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PODCAST

The Burning of the Midnight Amp

Frode, Trond & Chris

Three Norwegian music enthusiasts delve into the rich tapestry of albums spanning genres and eras. Discover the stories behind the recordings, the artists who crafted them, and the tales their tracks tell. Connect with us on Instagram: @burningmidnightamp Facebook: @midnightamp Email: burningmidnightamp@gmail.com

music music commentary

All Episodes

07:31

078: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Rockin' Girls

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/02/06

Side B of In Outer Space kicks off with Sparks having obvious fun. “Rockin’ Girls” is a knowingly old-fashioned move: pure 50s rock’n’roll shapes rebuilt with early-80s synths, drum machines, and a wink firmly in place. It’s light, playful, and deliberately unserious — and that’s exactly why it works.We talk about how easily this kind of retro exercise could have gone wrong. On paper it risks sounding like a straight rip-off, but the charm wins out almost immediately. The song keeps undercutting

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07:08

077: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Please, Baby,...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/02/03

“Please Baby Please” closes side A of In Outer Space as one of the album’s most immediately likeable moments. It lands fast as a would-be single: catchy, car-friendly, and built around a chorus that sticks without wearing thin. Even on first listen, it feels purpose-made for radio, despite ending up as a fairly forgotten release.We focus on how deceptively well put together the song is. Synths drive it early on, but guitars, tambourine, and a playful solo gradually flesh it out, giving it a more

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13:50

076: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - All You Ever...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/30

With track four, In Outer Space suddenly snaps into focus. “All You Ever Think About Is Sex” is unmistakably Sparks: fast, funny, sharply written, and built around a rush of synth-pop energy that makes everything else on the album click into place. After the stylistic detours of the previous tracks, this feels like the moment where Ron and Russell fully reassert their voice.Musically, it’s pure momentum — a punchy intro, an elastic groove, and a chorus that lodges itself instantly. Little production

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08:58

075: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Prayin' for a...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/27

On the third track from In Outer Space, Sparks take a sharp stylistic turn with “Prayin’ for a Party” — a brightly lit, guitar-forward slice of early-80s party rock that feels deliberately uncomplicated and almost startlingly un-Sparks-like. After two tracks dominated by programmed textures and synth sheen, this is where the album suddenly lets some rock air in, even if only briefly.Musically, it leans hard into the era: chugging guitars, a bouncy groove, and a chorus that sounds purpose-built for

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11:07

074: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Popularity

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/23

On the second track from In Outer Space, Sparks ease off the glossy punch of “Cool Places” and drift into something calmer and more inward-facing. “Popularity” unfolds over a gently looping sequencer line and soft-focus synths, creating a floating, almost weightless backdrop that quietly recalls the romantic side of Kraftwerk rather than Sparks’ usual theatrical bite. It’s restrained, hypnotic, and deliberately unshowy.What makes the song stand out is how unguarded it feels. Lyrically, there’s very

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18:34

073: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Cool Places

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/20

“Cool Places” opens In Outer Space with Sparks doing something both very deliberate and very of-the-moment. This is a sleek, radio-facing pop single built from sharp early-80s drum sounds, a propulsive synth pulse, and very little excess — a song that knows exactly what it wants to be. The duet with Jane Wiedlin gives it extra lift, not just as a novelty but as a genuine contrast to Russell Mael’s voice, framing the track as playful rather than arch.Musically, it’s minimal and almost stubbornly

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25:52

072: Sparks - In Outer Space (1983) - Album history

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/16

We move into 1983 — MTV is turning videos into hits, synth-pop is fully mainstream, and Sparks are as close as they ever get to a real U.S. breakthrough. After the Munich-made band trilogy of Whomp That Sucker (1981) and Angst in My Pants (1982), Ron and Russell take the same core lineup into a new setting and a new sound: lighter, more electronic, more pop-forward — but still unmistakably Sparks.This time the sessions shift from Musicland in Munich to Brussels, recorded at Telex’s Marc Moulin’s

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07:49

071: Lio - Marie Antoninette (Sparks English version...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/06

In this final bonus stop before leaving Sparks in 1982, we take a detour into the world of Lio, the Belgian pop star who—thanks to the Telex/Sparks connection—ended up recording several tracks with English lyrics written by Ron Mael.Originally a massive Francophone hit titled “Le Banana Split” (1979), the song was reimagined by Sparks in 1982 as “Marie Antoinette” for Lio’s Suite Sixtine compilation, complete with Ron’s sharp, witty rewrite: guillotines, hamburgers, and Sparksian historical

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10:26

070: Sparks - Modesty Plays (1982 single version)

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2026/01/02

In this bonus episode we jump just outside Angst in My Pants to look at Sparks’ lost TV-theme-that-wasn’t: “Modesty Plays”, written for an abandoned ABC pilot based on the comic strip Modesty Blaise. We talk about how the song sits halfway between album track and TV theme, with its very 80s intro, sleek synth production and tongue-in-cheek lyrics that seem to gently mock the source material rather than treat it as straight adventure.We react to the extended 12" “long version”, with all its repeats,

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20:58

069: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Eaten by the...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/30

