Brothers Ron and Russell Mael formed Sparks in Los Angeles way back in 1970 and enjoyed underground success with their electronic experimentation in the UK.
The band’s cult status in the UK earned them a residency at the legendary Marquee Club during a time when the Rolling Stones, Faces and The Who were regular performers.
The band Queen were support act for Sparks at one Marquee appearance and the cult following that Sparks garnered during 1973 led them to appear on BBC’s Old Grey Whistle Test, during which Bob Harris referred to the band as a cross between Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention and the Monkees!
Signed to Island Records in 1974, Sparks breakthrough album Kimono My House spawned the single This Town Ain’t Big Enough, which reached number two in the UK singles charts.
In a period that is often written off musically, the pre-punk seventies was a hot bed of alternative music where anything went and despite the odd sight and sound of Sparks they were quickly accepted as ‘normal’ by music fans.
Sparks – This Town Ain’t Big Enough
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