"Sparky's Dream" is a song recorded by Scottish rock band

Teenage Fanclub Teenage Fanclub are a Scottish alternative rock band formed in Bellshill near Glasgow in 1989. The group were founded by Norman Blake (vocals, guitar), Raymond McGinley (vocals, lead guitar) and Gerard Love (vocals, bass), all of whom shared ...

. The song was released on 22 May 1995 through Creation Records, as the lead single from the band's fifth studio album ''

Grand Prix Grand Prix ( , meaning ''Grand Prize''; plural Grands Prix), is a name sometimes used for competitions or sport events, alluding to the winner receiving a prize, trophy or honour Grand Prix or grand prix may refer to: Arts and entertainment ...

''. The song was sung by its author and bassist Gerard Love rather than the usual lead singer Norman Blake. The song peaked at number 40 on the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The song has widely been considered among the group's best.

Background

Vocalist and guitarist Norman Blake suggested the song's title when the band were recording demos for no particular reason; "it seemed like a good title because it was kind of dumb," Love told fan-site operator Chris Bray in 1995.

Reception

Reviews of the song upon its release were positive; '' Variety'' columnist Troy J. Augusto dubbed it "hypnotically sweet." In a negative review of ''Grand Prix'' in ''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

'', reviewer Jason Cohen singled out "Sparky's Dream" as a "pleasant" if melodramatic highlight.

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

biographer Matt Collar has since listed it among the band's "best-loved" tunes, while Pitchfork reviewer Sam Sodomsky selected it among the band's "greatest". James Cosby at

PopMatters ''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...

ranked the song as the band's best, praising its "pure pop rush" as embodying "everything great about the ower pop" '' Paste'' writer Ben Salmon placed the song at number two on his 2018 ranking, calling it a "classic love song ..and a melodic monster."

Charts

References

{{Teenage Fanclub 1995 singles 1995 songs Creation Records singles Jangle pop songs