SPARKS/NOËL

NO. 1 IN HEAVEN / IS THERE MORE TO LIFE THAN DANCING?

At the start of 1979, the Mael brothers had grown bored of their traditional set-up. After expressing an interest in hooking up with Giorgio Moroder, whose work with Donna Summer had explored the possibilities of a guitar-free future, Sparks soon found themselves at his Munich studio working on their eighth LP.

Despite returning Sparks to the Top 20 after a four-year absence with its almost title track and the seismic Beat The Clock, the album fared less well with critics. It spent one whole week at No.73.

Fortunately, the aheadness of the Maels – Joy Division were big fans – was rewarded over time. It’s now one of Sparks’ best-known albums, rightly cited as being key to the birth of synth-pop. Reissued with a bonus CD of edits and remixes, No.1 In Heaven is both an ecstatic masterpiece for those who knew the future when they saw it and a joyful introduction to Sparks’ worldview for those who weren’t there 45 years ago.

Meanwhile, Noël’s Is There More To Life Than Dancing? followed shortly after. Written and produced by Ron and Russell, it was heavily influenced by their time with Moroder. Not much is known about Noël herself, other than that she was from Los Angeles. So vague are her biographical details, there were rumours she was in reality Russell Mael. Her sole album has long become something of a holy grail for Sparks fans, so an official reissue has been a long time coming – bootlegs based on ripped audio from the original vinyl have long circulated.

A Sparks album in all but name – the duo introduced the elegant Dancing Is Dangerous into their own sets several years ago – you could imagine both The Night They Invented Love and Au Revoir on No.1 In Heaven. Happily, for this reissue Sparks and their record label have finally managed to track Noël down to write sleevenotes: she might now get some form of due.

A genuine curio – and one that you can dance to. Ian Wade