Sparks - Get In The Swing

[spalf73]

ACE

[clemdane]

Another nice pair of shorts on Russell

[birdzbrainz]

Creepy and Kookie

Altogether Ookie!

Ron's Calista Flockhart-esque arms and Russel, from the waste down...very unsettling !

[paulhamerton1]

it wasnt supersonic it was shang a lang

[johngkyneur]

Yes SPARKS and also THE TUBES are the two most underrated bands out of LA or SAN FRAN minnd blowing productions real good studio stuff as well as live --amazinfg dudes. Their stuff especially THE TUBES who I saw once only in the USA are dynamite and so many people copied their style later with that wall of sound sort of LA sound david Lee Roth eg-- and there is a big list The Mael brothers of SPARKS look like they have never eaten anything much except a bowl of rice a week soo thin --

[CultofJ]

@johngkyneur I never heard much of the Tubes but was always familiar with their early music prior to there big top 40 hit back in the 80s. Sadly, I think I remember them best for being in the movie Xanadu. sigh ...

[LastTree]

I kinda think of Marc Bolan..

[kjmr52]

those shorts are epic.

[sunshinemags]

Russell looked quite good in shorts.

[IAmPlaysWithSquirrel]

Between that outfit and the keyboardist, I don't know what to say...

[weegerri1sm]

17 people haven't Got In The Swing. :/

[hardbannockmusic]

This tune has grown on me like a rash, I love it!

[henkiebats]

haha i love rons 'stare'

[DrRoy1]

A distinctive live presentation makes a band stand out. Russell wearing short shorts and Ron trying his best to look creepy certainly fits that bill.

[CoastForager]

Never mind Les Keown Presenting, this song is GREAT!

[Hollandia777]

Ron looks like latin pimp from miami...

[KitCurranRadioShow]

@Hollandia777 And Russell is sporting the 1970s tennis professional look... apart from the bare feet.

[tonylegs]

Surely this is from the Bay City Rollers own programme "Shang-a-lang" A guy in the producers box used to introduce bands on "Supersonic"

[Paisleypaul]

@tonylegs You're right Mike Mansfield used to cue up Supersonic this is the BCR Show

[rebelrhoads]

Used to have the kids marching around the house when playing this one!

[nacionstone58]

This is GREAT.

Adrian from Argentina.

[hippyandchicky]

"Great American Twosome" how sad for Dinky and the guys. It's like they knew they'd be firing them.

[Franzko787]

The Maels screwed themselves. They treated the British band members like the hired help. Kimono My House was a great album because of Martin Gordon's arranging of the songs, Adrian Fisher's incredible guitar playing & Dinky's drumming. Sparks stuff after the UK band members (both versions) was lame as was their earlier US band albums. The only thing close to being decent after that was Giorgio Moroder redoing his Donna Summer "I Feel Love" Moog synth stuff with Sparks. What a waste.

[PamK36]

They were hired help. Kimono my House is mainly great because of the songwriting. The back up dudes didn't do any of that.

[Franzko787]

The bass player Martin Gordon arranged many of the songs. Go back to pre- Gordon, Diamon, Fisher and post those three and Sparks never regained the spark. Big Beat? Yeah sure. The only thing close were the Moroder albums and they were good because Giorgio was doing what he did for Donna Summer and also Japan's Life In Tokyo. They were never at that level again.

[theidiotslapper]

I've been looking for posts of their music from the 80's but can't find any.

[jflinn210]

The BEST part of this video occurs at 2:16-2:23 -- CLASSIC !!!!

[elsoda]

the first time you see/hear this you are like..."what the fuck", the second time you start bobbing your head..the third time you are...THIS SHIT IS GREAT!!

[Boptillyoudrop123]

LOL! You are so right!

[Munichmarty]

I was shocked to see a member of the Bay City Rollers first.

A warning would be great!

[cyrill091]

this show is shang a lang not supersonic

[wu10314]

why in the fuck was this recommended to me after watching a stone roses video. holy shit this is freakin horrible. do people out there actually enjoy this? I will forever be scarred for having listened to this while writing this comment. Ahhhhhhhhhh

[alyssatk]

Must love that outfit :D

[yuzufilm]

Thanks for posting this.

I know Russell had once sung in his hot pants on some TV show and have been wondering what it was like.

He's really cool and cute.

