20 Established 1961 Wednesday, May 23, 2018 Lifestyle Gossip Sparks enjoy music-making more now than in 70s parks have more fun “musically” now than they did in their heyday. The delivery boy for a liquor company in a while, he said: “Well, I haven’t been a deliv- S pop rock duo - comprised of brothers Ron and Russell Mael - ery boy for quite a long time. “And in some ways the situation is quite liberating. returned to the UK top 10 last year with their 23rd album, “Because when the do-or-die about something being a hit single is gone then it ‘Hippopotamus’, which entered the chart at number seven. Keyboard isn’t chart weekend that will decide whether your career is happening or not.” player Ron says that on reflection the ‘This Town Ain’t Big Enough For the Both Before releasing their album, ‘No. 1 in Heaven’, in 1979 in collaboration with disco Of Us’ hitmakers prefer the music they are making now than in the 70s. In an producer, Giorgio Moroder - who is renowned for his work for the likes of Kylie interview with The Times newspaper, he admitted: “I can’t say it wasn’t fun in the Minogue, Donna Summer and Britney Spears - which saw them head in a synth- 70s having screaming people in the audience. “Musically, though, it is more fun pop direction, Sparks came close to giving up on music. Their record prior to that now. The fact we are still here, it’s beyond surreal.” The pair will head back into in 1977, ‘Introducing Sparks, was a commercial failure and panned by critics, the studio after they complete their current UK tour, which concludes at however, they don’t let stuff like that worry them now. Ron said: “We had never Bournemouth’s International Centre on May 28, to work on their 24th record, and had that sort of success, admiration, adulation. “So when that cools off a bit you Russell admits it will be hard work topping their last album. He said: “When you think, ‘is that it? Is that us over?’ “Now we don’t worry about little nicks that hap- have done something that was really well received, it’s a challenge to follow it up.” pen along the way. “We feel we can fight through them, but at the start you don’t However, Ron insists that they no longer mark their success on chart positions. know what the story is going to be.” Joking about not having to return to his former employment as a record label Lipa hasn’t Muse drummer gets ‘tribal’ as recorded band tease album progress Bond theme use drummer Dom Howard ua Lipa hasn’t recorded the next James Bond M has been recording “tribal” theme tune - but she’d love to. The ‘One Kiss’ drums. The British rockers D hitmaker has responded to rumors that she has appear to be hard at work penned a song for the next movie in the block- on their eighth studio album after buster franchise, which returns with Daniel Craig starring they gave fans a glimpse of what to as the titular suave British spy next year, and while she expect by sharing a slow-motion clip insists she hasn’t been asked to do it yet, she doesn’t want of the sticksman banging congas on to “jinx” her chances. Asked about the speculation, Dua Instagram on yesterday. Frontman told Billboard.com: “I don’t know. I would love to do it, but Matt Bellamy captioned the picture: I’m not recording it ... so far... I don’t want to jinx it. I “Dom goes tribal.” The band teased would love to do it.” Earlier this year, it was reported that fans about their plans for 2018, which Sam Smith was being lined up to record another song for includes playing a handful of shows, the film. The chart-topping singer won the Academy and working on the long-awaited fol- Award for Best Original Song with ‘Writing’s on the Wall’, low-up to 2015’s ‘Drones’, last month. which featured in the 2015 Bond movie ‘Spectre’, and stu- Speaking in a video posted on the dio bosses were believed to be hoping to woo him into band’s Twitter account, the ‘Plug In returning for Daniel’s final appearance as the iconic British Baby’ hitmakers said: “So our plans As agent. A source said at the time: “Sam was seen as a huge for 2018 is to make a few songs, He shared: “That’s our goal, that’s our their next tour. He said: “We’re going Gallagher’s success by the Bond team also a fantastic person to work probably a new album as well, put out intention, that’s what we’re