Sparks Documentary

Found Footage documentary on the band Sparks that I made for a journalism class in 2010. Featuring, This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us, Achoo, Wacky Women, My Baby's Taking Me Home, Lighten Up Morrissey and more!

[@BedlamAndBones]

Totally underrated and under appreciated. Sparks are one of the most consistently original, melodically beautiful and brilliant bands of all time.

[@06eric]

WORD!!!

[@pearlypawbeans]

Fantastic! This is a nice pairing to complement the Edgar Wright doc I just saw on Netflix. This is excellent in its own right as well, ty

[@johnmitchelljr]

Just be glad Sparks are on this planet. Great music makes life worth living. Thank you.

[@RonWylie-gk5lc]

Thanks for posting this, they are like no other, they never changed and I love them for it

[@Amphy002]

Thanks for this, they deserve more attention. As you say, totally resisting classification, serious yet witty, avante garde yet commercial, esoteric but catchy, pretentious but brutally down-to-earth. I love the way they answer the questions of TV interviewers, ie they tell the truth. Russell fancied Jane Wiedlin and has sex with the groupies.. you won't get that from Bono. The music scene would be a poorer place without them.

[@joeblow578]

'This Town' gob-smacked me in 1974, as it did many others of my age! I wish they'd come to my own town, and play anything they please... Yeah, brothers, Portland Maine would give you a fine welcome!

[@prodige2211]

I Still Remember the Unbelivibal Day when I Disco-vered THE SPARKS . In 1974, I was 5, I was watching the Famous French Music Pro-Glam sorry Program called MÉLODIE(melody in English) . I was with the 3 daughters of my Nurse( very Catholic Faùmily), All the Girls(the Younger One was 9 years old, the Older 12 or 13), They said "Oh shit, He looks like Hitler" and I answered "WWWOOOWWW, IT'S GREAT ! NNNNOOOO !!! LOOKED LIKE CHAPLIN !"(They were so New Wave, P,unk, New Romantic, a liitle bit Glam too, Rock'n'Roll, More English than English Themselves, No Style Defined but All the Style at the Same Time ..... and RON and RUSSEL MAËL still singing in Regular Concerts in 2021 !!!

[@scarletcoffee]

Sparks originated a genre that is like 'satirock' (satire rock). There have been many bands who flirted with this since then and really expanded on the concept (Pure Guava by Ween, or Mr. Bungle s/t being the best defining albums of the genre)...but I wholeheartedly believe our whole thing comes from Sparks. If there were no Sparks, nobody would have had the balls to do this in public. God bless em. thanks for giving them their overdue documentary- this is great. I also love the found footage concept as with the digital format it feels pretty fresh.

[@joeblow578]

scarletcoffee I have thought before that Ween must have seen a bit of Sparks. I loved Ween very much, so that was a very positive influence!

[@jimmykelly8712]

+Joe Blow Micky from ween has said that sparks were a huge influence

[@andrewbrenneman7921]

I love Sparks, but Zappa did satire rock before Sparks did.

[@morningcoffeecat2271]

scarletcoffee is Devo satirock?

[@FinitivPCS]

I am a huge fan of Sparks, but Zappa invented Satire Rock. C'mon.

[@susankeating8678]

I saw Sparks live in Oxford UK in November 1974! That makes me feel old! They were great, amazing that that they’re still going strong, a very underrated band in my humble opinion.

[@dayuhanspace]

laughin my socks off! they changed the name of the keyboard to RONALD instead of Roland lol

[@IETCHX69]

It probably changed itself . Need I tell you , ya one eared bastard , that change comes from within .

[@57cupcake]

i've been a fan since 1974, back when i was in HS. still love them!!

[@adnaruto25]

Karen Perkins idem ! from the north of France ! where is my youth ?

[@Mortimermanto]

Saw the show this past Saturday in Toronto. Awesome. Two young 20-something women came to the show dressed as Geishas. Nice touch. Also saw them in 2008 in London for the Kimono & Propaganda album shows. Sparks are so good.

[@casualagent7250]

I'm writing this late September 2017 Thank God it's not Christmas 🇬🇧

[@campbellfiles9019]

Soon

[@iscream]

Excellent work on a brilliant band - well done

[@bbutton]

Spectacular job. Bravo!

[@musicaluploads8750]

A great effort this documentary

[@boogieelaine]

Fab thank you for sharing

[@TraxandGrooves]

Very nicely done. I hope you were graded well.

[@emanuelaronzio6814]

Jacob de Nobe:l grazie! Grande band ( mai considerata da molti) e che guitarist!!!!!

