Sparks - Newsnight Interview (2006)

Ron & Russell Mael

[@BaddaBigBoom]

They were never "weird" or "creepy" ...everyone else was.

[@girlfromgermany]

Ron really looked "Chaplinesque"! I love that look and that's why I call it Ron Chaplin. It has absolutely nothing to do with that awful man whose name I don't want to mention!

[@Nomisdor]

It is a moustache and has literally nothing to do with neither one or another guy. Putting this kind of negative or positive value into a moustache is the exact problem we see again and again when people create their reality bound to their own ideas of life. Let it be what it is and do not create whatever that might fit into your narrative. This is Ron Mael and you are yourself.

[@girlfromgermany]

@@Nomisdor Well, it wasn't me who started saying Ron looked like H... On the contrary people already said that before I was even born.

[@englishteacher.8635]

@@girlfromgermany Ron certainly looked more Chaplin with the curly hair and the black eyeliner.

[@JohnMcPhersonStrutt]

Somehow, I can't imagine that there is anyone accusing Sparks of plaigrism

[@jlsutton4819]

Fantastic love the Mael brothers definitely underrated x.

[@robertdavidson9393]

They are unique

[@HOOKmusicUK]

Im sorry, but, FF sound nothing like SPARKS

[@drea4195]

i definitely hear their influence.

[@gegallas]

Well, except when the two bands did a whole album together LOL!

[@LucyOLastic]

Certainly no comparison between Get In the Swing and Take Me Out. Who were they trying to kid? FF had none of Sparks' wit or musical style. Take Me Out is more reminiscent of Led Zeppelin....the riff mainly. Very familiar.

[@amirpourghoureiyan1637]

Interview went on a weird angle... Sparks great as always

[@laurelb4193]

Was wondering whether Queen was influenced by Sparks and here it is!

[@zachjohnson637]

I think that’s just conjecture on the part of the reporters. Both bands came about around the same time and I’ve never heard any member of Queen cite them as an influence.

[@robertdavidson9393]

Sparks great

[@TryptychUK]

Wonderful!

[@commonsense9176]

One hit wonder eh ?

[@girasolegiallo6927]

What rubbish, if you grew up watching just a little Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, L. And Hardy etc, you’d have understood Ron’s stage persona, that’s how it was viewed in Europe etc. the dictator’s moustache is an English invention, and it’s old now.