No. 1 in Heaven
| No. 1 in Heaven | ||||
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| Studio album by Sparks | ||||
| Released | March 1979 | |||
| Recorded | 1978 | |||
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| Genre | Disco, electronica, synthpop | |||
| Length | 33:44 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer | Giorgio Moroder | |||
| Sparks chronology | ||||
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| Singles from No. 1 in Heaven | ||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   |
| Robert Christgau | B+ |
No. 1 in Heaven is the eighth album by the American rock band Sparks. Released in 1979 by Virgin Records (initial copies on colored vinyl) and later licensed to Elektra Records in the States, it renewed interest in the band after disappointing sales of albums like Big Beat and Introducing Sparks. The album is the first and only of the band's to be issued on Elektra Records, the 4th label the band was signed to in the US. The first US editions of the LP contained content identical to the original Virgin UK release, but later editions substituted the 12" extended mix of "Beat the Clock" for the album version.
In 1973, Sparks had decamped from the US to the UK, the move resulted in a change of line up and English musicians were hired to fill the roles of guitar, bass and drums. This decision had proved a good one, and Sparks enjoyed their first period of success wherein their singles and albums sold well and were received warmly by the critics. Indiscreet; the third of Sparks' UK-based albums was more ambitious than the former two but had sold less well. The Maels then chose to return to Los Angeles to rejuvenate the group.
Initially they had returned to work with the early Sparks member Earle Mankey and recorded the song "England" with him. Eventually the group turned to Rupert Holmes and recorded the heavier and slicker Big Beat with a number of session musicians. Although the album employed a more "American" sound, it did little business in the US or the UK. The next album Introducing Sparks was much lighter but was equally slick and was no more successful than Big Beat. This new "West Coast" sound was deemed a failure as they felt the results were "bereft of personality". The Mael Brothers found themselves at a 'what do we do now?' moment. By 1978 they had tired of the rock band format and determined to take their music in a more electronic direction.
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Wikipedia