar on every song in it.
1175
00:51:51,190 --> 00:51:53,370
You know, it does sound
like Sparks, but I mean,
1176
00:51:53,410 --> 00:51:54,800
it's so far out.
1177
00:51:54,840 --> 00:51:57,150
♪ One, two, three, one, two
1178
00:51:57,190 --> 00:51:59,060
["UNDER THE TABLE WITH HER"
BY SPARKS PLAYING]
1179
00:51:59,110 --> 00:52:00,940
HAMPTON: I never understood
any of it, actually.
1180
00:52:00,980 --> 00:52:03,110
Things like
"Under the Table with Her."
1181
00:52:03,160 --> 00:52:05,160
My God, what's that about?
[CHUCKLES]
1182
00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:06,900
♪ Nobody misses
1183
00:52:06,940 --> 00:52:09,160
♪ Diminutive offspring
1184
00:52:09,210 --> 00:52:11,430
♪ Not when there's
big wigs there... ♪
1185
00:52:11,470 --> 00:52:13,170
VISCONTI:
"Dinner for 12 is now
1186
00:52:13,210 --> 00:52:15,730
dinner for ten because I'm
under the table with her."
1187
00:52:15,780 --> 00:52:18,390
I mean, it... I...
[LAUGHS]: That's just so funny.
1188
00:52:18,430 --> 00:52:20,390
♪ With her...
1189
00:52:23,220 --> 00:52:25,700
GAIMAN:
You had Russell singing songs
1190
00:52:25,740 --> 00:52:29,740
with lyrics
that I always suspected,
1191
00:52:29,790 --> 00:52:33,750
as a 12-, 13-, 14-year-old,
were dirty.
1192
00:52:33,790 --> 00:52:36,140
What made it even weirder
was the only song of theirs
1193
00:52:36,190 --> 00:52:39,410
that I was convinced
wasn't dirty
1194
00:52:39,450 --> 00:52:41,100
was called "Tits."
1195
00:52:41,150 --> 00:52:42,800
GARY STEWART: The minute,
I think, a lot of people
1196
00:52:42,850 --> 00:52:44,500
see that or saw that song title,
1197
00:52:44,540 --> 00:52:46,720
which was asterisked,
think like,
1198
00:52:46,760 --> 00:52:49,280
"Oh, this is, like,
a, you know...
1199
00:52:49,330 --> 00:52:52,070
a sexy, rockin',
hyper-masculine song,"
1200
00:52:52,120 --> 00:52:53,730
if you didn't know Sparks.
1201
00:52:53,770 --> 00:52:56,290
If you knew Sparks, you probably
should have known better.
1202
00:52:56,340 --> 00:52:59,040
GAIMAN:
It's about a drunk in a bar
1203
00:52:59,080 --> 00:53:02,560
grumbling about the fact
that his wife's tits
1204
00:53:02,610 --> 00:53:05,570
are no longer recreational
pleasure objects for him
1205
00:53:05,610 --> 00:53:07,790
but she's using them
for feeding the baby.
1206
00:53:09,440 --> 00:53:10,830
♪ God, these drinks...
1207
00:53:10,880 --> 00:53:13,450
And by the way, you realize
1208
00:53:13,490 --> 00:53:16,230
he's also, uh, complaining that
the guy that he is drunkenly
1209
00:53:16,270 --> 00:53:19,450
telling this to is also having
an affair with his wife.
1210
00:53:19,490 --> 00:53:20,750
♪ Fine from behind...
1211
00:53:20,800 --> 00:53:22,320
That one, at least,
1212
00:53:22,370 --> 00:53:25,200
I-I figured
I got to decode properly.
1213
00:53:25,240 --> 00:53:27,020
♪ Harry, drink
till you can't see... ♪
1214
00:53:27,070 --> 00:53:29,590
And normally, the codes
were not that easily cracked.
1215
00:53:29,630 --> 00:53:31,150
You can look at the title,
1216
00:53:31,200 --> 00:53:33,110
you can look at the idea
and laugh,
1217
00:53:33,160 --> 00:53:34,510
or you can go deeper
1218
00:53:34,550 --> 00:53:36,770
and grow
and maybe have a good time,
1219
00:53:36,810 --> 00:53:38,900
maybe a sense of humor.
1220
00:53:38,950 --> 00:53:41,260
And... cue Sparks.
1221
00:53:41,300 --> 00:53:43,560
FLEA: Something that's always
kind of confounded me
1222
00:53:43,600 --> 00:53:45,250
in popular music
1223
00:53:45,300 --> 00:53:48,690
is people's inability
to take humor seriously.
1224
00:53:48,740 --> 00:53:50,700
And I think that's
one of the things, like,
1225
00:53:50,740 --> 00:53:52,920
why a band like Sparks
isn't as big
1226
00:53:52,960 --> 00:53:54,310
as the biggest bands
in the world.
1227
00:53:54,350 --> 00:53:56,220
'Cause they're fucking funny.
1228
00:53:56,270 --> 00:53:58,270
♪ Looks, looks, looks
1229
00:53:58,310 --> 00:54:01,400
♪ You had sense, you had style,
you had cash galore... ♪
1230
00:54:01,450 --> 00:54:03,540
"WEIRD AL" YANKOVIC:
A lot of critics and some fans,
1231
00:54:03,580 --> 00:54:04,750
uh, sometimes denigrate bands
1232
00:54:04,800 --> 00:54:06,410
that show their sense of humor.
1233
00:54:06,450 --> 00:54:08,800
Like, "Oh, it's a comedy band.
It's a joke band."
1234
00:54:08,850 --> 00:54:10,500
I just don't get that.
1235
00:54:10,540 --> 00:54:12,720
I don't know why it has
to be so stinking serious.
1236
00:54:12,760 --> 00:54:15,240
♪ You got a built-in seat
that makes you look effete... ♪
1237
00:54:15,290 --> 00:54:17,470
VISCONTI: I thought it was
gonna be a smash hit album
1238
00:54:17,510 --> 00:54:19,640
because it was so different
and anyone could see
1239
00:54:19,680 --> 00:54:22,810
that we spent hours of work
and put detail in it
1240
00:54:22,860 --> 00:54:24,560
and the songs were so great
1241
00:54:24,600 --> 00:54:25,860
and Russell's singing
1242
00:54:25,910 --> 00:54:27,520
was amazing.
1243
00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:29,350
The world just didn't
agree with us, you know?
1244
00:54:29,390 --> 00:54:31,740
It did well but not that well.
1245
00:54:31,780 --> 00:54:35,260
RON:
We were so irate at just
1246
00:54:35,310 --> 00:54:37,230
the lack of acceptance
for what we thought
1247
00:54:37,270 --> 00:54:39,620
was an amazing album
1248
00:54:39,660 --> 00:54:41,310
that we were
seriously considering
1249
00:54:41,360 --> 00:54:43,280
recording "Louie Louie"
as our next single,
1250
00:54:43,310 --> 00:54:45,750
you know, just for spite.
1251
00:54:45,800 --> 00:54:51,070
♪ Someday we'll have
one extra coastline ♪
1252
00:54:51,100 --> 00:54:55,150
♪ We'll tire of the Atlantic
1253
00:54:55,200 --> 00:54:58,770
♪ By then, we'll be rid
of your lot ♪
1254
00:54:58,810 --> 00:55:01,600
♪ A shot heard round the world
will soon be shot ♪
1255
00:55:01,640 --> 00:55:03,600
♪ Will soon be shot...
1256
00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:05,820
HEWLETT: When that tour ended,
Ron and Russell put it in
1257
00:55:05,860 --> 00:55:07,820
that they don't want
to live in London anymore.
1258
00:55:07,860 --> 00:55:10,340
They want to go back to L.A.
Totally understandable.
1259
00:55:10,390 --> 00:55:12,570
Um, after, you know,
some years away and touring.
1260
00:55:12,600 --> 00:55:16,950
But to ditch the band
needn't have been part of that.
1261
00:55:17,000 --> 00:55:18,700
HAMPTON:
They didn't actually sack me.
1262
00:55:18,740 --> 00:55:20,830
It was mutual, really.
1263
00:55:22,090 --> 00:55:23,700
That was it.
1264
00:55:23,750 --> 00:55:25,270
Band over.
1265
00:55:25,310 --> 00:55:26,830
HEWLETT:
Certainly, it gutted me.
1266
00:55:26,880 --> 00:55:28,670
I mean, I was really upset.
1267
00:55:28,710 --> 00:55:31,020
I mean, it was just folded,
and that was it.
1268
00:55:31,060 --> 00:55:32,980
You know, people went
their separate ways.
1269
00:55:33,020 --> 00:55:35,200
It was a shock,
of course, you know,
1270
00:55:35,240 --> 00:55:37,770
but Ian, I think,
just accepted it.
1271
00:55:37,800 --> 00:55:39,890
HAMPTON:
I could understand why.
1272
00:55:39,940 --> 00:55:42,730
They don't care about
the money or the fame.
1273
00:55:42,770 --> 00:55:43,730
Art for art's sake...
1274
00:55:43,770 --> 00:55:45,730
I respect them for it.
1275
00:55:45,770 --> 00:55:48,510
♪ I am the king.
1276
00:55:48,550 --> 00:55:50,600
[CHEERING]
1277
00:55:52,910 --> 00:55:54,830
- Thank you! Thank you!
- [SONG ENDS]
1278
00:56:00,740 --> 00:56:04,140
RON: I've always admired
French directors like Godard
1279
00:56:04,180 --> 00:56:07,010
that were kind of rebellious
against the whole system
1280
00:56:07,050 --> 00:56:09,620
and the whole idea even
of what cinema was
1281
00:56:09,660 --> 00:56:13,750
that they were almost
slightly standing outside
1282
00:56:13,800 --> 00:56:16,540
of filmmaking while
they were making a film.
1283
00:56:16,580 --> 00:56:18,890
It was kind of
inspirational to us.
1284
00:56:18,930 --> 00:56:21,410
HEWLETT: Ron and Russell
always had a desire
1285
00:56:21,460 --> 00:56:23,070
to write music in movies,
1286
00:56:23,110 --> 00:56:26,420
and they love movies and
wanted to be a part of movies.
1287
00:56:26,460 --> 00:56:28,510
RON: In the '70s, one of
our favorite filmmakers
1288
00:56:28,550 --> 00:56:30,640
was Jacques Tati.
1289
00:56:30,680 --> 00:56:33,770
Tati, at that time, was looking
to expand his audience
1290
00:56:33,820 --> 00:56:35,910
to younger people,
1291
00:56:35,950 --> 00:56:37,560
and somehow he thought that
1292
00:56:37,600 --> 00:56:39,390
maybe connecting with a band
1293
00:56:39,430 --> 00:56:41,130
would be a way for him
to broaden
1294
00:56:41,170 --> 00:56:42,820
the appeal of his films.
1295
00:56:42,870 --> 00:56:45,130
INTERVIEWER: Well, how was
that, uh, film project
1296
00:56:45,170 --> 00:56:46,690
with, uh, Jacques Tati?
1297
00:56:46,740 --> 00:56:48,440
- Whoa. There. You got it.
- Lost the cake.
1298
00:56:48,480 --> 00:56:50,260
Did you get it? Did you get it?
1299
00:56:50,310 --> 00:56:51,570
That's a film project, that is.
1300
00:56:51,620 --> 00:56:53,230
Did you get it?
1301
00:56:53,270 --> 00:56:56,840
Our-our film project
with Tati is...
1302
00:56:56,880 --> 00:56:59,880
could relate to that cake,
what just happened to it.
1303
00:56:59,930 --> 00:57:01,760
It's just fallen to bits.
1304
00:57:01,800 --> 00:57:05,240
RON: His health was not
as good as it had been,
1305
00:57:05,280 --> 00:57:08,070
and so the project
just sort of dissipated.
1306
00:57:08,110 --> 00:57:10,290
You know, we have
very few things
1307
00:57:10,330 --> 00:57:13,460
that we regret
not having happened, but,
1308
00:57:13,510 --> 00:57:15,900
you know, I probably
would have retired after that.
1309
00:57:16,860 --> 00:57:19,780
♪
1310
00:57:19,820 --> 00:57:23,960
HEWLETT:
Evolving their concept of art is
1311
00:57:24,000 --> 00:57:25,700
paramount to them.
1312
00:57:25,740 --> 00:57:27,920
That's what they have always
striven for and believe in.
1313
00:57:27,960 --> 00:57:29,740
RUSSELL: I think,
when we didBig Beat,
1314
00:57:29,780 --> 00:57:31,040
we really just wanted
1315
00:57:31,090 --> 00:57:33,700
to change the sound yet again.
1316
00:57:33,740 --> 00:57:37,700
RON: We're trying to be
a little less British,
1317
00:57:37,750 --> 00:57:39,670
in a certain sense.
1318
00:57:40,710 --> 00:57:42,670
In any sort of art form,
you need to keep
1319
00:57:42,710 --> 00:57:44,670
pushing yourself forward.
1320
00:57:44,710 --> 00:57:46,930
Otherwise, you just sort of...
you're a shark,
1321
00:57:46,980 --> 00:57:49,070
and you stop moving,
and you just... you die.
1322
00:57:49,110 --> 00:57:51,720
SAL MAIDA: Ron and Russell
had come to New York
1323
00:57:51,760 --> 00:57:53,590
to do this hard rock record
1324
00:57:53,630 --> 00:57:55,280
and change directions
1325
00:57:55,330 --> 00:57:58,120
and try to break America.
1326
00:57:58,160 --> 00:58:00,250
MICHAELS:
Russell says, "Well, look,
1327
00:58:00,290 --> 00:58:01,640
"we don't have a band
1328
00:58:01,690 --> 00:58:04,910
anymore, so do you know
a great drummer?"
1329
00:58:04,950 --> 00:58:07,170
- [DRUMBEAT PLAYING]
- [LAUGHS]
1330
00:58:09,870 --> 00:58:15,700
Sparks is musically
an enigma to begin with.
1331
00:58:15,740 --> 00:58:20,310
Indiscreet doesn't sound
likeKimono My House,
1332
00:58:20,360 --> 00:58:24,360
and Big Beatis
completely different.
1333
00:58:24,400 --> 00:58:27,750
THURSTON MOORE: I remember
Big Beat coming out
1334
00:58:27,800 --> 00:58:28,850
and sort of considering it,
1335
00:58:28,890 --> 00:58:31,550
like, more as this kind of part
1336
00:58:31,580 --> 00:58:33,840
of the new punk records.
1337
00:58:36,590 --> 00:58:38,980
PETER KNEGO: Sparks are always
pushing new boundaries
1338
00:58:39,030 --> 00:58:40,550
and changing their sound,
1339
00:58:40,590 --> 00:58:42,770
often to the deep frustration
of their fan base.
1340
00:58:42,810 --> 00:58:44,730
♪ I'm coming and I'm going...
1341
00:58:44,770 --> 00:58:47,690
KAPRANOS: You know, I think
the fans of Kimono My House
1342
00:58:47,730 --> 00:58:49,170
and Indiscreet
1343
00:58:49,210 --> 00:58:50,820
and Propaganda,
1344
00:58:50,860 --> 00:58:53,170
I imagine they felt
a little bit let down.
1345
00:58:53,210 --> 00:58:55,430
And that's great...
you shouldn't pander
1346
00:58:55,480 --> 00:58:57,130
to the expectations
1347
00:58:57,170 --> 00:59:00,700
of the conservative element
of your fan base.
1348
00:59:00,740 --> 00:59:03,700
Because if you did, you-you'd
make conservative music.
1349
00:59:05,140 --> 00:59:07,880
MICHAEL SILVERBLATT:
That record is written by
1350
00:59:07,920 --> 00:59:10,230
the anti-Sparks.
1351
00:59:10,270 --> 00:59:12,190
Lyrically,
they'd just go mental.
1352
00:59:12,230 --> 00:59:14,230
[CHUCKLES]
"Everybody's Stupid," right?
1353
00:59:14,280 --> 00:59:16,940
[IMITATING GUITAR RIFF
FROM "EVERYBODY'S STUPID"]
1354
00:59:18,200 --> 00:59:19,850
TOSH BERMAN:
When I first heard that record,
1355
00:59:19,890 --> 00:59:21,460
I found it kind of shocking
because the songs were
1356
00:59:21,500 --> 00:59:22,890
so angry and kind of bitter.
1357
00:59:22,940 --> 00:59:24,510
What's he saying? What's he...
1358
00:59:24,550 --> 00:59:26,160
No, you know what he's saying.
1359
00:59:26,200 --> 00:59:27,990
It's clear as a bell.
1360
00:59:28,030 --> 00:59:30,290
♪ Everybody's stupid
1361
00:59:30,340 --> 00:59:32,080
♪ That's for sure.
1362
00:59:32,120 --> 00:59:35,170
I could visibly see
the audience being confused.
1363
00:59:35,210 --> 00:59:36,780
♪ You're stupid,
you're stupid. ♪
1364
00:59:36,820 --> 00:59:38,650
[LAUGHING]
1365
00:59:38,690 --> 00:59:41,000
♪ Everybody's stupid
1366
00:59:41,040 --> 00:59:42,960
♪ That's for sure.
1367
00:59:43,000 --> 00:59:45,610
MAIDA: There's probably
two of the most
1368
00:59:45,660 --> 00:59:48,230
politically incorrect songs
on that record,
1369
00:59:48,270 --> 00:59:49,790
which are "White Women"
1370
00:59:49,840 --> 00:59:51,710
and "Throw Her Away
[AND GET A NEW ONE]."
1371
00:59:52,840 --> 00:59:54,580
Which...
1372
00:59:54,620 --> 00:59:56,580
uh, you got to have
a sense of humor
1373
00:59:56,630 --> 01:00:00,110
and know the ironic intent
on both those.
1374
01:00:00,150 --> 01:00:02,890
♪ Throw her away
and get a new one... ♪
1375
01:00:02,940 --> 01:00:05,070
RUSSELL:
We want to shake up people,
1376
01:00:05,110 --> 01:00:07,330
and we think that pop music
at its best
1377
01:00:07,370 --> 01:00:09,330
has always been something
where you-you hear it
1378
01:00:09,380 --> 01:00:11,430
and you go,
"Oh, my God, what is that?"
1379
01:00:11,470 --> 01:00:13,470
ROSS: Sparks often do
that kind of thing
1380
01:00:13,510 --> 01:00:16,170
which has, I think,
a punk sensibility to it.
1381
01:00:16,210 --> 01:00:18,520
A desire to stir things up
1382
01:00:18,560 --> 01:00:20,650
and shake things up
and make you think.
1383
01:00:20,690 --> 01:00:23,690
- [PLAYFUL SCREAMING]
- [DRAMATIC MUSIC PLAYS]
1384
01:00:28,090 --> 01:00:29,960
My first experience of Sparks
1385
01:00:30,010 --> 01:00:32,580
was watching the film
Rollercoaster.
1386
01:00:32,620 --> 01:00:35,840
[GUITAR SOLO PLAYING]
1387
01:00:35,880 --> 01:00:39,010
I assumed that
they were a made-up band
1388
01:00:39,060 --> 01:00:41,450
because I'd never
heard of them before.
1389
01:00:41,500 --> 01:00:44,460
And then years later,
I came across
1390
01:00:44,500 --> 01:00:46,940
"This Town Ain't Big Enough for
the Both of Us" and thought,
1391
01:00:46,980 --> 01:00:48,900
"Oh, it's those guys
from Rollercoaster."
1392
01:00:48,940 --> 01:00:52,380
MICHAELS: I had never been
on a huge movie set like that.
1393
01:00:52,420 --> 01:00:54,380
And I didn't know what
to make of it.
1394
01:00:54,420 --> 01:00:56,810
And I was looking
to Ron and Russell,
1395
01:00:56,860 --> 01:00:59,080
and I remember Ron...
I'll never forget this...
1396
01:00:59,120 --> 01:01:01,210
Ron said...
1397
01:01:01,250 --> 01:01:03,430
"This might be great.
1398
01:01:03,470 --> 01:01:05,780
"Maybe this is gonna be the one
1399
01:01:05,820 --> 01:01:09,040
that breaks the band
worldwide."
1400
01:01:09,090 --> 01:01:11,180
This disaster movie.
1401
01:01:11,220 --> 01:01:13,180
I-I mean, you know,
the movie is what it was.
1402
01:01:13,220 --> 01:01:16,660
It was kind of like...
it-it was pretty lame,
1403
01:01:16,700 --> 01:01:18,400
but how else
was I gonna see them?
1404
01:01:19,230 --> 01:01:21,280
[CHEERING]
1405
01:01:21,320 --> 01:01:23,760
MAIDA: They're connoisseurs,
and this was just,
1406
01:01:23,800 --> 01:01:25,150
you know, "a disaster movie"
1407
01:01:25,190 --> 01:01:27,240
in more ways than one.
1408
01:01:27,280 --> 01:01:30,630
I-I think I leaned over to him
at one point, I said,
1409
01:01:30,680 --> 01:01:33,600
"I guess this is not
a Jacques Tati movie." [LAUGHS]
1410
01:01:33,630 --> 01:01:34,980
♪ Big boy...
1411
01:01:35,030 --> 01:01:36,600
RON:
Rollercoaster is kind of
1412
01:01:36,640 --> 01:01:39,160
theCitizen Kane
of disaster movies.
1413
01:01:39,210 --> 01:01:42,080
I mean, the disaster was that
nobody went to see the movie.
1414
01:01:47,390 --> 01:01:50,570
- [SIRENS BLARING]
- [TIRES SCREECHING]
1415
01:01:50,610 --> 01:01:52,700
♪
1416
01:01:55,740 --> 01:01:57,660
FLEA:
I was in high school,
1417
01:01:57,700 --> 01:01:59,880
and I had a friend who was
the first friend in my group
1418
01:01:59,920 --> 01:02:01,570
to have his own apartment.
1419
01:02:01,620 --> 01:02:03,360
We used to just get
in all kinds of crazy
1420
01:02:03,400 --> 01:02:05,530
drugged-out states
at this guy's house.
1421
01:02:05,580 --> 01:02:07,890
I remember, like, stumbling
into his bathroom all the time
1422
01:02:07,930 --> 01:02:09,760
to either throw up or pee,
1423
01:02:09,800 --> 01:02:11,500
and on the wall,
1424
01:02:11,540 --> 01:02:13,590
there was a picture of Sparks.
1425
01:02:13,630 --> 01:02:15,110
And I remember just
seeing them all the time,
1426
01:02:15,150 --> 01:02:16,930
like, "Who are those guys?"
1427
01:02:16,980 --> 01:02:18,900
And I was kind of in love,
and they were sort of like
1428
01:02:18,940 --> 01:02:22,990
these mysterious, like, icons,
like patron saints.
1429
01:02:23,030 --> 01:02:26,080
I looked at that picture,
like, kind of marveled at it
1430
01:02:26,120 --> 01:02:28,560
a thousand times
before I heard them.
1431
01:02:28,600 --> 01:02:31,780
♪ Why is there time?
1432
01:02:33,820 --> 01:02:37,000
♪ Why is there space?
1433
01:02:37,040 --> 01:02:40,220
♪ Why are there dogs and cats
1434
01:02:40,270 --> 01:02:44,490
♪ And trees
and the human race? ♪
1435
01:02:44,530 --> 01:02:47,230
MICHAELS:
I was sitting in my motel room
1436
01:02:47,270 --> 01:02:49,230
doing nothing, thinking,
1437
01:02:49,270 --> 01:02:50,710
"No matter what happens,
1438
01:02:50,750 --> 01:02:51,880
I'm sticking with you guys."
