SPARKS

SparkySparks · Newbie Joined: 01 Jan 2009 Posts: 1

Forigive me if this is a dumb question or if you guys have discussed this a million times already, since I am very new to Sparks.
I got the Beethoven/Stockholm dvd, and I was quite surprised to see that Ron wasn't really playing all the keyboard and piano parts, and that a lot of the music is on a recorded loop. If you watch the soundcheck during the commentary, you can definitely see/hear all the pre-recorded parts as Russel sings along. And obviously, Ron is not playing the piano on Carnegie Hall. So I am wondering, is this something that Sparks generally acknowleges and have they always done this...or is pre-recorded segments justa recent development as they eliminated certain band members?? Thanks so much ! Go Sparks!
G

no1sparksfaninheaven · Posted: Mon Jan 12, 2009 2:08 pm Post subject:

I thought that when I first saw the Live in Stockholm DVD.
I have a compulsive ear for this sort of thing, and, actually, Ron is playing (but not on 'How do I get to Carnegie Hall') however he is playing over some recorded samples; Russell's and the backing vocals are the same (I asume they do this so they can mime in if they have a technical faliure, or when Ron interacts with the screens, etc)

Having said that; I'm certain they mimed 'Your Call is Very Impotant to us'
and the intro to 'My Baby's Taking Me Home'

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allydodd · Posted: Wed Jan 21, 2009 6:45 pm Post subject:

Its a good question. Yes, so much of Sparks music is machine generated, and the multi tracking near impossible to replicate, even with an assembly of musicians frantically fingering their instruments. (oh dear I hope that doesn't sound rude). The bizarreness of the conceptual L'il Beethoven album was so removed from rocknroll convention that it sparked a totally fresh (and possible dangerous?) way of interpreting the music. The drawback of this multi media approach was that Ron was far too busy to play much!!! The sheer hilarity among the audience during these first innovative shows of L'il Beethoven and Hello Young Lovers proved fans happily overlooked this abandonning of rock tradition (actually not uncharacteristic of Sparks). Unfortunately, the electric atmosphere is not detectable in the Live in Stockholm DVD.

But the boys ALWAYS redeem themselves in the second half of "assortments". Equally at home with the best guitarists and drummers of the noughties, they rattle out their rock stuff with an impressive faithfulness to the vinyl.

In fact, for authenticity, when they played their really old albums during 21x21, they even used the instruments which were around in the 70s!

If you've never seen Sparks in a hall, you are in for two of the most amazing hours of your life, I promise you.

Alex Robertson · Posted: Thu Jan 22, 2009 2:48 am Post subject:

I have to add that at one RFH performance of MBTMH,Tammy's mic wasn't working for part of the song and much of the audience couldn't hear her,(I was seated almost directly in front of her and WAS able to )...if this had been mimed(lip-synched)this would never have happened.
Also during HDIGTCH at The Ocean...Ron WAS using the long arms to operate switches on the keyboards....these didn't work at the start...so whilst the problem was sorted out,he ad-libbed about poor circulation to his fingers due to said long arms(Russell held the mic)...thus accepting responsibility for the glitch rather than blame anyone else...a jolly decent thing to do IMO.