Sparmac (Sparmac Productions) was an Australian independent record production company and recording label of the early 1970s, best known for its association with the successful Australian rock band Daddy Cool. The company was established ca. 1969 by radio DJ (and former ''

Kommotion ''Kommotion'' was a popular Australian "Top 40" pop music TV show that premiered in December 1964. The program was hosted by popular disc jockey Ken Sparkes, who was one of the main presenters at Melbourne pop radio station 3UZ. In 1965, after ...

'' host)

Ken Sparkes Ken Sparkes (20 July 1940 – 11 September 2016) was an Australian radio presenter, television personality (actor, singer, host), disc jockey and voice-over artist, he also worked as an investigative journalist, sportscaster/commentator and la ...

, and John McDonald, who was then the owner of popular Melbourne record store The Disc Shop, in Bourke Street. The company name was taken from the combination of their surnames.

Rick Springfield Richard Lewis Springthorpe (born 23 August 1949), known professionally as Rick Springfield, is an Australian-American musician and actor. He was a member of the pop rock group Zoot from 1969 to 1971, then started his solo career with his debut ...

released his debut solo single, "

Speak to the Sky "Speak to the Sky" is the debut single by Rick Springfield. It reached No. 6 in Australia, No. 8 on the Canadian adult contemporary chart, No. 10 on the Canadian pop chart, No. 14 on the U.S. pop chart, and No. 16 on the U.S. Adult Contempora ...

", on the label. The song was a major hit in Australia, reaching No 5 on the ''

Go-Set ''Go-Set'' was the first Australian pop music newspaper, published weekly from 2 February 1966 to 24 August 1974, and was founded in Melbourne by Phillip Frazer, Peter Raphael and Tony Schauble. NOTE: This PDF is 282 pages. Widely described as ...

'' national chart in January 1972 and it became his first hit in the US, reaching No 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. As well as acting as the label's producer, Robie Porter released three solo singles on Sparmac: "Gemini" / "He Is Not Me" (August 1970), "Santa Claus" / "Funky Version" (December 1970) and a cover of the Joe Cocker-Chris Stainton song "Try to Find More Love (There Must be a Reason)" / "Empty" (March 1971). Other notable Sparmac singles include: * "Golden Miles" / "The Gully" (1971) by noted progressive rock band Healing Force, rated by Australian rock historian Ian McFarlane as the greatest Australian progressive rock recording of the early 1970s. * "Ongo Bongo Man" (1972) by local supergroup Gerry & The Joy Band, fronted by former Loved Ones singer Gerry Humphries, with an all-star backing group that included most of Daddy Cool * "Feelings" / "Young Man's Lament" (1971) the debut single by the short-lived

soft rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...

duo Frieze, consisting of

Darryl Cotton Darryl Grant Cotton (4 September 1949 27 July 2012) was an Australian pop, rock singer-songwriter, television presenter and actor. He was a founding member of Australian rock group Zoot in 1965, with Beeb Birtles, and were later joined by Rick ...

and

Beeb Birtles Beeb Birtles (born Gerard Bertelkamp, 28 November 1948) is an Australian musician, singer, songwriter and guitarist. He has been a member of various Australian groups including Zoot (1967–71), Mississippi (1972–74), Little River Band (1975 ...

, both of whom were also former members of Zoot.Hank B. Facer, "Sparmac Records Discography", Museum of Independent Record Labels

References

{{Authority control Australian independent record labels