1439
01:02:51,930 --> 01:02:53,280
[LAUGHS]
1440
01:02:53,320 --> 01:02:56,150
And then we got
a phone call saying,
1441
01:02:56,190 --> 01:02:58,110
"Party's over, guys.
1442
01:02:58,150 --> 01:03:01,370
"Big Beat didn't do
what it was supposed to do.
1443
01:03:01,420 --> 01:03:03,900
We're flying you guys
back to New York."
1444
01:03:03,940 --> 01:03:06,420
That was the end of it.
1445
01:03:06,470 --> 01:03:08,600
I was really brokenhearted.
1446
01:03:08,640 --> 01:03:12,510
And, uh, they came out
with a new record,
1447
01:03:12,560 --> 01:03:15,300
Introducing Sparks.
1448
01:03:16,480 --> 01:03:18,130
♪ Ooh, those mysteries...
1449
01:03:18,170 --> 01:03:21,040
Here you have Russell,
and here you have Ron here.
1450
01:03:21,090 --> 01:03:24,180
This is a great fucking album.
1451
01:03:24,220 --> 01:03:27,400
"Those Mysteries,"
most poignant song,
1452
01:03:27,440 --> 01:03:30,840
like, that's funny as hell
but also a question...
1453
01:03:30,880 --> 01:03:32,660
this kind of yearning,
searching,
1454
01:03:32,710 --> 01:03:35,190
trying to make sense
of, like, the awkwardness
1455
01:03:35,230 --> 01:03:36,930
and the pain of being
a human being
1456
01:03:36,970 --> 01:03:40,970
and doing it
in a funny, smart way.
1457
01:03:41,020 --> 01:03:43,370
Cool. I'm into it.
1458
01:03:43,420 --> 01:03:46,160
STEWART: I think so much
of their music requires
1459
01:03:46,200 --> 01:03:48,640
not taking it on face value.
1460
01:03:48,680 --> 01:03:52,770
If you want to work with them
and think about the music,
1461
01:03:52,820 --> 01:03:54,300
you can get more out of it.
1462
01:03:54,340 --> 01:03:56,390
If you want to just absorb it,
1463
01:03:56,430 --> 01:03:58,780
you're going to be
missing the point entirely.
1464
01:03:58,820 --> 01:04:00,340
That's what hurt them, I think.
1465
01:04:00,390 --> 01:04:02,870
It hurt Sparks
that they came of age
1466
01:04:02,910 --> 01:04:06,130
at a time when people could
only take things at face value.
1467
01:04:06,180 --> 01:04:07,140
One of the snottier
1468
01:04:07,180 --> 01:04:09,360
metal/punk magazines,
1469
01:04:09,400 --> 01:04:12,660
THE REVIEW WAS:"Introducing
Sparks, dot-dot-dot.
1470
01:04:12,700 --> 01:04:14,960
Unfortunately,
we've already met."
1471
01:04:17,450 --> 01:04:20,450
HEWLETT: From the adulation
that they had been receiving
1472
01:04:20,490 --> 01:04:22,930
to the non-adulation around
1473
01:04:22,980 --> 01:04:24,760
Big Beatand Introducing,
1474
01:04:24,800 --> 01:04:27,150
it was just obvious
it wasn't working.
1475
01:04:27,200 --> 01:04:29,160
It became very difficult,
1476
01:04:29,200 --> 01:04:30,850
and I really liked
Ron and Russell.
1477
01:04:30,900 --> 01:04:33,250
I still admired their abilities,
1478
01:04:33,290 --> 01:04:38,380
but I couldn't be 100% behind
what they were doing.
1479
01:04:38,430 --> 01:04:40,480
I mean, Ronnie was really
desperate, too, at this time.
1480
01:04:40,510 --> 01:04:42,250
I mean, he knew
it wasn't working.
1481
01:04:42,300 --> 01:04:46,000
♪ I want a big surprise
tonight... ♪
1482
01:04:46,040 --> 01:04:48,480
STEWART:
The record comes out in the heat
1483
01:04:48,520 --> 01:04:50,220
of punk rock,
1484
01:04:50,260 --> 01:04:51,830
and an album
1485
01:04:51,870 --> 01:04:56,880
that could not sound
more out of sorts with that.
1486
01:04:56,920 --> 01:04:58,750
♪
1487
01:04:58,790 --> 01:05:02,580
♪ Where is that
Yankee ingenuity? ♪
1488
01:05:02,620 --> 01:05:04,490
RON:
The whole passion and energy
1489
01:05:04,540 --> 01:05:06,150
and kind of statement of punk
1490
01:05:06,190 --> 01:05:08,500
seemed like it was
almost partially directed
1491
01:05:08,540 --> 01:05:10,410
towards what we were doing.
1492
01:05:10,460 --> 01:05:12,030
So we thought, "Is this, like,
1493
01:05:12,070 --> 01:05:13,640
kind of dinosaur music?"
1494
01:05:13,680 --> 01:05:15,600
We never felt that before,
1495
01:05:15,640 --> 01:05:17,770
and we've never felt that since.
1496
01:05:17,810 --> 01:05:19,600
-♪ Big surprise tonight
-♪ Big surprise
1497
01:05:19,640 --> 01:05:22,600
♪ A really big surprise
tonight ♪
1498
01:05:22,640 --> 01:05:26,380
♪ I want a big surprise
tonight... ♪
1499
01:05:26,430 --> 01:05:28,300
RON: The Sex Pistols'
album is one of
1500
01:05:28,350 --> 01:05:30,400
the greatest albums of all time,
1501
01:05:30,430 --> 01:05:33,260
but that wasn't
where we should be going,
1502
01:05:33,310 --> 01:05:36,050
so we had to find
a proper direction
1503
01:05:36,090 --> 01:05:38,830
so that we would feel
unthreatened.
1504
01:05:38,880 --> 01:05:41,670
- [APPLAUSE]
- [CHUCKLING]
1505
01:05:41,710 --> 01:05:44,970
[ANNOUNCER SPEAKING FRENCH]
1506
01:05:45,010 --> 01:05:47,930
RUSSELL: After we did
the Introducing Sparks album,
1507
01:05:47,970 --> 01:05:50,970
we did an interview with
a journalist in Los Angeles.
1508
01:05:51,020 --> 01:05:53,720
She said, "Well,
what's next for Sparks?"
1509
01:05:53,760 --> 01:05:55,760
And then we said,
"Oh, well, we're going to be
1510
01:05:55,810 --> 01:05:58,380
working with Giorgio Moroder
on our next album."
1511
01:05:58,420 --> 01:06:00,420
She said, "Oh, that's funny.
1512
01:06:00,460 --> 01:06:02,330
"Giorgio didn't
mention that to me.
1513
01:06:02,380 --> 01:06:04,160
I'm really good friends
with him." And we went,
1514
01:06:04,210 --> 01:06:06,560
"Uh, eh, uh..." Gulp.
1515
01:06:06,600 --> 01:06:08,820
RON:
'Cause it was a total lie.
1516
01:06:08,860 --> 01:06:10,910
♪ Ooh...
1517
01:06:10,950 --> 01:06:12,690
We wanted to work
with Giorgio Moroder,
1518
01:06:12,740 --> 01:06:15,130
and we had heard "I Feel Love"
on the radio,
1519
01:06:15,170 --> 01:06:18,000
the great Donna Summer song
that Giorgio produced,
1520
01:06:18,050 --> 01:06:21,440
but we didn't know how
to contact Giorgio.
1521
01:06:21,480 --> 01:06:23,920
RUSSELL: And then she said,
"Well, I could introduce you."
1522
01:06:23,970 --> 01:06:27,020
ANNOUNCER: The number 30 song
this week on the Top 30,
1523
01:06:27,060 --> 01:06:28,580
the young man called Giorgio,
who's with us here
1524
01:06:28,620 --> 01:06:30,320
on Top of the Pops this evening.
1525
01:06:30,360 --> 01:06:31,710
Let's give him a nice
Top of the Popswelcome.
1526
01:06:31,760 --> 01:06:33,110
- Thank you.
- [CHEERING, APPLAUSE]
1527
01:06:33,150 --> 01:06:34,980
RUSSELL:
And he was really,
1528
01:06:35,020 --> 01:06:36,980
surprisingly to us,
up for the challenge
1529
01:06:37,020 --> 01:06:39,200
of working with a...
you know, a band.
1530
01:06:39,240 --> 01:06:42,420
RON: It really was
pretty brave of him.
1531
01:06:42,460 --> 01:06:45,160
["LA DOLCE VITA" BY SPARKS
PLAYING]
1532
01:06:45,200 --> 01:06:47,770
We did the recordings
in Los Angeles.
1533
01:06:48,950 --> 01:06:52,690
Interesting studio because
it was totally electronic
1534
01:06:52,730 --> 01:06:57,470
with a massive amount
of Moog modular
1535
01:06:57,520 --> 01:07:01,050
and Roland synthesizers
1536
01:07:01,090 --> 01:07:03,310
and thousands of sounds.
1537
01:07:04,790 --> 01:07:07,010
RON: We were aware that we were
kind of reinventing ourselves
1538
01:07:07,050 --> 01:07:08,660
as we were making that,
1539
01:07:08,710 --> 01:07:10,760
but we knew that we were
doing something
1540
01:07:10,790 --> 01:07:12,920
that was totally new.
1541
01:07:14,360 --> 01:07:16,450
For me as a fan,
it would be hard to know
1542
01:07:16,500 --> 01:07:19,550
if it's willful
or if it's the innocence of:
1543
01:07:19,590 --> 01:07:21,980
"Wouldn't it be a great idea
if we just made
1544
01:07:22,020 --> 01:07:26,940
a synthesizer record in 1979,
before the '80s?"
1545
01:07:26,980 --> 01:07:30,110
♪ You're the only bank
that's open all night ♪
1546
01:07:30,160 --> 01:07:33,600
♪ La dolce vita
1547
01:07:33,640 --> 01:07:36,820
♪ Now that that's clear,
can you give me a light? ♪
1548
01:07:36,860 --> 01:07:39,730
♪ La dolce vita...
1549
01:07:39,780 --> 01:07:42,090
RUSSELL: We all went in it
with this kind of
1550
01:07:42,130 --> 01:07:44,740
naive spirit to just do
something that we thought
1551
01:07:44,780 --> 01:07:46,910
was really fresh-sounding.
1552
01:07:46,960 --> 01:07:48,750
And we think it was
something really special.
1553
01:07:48,790 --> 01:07:53,100
♪ Can I have another plate
of your la dolce vita? ♪
1554
01:07:53,140 --> 01:07:57,360
It took one year
after that album was recorded
1555
01:07:57,410 --> 01:08:00,240
before a label wanted
to sign it.
1556
01:08:00,280 --> 01:08:03,240
♪ Gold diggers are we
1557
01:08:03,280 --> 01:08:06,460
♪ Step up, follow me...
1558
01:08:06,500 --> 01:08:08,980
Someone at Virgin Records
in Germany
1559
01:08:09,030 --> 01:08:10,990
saw the tape sitting there
and said,
1560
01:08:11,030 --> 01:08:13,990
"Hmm, Sparks, Giorgio Moroder.
Let me give that a listen."
1561
01:08:14,030 --> 01:08:15,770
And said,
"This is pretty amazing,"
1562
01:08:15,810 --> 01:08:18,380
and shipped it off
to Richard Branson and company
1563
01:08:18,430 --> 01:08:21,740
in-in the UK, and they agreed.
1564
01:08:21,780 --> 01:08:23,650
STEWART:
WhenNo. 1 in Heaven came out,
1565
01:08:23,690 --> 01:08:27,000
it was two years after the
massive failure of Introducing,
1566
01:08:27,040 --> 01:08:30,260
and you're kind of seeing
the DNA of so much
1567
01:08:30,310 --> 01:08:32,750
of what would come later on.
1568
01:08:32,790 --> 01:08:34,570
TAYLOR: This was probably
one of the first
1569
01:08:34,620 --> 01:08:36,360
electropop dance records
1570
01:08:36,400 --> 01:08:37,660
of all time.
1571
01:08:37,710 --> 01:08:39,890
[DANCE BEAT PLAYING]
1572
01:08:39,930 --> 01:08:42,150
[IMITATING BEAT]
1573
01:08:42,190 --> 01:08:44,760
MOORE: That, to me, was
such an astounding record.
1574
01:08:44,800 --> 01:08:46,320
It seemed really audacious.
1575
01:08:46,370 --> 01:08:48,070
DJ LANCE ROCK:
It just takes you on
1576
01:08:48,110 --> 01:08:50,550
this incredible, hypnotic trip.
1577
01:08:50,590 --> 01:08:53,330
Just belied and denied anything
else that was happening.
1578
01:08:53,370 --> 01:08:55,240
It just rose above it.
1579
01:08:55,290 --> 01:08:57,030
♪ We're just gleams
in lovers' eyes ♪
1580
01:08:57,070 --> 01:09:00,380
♪ Steam on sweaty bodies
in the night ♪
1581
01:09:02,340 --> 01:09:04,690
♪ But one of us
might make it through ♪
1582
01:09:04,730 --> 01:09:08,560
♪ All the rest
will disappear like dew ♪
1583
01:09:10,000 --> 01:09:12,130
♪ Pressure building,
getting hot ♪
1584
01:09:12,180 --> 01:09:15,750
♪ Give it, give it,
give it all you got ♪
1585
01:09:17,660 --> 01:09:19,840
♪ When that
love explosion comes ♪
1586
01:09:19,880 --> 01:09:22,750
♪ My, oh, my,
we want to be someone ♪
1587
01:09:23,840 --> 01:09:25,890
♪ Tryouts for
the human race... ♪
1588
01:09:25,930 --> 01:09:29,850
RHODES: It was a huge influence
on-on our early material.
1589
01:09:29,890 --> 01:09:32,150
Uh, we were already
big Moroder fans,
1590
01:09:32,200 --> 01:09:34,990
but this combination, uh,
it was just perfect.
1591
01:09:35,020 --> 01:09:37,980
♪ We just want
to be someone... ♪
1592
01:09:38,030 --> 01:09:39,770
That's why I ended up
working with Vince...
1593
01:09:39,810 --> 01:09:41,550
'cause those synths,
1594
01:09:41,600 --> 01:09:43,300
they just drove me.
1595
01:09:44,290 --> 01:09:45,990
MAN:
Sparks, "Beat the Clock,"
1596
01:09:46,040 --> 01:09:48,830
uh, Millaney/Grant,
sixth of June.
1597
01:09:48,860 --> 01:09:51,990
["BEAT THE CLOCK" BY SPARKS
PLAYING]
1598
01:09:52,040 --> 01:09:55,000
♪ You gotta beat the clock,
you gotta beat the clock... ♪
1599
01:09:55,040 --> 01:09:57,130
Sparks... well,
they're back in Britain,
1600
01:09:57,180 --> 01:09:58,700
they're back in business,
1601
01:09:58,740 --> 01:10:00,570
and they're currently trying
to beat the clock.
1602
01:10:00,620 --> 01:10:02,710
♪ You gotta beat the clock,
you gotta beat the clock... ♪
1603
01:10:02,750 --> 01:10:04,360
BERNARD BUTLER:
As a synthesizer duo,
1604
01:10:04,400 --> 01:10:06,100
I guess you could say that
1605
01:10:06,140 --> 01:10:08,190
they sort of set a template.
1606
01:10:08,230 --> 01:10:10,230
♪ You gotta beat the clock,
you gotta beat the clock... ♪
1607
01:10:10,280 --> 01:10:15,200
WRIGHT: I became first aware
of Sparks in their 1979 period.
1608
01:10:15,240 --> 01:10:18,240
Just seeing them on, like, Top
of the Popsaround that time.
1609
01:10:18,280 --> 01:10:21,850
You know, it's a very
sort of stark dynamic image...
1610
01:10:21,900 --> 01:10:24,250
Russell singing,
Ron on the synths.
1611
01:10:24,290 --> 01:10:27,210
He had his '79
kind of hipster hair.
1612
01:10:27,250 --> 01:10:29,170
ANNOUNCER:
Sparks and their new single
1613
01:10:29,210 --> 01:10:30,950
called "Beat the Clock."
Billy?
1614
01:10:30,990 --> 01:10:32,690
I think it was real great.
1615
01:10:32,730 --> 01:10:34,510
♪ Well, I've seen
everything there is ♪
1616
01:10:34,560 --> 01:10:36,520
♪ I've done
everything there is... ♪
1617
01:10:36,560 --> 01:10:38,690
There's myself, uh, there's
the guy from the Pet Shop Boys,
1618
01:10:38,740 --> 01:10:40,390
there's the guy
from Duran Duran.
1619
01:10:40,440 --> 01:10:42,570
I mean, we were all
miserable fuckers, you know?
1620
01:10:42,610 --> 01:10:44,310
It's a look, isn't it,
which we just stole
1621
01:10:44,350 --> 01:10:46,270
from Sparks.
1622
01:10:46,310 --> 01:10:49,360
["THE NUMBER ONE SONG
IN HEAVEN" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
1623
01:10:53,620 --> 01:10:56,710
RUSTY EGAN:
I was desperately searching
1624
01:10:56,760 --> 01:11:01,500
for music to put in my DJ sets
1625
01:11:01,540 --> 01:11:03,150
at the Blitz Club.
1626
01:11:03,200 --> 01:11:06,640
I came across
"Number One Song in Heaven."
1627
01:11:06,680 --> 01:11:08,420
BELL:
It's just one of those songs
1628
01:11:08,460 --> 01:11:10,030
that gives me goose bumps.
1629
01:11:10,070 --> 01:11:12,030
EGAN:
What I loved about it
1630
01:11:12,080 --> 01:11:13,910
was the first four minutes,
1631
01:11:13,950 --> 01:11:16,870
and it was all synthesizers
1632
01:11:16,910 --> 01:11:18,610
and sequences.
1633
01:11:18,650 --> 01:11:20,650
And I was like,
"This is great."
1634
01:11:21,870 --> 01:11:26,090
♪ This is the number one song
in heaven ♪
1635
01:11:28,530 --> 01:11:33,010
♪ Written, of course,
by the mightiest hand... ♪
1636
01:11:33,050 --> 01:11:34,920
STEPHEN MORRIS: In Joy
Division, when we were doing
1637
01:11:34,970 --> 01:11:36,540
"Love Will Tear Us Apart,"
1638
01:11:36,580 --> 01:11:39,980
there were two records
that we were listening to.
1639
01:11:40,020 --> 01:11:41,070
Uh, one was
1640
01:11:41,110 --> 01:11:42,900
Frank Sinatra's Greatest Hits,
1641
01:11:42,930 --> 01:11:45,110
and then the other one was
"Number One Song in Heaven."
1642
01:11:45,150 --> 01:11:47,720
ANTONOFF: "Number One Song
in Heaven" just sort of, like,
1643
01:11:47,760 --> 01:11:49,240
moves in this crazy way.
1644
01:11:49,290 --> 01:11:51,070
And there's even
a moment of silence
1645
01:11:51,120 --> 01:11:52,770
pretty early on in the song.
It's, like, this cut
1646
01:11:52,810 --> 01:11:55,030
and then it starts back up.
It's wild.
1647
01:11:55,080 --> 01:11:56,040
EGAN:
One, two, three.
1648
01:11:56,080 --> 01:11:57,120
[IMITATES DRUMBEAT]
1649
01:11:57,170 --> 01:11:58,560
And it goes, like, I don't know,
1650
01:11:58,600 --> 01:12:00,430
180 BPM or something.
1651
01:12:00,470 --> 01:12:03,340
Oh, my God, that's...
that's too fast.
1652
01:12:03,390 --> 01:12:06,740
♪
1653
01:12:06,780 --> 01:12:08,700
MARTYN WARE:
This is the absolute apogee
1654
01:12:08,740 --> 01:12:09,960
of electronic pop music
1655
01:12:10,000 --> 01:12:11,310
for me.
1656
01:12:11,350 --> 01:12:13,130
I can't think
of anything better.
1657
01:12:13,180 --> 01:12:15,270
We can only, with Heaven 17,
1658
01:12:15,310 --> 01:12:17,270
kind of aspire to it.
1659
01:12:17,320 --> 01:12:19,370
♪
1660
01:12:21,970 --> 01:12:25,060
♪ It's number one
all over heaven ♪
1661
01:12:25,110 --> 01:12:26,460
♪ It's number one
1662
01:12:26,500 --> 01:12:28,330
♪ All over heaven
1663
01:12:28,370 --> 01:12:31,290
♪ It's number one
all over heaven ♪
1664
01:12:31,330 --> 01:12:34,900
♪ The number one song
all over heaven... ♪
1665
01:12:34,940 --> 01:12:38,770
MORODER: If they would
release nowNo. 1 in Heaven,
1666
01:12:38,810 --> 01:12:41,200
they would say,
"Wow, geniuses."
1667
01:12:41,250 --> 01:12:43,820
I mean, they were geniuses
then, but now even more
1668
01:12:43,860 --> 01:12:47,120
because this could be
the second sound of the future.
1669
01:12:47,170 --> 01:12:49,000
♪ Gabriel plays it
1670
01:12:49,040 --> 01:12:50,560
♪ God, how he plays it
1671
01:12:50,610 --> 01:12:52,180
♪ Gabriel plays it
1672
01:12:52,220 --> 01:12:53,740
♪ God, how he plays it
1673
01:12:53,790 --> 01:12:55,270
♪ Gabriel plays it
1674
01:12:55,310 --> 01:12:56,790
♪ God, how he plays it
1675
01:12:56,830 --> 01:12:58,620
♪ Gabriel plays it
1676
01:12:58,660 --> 01:13:00,840
♪ Let's hear him play it...
1677
01:13:00,880 --> 01:13:04,060
♪
1678
01:13:04,100 --> 01:13:06,840
ROSS: I really liked
seeing them stripped down,
1679
01:13:06,890 --> 01:13:08,200
and in a way, it made the image
1680
01:13:08,240 --> 01:13:10,070
more impactful.
1681
01:13:10,110 --> 01:13:11,720
♪
1682
01:13:11,760 --> 01:13:13,460
It was shortly after
that period, I guess,
1683
01:13:13,500 --> 01:13:17,770
that Paul McCartney did
that video "Coming Up."
1684
01:13:17,810 --> 01:13:20,860
♪ You want a love
to last forever... ♪
1685
01:13:20,900 --> 01:13:22,950
It was all Paul McCartney
doing loads of
1686
01:13:22,990 --> 01:13:24,510
very instantly
recognizable characters.
1687
01:13:24,560 --> 01:13:26,080
And, of course, he did Ron.
1688
01:13:26,120 --> 01:13:27,860
I mean, I know how much
Ron and Russell
1689
01:13:27,910 --> 01:13:29,560
are fans of The Beatles,
1690
01:13:29,600 --> 01:13:31,950
and so I suspect they were
really excited to see that.
1691
01:13:32,000 --> 01:13:33,650
SCHWARTZMAN:
That's amazing, like,
1692
01:13:33,700 --> 01:13:35,440
that a Beatle would pretend
to be all these...
1693
01:13:35,480 --> 01:13:37,260
like, Buddy Holly
and all these different people,
1694
01:13:37,310 --> 01:13:39,050
and he's Ron Mael.
1695
01:13:40,440 --> 01:13:42,050
RUSSELL: I started
respecting Ron a lot more
1696
01:13:42,100 --> 01:13:43,750
after Paul McCartney, uh,
1697
01:13:43,790 --> 01:13:46,660
gave his tribute to Ron...
then I realized,
1698
01:13:46,710 --> 01:13:49,670
"God, I'm working with somebody
that Paul McCartney likes."
1699
01:13:49,710 --> 01:13:51,410
FRED ARMISEN:
How cool is that?
1700
01:13:51,450 --> 01:13:52,670
It is the ultimate.
