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Exotic Creatures Of The Deep
''Exotic Creatures of the Deep'' is the 21st album by the American rock band Sparks. Release ''Exotic Creatures of the Deep'' was as successful as their previous album, '' Hello Young Lovers'', in the UK, where it bettered the chart position, reaching No. 54 on the UK Album Chart. A limited edition version was released in a card sleeve in most territories and included a poster. Japanese editions included the bonus track "Brenda Is Always in the Way" as well as a DVD featuring five short films. Two singles were released. The first, "Good Morning" on May 12, 2008, was on iTunes, a first for the group. The second, "Lighten Up, Morrissey" in March 2009, appeared on a 7", backed with "Brenda Is Always In The Way". Neither single charted in the UK. ''Exotic Creatures of the Deep'' was also promoted in the UK by a number of live performances dubbed the "Sparks Spectacular": a record-setting twenty-date residency from May 16 through June 11, 2008 at London's Carling Islington Academy ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Album
An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records collected in a bound book resembling a photograph album; this format evolved after 1948 into single vinyl long-playing (LP) records played at rpm. The album was the dominant form of recorded music expression and consumption from the mid-1960s to the early 21st century, a period known as the album era. Vinyl LPs are still issued, though album sales in the 21st-century have mostly focused on CD and MP3 formats. The 8-track tape was the first tape format widely used alongside vinyl from 1965 until being phased out by 1983 and was gradually supplanted by the cassette tape during the 1970s and early 1980s; the popularity of the cassette reached its peak during the late 1980s, sharply declined during the 1990s and had largely disappeared ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shepherd's Bush Empire
Shepherd's Bush Empire (currently known as O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for sponsorship reasons, and formerly known as the BBC Television Theatre) is a music venue in Shepherd's Bush, West London, run by the Academy Music Group. It was originally built in 1903 as a music hall for impresario Oswald Stoll, designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham; among its early performers was Charlie Chaplin. In 1953 it became the BBC Television Theatre. Since 1994, it has operated as a music venue. It is a Grade II listed building. History Origins The Shepherd's Bush Empire was built in 1903 for impresario Oswald Stoll, designed by theatre architect Frank Matcham.Denny, p.93 Ashly's Circus performed at Shepherd's Bush Empire and presented to George Strong a trophy for riding The Bucking Mule "Sloper' on 8 September 1905. The first performers at the new theatre were The Fred Karno Troupe including Charlie Chaplin (1906). The Empire staged music-hall entertainments, such as variety performa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Terminal Jive
''Terminal Jive'' is the ninth album by the American rock band Sparks and the second recorded with Giorgio Moroder. The album has a disco-vibe like its predecessor but featured fewer synthesizers, opting instead for more electric rock guitar, resulting in a new wave sound. The album was produced by Moroder and Harold Faltermeyer, the latter of whom is claimed to have produced the majority of the album. Sparks scored a hit single in France with " When I'm with You", which led to them staying in the country for a year promoting the album. Release ''Terminal Jive'' was not released in the US, although Polydor Records issued it in Canada. It was also not a success in the UK. However, it fared better in continental Europe. The lead single "When I'm with You" was a hit in France where it reached #16. The single also hit the Top 20 in Australia, reaching #14. The second single from the album was "Young Girls", it too performed well in France. "Young Girls" was released with an exten ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Introducing Sparks
''Introducing Sparks'' is the seventh album by the American rock band Sparks, released in 1977 by Columbia Records. Release At the time of its release, Pete Makowski in ''Sounds'' suggested that the album was "probably the most adventurous musical outing yet" from Sparks, suggesting that Ron Mael "is one of the most underrated and original lyricists in the galaxy." However, the album proved to be a commercial failure, and many other very negative reviews claimed that the band had adopted a new East Coast "American sound" despite the fact that the Mael brothers are indeed Americans. The title is also rather ironic – ''Introducing Sparks'' was not only not their first album, it wasn't even the first for their label, Columbia (it was their second and, furthering the irony, their last). ''Introducing Sparks'' was no more a success in terms of chart performance than their previous album ''Big Beat''. It did not chart in the UK or US. The singles "Over the Summer" and "A Big Surpri ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Big Beat (album)
''Big Beat'' is the sixth album by American rock band Sparks, released in 1976. History ''Big Beat'' was recorded at Mediasound Studios, New York City in August 1976. The album was the group's first album after breaking away from their English backing band and returning to America. Instead, the Mael Brothers used session musicians and hired former Milk 'N' Cookies bassist, and Roxy Music contributor ('' Viva!''), Sal Maida on bass, Tuff Darts guitarist Jeffrey Salen and Hilly Boy Michaels on drums. The release was their first for Columbia Records in the US. The album employed a much heavier and harder rock sound. Initially, the Mael brothers had returned to work with the early Sparks member Earle Mankey. Together, they recorded the song "England", a song which bore much in common with the jaunty home-made and unusual sound that the three musicians had made together in the early 1970s. Conversely, Rupert Holmes and Jeffrey Lesser's production on the album was slicker and more dir ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Indiscreet (Sparks Album)
''Indiscreet'' is the fifth album by Sparks. It was released in 1975 and later re-released with three bonus tracks. The album was a departure from the glam rock sound of ''Kimono My House'' and ''Propaganda'', and emphasised the theatrical elements of their work, with greater use of orchestral arrangements and drawing from non-rock orientated styles such as jazz, big band, swing, vaudeville, and classical music. The album was produced by Tony Visconti, with whom the group reunited in 1997 to produce several tracks for their retrospective album ''Plagiarism.'' The song "How Are You Getting Home?" was used in Leos Carax's film '' Holy Motors''. Release ''Indiscreet'' was released in October 1975, nearly a year after Sparks' previous album and would be the third album recorded with the British-based line-up. It was not as successful as ''Kimono My House'' or ''Propaganda''; reaching #18 on the UK Album Chart and #169 in the US. The group's next two albums were even less successful ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Propaganda (Sparks Album)
