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New Sparks anthology & album reissue

By Paul Sinclair

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Sparks / Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins yellow vinyl LP + 2CD reissue

New ‘best of’ on three physical formats • Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins expanded to three discs • Coloured vinyl options

BMG will issue two Sparks releases in November; a new compilation called Past Tense: The Best of Sparks and a reissue of the duo’s 1994 album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins.

The former is available on three physical formats; a three-CD set features 58 tracks, from 1967’s ‘Computer Girl’ (recorded under the name Urban Renewal Project) to ‘Check Out Time 11AM’ from 2017’s Hippopotamus; a two-CD edition of the same compilation distils the offering down to 39 tracks, while the 3LP vinyl set includes 27 songs from the Sparks back catalog. Ron and Russell Mael have ‘hand-picked’ the selections, by the way and sleeve notes come courtesy of Simon Price.

Sparks / Past Tense: The Best of Sparks 3CD set

The second release (November is big enough for the both of them) is a reissue of 1994 album Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins. A the time, the album was their first in six years, having spent a few years on film-making projects that came to naught. This long-player features ‘When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’’ which saw some success in Germany and was a minor hit in the UK.

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins has been remastered and expanded to three CDs. Disc two offers B-sides, remixes and live recordings while the third disc includes unreleased tracks with vocals by actress-musician Christi Haydon and 12 previously unreleased demos. To round off what sounds like a very good package, Ron, Russell and Christi contribute sleeve notes.

Sparks / Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins yellow vinyl LP + 2CD reissue
A yellow vinyl edition of the Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins remaster comes with two CDs of bonus material

There’s a single LP remaster available (with red vinyl available exclusively via the Sparks store), but also, interestingly, a vinyl edition that comes with the two CDs of bonus material in the three-CD set. The latter is pressed on yellow vinyl and the coloured vinyl is available everywhere.

Past Tense: The Best of Sparks will be issued on 8 November, while the Gratuitous Sax and Senseless Violins reissue comes a week later on 15 November 2019.

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Sparks

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins - yellow vinyl LP + 2CD

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Past Tense: The Best of Sparks 3CD set

CD 1

  1. Computer Girl
  2. Wonder Girl
  3. (No More) Mr. Nice Guys
  4. Girl from Germany
  5. Beaver O’Lindy
  6. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us
  7. Amateur Hour
  8. Here In Heaven
  9. Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
  10. Something for the Girl With Everything
  11. Achoo
  12. Get in the Swing
  13. In The Future
  14. Looks, Looks, Looks
  15. I Want To Hold Your Hand
  16. Big Boy
  17. I Bought The Mississippi River
  18. Occupation
  19. Those Mysteries
  20. Tryouts for the Human Race
  21. Beat the Clock

CD 2

  1. The Number One Song in Heaven
  2. When I’m With You
  3. Tips for Teens
  4. Funny Face
  5. Angst in My Pants
  6. I Predict
  7. Sherlock Holmes
  8. Cool Places (with Jane Wiedlin)
  9. Popularity
  10. I Wish I Looked A Little Better
  11. With All My Might
  12. Change
  13. Music That You Can Dance To
  14. So Important
  15. Singing In The Shower (with Les Rita Mitsouko)
  16. National Crime Awareness Week (Psycho Cut)
  17. When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’
  18. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing – Radio Edit
  19. Let’s Go Surfing

CD 3

  1. Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat
  2. The Calm Before The Storm
  3. It’s A Knockoff
  4. The Rhythm Thief
  5. My Baby’s Taking Me Home
  6. Suburban Homeboy
  7. Dick Around
  8. Perfume
  9. Islington N1
  10. Good Morning
  11. Lighten Up, Morrissey
  12. Two Hands, One Mouth
  13. Piss Off (Sparks original demo)
  14. Johnny Delusional (FFS)
  15. Missionary Position
  16. Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)
  17. I Wish You Were Fun
  18. Check Out Time 11AM

Past Tense: The Best of Sparks 2CD edition

CD 1

  1. Wonder Girl
  2. Girl from Germany
  3. This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us
  4. Amateur Hour
  5. Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
  6. Something for the Girl With Everything
  7. Get in the Swing
  8. Looks, Looks, Looks
  9. Big Boy
  10. Forever Young
  11. Tryouts for the Human Race
  12. The Number One Song in Heaven
  13. When I’m With You
  14. Tips for Teens
  15. Funny Face
  16. Angst in My Pants
  17. I Predict
  18. Cool Places (with Jane Wiedlin)
  19. I Wish I Looked A Little Better
  20. With All My Might
  21. Change

CD 2

  1. Music That You Can Dance To
  2. So Important
  3. Singing In The Shower (with Les Rita Mitsouko)
  4. National Crime Awareness Week (Psycho Cut)
  5. When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’
  6. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing – Radio Edit
  7. Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat
  8. The Calm Before The Storm
  9. The Rhythm Thief
  10. Suburban Homeboy
  11. Dick Around
  12. Perfume
  13. Good Morning
  14. Lighten Up, Morrissey
  15. Johnny Delusional (FFS)
  16. Missionary Position
  17. Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)
  18. Check Out Time 11AM


Past Tense: The Best of Sparks 3LP vinyl

LP 1

Side A

Wonder Girl
Girl from Germany
This Town Ain’t Big Enough for Both of Us
Amateur Hour
Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth
Something for the Girl With Everything