1701
01:13:52,710 --> 01:13:54,320
And it's Paul McCartney.
1702
01:13:54,370 --> 01:13:56,290
Just incredible.
1703
01:13:56,330 --> 01:13:58,810
RON:
After doingNo. 1 in Heaven
1704
01:13:58,850 --> 01:14:00,900
and working
with Giorgio Moroder,
1705
01:14:00,940 --> 01:14:03,250
which was
such an inspiring experience,
1706
01:14:03,290 --> 01:14:05,340
it was the time
for the follow-up album,
1707
01:14:05,380 --> 01:14:08,080
but Giorgio wasn't,
uh, available,
1708
01:14:08,120 --> 01:14:10,210
so it was kind of farmed out.
1709
01:14:10,250 --> 01:14:14,650
I think, for that reason,
the album became more generic.
1710
01:14:16,260 --> 01:14:18,570
To Giorgio's credit, he was
1711
01:14:18,610 --> 01:14:20,480
involved with the selection,
1712
01:14:20,520 --> 01:14:23,220
and there was the song
"When I'm with You."
1713
01:14:23,270 --> 01:14:26,620
He thought that that song
was really something special.
1714
01:14:26,660 --> 01:14:28,750
["WHEN I'M WITH YOU" BY SPARKS
PLAYING]
1715
01:14:30,750 --> 01:14:32,620
EGAN: "When I'm with You."
[IMITATES BASS LINE]
1716
01:14:32,670 --> 01:14:34,720
That bass line,
1717
01:14:34,760 --> 01:14:36,370
that beautiful string line.
1718
01:14:38,240 --> 01:14:40,420
It wasn't anything
that we kind of planned on,
1719
01:14:40,460 --> 01:14:42,030
but it became, uh,
1720
01:14:42,070 --> 01:14:45,250
the biggest-selling song
that we've ever done.
1721
01:14:45,290 --> 01:14:48,120
♪ When I'm with you
1722
01:14:48,160 --> 01:14:50,080
♪ I never have a problem
1723
01:14:50,120 --> 01:14:52,340
♪ When I'm with you...
1724
01:14:52,380 --> 01:14:54,380
RON: Most of those sales
were in France,
1725
01:14:54,430 --> 01:14:57,520
and the song was kind of
the soundtrack of the country
1726
01:14:57,560 --> 01:15:00,210
during that whole period.
1727
01:15:01,300 --> 01:15:03,300
"When I'm with You," the Sparks.
1728
01:15:03,350 --> 01:15:04,870
♪ When I'm with you...
1729
01:15:04,920 --> 01:15:06,570
RUSSELL: The video
for "When I'm with You"
1730
01:15:06,610 --> 01:15:09,310
was Ron being the ventriloquist
1731
01:15:09,360 --> 01:15:10,970
and me being the dummy,
1732
01:15:11,010 --> 01:15:14,230
and some things
never change in life.
1733
01:15:14,270 --> 01:15:16,580
DAVID WEIGEL: It's a love song.
Someone's in love.
1734
01:15:16,620 --> 01:15:18,140
Okay, I know what's going on.
1735
01:15:18,190 --> 01:15:19,930
And then the more he sings,
1736
01:15:19,970 --> 01:15:21,930
you realize that-that you're
listening to somebody panic.
1737
01:15:21,980 --> 01:15:24,850
♪ It's the break in the song
1738
01:15:24,890 --> 01:15:28,370
♪ When I should say
something special ♪
1739
01:15:29,850 --> 01:15:32,640
♪ But the pressure is on
1740
01:15:32,680 --> 01:15:36,770
♪ And I can't make up
nothing special ♪
1741
01:15:36,820 --> 01:15:39,950
♪ Not when I'm with you
1742
01:15:39,990 --> 01:15:42,080
♪ When I'm with you...
1743
01:15:42,130 --> 01:15:44,520
OSWALT: There is never
a "June, moon, spoon"
1744
01:15:44,560 --> 01:15:46,610
aspect to their lyrics.
1745
01:15:46,650 --> 01:15:48,780
There is always a three, four,
1746
01:15:48,830 --> 01:15:51,700
five times removed aspect of:
1747
01:15:51,750 --> 01:15:54,360
So, is the narrator...
This is clearly not the singer.
1748
01:15:54,400 --> 01:15:56,710
He's playing a character,
and then the... and you kind of
1749
01:15:56,750 --> 01:15:59,670
work out what
the character's biography is.
1750
01:15:59,710 --> 01:16:02,840
Each song has such
a personality to it.
1751
01:16:02,890 --> 01:16:04,720
That middle eight is
the thing that I think,
1752
01:16:04,760 --> 01:16:07,370
for some listeners
who might be investing
1753
01:16:07,410 --> 01:16:09,800
in, like, a love song,
will say, like,
1754
01:16:09,850 --> 01:16:12,030
"Oh, hold up. Is this a joke?"
1755
01:16:12,070 --> 01:16:14,290
It could be seen
as being insincere.
1756
01:16:14,330 --> 01:16:15,900
In reality,
1757
01:16:15,940 --> 01:16:17,550
it's the thing
that makes them more memorable.
1758
01:16:17,600 --> 01:16:19,820
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
1759
01:16:19,860 --> 01:16:22,470
RUSSELL: The thing of doing
TV shows that we did
1760
01:16:22,510 --> 01:16:25,560
in a period of, like,
"When I'm with You" in France...
1761
01:16:25,600 --> 01:16:27,560
and we did a lot
in Germany at that time...
1762
01:16:27,610 --> 01:16:30,220
I think, you know, we realized
that the appeal of Sparks
1763
01:16:30,260 --> 01:16:32,260
was going to an area that wasn't
1764
01:16:32,310 --> 01:16:34,010
where we wanted to be going.
1765
01:16:34,050 --> 01:16:37,140
And so, um, that was why
we wanted to start having
1766
01:16:37,180 --> 01:16:39,010
a band context again.
1767
01:16:39,050 --> 01:16:41,270
Please, uh, can you smile?
1768
01:16:41,320 --> 01:16:43,320
Uh, cheese.
1769
01:16:43,360 --> 01:16:45,280
Ah. [SPEAKS FRENCH]
1770
01:16:45,320 --> 01:16:47,540
- Merci. Thank you.
- [APPLAUSE]
1771
01:16:47,580 --> 01:16:49,540
[CONTINUES IN FRENCH]
1772
01:16:49,590 --> 01:16:51,460
BOHEM:
My relationship to Sparks,
1773
01:16:51,500 --> 01:16:52,980
like most everything else,
is based on coffee.
1774
01:16:53,020 --> 01:16:55,940
I am an avid, to this day,
coffee drinker.
1775
01:16:55,980 --> 01:16:58,550
And in 1980,
it was pretty rough.
1776
01:16:58,590 --> 01:17:00,590
The one place you could go
in Los Angeles
1777
01:17:00,640 --> 01:17:02,560
was the Farmers Market.
1778
01:17:02,600 --> 01:17:04,950
They had a Belgian waffle stand
with one espresso machine.
1779
01:17:04,990 --> 01:17:06,560
RODDY BOTTUM:
People started to say,
1780
01:17:06,600 --> 01:17:09,210
"I saw the Sparks brothers
1781
01:17:09,260 --> 01:17:10,830
at Farmers Market."
1782
01:17:10,870 --> 01:17:12,570
And we're like, "What?"
1783
01:17:13,830 --> 01:17:16,830
- Small soy cappuccino, please.
- And for you?
1784
01:17:16,870 --> 01:17:18,920
Uh, what's a red-eye?
1785
01:17:18,960 --> 01:17:21,880
So, a coffee with
a shot of espresso.
1786
01:17:21,920 --> 01:17:23,620
- Really?
- Yeah, double caffeine.
1787
01:17:23,660 --> 01:17:25,010
- Wow. I'll try that.
- You want one?
1788
01:17:25,060 --> 01:17:26,540
- Yeah. Yeah.
- Small?
1789
01:17:26,580 --> 01:17:28,320
I'll... I hope I live
to tell the tale.
1790
01:17:28,360 --> 01:17:29,750
BOHEM:
I started noticing
1791
01:17:29,800 --> 01:17:31,500
Ron and Russell
at this other table.
1792
01:17:31,540 --> 01:17:33,410
They were there almost
every day that we were there,
1793
01:17:33,450 --> 01:17:35,320
and then after a while,
we-we started saying
1794
01:17:35,370 --> 01:17:36,980
sort of a grudging hello
to each other.
1795
01:17:37,020 --> 01:17:40,550
RUSSELL: One thing led
to the next, and we, uh,
1796
01:17:40,590 --> 01:17:42,200
poached their entire band,
1797
01:17:42,250 --> 01:17:43,990
and, uh, that was the end
of Bates Motel.
1798
01:17:44,030 --> 01:17:47,470
But it was the start of
the '80s version of Sparks.
1799
01:17:50,990 --> 01:17:52,910
BOHEM:
We went to S.I.R...
1800
01:17:52,950 --> 01:17:55,000
Studio Instrument Rentals...
on Santa Monica
1801
01:17:55,040 --> 01:17:58,000
and we started
rehearsing the songs
1802
01:17:58,040 --> 01:18:00,610
for what eventually was
Whomp That Sucker.
1803
01:18:00,660 --> 01:18:02,530
KENDRICK: It was very
different thanTerminal Jive.
1804
01:18:02,570 --> 01:18:04,790
It was like, this is
a new thing going on.
1805
01:18:04,830 --> 01:18:07,660
I want to say we rehearsed
for six weeks,
1806
01:18:07,710 --> 01:18:09,450
and then we were
on a plane to Munich
1807
01:18:09,490 --> 01:18:11,140
and-and recording the album.
1808
01:18:11,190 --> 01:18:13,020
♪ And, boy, am I sorry...
1809
01:18:14,410 --> 01:18:16,280
All of a sudden,
we're in Musicland Studios.
1810
01:18:16,320 --> 01:18:18,240
It's Giorgio Moroder's studio.
1811
01:18:18,280 --> 01:18:21,020
It's in the basement
of this groovy hotel.
1812
01:18:21,070 --> 01:18:22,680
RON: Sometimes, we just
kind of drift into things,
1813
01:18:22,720 --> 01:18:25,900
but that really was
a conscious decision
1814
01:18:25,940 --> 01:18:28,250
to work with a band.
1815
01:18:28,290 --> 01:18:29,810
KENDRICK:
They were inseparable.
1816
01:18:29,860 --> 01:18:31,510
At that time,
I kind of had this thing.
1817
01:18:31,560 --> 01:18:34,170
They were almost like
a symbiotic thing.
1818
01:18:34,210 --> 01:18:36,130
They were like one
sort of complete form.
1819
01:18:36,170 --> 01:18:37,690
You know, it's
an interesting thing
1820
01:18:37,740 --> 01:18:39,090
about how they wrote
at that time
1821
01:18:39,130 --> 01:18:40,780
that the lyrics came last.
1822
01:18:40,830 --> 01:18:42,790
Russell would kind of do,
1823
01:18:42,830 --> 01:18:46,570
like, nonsense verbiage
just to fill in the space.
1824
01:18:46,610 --> 01:18:48,090
It was kind of incredible.
1825
01:18:48,140 --> 01:18:50,580
Ron would furiously
finish the lyrics,
1826
01:18:50,620 --> 01:18:53,360
literally, it seemed like,
the night before.
1827
01:18:53,400 --> 01:18:55,140
The lyrics would show up,
and we'd go,
1828
01:18:55,190 --> 01:18:57,240
"Wow, I had no idea." [LAUGHS]
1829
01:18:57,280 --> 01:19:00,810
♪ I've got a snapshot
of your Aunt Maureen ♪
1830
01:19:00,850 --> 01:19:03,810
♪ She's 90 and you're a teen
1831
01:19:03,850 --> 01:19:06,370
♪ I'm trying to cheer you up
1832
01:19:06,420 --> 01:19:09,640
♪ Don't be so mean,
don't be so mean... ♪
1833
01:19:12,070 --> 01:19:14,030
"I've got a snapshot
of your Aunt Maureen."
1834
01:19:14,080 --> 01:19:15,860
[CAMERA CLICKS]
1835
01:19:15,900 --> 01:19:19,430
I can't think of a cooler way
to start a pop song than that.
1836
01:19:19,470 --> 01:19:22,430
Who are you?
Who is Aunt Maureen?
1837
01:19:22,480 --> 01:19:24,130
I love that lyric.
1838
01:19:24,170 --> 01:19:25,870
It grabs me.
1839
01:19:25,910 --> 01:19:29,390
♪ Crash, bam,
now you're looking good ♪
1840
01:19:29,440 --> 01:19:32,530
♪ Tip-top,
now you're feeling good ♪
1841
01:19:32,570 --> 01:19:34,490
♪ Once more,
here's your Aunt Maureen ♪
1842
01:19:34,530 --> 01:19:37,790
♪ Don't you feel good?
Don't you feel good? ♪
1843
01:19:37,840 --> 01:19:39,800
RICHARDSON: It was
a funny thing of listening
1844
01:19:39,840 --> 01:19:41,540
to, like, two grown men
being like,
1845
01:19:41,580 --> 01:19:43,370
"Here are tips for teens,"
then sing about, like, zits.
1846
01:19:43,410 --> 01:19:44,800
Like, literally being like,
1847
01:19:44,850 --> 01:19:46,290
"Here's what you do
when you get a zit."
1848
01:19:46,330 --> 01:19:47,940
That's genius.
1849
01:19:47,980 --> 01:19:49,590
Songs are about,
like, two things.
1850
01:19:49,630 --> 01:19:51,020
Will you please fuck me?
1851
01:19:51,070 --> 01:19:52,590
Don't shut my party down.
1852
01:19:52,640 --> 01:19:54,820
♪ Tips for teens,
the kind you don't see... ♪
1853
01:19:54,860 --> 01:19:58,560
ANNOUNCER: Their wacko training
bra and blemish cream sound
1854
01:19:58,600 --> 01:20:02,080
is not typical fare
in the L.A. club scene,
1855
01:20:02,120 --> 01:20:06,170
and after several albums,
brothers Russell and Ron Mael
1856
01:20:06,220 --> 01:20:09,830
have yet to give up
the fight back home.
1857
01:20:09,870 --> 01:20:12,180
RON: The radio station
that really mattered was
1858
01:20:12,220 --> 01:20:15,400
"K-Rock," KROQ,
and they were playing
1859
01:20:15,440 --> 01:20:18,880
a lot of things
that just fit into our style.
1860
01:20:18,920 --> 01:20:20,700
["DON'T GO" BY YAZOO PLAYING]
1861
01:20:20,750 --> 01:20:23,060
I never knew Ron and Russell
to ever make
1862
01:20:23,100 --> 01:20:25,710
a calculated move
to capture an audience.
1863
01:20:25,760 --> 01:20:27,630
Sometimes they hit it
1864
01:20:27,670 --> 01:20:29,890
because they liked something
everybody else liked.
1865
01:20:29,930 --> 01:20:33,060
KROQ played all the-the weird
stuff coming from England:
1866
01:20:33,110 --> 01:20:37,200
The Cure, Depeche Mode,
Duran Duran, New Order.
1867
01:20:37,250 --> 01:20:39,600
SHERMAN-PALLADINO: If you
listened to KROQ, you generally
1868
01:20:39,640 --> 01:20:42,430
didn't listen to other stations.
1869
01:20:42,470 --> 01:20:44,820
Like, it was sort of like
you just listened to KROQ.
1870
01:20:44,860 --> 01:20:46,560
KNEGO:
I remember just falling out
1871
01:20:46,600 --> 01:20:48,730
of my chair, you know,
hearing Sparks
1872
01:20:48,780 --> 01:20:50,430
actually on the radio.
1873
01:20:50,480 --> 01:20:51,960
BOHEM: You know, we're in
Munich, and somebody's calling,
1874
01:20:52,000 --> 01:20:53,090
like, "Hey they're playing
'Tips for Teens'
1875
01:20:53,130 --> 01:20:54,180
on KROQ every 15 minutes."
1876
01:20:54,220 --> 01:20:55,530
I'm like,
1877
01:20:55,570 --> 01:20:57,140
"Can we hear it?"
[LAUGHS]: You know?
1878
01:20:57,180 --> 01:20:59,010
Sparks is extraordinarily
popular in Europe.
1879
01:20:59,050 --> 01:21:01,660
You are very popular
in this country,
1880
01:21:01,700 --> 01:21:03,660
but I think it's safe
to say that perhaps
1881
01:21:03,710 --> 01:21:05,670
you-your reception over there
is wilder
1882
01:21:05,710 --> 01:21:07,760
and more, uh, outgoing
than it is here.
1883
01:21:07,800 --> 01:21:09,760
What are you doing
to correct that situation?
1884
01:21:09,800 --> 01:21:11,630
We're gonna be
concentrating really heavily
1885
01:21:11,670 --> 01:21:13,630
on the States in the next year.
1886
01:21:13,670 --> 01:21:15,460
DICK CLARK: Would you introduce
me to your associates, please?
1887
01:21:15,500 --> 01:21:17,420
RUSSELL:
On bass, Les Bohem.
1888
01:21:17,460 --> 01:21:18,900
BOHEM:
I thinkWhomp That Sucker is
1889
01:21:18,940 --> 01:21:21,250
the Bates Motel backup band,
1890
01:21:21,290 --> 01:21:24,860
andAngst, that is the point
where we were a band.
1891
01:21:24,900 --> 01:21:28,030
STEWART: Angst in My Pants
is a record where culture
1892
01:21:28,080 --> 01:21:31,000
and zeitgeist all come together
in that record.
1893
01:21:31,040 --> 01:21:34,480
We have Ron and Russell.
Who is the older?
1894
01:21:34,520 --> 01:21:36,040
You are.
1895
01:21:36,090 --> 01:21:37,880
[LAUGHTER]
1896
01:21:37,910 --> 01:21:38,870
RICHARDSON:
First of all, best cover.
1897
01:21:38,920 --> 01:21:40,530
That cover totally rules.
1898
01:21:40,570 --> 01:21:42,140
This is how you do
an album cover.
1899
01:21:43,140 --> 01:21:44,580
DJ LANCE ROCK:
I just remember
1900
01:21:44,620 --> 01:21:46,060
looking at that, and it's like,
1901
01:21:46,100 --> 01:21:48,230
there's this guy
in a wedding dress with this,
1902
01:21:48,270 --> 01:21:49,710
you know, weird mustache.
1903
01:21:49,750 --> 01:21:51,400
It was just
such a striking image.
1904
01:21:51,450 --> 01:21:53,190
Even now, it is.
1905
01:21:53,230 --> 01:21:55,150
STEWART: They themselves
are heterosexual, but they had
1906
01:21:55,190 --> 01:21:56,760
a huge gay following.
1907
01:21:56,800 --> 01:21:58,720
Their songs questioned
notions of masculinity.
1908
01:21:58,760 --> 01:22:01,810
They did it in their music,
they did it in their videos,
1909
01:22:01,850 --> 01:22:03,720
and I think they did it
on that album cover.
1910
01:22:03,770 --> 01:22:07,640
I mean, that is in the great
rock and roll tradition of:
1911
01:22:07,680 --> 01:22:10,120
"'F' you, America."
1912
01:22:10,160 --> 01:22:13,420
You know, it's-it's disturbing,
it's unsettling.
1913
01:22:13,470 --> 01:22:15,470
It's not right.
It's not Republican.
1914
01:22:15,520 --> 01:22:17,440
It's not apple pie.
1915
01:22:17,470 --> 01:22:18,990
MADELINE BOCCHIARO: Some dudes
wouldn't even buy the album,
1916
01:22:19,040 --> 01:22:20,690
'cause they didn't want to
bring it to the counter,
1917
01:22:20,740 --> 01:22:22,310
but that's their problem.
1918
01:22:22,350 --> 01:22:24,350
RON: We think it's
important to do something
1919
01:22:24,390 --> 01:22:26,520
that is polarizing.
1920
01:22:26,570 --> 01:22:29,400
We don't feel bad about that
in-in the slightest.
1921
01:22:29,440 --> 01:22:31,400
It kind of encourages us to...
1922
01:22:31,450 --> 01:22:34,710
to push what we're doing
even more.
1923
01:22:34,750 --> 01:22:37,880
["I PREDICT" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
1924
01:22:37,930 --> 01:22:41,370
♪ You're gonna take
a walk in the rain ♪
1925
01:22:41,410 --> 01:22:43,890
♪ And you're gonna get wet
1926
01:22:43,940 --> 01:22:46,250
♪ I predict...
1927
01:22:46,290 --> 01:22:48,340
It's probably one of
the most macho,
1928
01:22:48,380 --> 01:22:51,600
badass Sparks songs
that's out there.
1929
01:22:51,640 --> 01:22:53,900
And the way
they illustrate it is
1930
01:22:53,950 --> 01:22:56,300
with Ron stripping,
1931
01:22:56,340 --> 01:22:59,910
and it's disgusting and creepy
1932
01:22:59,950 --> 01:23:02,130
and delicious.
1933
01:23:02,170 --> 01:23:05,170
♪ Philip don't care,
I predict... ♪
1934
01:23:05,220 --> 01:23:07,790
PUCKRIK: There's Russell being
the pretty boy, matinee idol,
1935
01:23:07,830 --> 01:23:11,400
and Ron, in his own way,
is a matinee idol,
1936
01:23:11,440 --> 01:23:14,880
but he's one from
the dark side of the lens.
1937
01:23:14,920 --> 01:23:16,700
[CROWD CHEERING]
1938
01:23:16,750 --> 01:23:18,620
KAPRANOS: He doesn't fit in any
of the traditional roles
1939
01:23:18,670 --> 01:23:21,110
that you would have in a...
a rock and roll band.
1940
01:23:21,150 --> 01:23:22,630
That's almost
1941
01:23:22,670 --> 01:23:25,190
more powerful than a front man
in many ways.
1942
01:23:25,240 --> 01:23:26,330
Certainly very distracting.
1943
01:23:30,200 --> 01:23:31,770
FLEA: Yeah, it's shtick
and it's showbiz,
1944
01:23:31,810 --> 01:23:34,290
but it's also
1945
01:23:34,330 --> 01:23:36,510
emblematic and symbolic
1946
01:23:36,550 --> 01:23:39,380
of what their true essence
of who they are is.
1947
01:23:39,430 --> 01:23:41,430
BOTTUM:
Who is the star of Sparks?
1948
01:23:41,470 --> 01:23:43,430
Sometimes it's Ron,
sometimes it's Russell.
1949
01:23:43,470 --> 01:23:45,690
Russell is, like,
a sort of traditional singer,
1950
01:23:45,740 --> 01:23:48,050
but Ron was...
yeah, really shined
1951
01:23:48,090 --> 01:23:50,830
as just this sort of strange,
odd presence.
1952
01:23:51,830 --> 01:23:54,530
Thank you. Thank you.
1953
01:23:54,570 --> 01:23:56,050
Tell us, though, about Sparks.
1954
01:23:56,100 --> 01:23:57,840
I know that you're
an underground band.
1955
01:23:57,880 --> 01:23:59,230
What-what are you saying
1956
01:23:59,270 --> 01:24:00,580
to those kids out there
or to adults?
1957
01:24:00,620 --> 01:24:02,060
What-what is Sparks saying?
1958
01:24:02,100 --> 01:24:04,580
Sparks is a rock band
with a point of view.
1959
01:24:04,630 --> 01:24:07,680
The thing that we wish
to convey is-is a sense of joy
1960
01:24:07,720 --> 01:24:09,900
about the music
that we are creating.
1961
01:24:09,930 --> 01:24:12,020
And I think most
of this sense of joy
1962
01:24:12,070 --> 01:24:16,600
is from Russell's singing
and from my lyrical approach.
