Inception Brothers Ron and Russell Mael grew up in
Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood in the Westside region of the city of Los Angeles, during the "Golden Age" of the
L.A. club scene, when
the Doors,
the Standells, and
Love played the
Whisky a Go Go on
Sunset Strip and
the Beach Boys played in the late afternoon at
Teen-Age Fair at Pickwick Recreation Center in
Burbank, California. Both Ron and Russell Mael are seen in the audience during
the Ronettes' section of the concert film
The Big T.N.T. Show, filmed in 1965. Both attended
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Ron studied cinema and graphic art, and Russell studied theatre arts and filmmaking. Detesting the
folk music scene, which they considered "cerebral and sedate and we had no time for that", The songs were pressed on two acetates and have never been released, apart from the track "Computer Girl", which was featured on a CD included with the Japanese semi-biography from 2006 and more widely released on the
Past Tense greatest hits album in 2019. Forming Halfnelson, named after
a wrestling hold, in 1968, they soon came to the attention of record producer
Todd Rundgren, at whose urging
Albert Grossman signed the band to his
Bearsville record label. Their
self-titled debut album was released on Bearsville Records in early 1972 with the line-up consisting of college friend
Earle Mankey on guitar, Mankey's brother
James on bass guitar, Harley Feinstein on drums and Rundgren producing. It sold poorly.
The Whole Burbank Catalog, a 1972 Warner Brothers $2, 2-LP loss leader sampler included, "Biology II". After renaming themselves Sparks in 1972, a play on the
Marx Brothers, the album was re-released by Bearsville Records later that year as Sparks, which spawned the minor regional hit "Wonder Girl". Their follow-up album, ''
A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing, led to a tour of the United Kingdom, including a residency at the Marquee Club in London, England. These London appearances helped them to secure a significant cult following. and a recording contract from Island Records, thanks in part to the exposure garnered by their BBC2 Whistle Test
performance, and through this hired Martin Gordon. With Adrian Fisher on guitar and Norman "Dinky" Diamond on drums, in the midst of power cuts and a threatened vinyl shortage, they recorded their breakthrough album Kimono My House'' in 1974, scoring a UK No. 2 hit with the single "
This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". Sparks became a UK teen sensation appearing on the cover of
Melody Maker,
Record Mirror and countless other pop magazines in the UK and Europe. Hits such as "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", "
Amateur Hour" and "
Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" led to many appearances on the
BBC's flagship record chart television programme
Top of the Pops. Russell's hyperactive movements were in sharp contrast to the keyboard-bound, soberly dressed Ron's expressionless squint and
Charlie Chaplin-esque
toothbrush moustache. Gordon and Fisher were later replaced by Trevor White and Ian Hampton. In 1975, the revised band returned to the US to tour supporting
Kimono My House and
Propaganda which had gained strong cult attention in New York City, Cleveland, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles primarily from FM radio play and a national TV appearance on ''
Don Kirshner's Rock Concert. Comedy rock duo Flo & Eddie were the opening act. Influential 1970s progressive FM radio station powerhouse WMMS in Cleveland and its famed DJs such as Kid Leo initially championed the band in America. Sparks also performed on American Bandstand'' in 1975 with host
Dick Clark mugging with Ron and on countless other TV shows in the US and abroad post-1977. The follow-up albums,
Propaganda (1974) and
Indiscreet (1975), the latter produced by
Tony Visconti, were similarly successful and produced the hit singles "Looks, Looks, Looks", "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and "Something for the Girl with Everything". They performed the songs "Fill-er-up" and "Big Boy". By 1977 the brothers found themselves at a crossroads. They had cut ties with Hewlett and had grown tired of recording within a traditional rock band framework. In a conversation with a German journalist, they expressed their admiration for
Giorgio Moroder, a pioneer of electronic disco and pop music. Moroder happened to be a friend of the journalist, and she was able to connect the brothers with the Italian record producer, who produced their next album,
Nº 1 in Heaven. More electronic and synthesizer-based than their previous efforts, the album would redefine Sparks' sound and challenge the concept of what is meant by a band, and
In Outer Space (1983). They broke into the US singles chart once more, reaching No. 49 with "
Cool Places" from
In Outer Space. The track was a collaboration with
the Go-Go's rhythm guitarist and backing vocalist
Jane Wiedlin (a dedicated fan of the band who at one time ran her own Sparks fan club Around the same time, they released
Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat. It was not very well received and failed to capitalise on the commercial success of their previous album
In Outer Space (1983). The album developed the light synth-pop sound of
In Outer Space but with slightly darker lyrics revolving around Ron Mael's favourite subject matter: relationships. In 1986, they released
Music That You Can Dance To, which was the band's most
dance music inspired album since
Nº 1 in Heaven (1979). The overall sound of the album was dominated by synthesizers and
sequencers like
Nº 1 in Heaven but it differed from that release by the inclusion of the heavily distorted bass guitar of
Leslie Bohem, and the emphasis on discordant sound effects. In 1988, they released
Interior Design, which did little in the way of reversing the commercial fortunes of the duo, and did not appear on the album charts in the US or the UK. The singles "So Important" and "Just Got Back from Heaven" did better, both of which reached the top ten of the
Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart at no. 8 and no. 7 respectively. who purchased the
film rights in August 1991. Carolco hoped Burton would start production in 1992, but he chose to work on
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) and
Ed Wood (1994) for
Touchstone Pictures. The option on the film rights eventually expired, and Burton dropped out.
