SPARKS American pop music duo in 1974 with Ron Mael at right and brother Russell/Tony Gale/Alamy
Qalam strives to explore the interpenetration of different cultures. To this end, we have decided to launch a series of playlists in which music mediates between different geographical and ideological spaces. Our first playlist is called ‘West to East: One Hundred Best Songs’. It will be updated several times a week, and its curation will focus on how Western pop culture has reflected the realities of the East, whether they are musical, geographical, religious, or political. (The terms ‘West’ and ‘East’ should be taken as broadly and arbitrarily as possible.)
The Mael brothers, the American gods of sophisticated, satirical glam rock, have entertained the world for over half a century. Over such a long career, their vivid imagination has often led them toward Eastern influences—their best early album, for example, was called Kimono My House. Later, they referenced Hong Kong director Tsui Hark and created ironic electropop tracks such as ‘The Japanese Have Come and They Bought My Number One’.
Sparks, with their delicate yet impulsive style, have always been a much-loved band, and their adventure-filled pop that might have had some rivals fifty years ago certainly has none today. The song ‘Scheherazade’ is sung by Russell Mael from the perspective of King Shahryar, with a storyteller's interlude by Amelia Con. The song is a story of illusory worlds and lavish obscurity, realms that Sparks are masters at drawing listeners into. It is arguably the best track on the album Balls, where the band steps into the heart of the twentieth century and thankfully never leaves.