1963
01:24:16,640 --> 01:24:18,860
Sometimes it's satirical
1964
01:24:18,900 --> 01:24:22,470
but never without some sort
of witty point of view.
1965
01:24:22,510 --> 01:24:25,080
- HOST: Sparks.
- [CHEERING]
1966
01:24:28,470 --> 01:24:30,210
DJ LANCE ROCK:
"Cool Places" is a big hit.
1967
01:24:30,260 --> 01:24:31,260
I think that's the first time
1968
01:24:31,300 --> 01:24:32,780
some of my contemporaries
1969
01:24:32,830 --> 01:24:34,570
became aware of Sparks.
1970
01:24:34,610 --> 01:24:36,090
- Our time has come.
- Okay.
1971
01:24:36,130 --> 01:24:38,090
- And here we are.
- We've arrived.
1972
01:24:38,140 --> 01:24:40,840
I hope you like our new
single, "Cool Places."
1973
01:24:42,050 --> 01:24:45,360
♪ I wanna go to cool places
with you ♪
1974
01:24:45,400 --> 01:24:48,100
♪ I wanna take you
cool places tonight... ♪
1975
01:24:48,150 --> 01:24:50,540
RUSSELL:
The video for that song was
1976
01:24:50,580 --> 01:24:53,240
really played a lot on MTV
in the States,
1977
01:24:53,280 --> 01:24:55,760
and so it was really reaching
1978
01:24:55,810 --> 01:24:57,860
a new audience that perhaps
we wouldn't have had.
1979
01:24:57,890 --> 01:24:59,980
♪ A minimum of chitchat...
1980
01:25:00,030 --> 01:25:04,470
WIEDLIN: It's hard to overstate
how important MTV was
1981
01:25:04,510 --> 01:25:07,380
to the music business
at that time.
1982
01:25:07,430 --> 01:25:11,870
And the "Cool Places" video
is so wacky and so fun.
1983
01:25:11,910 --> 01:25:13,740
♪ I gotta tell you...
1984
01:25:13,780 --> 01:25:14,960
CHRISTI HAYDON: I guess
I would've been in high school
1985
01:25:15,000 --> 01:25:16,520
when "Cool Places" came out.
1986
01:25:16,570 --> 01:25:19,400
And I saw the video on MTV.
1987
01:25:19,440 --> 01:25:21,360
And I knew exactly
who Jane Wiedlin was
1988
01:25:21,400 --> 01:25:22,840
'cause I loved the Go-Go's.
1989
01:25:22,880 --> 01:25:24,400
But I thought,
"Who are these two guys
1990
01:25:24,440 --> 01:25:26,530
with my Go-Go?" [LAUGHS]
1991
01:25:26,580 --> 01:25:28,580
♪ And they could tell
we're cooler now... ♪
1992
01:25:28,620 --> 01:25:31,360
SCOTT AUKERMAN: I remember
the video very, very distinctly
1993
01:25:31,410 --> 01:25:33,330
for the dancing in it,
1994
01:25:33,370 --> 01:25:34,940
which was very '80s dancing,
1995
01:25:34,980 --> 01:25:38,460
which was just basic swaying.
1996
01:25:38,500 --> 01:25:40,240
Has anybody traced back
that dance?
1997
01:25:40,290 --> 01:25:43,160
People call it
the Molly Ringwald.
1998
01:25:43,200 --> 01:25:46,290
WIEDLIN: No, no, no. I think
we thought of it, personally.
1999
01:25:46,330 --> 01:25:47,980
When we saw Molly Ringwald
doing it,
2000
01:25:48,030 --> 01:25:50,470
we were like, "Oh, my God,
she stole our dance."
2001
01:25:50,510 --> 01:25:53,690
♪ I wanna go, I wanna go...
2002
01:25:53,730 --> 01:25:56,120
How did you fall in
with this company?
2003
01:25:56,170 --> 01:25:59,000
- We met on a love boat cruise.
- [LAUGHS]
2004
01:25:59,040 --> 01:26:01,130
No, no, seriously.
How did the...
2005
01:26:01,180 --> 01:26:02,830
Did you get a telephone call?
Did you see her?
2006
01:26:02,870 --> 01:26:04,700
What...
Who made the first call?
2007
01:26:04,740 --> 01:26:06,790
Oh, it was mutual admiration
2008
01:26:06,830 --> 01:26:10,140
for, uh, each other's
respective groups
2009
01:26:10,180 --> 01:26:12,920
and then mutual, uh, admiration
2010
01:26:12,970 --> 01:26:14,890
for each other's bodies.
2011
01:26:14,930 --> 01:26:16,890
- [LAUGHTER]
- Would you stop that?
2012
01:26:16,930 --> 01:26:19,720
I knew, if I let you go long
enough, I'd be in trouble.
2013
01:26:19,760 --> 01:26:22,150
WIEDLIN: As you can imagine, I
was madly in love with Russell
2014
01:26:22,200 --> 01:26:26,680
all through my teenage-hood,
and then I got to meet him, and
2015
01:26:26,720 --> 01:26:29,250
I basically threw myself at him.
2016
01:26:29,290 --> 01:26:31,210
Let's just put it that way.
And, um...
2017
01:26:31,250 --> 01:26:35,690
so we had sort of this brief,
brief romance
2018
01:26:35,730 --> 01:26:39,210
that, uh, didn't ever really
get deep or anything,
2019
01:26:39,260 --> 01:26:42,180
and it was fun, and I think,
really, a lot of it for me
2020
01:26:42,220 --> 01:26:44,270
was getting to fulfill
a fantasy.
2021
01:26:44,300 --> 01:26:46,560
You know, one thing led
to the next, you know.
2022
01:26:46,610 --> 01:26:48,180
You're now getting
a little insight
2023
01:26:48,220 --> 01:26:49,870
into how things happen
in the music world.
2024
01:26:49,920 --> 01:26:51,360
You think it's all just
kind of...
2025
01:26:51,400 --> 01:26:52,840
people come out
with albums and record
2026
01:26:52,880 --> 01:26:54,140
and it's all lovey-dovey.
2027
01:26:54,180 --> 01:26:55,530
You know, this...
this is how...
2028
01:26:55,580 --> 01:26:56,670
We thought it was
limos and ludes,
2029
01:26:56,710 --> 01:26:58,230
but it's really sex, huh?
2030
01:26:58,280 --> 01:27:00,240
- This is how it happens, yes.
- It's really sex.
2031
01:27:00,280 --> 01:27:01,850
WIEDLIN: I was so in love with
Russell 'cause he was so cute,
2032
01:27:01,890 --> 01:27:04,110
so I chose beauty
over brains, but...
2033
01:27:04,150 --> 01:27:05,980
and I'm not saying
Russell's not smart
2034
01:27:06,020 --> 01:27:08,680
or Ron's not beautiful...
don't get me wrong...
2035
01:27:08,720 --> 01:27:11,640
but, like, now, like,
I think of Ron, and I'm like...
2036
01:27:11,680 --> 01:27:13,160
[SWOONING]:
"Oh, Ron Mael."
2037
01:27:13,200 --> 01:27:14,850
Like, I mean, he just wrote
2038
01:27:14,900 --> 01:27:16,820
some of my favorite songs
I've ever heard.
2039
01:27:16,860 --> 01:27:18,860
["I WISH I LOOKED A LITTLE
BETTER" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
2040
01:27:18,900 --> 01:27:21,120
KAPRANOS:
There is this continual theme
2041
01:27:21,170 --> 01:27:22,560
through Ron's lyrics
2042
01:27:22,600 --> 01:27:24,080
in Sparks songs
2043
01:27:24,130 --> 01:27:26,260
of somehow
not being good enough.
2044
01:27:26,300 --> 01:27:27,910
VERA HEGARTY:
Sparks do that thing...
2045
01:27:27,960 --> 01:27:29,400
it's like, they have
a really poignant theme,
2046
01:27:29,440 --> 01:27:33,180
and they're addressing
something quite serious,
2047
01:27:33,220 --> 01:27:35,130
but it's done in
a kind of a playful,
2048
01:27:35,180 --> 01:27:36,790
slightly throwaway way.
2049
01:27:36,840 --> 01:27:38,410
And then you kind of
think about it and you go,
2050
01:27:38,450 --> 01:27:41,240
"You know, it really
is quite sad."
2051
01:27:41,270 --> 01:27:42,660
♪ Turn out the light,
yeah, the light ♪
2052
01:27:42,710 --> 01:27:43,970
♪ And I might have a chance
2053
01:27:44,020 --> 01:27:45,630
♪ I guess I look
slightly worse ♪
2054
01:27:45,670 --> 01:27:47,110
♪ Than the Elephant Man
2055
01:27:47,150 --> 01:27:48,760
♪ Whoa-oh-oh
2056
01:27:48,800 --> 01:27:51,670
♪ I wish I looked
a little better... ♪
2057
01:27:53,240 --> 01:27:56,720
BOTTUM: All of the songs come
from the perspective of Ron,
2058
01:27:56,770 --> 01:27:59,470
and, you know,
he's socially awkward
2059
01:27:59,510 --> 01:28:02,300
and sort of, you know, like,
runs into issues,
2060
01:28:02,340 --> 01:28:04,950
which is what makes the band
so interesting to me, too,
2061
01:28:04,990 --> 01:28:09,260
'cause the face of Sparks and
the voice of Sparks is Russell,
2062
01:28:09,300 --> 01:28:10,820
and Russell is so handsome
2063
01:28:10,870 --> 01:28:12,480
and, you know,
kind of a ladies' man,
2064
01:28:12,520 --> 01:28:14,870
but he's singing these
really fucked-up, like,
2065
01:28:14,920 --> 01:28:17,530
"can't get the girl" lyrics.
2066
01:28:17,570 --> 01:28:18,830
JONES:
It didn't occur to me,
2067
01:28:18,880 --> 01:28:21,840
but being brothers, at the time,
2068
01:28:21,880 --> 01:28:23,320
when he was the cutie-pie
2069
01:28:23,360 --> 01:28:25,280
and all the teenagers loved him,
2070
01:28:25,320 --> 01:28:28,720
did he get jealous that he
wasn't getting any attention?
2071
01:28:28,760 --> 01:28:31,850
I mean, that would've done
me in if I was his brother.
2072
01:28:33,800 --> 01:28:35,190
CONGLETON:
He's celebrating all the things
2073
01:28:35,240 --> 01:28:37,370
that awkward kids feel.
2074
01:28:37,420 --> 01:28:38,680
Ultimately,
at the end of the day,
2075
01:28:38,720 --> 01:28:39,850
he's making you feel less alone.
2076
01:28:39,900 --> 01:28:42,600
♪ Dress for success
2077
01:28:42,640 --> 01:28:45,340
♪ Oh, that's what they said
2078
01:28:45,380 --> 01:28:47,510
♪ Oh, give me some clothes
2079
01:28:47,560 --> 01:28:50,520
♪ To slap over my head
2080
01:28:50,560 --> 01:28:54,170
♪ I went to Balboa Island
and laid in the sand ♪
2081
01:28:54,220 --> 01:28:57,090
♪ I may be ugly as sin,
but at least now I'm tan ♪
2082
01:28:57,130 --> 01:28:58,780
♪ Whoa-oh-oh
2083
01:28:58,830 --> 01:29:01,620
♪ I wish I looked
a little better... ♪
2084
01:29:01,660 --> 01:29:03,660
KENDRICK:
We were headlining,
2085
01:29:03,700 --> 01:29:05,620
like, the Greek Theatre
by the end,
2086
01:29:05,660 --> 01:29:08,050
which is, like,
a 5,000-seat venue.
2087
01:29:08,100 --> 01:29:09,490
You know, it was big.
2088
01:29:10,360 --> 01:29:11,750
STEWART:
There they are, playing
2089
01:29:11,800 --> 01:29:13,320
multiple nights at the Whisky,
2090
01:29:13,370 --> 01:29:14,810
and then larger venues
2091
01:29:14,850 --> 01:29:16,500
like the Country Club
or the Palace
2092
01:29:16,540 --> 01:29:18,190
and even headlining
the Hollywood Bowl.
2093
01:29:18,240 --> 01:29:19,330
YANKOVIC:
I thought they were one of
2094
01:29:19,370 --> 01:29:20,890
the biggest bands in the world,
2095
01:29:20,940 --> 01:29:22,770
because if you lived in L.A.
in the early '80s,
2096
01:29:22,810 --> 01:29:24,990
that was pretty much
the impression you got.
2097
01:29:25,030 --> 01:29:27,820
♪
2098
01:29:27,860 --> 01:29:29,380
KNEGO:
I was happy for them
2099
01:29:29,430 --> 01:29:30,870
because they deserved
the success.
2100
01:29:30,900 --> 01:29:33,160
♪ Let's go.
2101
01:29:33,210 --> 01:29:34,860
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
2102
01:29:34,910 --> 01:29:37,090
And then sadly, you know,
with Pulling Rabbits,
2103
01:29:37,130 --> 01:29:39,220
you know, everything started
going south.
2104
01:29:41,260 --> 01:29:43,920
I can't believe what I'm seeing.
2105
01:29:43,960 --> 01:29:46,220
Me, either. [LAUGHS]
2106
01:29:47,440 --> 01:29:49,530
♪ That is what I had intended
2107
01:29:49,580 --> 01:29:51,370
♪ Pretending to be drunk...
2108
01:29:51,400 --> 01:29:54,800
SILVERBLATT: Along comes Sparks
with a swing song
2109
01:29:54,840 --> 01:29:58,100
called
"Pretending to Be Drunk."
2110
01:29:58,150 --> 01:30:00,150
♪ You think I am
weak and feeble ♪
2111
01:30:00,190 --> 01:30:02,320
♪ You think I'm a bore...
2112
01:30:02,370 --> 01:30:04,810
Doesn't sound like
a Sparks song...
2113
01:30:04,850 --> 01:30:07,380
♪ Soon I'm out the door...
2114
01:30:07,420 --> 01:30:10,120
...but it doesn't sound like
any other kind of song, either.
2115
01:30:10,160 --> 01:30:13,730
It sounds like
an alpine glockenspiel song.
2116
01:30:13,770 --> 01:30:15,380
It's crazy.
2117
01:30:15,430 --> 01:30:17,950
♪ Pretending to be drunk...
2118
01:30:18,000 --> 01:30:19,960
RON: We really do enjoy
those periods
2119
01:30:20,000 --> 01:30:22,050
when we do have
commercial success,
2120
01:30:22,090 --> 01:30:23,610
but we wanted to do something
2121
01:30:23,650 --> 01:30:26,040
that was not
as easily pigeonholed,
2122
01:30:26,090 --> 01:30:28,140
obviously not wanting to commit
2123
01:30:28,180 --> 01:30:30,400
commercial suicide
at the same time.
2124
01:30:30,440 --> 01:30:32,440
♪ Pretending
to be drunk... ♪
2125
01:30:32,490 --> 01:30:36,890
In America,
Sparks had a hard time.
2126
01:30:36,930 --> 01:30:38,450
They were a bit much
for most people.
2127
01:30:38,490 --> 01:30:40,540
DJ LANCE ROCK: What can I say?
I'm an American,
2128
01:30:40,580 --> 01:30:42,410
so I don't want
to criticize too much,
2129
01:30:42,450 --> 01:30:44,500
but, you know,
Sparks are a lot of things
2130
01:30:44,540 --> 01:30:47,720
that many Americans
don't seem to care for.
2131
01:30:47,760 --> 01:30:50,020
People were immediately,
you know, taken aback.
2132
01:30:50,070 --> 01:30:51,380
They just thought
they were weird
2133
01:30:51,420 --> 01:30:52,860
or that they were a novelty.
2134
01:30:52,900 --> 01:30:55,900
♪ That is what I had intended
2135
01:30:55,950 --> 01:30:58,610
♪ Pretending to be drunk...
2136
01:30:58,640 --> 01:31:00,250
ROSS: I felt like
their career was over
2137
01:31:00,300 --> 01:31:01,870
more often than any other band.
2138
01:31:01,910 --> 01:31:03,740
You know, it felt to me like,
"I love this band.
2139
01:31:03,780 --> 01:31:05,130
"Oh, they're gone.
2140
01:31:05,170 --> 01:31:06,650
Oh, never mind.
Oh, they're back."
2141
01:31:06,700 --> 01:31:08,570
[LAUGHS]
Some music from two young men
2142
01:31:08,610 --> 01:31:10,660
who had a host of hits
when I was but a...
2143
01:31:10,700 --> 01:31:12,270
but a child disc jockey.
2144
01:31:12,310 --> 01:31:13,830
I'm pleased to say
they're back to delight us
2145
01:31:13,880 --> 01:31:15,400
with a record
entitled "Change."
2146
01:31:15,440 --> 01:31:17,350
Ladies and gentlemen, Sparks.
2147
01:31:17,400 --> 01:31:19,530
- [APPLAUSE]
- ["CHANGE" PLAYING]
2148
01:31:19,580 --> 01:31:21,580
WIEDLIN:
They just keep doing it,
2149
01:31:21,620 --> 01:31:23,750
and they never let
anything stop them.
2150
01:31:23,800 --> 01:31:25,760
Whether they're popular
or not popular,
2151
01:31:25,800 --> 01:31:28,110
it just doesn't seem
to matter to them,
2152
01:31:28,150 --> 01:31:30,150
and I love that about them.
2153
01:31:30,200 --> 01:31:32,250
ROSS: They don't want to stick
with just one thing.
2154
01:31:32,290 --> 01:31:34,820
You know, and what an audience
seems to want is:
2155
01:31:34,850 --> 01:31:36,370
"This is what this band does,
2156
01:31:36,420 --> 01:31:38,250
and this is what they'll
continue doing for me."
2157
01:31:38,290 --> 01:31:39,940
And if you change too much,
I think it upsets people,
2158
01:31:39,990 --> 01:31:41,510
but in their case,
they needed to.
2159
01:31:41,560 --> 01:31:44,260
And I kind of love them
all the more for that.
2160
01:31:44,300 --> 01:31:47,170
♪ The rain is falling down...
2161
01:31:47,210 --> 01:31:49,000
RON:
People, a lot of the time,
2162
01:31:49,040 --> 01:31:51,960
they think of our image
as being maybe a bit eccentric
2163
01:31:52,000 --> 01:31:53,830
and they don't think
that it's dealing
2164
01:31:53,870 --> 01:31:55,520
with-with sort of real things,
2165
01:31:55,570 --> 01:31:57,220
and we really think
that by and large...
2166
01:31:57,270 --> 01:31:58,970
and I emphasize
"by and large"...
2167
01:31:59,010 --> 01:31:59,920
we're dealing
2168
01:31:59,970 --> 01:32:01,360
with real situations.
2169
01:32:01,400 --> 01:32:03,270
♪ But wait,
there's a rainbow... ♪
2170
01:32:03,320 --> 01:32:06,240
STEWART:
"Change" was this, um,
2171
01:32:06,280 --> 01:32:07,540
radical departure for them.
2172
01:32:07,580 --> 01:32:09,710
HEGARTY:
It was kind of more muted,
2173
01:32:09,760 --> 01:32:11,460
and it was sort of darker.
2174
01:32:11,500 --> 01:32:13,890
STEWART: You couldn't make
a less commercial record
2175
01:32:13,940 --> 01:32:15,770
or release it as a single.
2176
01:32:15,810 --> 01:32:19,290
And I remember how much
I loved it at the time
2177
01:32:19,330 --> 01:32:20,680
because of those qualities.
2178
01:32:20,720 --> 01:32:22,370
♪ Change
2179
01:32:22,420 --> 01:32:27,210
♪ Every dog is gonna
have his day ♪
2180
01:32:27,250 --> 01:32:29,080
♪ Change
2181
01:32:29,120 --> 01:32:33,690
♪ Every loser's gonna
have his way ♪
2182
01:32:33,740 --> 01:32:35,530
♪ Change
2183
01:32:35,570 --> 01:32:38,970
♪ I don't care
what other people say... ♪
2184
01:32:39,000 --> 01:32:41,000
BOHEM:
There's this ability...
2185
01:32:41,050 --> 01:32:42,880
so few people have it...
it's like...
2186
01:32:42,920 --> 01:32:46,010
you say very little,
you're funny as could be,
2187
01:32:46,050 --> 01:32:48,660
and all of a sudden,
it-it's devastating.
2188
01:32:48,710 --> 01:32:51,500
♪ It's a complete
waste of time... ♪
2189
01:32:51,540 --> 01:32:53,930
DEAN MENTA: When I was touring
with them, they would do that.
2190
01:32:53,980 --> 01:32:55,550
And I always thought, "Wow,
2191
01:32:55,590 --> 01:32:57,510
that's a super poignant song,"
2192
01:32:57,540 --> 01:32:59,320
considering their ups and downs
2193
01:32:59,370 --> 01:33:01,720
in the recording industry.
2194
01:33:01,770 --> 01:33:02,770
RUSSELL:
We were given
2195
01:33:02,810 --> 01:33:04,590
the unenviable task
2196
01:33:04,640 --> 01:33:07,690
of being on a show on British TV
2197
01:33:07,730 --> 01:33:11,730
and our record label didn't
want to finance a video.
2198
01:33:11,780 --> 01:33:14,910
If there's any other
local bands out there
2199
01:33:14,950 --> 01:33:19,300
that would like this same
sort of video, uh, treatment,
2200
01:33:19,350 --> 01:33:22,530
they can contact me
through London Records.
2201
01:33:22,570 --> 01:33:24,700
♪ Change, change, change
2202
01:33:24,750 --> 01:33:28,880
♪ I don't care what
other people say... ♪
2203
01:33:28,920 --> 01:33:30,750
RUSSELL:
We hoped it would embarrass
2204
01:33:30,790 --> 01:33:32,840
our record label enough to,
2205
01:33:32,880 --> 01:33:36,710
the next time around, maybe,
uh, fling to do a video for us.
2206
01:33:36,760 --> 01:33:39,280
♪ I got places
that I've gotta be... ♪
2207
01:33:39,320 --> 01:33:41,060
RON:
We billed the record company
2208
01:33:41,110 --> 01:33:43,110
for the two pounds
to buy the, uh, board
2209
01:33:43,150 --> 01:33:45,410
that we made the TV out of, too.
2210
01:33:45,460 --> 01:33:47,200
Still are waiting
to get paid back for that.
2211
01:33:47,250 --> 01:33:48,250
ANNOUNCER:
Ladies and gentlemen,
2212
01:33:48,290 --> 01:33:51,640
please welcome Sparks.
2213
01:33:51,690 --> 01:33:54,210
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
2214
01:33:54,250 --> 01:33:56,210
RUSSELL:
We really liked that song,
2215
01:33:56,250 --> 01:33:59,650
but unfortunately, it didn't
have the commercial success
2216
01:33:59,690 --> 01:34:02,260
that they had hoped for,
so there was one time
2217
01:34:02,300 --> 01:34:04,690
where the head of that label,
he just said, you know,
2218
01:34:04,740 --> 01:34:06,520
"You guys really should write
2219
01:34:06,570 --> 01:34:08,790
some music that
you can dance to."
2220
01:34:08,830 --> 01:34:11,090
♪ Music that you can dance to
2221
01:34:11,140 --> 01:34:12,620
♪ That and that alone
2222
01:34:12,660 --> 01:34:15,360
♪ Is enough for me
2223
01:34:16,540 --> 01:34:19,020
♪ Stark naked modern music
2224
01:34:19,060 --> 01:34:21,580
♪ Hotter than your mama
will ever be... ♪
2225
01:34:21,630 --> 01:34:23,810
RUSSELL: "Hotter than
your mama will ever be."