Francis Ford Coppola later developed the property in the late 1990s. In June 2000,
Sony Pictures started on a different project with Hong Kong film director
Kirk Wong attached to direct. By February 2001, a script had been written by Lisa Addario and Joey Syracuse for Sony's
Columbia Pictures. The release of
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, a radio musical by Sparks, in August 2009, was informed by the six years the band spent trying to get their
Mai, the Psychic Girl produced. The album generated new interest, and gained a "second wind", lead vocalist Russell Mael explained. "The music is all ready and we are hoping that this still might see the light of day."
1990–2002: Embracing techno and success in Europe In 1993, Ron and Russell returned with the non-album single "National Crime Awareness Week", their first release since
Interior Design in 1988. The song was produced by the Scottish
electronic music group
Finitribe, and its
techno-styled production served as a taster for the duo's new direction during this era. In 1994, the Maels released
Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, providing the hit singles "
When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" and "
When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)". In Germany, the former was the no. 1 airplay song for 1994 as well as being hailed critically for its poignant lyrics and touching melody. The band toured in support of the album with percussionist Christi Haydon playing drums. Haydon also appeared in the videos for both singles, which were directed by English music video director
Sophie Muller. 1997 saw the release of
Plagiarism, an album of cover versions of their own songs featuring collaborations with
Faith No More,
Erasure and
Jimmy Somerville of
Bronski Beat and
the Communards. Half of the album was recorded by Tony Visconti in London with the other half recorded by the brothers in their own purpose-built studio in LA, surrounded by busts of
Elvis Presley. – ''
Lil' Beethoven, featuring quasi-classical arrangements of strings and choirs. and later in 2003 saying "...it really does feel like one of the best albums ever recorded." The album is regarded as carrying on where Lil' Beethoven'' left off, being described as "...cynical, intelligent and very, very funny", it has met with considerable acclaim. Sparks led off the album with the striking tune that the BBC deemed its title, "Dick Around", too provocative to play. The song is a multi-section, multi-mood, highly layered track that many felt should have been a UK smash hit had the BBC not misinterpreted the title of the song as being other than it was. The brothers were dismissive of the latest trends in popular music at this time, seeing most contemporary bands as lacking musical ambition and experimental drive. Indeed, the predictable trends in much of modern rock served as inspiration for
Hello Young Lovers. On May 12, 2008, Sparks released the single "Good Morning", taken from their 21st studio album
Exotic Creatures of the Deep. May and June 2008 saw the 21-night "
Sparks Spectacular" in London, where they played each of their studio albums in chronological order during the first twenty nights and premiered their new album on the twenty-first concert on June 13, 2008. Each night, they performed an album in its entirety followed by a rare track—many of the songs had never been performed live before. The band asked their fans to visit their website and vote for the track that they'd most like to hear the band perform during the second half of the 21st concert after the premiere of
Exotic Creatures of the Deep, though Russell admitted that he and Ron would probably influence the poll a little. Fans who bought a "Golden Ticket" (which allowed entry into all 21 gigs) also received a poster signed by the band and a CD single, "Islington N1". The title is a reference to the postal address of the venue for the first 20 gigs. "Islington N1" was later made available in the box set edition of the career-spanning
New Music for Amnesiacs. In 2009, the band played two consecutive nights at O Forum Kentish Town in London on March 20 and 21. They played
Exotic Creatures of the Deep in its entirety at both gigs, followed by
Kimono My House in its entirety on the first night and
Nº 1 in Heaven in its entirety on the second night. On February 14, 2009, Sparks performed the same show before a sold-out hometown crowd at
Royce Hall in Los Angeles at UCLA, the alma mater of the Mael Brothers. Ron and Russell appeared as interview subjects in the 2009 documentary
The Magnificent Tati, discussing their involvement during the early 1980s in
Confusion, a proposed film by French filmmaker
Jacques Tati for which a screenplay was written but never shot (due to Tati's death in 1982).