born to do to come up with something that no with. “They feel that having Sam back work again, and put a couple of singles, and we’ll do like ... get out there and blow minds. one’s ever seen before. We’re always them in a great position to make waves again.” Fellow Brit five or six shows... “Some big festi- That’s it. That’s what we do. “We’re interested in the latest technology You Were to Adele recorded the theme tune to 2012’s ‘Skyfall’. But vals in the US that we’ve never done not touring yet for a while, we’re only and what’s cutting edge, so we’re while the track earned the 30-year-old star an Oscar and a before. We’re excited to play doing like four shows this year to always thinking of the new thing that Grammy Award, Adele previously insisted she had no Bonnaroo for the first time, Bottlerock keep ourselves energized whilst mak- nobody’s ever used before in a con- plans to pen another Bond theme. She explained: “I would in Nappa Valley and Carolina ing the album, but they’re not in the cert. “And we found something and be released as UK unfortunately, they’re in other we’re going to use that.” Muse’s never do it again because it went so well and I would nev- Rebellion.” The British stars dropped er want to jinx it. “After 21 I was like, why did I want to the lead single ‘Thought Contagion’ places. “Next year we’re gonna come handful of concerts kick off on May ruin things? Then I heard it was [the 23rd Bond film] and I and surprise track ‘Dig Down’ earlier to the UK. We’ve got some cool, 25 at BottleRock festival in California, picture disc was 23, and it felt a little like fate.” Ed Sheeran also this year. Matt previously said the crazy ideas.” Meanwhile, the musician and conclude at Rock In Rio in revealed this year that he wrote a Bond theme three years group are only performing a limited said they’ve been experimenting with Lisbon, Portugal on June 23. ago “just in case”. The ‘Castle on the Hill’ hitmaker said he number of gigs this year because some “cutting edge” technology to hadn’t been approached to write a song for one of the they’re concentrating on their album. pull off an impressive production for iam Gallagher’s ‘As You Were’ is being released movies, but if bosses of the spy saga do ever knock at his L as a picture disc for the first time. The former door for help on the soundtrack, he’s all ready to go. He Oasis star’s debut solo LP was 2017’s top sell- said: “With Bond, I’ve had a theme tune written for about ing vinyl album and as part of HMV’s Vinyl three years, just in case!” While the ‘Perfect’ singer reas- Week - which runs from June 8 to June 17 - fans of the sured fans his Bond theme is “good”, he didn’t want to give ‘Wall of Glass’ hitmaker can get their hands on a special away any details about the song, including the title. He Take That went edition stunning black and gold splatter vinyl. Also receiv- said: “I’m not going to say ‘cause someone might steal it.” ing limited releases is the Proclaimers’ ‘Sunshine On Leith’ on green vinyl and Siouxsie & The Banshees’ iconic 1981 ‘undercover’ to take release, ‘Juju’, will be pressed on gold vinyl. 2018 is the 70th anniversary of the 12” 33 1/3 vinyl LP format and with sales reaching figures not seen since the 80s’, HMV has unveiled the first set of its exclusive pressings which a peek at Backstreet will be available for customers to buy in store on June 16. today further exclusive vinyl announcements will be con- firmed and on May 31, with a special 70th anniversary Boys’ residency announcement coming on June 15. Gennaro Castaldo of the UK record labels association, the BPI, commented: ake That went “undercover” to watch stateside rivals “Drawing on its rich music heritage, HMV has played its T Backstreet Boys at their Las Vegas residency. The ‘I full part in helping to bring the format back into main- Want It That Way’ hitmakers - comprised of Nick Carter, stream popular culture - giving it significant profile in Kevin Richardson, AJ McLean, Brian Littrell and Howie store as well as major promotion through hmv Vinyl Week, Dorough - have been performing at The AXIS Theater at the Planet Goldie to perform which has become an important event in the music indus- Hollywood Resort & Casino as part of the ‘Backstreet Boys: Larger try calendar.