2226
01:34:23,850 --> 01:34:26,200
I mean, every song I write,
I try to make it hotter
2227
01:34:26,240 --> 01:34:27,890
than your mama will ever be.
2228
01:34:27,940 --> 01:34:29,940
♪ Music that
you can dance to ♪
2229
01:34:29,980 --> 01:34:31,720
♪ Cracks you
like a whip ♪
2230
01:34:31,770 --> 01:34:34,380
♪ But it feels so right...
2231
01:34:34,420 --> 01:34:38,080
RON: The lyrics sound like
it's trying to be kind of
2232
01:34:38,120 --> 01:34:40,860
nasty and oversimplistic,
but I swear to God,
2233
01:34:40,910 --> 01:34:42,960
they were... they were done
with total sincerity.
2234
01:34:43,000 --> 01:34:44,570
♪ So what's it gonna be?
2235
01:34:44,610 --> 01:34:46,480
♪ Gonna be, gonna be
2236
01:34:46,520 --> 01:34:49,180
-♪ A symphony tonight
-♪ Symphony tonight...
2237
01:34:49,220 --> 01:34:51,790
STEWART: It's a perfectly
crafted sellout song,
2238
01:34:51,830 --> 01:34:55,960
except it's not and it's
mocking that idea, and...
2239
01:34:56,010 --> 01:34:58,140
"Here's your fucking
dance pop record."
2240
01:34:58,190 --> 01:35:00,710
♪ Music that you can dance to
2241
01:35:00,750 --> 01:35:05,620
♪ Every single beat
where it ought to be... ♪
2242
01:35:05,670 --> 01:35:07,500
RUSSELL: The record executive
at that company
2243
01:35:07,540 --> 01:35:10,020
took it the wrong way,
and he wasn't
2244
01:35:10,070 --> 01:35:13,290
so happy, so we, uh,
severed our relationship
2245
01:35:13,330 --> 01:35:14,240
with that label.
2246
01:35:14,290 --> 01:35:17,250
♪
2247
01:35:17,290 --> 01:35:19,680
Fuck the guy
from London Records, right?
2248
01:35:21,030 --> 01:35:23,340
♪ Music that
you can dance to... ♪
2249
01:35:23,380 --> 01:35:26,080
SCHWARTZMAN: I told Ron and
Russell that I loved that song,
2250
01:35:26,130 --> 01:35:27,740
and they said something
in the email like,
2251
01:35:27,780 --> 01:35:30,220
"Yes, you're in
the age bracket for that song.
2252
01:35:30,260 --> 01:35:33,220
"That was in a really cheesy
'80s BMX movie
2253
01:35:33,260 --> 01:35:35,350
calledRad,
if you've ever seen it."
2254
01:35:35,400 --> 01:35:37,270
And I wrote back,
"Yes, I've seen it.
2255
01:35:37,310 --> 01:35:39,310
My mom was in it."
2256
01:35:41,050 --> 01:35:43,180
[SIGHS]
2257
01:35:43,230 --> 01:35:44,580
♪
2258
01:35:44,620 --> 01:35:46,270
KNEGO:
Their base of music, KROQ,
2259
01:35:46,320 --> 01:35:48,190
which was such a great
support to them
2260
01:35:48,240 --> 01:35:49,940
in the early '80s,
was moving on.
2261
01:35:49,980 --> 01:35:51,760
They wanted bands
like Red Hot Chili Peppers
2262
01:35:51,800 --> 01:35:54,500
and more of a angry,
edgier sound.
2263
01:35:54,550 --> 01:35:57,080
It seemed like the Top 40 era,
2264
01:35:57,110 --> 01:35:59,460
that, uh, wasn't happening
at that point.
2265
01:35:59,510 --> 01:36:02,860
STEWART: I bought
into Interior Design
2266
01:36:02,900 --> 01:36:05,690
and would've put out any
Sparks record for any reason.
2267
01:36:05,730 --> 01:36:07,560
Unfortunately, at that time,
2268
01:36:07,600 --> 01:36:10,260
they had less relevance
2269
01:36:10,300 --> 01:36:12,130
than they ever had
2270
01:36:12,170 --> 01:36:13,910
to what was going on
in the market.
2271
01:36:13,960 --> 01:36:15,570
So we got to put the record out,
2272
01:36:15,610 --> 01:36:17,570
but we weren't able
to do much for it.
2273
01:36:17,610 --> 01:36:21,310
KNEGO: You know, they weren't,
like, 20-somethings anymore.
2274
01:36:21,350 --> 01:36:24,400
It was a very, very hard time
commercially for them,
2275
01:36:24,440 --> 01:36:26,310
but creatively,
they never stopped.
2276
01:36:26,360 --> 01:36:27,880
They were always working
on something.
2277
01:36:27,930 --> 01:36:31,240
Is there anybody out there
at all right now?
2278
01:36:33,370 --> 01:36:35,590
DICK CLARK:
Let's take a look and see
2279
01:36:35,630 --> 01:36:37,760
what's going on out there
in California.
2280
01:36:37,810 --> 01:36:39,510
They're bringing it in in style.
2281
01:36:41,420 --> 01:36:43,900
HAYDON:
They recorded every day,
2282
01:36:43,940 --> 01:36:45,200
sometimes seven days a week.
2283
01:36:45,250 --> 01:36:47,170
They were in their home studio
2284
01:36:47,210 --> 01:36:49,690
just coming up
with brilliant material
2285
01:36:49,730 --> 01:36:52,430
that wasn't being signed,
and it wasn't necessarily
2286
01:36:52,470 --> 01:36:54,910
going to culminate
into an album.
2287
01:36:54,950 --> 01:36:59,000
CLARK:
1990. Happy New Year!
2288
01:36:59,040 --> 01:37:02,000
HAYDON: Because of
the lack of a record deal
2289
01:37:02,050 --> 01:37:06,400
and any kind of record company
financial support, you know,
2290
01:37:06,440 --> 01:37:09,440
there comes a point where
the well is getting a bit dry.
2291
01:37:09,490 --> 01:37:11,670
It seemed, like,
really imperative
2292
01:37:11,710 --> 01:37:15,410
that Russell learn how
to be the engineer.
2293
01:37:17,710 --> 01:37:21,320
CLARK: It's 1991
onNew Year's Rockin' Eve.
2294
01:37:23,020 --> 01:37:25,070
HAYDON:
Had they have been two guys
2295
01:37:25,110 --> 01:37:26,460
that did drugs and all of that
2296
01:37:26,510 --> 01:37:28,600
and blew their money
in the past,
2297
01:37:28,640 --> 01:37:30,120
they wouldn't have been able
2298
01:37:30,160 --> 01:37:31,860
to pay their bills
during that time.
2299
01:37:31,900 --> 01:37:35,210
It's a testament to them
in every aspect, you know,
2300
01:37:35,250 --> 01:37:37,170
to how they had... had,
2301
01:37:37,210 --> 01:37:39,870
um, you know,
saved for that rainy day.
2302
01:37:39,910 --> 01:37:41,610
So they were able to have,
you know,
2303
01:37:41,650 --> 01:37:44,000
almost six years of rainy days.
2304
01:37:44,050 --> 01:37:47,230
CLARK:
Now, 1992. Happy New Year.
2305
01:37:49,180 --> 01:37:50,790
HAYDON [CRYING]:
Like, I get emotional
2306
01:37:50,840 --> 01:37:52,710
when I think about that time.
2307
01:37:57,750 --> 01:38:01,670
Every day... like I said,
sometimes seven days a week...
2308
01:38:05,680 --> 01:38:09,550
...from morning till night,
they were working so hard.
2309
01:38:11,380 --> 01:38:14,910
And they never...
they never tried to,
2310
01:38:14,950 --> 01:38:17,080
you know, do their version
of being commercial.
2311
01:38:17,120 --> 01:38:21,690
They never tried to...
to dumb it down, water it down.
2312
01:38:21,730 --> 01:38:26,080
They stayed so true
to exactly...
2313
01:38:26,130 --> 01:38:28,390
what they've always been.
2314
01:38:28,440 --> 01:38:30,970
CLARK:
Five seconds to 1993.
2315
01:38:31,000 --> 01:38:34,530
Happy New Year's
Rockin' Eve '93.
2316
01:38:34,570 --> 01:38:37,880
RUSSELL: The one thing that
I'm proudest of with Sparks
2317
01:38:37,920 --> 01:38:40,920
is just our determination
and resilience.
2318
01:38:40,970 --> 01:38:43,800
For instance, we devoted
six years of our lives
2319
01:38:43,840 --> 01:38:45,580
to work on
a movie musical project
2320
01:38:45,630 --> 01:38:48,020
that was called
Mai, the Psychic Girl.
2321
01:38:48,070 --> 01:38:50,770
It was based on
a Japanese manga.
2322
01:38:50,810 --> 01:38:52,680
We were really up
for the challenge of that
2323
01:38:52,720 --> 01:38:53,940
because we-we thought
2324
01:38:53,980 --> 01:38:56,290
that this could be a way also
2325
01:38:56,330 --> 01:38:59,380
for Sparks to channel
what we were doing
2326
01:38:59,420 --> 01:39:02,120
but in another form yet again.
2327
01:39:02,170 --> 01:39:05,610
And Tim Burton was signed on
early on to direct it.
2328
01:39:07,650 --> 01:39:10,310
We did miss performing live
during that period,
2329
01:39:10,350 --> 01:39:12,270
but I think,
in the back of our heads,
2330
01:39:12,310 --> 01:39:14,310
we were also thinking
a lot of people
2331
01:39:14,350 --> 01:39:16,270
are gonna see
this Tim Burton movie
2332
01:39:16,310 --> 01:39:21,750
and it will obviously help
the cause for Sparks.
2333
01:39:21,790 --> 01:39:25,580
HAYDON:
When we got word that Tim was
2334
01:39:25,620 --> 01:39:27,750
bowing out of
Mai, the Psychic Girl,
2335
01:39:27,800 --> 01:39:28,840
there were tears,
2336
01:39:28,890 --> 01:39:30,980
and...
[CHUCKLES]
2337
01:39:31,020 --> 01:39:34,890
And I-I-I cry easily,
but Ron and Russell don't,
2338
01:39:34,940 --> 01:39:36,940
and there were tears.
2339
01:39:38,590 --> 01:39:41,290
RON: We kind of had put all
of our chips on that one thing,
2340
01:39:41,340 --> 01:39:44,690
and-and maybe that was
the wrong thing to do.
2341
01:39:46,250 --> 01:39:49,650
RUSSELL: Somehow, you know,
you muster up the enthusiasm
2342
01:39:49,690 --> 01:39:51,430
to-to continue on.
2343
01:39:51,480 --> 01:39:53,830
I think sometimes
it's the setbacks
2344
01:39:53,870 --> 01:39:57,310
that-that actually
make you stronger.
2345
01:39:57,350 --> 01:39:59,610
And sometimes,
as a result of those things,
2346
01:39:59,660 --> 01:40:04,100
you end up doing something
even better.
2347
01:40:04,140 --> 01:40:08,060
CLARK:
Happy 1994.
2348
01:40:08,100 --> 01:40:09,540
KAPRANOS:
I remember going to Fopp
2349
01:40:09,580 --> 01:40:11,100
on Byres Road in Glasgow
2350
01:40:11,150 --> 01:40:14,020
and, um, this new
Sparks album was out.
2351
01:40:14,060 --> 01:40:15,840
Gratuitous Sax
& Senseless Violins.
2352
01:40:15,890 --> 01:40:17,760
I was thinking, like, "Oh, wow.
2353
01:40:17,810 --> 01:40:19,420
So this band still exists?"
2354
01:40:19,460 --> 01:40:23,030
♪ No, no use
in lecturing them ♪
2355
01:40:23,070 --> 01:40:24,990
♪ Or in threatening them
2356
01:40:25,030 --> 01:40:27,420
♪ They will just say,
"Who are you?" ♪
2357
01:40:27,470 --> 01:40:29,780
GLORIA HUNNIFORD:
That unusual duo from the '70s
2358
01:40:29,820 --> 01:40:31,520
are back and still brilliant.
2359
01:40:31,560 --> 01:40:33,650
Bloody hell, they look amazing.
2360
01:40:33,690 --> 01:40:34,950
Have they not aged?
2361
01:40:35,000 --> 01:40:36,310
HUNNIFORD:
It's like a time warp.
2362
01:40:36,350 --> 01:40:37,480
The pair of you look
exactly the same.
2363
01:40:37,520 --> 01:40:39,740
Well, thank you.
What can I say?
2364
01:40:39,780 --> 01:40:41,170
So, after a six-year gap,
2365
01:40:41,220 --> 01:40:43,050
they came back with a vengeance.
2366
01:40:43,090 --> 01:40:46,350
♪ No, no use
in taking their time ♪
2367
01:40:46,400 --> 01:40:48,360
♪ Or in wasting two dimes
2368
01:40:48,400 --> 01:40:51,710
♪ On a call to God knows who
2369
01:40:51,750 --> 01:40:54,100
♪ When all you feel
is the rain ♪
2370
01:40:54,150 --> 01:40:56,150
♪ And it's hard to be vain
2371
01:40:56,190 --> 01:40:59,540
♪ When no person looks at you
2372
01:40:59,590 --> 01:41:04,420
♪ So just be gracious
and wait in the queue ♪
2373
01:41:06,460 --> 01:41:10,380
♪ So when do I get
to sing "My Way"? ♪
2374
01:41:10,420 --> 01:41:13,210
♪ When do I get to feel
like Sinatra... ♪
2375
01:41:13,250 --> 01:41:15,470
Oh, my God, "When Do I Get
to Sing 'My Way.'"
2376
01:41:15,520 --> 01:41:17,390
Oh, I love it.
2377
01:41:17,430 --> 01:41:19,300
It absolutely was
the perfect song
2378
01:41:19,350 --> 01:41:22,090
for this big comeback.
2379
01:41:22,130 --> 01:41:24,830
RUSSELL: Our German manager
at the time said,
2380
01:41:24,870 --> 01:41:27,660
"Ja, ja, this is ein Hit."
2381
01:41:27,700 --> 01:41:30,530
So he approached BMG Records
in Germany,
2382
01:41:30,570 --> 01:41:32,570
and they said,
"Ja, you are right.
2383
01:41:32,620 --> 01:41:34,410
Das ist ein Hit."
2384
01:41:34,450 --> 01:41:38,110
♪ Don't see,
is my smiley face still on? ♪
2385
01:41:38,150 --> 01:41:39,980
HAYDON:
The video did showcase them
2386
01:41:40,020 --> 01:41:42,110
as these glamorous guys
2387
01:41:42,150 --> 01:41:44,890
who at least one of them
has it all,
2388
01:41:44,940 --> 01:41:46,510
but it's coming
out of a time when
2389
01:41:46,550 --> 01:41:48,680
they didn't have it all.
2390
01:41:48,720 --> 01:41:50,420
- I feel wonderful.
- [LAUGHTER]
2391
01:41:50,460 --> 01:41:52,460
♪ When do I get to feel
like Sinatra felt? ♪
2392
01:41:52,510 --> 01:41:55,430
KNEGO: Sparks singing "When
Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'"
2393
01:41:55,470 --> 01:41:57,390
is, like,
the ultimate statement.
2394
01:41:57,430 --> 01:41:58,870
It's like, "Yeah, okay,
you liked it
2395
01:41:58,910 --> 01:42:00,610
"when Frank Sinatra did it.
2396
01:42:00,650 --> 01:42:02,480
"You liked it when Sid Vicious
did it, you know?
2397
01:42:02,520 --> 01:42:04,650
Why can't we do it?"
2398
01:42:04,700 --> 01:42:08,180
♪ When do I get to feel
like Sid Vicious felt? ♪
2399
01:42:08,220 --> 01:42:10,350
KAPRANOS: The irony is I don't
think Ron or Russell want
2400
01:42:10,400 --> 01:42:12,400
to be either Sinatra
2401
01:42:12,440 --> 01:42:14,050
or Sid Vicious.
2402
01:42:14,100 --> 01:42:17,760
They just want to feel
as famous.
2403
01:42:17,800 --> 01:42:20,320
♪ They'll introduce me
2404
01:42:20,360 --> 01:42:22,800
♪ Hello, hello
2405
01:42:22,840 --> 01:42:24,100
RUSSELL:
We were being perceived
2406
01:42:24,150 --> 01:42:25,540
as a brand-new band now.
2407
01:42:25,580 --> 01:42:27,410
♪ Women seduce me...
2408
01:42:27,460 --> 01:42:29,290
RON:
Some of the radio stations
2409
01:42:29,330 --> 01:42:32,900
kind of accused us
of ripping off bands that,
2410
01:42:32,940 --> 01:42:36,940
in all modesty, were influenced
by what we had done,
2411
01:42:36,990 --> 01:42:39,780
and it was kind of humiliating.
2412
01:42:39,820 --> 01:42:42,130
Backstage at
a Pet Shop Boys concert,
2413
01:42:42,170 --> 01:42:43,690
while I was promoting
their records,
2414
01:42:43,730 --> 01:42:45,820
I approached Neil Tennant,
and I said,
2415
01:42:45,870 --> 01:42:48,350
"Why don't you guys ever
acknowledge Sparks?"
2416
01:42:48,390 --> 01:42:50,960
And he just gave me a, you
know, sort of a scornful look
2417
01:42:51,000 --> 01:42:54,440
and said, "You're very
naughty," and walked away.
2418
01:42:54,480 --> 01:42:55,830
MORRIS:
It was weird coming back...
2419
01:42:55,880 --> 01:42:57,190
GILBERT:
Yeah.
2420
01:42:57,230 --> 01:42:59,620
...to find something
you invented.
2421
01:42:59,660 --> 01:43:02,230
[LAUGHING]: Yeah.
And you've left behind.
2422
01:43:02,270 --> 01:43:04,010
KNEGO:
We had a top ten with
2423
01:43:04,060 --> 01:43:05,410
"When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'"
2424
01:43:05,450 --> 01:43:07,370
and another couple
charting singles
2425
01:43:07,410 --> 01:43:09,190
off of that album as well.
2426
01:43:09,240 --> 01:43:11,680
So Sparks really sort of made
a name for themselves
2427
01:43:11,720 --> 01:43:13,510
in the clubs,
which was really cool.
2428
01:43:13,550 --> 01:43:16,900
RON: It became the number one
airplay song in Germany.
2429
01:43:16,940 --> 01:43:19,900
RUSSELL:
Thank you, uh, especially to...
2430
01:43:19,940 --> 01:43:23,070
everyone in Germany
for making this past year
2431
01:43:23,120 --> 01:43:24,900
so super special for Sparks.
2432
01:43:24,950 --> 01:43:27,210
So thank you very much.
2433
01:43:27,260 --> 01:43:29,910
[CHEERING]
2434
01:43:29,950 --> 01:43:32,000
[WIND WHISTLING]
2435
01:43:33,870 --> 01:43:36,090
[THUNDER CRASHES]
2436
01:43:36,130 --> 01:43:39,570
♪
2437
01:43:39,620 --> 01:43:41,580
RON: If we had
stayed strong,
2438
01:43:41,620 --> 01:43:43,140
we probably wouldn't have done
2439
01:43:43,180 --> 01:43:45,830
thePlagiarism album.
2440
01:43:45,880 --> 01:43:48,010
Plagiarism was
something that was
2441
01:43:48,060 --> 01:43:50,630
recommended from outside forces.
2442
01:43:52,280 --> 01:43:53,760
It's a retrospective
of their own career,
2443
01:43:53,800 --> 01:43:55,450
but they've done it
2444
01:43:55,500 --> 01:43:59,850
as grandiose, orchestral,
bombastic versions.
2445
01:43:59,900 --> 01:44:02,250
RON:
It was felt that since we had
2446
01:44:02,290 --> 01:44:04,730
reached a whole new audience,
2447
01:44:04,770 --> 01:44:07,210
maybe there's a group
of young people
2448
01:44:07,250 --> 01:44:09,560
that haven't heard
earlier stuff,
2449
01:44:09,600 --> 01:44:12,780
and we reluctantly
went along with that.
2450
01:44:12,820 --> 01:44:15,130
PUCKRIK: They're not interested
in looking backwards.
2451
01:44:15,170 --> 01:44:17,390
They're always on a quest.
They're always on a mission
2452
01:44:17,440 --> 01:44:21,530
to further their
musical perversions.
2453
01:44:21,570 --> 01:44:23,090
RON:
One of the reasons why
2454
01:44:23,140 --> 01:44:24,970
we've been able to go on
for so long
2455
01:44:25,010 --> 01:44:27,270
is because we're always kind of
looking to the next album
2456
01:44:27,310 --> 01:44:29,790
and not even bothering
with the past.
2457
01:44:29,840 --> 01:44:32,020
And so when we get back
to Los Angeles,
2458
01:44:32,060 --> 01:44:34,410
that's the first thing
we're gonna be working on
2459
01:44:34,450 --> 01:44:36,890
is an album of new material.
2460
01:44:36,930 --> 01:44:38,980
♪
2461
01:44:41,070 --> 01:44:45,030
SILVERBLATT: Sparks is
the quintessence of a band
2462
01:44:45,070 --> 01:44:48,680
that starts and starts again
and starts again.
2463
01:44:48,730 --> 01:44:52,430
No success is
big enough for them.
2464
01:44:52,470 --> 01:44:55,390
No failure is
small enough for them.
2465
01:44:55,430 --> 01:44:58,040
They can always move on.
2466
01:44:58,080 --> 01:45:00,740
["BALLS" BY SPARKS PLAYING]
2467
01:45:00,780 --> 01:45:02,390
TAMMY GLOVER:
Every single album,
2468
01:45:02,440 --> 01:45:06,100
we think, is going to be
the breakthrough album
2469
01:45:06,140 --> 01:45:08,840
where, you know, the world
finally gets wise.
2470
01:45:08,880 --> 01:45:10,360
♪ To succeed are balls
2471
01:45:10,400 --> 01:45:13,230
♪ All you need are balls...
2472
01:45:13,270 --> 01:45:14,790
RUSSELL:
Maybe there's something
2473
01:45:14,840 --> 01:45:17,190
to that lyric that resonates
2474
01:45:17,230 --> 01:45:19,230
with-with Sparks.
2475
01:45:23,980 --> 01:45:25,900
- [LAUGHTER]
- And I turn it over to Ron,
2476
01:45:25,940 --> 01:45:27,860
- who would like to...
- Such a... I'm just moved.
2477
01:45:27,900 --> 01:45:30,600
♪ Balls, all you need
are balls ♪
2478
01:45:30,640 --> 01:45:32,770
♪ To succeed are balls
2479
01:45:32,810 --> 01:45:34,940
♪ All you need are...
2480
01:45:34,990 --> 01:45:38,340
GLOVER:
Balls didn't break through.
2481
01:45:38,390 --> 01:45:42,050
But every time that happens,
Ron reinvents everything.
2482
01:45:42,080 --> 01:45:44,130
It's just in Sparks's DNA
2483
01:45:44,170 --> 01:45:47,350
to rip up the rule book
and start over.
2484
01:45:47,390 --> 01:45:49,480
KNEGO: They've reinvented
themselves several times,
2485
01:45:49,530 --> 01:45:51,180
but Lil' Beethovenwas, I think,
2486
01:45:51,220 --> 01:45:53,660
phase three in the Sparks genre.
2487
01:45:53,700 --> 01:45:55,700
MAIDA: It's almost
as if they erased
2488
01:45:55,750 --> 01:45:58,880
the chalkboard, you know,
and started over again.
