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Sparks / 1975-1976

3CD compilation and vinyl reissues based on Indiscreet and Big Beat

By John Earls

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Sparks are to release a 3CD compilation based on their two albums released in 1975 and 1976.

The functionally titled 1975-1976 features 1975’s Indiscreet and the following year’s Big Beat in their original running order on the first two discs, with the third disc comprising nine bonus tracks from the era. Both albums are also being reissued separately on vinyl, both as single LP coloured vinyl and single LP picture discs.

1975-1976 is housed in seven-inch packaging, featuring a booklet containing original release details, plus sleeve notes by Simon Price. Its extra tracks comprise the B-sides ‘Profile’, ‘England’ and ‘The Wedding Of Jacqueline Kennedy To Russell Mael’; Sparks’ cover of The Beatles’ ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’ which was released as a standalone single in 1976; the two songs recorded for the Big Beat sessions which first surfaced on that year’s The Best Of compilation: ‘Gone With The Wind’ and ‘Tearing The Place Apart’; a live recording of ‘Looks, Looks, Looks’ originally released on the 2006 “21st Century Edition” of Indiscreet; and finally two songs – ‘Intrusion/Confusion’ and ‘Looks Aren’t Always Enough’ – initially available on the 2006 “21st Century Edition” of Big Beat. 

Indiscreet was Sparks’ first album produced by Tony Visconti, reaching No 18 and spawning the Top 30 singles ‘Get In The Swing’ and ‘Looks, Looks, Looks’. 

Although both albums have been reissued on vinyl – Indiscreet in 2015 and Big Beat in 2017 – the new compilation marks the first time they’ve been released with bonus tracks since those 2006 21st Century editions. 1975-76 continues Sparks’ 50th anniversary compilations, which began with last year’s 3CD 1974, similarly rounding up the extras of the albums Kimono My House and Propaganda. 

Indiscreet was Sparks’ first album produced by Tony Visconti, reaching No 18 and spawning the Top 30 singles ‘Get In The Swing’ and ‘Looks, Looks, Looks’. Big Beat saw the Mael brothers return to America, leaving their backing band behind. It’s produced by Rupert Holmes and Jeffrey Lesser: Holmes later had a hit with ‘Escape (The Pina Colada Song)’, while Lesser is now a TV composer, who has won four Emmys for his work on Nickelodeon cartoon Wonder Pets.

Since the release of 1974, Sparks saw new album Mad! reach No 2 in May, beating their highest chart position, previously achieved by Kimono My House in 1974.

The 3CD 1975-76 and vinyl reissues of Indiscreet and Big Beat are released on 10 October 2025, via Edsel/Demon Records.

Tracklisting

1975-1976 Sparks / 3CD deluxe

    • CD 1: Indiscreet
      1. Hospitality On Parade
      2. Happy Hunting Ground
      3. Without Using Hands
      4. Get In The Swing
      5. Under The Table With Her
      6. How Are You Getting Home?
      7. Pineapple
      8. Tits
      9. It Ain’t 1918
      10. The Lady Is Lingering
      11. In The Future
      12. Looks, Looks, Looks
      13. Miss The Start, Miss The End
    • CD 2: Big Beat
      1. Big Boy
      2. I Want To Be Like Everybody Else
      3. Nothing To Do
      4. I Bought The Mississippi River
      5. Fill-Er-Up
      6. Everybody’s Stupid
      7. Throw Her Away (And Get A New
        One)
      8. Confusion
      9. Screwed Up
      10. White Women
      11. I Like Girls
    • CD 3: Bonus tracks
      1. Profile
      2. I Want To Hold Your Hand
      3. England
      4. The Wedding Of Jacqueline
        Kennedy To Russell Mael
      5. Looks, Looks, Looks (Live At
        Fairfield Halls 09/11/75)
      6. Gone With The Wind
      7. Intrusion/Confusion
      8. Looks Aren’t Everything
      9. Tearing The Place Apart

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