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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 Top ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sparks (band)
Sparks is an American pop and rock duo formed by brothers Ron (keyboards) and Russell Mael (vocals) in Los Angeles. The duo is noted for their quirky approach to songwriting; their music is often accompanied by sophisticated and acerbic lyrics—often about women, and sometimes containing literary or cinematic references-- and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified by the contrast between Russell's animated, hyperactive frontman antics and Ron's deadpan scowling. Russell Mael has a distinctive wide-ranging voice, while Ron Mael plays keyboards in an intricate and rhythmic style. They have been much more successful in Europe than in their native U.S., though they maintain a loyal cult following in the States. Career highlights include "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", which reached No. 2 on the UK Singles Chart in 1974; the disco hit "The Number One Song in Heaven" in 1979, resulting from a collaboration with Giorgio Moroder and marking a stylistic shift ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hippopotamus (album)
''Hippopotamus'' is the 23rd studio album by American rock group Sparks. It was released on September 8, 2017, through BMG Rights Management and The End Records, their first record issued on a major label for decades. Following the 2009 radio musical '' The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman'' and Sparks' subsequent collaboration with Franz Ferdinand in FFS, the release of ''Hippopotamus'' marked a return to the traditional Sparks format of "short, literate, witty pop songs", mixing elements from the band's various stylistic periods. ''Hippopotamus'' was met with critical acclaim, and entered the UK Albums Chart at no. 7, Sparks' first UK top-ten appearance in over 40 years. Background and recording Having spent much of the past decade working on two musicals, radio production ''The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman'' and the movie musical ''Annette'', a collaboration with French director Leos Carax, the Mael brothers set out to return to a more traditional song-oriented, rather than nar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
1974 Albums
Major events in 1974 include the aftermath of the 1973 oil crisis and the resignation of United States President Richard Nixon following the Watergate scandal. In the Middle East, the aftermath of the 1973 Yom Kippur War determined politics; following Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir's resignation in response to high Israeli casualties, she was succeeded by Yitzhak Rabin. In Europe, the invasion and occupation of northern Cyprus by Turkish troops initiated the Cyprus dispute, the Carnation Revolution took place in Portugal, and Chancellor of West Germany Willy Brandt resigned following an espionage scandal surrounding his secretary Günter Guillaume. In sports, the year was primarily dominated by the FIFA World Cup in West Germany, in which the German national team won the championship title, as well as The Rumble in the Jungle, a boxing match between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire. Events January–February * January 26 – Bülent Ecevit of CHP forms the ne ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sparks (band) Albums
Sparks may refer to: Places *Sparks, Georgia *Sparks, Kansas *Sparks, Kentucky *Sparks, Maryland * Sparks, Nebraska *Sparks, Nevada *Sparks, Oklahoma *Sparks, Texas * Sparks, Bell County, Texas *Sparks, West Virginia Books * ''Sparks'' (Raffi novel) (1884) * ''Sparks'' (Ally Kennen novel), 2010 *''Sparks!'', a graphic novel by Ian Boothby and Nina Matsumoto Film and TV * ''Sparks'' (film), a 2013 film * ''Sparks'' (TV series), a 1996-1998 American television series starring Terrence Howard and James Avery *Sparks (Matrix character), a character in ''Enter the Matrix'' and ''The Matrix Revolutions'' *Sparks (G.I. Joe), a fictional character in the G.I. Joe universe * Sparks, a fictional football team in ''Footballers' Wives'' Music *Sparks (band), a rock band led by brothers Ron and Russell Mael ** ''Halfnelson'' (album) or ''Sparks'', their debut album * ''Sparks'' (Imogen Heap album) (2014) * ''Sparks'' (Fiction Plane album) (2010) * ''Sparks'' (Sahara Hotnights album) (2009) * ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Price (record Producer)
Bill Price (3 September 1944 – 22 December 2016) was an English record producer and audio engineer who worked with The Clash, The Sex Pistols, Guns N' Roses, Sparks, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Nymphs, The Waterboys, Mott the Hoople and Simon Townshend (Pete Townshend's younger brother). He was chief engineer on the first three solo albums by Pete Townshend, including ''Empty Glass'' and '' White City: A Novel''. He contributed to documentaries about The Clash such as ''Westway To The World''. Price started his engineering career in the mid-1960s when he was an engineer at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, recording artists such as Tom Jones. One of the final recordings he helped engineer at Decca before departing to AIR Studios in November 1969 was the multi-million-selling "Reflections of My Life" by The Marmalade. Price helped build AIR Studios in Oxford Street, where he spent many years. During that time he engineered some of the major albums of the 1970s and 1980s S ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Adrian Fisher (musician)
Adrian Fisher (2 September 1952 – 31 March 2000) was an English guitarist and member of the band Toby (a spin off from the band Free), Sparks and Boxer. Fisher played on Sparks' first two albums under Island Records, ''Kimono My House'' and ''Propaganda''. Prior to joining Sparks, Fisher was a member of Free bassist Andy Fraser's band Toby (with drummer Stan Speake), and briefly joined (former Skid Row) bassist Brush Shiels in the short-lived Brush. Fisher joined Sparks in 1973 and recorded the ''Kimono My House'' album in that year, along with Martin Gordon (bass) and Dinky Diamond (drums). He performed live with Sparks during the ''Kimono My House'' tour of the UK in 1974. Following his dismissal from Sparks, Fisher joined Mike Patto's band Boxer in 1977, recording the album '' Absolutely'' for Epic Records. Other members of the band were ex- Grease Band keyboard player Chris Stainton, ex-Vanilla Fudge/Cactus bassist Tim Bogert, and drummer Eddie Tuduri. Fisher also join ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Norman "Dinky" Diamond
