Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat is the thirteenth studio album by American pop and rock band Sparks, released in June 1984 by Atlantic Records. It was not very well received and failed to capitalise on the commercial success of their previous studio album In Outer Space (1983). The album developed the light synth-pop sound of In Outer Space but with slightly darker lyrics revolving around Ron Mael's favourite subject matter: relationships.
| Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 1984 | |||
| Studio | Oasis Studios (Los Angeles, California) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 39:47 | |||
| Label | Atlantic | |||
| Producer | Ian Little | |||
| Sparks chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
Release
editPulling Rabbits Out of a Hat did not chart in the US in spite of the popularity of their previous studio album In Outer Space (1983). In the UK, where the group hadn't charted since 1979, the album was also unsuccessful.
Three singles were lifted from the album. The lead single, "With All My Might", reached No. 104 on Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles and made the Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart, where it peaked at No. 28.[2] The other two singles were "Pretending to Be Drunk" and "Progress", which were extended, remixed and released as club promos.
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat" | 4:07 |
| 2. | "Love Scenes" | 4:20 |
| 3. | "Pretending to Be Drunk" | 3:38 |
| 4. | "Progress" | 4:43 |
| 5. | "With All My Might" | 4:06 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 6. | "Sparks in the Dark (Part One)" | 0:28 |
| 7. | "Everybody Move" | 2:58 |
| 8. | "A Song That Sings Itself" | 4:29 |
| 9. | "Sisters" | 3:53 |
| 10. | "Kiss Me Quick" | 4:07 |
| 11. | "Sparks in the Dark (Part Two)" | 2:58 |
| Total length: | 39:47 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Sparks in the Dark" (Extended Club Mix) | 3:57 |
| 13. | "Pretending to Be Drunk" (Extended Version) | 5:39 |
| 14. | "Progress" (Extended Club Mix) | 6:15 |
| 15. | "With All My Might" (Extended Club Mix) | 6:40 |
| 16. | "Kiss Me Quick" (Extended Version) | 5:39 |
Personnel
editCredits are adapted from the Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat liner notes.[3]
Sparks
- Ron Mael – synthesizers (Roland Jupiter-8, Yamaha DX7, Synclavier II, Fairlight CMI), (Roland Juno-6, Yamaha CS80
- Russell Mael – vocals
Additional musicians
- Leslie Bohem – bass, backing vocals
- Bob Haag – guitar, synthesizer, backing vocals
- David Kendrick – drums
- John Thomas – keyboards
Production
- Producer – Ian Little
- Mixed by – Brian Reeves, Dave Bianco, Mick Guzauski
- Engineer – Steve Bates
References
edit- ^ a b AllMusic review
- ^ "Allmusic – Billboard Singles – Sparks". Billboard. Retrieved 2009-09-22.
- ^ Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (CD booklet). Sparks. Atlantic Records. 1984.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
edit- Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat at Discogs (list of releases)