WIWS Banner

The Second Disc

Expanded and Remastered Music News

  • Home
  • Holiday Gift Guide
  • News
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Features
    • Release Round-Up
    • Giveaways!
    • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Classic Rock
    • Rock
    • Pop
    • Jazz
    • Popular Standards/Vocal
    • R&B/Soul
    • Country
    • Folk
    • Cast Recordings
    • Soundtracks
    • Everything Else
      • Classical/Opera
      • Disco/Dance
      • Funk
      • Gospel
      • Rap/Hip-Hop
  • Release Calendar
    • Coming Soon
    • Now Available
  • About
  • Second Disc Records
    • Full Catalog
  • Contact

/ News

Strange Animals: BMG Reissues Five Albums from Sparks in New 21st Century Collection

April 19, 2022 By Joe Marchese 1 Comment

Sparks Exotic Creatures of the Deep

BUY NOW FROM AMAZON.COM

Director Edgar Wright's 2021 documentary The Sparks Brothers brought much-deserved attention to cult rock heroes Ron and Russell Mael and their prodigious, singular output as Sparks. Now, BMG has announced the 21st Century Sparks collection: a series of deluxe CD and vinyl reissues encompassing Balls (2000), Lil' Beethoven (2002), and Hello Young Lovers (2006) arriving on Friday, April 29; and Exotic Creatures of the Deep (2008) and The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman (2009) following on Friday, May 27. All five titles have been newly remastered for the 21st Century Sparks collection and all but one title features CD-only bonus material, much of which is previously unreleased.

Sparks inaugurated the 21st century with their 18th studio album, Balls.  Featuring "It's a Knockoff," written and recorded for the Jean-Claude Van Damme film Knock Off, the tongue-in-cheek "More Than a Sex Machine," and a paean to Scheherazade, Balls gains eight bonus tracks including the previously unreleased "It's a Sparks Show."  The duo followed up Balls with 2002's Lil' Beethoven, stripping down their sound and emphasizing voices, piano, and strings.  The shift from synthpop to classically-inspired art-rock impressed fans and critics at the time.  It's expanded with five bonus tracks including a spoken-word "The Legend of Lil' Beethoven" and extended and instrumental versions.

Sparks' next studio album, Hello Young Lovers, arrived in 2006 and became one of their most successful, appearing on the U.K. Album Chart.  The LP, which reflected all of the band's many sonic incarnations over the years, garnered a bit of controversy when the opening track and single "Dick Around" was banned by the BBC.  Though the ban was short-lived, the publicity didn't help the song get any higher than No. 139 on the U.K. Singles Chart.  Two bonus cuts have been added: "We Are The Clash," originally released for a magazine tribute to The Clash in 2003, and "(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country" with alternative lyrics. 2008's Exotic Creatures of the Deep extended Sparks' popularity in the U.K., reaching No. 54 on the Album Chart as it touched upon electropop, harmony pop, and glam.  Five bonuses are newly appended including the non-LP B-side "Brenda Is Always In the Way" and songs written for both radio and film.

The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, reissued without any additional content, was Sparks' most ambitious album release to that point: a musical radio drama imagining a visit by director Ingmar Bergman to Hollywood in the 1950s.  Commissioned for Swedish radio, it featured performances from both American and Swedish performers as well as both Mael brothers.  Musically, the Maels tapped into everything from opera to polka, as well as spoken-word passages, to bring their story to life.  The seeds of Sparks' 2021 musical film Annette may well have been planted with The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman.

Sparks' two most recent albums - Hippopotamus (2017) and A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip (2020) - complete the 21st Century Sparks collection and are both available now from BMG.  You'll find track listings and pre-order links for the five deluxe reissues below, due on April 29 and May 27.

Due April 29

Sparks, Balls (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Balls
  2. More Than A Sex Machine
  3. Scheherazade
  4. Aeroflot
  5. The Calm Before The Storm
  6. How To Get Your Ass Kicked
  7. Bullet Train
  8. It's A Knockoff
  9. Irreplaceable
  10. It's Educational
  11. The Angels

CD Bonus Tracks:

  1. It's A Sparks Show [Opening theme for Sparks live shows; Previously unreleased]
  2. Calm Before The Opera [Reworking of the song 'The Calm Before The Storm']
  3. The Angels (Sparks Alternative Version)
  4. More Than A Sex Machine (Sparks Definitive Version - Radio Edit)
  5. The Angels (Tony Visconti version)
  6. The Oblongs [Proposed pilot theme song for the animated TV series The Oblongs; Previously released in Japan]
  7. A Cute Candidate [Opening Theme from In Entertainment We Trust: Music From The Motion Picture A Cute Candidate by Kuntzel+Deygas]
  8. The Race for President [From In Entertainment We Trust: Music From The Motion Picture A Cute Candidate by Kuntzel+Deygas]

