English Summary/英文概要： In the past fifty years Sparks have recorded over twenty-five albums and a huge number of non-album tracks, demos and unreleased songs. Their music is characterized by the fact that it can hardly be characterized. There is little out there that can be compared to the Sparks sound, and where comparisons can be made, the artists behind the songs have often admitted to drawing their inspiration from the band.

In this book every studio recording is discussed in unique detail, including demos and unreleased material. Those familiar with Sparks will instantly recognize each song as the band’s unique creation, though predicting how the next album or song will sound is an impossible task for even the most dedicated fan. This unpredictability and infinite variety is one of the main characteristics of the work of the Mael brothers. Sparks: Song by Song is a comprehensive examination and uplifting celebration of their unique and extensive output.

Born and raised in Amsterdam, Ruud Swart was interested in music from a very young age. In 1974, when Sparks broke through in Europe, he was intrigued by the combination of the band’s music and presentation, and soon became an avid fan.

Ruud has been involved in promoting Sparks and helping fans via various information centres since 1979. As early as 1998, he and two fellow Sparks fans launched the website FanMael. This website was revived in 2022 and is now recognised as the most comprehensive source of information about the Mael brothers available online.