''Propaganda'' is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on November 11, 1974. Following up their previous year's commercial breakthrough, Kimono My House, it was a moderate success in the United States and peaked at No. 9 in the U.K. in 1975. The album cover features an image of a tied-up and gagged Mael brothers, titled "Welcome on Board," which was taken by photographer Monty Coles. Release The album followed its predecessor '' Kimono My House'' by half a year and was a successful album in the UK and US. It peaked at No. 9 on the UK Album Chart(which would remain their second highest album chart position in the UK for nearly 43 years until pushed down into third place by ''Hippopotamus'' in 2017) and No. 63 on the ''Billboard'' 200 (and remains their highest peak in that country). The singles " Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and "Something for the Girl with Everything", while not as successful as those from ''Kimono My House'' both reached the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kimono My House
''Kimono My House'' is the third studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on May 1, 1974 by Island Records. The album is considered to be their commercial breakthrough, and was met with widespread acclaim. Preceded by the single " This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", ''Kimono My House'' peaked at No. 4 in the UK and No. 101 in the US. Retrospectively, ''Kimono My House'' is considered one of Sparks's best works and one of the best glam rock albums. History In 1973, prior to the recording of the album, the brothers Ron and Russell Mael had accepted an offer to relocate to the United Kingdom in order to participate in the glam rock scene. The previous lineup consisting of Earle Mankey, James Mankey and Harley Feinstein was replaced with British musicians: Martin Gordon, Adrian Fisher and Norman "Dinky" Diamond joined the band to play bass, guitar and drums respectively. The group signed a record contract with Island Records and recorded ''Kimono My House' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
A Woofer In Tweeter's Clothing
''A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing'' is the second studio album by the American rock band Sparks. It was released in 1973 and includes the single "Girl from Germany". It was the last release by the original five-member incarnation of Sparks. The album was recorded and mixed at ID Sound at La Brea and Walley Heider Studios, and produced by Thaddeus James Lowe, then Todd Rundgren's engineer and former lead singer of The Electric Prunes. Receiving mixed to positive reviews, it was originally released as an LP in January 1973. The artwork was photographed by Larry DuPont and Ron Mael. Release ''A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing'' was released in February 1972. It was not very successful and did not reach the ''Billboard'' 200 in the US. After the group's surprise success in the UK, "Girl from Germany" was belatedly released as a single there but did not chart. The album did, however, lead to a tour of the United Kingdom, including a residency at the Marquee in London, which, despite muc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Halfnelson (album)
''Sparks'', originally titled ''Halfnelson'', is the debut album by the Los Angeles rock band Sparks. The album was first released as ''Halfnelson'', the band's original name, and reissued a year later under the group’s new name. Recording At this point in their career, Halfnelson was a three piece group comprising the Mael brothers and guitarist Earle Mankey. The demos that the trio had recorded in Mankey's home studio came to the attention of musician and producer Todd Rundgren, who signed them to the Bearsville label and produced their debut album in 1971. Interviewed in 2013, the duo recalled their collaboration with Rundgren as a very positive experience. Ron Mael: "It was intimidating for us just to be in a studio, but he was really incredibly open to what we were doing, and I think we really felt like kindred spirits, even though some of his own music was kinda maybe more soul-based. But he was an Anglophile just the way we were Anglophiles. It all went incredibly w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dean Menta
Dean Menta (born July 23 1966) is an American music editor and composer living in Los Angeles, California. Biography In 1995, Dean Menta became involved in the band DUH and appeared on their second album ''The Unholy Handjob''. Menta went on to serve as the guitarist for the rock band Faith No More from 1995 to 1996. He had been a keyboard tech for the band, first meeting them in 1991, while working at a San Francisco art gallery. Menta was recruited to handle guitar duties after Trey Spruance declined to tour for the album '' King for a Day... Fool for a Lifetime''. He appears in their videos for "Digging the Grave", "Ricochet" and " Evidence". He was replaced as Faith No More guitarist by Jon Hudson. Since leaving Faith No More, Menta has been performing and recording with pop group Sparks. He has contributed to Sparks' albums: '' Plagiarism'' (1997) '' Lil' Beethoven'' (2002) '' Hello Young Lovers'' (2006) '' Exotic Creatures of the Deep'' (2008), '' The Seduction of Ingm ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tammy Glover
Tammy Glover is a television producer, film producer, and musician. She served as the VP of Production for Comedy Central from 2007 to 2011, Senior Vice President of Production for FremantleMedia and is currently the Head of Physical Production for TNT, TBS, and TruTV, part of Warner Bros Discovery. Glover was on the Board of Governors for the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences representing Production Executives. She played drums for Sparks from 1997 to 2011 and contributed to BBC Radio 6 Music's ''This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us: The Story Of Sparks'' presented by Mark Radcliffe. She also performs with Billy Zimmer (from Calgary) as the duo Thorcraft Cobra. Modern Drummer has done a number of features on Glover. and she has contributed session work for many projects, including solo work for David Dattner, and playing live drums for the Peter G Adams soundtrack of CodeGirl. Music career Glover is a musician who started her professional career in a house band at M ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