Sparks, Lil' Beethoven (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. The Rhythm Thief
  2. How Do I Get To Carnegie Hall?
  3. What Are All These Bands So Angry About?
  4. I Married Myself
  5. Ride 'Em Cowboy
  6. My Baby's Taking Me Home
  7. Your Call's Very Important To Us. Please Hold.
  8. Ugly Guys With Beautiful Girls
  9. Suburban Homeboy

CD Bonus Tracks:

  1. The Legend Of Lil' Beethoven [The story of 'Lil' Beethoven' read by Ron Mael]
  2. Wunderbar (Concerto In Koch Minor) [Originally commissioned for Günther Koch Revisited: Voll in den Mann by Bayerischer Rundfunk / Hörspiel und Medienkunst; Features the sampled voice of Günther Koch]
  3. Kakadu [Originally commissioned for one word one sound by Bayerischer Rundfunk / Hörspiel und Medienkunst Concept: a song created from an assigned word and sound, Word: "Kakadu" (voice of Richard Huelsenbeck). Sound: papier schnippen / snip paper. Reading by Tammy Glover]
  4. Suburban Homeboy (Extended "Ron Speaks" Version)
  5. The Rhythm Thief (Instrumental Version)

Sparks, Hello Young Lovers (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Dick Around
  2. Perfume
  3. The Very Next Fight
  4. (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country
  5. Rock, Rock, Rock
  6. Metaphor
  7. Waterproof
  8. Here Kitty
  9. There's No Such Thing as Aliens
  10. As I Sit Down to Play the Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral

CD Bonus Tracks:

  1. We Are The Clash [Originally released on White Riot, Vol. 2: A Tribute to The Clash, issued by Uncut in November 2003]
  2. (Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country (Alternative Lyrics)

Due May 27:

Sparks, Exotic Creatures of the Deep (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. Intro
  2. Good Morning
  3. Strange Animal
  4. I Can't Believe That You Would Fall for All the Crap in This Song
  5. Let the Monkey Drive
  6. Intro Reprise
  7. I've Never Been High
  8. (She Got Me) Pregnant
  9. Lighten Up, Morrissey
  10. This Is the Renaissance
  11. The Director Never Yelled 'Cut'
  12. Photoshop
  13. Likeable

CD Bonus Tracks:

  1. Brenda is Always in the Way [B-side of the 7" single 'Lighten Up, Morrissey']
  2. Islington N1 [Written to commemorate the concert event Sparks Spectacular: 21 Albums in 21 Nights (May-June 2008) in Islington, London; Originally available only for "Golden Ticket" holders]
  3. Hulot [Unused theme song written for the documentary The Magnificent Tati]
  4. I Am A Bookworm [End theme song of the radio show Bookworm, hosted by Michael Silverblatt, and broadcast weekly on National Public Radio member station KCRW in Los Angeles]
  5. Where Would We Be Without Books [Main theme song of the radio show Bookworm, as above]

Sparks, The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

  1. 1956 Cannes Film Festival
  2. "I Am Ingmar Bergman"
  3. Limo Driver (Welcome To Hollywood)
  4. "Here He Is Now"
  5. "Mr. Bergman, How Are You?"
  6. "He'll Come 'Round"
  7. En Route To The Beverly Hills Hotel
  8. Hollywood Welcoming Committee
  9. "I've Got To Contact Sweden"
  10. The Studio Commissary
  11. "I Must Not Be Hasty"
  12. "Quiet On The Set"
  13. "Why Do You Take That Tone With Me?"
  14. Pleasant Hotel Staff
  15. Hollywood Tour Bus
  16. Autograph Hounds
  17. Bergman Ponders Escape
  18. "We've Got To Turn Him 'Round"
  19. Escape (Part 1)
  20. Escape (Part 2)
  21. "Oh My God"
  22. Garbo Sings
  23. Almost A Hollywood Ending
  24. "He's Home"

Categories: News Formats: CD, Digital Download, Digital Streaming, Vinyl Genre: Everything Else, Pop, Rock Tags: Sparks