[cyrill091]

it was top of the pops aswell

[damonsnowdon48]

great

[flicker66]

That presenter's Derek the drummer from the Bay City Rollers! Classy Sparks footage.

[pipesrussell]

Jesus H. Christ! What a couple of flaming fagots!!!

[crescentfreshbret]

@pipesrussell Haha! Yes, they are dressed and presenting themselves rather flamboyantly, but they are straight. They're just very zany showmen.

[pipesrussell]

@crescentfreshbret Well said.

Cheers and happy Easter!



[mentalmiss]

the presenter looks like bloody nigel off spinal tap!

[annoianoid]

He was in the bay city rollers! about a million years ago.

[1957attilazaborszky]

funny,inteligent and creatif music wich is still under valued

[Woffar]

The keyboardist falls in love at 0:28.

[leatherfisherman]

what up with his teeth

[Forestamtul]

Look at Derek very youthful and now bolder than ever. How old is he now 60?

[laveria86]

stupendiiiiiiiiii

[enemymouse]

gah! man legs!

[Thequornhunt]

In this video Sparks predates punk and outshines Queen. Being from Sweden I can't comment on their outfits or their stage performance (I am thinking ofc of Abba in capes doing Honey Honey), but I can say that this is as good as it gets! Simply excellent ;-)

[beatlebijou]

Oh! Both the brothers are so thin and cute in this video. :)

[maninwhitedress]

Right , it takes you back don't it?

[beatlebijou]

Seeing as I'm only just almost twenty, no. :[ But damn, I could watch Russell do his thing allll day!

[thewho9208]

lol

[goofywilly]

mosquito legs

[shiizuke]

qe coño es esto??

[dymond9999]

Bad choice of convicted paeodophile Derek Longmuir introducing this video.

[fatpizzaman]

Doesn't matter if he's a paedophile or not, it's about the music dude! I love it.

[castra58]

I thought it was his brother, Alan?

[shuchr]

how camp russell looks

[joannie5]

I want a t shirt just like Ron's wearing, and I want it badly.

[TheSnurgle]

same here!!!

I also want kittens badly!

but i want that shirt more xx

[Chstr]

I know! I keep hoping it will pop up on e-bay; someone's gotta make one...

[InnocentWar1]

Make one...it's easy...and get in the swing.

[fredomars]

ale cioty

[ronoman88]

I guess over time even mediocrity becomes great to those in the know.....

[ronoman88]

Stop saying this band is under-rated. They made several albums and only "BigBeat" was good Not even great. The music is an example of Style and limited substance. Sort of like "The Baby's" Remember them.

[kriz127]

Wow, I actually hated Big Beat, it really took a different turn at that album and I didn't like it at all.

[twocities61]

Vastly underrated but given their apparant horror of interviews and publicity it's hardly surprising.

[peopletalking]

Wonderful wonderful wonderful!

[michaelhypno]

wounderfully Camped up--outstanding

[ChrisR2435]

I like this band

[crazycatz7]

They must be the most under-rated band ever

[glamfoxbuster]

Errrrr, maybe the Sweet were.

[hunkyzory]

The brothers Maels are amnericans, not british!!!

[mamamcqueen]

Um...I think they're from the U.S.? :)

[zachairs222]

these british people are stupid bitches. they're all gay

[MrBushman]

They from L.A USA

[fefimofo]

I love them! They are so weird!

[bootheavy]

what's with the shorts?

[yortsandthat]

I once played this around 20 times on the bounce at a warehouse in Aldershot back in 1998, and this 17 year lad who was on a summer break from college walked out simply because he coundn't stand the tune no more! Sorry mate, I was a bit mad for it.

[gasgas270]

brilliant, insane, funny genius...gives me faith in humanity.

[brynetty]

Ron looks great:D:D:D

[TheSnurgle]

Great

[thatsjaggy]

It looks like the rest of the band are buiders who've rampaged through Chelsea Girl on a trolley dash. I love the fact that something so insanely avant garde in pop music terms could be on a kids afternoon entertainment show. Ah, the 70s... Quite possibly one of the best things on YouTube.

[fefimofo]

That music is so great and weird! I like it!

[tunabj]

i agree with you!

[Sravandrabellagola]

I grew up on this stuff too and still think it's awesome.