2009: The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman The band premiered the radio musical
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman, in August 2009. Commissioned by Swedish public radio (SR), it featured the Mael brothers themselves along with Swedish actors
Elin Klinga and
Jonas Malmsjö, both of whom worked with
Bergman in his lifetime. The musical, partly in English, partly in Swedish, tells the story of Bergman's relocation to Hollywood after his breakthrough with
Smiles of a Summer Night (1955), and the surreal and discomforting encounter with the film capital. The UK's
BBC Radio 6 Music held a similar event in London two months later whereby the musical was played in its entirety before a live audience at the BBC
Broadcasting House in London and later to be broadcast with a Q&A with the Maels. In June 2011, as part of the
Los Angeles Film Festival, Sparks presented the World Premiere live performance of
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman at the
John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Hollywood. Canadian film director
Guy Maddin provided directions based on the screenplay, with Ron and Russell reprising their recorded roles on stage. The role of Ingmar Bergman was performed by Finnish movie actor
Peter Franzén, and American actress
Ann Magnuson portrayed Greta Garbo. The group showcased at the film festival in an attempt to raise funding for a feature film version. Since 2011, the band have been pursuing the idea of turning
The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman into a feature film. Originally envisaged as a live-action film, in 2017, the Mael Brothers announced they were taking a new direction and developing Bergman as an animated feature film with director
Joseph Wallace, who created the music video for their track "Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)". no film version of the musical has been made.
2010–2019: Two Hands, One Mouth, FFS, and Hippopotamus In 2010, Sparks remixed
Yoko Ono's 1980 song "
Give Me Something". In July they contributed a remix of sorts to singer
Katie Melua's single, "
A Happy Place", calling it
Sparks VS. Melua. September 2 marked the debut of the new theme songs that Ron and Russell had composed and recorded for
NPR radio's Bookworm show, broadcast in Los Angeles on station
KCRW. The two songs, titled "Where Would We Be Without Books?" and "I Am a Bookworm", were commissioned by show host and Sparks fan
Michael Silverblatt as the first new theme songs for the programme in 21 years. For the encore of what may have been the final live date ever in America for Faith No More on December 1 at the
Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles, Ron and Russell Mael were invited by
Mike Patton and Co. to perform the Sparks' classic hit "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". They reprised the song that also appears as a collaboration with Faith No More on Sparks' 1997 album
Plagiarism and had also been released as a single. In 2012, Ron and Russell collaborated with British singer
Gemma Ray who released a limited
twelve-inch single, "Gemma Ray Sings Sparks (with Sparks)", which included Ray's cover versions of Sparks "How Do I Get to Carnegie Hall" and "Eaten by the Monster of Love". In October, Ron and Russell performed live for the first time ever as a duo, with no backing band. The 18-city European tour, Two Hands One Mouth, began in Lithuania and followed in Latvia, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Ireland and finished with a sold-out show at the
Barbican Centre in London. The tour then took the group to Japan and the US, including two performances at the
Coachella festival, with a show in Paris following in 2013 where they were joined on stage by
Catherine Ringer from Les Rita Mitsouko to sing on their 1989 collaboration "Singing in the Shower". Recordings from the tour resulted in Sparks first live album,
Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe, which was released later in 2013. Ron and Russell continued touring in the duo format for a second round, titling the tour "The Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth", taking in dates in both North America and Europe, including
Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, Texas, and three nights at
Union Chapel in London, where
Thurston Moore of
Sonic Youth joined them to play guitar on "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us". Both "Two Hands One Mouth" and "The Revenge of Two Hands One Mouth" tours were critically well received. In 2015, they contributed a song and brief voice part to the
Guy Maddin experimental fantasy drama film
The Forbidden Room. For the 40th anniversary of
Kimono My House, the album was performed in its entirety, along with a greatest hits set, at the Barbican Centre in London on the 19th and 20th of December 2014, featuring backing performances from the 35-piece
Heritage Orchestra. Ron and Russell took the
Kimono My House celebrations to Los Angeles as they performed the album on two consecutive nights with a 38-piece orchestra at the United Artists Theatre at
Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles on the 14th and 15th of February 2015. Both shows sold out and received glowing reviews.