Side B

Get in the Swing
Big Boy
Forever Young
The Number One Song in Heaven

LP 2

Side A

Tryouts for the Human Race – Single Version
When I’m With You
Funny Face
I Predict
Cool Places (with Jane Wiedlin)

Side B

With All My Might
Change
Music That You Can Dance To
So Important

LP 3

Side A

When Do I Get to Sing ‘My Way’
Pulling Rabbits Out Of A Hat
The Calm Before The Storm
The Rhythm Thief

Side B

Dick Around
Good Morning
Johnny Delusional (FFS)
Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins 3CD edition

CD 1

original album remastered

1.        Gratuitous Sax
2.        When Do I Get To Sing “My Way”
3.        (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing
4.        Frankly, Scarlett, I Don’t Give A Damn
5.        I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car
6.        Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil
7.        Now That I Own The BBC
8.        Tsui Hark
9.        The Ghost Of Liberace
10.     Let’s Go Surfing
11.     Senseless Violins

CD 2

Mixes and versions

1.        National Crime Awareness Week (Complete Psycho) produced by Finiflex
2.        When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (The Grid Radio Edit) Remixed by The Grid
3.        (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing [Bernard Butler’s Fashionable World Of Fashion Mix] remixed by Bernard Butler
4.        Now That I Own The BBC (Live BBC Acoustic Version)
5.        When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (Vince Clarke Remix)
6.        She’s An Anchorman
7.        Little Drummer Boy Unreleased studio version
8.        Beat The Clock (Live in Concert) Live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London. 17 November 1994
9.        National Crime Awareness Week (13 Minutes In Heaven) produced by Finiflex
10.     When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (Sticks & Stones Remix) remixed by Keith Marantz & David Longoria at The Steamroom
11.     (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing [The Beatmasters’ Full-Blown Dub] Remixed by The Beatmasters
12.     Now That I Own The BBC (Motiv 8 Extended Vocal Mix) remixed by Motiv 8
13.     When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (Pro-Gress Mix) Remix & additional production by Pro-Gress for D.E.F.
14.     National Crime Awareness Week (The Janet Leigh Mix) remixed by Steve Bates

CD 3

Unreleased demos     

1.        Where Did I Leave My Halo?
2.        She’s Beautiful (So What)
3.        Mid-Atlantic
4.        The Farmer’s Daughter
5.        This Angry Young Man Ain’t Angry No More
6.        Bob Hope
7.        She’s An Anchorman (Demo)
8.        Love Can Conquer All
9.        That’s What I Call Paradise
10.     This Angry Young Man Ain’t Angry No More (Ron Vocal Version)
11.     Mid-Atlantic (Ron Vocal Version)
12.     That’s Entertainment (feat. Les Bohem)

Unreleased tracks from Christi Haydon EP
(with vocals by Christi Haydon)

13.     Katharine Hepburn
14.     Titanic
15.     Othello
16.     Holiday
17.     Boris The Spider

Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins Vinyl LP + 2CD edition

Vinyl LP

original album remastered

Side A

1.        Gratuitous Sax
2.        When Do I Get To Sing “My Way”
3.        (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing
4.        Frankly, Scarlett, I Don’t Give A Damn
5.        I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car
6.        Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil

Side B

1.        Now That I Own The BBC
2.        Tsui Hark
3.        The Ghost Of Liberace
4.        Let’s Go Surfing
5.        Senseless Violins

CD 2

Mixes and versions

1.        National Crime Awareness Week (Complete Psycho) produced by Finiflex
2.        When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (The Grid Radio Edit) Remixed by The Grid
3.        (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing [Bernard Butler’s Fashionable World Of Fashion Mix] remixed by Bernard Butler
4.        Now That I Own The BBC (Live BBC Acoustic Version)
5.        When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (Vince Clarke Remix)
6.        She’s An Anchorman
7.        Little Drummer Boy Unreleased studio version
8.        Beat The Clock (Live in Concert) Live at Shepherds Bush Empire, London. 17 November 1994
9.        National Crime Awareness Week (13 Minutes In Heaven) produced by Finiflex
10.     When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (Sticks & Stones Remix) remixed by Keith Marantz & David Longoria at The Steamroom
11.     (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing [The Beatmasters’ Full-Blown Dub] Remixed by The Beatmasters
12.     Now That I Own The BBC (Motiv 8 Extended Vocal Mix) remixed by Motiv 8
13.     When Do I Get To Sing “My Way” (Pro-Gress Mix) Remix & additional production by Pro-Gress for D.E.F.
14.     National Crime Awareness Week (The Janet Leigh Mix) remixed by Steve Bates

CD 3

Unreleased demos     

1.        Where Did I Leave My Halo?
2.        She’s Beautiful (So What)
3.        Mid-Atlantic
4.        The Farmer’s Daughter
5.        This Angry Young Man Ain’t Angry No More
6.        Bob Hope
7.        She’s An Anchorman (Demo)
8.        Love Can Conquer All
9.        That’s What I Call Paradise
10.     This Angry Young Man Ain’t Angry No More (Ron Vocal Version)
11.     Mid-Atlantic (Ron Vocal Version)
12.     That’s Entertainment (feat. Les Bohem)

Unreleased tracks from Christi Haydon EP
(with vocals by Christi Haydon)

13.     Katharine Hepburn
14.     Titanic
15.     Othello
16.     Holiday
17.     Boris The Spider

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