[steadyed]

"Tits"

quality

[llordflamer]

the guy introducing this was in the bay city rollers and recently got done for indecent child porno pictures

[TheAllPowerfulMaster]

well he's definately ugly and creepy looking

[angelinadi]

Gosh. You mean the Bay City Roller guy, of course. For a brief moment there, I thought you meant Ron! Then I realized how silly that would be.

[incurableparanoiac]

this song makes me smile like no other

[michigancherry]

I am an, perhaps one of the few?, Americans who can say that I grew-up on this music. It IS forever in my brain and can never be removed. The more footage that can be had on you-tube the better! Live footage anyone?

[sigmasix]

there are not many things that excite me these days.. BUT.. SPARKS have recently infected my brain and will not ever leave. thank you.

[sopimusician666]

lol.

perm

lol

[pixeliz]

OMG this band is OLD, and the music is kind of odd...

[DeturnToForever]

OMG, you're so LITTLE! and have no taste...

[kdgfg]

You Americans have been holding out on us. Exuse me while dance over here!

[kdgfg]

oh my god the holy grail!

[juno2307]

How can you say that Rollers are even in Sparks' league; you're a fool! In any event I believe that's the member of Rollers that was done for kiddy fiddling.

[thechaos44]

hello up there.....

[terrythekittie]

Is that bloke introducing SPARKS from the band the BAY CITY ROLLERS?...SPARKS were good but the rollers were even better, better than the BEATLES i think!

[p717]

Sorry dude, but the Bay City Rollers were the 70's equivalent of boy bands. Sparks are their own, and hold their own today. What are the BSR doing as today? Any new material out?

[terrythekittie]

Gotcha!!

[p717]

Instigator!!!!!!! :)

[terrythekittie]

Actually I love SPARKS!

[allaboard70]

Genius.

[gerrysong]

haha! love ron's close-ups.

[clarabow]

Sparks is genius.

[eelkevanderbij]

it sounds like Schlager

[folklorish]

Sparks are a genre unto themselves!

[sparky3319]

what the fuck genre is this?? im so confused

[poolfarm2]

It was the 70's,,,,,,,,everybody dressed terribly

[fatuesque]

they dress terribly.

[l3inaryl3urnout]

yeah because they obviously wernt doing on PURPOSE were they you retard

[Johnnywr]

Here we have what we need SO very desperately...genuine originality! SPARKS! This should be COMPULSIVE viewing to everybody under the age of 35!!! Just to let them know what they are bereft of....TALENT!

[deceptikub]

I'm 27 and I'm a HUGE Sparks fan!

[pdzapnut]

i'm 50 years old, i listened to sparks since i was in high school, thats how long they've been around

[sabonbonzz]

you are so very right.i am only 16 years old and i LOVE sparks!!it is very hard to find people my age that are into the same music as i.

[Saxooon]

Sparksi su zakon,i ja ih obozavam!

[hooked146]

Due to my circumstances I do not have the time to listen to or watch as much music as i should. I have loved Sparks since I saw them about 1971 at the Marquee club in London. IMHO there is original music around if you look at sites like youtube and myspace and if you can find a good live venue. IMHO there has allways been crap music in the mainstream and charts. For recent original I think of Leftfield, Bjork, Chemical Brothers, David Byrne and there are many more out there.

[peacepalestine]

it's easy to abuse the word "genius", but maybe just maybe there was a tiny bit of that in Russel and Ron Mael. I believe so.

[4Dsign]

The quality of their compositions is not normal. They can compose and arrange any style of music including ragtime, blues, rock'n roll, charleston, boogie-woogie, & so on... Watch this, as an example: /watch?v=ej1GL9_vb3o&feature=r­elated

No doubt, one of them (the composer) is a genius.

[freqeist1]

quality.

[doublerbeats]

What is the lead singers name please. I know it can't be possible but he looks somuch like Irwin Sparkes lead singer of The Hoosier. Similar music as well.

[cravenpark]

The singer is Russell Mael, and the keyboard player is his brither Ron. They have been making brillant pop music for over 35 years (this was released in 1975). Next year they release their 21st studio album, and leading up to its release they are playing an album per night in London. Sparks - pop's real innovators!

[amberleaf45]

ron mael

[thedoppleganger]

I just love Russell's swagger.  It takes alot of um...balls to wear those tiny shorts!