Alex Kapranos of
Franz Ferdinand joined them onstage both nights for a duet with Russell on the song "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'". Before Kapranos's appearance in Los Angeles, Sparks and Franz Ferdinand had been collaborating and in late 2014 had recorded an album together, produced by
John Congleton. An
eponymous studio album was released in June 2015. The album was promoted with appearances on the contemporary British music television show
Later with Jools Holland and the
Glastonbury Festival. in London, 2017 Sparks's 23rd studio album
, Hippopotamus, was released in September 2017 to critical and commercial success, peaking at number 7 on the
UK Albums Chart.
2020–2022: A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, The Sparks Brothers, and Annette in
Pilton, Somerset, 2023 The band's first album of the 2020s,
A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, was released in digital form in May 2020, with the physical release pushed back to July due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The album was preceded by singles "Self-Effacing", and "I'm Toast" in February and March, respectively. Like its predecessor
Hippopotamus, it entered the UK Albums Chart at number 7 and garnered universal critical acclaim. Coinciding with the physical release of the album, an official music video for the song "The Existential Threat" premiered on
YouTube, the animation created by English freelance animator and artist
Cyriak. The band then collaborated with Todd Rundgren on the single "Your Fandango", 50 years after he produced their debut album. Sparks were involved in two 2021 film releases, as screenwriters and composers for the musical romantic drama
Annette, directed by French film director
Leos Carax and starring
Adam Driver and
Marion Cotillard; and in
The Sparks Brothers, a documentary about their career directed by English filmmaker
Edgar Wright. The leading track "So May We Start" was accompanied by a video featuring the band with Driver and Cotillard, and the
Annette soundtrack was released on Sony. In February 2022 Sparks played two sold-out shows at the
Walt Disney Concert Hall, their first full concerts since 2018 following postponements of tour dates throughout 2020 and 2021.
Variety lauded the first concert as "a rousingly celebratory homecoming". North American and European spring tours followed, then festival dates in the US and at
Summer Sonic Festival in Japan. The Maels performed at the 2022
César Awards (France's national film award ceremony), and they received a César for best original music for
Annette.
2023–present: The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte, Mad!, and Madder! performing with Sparks at the Glastonbury Festival in Pilton, Somerset, 2023 Their next studio album,
The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte, and a world tour were confirmed for 2023. Sparks re-signed to Island Records in January 2023. and the tour supporting it included some remarkable firsts for the band: Two shows at the
Royal Albert Hall, the Glastonbury Festival (featuring Cate Blanchett), the
Hollywood Bowl with
They Might Be Giants, and the
Sydney Opera House. Social media posts in September 2024 had the brothers posing with Hong Kong film director
John Woo, teasing a collaboration, with the hashtag #xcrucior. Woo's
Instagram account also posted the photo with hints at a "new project" and commented "maybe not action" (the genre he is most famous for working in). Woo has wanted to direct a musical for a long time, and shares a love of French cinema with the Maels (particularly 1964's
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg). On September 9 he confirmed working on a "half-musical" with Sparks. On October 17, 2024, Sparks received the honor of Outstanding Contribution to Music at the 2024
AIM Independent Music Awards, where they announced that they had signed to
Transgressive Records for the release of their 26th studio album
Mad! Upon its release the following May, even though they were no longer signed to a major label, the album furthered their commercial success in the UK, entering the UK Albums Chart at a career-high of no. 2. As a first in their career, Sparks released their debut extended play,
Madder!, on October 3, 2025. Described as the companion release to
Mad!, the Mael brothers briefly returned to the studio after the album was released in May to record new material. Alongside the lead single and opener "Porcupine", the announcement for the EP arrived just one month prior to its release. The music video for "Porcupine", which came days later, starred the musician
Self Esteem. Also in September, Sparks featured on "The Happy Dictator", the lead single from the band
Gorillaz' upcoming album
The Mountain. They guested in a "surprise" show premiering the album in full to end Gorillaz' anniversary residency at the
Copper Box Arena, and were announced as supporting act (along with
Trueno) for the band's
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium show in June 2026. == Style ==