[@TrueMithrandir]

this was awesome!

[@chuckdee121]

This was real interesting!

[@truemansparks]

Probably the most ripped off band ever

[@shihtzupuppy823]

truemansparks what?.

[@jamesmclaren5133]

ffc... watch this every1, put ffc just in case the other1 was rejected, lol,

[@RICKYYYYYYYYYYY1]

fantastic band.

[@colinnixon7055]

Qwerky!.

[@paulepstein1251]

On September 7, 1973, I heard Moon Over Kentucky in a record store. Decided to buy Woofer right then. Took it home and nearly launched into space. It was beyond anything I had ever known. I simply couldn't believe it. And so was born one of the most intense Sparks lovers in Michigan.

[@zofo666]

clever clever band,VASTLY underrated! A real crime they are'aren't up there with the greats and rewarded

[@joannetorrance4861]

I agree 100%! They are very talented. Have loved them for years. Marketing strategy didn't succeed for them. A very weird time in music. Didn't quite fit in between 70's and 80's, though wow!

[@MrHoefnix]

Sparks are a league of their own

[@BicycleJoeTomasello]

They just have been rewarded with a documentary and a career retrospective box set

[@kirstyharkness2917]

I've just traveled back in time from the twenty third century to let you all know that in our time Sparks are the basis of our one world religion...

[@Orieus]

i cant believe i just got into this guys now.........fucking musical genius! when u can make ppl laugh and yet play some serious diverse music and with complex structure, u know thats special. It kinda like how Frank Zappa was......Amazing!!!

[@bulletbelt97]

the best fucking band ever

[@bulletbelt97]

like, how are the Mael brothers so talented and cool?? Ron looks like a fucking science teacher but he's still super cool

[@jennybarbato6454]

have been a fan of Sparks since the early 70's. Love this documentary.

[@quasarsphere]

I just discovered them in the last ten minutes. I cannot believe I'd never heard of them before, but fuck me sideways they are amazing!

[@FoolOfGods]

Russell being astonished at being mobbed adoring mainly teenage female fans is priceless, Sparks is far the arrogant, egotistical, vanity driven narcissist pop group a slot which much of the music press desperately wanted to Sparks to flit into. Sparks really the original intellectual 'punk' group [similar to Lou Reed, Nico, Velvet Underground, etc] in that they refused to conform to expectations and strive to confound their critics and fans alike. In the latest development Sparks have merged with Franz Ferdinand to form FFS ... the story of their lifelong musical rebellion continues

[@suetreanor8352]

After being a fan for 38 years I am seeing them live for the first time in Nov this year. I can't wait. Thank you for this film :)

[@dargall1]

This is an excellent documentary about an awesome band a lot of people have never heard of. A lot of their songs sound like French folk music to me ..maybe it's only me.. In any case I really love this band!

[@vano758]

ACHOO played LIVE !!!..... I nearly peed my pants! So cool ....

[@lgfbratwurst]

I love this, but No. 1 in Heaven was NOT a success in the US...to this day, it still hasn't even had a proper US release.

[@iconicshrubbery]

As a Sparks fan of over 40 years (actually met Russ once in a supermarket in L.A!) I must say that I found this documentary fun ,stylish, stimulating and provocative- therefore perfectly appropriate to the band. Loved the archive footage! People always tried to classify them as one-hit-wonders, but they've always moved on from commercialism and done their own thing.From Halfnelson to FFS, who knows where they'll go next....

[@Bitteulze]

Thanks very much for posting this video. While putting to DVD my old 90's VHS tapes, I found a short extract of this band performing "This town ain't big enough for both of us", unfortunately there was no mention of the band's name nor the name of the song. I fought it sounded a bit like "Virginia Plain" by Roxy Music, so I started investigating for Roxy music's early video's here on KZbin and eventually found your video... NOW I know the name of this band and the song. Thank you for helping me solve this mystery !

[@tonimanos68]

Life is divided in two parts: Before Sparks and After Sparks

[@stevedavis7522]

Became a fan when I saw them in the 1975 movie “Roller Coster.”

[@voodoohammer6130]

Absolutely brilliant work!! Thank you so much. My second favourite band of all time after The Beatles. Hugely underrated and underappreciated. Long may they continue.

[@johnkk7863]

Check out XTC what an under rated band too!

[@IETCHX69]

Check XTC 25 oclock .yah?

[@timh6142]

Can someone tell me what that clip of Ron throwing the chair is from at the beginning?

[@jedenobel]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnPOloiFjrKIjZI

[@truvelocity]

Now its been 50 years and 24 albums later.

