[Laughs] EW: Before I got to know them, I didn’t believe that Ron and Russell lived on planet earth — I assumed they were the J.D. What did it feel like diving into the Maels’ fanciful universe? "[15], Learn how and when to remove this template message, This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us, "Harrietta Hughes on the cover of Republic Insider Magazine 1947", "Edgar Wright to Tackle 70s Cult Band "Sparks" in New Documentary", "Edgar Wright's Next Film is Pop-Rock Documentary About Sparks", "Edgar Wright's Next Film Is a Documentary on Cult Pop-Rock Band Sparks – Exclusive", Edgar Wright's 'The Sparks Brothers' Gives Cult Rock Icons Their Due, Sparks - The "Kimono My House" album files, Interview: Russell Mael "Two Hands, One Mouth, All Genius" Rockerzine.com, When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Russell_Mael&oldid=1004556961, American people of Austrian-Jewish descent, American people of Russian-Jewish descent, BLP articles lacking sources from March 2011, Wikipedia articles with MusicBrainz identifiers, Wikipedia articles with PLWABN identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 February 2021, at 05:06. He has a flamboyant and hyperactive stage presence which contrasts sharply with Ron Mael's deadpan scowling. Call us crazy, but we like it when an artist comes around who doesn't mesh with the status quo. [6] After being educated at Palisades High School (where Russell, in the "Class of '65" alongside Michael Medved and David Wallechinsky, played as quarterback for the Palisades High School Dolphins), both brothers enrolled at UCLA;[7] Ron began a course in Cinema and Graphic Arts in 1963 while Russell studied Theater Arts and Filmmaking between 1966–1968.[8]. The Mael brothers are the founders of Lil' Beethoven Records. Neil Diamond originally wrote "I'm A Believer" for the Country artist Eddy Arnold. He has recorded 24 albums with his band, Sparks. Quand le groupe atteint l'apogée de sa popularité dans les années 1970, il était bien connu pour son apparence … The pair appeared as themselves in the 1977 disaster film Rollercoaster, performing live. Katy Perry mentions McDonald's, Beyoncé calls out Red Lobster, and Supertramp shouts out Taco Bell - we found the 10 restaurants most often mentioned in songs. Ron Mael and his brother Russell still believe in their maxim ‘innovate or die’ Thu, May 7, 2020, 05:00. Russell Craig Mael (born October 5, 1948)[1] is an American singer, songwriter and record producer best known as the lead singer and occasional songwriter for the band Sparks which he formed in 1971 with his elder brother, keyboardist and main songwriter Ron Mael. 2 on the UK Singles Chart.[10]. Ronald David Mael was born on August 12, 1945, in Culver City, California, and his younger brother Russell Craig Mael was born on October 5, 1948, in Santa Monica, California. ‘Originally formed in 1970 by Los Angeles brothers Ron and Russell Mael, Sparks’ music is often accompanied by intelligent, sophisticated, and acerbic lyrics, and an idiosyncratic, theatrical stage presence, typified in the contrast between Russell’s wide-eyed hyperactive frontman antics and Ron’s sedentary scowling. Their music has been imbued with a cinematic feel from the … Brothers Ron and Russell Mael have been making wonderfully quirky pop as Sparks for 50 years. Brothers Ron and Russell Mael are back with their 24th album and show no signs of slowing down. You worked with the Ron and Russell Mael on Indiscreet in 1975 and then, did, I believe three bonus tracks for Plagiarism in 1997 (including maybe the weirdest song in their catalog – and that’s saying something – “The Marriage of Jacqueline Kennedy to Russell Mael”). Il est le fondateur du groupe Sparks avec son frère Russell. The pop rock duo formed by brothers Ron and Russell Mael has in their five-decade run gained a cult following of some seriously creative people, from Beck and Weird Al to Mike Myers and Amy Sherman-Palladino. He is also known for his flamboyant and hyperactive stage presence which contrasted sharply with Ron Mael's deadpan scowling. Originally known as Halfnelson the band changed their name to Sparks (a play on the Marx Brothers) after the 1971 release of their first album. The band released an album with British rock band Franz Ferdinand, as the supergroup FFS, titled FFS, released in 2015. Photograph: Ben Beaumont-Thomas/The Guardian Facebook Twitter. Russell Craig Mael was born on October 5, 1948, in Los Angeles, California. Pre-order the new album A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip, out 15th May 2020. File: Ron (R) and Russell Mael of Sparks perform at the Big Chill music festival on Aug. 5, 2006 in Herefordshire, England. Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era. Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene. Since emerging from MySpace with her hit "Bubbly," Colbie has become a top songwriter, even crafting a hit with Taylor Swift.