The album closes with one of Sparks’ most instantly memorable late-era singles: a quirky, propulsive pop track that blends bright synths, clipped drums, and a chant-like refrain that feels unlike anything else in their catalogue. Eaten by the Monsters of Love has the bones of a radio hit, but Sparks lean into their own eccentricities—turning a catchy melody into something stranger, funnier, and unmistakably theirs.We explore how this combination of sweetness and unease gives the song its charm, from

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13:26

068: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - The Decline...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/26

As Angst in My Pants approaches its finale, Sparks offer one of the album’s strangest contradictions: a song about personal collapse delivered with music that sounds unexpectedly triumphant. The Decline and Fall of Me drifts by almost anonymously at first, yet reveals a quietly clever concept — a narrator mentally and physically unravelling while the arrangement pushes upward with bright guitars, bubbling synths, and steady forward motion.The lyrics sit somewhere between bleak humor and surreal

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08:58

067: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Tarzan and Jane

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/23

On this episode, we swing into Tarzan and Jane, one of the true deep cuts on Angst in My Pants. The band shifts into a lurching, jungle-stomp groove with a rhythmic pulse that hints at post-punk, new-romantic textures, and even a touch of Adam & the Ants swagger. Beneath the swirling synths and shuffling drums lies a Sparks rarity: a third-person snapshot, turning a chaotic classroom into a mini short story.We discuss the song’s off-kilter funk, the strange little details hiding in the

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11:26

066: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Instant...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/19

“Instant Weight Loss” marks one of the most unexpected stylistic turns on Angst in My Pants. Built around a steady, hypnotic riff, warm basslines and unusually sleek production, the track drifts into territory Sparks rarely visited — part R&B shading, part post-punk minimalism, with flashes that evoke Talking Heads, Wire, or even hints of what The Smiths would later explore.What begins as deceptively simple quickly reveals itself as an “instant classic,” at least among listeners drawn to Sparks’

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07:40

065: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Moustache

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/16

Side B of Angst in My Pants kicks off with “Moustache,” Sparks at their most knowingly absurd and irresistibly catchy. Built on a tightly looping groove, sharp stops, and two fake endings before the song even hits the halfway point, it’s a perfect example of the band turning the mundane into something gleefully theatrical. The chorus—simply “moustache” repeated with mounting enthusiasm—is impossible to dislodge once it gets in your head.The lyrics celebrate facial hair with deadpan surrealism,

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11:37

064: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Mickey Mouse

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/12

“Mickey Mouse” closes the A-side of Angst in My Pants with one of the album’s most straightforward, radio-friendly pop-rock moments. Compared to the sharper, more intricate songs leading up to it, this track is lighter, simpler, and built around a bright, instantly memorable chorus. It may not hit with the same impact on first listen, but its hook has a way of lodging itself in your head—classic Sparks earworm engineering.Lyrically, it’s playful and deliberately naïve: a celebration of Mickey,

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07:42

063: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Nicotina

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/09

“Nicotina” is one of Angst in My Pants’ most dramatic and distinctive deep cuts—a compact, operatic mini-epic that blends jagged guitar riffs, 80s synth colours, and a breathless vocal performance. Its opening nods to John Barry gives way to a frantic, tightly packed arrangement that feels closer in spirit to Whomp That Sucker than the smoother textures elsewhere on the album.Lyrically, the song is pure Sparks: a cigarette personified as a seductive, short-lived woman named Nicotina, complete with a

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13:57

062: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Sherlock Holmes

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/05

“Sherlock Holmes” shifts Angst in My Pants into a darker, fog-lit atmosphere. Built on a looping, hypnotic drum pattern and synths that bend like slowing tape, the song stands out as one of the album’s most quietly powerful tracks. The melody drifts beautifully, interrupted only by a brief, unusual bridge that contrasts sharply with the song’s otherwise dreamlike flow.The lyrics blend classic Sparks humour with insecurity and longing: a narrator who imagines himself as Sherlock Holmes to win

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09:46

061: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Sextown USA

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/12/02

On the third track of Angst in My Pants, Sparks shift gears into high-tempo party-rock with “Sextown U.S.A.” – a frantic, hook-driven burst of energy packed with references, harmonies, and classic Maelian wordplay. The episode dives into how the track opens with a synth motif reminiscent of The Who, quickly erupts into breakneck rock’n’roll, and even drops a Beach Boys-style “bop-bop-bop” vocal line in the middle of the chaos.We explore the song’s structure – a traditional chorus paired with Sparks’

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19:55

060: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - I Predict

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/11/28

On the second track from Angst in My Pants, Sparks step away from the twitchy synth-pop of the title song and head straight into lean, driving rock’n’roll with “I Predict” – the album’s main single and their first entry on the US Billboard Hot 100. Built around a simple, punchy riff that faintly echoes “My Sharona,” the track rides a heavy drum groove and “woolly,” slightly lo-fi production, with Russell’s dry, upfront vocal sitting on top.In this episode we talk about why this, rather than the

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16:24

059: Sparks - Angst in my Pants (1982) - Angst in my...

The Burning of the Midnight Amp ·

2025/11/25

We kick off Sparks’ 1982 album Angst in My Pants with its iconic title track — a jittery, tightly wound burst of nervous energy that has grown into one of the band’s most beloved songs. Although it was only released as a single in Germany, the track has since become one of Sparks’ most-streamed and most-performed pieces, a true early-80s signature moment.In this episode, we look at how Ron and Russell scrapped their original version at the last minute and rebuilt the entire track in a single day,

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78 results

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