2489
01:45:58,930 --> 01:46:02,670
♪ I am the rhythm thief
2490
01:46:02,710 --> 01:46:05,670
♪ Say goodbye to the beat
2491
01:46:05,720 --> 01:46:09,120
♪ I am the rhythm thief
2492
01:46:09,150 --> 01:46:12,110
♪ Auf Wiedersehen to the beat
2493
01:46:12,160 --> 01:46:13,730
♪ Oh, no...
2494
01:46:13,770 --> 01:46:15,340
PALLADINO: It was
a really interesting variation
2495
01:46:15,380 --> 01:46:17,080
on everything
they had done before.
2496
01:46:17,120 --> 01:46:19,640
It was almost like a...
you're combining
2497
01:46:19,690 --> 01:46:22,300
Steve Reich and his repetition
2498
01:46:22,340 --> 01:46:25,080
with Sparks and their comedy.
2499
01:46:25,130 --> 01:46:28,480
♪ You'll never get it back,
you'll never get it back ♪
2500
01:46:28,520 --> 01:46:31,740
♪ The rhythm thief has got it
and you'll never get it back ♪
2501
01:46:31,790 --> 01:46:34,970
♪ You'll never get it back,
you'll never get it back ♪
2502
01:46:35,010 --> 01:46:36,580
♪ The rhythm thief has got it
2503
01:46:36,620 --> 01:46:38,540
♪ Lights out, Ibiza...
2504
01:46:38,570 --> 01:46:40,090
There's all these
group vocals and chants
2505
01:46:40,140 --> 01:46:41,660
that are almost like raps,
2506
01:46:41,710 --> 01:46:44,840
kind of neoclassical feel
to the music.
2507
01:46:44,890 --> 01:46:47,980
-♪ I am the rhythm thief
-♪ Rhythm, rhythm thief ♪
2508
01:46:48,020 --> 01:46:51,330
♪ Auf Wiedersehen
to the beat. ♪
2509
01:46:52,550 --> 01:46:54,940
STEWART: What they remind me of
with that album
2510
01:46:54,980 --> 01:46:55,940
is how important it is
2511
01:46:55,980 --> 01:46:57,850
to stay on your toes
2512
01:46:57,900 --> 01:47:00,250
and be alert
and be challenged as a listener
2513
01:47:00,290 --> 01:47:03,380
and to move away from
nostalgia and comfort food.
2514
01:47:03,430 --> 01:47:06,650
♪ I married myself
2515
01:47:06,690 --> 01:47:08,870
♪ I'm very happy together
2516
01:47:08,910 --> 01:47:11,830
♪ Long, long walks
on the beach ♪
2517
01:47:11,870 --> 01:47:15,310
♪ Lovely times
2518
01:47:15,350 --> 01:47:18,750
♪ I married myself
2519
01:47:18,790 --> 01:47:21,750
♪ I'm very happy together
2520
01:47:21,790 --> 01:47:23,970
♪ Candlelight dinners home
2521
01:47:24,010 --> 01:47:26,270
♪ Lovely times...
2522
01:47:26,320 --> 01:47:27,840
KNEGO:
They weren't trying to be
2523
01:47:27,880 --> 01:47:29,230
something to please
a record company.
2524
01:47:29,280 --> 01:47:30,240
They were just taking
2525
01:47:30,280 --> 01:47:32,110
all their creative juices
2526
01:47:32,150 --> 01:47:33,980
and putting it into
something that they loved.
2527
01:47:34,020 --> 01:47:36,020
It's that ability and desire
2528
01:47:36,070 --> 01:47:37,770
to take risks
2529
01:47:37,810 --> 01:47:40,550
and to mess things up
that makes them Sparks.
2530
01:47:41,680 --> 01:47:43,990
RUSSELL:
I think we spent over a year
2531
01:47:44,030 --> 01:47:47,290
recordingLil' Beethoven,
not even knowing for sure
2532
01:47:47,340 --> 01:47:49,690
what the end product
was going to be.
2533
01:47:49,730 --> 01:47:51,250
And I think, when you kind of
2534
01:47:51,300 --> 01:47:53,390
approach an album
in that sort of way,
2535
01:47:53,430 --> 01:47:55,480
we tend to spend
a lot of time on it.
2536
01:48:00,480 --> 01:48:02,920
It's you.
2537
01:48:04,790 --> 01:48:06,710
RON:
The albumLil' Beethoven,
2538
01:48:06,750 --> 01:48:10,450
in particular, was one where
the studio was essential.
2539
01:48:11,710 --> 01:48:15,410
Just creatively, you know,
we feel so energized
2540
01:48:15,450 --> 01:48:17,500
by working in this kind of way
2541
01:48:17,540 --> 01:48:19,410
where we don't
have to feel foolish
2542
01:48:19,460 --> 01:48:20,940
if we do something foolish.
2543
01:48:20,980 --> 01:48:24,200
And we do quite a bit
of foolish things,
2544
01:48:24,250 --> 01:48:26,640
but you'll never hear about 'em.
2545
01:48:29,120 --> 01:48:30,950
RUSSELL:
Not being dependent
2546
01:48:30,990 --> 01:48:33,950
on massive budgets
and record companies
2547
01:48:33,990 --> 01:48:35,860
became a really liberating thing
2548
01:48:35,910 --> 01:48:37,430
that now we could record
2549
01:48:37,480 --> 01:48:40,700
on our own,
and then we just hand that off
2550
01:48:40,740 --> 01:48:42,130
to a... to a label,
2551
01:48:42,180 --> 01:48:44,360
and then, uh,
take it or leave it.
2552
01:48:44,390 --> 01:48:46,920
[PLAYING
"MY BABY'S TAKING ME HOME"]
2553
01:48:50,100 --> 01:48:53,280
♪ Home, my baby's
taking me home ♪
2554
01:48:53,320 --> 01:48:55,280
♪ My baby's taking me home
2555
01:48:55,320 --> 01:48:58,450
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2556
01:48:59,410 --> 01:49:01,060
♪ Home...
2557
01:49:01,110 --> 01:49:02,630
RON:
"My Baby's Taking Me Home" is
2558
01:49:02,670 --> 01:49:04,800
one of my favorites
off of that album.
2559
01:49:04,850 --> 01:49:06,500
It's an emotional song
2560
01:49:06,550 --> 01:49:08,290
that has
lots of bumps and curves
2561
01:49:08,330 --> 01:49:10,640
and poetic images would have,
2562
01:49:10,680 --> 01:49:12,250
but it's only
pretty much saying,
2563
01:49:12,290 --> 01:49:13,990
"Home, my baby's
taking me home."
2564
01:49:14,030 --> 01:49:15,810
♪ My baby's taking me home
2565
01:49:15,860 --> 01:49:18,300
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2566
01:49:18,340 --> 01:49:21,000
♪ My baby's taking me home
2567
01:49:21,040 --> 01:49:23,390
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2568
01:49:23,430 --> 01:49:25,870
♪ My baby's taking me home
2569
01:49:25,910 --> 01:49:28,350
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2570
01:49:28,400 --> 01:49:30,750
♪ My baby's taking me home...
2571
01:49:30,790 --> 01:49:33,710
GLOVER: It was amazing to me
that you could repeat a lyric
2572
01:49:33,750 --> 01:49:36,580
and have it mean
something different
2573
01:49:36,620 --> 01:49:38,100
as the narrator
2574
01:49:38,140 --> 01:49:41,930
starts saying it
over and over and over again.
2575
01:49:41,970 --> 01:49:44,230
It was almost like
an acting technique.
2576
01:49:44,280 --> 01:49:45,980
♪ My baby's taking me home
2577
01:49:46,020 --> 01:49:48,370
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2578
01:49:48,420 --> 01:49:50,860
♪ My baby's taking me home
2579
01:49:50,900 --> 01:49:53,420
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2580
01:49:53,460 --> 01:49:55,810
♪ My baby's taking me home
2581
01:49:55,860 --> 01:49:58,340
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2582
01:49:58,380 --> 01:50:00,170
Sing it!
2583
01:50:00,210 --> 01:50:03,690
♪ Home, my baby's
taking me home ♪
2584
01:50:03,740 --> 01:50:05,570
♪ My baby's taking me home
2585
01:50:05,610 --> 01:50:08,350
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2586
01:50:08,390 --> 01:50:10,830
♪ My baby's taking me home...
2587
01:50:10,870 --> 01:50:12,180
BEN HOUSE:
I can remember playing
2588
01:50:12,220 --> 01:50:13,610
"My Baby's Taking Me Home"
2589
01:50:13,660 --> 01:50:14,790
for a friend of mine,
2590
01:50:14,830 --> 01:50:16,920
and as the song keeps going,
2591
01:50:16,970 --> 01:50:19,020
her eyes just got
wider and wider.
2592
01:50:19,050 --> 01:50:20,840
♪ My baby's taking me home...
2593
01:50:20,880 --> 01:50:22,620
Hearing it live, oh, man,
2594
01:50:22,670 --> 01:50:24,980
that is a hypnotic,
great, great song.
2595
01:50:25,020 --> 01:50:28,540
♪ Home, my baby's
taking me home ♪
2596
01:50:28,590 --> 01:50:30,720
♪ My baby's taking me home
2597
01:50:30,760 --> 01:50:33,550
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2598
01:50:33,590 --> 01:50:36,380
♪ My baby's taking me home
2599
01:50:36,420 --> 01:50:38,420
♪ My baby's
taking me home ♪
2600
01:50:38,460 --> 01:50:41,380
♪ My baby's taking me home
2601
01:50:41,420 --> 01:50:43,380
♪ My baby's
taking me home... ♪
2602
01:50:43,430 --> 01:50:45,220
HARRIS: There were a lot
of critics out there
2603
01:50:45,250 --> 01:50:48,430
that wanted to be able to like
Sparks and wanted to be able
2604
01:50:48,470 --> 01:50:50,250
to rave about them
and, you know,
2605
01:50:50,300 --> 01:50:52,350
run around shouting about them,
2606
01:50:52,390 --> 01:50:53,830
and Lil' Beethoven
2607
01:50:53,870 --> 01:50:55,520
enabled them to do that.
2608
01:50:55,570 --> 01:50:57,790
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
2609
01:50:57,830 --> 01:51:00,880
With the Lil' Beethoven
album, the last album,
2610
01:51:00,920 --> 01:51:04,270
we-we were able to do something
2611
01:51:04,320 --> 01:51:06,500
that woke up people
in a certain way,
2612
01:51:06,540 --> 01:51:08,630
and we wanted to go
to the next step
2613
01:51:08,670 --> 01:51:11,370
with the
Hello Young Lovers album,
2614
01:51:11,410 --> 01:51:13,890
and-and we think
we've accomplished that.
2615
01:51:13,930 --> 01:51:15,980
[PLAYING LOUD,
DISTORTED CHORDS]
2616
01:51:18,160 --> 01:51:19,550
HARRIS:
It was just a celebration.
2617
01:51:19,590 --> 01:51:20,940
This is fantastic.
2618
01:51:20,990 --> 01:51:23,950
We can just go mad now,
and we did.
2619
01:51:23,990 --> 01:51:27,690
♪ All I do now is dick around
2620
01:51:27,730 --> 01:51:30,430
♪ All I do now
is dick around ♪
2621
01:51:30,470 --> 01:51:32,120
♪ Dick around
2622
01:51:33,300 --> 01:51:34,650
♪ Think about the recent past
2623
01:51:34,690 --> 01:51:36,130
♪ The cynics said
too good to last ♪
2624
01:51:36,170 --> 01:51:37,650
♪ But she could change
her mind again ♪
2625
01:51:37,700 --> 01:51:38,790
♪ Oh, no, this movie
said "the end" ♪
2626
01:51:38,830 --> 01:51:40,220
♪ So I will go about my day
2627
01:51:40,270 --> 01:51:41,660
♪ Just dicking round,
my métier ♪
2628
01:51:41,700 --> 01:51:42,920
♪ And realize
that life is change ♪
2629
01:51:42,960 --> 01:51:45,090
♪ And furniture to rearrange
2630
01:51:45,140 --> 01:51:47,060
-♪ Why the hell, why the hell
-♪ Why the hell, why the hell
2631
01:51:47,100 --> 01:51:48,670
♪ Why the hell
did she desert you ♪
2632
01:51:48,710 --> 01:51:50,800
♪ When you were
so influential? ♪
2633
01:51:50,840 --> 01:51:52,710
-♪ Why the hell, why the hell
-♪ Why the hell, why the hell
2634
01:51:52,760 --> 01:51:54,330
♪ Why did she desert you
2635
01:51:54,370 --> 01:51:55,810
♪ When you told her
she was so essential? ♪
2636
01:51:55,850 --> 01:51:57,330
♪ Pull yourself up
off the ground ♪
2637
01:51:57,370 --> 01:51:59,020
♪ You've started liking
being down... ♪
2638
01:51:59,070 --> 01:52:00,250
ANTONOFF: If you took
a "Dancing in the Dark"
2639
01:52:00,290 --> 01:52:02,730
or a "Heroes" by Bowie
2640
01:52:02,770 --> 01:52:05,030
or a... you know,
any of the great ABBA songs,
2641
01:52:05,070 --> 01:52:07,120
"Dick Around" rips
right through that
2642
01:52:07,160 --> 01:52:08,380
and just gives you
2643
01:52:08,420 --> 01:52:09,770
the underbelly of a pop song.
2644
01:52:09,820 --> 01:52:12,740
A 600-vocal-tracked
2645
01:52:12,780 --> 01:52:14,740
orchestral arrangement
of vocal shouting,
2646
01:52:14,780 --> 01:52:17,650
"All I do now is dick around,"
right in your face,
2647
01:52:17,690 --> 01:52:19,690
it never lets you in slowly,
2648
01:52:19,740 --> 01:52:20,960
and it's just the saddest thing
2649
01:52:21,000 --> 01:52:22,090
in the world.
2650
01:52:22,130 --> 01:52:23,350
And it's so fucking catchy.
2651
01:52:24,570 --> 01:52:29,010
♪ All I do now is dick around,
dick around ♪
2652
01:52:29,050 --> 01:52:31,050
♪ Then I got
the late-night call ♪
2653
01:52:31,100 --> 01:52:33,890
♪ I really miss you after all,
I had a fling and that is all ♪
2654
01:52:33,930 --> 01:52:35,410
♪ A stupid fling,
then hit the wall... ♪
2655
01:52:35,450 --> 01:52:38,110
"Dick Around" is, uh,
incredibly demanding
2656
01:52:38,150 --> 01:52:40,200
on me as a... as a vocalist.
2657
01:52:40,240 --> 01:52:42,760
PALLADINO:
Ron has used Russell's voice
2658
01:52:42,810 --> 01:52:44,770
as an instrument
2659
01:52:44,810 --> 01:52:46,550
as much as he's used
that keyboard.
2660
01:52:46,590 --> 01:52:49,380
♪ All I do now
2661
01:52:49,420 --> 01:52:51,200
♪ Is dick around...
2662
01:52:51,250 --> 01:52:52,340
ANTONOFF:
If I was producing that song,
2663
01:52:52,380 --> 01:52:54,210
like a fucking idiot,
2664
01:52:54,250 --> 01:52:55,950
I'd, like, put a beat on it
or something
2665
01:52:55,990 --> 01:52:57,640
and be like,
"Oh, my God, this is amazing.
2666
01:52:57,690 --> 01:52:59,080
"Everyone's gonna feel
so sad about this,
2667
01:52:59,130 --> 01:53:01,520
and we're gonna sneak it
into them."
2668
01:53:01,560 --> 01:53:04,040
And then Sparks would have
been like, "No, you idiot."
2669
01:53:04,090 --> 01:53:05,960
[LAUGHS]:
Like...
2670
01:53:06,000 --> 01:53:08,000
"Let Queen do that."
2671
01:53:08,050 --> 01:53:09,400
♪ All I do is dick around...
2672
01:53:09,440 --> 01:53:11,360
If you don't like this,
we don't care.
2673
01:53:11,400 --> 01:53:13,530
I think that that...
you know, that's kind of
2674
01:53:13,570 --> 01:53:17,570
the essence of what
popular music should be.
2675
01:53:17,620 --> 01:53:21,280
♪ But all I do now
is dick around ♪
2676
01:53:21,320 --> 01:53:23,800
♪ All I do now is dick around
2677
01:53:23,850 --> 01:53:26,420
♪ Dick around.
2678
01:53:26,460 --> 01:53:28,460
- [SONG ENDS]
- [CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
2679
01:53:28,500 --> 01:53:31,160
HARRIS: Ron and Russell
toured comprehensively,
2680
01:53:31,200 --> 01:53:34,160
and they played the album
in its entirety, and then
2681
01:53:34,200 --> 01:53:36,550
the second set was
greatest hits;
2682
01:53:36,600 --> 01:53:38,600
so, then withExotic
Creatures of the Deep,
2683
01:53:38,640 --> 01:53:40,250
we were thinking about,
2684
01:53:40,300 --> 01:53:41,650
well, how do you
perform this live?
2685
01:53:41,690 --> 01:53:43,910
You know, what would
be the concept?
2686
01:53:43,950 --> 01:53:47,040
And it was just a really
sort of seemingly stupid idea...
2687
01:53:47,090 --> 01:53:50,700
what if you perform every album
followed by the new album?
2688
01:53:53,570 --> 01:53:55,880
RON: Sue Harris came up
with the idea
2689
01:53:55,920 --> 01:53:58,530
to do 21 of our albums...
2690
01:53:58,580 --> 01:54:02,800
the entire catalog...
one each night live.
2691
01:54:02,840 --> 01:54:05,890
By our nature, we said,
"Sounds great."
2692
01:54:05,930 --> 01:54:09,280
And then we realized
the enormity of the task.
2693
01:54:09,330 --> 01:54:11,680
♪
2694
01:54:13,630 --> 01:54:15,460
STEVIE NISTOR:
Russell said,
2695
01:54:15,510 --> 01:54:17,510
"We're thinking about playing
every song we've ever written
2696
01:54:17,550 --> 01:54:19,160
night after night in London.
What do you think?"
2697
01:54:19,210 --> 01:54:22,340
And I just laughed.
It's just impossible.
2698
01:54:22,380 --> 01:54:23,950
And Ron said,
"We're even gonna do
2699
01:54:23,990 --> 01:54:25,560
the B-sides for the encores."
2700
01:54:25,600 --> 01:54:27,040
And I said,
"How many songs is that?"
2701
01:54:27,080 --> 01:54:28,080
RUSSELL:
There were approximately,
2702
01:54:28,130 --> 01:54:31,350
I don't know, I think 270 songs.
2703
01:54:31,390 --> 01:54:34,740
I think the final total was...
it-it was closer to 300.
2704
01:54:34,790 --> 01:54:37,530
♪
2705
01:54:37,570 --> 01:54:39,010
HARRIS:
They rehearsed for...
2706
01:54:39,050 --> 01:54:42,400
I think it was
four months or so in-in L.A.
2707
01:54:42,450 --> 01:54:45,450
♪ Let the monkey drive,
we can have our fun... ♪
2708
01:54:45,490 --> 01:54:47,360
NISTOR:
It was like boot camp.
2709
01:54:47,410 --> 01:54:48,540
We start with
the first record, right?
2710
01:54:48,580 --> 01:54:51,150
And, well, okay,
once you rehearse
2711
01:54:51,190 --> 01:54:52,970
the first record for the day,
2712
01:54:53,020 --> 01:54:54,590
it sounds pretty good,
and by the end of the week,
2713
01:54:54,630 --> 01:54:56,590
you feel great about
the first record.
2714
01:54:56,630 --> 01:54:57,670
Well, now it's time to start
rehearsing the second record.
2715
01:54:57,720 --> 01:54:59,330
Okay, well, here's a new thing.
2716
01:54:59,380 --> 01:55:00,900
It's starting to sound good
by the end of the week.
2717
01:55:00,940 --> 01:55:02,680
Well, by the end of week two,
2718
01:55:02,730 --> 01:55:04,380
you've got the second record
sounding pretty good
2719
01:55:04,420 --> 01:55:06,340
and you've completely
forgotten the first record.
2720
01:55:06,380 --> 01:55:08,380
♪ Let him take the wheel
2721
01:55:08,430 --> 01:55:10,260
♪ Neath the setting sun...
2722
01:55:10,300 --> 01:55:12,650
Each day, the-the problem
gets compounded
2723
01:55:12,690 --> 01:55:15,820
about retaining everything
that you had been rehearsing,
2724
01:55:15,870 --> 01:55:18,520
and it just starts
compounding and compounding.
2725
01:55:18,570 --> 01:55:21,230
As you get to album
number 18, you go,
2726
01:55:21,270 --> 01:55:24,060
"Does anybody have a clue
about Big Beat?"
2727
01:55:24,100 --> 01:55:25,930
♪ While we have our fun...
2728
01:55:25,970 --> 01:55:28,150
It was a test of short-
and long-term memory.
2729
01:55:28,190 --> 01:55:29,670
I wouldn't advise it.
2730
01:55:29,710 --> 01:55:31,930
♪ Uh-huh.
2731
01:55:31,970 --> 01:55:34,280
♪
2732
01:55:34,320 --> 01:55:35,630
ROSS:
It was...
2733
01:55:35,670 --> 01:55:37,020
almost foolish.
2734
01:55:38,720 --> 01:55:41,250
And the day after we finished
recording the album,
2735
01:55:41,290 --> 01:55:44,120
we started in rehearsing,
so it's been four full months
2736
01:55:44,160 --> 01:55:47,030
of, uh... of work
to get to this point.
2737
01:55:47,080 --> 01:55:48,910
♪ Receiving favors
for what I am ♪
2738
01:55:48,950 --> 01:55:52,390
♪ Seems rather strange,
but I understand ♪
2739
01:55:52,430 --> 01:55:54,000
♪ 'Cause I am likable...
2740
01:55:54,040 --> 01:55:55,960
BERMAN:
The middle of the night,
2741
01:55:56,000 --> 01:55:58,180
and I woke up, I'm thinking,
"I have to go see every show."
2742
01:55:58,220 --> 01:55:59,180
It was almost like
2743
01:55:59,220 --> 01:56:00,830
God came to me and said,
2744
01:56:00,870 --> 01:56:02,870
"Tosh, you must see
every show."
2745
01:56:02,920 --> 01:56:05,010
♪ I'm just likable
2746
01:56:05,050 --> 01:56:07,100
♪ Night and day...
2747
01:56:07,140 --> 01:56:08,360
RHODES:
Let's face it,
2748
01:56:08,400 --> 01:56:09,840
you got to be completely crazy
2749
01:56:09,880 --> 01:56:11,620
to do 21 shows in a row
2750
01:56:11,660 --> 01:56:14,580
with a different album
every single night.
2751
01:56:14,620 --> 01:56:16,970
It's insane, but it's fantastic.
2752
01:56:17,020 --> 01:56:19,200
Number one!
2753
01:56:19,240 --> 01:56:20,980
Number two.
2754
01:56:21,020 --> 01:56:22,720
Number three.
2755
01:56:22,760 --> 01:56:24,240
ROSS: They treated every
single one of their albums
2756
01:56:24,290 --> 01:56:25,770
with the same level of respect
2757
01:56:25,810 --> 01:56:27,420
and the same
attention to detail,
2758
01:56:27,460 --> 01:56:29,330
regardless of how well it did
2759
01:56:29,380 --> 01:56:30,990
commercially
or critically at the time.
2760
01:56:31,030 --> 01:56:33,990
♪ I'm just likable
night and day... ♪
2761
01:56:34,030 --> 01:56:36,950
HARRIS:
So it went on for a month.
2762
01:56:36,990 --> 01:56:38,690
But it was fun.
It was just exhausting.