[@vannburen]

Thank you so much for posting this documentry

[@scaffoldpzaintez9309]

Saw them on Midnight Special, and couldn't wait for the record store to open the next morning so I could buy Kimono My House.

[@davidfelix2594]

Freddie Mercury should never have left the band.

[@deckerdf]

Wow! Great Job jedenobel! I am amazed that you got so much footage but then again here in Ohio Sparks footage is pretty thin! Been a fan since 1982 when my Brother gave me Kimono My House to listen to! Bravo!

[@alisontopalian8592]

Loved them in the 70s and 80s. Kinda lost track after that. So happy to see they are still alive and kicking. Must catch up on all the new doings

[@stevemalibu99]

Brilliant, intelligent band. So enjoyable. Love them so much!

[@civilwarreports5665]

When I was in high school I saw Sparks on Saturday Night Live and after hearing Ron describe Mickey Mouse, then hearing the song I went out and bought Angst in my Pants and I became the only kid in my high school who was into Sparks. I guess I was the only Kidd with good musical taste

[@civilwarreports5665]

I love the new wave era Sparks and Mickey Mouse, Cool Places, Upstairs and Sextown USA often get stuck in my head. Great ear worms

[@taliesinechoes4513]

This is interesting. I think the release, Indiscreet, was their best release, by far.

[@BitcoinWillFixEverything]

You did a great job putting this documentary together. I simply Googled never turn your back on Mother Earth because I wanted to know who did the original since I'm familiar with Martin Gore, of Depeche Mode, covering the song over 20 years ago. I had no idea that Sparks ever existed and I'm looking forward to getting to know their catalog now. Nearly every song is brilliant, including lighten up Morrissey.

[@laurenhacker3315]

I hope this video earned you a good grade! I like the way the narrative focused on the Sparks' ongoing reinvention of itself. Along that line, it would have been nice if the video had mentioned Sparks' brush with the NYC downtown punk scene circa 1976-1977, an important phase in their history even if it wasn't their most commercially successful period, instead of jumping directly from 1975 to 1979. Regardless, great work, thanks for posting it!

[@kelvingolden252]

One of the greatest voice's with one of the greatest songwriter's brilliant

[@BicycleJoeTomasello]

I did a tfinal paper on the Velvet underground, & Lou Reed NY LP with a little Plastic Bertrand and Elvis Costello thrown in and my community college English professor thought I plagiarized it. Loved Sparks still have the half Nelson 45. Finally they just have been rewarded with a documentary and a career retrospective box set

[@joezava8257]

12:03 Fue Giorgio⚡Moroder el padre del EDM que con su sonido NRG & Synthpop en 1979 cambia el sonido de los Rockeros Sparks... La electro de Moroder, Tangerine Dreams, Jean M. Jarre, Dan Lasckman, YMO, Schulze, Vangelis, Harold Faltermeyer, Martín Ware & Ian Craig, L.Tonet...y otros grandes productores de la época fueron los que evolucionaron la verdadera electro que sirvió de base para el desarrollo del EDM 80s: House, Techno, Synthpop, NRG, Freestyle, Italo, New Beat, Trance, Eurobeat...

[@3ld919]

It's 2023, 10 years after this was posted & Sparks are more relevant now than they have been in 30 plus years. Ten years from now they will be in their mid to late 80's, stay tuned!

[@Kylie-u5i]

Absolutely AMAZING & intelligent, sassy & Ron's really funny. Bet they had loadsa Groupies!

[@MultiPetercool]

I see Ron playing RMI Electra Pianos in the early videos. A very distinctive keyboard.

[@kernelpanic1009]

This is a fine piece of work, entertaining and so well-put together. You reveal their unusual creativity and presence in ways that are straight forward without being up in your face. Their quirkiness is well-shown without being made slapstick. Thank you.

[@WahldoK]

