Propaganda (Sparks album)

1974 studio album by Sparks

Propaganda

Studio album by

Sparks

Released| November 11, 1974 (1974-11-11)
Recorded| 1974
Genre|

* Glam rock[1]
* power pop[2]
* baroque pop[3]
* art rock[4]

Length| 33:41
Label| Island
Producer| Muff Winwood
Sparks chronology
| Kimono My House
(1974)  | Propaganda
(1974)  | Indiscreet
(1975)

|
|

Singles from  Propaganda

1. "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"
Released: October 1974
2. "At Home, at Work, at Play"
Released: 1974 (France)
3. "Something for the Girl with Everything"
Released: January 1975
4. "Achoo"
Released: March 1975 (US)

Professional ratingsReview scores

Source| Rating
AllMusic| [2]
Christgau's Record Guide| C−[5]
Classic Rock| [6]
Tom Hull| A−[7]

Propaganda is the fourth studio album by American rock band Sparks, released on November 11, 1974 by Island Records. Following up their commercial breakthrough, Kimono My House, released earlier the same year, it was a moderate success in the United States and peaked at No. 9 in the UK in 1975.[8] The album cover features an image of a tied-up and gagged Mael brothers, titled "Welcome on Board", which was taken by photographer Monty Coles.

## Release

[edit]

The album followed its predecessor Kimono My House by half a year and was a successful album in the UK and US. It peaked at No. 9 on the UK Album Chart, which would remain their second highest album chart position in the UK for nearly 43 years until pushed down into third place by Hippopotamus in 2017,[8] and No. 63 on the Billboard 200, which remains their highest peak in that country).[9]

The singles "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" and "Something for the Girl with Everything", while not as successful as those from Kimono My House, both reached the Top 20 in the UK peaking at No. 13 and No. 17 respectively.[8] In France, "At Home, at Work, at Play" together with "Propaganda" was released as a single instead of "Something for the Girl with Everything". In the US, "Achoo" was released as the album's only single.

"Bon Voyage" and "Thanks But No Thanks" appear briefly in the 2021 musical drama film Annette, which Ron and Russell co-wrote with the director Leos Carax.

## Critical reception

[edit]

Reviewing in Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies (1981), Robert Christgau wrote: "Admirers of these self-made twerps certainly don't refer to them as pop because they get on the AM—for once the programmers are doing their job. So is it because they sing in a high register? Or because a good beat makes them even more uncomfortable than other accoutrements of a well-lived life?; 'Never turn your back on mother earth,' they chant or gibber in a style unnatural enough to end your current relationship or kill your cacti, and I must be a natural man after all, because I can't endure the contradiction."[5]

Dave Connolly of AllMusic touched on the criticism: "The torrential outpouring of words and ideas, underscored by guitars and keyboards with oft-shifting rhythms, either repels or attracts listeners." However, he believed "close-minded" American listeners were more critical of the album's "cross between 10cc and the power pop of the late '70s", concluding that "Propaganda remains one of Sparks' brightest achievements, brimming with a loopy charm that continued to captivate the open-minded English listeners".[2]

## Re-release

[edit]

Propaganda was re-issued and remastered by Island in 1994 and 2006. The first issue by the Island Masters subsidiary added the B-sides "Alabamy Right" and "Marry Me". The 21st Century Edition also included an interview from Saturday Scene recorded in November 1974.

## Track listing

[edit]

All tracks are written by Ron Mael, except where indicated.

Side oneNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Propaganda"|  | 0:23
2.| "At Home, at Work, at Play"|  | 3:06
3.| "Reinforcements"| Ron and Russell Mael| 3:55
4.| "B.C."|  | 2:13
5.| "Thanks But No Thanks"| Ron and Russell Mael| 4:14
6.| "Don't Leave Me Alone with Her"|  | 3:02

Side twoNo.| Title| Writer(s)| Length

|
|
|

1.| "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"|  | 2:28
2.| "Something for the Girl with Everything"|  | 2:17
3.| "Achoo"|  | 3:34
4.| "Who Don't Like Kids"|  | 3:37
5.| "Bon Voyage"| Ron and Russell Mael| 4:52
Total length:| 33:41

Island Masters bonus tracks (1994)No.| Title| Length

|
|

12.| "Alabamy Right"| 2:11
13.| "Marry Me"| 2:54
Total length:| 38:46

21st Century Edition bonus tracks (2006)No.| Title| Length

|
|

12.| "Alabamy Right"| 2:11
13.| "Marry Me"| 2:54
14.| "Interview – Saturday Scene 8/11/74"| 7:16
Total length:| 46:02

