SPARKS

Went to the London show on the 18th. A good crowd (though not full) and the usual great performance. I'm utterly amazed at Russell's energy, which a performer 50 years younger might struggle to replic ...

Like waterloosunset, I had a double-take at some of dinky's choices but - as said - that's the magic of Sparks.

I started my Sparks odyssey well before cds, let alone ipods or streaming, so skippin ...

Good work on this, BfH! I hadn't realised that there so many versions; expensive if you're a Sparks collector, but I presume fans buying multiple versions helped propel the album to #2 in the UK this ...

I've listened to the album about half a dozen times now - so I've given it a fair crack - and I'm definitely in the underwhelmed camp, sad to say. No standout tunes for me: opening track Do Things is ...

Should be on BBC iplayer, at about 6.50am I think. R&R showed their usual tact - the BBC showed three brief clips of the videos of latest singles and a co-presenter asked them, given the length o ...

Thanks for the reminder, Alex - I'd forgotten that it's 50 years since Indiscreet (maybe that's just my age).

Attended my first Sparks gig in Leeds on that tour. Been to one or two more since then ...

Russell's scheduled to be on their BBC Radio 6 programme (8-10 a.m.)

Hope to pick up a copy of CP in the next couple of days. There's also a very decent six-page feature in the latest issue of Mojo (#379, June 2025, Jarvis Cocker cover).

I'm with Peter on this one. I haven't a smartphone either. Fortunately my wife has, and she's coming along (we're going to the first London gig). But there really should be other options available at ...

The video is an absolute cracker, and the song's growing on me too. Roll on June . . .

Have just finished the book, and found it very enjoyable. Lots of new stuff to me (or stuff I knew but had forgotten!). To his credit, Chris Sutton has sought out - and quotes - a number of band membe ...

Picked up my copy from our local bookshop today and have given it a very quick skim through. I have to agree with Steve - the post-Island section is brief indeed.

I've got another book in the " ...

I'll try not to spoil things for those who haven't received the boxset yet, but there's two things about it worth mentioning. First, the singing is top notch - I guess with Russell and Rebecca Sjöwall ...

I've noticed that FM are continuing to shamelessly exploit their rights to the first two LPs with yet further coloured vinyl releases. There must be a point at which the market (in this case, Sparks c ...

There's a short feature on Noël in the latest issue of Electronic Sound (#117). Thanks to Monte's interview there's little that's new to us, perhaps, but good to see her get some more well-deserved pu ...

I've pre-ordered the album and my understanding it's released on 11 October. If that's so, presumably the pre-order figures kick in then.

Amazon UK still has a July publishing date; the publisher's website doesn't have one. I'm still not going to hold my breath on this ...

This topic is a question in today's Thursday Quiz in the Guardian; Ron features as a possible answer in another question, so Martin Belam has spoilt us today.

TLDP played live on the Jo Whiley show (BBC Radio 2) last night. The band's reviews often mention Sparks (TLDP's debut LP is very good, by the by); their session included an energetic and faithful cov ...

In truth, Oscar, it went on the pile of two dozen or so books I've yet to read! Have just dug it out to have a skim through.

139 pages, covering 15 albums - so more than the Sparks book - with som ...