Merci pour ce merveilleux film qui me met en haleine avant de découvrir le film qu'Edgard Wright a fait sur les Sparks. Cela fait plus de 40 ans que je suis fascinée par ces deux gentlemans hors du commun et pourtant cela ne fait que récemment que je regarde les films sur eux sur youtube. KZbin m'a permis d'oublier que je ne pouvais plus aller au concert et les Sparks ont sû gérer cette pandémie avec beaucoup d'humour à la grande joie de leur fans. Vous avez raison de dire que ce groupe a été longtemps sous-estimé, mais ceux avec lesquels on les a injustement comparé T-Rex, Queens, ne sont plus là depuis longtemps, et ceux qui restent des années fin 60-70 se contentent de vivre de leur vieux succès.... Ron et Russell sont toujours là et au mieux de leur forme, délivré des stéréotypes qu'on leur attribué. Non les Sparks ce n'est pas"Marc Bolan, qui chante avec Hitler", comme l'aurait déclaré John Lennon, sans doute avec humour, mais pour d'autres, ce n'en était pas. Et ils ont tenu bon Cette année 2021 sera l'année de nos deux éternels jeunes gens, déjà grâce au film "Annette" dont ils ont fait la musique et créé le scénaro et le joli documentaire qu'a fait sur eux Edgar Wright, sans compter les concerts prévus depuis deux années qui auront enfin lieu. Puis le réalisateur Leos Carax vient d'être récompenser par le Prix du metteur en scène au festival de Cannes, et ce sont les Sparks qui sont allés chercher le prix car le réalisateur n'a pas pu êtrer présent... Et ce n'est pas fini. Quelle joie!!!

[@bluefishblitz9577]

Thanks for posting. Enjoyed every second and will watch again.

[@joannetorrance4861]

This band is totally underestimated. If there hadn't been a slippery slope between PUNK ROCK and the advent of "THE 80's" they would be as big as ??????

[@MultiPetercool]

Did Ron & Russell ever meet Zappa? I’m pretty sure Zappa must have loved them.

[@ThefightingCelt]

Underrated band. They created a sound , which although did have echoes of Roxy music , was in the main , highly original. Ron's Hitler moustache freaked a lot of people out . This Town Ain't Big enough For The Both Of Us and Amateur Hour are great songs.

[@Oldbmwr100rs]

+ThefightingCelt Kimono My house is just a great album!

[@zethraelofteldrassil3149]

Or perhaps Ron's moustache is an homage to Charlie Chaplin

[@annascoria6178]

the moustache I think of Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy, & Chaplin. And seeing how these cats are jewish Ron probably wasn't thinking of Adolf. Who knows

[@Lucasrainford]

Yeah but Hardy n Chaplin was way before Hitler. I'm sure 99% of people will associate that tache with him. I think it took balls for Ron to sport that tache. Imagine the looks and possible confrontations? I was unaware they are Jewish, that adds a different slant to it....

[@scorpiorising3741]

I thought it was a Chaplin moustache.

[@vertxxgg]

one of the greatest pop band of whole history very popular in tecno diskos in South Africa during 80s local imitators ELLA MENTAL

[@BedlamAndBones]

Thank you so much for posting this, jedenobel!

[@sgtmajvimy]

Jimi Hendrix, Lena lovich, the muppets and so many others had to go to the UK to make it.

[@vladdrakul7851]

I have 3000 different songs or so on my Spotify collection. 95% of the artists I have, have songs in mix 'tapes' (40 songs per) from 1 or 2 to about 6-7 songs (Rare) total. I also have a very few collections (40+ songs) just for the greats. The Beatles, David Bowie, Led Zeppelin, The Doors, Depeche Mode, The Grateful Dead, Syd Barrett/Pink Floyd, Jimi Hendrix, kd Lang, P. Funkadelic, Jefferson Airplane /Lene Lovich and *Sparks* This is the company they deserve to be put in. Even the Beatles had songs I don't like. However ONLY the good ones count! *Talent IS an asset!*

[@IETCHX69]

I am in Medicine Hat , Alberta . Drop by for a beer , ANYTIME .

[@scorpiorising3741]

You lost me at KD Lang.

[@canadianstudmuffin]

Seeing Sparks in Toronto this Saturday!

[@alabastersmidge4692]

Batphink Fred I agree!

[@ProfessorRiffs]

Not too shabby!

[@Mytube777]

Awesome, thanks. Nicely made.

[@thehellout]

You did a fantastic job! Thanks so much! Looking forward to your next "found" film, good work.

[@mrjaxthecat]

Well done! This is a very good doc. I've been a Sparks fan for most of their 40 years. Thanks for making and posting:)

[@FUteehee]

wow! thanks for the documentry! I really loved some of their albums. Kimono my house my favorite. but i didn't know that Earl and Jim Mankey were involved with Sparks. I knew Jim when he was with Dream 6 and later, Concrete Blonde and Earl recorded an album I was on with Downy Mildew...

[@robertcook2680]

The Mankey Brothers were on Sparks' BEST two albums of all...their first two albums on Bearsville, (the first one produced by Todd Rundgren).

[@FUteehee]

Oh! Thanks!

[@Andy.Moore.AndysTreasureTrove]

This video led the way...

