Sparks - Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins (Expanded Edition) (2019)

25 years since its original release, Sparks’ 16th studio album ‘Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins’ is reissued with remastered and bonus material. The original, remastered album is accompanied by a further two CDs of eclectic bonus tracks and rarities and, in a rare move, Sparks have opened the vaults to share previously unreleased demos and recordings. After a few years working on the as-yet-unrealised Mai The Psychic Girl film project - with both Tsui Hark (whose vocals appear on this record) and Tim Burton -, collaborating with Scottish band Finitribe on 1993’s ‘National Crime Awareness Week’, and producing demos for Star Trek regular and future Sparks drummer Christi Haydon, Ron and Russell Mael returned to the pop forum and the charts in 1994 with ‘Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins’.

The first song written for the album ‘When Do I Get To Sing ‘My Way’ (originally titled ‘Punch And Judy Show’) would go on to become the number one radio song of ‘94 in Germany and a top 40 hit in the UK. A mouth-watering collection for fans and completists, the two bonus discs of this 25th anniversary collection comprise B sides, remixes, live recordings and the unreleased tracks from the Christi Haydon EP and, uniquely for Sparks, a selection of demo tracks or “orphan songs”. The release comes complete with fresh artwork and booklet with liner notes by Ron and Russell Mael.



CD1: 2019 Remaster Edition (44:55)
01. Gratuitous Sax (0:30)
02. When Do I Get To Sing ''My Way'' (4:37)
03. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing (5:13)
04. Frankly, Scarlett, I Don't Give A Damn (5:03)
05. I Thought I Told You To Wait In The Car (4:20)
06. Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil (5:37)
07. Now That I Own The BBC (4:58)
08. Tsui Hark (4:31)
09. The Ghost Of Liberace (4:15)
10. Let's Go Surfing (5:02)
11. Senseless Violins (0:49)

CD2: Mixes And Versions (01:17:56)
01. National Crime Awareness Week (Complete Psycho) (5:17)
02. When Do I Get To Sing ''My Way'' (The Grid Radio Edit) (4:08)
03. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing (Bernard Butler's Fashionable World Of Fashion Mix) (7:05)
04. Now That I Own The BBC (Live BBC Acoustic Version) (1:31)
05. When Do I Get To Sing ''My Way'' (Vince Clarke Remix) (4:37)
06. She's An Anchorman (5:08)
07. Little Drummer Boy (Unreleased Studio Version) (3:03)
08. Beat The Clock (Live In Concert) (5:42)
09. National Crime Awareness Week (13 Minutes In Heaven) (13:05)
10. When Do I Get To Sing ''My Way'' (Sticks & Stones Remix) (6:20)
11. (When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing (The Beatmasters' Full-Blown Dub) (5:34)
12. Now That I Own The BBC (Motiv 8 Extended Vocal Mix) (6:01)
13. When Do I Get To Sing ''My Way'' (Pro-Gress Mix) (4:36)
14. National Crime Awareness Week (The Janet Leigh Mix) (5:49)

CD3: Unreleased Demos (01:07:06)
01. Where Did I Leave My Halo? (3:23)
02. She's Beautiful (So What) (3:40)
03. Mid-Atlantic (3:33)
04. The Farmer's Daugher (4:01)
05. This Angry Young Man Ain't Angry No More (4:28)
06. Bob Hope (3:41)
07. She's An Anchorman (Demo) (4:54)
08. Love Can Conquer All (4:25)
09. That's What I Call Paradise (5:26)
10. This Angry Young Man Ain't Angry No More (Ron Vocal Version) (2:11)
11. Mid-Atlantic (Ron Vocal Version) (3:28)
12. That's Entertainment (feat. Les Bohem) (2:46)
13. Katherine Hepburn (feat. Christi Haydon) (5:03)
14. Titanic (feat. Christi Haydon) (4:41)
15. Othello (feat. Christi Haydon) (4:01)
16. Holiday (feat. Christi Haydon) (3:42)
17. Boris The Spider (feat. Christi Haydon) (3:43)

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