40 Year Itch : One Extra Coastline

Sparks : Hospitality On Parade

[Purchase]

   Rock operas made a comeback in 1975 with 10cc's "Une Nuit A Paris ( One Night in Paris)", Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" and almost the entire Sparks album Indiscreet, which was released in October. The Mael brothers teamed up with producer Tony Visconti who indulged their Gilbert and Sullivan operetta obsessions on songs like opening track "Hospitality On Parade", "Without Using Hands" and "It Ain't 1918". 

Not all of the critics were impressed but Morrissey was a huge fan, writing in his forward to Visconti's Brooklyn Boy. 

    "Either the Maels or Tony Visconti, were asking 'What can we show them that is new?'...From a tipsy teatime waltz to unstoppable violins, the pace pulverized the listener, and Russell's mouth seemed unable to close. There are so many latitude and longitude instrumental textures that the masterstroke was almost overcooked."

   The album peaked at #18 in the UK and failed to chart in the US. 

40 Year Itch : Top of the Pops

  Here's a rare opportunity to watch an entire episode of Top of the Pops forty years to the day it originally aired. 72 year old Bing Crosby performs. We meet a band we have yet to mention called Smokie. And Sparks gives us the first single off their forthcoming album Indiscreet. Here's a list of the songs played and where they stood in the charts that same week in July.

1. Sweet : Action (UK#17)

2. Typically Tropical : Barbados (UK#2)

3. The Wombles : Superwomble (eventual UK#20)

4. The Bee Gees : Jive Talkin' (UK#11)

5. Sparks : Get in the Swing (UK#46)

6. Linda Lewis  It's in His Kiss (UK#13)

7. Smokie : If You Think You Know How to Love Me (UK#16)

8. Roger Whittaker : The Last Farewell (UK#47)

9 . Linda Carr and the Love Squad : Highwire (UK#50)

10. Bing Crosby : That's What Life Is All About ( eventual UK#41)

11. Pan's People : Hamilton Bohannon's Foot Stompin' Music  (UK#15)

12. Bay City Rollers : Give A Little Love (UK#1)