[betyerdid]

Bay Shitty Rollers! LOL. Sparks: you put them to shame.

[picoxos]

love them

[wiiiiildcat]

putain merde le chanteur des Sparks on dirait gerard lenormand

[Bottlesofmary]

A brrilliant song! I don't know about the shortts. Molly. 5 stars

[Aincircle]

Did Sparks ever do a "polka"? I think this is eurovision song contest material. This is classic and the tan short shorts, this is why I love them.

[ohkenplease]

Russel Russel...why the short shorts?

Just say no to hot pants.

[joralebedev]

Sparks on the Bay City Rollers show... I may curl up into a fetal ball and twitch.

Wow, it took some balls to wear those shorts, even then.

[bowiemott]

Back in the day I got into fights at school for liking this band. Funny thing was that many of my would be tormentors wound up liking Sparks. So the Mael brothers owe me ! *laff* Hey. Mael bros do you guys need a bodyguard ?

[Derventio74]

I love Sparks - they were SO original!

[crapdeikaris]

do u think he stole those short shorts from freddy mercury

[bowiemott]

it was the other way around.

[martinevans123]

Freddy's shorts were often the other way round

[AllKindsOfEverything]

Wonderful video, thanks a long, but I think the show was "Shangalang" which was hosted by the Bay City Rollers rather than "Supersonic".

[simargl]

i seriously thought they were British all these years

[ferry64]

Even in 1975 it must have been hilarious wearing these shorts! Funnier than funny, like everything from The Sparks

[drlovepants]

fabulous!!! i'm happy so happy

[project34]

Have loved Sparks since I was 5 (now 40) I finally saw them live last year - they were brilliant - thanks for posting this, brings back great memories even if Ron still scares me to death!!

[kowalsky76]

i really love them. there's no band like them

and ron is the coolest keyboard player on earth.

still great and very innovative

[nazdya]

ah-ha-ha)) too good

[petersimms1]

i absolutley can not get this song out of my head, what is going on, i tell my children (if your naughty the keyboar player will come and get you). quality song, i love it.

[JACKIEANN65]

les hit the nail on the head, Thanks for that shocking experience from Sparks. Russ, shorts, NO!!!

[thevader]

Sparks were and still are a great band.

This video is just scary. Origional or what??

[Wofat]

How else are you going explain the look on his face at 0:24 through 0:29.

[Wofat]

Is this a joke? Shorts that short could not be fashionable, even in the '70s. That hitler guy was a unhealty skinny, and looks like he had a crush on the singer.

[strangebeastie]

hahahaha oh, I don´t think you realise how unintentionally hilarious that last bit was.

[strangebeastie]

also: LOL N00b!

[mewkis]

Thanks alot. Good to see the late Dinky Diamond.

[SteveCaftdunt]

I dont have time for questionaires either Russell !! Fantastic song :-)

[LadyEdgar]

I love this video. The song is amazing, and gee, those shorts are hilarious. Go Russell, if you've got it, flaunt it.

[gangstasoldiers]

this song sucks i would expect something better from the sparks

[EVanHalen]

I love this song! The piano player is so funny-looking :D:D

[aqualarva]

Besides being attached to a great song, this is a really well-crafted music video. Edited in all the right places with a great sense of drama.

[brianfizzy]

What with the Bay City Rollers Intro and Outro,Russell Mael's disturbingly short shorts, and of course a wackier then wacky song, this clip of 1970's Sparks is 100% brilliant!

[7Richard7]

There's nothing scary about Sparks

[7Richard7]

I think BBC took off the vintage live version- his shorts are smaller in that one!

[allsopman]

I think sparks are great, BUT i hate JIMMY SOMMERVILLE'S PATRONAGE, the big poof!

[Hagridsheep]

I'm scared. Don't get me wrong, it was brilliant... but at the same time, terrifying.

[persinos]

I know what you mean. There is something very fascistic about the song. With the marching band and everything. Like a Nazi propaganda song with Marlene Dietrich type vocals. But of course the song is about sex. So everybody get in the swing!

[allsopman]

Cheeky B&&TARD'S at the end!!!! F**king D**k's!! Who are those two saying that?(that spark's people, obviously)

[Perranporth]

That was film, not videotape! Great song, my favourite frome the Borthers Mael.

Does anyone else think Derek Longmuir looks like a blond version of Princess Beatrice?