[@jedenobel]

I’m not gonna say Edgar Wright ripped me off, but I’m also not gonna say that out of a 450 song catalog, both of our docs open with This Town transitioning into Fa La Fa Le, hahaha

[@Andy.Moore.AndysTreasureTrove]

@@jedenobel I’ve always appreciated your documentary.

[@rogertebetts2640]

I am so happy I got to meet them in person in Portland Always brightened my day when I listened to their music especially from the "Propaganda" album

[@Teeb2023]

"Achoo" live is just amazing. Worth the price of the ticket alone. :)

[@waltontony1]

I was a great fan of sparks when they first arrived on the scene in England in the mid 70's. I saw them in concert in Leeds university in 1975 and stared out Ron which, was for me, a highlight in my life. Unfortunately, since nowadays nobody remembers them, I wallow in the memory!!

[@morningcoffeecat2271]

Tony Walton I got loads of my friends into them in school, there's hope in the future generations yet :)

[@susanleighton6715]

That must have been the same concert I met Adrian Fisher...I'd gone there with support act Nicole and Marsh, and left with Adrian to a big party, and then ended up going on the rest of the tour with them. I must have been the luckiest girl alive!

[@Squeaky1423]

Describe this band in 5 syllables? ICONOCLASTIC! (but also hot hot hot hot hot!) LOL

[@caslad2861]

MiaSqueaky ill descibe em in 5 letters ...............G..R..E..A..T.....nuff said

[@paulephraim1]

Just seen their two-man show at the Union Chapel in London. Unique!

[@avitalalef9947]

Fantastic work!

[@Coowallsky]

The similarities to early Split Enz music cannot be mistaken.

[@IETCHX69]

Filthy McNasty ...Enlarge you pic

[@IETCHX69]

I an't laughin' . This is not a laughing -call the police ( the call is coming from the house )

[@GNichols]

Brilliant documentary. Brilliant band.

[@martin5940]

abmake a sulutly fabulous. I know them from this town in the 70`s.. Always loved that one becouse it pissed of my German uncle , My baby is taking me home make`s me think they are a festival band. Wy have we not seen them on a few festivals like Gladsbury or in Holland on Pink Pop and Werchter in Belgium? They should come to Amsterdam and play the stage in Paradiso and make a vew more albums afther that. Its arty and a lasting stile.

[@karllux-d6g]

So many opinions and thoughts I embrace here - best band, band of gold, pure genius, and above all, "Hope you got a good grade for this" !!! Sparks will be here with us til the end of the world just like the band in theTitanic...and later, in Heaven, we'll still be listening to their nº1 song...

[@droopyofthenorthwestmounted]

A rare treat for anyone willing to take a risk on the odd, quirky or simply unique. There's much in the way of musical genius here to reward the brave.

[@annascoria6178]

very cool fun hilarious i would've played with these guys for FREE

[@paulorobalo7216]

A great band - thanks for the video, very entertaining! (any prize for posting the 1000th "Thumb up"?)

[@jerrymurphy9698]

I think that at this point in their career,the least likely thing for them to do would be to release a rock oriented album.Something in the vein of their mid 70's Island Records period. I'm not saying Kimono My House part 2 or Propoganda part 2 but something along those lines. No one would expect that,and those of us that have been following their career and enjoying their music since 1972 ( !!! ) would eat it up. P.S. Ron and Russ...I'm a great drummer and I work cheap.

[@zethraelofteldrassil3149]

I do hope, Mr. deNobel, that you aced your journalism class with this project. A Sparks documentary worth being seen world-wide by a student. Bravo! I've been following them since '74 onward.

[@mickd6942]

Ronald is the love child of hittler and inspector blake off on the buses , still going strong

[@hotelfoxtrot4979]

I've been listening to Sparks for more than 35 years... one of my bands in college even covered Sparks I Predict for a while... still enjoy recent gems like Home or Suburban Homeboys!

[@pdric4430]

Wow, great vid. I've been following Sparks for over 40 years. Never tire of them and always amazed how they changed their style .💪 I just wish they would come to Australia for a concert!

[@nobrayn]

I had the biggest grin on my face when I saw them last week in Montreal. What a simple, elegant, amazing show. Delightfully odd. I love these guys. I'm so excited to hear more about their upcoming collaboration with Guy Madden!

[@aldiakaroofus]

Best band in the world! I LOVE RON!!!

[@rockandrollcrosswords4616]

I've skimmed through it and heard a small part of an actual documentary.

[@nallepahlsson]

Great !!!! Fantastic Band !!! Thanks for this documentary !!! :-)

[@LULUBELLEIII]

Well done! Your documentary is now featured on Dangerous Minds blog ;-)