2763
01:56:38,730 --> 01:56:40,470
I think everyone lost
a stone in weight
2764
01:56:40,520 --> 01:56:42,870
in the first week
and couldn't eat.
2765
01:56:42,910 --> 01:56:44,740
It was nerve-racking.
2766
01:56:47,180 --> 01:56:48,440
♪ Ah...
2767
01:56:48,480 --> 01:56:50,050
NISTOR:
It was hard.
2768
01:56:50,090 --> 01:56:51,740
Any time I was feeling
sorry for myself,
2769
01:56:51,790 --> 01:56:53,010
I would look at Ron doing
2770
01:56:53,050 --> 01:56:54,750
a sliding knee dive
across the stage
2771
01:56:54,790 --> 01:56:56,620
and Russell clapping
his hands above his head,
2772
01:56:56,670 --> 01:56:58,280
running like a crazy man,
2773
01:56:58,320 --> 01:56:59,580
and I'd just think,
"Yeah, I can do this."
2774
01:57:01,190 --> 01:57:04,320
ROSS: I admire their stamina,
but I admire
2775
01:57:04,370 --> 01:57:05,850
anyone who went to see 'em
21 nights.
2776
01:57:05,890 --> 01:57:08,240
I admire your stamina more.
[LAUGHS]
2777
01:57:08,290 --> 01:57:10,950
♪ Just so you like me...
2778
01:57:10,980 --> 01:57:12,850
HARRIS: It's just
the most ridiculous thing.
2779
01:57:12,900 --> 01:57:15,430
It was preposterous,
and it was extraordinary,
2780
01:57:15,470 --> 01:57:16,860
but it was a triumph.
2781
01:57:18,560 --> 01:57:22,000
KAPRANOS: There's often
this, uh, terrible fate
2782
01:57:22,040 --> 01:57:26,570
which awaits bands either when
they keep going for too long
2783
01:57:26,610 --> 01:57:28,920
or when they re-form.
2784
01:57:28,960 --> 01:57:30,830
And that terrible fate
is becoming
2785
01:57:30,870 --> 01:57:33,390
a tribute to the band
that you once were.
2786
01:57:34,530 --> 01:57:36,100
DJ LANCE ROCK: They could
rest on their laurels
2787
01:57:36,140 --> 01:57:37,660
and just come out and just
do some sort of, like,
2788
01:57:37,710 --> 01:57:39,490
"Now we're gonna do
a greatest hits show,"
2789
01:57:39,530 --> 01:57:41,920
but no, they're challenging
themselves and their audience
2790
01:57:41,970 --> 01:57:44,280
and they're doing, like,
you know, radio opera.
2791
01:57:44,320 --> 01:57:47,850
♪ Bergman, Bergman
2792
01:57:47,890 --> 01:57:49,980
♪ Bergman, Bergman...
2793
01:57:50,020 --> 01:57:52,500
HARRIS: Ron and Russell
came up with the idea
2794
01:57:52,550 --> 01:57:54,770
of Ingmar Bergman,
the film director...
2795
01:57:54,810 --> 01:57:56,730
what if he had been
lured to Hollywood
2796
01:57:56,770 --> 01:57:58,160
with the promise
2797
01:57:58,210 --> 01:57:59,910
of big budgets and big bosoms?
2798
01:57:59,950 --> 01:58:03,690
And it was played
on Swedish national radio.
2799
01:58:03,730 --> 01:58:07,300
After that, they performed it
at the L.A. Film Festival
2800
01:58:07,340 --> 01:58:10,390
and, you know,
got a really good reaction.
2801
01:58:10,430 --> 01:58:13,780
KAPRANOS: They've always had
the desire to push on
2802
01:58:13,830 --> 01:58:15,880
and create something new,
and I think that's
2803
01:58:15,920 --> 01:58:18,970
probably what appealed to...
to them about the FFS project.
2804
01:58:21,840 --> 01:58:23,230
[RUSSELL SNICKERING]
2805
01:58:23,270 --> 01:58:25,100
- For fuck's sake.
- [LAUGHTER]
2806
01:58:25,150 --> 01:58:27,280
RUSSELL: We had met
the guys in Franz Ferdinand
2807
01:58:27,320 --> 01:58:30,670
12 or 13 years ago
in Los Angeles.
2808
01:58:30,710 --> 01:58:33,760
We had, you know, like bands
tend to do, they say,
2809
01:58:33,800 --> 01:58:36,930
"Hey, we should try to do
something together sometime."
2810
01:58:36,980 --> 01:58:40,420
♪ I'm just a little guy
from the suburbs... ♪
2811
01:58:40,460 --> 01:58:42,200
Ten years later,
2812
01:58:42,250 --> 01:58:44,080
we're walking in the morning,
just taking a little stroll
2813
01:58:44,120 --> 01:58:45,770
in downtown San Francisco,
2814
01:58:45,820 --> 01:58:47,910
and we see this guy
walking by, and we go,
2815
01:58:47,950 --> 01:58:51,080
"That looks like Alex Kapranos.
Hey, it is Alex Kapranos."
2816
01:58:51,130 --> 01:58:52,780
So we say, "Hey, Alex."
2817
01:58:52,820 --> 01:58:54,300
He goes, "Hey, Sparks guys."
2818
01:58:54,350 --> 01:58:55,920
He was on his way
to the dentist.
2819
01:58:55,960 --> 01:58:58,350
He had chipped one of his teeth.
2820
01:58:58,390 --> 01:59:00,740
So we said, "Remember we were
gonna do a project together?"
2821
01:59:00,790 --> 01:59:03,010
He said, "Yeah,
we got to do that."
2822
01:59:03,050 --> 01:59:04,920
So we talked about,
"Well, let's just try
2823
01:59:04,970 --> 01:59:06,930
one song together,
see what happens."
2824
01:59:06,970 --> 01:59:11,060
KAPRANOS: In Ron's typically
perverse way... [LAUGHS]
2825
01:59:11,100 --> 01:59:12,450
he sent over
2826
01:59:12,500 --> 01:59:14,720
"Collaborations Don't Work."
2827
01:59:14,760 --> 01:59:17,200
♪ Collaborations don't work
2828
01:59:17,240 --> 01:59:18,890
♪ They don't work
2829
01:59:18,940 --> 01:59:20,860
♪ They don't work...
2830
01:59:20,900 --> 01:59:22,900
And it was so obviously a test.
It was like,
2831
01:59:22,940 --> 01:59:24,770
"All right, you think
you can collaborate, do you?"
2832
01:59:24,810 --> 01:59:27,680
♪ Collaborations don't work
2833
01:59:27,730 --> 01:59:30,170
♪ They don't work,
they don't work... ♪
2834
01:59:30,210 --> 01:59:32,340
RON:
We opened up the door for, uh,
2835
01:59:32,390 --> 01:59:33,830
any return ammunition
2836
01:59:33,860 --> 01:59:35,080
coming our way.
2837
01:59:35,130 --> 01:59:38,520
♪ I ain't no collaborator...
2838
01:59:38,570 --> 01:59:40,140
CONGLETON:
As a response to that,
2839
01:59:40,180 --> 01:59:42,620
Alex sent kind of
a country groove.
2840
01:59:42,660 --> 01:59:43,840
So this song was
2841
01:59:43,870 --> 01:59:46,530
literally
a strange little argument
2842
01:59:46,570 --> 01:59:48,570
that they were doing online.
2843
01:59:48,620 --> 01:59:50,620
♪ I ain't no collaborator...
2844
01:59:50,660 --> 01:59:52,400
We sent it over to Ron,
and then suddenly,
2845
01:59:52,450 --> 01:59:55,410
it came back with Russell
singing on top of it
2846
01:59:55,450 --> 01:59:57,410
and these new melodies.
We got this great buzz.
2847
01:59:57,450 --> 01:59:59,800
It was like,
"Oh, God, this is fantastic."
2848
01:59:59,850 --> 02:00:01,500
Everybody was tentatively
kind of going like,
2849
02:00:01,540 --> 02:00:03,630
"You know, this sounds like
it could almost be...
2850
02:00:03,680 --> 02:00:05,290
[WHISPERS]:
like, an album, maybe."
2851
02:00:05,330 --> 02:00:06,940
[LAUGHS]
2852
02:00:06,980 --> 02:00:08,370
♪ I ain't no collaborator...
2853
02:00:08,420 --> 02:00:10,120
AUKERMAN:
One day, I pull up Pitchfork,
2854
02:00:10,160 --> 02:00:12,070
and I read that Franz Ferdinand
2855
02:00:12,120 --> 02:00:16,040
has made an entire record
with Sparks.
2856
02:00:16,080 --> 02:00:18,340
And it was just like, "What?"
2857
02:00:18,390 --> 02:00:21,310
It made me say,
"Yeah, Sparks is back.
2858
02:00:21,350 --> 02:00:23,270
"Okay, yeah,
let me pay attention
2859
02:00:23,310 --> 02:00:25,700
to what they've been doing
over the past ten years."
2860
02:00:30,750 --> 02:00:33,140
RUSSELL: "Johnny Delusional"
became the first single.
2861
02:00:33,180 --> 02:00:35,270
One of my favorite lines...
it's kind of one of
2862
02:00:35,320 --> 02:00:39,280
the saddest lines, I think,
in a, uh, Sparks song is:
2863
02:00:39,320 --> 02:00:40,710
"I'm borderline attractive
2864
02:00:40,760 --> 02:00:42,850
from afar."
2865
02:00:42,890 --> 02:00:45,410
And that-that line, to me,
is really, uh, touching.
2866
02:00:45,460 --> 02:00:49,640
♪ Some might find me borderline
attractive from afar... ♪
2867
02:00:49,680 --> 02:00:51,510
CONGLETON:
"Some might find me
2868
02:00:51,550 --> 02:00:54,250
"borderline attractive
from afar,
2869
02:00:54,290 --> 02:00:56,550
but afar is not where
I can stay, and there you are."
2870
02:00:56,600 --> 02:00:58,210
It's beautiful.
I mean, that's hilarious,
2871
02:00:58,250 --> 02:01:00,170
but it's also really beautiful.
2872
02:01:00,210 --> 02:01:02,210
♪ Though I want you
2873
02:01:03,480 --> 02:01:06,570
♪ I know I haven't
a chance... ♪
2874
02:01:06,610 --> 02:01:09,000
There's a real melancholic
vulnerability about it.
2875
02:01:09,050 --> 02:01:12,490
CONGLETON: It's very sad,
but it sounds celebratory.
2876
02:01:12,530 --> 02:01:13,490
It's, like, this meditation
2877
02:01:13,530 --> 02:01:14,920
on loneliness.
2878
02:01:14,960 --> 02:01:17,920
♪ Paging Mr. Delusional...
2879
02:01:17,970 --> 02:01:20,020
KAPRANOS: I often feel,
with Ron's lyricism,
2880
02:01:20,060 --> 02:01:21,800
that he's metaphorically,
2881
02:01:21,840 --> 02:01:23,450
like, slicing his chest open
2882
02:01:23,500 --> 02:01:25,550
and kind of going like,
"Here's my heart."
2883
02:01:25,580 --> 02:01:27,890
♪ You're wanted
at the front desk ♪
2884
02:01:27,930 --> 02:01:29,320
"Here's my heart.
2885
02:01:29,370 --> 02:01:30,850
Has nobody noticed?"
2886
02:01:30,890 --> 02:01:33,200
♪ Wouldn't it be terrible
2887
02:01:33,240 --> 02:01:36,160
♪ If there's no music there?
2888
02:01:36,200 --> 02:01:39,680
HARRIS: TheFFS album, it-it
introduced them to a crowd
2889
02:01:39,730 --> 02:01:41,650
that maybe hadn't been
aware of them before.
2890
02:01:41,690 --> 02:01:44,080
We particularly noticed it
in Latin America
2891
02:01:44,120 --> 02:01:46,780
where Franz Ferdinand, uh,
were very popular there.
2892
02:01:46,820 --> 02:01:49,610
♪ Wouldn't it be terrible
if there's no music there? ♪
2893
02:01:49,650 --> 02:01:51,740
RUSSELL:
A lot of those people,
2894
02:01:51,780 --> 02:01:53,700
they've become Sparks fans
and really
2895
02:01:53,740 --> 02:01:55,570
kind of hard-core Sparks fans,
2896
02:01:55,610 --> 02:01:58,830
and they had been introduced
via theFFS album.
2897
02:01:58,880 --> 02:02:01,360
♪ Though I want you...
2898
02:02:01,400 --> 02:02:03,100
INTERVIEWER:
Been watching you play live.
2899
02:02:03,140 --> 02:02:04,790
It seems to be more
2900
02:02:04,840 --> 02:02:06,580
of a kind of enjoyment thing.
It just seems to be fun.
2901
02:02:06,630 --> 02:02:07,630
Oh, we're faking it.
2902
02:02:07,670 --> 02:02:09,280
[LAUGHTER]
2903
02:02:09,320 --> 02:02:11,580
♪ Johnny Delusional here...
2904
02:02:11,630 --> 02:02:13,240
Does Franz Ferdinand know
how lucky they are
2905
02:02:13,280 --> 02:02:14,890
that that happened?
2906
02:02:14,940 --> 02:02:17,600
I hope that they were
grateful and psyched.
2907
02:02:17,640 --> 02:02:19,510
CONGLETON: That's their most
exciting record they've done
2908
02:02:19,550 --> 02:02:22,200
in quite some time, and I
really think they learned a lot
2909
02:02:22,250 --> 02:02:23,770
from working with these
2910
02:02:23,820 --> 02:02:26,650
elder statesmans of-of pop,
you know?
2911
02:02:28,600 --> 02:02:31,910
[PLAYING "WHAT THE HELL
IS IT THIS TIME?"]
2912
02:02:31,950 --> 02:02:33,780
Hello.
2913
02:02:36,220 --> 02:02:39,700
♪ Historically, historically,
we make an appeal ♪
2914
02:02:39,740 --> 02:02:42,350
♪ To something greater
than we are ♪
2915
02:02:42,400 --> 02:02:44,320
♪ When we need to heal...
2916
02:02:44,360 --> 02:02:46,060
HARRIS:
Doing the FFS project,
2917
02:02:46,100 --> 02:02:48,710
they fell in love again
with the pop song,
2918
02:02:48,750 --> 02:02:49,880
and because of that love
for the pop song,
2919
02:02:49,930 --> 02:02:51,800
Hippopotamus was born.
2920
02:02:51,840 --> 02:02:56,060
♪ What the hell is it
this time? ♪
2921
02:02:56,110 --> 02:02:57,680
WINWOOD: Listening
toHippopotamus took me
2922
02:02:57,720 --> 02:03:00,460
straightaway back
toKimono My House.
2923
02:03:00,500 --> 02:03:02,240
The energy of that album
2924
02:03:02,290 --> 02:03:03,680
is just great.
2925
02:03:03,720 --> 02:03:05,370
MANKEY:
When I put the headphones on
2926
02:03:05,420 --> 02:03:07,640
and listened to it
for the first time, I thought,
2927
02:03:07,690 --> 02:03:10,390
"Holy cow.
This is like when we were back
2928
02:03:10,430 --> 02:03:12,780
at Ron and Russ's
mom's house, you know?"
2929
02:03:12,820 --> 02:03:14,000
I loved that.
2930
02:03:15,690 --> 02:03:18,080
HARRIS:
The reviews were incredible.
2931
02:03:18,130 --> 02:03:20,260
It was near four- and five-star
reviews across the board.
2932
02:03:20,310 --> 02:03:21,700
It was, um, included in
2933
02:03:21,740 --> 02:03:23,130
the "album of the year" lists,
2934
02:03:23,180 --> 02:03:24,970
you know, worldwide.
2935
02:03:25,010 --> 02:03:29,010
And the fact that Sparks
have had a top-ten record
2936
02:03:29,050 --> 02:03:33,180
is because they're not
trying to be
2937
02:03:33,230 --> 02:03:35,450
what other people
want them to be.
2938
02:03:35,500 --> 02:03:38,240
RUSSELL [A CAPPELLA]:
♪ I wish you were fun
2939
02:03:38,280 --> 02:03:41,330
♪ I wish you were fun
in every way ♪
2940
02:03:41,370 --> 02:03:43,890
♪ I wish you were fun
2941
02:03:43,940 --> 02:03:47,160
♪ To brighten the dark,
cold winter day ♪
2942
02:03:47,200 --> 02:03:51,940
♪ In every other way
I find you amazing but one ♪
2943
02:03:51,990 --> 02:03:57,040
♪ I wish you were fun,
I wish you were fun ♪
2944
02:03:57,080 --> 02:03:59,300
♪ La-la-la... Everybody.
2945
02:03:59,350 --> 02:04:00,830
- ♪ La-la-la-la-la...
- [MUSIC JOINS IN]
2946
02:04:00,870 --> 02:04:02,310
STEWART:
Here they are,
2947
02:04:02,350 --> 02:04:04,220
playing to some
of the largest crowds
2948
02:04:04,260 --> 02:04:05,700
in the last ten years
2949
02:04:05,740 --> 02:04:07,480
and playing to crowds
that weren't around
2950
02:04:07,530 --> 02:04:10,400
for the first, second
and often the third phase.
2951
02:04:11,970 --> 02:04:14,760
RUSSELL: The only part that...
that the public sees
2952
02:04:14,800 --> 02:04:17,720
is that 90 minutes onstage,
2953
02:04:17,760 --> 02:04:19,890
and they don't see
all the other stuff.
2954
02:04:19,930 --> 02:04:23,240
They don't see, uh, security
opening up our suitcases
2955
02:04:23,280 --> 02:04:25,150
and having the guy, uh,
you know,
2956
02:04:25,200 --> 02:04:26,940
taking out all your stuff
2957
02:04:26,980 --> 02:04:29,240
day after day after day
after day at the airport.
2958
02:04:29,290 --> 02:04:32,070
And, uh, they don't see
the jet lag
2959
02:04:32,120 --> 02:04:34,250
that I currently have right now.
2960
02:04:34,290 --> 02:04:37,600
Uh, but obviously,
we're doing all this
2961
02:04:37,640 --> 02:04:40,690
'cause we really are
passionate about our music.
2962
02:04:40,730 --> 02:04:44,260
It definitely outweighs
all of the downside.
2963
02:04:44,300 --> 02:04:45,870
"Viva México, cabrones."
2964
02:04:45,910 --> 02:04:47,870
- Okay.
- Viva México...
2965
02:04:47,910 --> 02:04:49,220
- "Cabrones."
- "Cabrones."
2966
02:04:49,260 --> 02:04:51,350
- Cabrones.
- Yeah!
2967
02:04:57,710 --> 02:04:59,970
Viva México, cabrones.
2968
02:05:00,010 --> 02:05:01,930
[CHEERING]
2969
02:05:01,970 --> 02:05:03,280
♪ La-la-la-la-la ♪
2970
02:05:03,320 --> 02:05:05,500
♪ I wish you were fun
2971
02:05:05,540 --> 02:05:07,760
♪ Fun in every way
2972
02:05:07,800 --> 02:05:09,720
♪ La-la-la-la-la ♪
2973
02:05:09,760 --> 02:05:11,720
♪ I wish you were fun
2974
02:05:11,760 --> 02:05:14,330
♪ Have some chardonnay
2975
02:05:14,380 --> 02:05:18,990
♪ In every other way
I find you amazing but one ♪
2976
02:05:19,030 --> 02:05:20,820
♪ I wish you were fun
2977
02:05:21,770 --> 02:05:24,030
♪ I wish you were fun.
2978
02:05:25,130 --> 02:05:27,090
Okay, I'm tired.
2979
02:05:27,130 --> 02:05:28,520
I'm going to go to sleep.
2980
02:05:28,560 --> 02:05:30,130
Good night.
2981
02:05:30,170 --> 02:05:32,130
♪ La-la-la, la-la-la,
la-la-la ♪
2982
02:05:32,180 --> 02:05:34,530
♪ I'm pushin'
on my lawn mower... ♪
2983
02:05:34,570 --> 02:05:36,620
SCHWARTZMAN:
The way they live their life
2984
02:05:36,660 --> 02:05:40,230
is just in service of the music.
2985
02:05:40,270 --> 02:05:42,050
♪ The mornin',
it's my lawn mower... ♪
2986
02:05:42,100 --> 02:05:44,060
RON: I kind of have to force
myself to take this walk
2987
02:05:44,100 --> 02:05:46,230
'cause I've been doing it
2988
02:05:46,280 --> 02:05:48,540
for about 20 years
at this same park, and if...
2989
02:05:48,580 --> 02:05:51,760
I know, if I kind of
put it off for one day,
2990
02:05:51,800 --> 02:05:54,370
that it's all over
and I'll just be
2991
02:05:54,420 --> 02:05:56,550
laying in bed
extra long in the mornings.
2992
02:05:56,590 --> 02:06:00,590
♪ The neighbors look in awe
at my lawn mower... ♪
2993
02:06:00,640 --> 02:06:03,430
PUCKRIK:
They love ritual.
2994
02:06:03,470 --> 02:06:05,040
They love repetition.
2995
02:06:05,080 --> 02:06:07,820
I mean, you can hear
their love of repetition
2996
02:06:07,860 --> 02:06:09,380
in their music.
2997
02:06:09,430 --> 02:06:11,870
You know, they have a hook,
they have a phrase
2998
02:06:11,910 --> 02:06:14,830
that's repeated
over and over and over again.
2999
02:06:14,870 --> 02:06:18,610
And in their life, even the way
their day is structured...
3000
02:06:18,660 --> 02:06:22,660
you know, wake up, work out,
go to the studio,
3001
02:06:22,710 --> 02:06:25,100
have your 4:00 p.m.
coffee break,
3002
02:06:25,140 --> 02:06:28,360
go back to the studio,
you know, power down.
3003
02:06:30,190 --> 02:06:31,670
SCHWARTZMAN:
They are rock stars
3004
02:06:31,710 --> 02:06:33,190
that go to breakfast
at the same place
3005
02:06:33,240 --> 02:06:34,370
and get the same thing
in the morning,
3006
02:06:34,410 --> 02:06:35,850
and then go work at...
3007
02:06:35,890 --> 02:06:37,460
You know, they just...
they figured out
3008
02:06:37,500 --> 02:06:39,940
what works for them
and how to do it.
3009
02:06:39,980 --> 02:06:42,500
I come here religiously
every morning
3010
02:06:42,550 --> 02:06:45,030
to get a little peace and quiet,
3011
02:06:45,070 --> 02:06:48,380
just to be by myself
before we start working.
3012
02:06:48,430 --> 02:06:51,390
And even once a week,
Ron comes here.
3013
02:06:54,300 --> 02:06:57,220
[QUIET CHATTER]
3014
02:06:58,910 --> 02:07:01,130
HAYDON: They just keep
going up musically
3015
02:07:01,180 --> 02:07:02,790
with what they're writing.
3016
02:07:02,830 --> 02:07:05,790
They keep finding
new ways to tell their stories.
3017
02:07:07,360 --> 02:07:10,100
HARRIS:
Ron and Russell were in Cannes
3018
02:07:10,140 --> 02:07:12,800
and met the French
film director Leos Carax.
3019
02:07:12,840 --> 02:07:14,190
They got chatting,
3020
02:07:14,230 --> 02:07:16,100
and they were talking
to him about
3021
02:07:16,150 --> 02:07:19,070
their screenplay calledAnnette.
3022
02:07:19,110 --> 02:07:21,550
We got along really well,
and when we came back to L.A.
3023
02:07:21,590 --> 02:07:23,330
after Cannes, we said,
3024
02:07:23,370 --> 02:07:25,630
"Let's send Leos this project,
Annette."
3025
02:07:25,680 --> 02:07:28,120
And then he said, uh,
"God, I really like this.
