Hello Young Lovers (Sparks album)

Hello Young Lovers is the 20th album by Sparks. A continuation of the repetitious, orchestral sound of their previous album Lil' Beethoven, though with a much greater emphasis on guitar and drums, It is a concept album which addresses aspects of modern love.

Hello Young Lovers
Studio album by
Sparks
ReleasedFebruary 6, 2006
StudioSparks Studios, Los Angeles, California
Genre
Length50:39
LabelIn The Red Recordings (US), Gut (UK)
ProducerRon Mael, Russell Mael
Sparks chronology
Lil' Beethoven
(2002)		 Hello Young Lovers
(2006)		 Exotic Creatures of the Deep
(2008)
Singles from Hello Young Lovers
  1. "Perfume" b/w "(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country (Alternative Verse)""
    Released: 13 Feb 2006
  2. "Dick Around" / "Waterproof""
    Released: 18 Sep 2006
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
BBC(Positive)[2]
Dusted Reviews(Negative)[3]
Pitchfork Media(6.9/10)[4]
Play Louder[5]
Slant Magazine[6]
Stylus MagazineB+[7]

Release

Hello Young Lovers was commercially more popular than any Sparks album since the 1970s, and it reached #66 on the UK Album Chart.[8] The album did not chart in the US. The album was released on CD and both white and pink vinyl. The CD was initially released on Gut records, and then later released on In The Red records.

Two singles and an EP were released to promote the album. The first; "Perfume" was backed with an alternative version of "(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country" and a remix by Clor. It peaked at #80 on the UK Singles chart[8] and #10 on the UK Independent Singles Chart.

"Dick Around" was released as an EP in the US, and as a double a-side single with "Waterproof" in the UK. Both versions featured an edited version of "Dick Around" and the US version included live tracks recorded earlier that year in Los Angeles. The UK release of the song fell foul of a ban by the BBC, who took issue with the title citing it as obscene. Sparks issued a statement; "In a reaction [to the ban] the band says: "The BBC has officially killed off our new single Dick Around, ostensibly through rather childish objections to the title, an innocent reference to the idle life. That a piece of music can be condemned purely by its title without the 'decision makers' even having the decency to open the CD case is a travesty and an insult to both us as the creators of the music and to the listeners of the BBC."[9] Eventually, In a statement BBC London said that the track is back in rotation.[9] The single charted at #139[10] in the UK.

Re-release

In April 2022, a remastered Hello Young Lovers was issued on LP, CD and digital as part of the five album "21st Century Sparks" collection. The CD and digital releases contain two bonus tracks: An alternative version of "(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country" previously released as a B-side, and a cover of "We Are The Clash" recorded for an Uncut Magazine tribute to The Clash in 2003.[11]

It entered the UK Independent Albums Chart at no. 14.[12]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael; except where indicated

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Dick Around" 6:35
2."Perfume" 4:59
3."The Very Next Fight" 5:18
4."(Baby, Baby) Can I Invade Your Country"Ron and Russell Mael, Francis Scott Key (Additional lyrics)5:56
5."Rock, Rock, Rock" 5:10
6."Metaphor" 4:03
7."Waterproof" 4:17
8."Here Kitty" 4:26
9."There's No Such Thing as Aliens" 2:53
10."As I Sit Down to Play The Organ at the Notre Dame Cathedral" 7:02

Personnel

Chart placings

Album

Country/Region (2006/2022) Peak
position
Scotland Albums Chart[13] 49
Swedish Sverigetopplistan Album Chart[14] 48
UK Albums Chart[8] 66
Perfume (single)
Chart (2006) Peak
Position
Scotland (OCC)[15] 46
UK (OCC)[8] 80
UK Indie Singles Chart (OCC) 10
Dick Around (single)
Chart (2006) Peak
position
Scotland (OCC)[16] 67
UK (OCC)[10] 139

References
  1. Raggett, Ned. Review: Hello Young Lovers. Allmusic. Retrieved on 2010-03-23.
  2. Jones, Chris. Review: Hello Young Lovers. BBC. Retrieved on 2010-03-23.
  3. Mosurock, Doug. Review: Hello Young Lovers. ©2002-2005 Dusted Magazine. Retrieved on 2010-03-23.
  4. Abebe, Nitsuh. Review: Hello Young Lovers Archived 2008-01-04 at the Wayback Machine. Pitchfork Media Inc. Retrieved on 2010-03-23.
  5. Review: Hello Young Lovers. Play Louder.
  6. Keefe, Jonathan. Review: Hello Young Lovers. 2010 Slant Magazine. Retrieved on 2010-03-23.
  7. O’Reilly, Fergal. Review: Hello Young Lovers Archived 2007-03-23 at the Wayback Machine. 2001-2007 stylusmagazine.com. Retrieved on 2010-03-23.
  8. "The Official Charts Company - Sparks". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
  9. "Sparks single banned on BBC: yes/no on www.side-line.com". Retrieved 2009-09-25.
  10. "Chart Log UK: DJ S - The System Of Life". Dipl.-Bibl.(FH) Tobias Zywietz, 1994–2009. Archived from the original on 2015-03-22. Retrieved 2010-02-17.
  11. Sparks, Hello Young Lovers official tracklist, retrieved 2022-05-29
  12. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50 | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2022-05-29.
  13. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100 06 May 2022 - 12 May 2022". The Official UK Charts Company 2022. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
  14. "swedishcharts.com - Discography Sparks". Hung Medien. Retrieved 2009-11-03. Charts cover period from 1975 - 2005
  15. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  16. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
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