Norman Victor "Dinky" Diamond (15 December 1950 – 10 September 2004) was a British drummer who played with the rock band Sparks at the height of their fame in the UK in the early 1970s, playing on the albums ''Kimono My House'' (1974), ''Propaganda'' (1974) and '' Indiscreet'' (1975). In 1975 Diamond was voted Drummer of the Year in a poll held by Premier Drums. He committed suicide by hanging in 2004 after a long-running dispute with noisy neighbours. Early years Born in Aldershot in Hampshire, the son of Isabella (née Copland) and Albert Victor Diamond, Norman Diamond gained the nickname "Dinky" as a child because of his small stature. He had three sisters, Maureen, Daphne and Margaret and a brother, David and attended St. Michael's Church of England Secondary School in Aldershot. A self-taught drummer, Diamond played in a variety of local bands including Sound of Time in his native town while working in electrical distribution. Sparks 1973-1975 Founding members of Spa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 1987. From June 1988, the Australian Recording Industry Association, which had been using the top 50 portion of the report under licence since mid-1983, chose to produce their own listing as the ARIA Charts. Before the Kent Report, ''Go-Set'' magazine published weekly Top-40 Singles from 1966, and Album charts from 1970 until the magazine's demise in August 1974. David Kent later published Australian charts from 1940 to 1973 in a retrospective fashion, using state by state chart data obtained from various Australian radio stations. Background Kent had spent a number of years previously working in the music industry at both EMI and Phonogram records and had developed the report initially as a hobby. The Kent Music Report was first release ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Russell Mael
Russell Craig Mael (born October 5, 1948) is an American singer best known as the lead singer for the band Sparks which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother Ron Mael. Mael is known for his wide vocal range, in particular his far-reaching falsetto. He has a flamboyant and hyperactive stage presence which contrasts sharply with Ron Mael's deadpan scowling. The band released an album with British rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled '' FFS'', released in 2015. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records. Early life Russell Craig Mael was born on October 5, 1948, in Los Angeles, California. The Mael brothers grew up in Pacific Palisades – a relatively affluent suburb of Los Angeles – with their father Meyer, who was a graphic designer and caricaturist for the ''Hollywood Citizen-News'', and their mother, Miriam (''née'' Moskowitz), a librarian. Both Meyer and Miriam were the children of Jewish immigrants, Meyer of Austrian and Russia ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ron Mael
Ronald David Mael (born August 12, 1945) is an American musician, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is the keyboard player and principal songwriter in the band Sparks which he founded with vocalist, occasional songwriter and younger brother Russell Mael in 1971. Mael is known for his quirky and idiosyncratic approach to songwriting, his intricate and rhythmic keyboard playing style and for his deadpan and low key, scowling demeanour onstage often remaining motionless over his keyboard in sharp contrast to Russell's animated and hyperactive frontman antics. Ron Mael is also noted for his conservative clothes and unfashionable moustache. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records. Early life Ronald David Mael was born on August 12, 1945, in Culver City, California. The Mael brothers grew up in Pacific Palisades – an affluent beach neighborhood of Los Angeles – with their father, Meyer Mael, who was a graphic designer and caricaturist for the ''Hol ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
10cc
10cc are an English rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group featured two songwriting teams. Stewart and Gouldman were predominantly pop songwriters, who created most of the band's accessible songs. Godley and Creme were the predominantly experimental half of 10cc, featuring art and cinematically inspired writing. Every member of 10cc was a multi-instrumentalist, singer, writer and producer. Most of the band's records were recorded at their own Strawberry Studios (North) in Stockport and Strawberry Studios (South) in Dorking, with most of those engineered by Stewart. From 1972 to 1978, 10cc had five consecutive UK top-ten albums: ''Sheet Music'' (1974), '' The Original Soundtrack'' (1975), '' How Dare You!'' (1976), ''Deceptive Bends'' (1977) and ''Bloody Tourists'' (1978). 10cc also had twelve singles reach ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Robert Christgau
Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most well-known and influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became an early proponent of musical movements such as hip hop, riot grrrl, and the import of African popular music in the West. Christgau spent 37 years as the chief music critic and senior editor for ''The Village Voice'', during which time he created and oversaw the annual Pazz & Jop critics poll. He has also covered popular music for ''Esquire'', ''Creem'', ''Newsday'', ''Playboy'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''Billboard'', NPR, ''Blender'', and ''MSN Music'', and was a visiting arts teacher at New York University. CNN senior writer Jamie Allen has called Christgau "the E. F. Hutton of the music world – when he talks, people listen." Christgau is best known for his terse, letter-graded capsule album reviews, composed in a concentrat ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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