Avatar photo

Joe Marchese

JOE MARCHESE (Editor) joined The Second Disc shortly after its launch in early 2010, and has since penned daily news and reviews about classic music of all genres. In 2015, Joe formed the Second Disc Records label. Celebrating the great songwriters, producers and artists who created the sound of American popular song, Second Disc Records, in conjunction with Real Gone Music, has released newly-curated collections produced by Joe from iconic artists such as Johnny Mathis, Bobby Darin, Laura Nyro, Melissa Manchester, Chet Atkins, and many others. He has contributed liner notes to reissues from a diverse array of artists, among them Nat "King" Cole, Paul Williams, Lesley Gore, Dusty Springfield, B.J. Thomas, The 5th Dimension, Burt Bacharach, The Mamas and the Papas, Carpenters, Perry Como, Rod McKuen, Doris Day, Jackie DeShannon, and Andy Williams, and has compiled releases for talents including Robert Goulet and Keith Allison of Paul Revere and the Raiders. Over the past two decades, Joe has also worked in a variety of capacities on and off Broadway as well as at some of the premier theatres in the U.S., including Lincoln Center Theater, George Street Playhouse, Paper Mill Playhouse, Long Wharf Theatre, and the York Theatre Company. He has felt privileged to work on productions alongside artists such as the late Jack Klugman, Eli Wallach, Arthur Laurents, Betty Comden and Adolph Green. In 2009, Joe began contributing theatre and music reviews to the print publication The Sondheim Review, and in 2012, he joined the staff of The Digital Bits as a regular contributor writing about film and television on DVD and Blu-ray. Joe currently resides in the suburbs of New York City.

Connect With Joe: FacebookTwitter

You Might Also Like

  • ABBA CD Album Box SetRelease Round-Up: Week of May 27
  • Neil Young Official Release 4Release Round-Up: Week of April 29
  • Studio Wizardry of Todd RundgrenOpen My Eyes: Ace Celebrates Todd Rundgren and Gus Dudgeon in Label's Producers Series
  • Gleaming Spires Song of the SpiresAre You Ready for the Sex Girls? Omnivore Reissues Gleaming Spires Discography

Comments

  1. Rob says

    April 19, 2022 at 12:57 pm

    I've been a fan for decades but only got to finally see them live last month. They were amazing. They're still at the top of their game.

    I've already got all of these pre-ordered. And while these reissues look nice, the Sparks catalog could certainly use some more in depth reissues. I'd like to see each album reissued with a live show from the period as well as a DVD or Blu-ray with whatever visual material they have. They were making music videos long before the dawn of MTV. Plus their catalog could sound amazing in surround sound. Wonder if Steven Wilson is a fan?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Upcoming Releases

  • Carole Bayer Sager Sometimes Late at Night
    Sometimes Late at Night: Expanded Edition
    Carole Bayer Sager
    February 03, 2023
  • Carole King Home Again
    Home Again: Live in Central Park
    Carole King
    February 10, 2023
  • Robert Palmer Island Years
    The Island Records Years
    Robert Palmer
    February 17, 2023
See Full Calendar

Connect

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 4,538 other subscribers

Popular

  • headquarters
    Review: The Monkees, "Headquarters: Super Deluxe Edition" posted on January 24, 2023 | under Reviews
  • Bob Dylan Fragments Bootleg 17 Cover
    Release Round-Up: Week of January 27 posted on January 27, 2023 | under Release Round-Up
  • Marshall Crenshaw 40
    Something's Gonna Happen: Marshall Crenshaw's Expanded Debut Coming Back to CD posted on January 26, 2023 | under News

Comments

  • small faces here come the nice2
    Return To Itchycoo Park: Small Faces' "Here Come The Nice" Deluxe Box Set Arrives In January [UPDATED 12/3] 84 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 3, 2013 | under News
  • the beatles u s albums box2
    British Invasion! The Beatles Unveil "The U.S. Albums" Box Set in January 69 comments | by Joe Marchese | posted on December 12, 2013 | under News
  • Rolling Stones in Mono
    Out of Their Heads: Stones Plan Mono Box Set 47 comments | by Mike Duquette | posted on August 10, 2016 | under News

Music Resources

  • Addicted to Vinyl
  • Crap from the Past
  • Discogs
  • Film Score Monthly
  • IMWAN Forum – From the Vaults
  • MusicTAP
  • Musoscribe
  • Pause & Play
  • Popblerd
  • Popdose
  • Record Racks
  • Slicing Up Eyeballs
  • Steve Hoffman Music Forums
  • Ultimate Classic Rock
  • Vintage Vinyl News
  • Viva La Mainstream
  • Wolfgang's Vault

Labels of Note

  • Ace Records
  • Analog Spark
  • Bear Family
  • BGO Records
  • Big Break Records
  • Blixa Sounds
  • Cherry Red Label Group
  • Craft Recordings
  • Demon Music Group
  • Friday Music
  • Funky Town Grooves
  • Iconoclassic Records
  • Intervention Records
  • Intrada
  • Kritzerland
  • La La Land Records
  • Legacy Recordings
  • Light in the Attic
  • Masterworks Broadway
  • Now Sounds
  • Omnivore Recordings
  • Real Gone Music
  • Resonance Records
  • Rhino Entertainment
  • Rock Candy Records
  • SoulMusic Records
  • Sunset Blvd. Records
  • Supermegabot
  • Varese Sarabande
  • Vinyl Me, Please
  • Wounded Bird
Copyright © 2023 The Second Disc. All rights reserved. · Site by Metaglyphics

The Second Disc is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, amazon.ca and amazon.co.uk.

Terms and Conditions - Privacy Policy