Whomp That Sucker

History

Sparks had recorded No. 1 In Heaven and Terminal Jive with Giorgio Moroder. Both had been relatively successful, but the brothers had found the electronic equipment they had adopted for their new sound too cumbersome to tour with. Whomp That Sucker was recorded without Giorgio Moroder at Musicland Studios, Munich in association with Giorgio Moroder Enterprises. The next four albums were recorded as part of the same partnership.

The album marked Sparks return proper to a rock sound after their previous two disco efforts. To complement the Mael Brothers the backing band Bates Motel was hired. The band consisted of guitarist Bob Haag, bassist Leslie Bohem, and drummer David Kendrick. Together this line-up would record the next four Sparks albums concluding with Music That You Can Dance To in 1986. Haag, Bohem and Kendrick also recorded on their own under the name Gleaming Spires. The group recorded three studio albums in the early eighties and had a minor novelty new wave hit, "Are You Ready for the Sex Girls?", in 1981. Bohem has since become a fairly successful Hollywood screenwriter.

Release

Whomp That Sucker was released by a number of different record labels; RCA in the US, Underdog in France, Ariola/Oasis in Germany and in the UK by the short lived Why-Fi Records. The album was not a success in the UK but did fairly well in France coming as it did off the back of their 1980 French hit "When I'm With You". In the US the album reached #182 on the Billboard 200 becoming their first since Indiscreet to chart there.

"Tips for Teens" and "Funny Face" were released as singles. In France "Funny Face" was the lead single, while in the UK "Tips for Teens" was. "Don't Shoot Me" was selected as the b-side for "Tips for Teens" in the UK.

Track listing

All tracks written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael.

Personnel