Past Tense: The Best Of Sparks
November 8, 2019

Description
A brand new career spanning Best Of collection featuring all the band's hits and best loved recordings across their impressive 50 year career. 3CD Format includes rare early recording of “Computer Girl” (1967), a previously unheard/unreleased version of “Piss Off” (2004)— latterly recorded with Franz Ferdinand— and “Check Out Time 11am” (2017)¸ previously only available on a limited 7” Black Friday release. Also includes some of the band's most recent work from the critically acclaimed Hippopotamus album. Curated, compiled and designed by Ron and Russell Mael.

Tracklist
[CD1]
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

[CD2]
1. The No. 1 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. Cinq Nocturnes (1919) (2000 Remastered Version): No. 5 - By Aldo Ciccolini
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

[CD3]
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 Demo)
14. Johnny Delusional - By FFS
15. Missionary Position
16. Edith Piaf (Said It Better Than Me)
17. I Wish You Were Fun
18. Check Out Time 11am

3CD Set (shown above)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X7CQW19/?tag=imwan-20

2CD Distillation
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X6CNQHG/?tag=imwan-20

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Gratuitous Sax And Senseless Violins
November 15, 2019

Description
TBA

Tracklist
[CD1: 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. Sensless Violins

[CD2: Remixes / B-Sides / Official Releases]
1. National Crime Awareness Week (Complete Psycho)
2. When Do I Get To Sing "My Way" (The Grid Radio Edit)
3. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing (Bernard Butler's Fashionable World Of Fashion Mix)
4. Now That I Own The BBC (Live Acoustic Version, Simon Mayo Show)
5. When Do I Get To Sing "My Way" (Vince Clarke Remix)
6. She's An Achorman
7. Little Drummer Boy
8. Beat The Clock (Live In Concert)
9. National Crime Awareness Week (13 Minutes In Heaven)
10. When Do I Get To Sing "My Way" (Sticks & Stones Remix)
11. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing (The Beatmasters' Full-Blown Dub)
12. Now That I Own The BBC (Motiv 8 Extended Vocal Mix)
13. When Do I Get To Sing "My Way" (Pro-Gress Mix)
14. National Crime Awareness Week (The Janet Leigh Mix)

[CD3: Demos & Unreleased Tracks]
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)
13. Katherine Hepburn (feat. Christi Haydon)
14. Titanic (feat. Christi Haydon)
15. Othello (feat. Christi Haydon)
16. Holiday (feat. Christi Haydon)
17. Boris The Spider (feat. Christi Haydon)

Amazon USA
Available for pre-order soon:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XLVNBKM/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XLVNBKM/?tag=imwan-21

First thought, do I need another Sparks comp? Then the fact that the Mael brothers did a great job in compiling as well as inclusion of some rare and cool stuff.

Therefore I'm in!

Their Profile: The Ultimate Sparks Collection from 1991 is one of the better collections out there (OK, I'm biased). But I do like the way they sprinkle the rare tracks through these.
Pre-ordered, but keep us posted if UK site offers it for less.

The Past Tense compilation has been pushed back to November 8th, and an expanded 3CD version of Gratuitous Sax And Senseless Violins has been announced for the week after that. See the first post for updated details.

Not my favorite Sparks album, but definitely some great songs. But that third disc, with all those titles I've never seen before, has me interested. Thank you

And another bump to add the Gratuitous Sax packshot.