## Personnel

[edit]

### Sparks

[edit]

* Russell Mael – vocals
* Ron Mael – keyboards
* Trevor White – guitar
* Ian Hampton – bass
* Norman "Dinky" Diamond – drums
* Adrian Fisher – guitar

### Production and artwork

[edit]

* Produced by Muff Winwood
* Recording engineers – Richard Digby-Smith, Robin Black, and Bill Price
* Remix engineer – Bill Price
* Concept and photography – Monty Coles

## Charts

[edit]

### Album

[edit]

Chart (1974–75)  | Peak
position

|

Australian Albums (Kent Music Report)[10] | 75
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[11] | 81
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[12] | 49
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[13] | 16
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[14] | 50
UK Albums (OCC)[8] | 9
US Billboard 200[9] | 63

### Singles

[edit]

"Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"  | Chart (1974-75)  | Peak
position

|

Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[15] | 48
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16][notes 1] | 51
UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 13
West Germany (GfK)[17] | 40

"Something for the Girl with Everything"  | Chart (1975)  | Peak
position

|

Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[16] | 30
UK Singles (OCC)[8] | 17

## Certifications

[edit]

Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United Kingdom (BPI)[18] | Silver  | 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "Looks, Looks, Looks" peaked at no. 11 on the Dutch Top 40 Tipparade, which measures songs that fall below the threshold of a top 40 hit.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Quietus - Reviews - Sparks". The Quietus. December 9, 2015. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
2. ^ a b c Propaganda (Review) at AllMusic. Retrieved December 14, 2014.
3. ^ "50 Years Ago Today – Sparks Release Fourth Album 'Propaganda'". Glide Magazine. November 10, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
4. ^ "50 Years Ago Today – Sparks Release Fourth Album 'Propaganda'". Glide Magazine. November 10, 2024. Retrieved June 1, 2025.
5. ^ a b Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: S". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 13, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
6. ^ Makowski, Peter (December 2006). "Still able to start a fire: Sparks Reissues". Classic Rock. p. 101.
7. ^ Hull, Tom (April 1975). "The Rekord Report: Third Card". Overdose. Retrieved June 26, 2020 – via tomhull.com.
8. ^ a b c d e f "Sparks | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
9. ^ a b "Sparks Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
10. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 286\. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
11. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 3959b". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
12. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sparks – Propaganda" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
13. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Sparks – Propaganda". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
14. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Sparks – Propaganda". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
15. ^ "Sparks – Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" (in French). Ultratop 50. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
16. ^ a b "Nederlandse Top 40 – Sparks" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
17. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Sparks – Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved March 15, 2025.
18. ^ "British album certifications – Sparks – Propaganda". British Phonographic Industry. January 1, 1975. Retrieved March 20, 2025.

## External links

[edit]

* Sparks – The "Propaganda" album files
* Something for the Girl with Everything, original era performance video
* BC original era performance video including a mid-point surprise

* v
* t
* e

Sparks

* Ron Mael
* Russell Mael

* Jim Mankey
* Earle Mankey
* Martin Gordon
* Adrian Fisher
* Norman "Dinky" Diamond

* Leslie Bohem
* David Kendrick
* Tammy Glover
* Dean Menta

Albums|

* Halfnelson/Sparks
* A Woofer in Tweeter's Clothing
* Kimono My House
* Propaganda
* Indiscreet
* Big Beat
* Introducing Sparks
* Nº 1 in Heaven
* Terminal Jive
* Whomp That Sucker
* Angst in My Pants
* In Outer Space
* Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat
* Music That You Can Dance To
* Interior Design
* Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
* Plagiarism
* Balls
* Lil' Beethoven
* Hello Young Lovers
* Exotic Creatures of the Deep
* The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman
* Two Hands, One Mouth: Live in Europe
* Hippopotamus
* A Steady Drip, Drip, Drip
* The Girl Is Crying in Her Latte
* Mad!

Singles|

* "This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us"
* "Amateur Hour"
* "Never Turn Your Back on Mother Earth"
* "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
* "The Number One Song in Heaven"
* "Beat the Clock"
* "When I'm with You"
* "I Predict"
* "Cool Places"
* "With All My Might"
* "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'"
* "When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)"
* "Now That I Own the BBC"
* "Dick Around"

Films|

* The Sparks Brothers
* Annette
* soundtracks

Related|

* Gleaming Spires
* Les Rita Mitsouko
* Noël
* Is There More to Life Than Dancing?
* FFS
* self-titled album
* Sparks Spectacular
* Telex
* Sex

Discography

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

|

*[No.]: Number
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template