All You Ever Think About Is Sparks

Episode 4 redux: Halfnelson/Sparks listening party + other stuff

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

Episode 7: Putting together the UK band (1973) + Interview with James Lowe

Ron and Russell recruit a new band in England, and sharpen their sound with new songs. Hear how Martin Gordon, Dinky Diamond and Adrian Fisher were discovered, and how Island Records had set Sparks up to be 1974's Next Big Thing. Stick around for an interview with James Lowe, producer of Sparks' previous album A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing, and founding member of the Electric Prunes. Thanks for your support in 2019, dear listeners! Happy Holidays/Christmas/Hannukah/whatever and I'll see you in 2020!
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Episode 6: First European tour (1972-73) + Harley Feinstein interview

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

Episode 5: A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing (1972)

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

Episode 3 redux: Halfnelson/Sparks + New and Improved Monte Mallin Interview

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

Episode 3: The Halfnelson/Sparks album + Monte Mallin interview

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

Episode 2: The Ruud Swart interview

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

Episode one is here!

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