Then the Maels returned to America, just in time to become fairly popular new-wavers at home. They enjoyed chart success with guest Go-Go Jane Wiedlin on the song "Cool Places" and did pretty well with albums such as Angst in My Pants and In Outer Space. Their new-wave credentials were further cemented when the band landed three songs--including "Eaten by the Monster of Love"--on the soundtrack for Valley Girl (1983) (Picture: ).
Throughout all this, Ron was the Creepy Songwriting One with the Hitler Mustache and Russell was the Cute Singing One with the High Voice. Sparks then spent the '90s floundering amongst indie labels, going from techno band to synth-popsters. They finally took a break before Lil' Beethoven--with its orchestral sweeps and lack of beats--wowed the critics in 2003. Now the Maels have done it again with Hello Young Lovers. The album's already a hit overseas--including in Stockholm, where Ron's talking to Mr. Skin from the same theater where they recorded the 2005 DVD of the Lil' Beethoven tour. That's worth owning too.
So how does it feel to still be a big-deal modern-rock band with Hello Young Lovers?
We're feeling kind of vindicated from making a musical statement, and the acceptance of that. It seems like we still change record labels with every new album. The UK label that released Lil' Beethoven was fairly disappointing to us, because we got such strong critical reaction. That didn't follow in sales, so we were disappointed. There's already been a better commercial response with this new album. We're really lucky. At least at this point we've got records coming out.Hello Young Lovers still sounds more like a traditional Sparks album. Was the idea to set poppish rock songs in the Lil' Beethoven setting?
Not really, to be honest. You'll hear real guitars and bass and drums, but we wanted those organic instruments to provide contrast. We tried to build on what we were doing with Lil' Beethoven and avoid the older direction of Sparks. One of the reasons we pursued the sound of Lil' Beethoven was because we felt we had hardcore fans who were taking us for granted. We feel like we've mined the traditional song structure as far as we could--even though our traditional songs aren't like other people's.Despite titles such as "Dick Around," you and Russell sound a lot more serious in interviews now. You used to try to convince writers that you collected smiley faces.
We used to get a lot more questions about things like our favorite colors, and we'd respond to them in that kind of way. We've really been happy because the questions that come our way now--because of our musical ambition--have been more serious. There're only so many times that you can tell people clever answers to what your favorite foods are.Over the decades, Sparks has been a hit glam band, disco stars, and a popular new-wave act--but you and Russell have always kept a low profile. Have either of you ever dated starlets?
Sadly, we haven't, because both Russell and I put everything into our music. So the more theatrical doings happen onstage, and not after the show. Believe me, there are times that we wish our lives were more spectacular. It hasn't happened yet.At least Sparks has gotten some attention from Hollywood. The band appeared in Rollercoaster and your songs were a regular part of '80s soundtracks.
To be honest, the movies that were using our songs were pretty banal, like Rollercoaster and Fright Night (Picture: ) and, ummm...There was Heavenly Bodies, which is one of the best movies ever made about young dancers doing aerobics.
Those were not good movies. For whatever reasons, we were having lots of activity in the States in the '80s, and a lot of music supervisors from the studios were contacting us. Our dream is really to do something from the ground up. We want to control our own movie musical, instead of sticking our songs in some movie.That brings us to the script for Mai, the Psychic Girl. Sparks took a long break from recording to write the film, and Tim Burton was attached as director, but it never got made. Did the success of Lil' Beethoven renew any interest in Mai?
We wish it had, but we've kind of moved on. Now we're pursuing a film idea from the Lil' Beethoven album. We're doing the proverbial pitching of movies right now. That seems like the real next step for us.We should note that you're one of rock's most iconic presences. Paul McCartney even dressed up as you for his "Coming Up" video. Now that Frank Zappa's dead, the only person with a better rock 'n roll mustache is Patti Smith.
Well, no comment on that--but I miss the days when there were personalities in music with some kind of visual presence. There are a lot of young bands that look good now. They're still missing whatever it takes so that you could pick them out on the street, or in a police lineup. I feel like a bit of a throwback. Not because I look like an old accountant, but in that I have any kind of visual presence.Despite your international success, Sparks has always been a Los Angeles band. Is that out of a love for show business?
We're based in Los Angeles, and we like all the aspects of it that aren't rock 'n' roll. We've both been there ever since we came back from England, still living in our homes that we bought back then.Do you live in big rock-star mansions?
No, we live modestly. Well, slightly above modest. We both like Los Angeles as a place to be based. It would be horrible to know that you were living there permanently. We enjoy the sun and the supermarkets and how all of the people are so self-aware that they don't even notice anyone in a rock band. They're just thinking of themselves.Aren't you occasionally mobbed by screaming packs of visiting French schoolgirls?
If we're lucky.
