| Plagiarism | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1997 | |||
| Studio | Sparks Studio, Los Angeles CTS Studios, London Coast Recorders, San Francisco RAK Studios, London | |||
| Length | 74:17 | |||
| Label | Oglio | |||
| Producer | Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Faith No More, Erasure | |||
| Sparks chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Plagiarism | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
Plagiarism is the 17th album by American rock band Sparks. It is a tribute album of sorts featuring new alternate versions of some of their best known songs.
Release
Plagiarism was not successful across Europe like its predecessor Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins, and did not chart significantly in any territory. The two singles performed well enough to register in the lower regions of the UK Singles Chart. The first single from the album, "The Number One Song in Heaven", included the vocals of Jimmy Somerville and reached #70 in October 1997.[2] Remixes of the single reached the US Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart (and currently their final entry) in 1999 at #28.[3] The second single; "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" did better, and was buoyed by the presence of Faith No More, it peaked at #40 (and remains Sparks last UK top 40 entry) in December 1997.[2]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 3:36 |
| 2. | "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" | Ron Mael | 4:03 |
| 3. | "No 1 Song in Heaven (Part Two)" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Giorgio Moroder | 4:06 |
| 4. | "Funny Face" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 5:11 |
| 5. | "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 5:44 |
| 6. | "Angst in My Pants" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 5:19 |
| 7. | "Change" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 5:26 |
| 8. | "Popularity" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 4:21 |
| 9. | "Something for the Girl with Everything" | Ron Mael | 2:52 |
| 10. | "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" (with Faith No More) | Ron Mael | 3:00 |
| 11. | "Beat the Clock" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 4:30 |
| 12. | "Big Brass Ring" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael | 4:20 |
| 13. | "Amateur Hour" (with Erasure) | Ron Mael | 3:35 |
| 14. | "Propaganda" | Ron Mael | 2:35 |
| 15. | "When I'm with You" | 4:06 | |
| 16. | "Something for the Girl with Everything" (with Faith No More) | Ron Mael | 3:15 |
| 17. | "Orchestral Collage" | Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Giorgio Moroder | 0:24 |
| 18. | "The Number One Song in Heaven" (with Jimmy Somerville) | Ron Mael, Russell Mael, Giorgio Moroder | 5:19 |
| 19. | "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" | Ron Mael | 2:35 |
Personnel
- Russell Mael – vocals, production, mixing
- Ron Mael – keyboards, production
- Metro Voices – vocal backing on "Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat", "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'", "The Number One Song in Heaven" and "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth"
- Dean Menta – guitar on "Funny Face"
- Tony Visconti – orchestral, choral arrangements and conducting on "Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat", "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us", "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'", "Change", "Something for the Girl with Everything", "Propaganda", "The Number One Song in Heaven" and "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth"
- John Thomas – mixing
- Greg Penny – mixing
- Eskimos and Egypt – additional production, remix, bass, guitar and drums on "Angst in My Pants"
- Faith No More – production and performer on "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" and "Something for the Girl with Everything"
- Erasure – production and performer on "Amateur Hour"
- Jenny O'Grady and David Porter-Thomas – additional vocals on "Propaganda"
- Jimmy Somerville – performer on "The Number One Song in Heaven"
References
- ↑ Allmusic review
- 1 2 "Sparks - Full Official Chart History". Official Charts Company. Official Charts Company. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
- ↑ "Allmusic - Billboard Singles - Sparks". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-09-22.