3026
02:07:28,160 --> 02:07:30,210
Let me think about it
a little bit more."
3027
02:07:30,250 --> 02:07:31,950
And he did, and he got
back to us, and he said,
3028
02:07:31,990 --> 02:07:34,250
"You know, I'd really like
to direct this."
3029
02:07:34,300 --> 02:07:36,350
We thought, "Oh, this is
amazing," but then we were also
3030
02:07:36,390 --> 02:07:39,050
thinking about
our Tim Burton experience
3031
02:07:39,080 --> 02:07:41,260
and our Jacques Tati experience
and going,
3032
02:07:41,300 --> 02:07:43,040
"Please, dear God, we don't want
3033
02:07:43,090 --> 02:07:44,480
to have one more of those."
3034
02:07:44,520 --> 02:07:45,780
- Did you get it?
- That's a film project.
3035
02:07:45,830 --> 02:07:47,270
HARRIS:
Historically,
3036
02:07:47,310 --> 02:07:49,570
they've, you know,
nearly had films made on,
3037
02:07:49,620 --> 02:07:50,930
you know,
more than one occasion,
3038
02:07:50,970 --> 02:07:53,320
and you feel that
now is the time,
3039
02:07:53,360 --> 02:07:55,280
and it will be amazing
for them to be able
3040
02:07:55,320 --> 02:07:57,500
to see their work
on a big screen.
3041
02:07:57,540 --> 02:07:59,110
Oh, hello.
3042
02:07:59,150 --> 02:08:01,370
Welcome to the set.
3043
02:08:01,410 --> 02:08:04,940
RUSSELL: After several attempts
to get a movie off the ground,
3044
02:08:04,980 --> 02:08:07,460
Annette has finally been the one
3045
02:08:07,500 --> 02:08:09,850
film project that's sticking,
3046
02:08:09,900 --> 02:08:13,690
and it's being shot here
in swinging Brussels, Belgium.
3047
02:08:13,730 --> 02:08:17,650
RON: To get a movie made
is a miracle.
3048
02:08:17,690 --> 02:08:20,040
We obviously feel good
about the film,
3049
02:08:20,080 --> 02:08:24,520
but we also feel good in
a really personal kind of way...
3050
02:08:24,560 --> 02:08:27,130
this proves that
we were right all along.
3051
02:08:27,180 --> 02:08:29,880
So, uh... so there.
3052
02:08:29,920 --> 02:08:32,100
Or voilà.
3053
02:08:33,570 --> 02:08:35,360
SCHWARTZMAN: When you get
a Sparks album, I feel like
3054
02:08:35,400 --> 02:08:37,490
that's where they are,
this is what they're into,
3055
02:08:37,530 --> 02:08:39,310
and they're not gonna
be here for long.
3056
02:08:39,360 --> 02:08:41,100
Do you know what I mean?
Like, I feel like by the time
3057
02:08:41,150 --> 02:08:42,280
you get the album,
they're already
3058
02:08:42,320 --> 02:08:43,710
on to something else.
3059
02:08:45,760 --> 02:08:48,850
RON: Sparks have a certain
sensibility that we've had
3060
02:08:48,890 --> 02:08:50,500
through all of our albums,
3061
02:08:50,550 --> 02:08:53,380
whatever the shift in styles
through time
3062
02:08:53,420 --> 02:08:56,160
or different producers
or different countries.
3063
02:08:56,200 --> 02:09:00,120
It's kind of something
that we really can't change.
3064
02:09:00,160 --> 02:09:02,950
♪ And all the holy places...
3065
02:09:02,990 --> 02:09:05,210
RUSSELL: From the beginning
of rock music
3066
02:09:05,260 --> 02:09:06,740
when, uh, Blackboard Jungle...
3067
02:09:06,780 --> 02:09:09,220
for them to go
and start ripping up,
3068
02:09:09,260 --> 02:09:11,610
uh, movie theater seats...
3069
02:09:11,650 --> 02:09:13,390
that, to us, is like the essence
3070
02:09:13,440 --> 02:09:15,700
and the spirit
of what music can be.
3071
02:09:15,750 --> 02:09:17,750
And I think that
those sorts of things
3072
02:09:17,790 --> 02:09:19,710
have always been maybe
in the back of our minds.
3073
02:09:19,750 --> 02:09:21,880
We don't sit down and say,
"What can we do
3074
02:09:21,930 --> 02:09:24,370
to be provocative
or rebellious?"
3075
02:09:24,410 --> 02:09:26,850
But I think, just by our nature,
3076
02:09:26,890 --> 02:09:29,020
that's just inherent
in what we do.
3077
02:09:29,060 --> 02:09:31,630
♪ All that we've done
3078
02:09:31,670 --> 02:09:35,020
♪ We've lost, we've won
3079
02:09:35,070 --> 02:09:38,420
♪ All that,
all that and more... ♪
3080
02:09:40,340 --> 02:09:41,730
PALLADINO: I think their
creative process has sustained
3081
02:09:41,770 --> 02:09:43,250
their friendship
and brotherliness,
3082
02:09:43,290 --> 02:09:45,820
and I think being brothers
has also sustained
3083
02:09:45,860 --> 02:09:47,430
their creativity over the years.
3084
02:09:47,470 --> 02:09:48,470
It's-it's unusual,
3085
02:09:48,520 --> 02:09:50,000
but they like each other
3086
02:09:50,040 --> 02:09:51,480
and they respect each other.
3087
02:09:51,520 --> 02:09:53,130
[CHEERING]
3088
02:09:53,170 --> 02:09:54,870
HARRIS:
They are... first and foremost,
3089
02:09:54,920 --> 02:09:57,790
they're-they're gentlemen,
and they are,
3090
02:09:57,830 --> 02:09:59,700
you know... they're polite
and they're considerate,
3091
02:09:59,750 --> 02:10:04,230
extraordinarily creative,
you know, and they're funny.
3092
02:10:04,270 --> 02:10:05,920
- Oh, did I not push the button?
- Yeah.
3093
02:10:05,970 --> 02:10:07,970
[LAUGHS]
You got to push the button.
3094
02:10:08,020 --> 02:10:11,630
RON: We're able to work kind of
without a lot of conversation.
3095
02:10:11,670 --> 02:10:13,720
The quieter it is,
the better it is,
3096
02:10:13,760 --> 02:10:16,070
because we know
we're kind of onto something
3097
02:10:16,110 --> 02:10:18,680
and we can communicate
with each other
3098
02:10:18,720 --> 02:10:21,460
in-in kind of nonverbal ways
3099
02:10:21,510 --> 02:10:24,170
just by having worked together
for so long.
3100
02:10:24,210 --> 02:10:25,820
DES BARRES:
It's some kind of magical
3101
02:10:25,860 --> 02:10:30,520
combination of brother blood
and, I don't know,
3102
02:10:30,560 --> 02:10:33,040
cosmic interference,
3103
02:10:33,080 --> 02:10:35,520
but I have loved them
for all these years,
3104
02:10:35,560 --> 02:10:37,300
and I'm really proud of it.
3105
02:10:37,350 --> 02:10:40,660
♪ All that we've done
3106
02:10:40,700 --> 02:10:42,830
♪ We've lost, we've won...
3107
02:10:42,880 --> 02:10:45,840
RUSSELL: I can't imagine having
done a career as a solo artist
3108
02:10:45,880 --> 02:10:49,360
'cause I just think the two
of us are sort of inseparable
3109
02:10:49,400 --> 02:10:52,270
when it comes to
our passion for music.
3110
02:10:52,320 --> 02:10:55,540
I think his songs and my singing
3111
02:10:55,580 --> 02:10:57,840
are one and the same.
3112
02:10:57,890 --> 02:11:00,680
RON: I have that security
when I'm working with Russell.
3113
02:11:00,720 --> 02:11:03,590
If I were to work with myself,
3114
02:11:03,630 --> 02:11:07,630
I-I feel, you know,
really, really nervous.
3115
02:11:07,680 --> 02:11:10,070
It would put me in a position
3116
02:11:10,120 --> 02:11:13,780
where I-I just wouldn't
be able to-to take... take it.
3117
02:11:13,820 --> 02:11:16,870
EVAN WEISS: To me, they've been
such an example of how to age
3118
02:11:16,910 --> 02:11:19,780
in this business
with grace and dignity
3119
02:11:19,830 --> 02:11:21,920
and treat your band
and your crew, uh, kindly.
3120
02:11:21,960 --> 02:11:24,830
And not to reduce it
to such crude terms,
3121
02:11:24,870 --> 02:11:25,960
but they're just cool as fuck.
3122
02:11:26,010 --> 02:11:27,320
[LAUGHING]:
Yeah.
3123
02:11:27,350 --> 02:11:28,740
RUSSELL:
Now that Ron isn't around,
3124
02:11:28,790 --> 02:11:30,920
I can finally tell
the real story.
3125
02:11:30,970 --> 02:11:32,320
Uh, all of the songs are mine.
3126
02:11:32,360 --> 02:11:35,800
All 840 songs written by me,
3127
02:11:35,840 --> 02:11:37,800
sung by me, performed by me.
3128
02:11:37,840 --> 02:11:42,280
So, uh, anyway, I just thought
it should come out now.
3129
02:11:44,200 --> 02:11:46,640
[WHISPERS]:
Just between you and me...
3130
02:11:48,030 --> 02:11:49,950
Sparks.
3131
02:11:49,990 --> 02:11:51,820
He's just a singer.
3132
02:11:52,950 --> 02:11:55,740
[PLAYING "WHEN DO I GET
TO SING 'MY WAY'"]
3133
02:12:00,600 --> 02:12:03,910
♪ No, no use
in lecturing them... ♪
3134
02:12:03,960 --> 02:12:06,830
RUNDGREN: There's some comfort
in the fact that
3135
02:12:06,870 --> 02:12:09,390
something this weird can survive
3136
02:12:09,440 --> 02:12:12,790
that long without being
corrupted ultimately
3137
02:12:12,830 --> 02:12:14,220
into something less weird.
3138
02:12:14,270 --> 02:12:16,100
♪ The plot is predictable...
3139
02:12:16,140 --> 02:12:17,710
I wouldn't really have seen how
they could've gotten any better,
3140
02:12:17,750 --> 02:12:19,100
'cause they were kind of unique,
3141
02:12:19,150 --> 02:12:21,110
but they're doing
something right.
3142
02:12:21,150 --> 02:12:23,850
Nobody stays around that long
if they're making mistakes.
3143
02:12:23,890 --> 02:12:25,540
♪ No, no use in...
3144
02:12:25,590 --> 02:12:27,590
FLEA: If they had been
a band that just,
3145
02:12:27,630 --> 02:12:29,810
like, went and tried to make
hits that were sort of, like,
3146
02:12:29,850 --> 02:12:33,640
inorganic, outside of their
real natural inclinations,
3147
02:12:33,680 --> 02:12:36,070
they would've broken up by 1977.
3148
02:12:36,120 --> 02:12:37,950
♪ It's hard to be vain...
3149
02:12:37,990 --> 02:12:39,820
ANTONOFF: Some of the greatest
artists in the world
3150
02:12:39,860 --> 02:12:41,470
just sort of had a period.
3151
02:12:41,510 --> 02:12:42,950
Sparks is way more prolific than
3152
02:12:42,990 --> 02:12:44,910
all of the artists
we consider to be
3153
02:12:44,950 --> 02:12:47,260
the greatest in the world,
so it's overwhelming.
3154
02:12:47,300 --> 02:12:50,960
♪ So when do I get
to sing "My Way"? ♪
3155
02:12:51,000 --> 02:12:55,570
♪ When do I get to feel
like Sinatra felt? ♪
3156
02:12:55,620 --> 02:12:58,970
♪ When do I get
to sing "My Way"? ♪
3157
02:12:59,010 --> 02:13:01,190
♪ In heaven or hell...
3158
02:13:01,230 --> 02:13:03,100
RUSSELL:
You can knock us for not
3159
02:13:03,140 --> 02:13:05,660
having sold
two trillion records,
3160
02:13:05,710 --> 02:13:09,890
but staying true to our vision
and being consistent
3161
02:13:09,930 --> 02:13:12,240
for this long a period of time,
I think that that's
3162
02:13:12,280 --> 02:13:14,590
the measure of success.
3163
02:13:14,630 --> 02:13:16,940
♪ In heaven or hell...
3164
02:13:18,860 --> 02:13:20,990
JONES: I don't think
they could be really massive.
3165
02:13:21,030 --> 02:13:22,550
They're too weird.
3166
02:13:22,600 --> 02:13:25,170
Which is great.
Who wants to be really popular?
3167
02:13:25,210 --> 02:13:27,520
You know, you just want
to do your art
3168
02:13:27,560 --> 02:13:30,000
and love what you're doing
and be happy with that.
3169
02:13:30,040 --> 02:13:32,350
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
3170
02:13:34,830 --> 02:13:36,920
It's been an amazing
evening for us.
3171
02:13:36,960 --> 02:13:38,220
Thank you very much.
3172
02:13:38,270 --> 02:13:39,880
RON:
We're deeply appreciative.
3173
02:13:39,920 --> 02:13:42,360
We don't... we don't take
any of this for granted,
3174
02:13:42,400 --> 02:13:45,320
and, uh, we'll be back soon.
3175
02:13:45,360 --> 02:13:47,320
[CHEERING]
3176
02:13:47,360 --> 02:13:48,930
Thank you.
3177
02:13:48,970 --> 02:13:50,620
RON: A lot of times,
people are trying
3178
02:13:50,670 --> 02:13:52,760
to find the key
to Sparks somehow,
3179
02:13:52,800 --> 02:13:54,850
and I think that really
it's out in the open
3180
02:13:54,890 --> 02:13:57,980
with what we're doing
lyrically and musically.
3181
02:13:59,070 --> 02:14:01,330
RUSSELL:
Being Russell and being Ron
3182
02:14:01,380 --> 02:14:03,730
and being Sparks,
it's kind of one and the same.
3183
02:14:04,730 --> 02:14:06,690
RON:
That is what we are.
3184
02:14:06,730 --> 02:14:10,470
There isn't some thing
behind the curtain.
3185
02:14:10,520 --> 02:14:12,350
SHERMAN-PALLADINO: The mystique
and that whole thing
3186
02:14:12,390 --> 02:14:16,050
is part of what makes them
cool no matter what.
3187
02:14:16,090 --> 02:14:17,700
They don't owe us anything.
3188
02:14:17,740 --> 02:14:19,310
They-they give us the music.
3189
02:14:19,350 --> 02:14:21,180
That's... We...
That's all we need.
3190
02:14:21,220 --> 02:14:23,010
BOHEM:
It is symbiotic.
3191
02:14:23,050 --> 02:14:24,620
It's like the two of them
make up
3192
02:14:24,660 --> 02:14:26,230
this whole that is Sparks.
3193
02:14:26,270 --> 02:14:27,840
You know, those of us
who've been lucky enough
3194
02:14:27,880 --> 02:14:29,580
to come and go in that,
like, it-it...
3195
02:14:29,620 --> 02:14:31,750
it's an amazing and
very cool thing to be around.
3196
02:14:31,800 --> 02:14:34,060
♪
3197
02:14:34,110 --> 02:14:36,110
STEWART: I don't feel
a kind of ownership with them.
3198
02:14:36,150 --> 02:14:39,550
I think it's really important
when people come along
3199
02:14:39,590 --> 02:14:42,160
20 or 40 years later,
you don't say,
3200
02:14:42,200 --> 02:14:44,590
"Oh, I was there all along,
and where were you?"
3201
02:14:44,640 --> 02:14:47,950
You say, "Welcome aboard,
and here's more."
3202
02:14:49,120 --> 02:14:50,860
WRIGHT: There's something
to be said for the fact
3203
02:14:50,900 --> 02:14:52,340
that sleeper success
3204
02:14:52,380 --> 02:14:54,250
will keep people talking
about them
3205
02:14:54,300 --> 02:14:56,870
a lot longer than artists
that are a lot more popular.
3206
02:14:58,130 --> 02:14:59,740
I think the fact that
they've always kept hungry
3207
02:14:59,780 --> 02:15:01,870
and consistently
pushed the envelope
3208
02:15:01,910 --> 02:15:04,300
is exactly why I wanted
to make this film.
3209
02:15:05,700 --> 02:15:07,350
OSWALT:
Their songs are worlds
3210
02:15:07,400 --> 02:15:09,790
that you really need
to delve into,
3211
02:15:09,840 --> 02:15:12,540
but once you delve into 'em,
the rewards are incredible.
3212
02:15:14,270 --> 02:15:17,230
JONES: I wish I had that drive
or that commitment.
3213
02:15:17,280 --> 02:15:19,540
I'm just like, "Ah, fuck it.
I can't be bothered."
3214
02:15:20,590 --> 02:15:22,330
FLEA: Some bands will give you
an outfit to wear,
3215
02:15:22,370 --> 02:15:24,720
and some bands will give you
a sewing machine
3216
02:15:24,760 --> 02:15:26,810
and some needle and some thread
3217
02:15:26,850 --> 02:15:28,770
and let you make what you want
but inspire you
3218
02:15:28,810 --> 02:15:30,420
and give you the energy
to make stuff.
3219
02:15:30,460 --> 02:15:32,640
And that's the kind of band
that Sparks is to me.
3220
02:15:34,160 --> 02:15:37,080
BECK: There's several
kind of archetypes of bands.
3221
02:15:37,120 --> 02:15:39,380
There's the bands
who are wildly popular
3222
02:15:39,430 --> 02:15:42,260
in their day and adulation,
3223
02:15:42,300 --> 02:15:45,220
and then there's bands
that sow all these seeds
3224
02:15:45,260 --> 02:15:49,790
and foment all these ideas
that grow up in other places.
3225
02:15:49,830 --> 02:15:52,660
And, uh, there's some
corollary in nature.
3226
02:15:52,700 --> 02:15:55,220
Like, we wouldn't survive
without the bees.
3227
02:15:55,270 --> 02:15:58,880
Sparks are part of
the ecosystem of music.
3228
02:15:58,930 --> 02:16:02,110
And they may have given birth
to other bands
3229
02:16:02,150 --> 02:16:06,810
who don't even know that
the lineage goes back to them.
3230
02:16:06,850 --> 02:16:09,680
They might not even
be aware of it.
3231
02:16:09,720 --> 02:16:15,160
♪ This is the number one song
in heaven ♪
3232
02:16:15,210 --> 02:16:17,210
[CROWD CHEERING]
3233
02:16:18,160 --> 02:16:20,250
♪ Written, of course
3234
02:16:20,300 --> 02:16:24,480
♪ By the mightiest hand
3235
02:16:27,300 --> 02:16:29,610
♪ All of the angels are sheep
3236
02:16:29,650 --> 02:16:34,130
♪ In the fold of their master
3237
02:16:36,360 --> 02:16:42,190
♪ They always follow
the master and his plan ♪
3238
02:16:45,500 --> 02:16:51,110
♪ This is the number one song
in heaven ♪
3239
02:16:54,550 --> 02:17:00,430
♪ Why are you hearing it now,
you ask ♪
3240
02:17:03,640 --> 02:17:06,640
♪ Maybe you're closer to here
3241
02:17:06,690 --> 02:17:09,780
♪ Than you imagine
3242
02:17:12,700 --> 02:17:14,880
♪ Maybe you're closer to here
3243
02:17:14,920 --> 02:17:19,490
♪ Than you care to be...
3244
02:17:26,840 --> 02:17:29,500
We fear that, over the course
of the documentary,
3245
02:17:29,540 --> 02:17:31,670
we have revealed
way more about ourselves
3246
02:17:31,720 --> 02:17:33,900
than we are comfortable with.
3247
02:17:33,930 --> 02:17:36,240
So, in an attempt to create
some further mystique,
3248
02:17:36,290 --> 02:17:38,680
we'd like to leave you
with a bunch of Sparks facts
3249
02:17:38,720 --> 02:17:41,420
that are all 100% true.
3250
02:17:41,460 --> 02:17:43,850
Russell has been
an uncredited voice actor
3251
02:17:43,900 --> 02:17:47,860
in 27 Hollywood animated
feature films.
3252
02:17:47,910 --> 02:17:51,170
Ron briefly dated EÉdith Piaf.
3253
02:17:51,210 --> 02:17:55,610
Russell is not singing in
English on Kimono My House.
3254
02:17:55,650 --> 02:17:58,090
Ron has worn
the same white shirt,
3255
02:17:58,130 --> 02:18:00,260
a shirt he purchased
at Marks and Spencer
3256
02:18:00,310 --> 02:18:04,440
in December 1973,
for the last 46 years.
3257
02:18:04,490 --> 02:18:07,800
Between 1989 and 1993,
3258
02:18:07,840 --> 02:18:10,800
Russell was a NASCAR driver.
3259
02:18:10,840 --> 02:18:13,410
Ron has written many novels
under the pen name
3260
02:18:13,450 --> 02:18:15,710
John le Carré.
3261
02:18:15,760 --> 02:18:17,500
After realizing he was too small
3262
02:18:17,540 --> 02:18:19,240
to compete in college football,
3263
02:18:19,280 --> 02:18:23,150
Russell trained
for nine months as a jockey.
3264
02:18:23,200 --> 02:18:27,990
26 days before every tour,
Ron goes on the alphabet diet,
3265
02:18:28,030 --> 02:18:30,690
eating foods
in alphabetical order.
3266
02:18:30,730 --> 02:18:33,430
DAY ONE: avocados or asparagus.
3267
02:18:33,470 --> 02:18:35,990
DAY 26: zucchini.
3268
02:18:36,040 --> 02:18:38,650
In 1982, we started
the first ever
3269
02:18:38,690 --> 02:18:42,520
seahorse rehabilitation ranch,
Back in the Saddle.
3270
02:18:42,570 --> 02:18:45,310
The tragic decline
in the seahorse population
3271
02:18:45,350 --> 02:18:49,310
has been a cause
we've long felt strongly about.
3272
02:18:49,360 --> 02:18:51,540
Sparks really only
have two songs,
3273
02:18:51,580 --> 02:18:53,450
a fast one and a slow one.
3274
02:18:53,490 --> 02:18:55,970
We constantly rewrite
the lyrics for these songs
3275
02:18:56,020 --> 02:18:57,810
to give the appearance
of having written
3276
02:18:57,840 --> 02:19:00,100
nearly 300 songs.
3277
02:19:00,150 --> 02:19:02,020
And finally,
we would like to reveal
3278
02:19:02,070 --> 02:19:04,730
that Ron is really Russell.
3279
02:19:04,760 --> 02:19:07,680
And Russell is really Ron.
3280
02:19:11,470 --> 02:19:16,650
♪ This is the number one song
in heaven ♪
3281
02:19:19,520 --> 02:19:25,790
♪ Why are you hearing it now,
you ask ♪
3282
02:19:28,480 --> 02:19:31,610
♪ Maybe you're closer to here
3283
02:19:31,660 --> 02:19:34,840
♪ Than you imagine
3284
02:19:37,540 --> 02:19:39,760
♪ Maybe you're closer to here
3285
02:19:39,800 --> 02:19:44,280
♪ Than you care to be.
3286
02:19:44,330 --> 02:19:46,550
♪
3287
02:19:46,590 --> 02:19:48,770
[AUDIENCE CHEERING]
3288
02:19:48,810 --> 02:19:51,120
[AUDIENCE CLAPPING
RHYTHMICALLY]
3289
02:20:13,570 --> 02:20:15,880
♪
3290
02:20:40,600 --> 02:20:42,910
♪
3291
02:20:48,040 --> 02:20:50,040
[SONG ENDS]
3292
02:20:50,090 --> 02:20:52,140
[CHEERING AND APPLAUSE]
254291
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