Tag Archives: Greta Garbo

Sparks: The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman

On August 12, 2009, “Lil’ Beethoven” and “SR Records” labels released “The Seduction of Ingmar Bergman”, the 22nd Sparks album. It was recorded 2008 – 2009, at “Hollywood American Studios” in Hollywood, “Radio Drama Studio” in Stockholm, Sweden, and was produced by Ron Mael, Russell Mael, and Marie Wennersten (producer for Swedish recording). The album was conceived as a radio drama, commissioned by “Sveriges Radio Radioteatern”. It was created to be listened as a single piece, rather than a collection of stand-alone songs.

Personnel:

  • Russell Mael– vocals, studio chief, policeman 1 and 2
  • Ron Mael– keyboard, limo driver, Hollywood tour guide
  • Marcus Blake – autograph hound, Woody
  • Tammy Glover – Hollywood welcoming committee, Gerry
  • Saskia Husberg – interpreter
  • Elin Klinga– Greta Garbo
  • Marie-Chantal Long – Cannes Festival announcer
  • Jonas Malmsjö– Ingmar Bergman
  • Steve McDonald – hotel concierge
  • Steven Nistor– hotel doorman
  • Katie Puckrik– hotel operator
  • Rebecca Sjöwall– Hollywood starlet
  • Jim Wilson – first A.D, autograph hound
  • Jim Wilson – guitar
  • Dean Menta– guitar
  • Marcus Blake – bass
  • Tammy Glover– drums
  • Steven Nistor – drums
  • Marie Wennersten – director for Swedish recording
  • Magnus Lindman – translations
  • Sabina von Greyerz – SR Records project manager

Track listing:

All tracks are written by Ron Mael and Russell Mael.

  1. 1956 Cannes Film Festival
  2. I Am Ingmar Bergman
  3. Limo Driver (Welcome to Hollywood)
  4. Here He Is Now
  5. Bergman, How Are You?
  6. He’ll Come ‘Round
  7. En Route to the Beverly Hills Hotel
  8. Hollywood Welcoming Committee
  9. I’ve Got to Contact Sweden
  10. The Studio Commissary
  11. I Must Not Be Nasty
  12. Quiet on the Set
  13. Why Do You Take That Tone with Me?
  14. Pleasant Hotel Staff
  15. Hollywood Tour Bus
  16. Autograph Hounds
  17. Bergman Ponders Escape
  18. We’ve Got to Turn Him ‘Round
  19. Escape (Part1)
  20. Escape (Part 2)
  21. Oh, My God
  22. Garbo Sings
  23. Almost a Hollywood Ending
  24. He’s Home

Paul McCartney: Press To Play

Press_to_Play

On August 25, 1986, “Parlaphone” label released “Press to Play”, the sixth Paul McCartney studio album. It was recorded March–May 1985, at McCartney’s “Sussex studios” and October–December 1985 at McCartney’s Scottish studios, and was produced by Paul McCartney, Hugh Padgham and Phil Ramone. The album cover’s photograph was taken by George Hurrell, using the same box camera that he used in Hollywood in the 1930s and the 1940s, for his photographs of movie stars of the 1930s and 1940s like Clark Gable and Greta Garbo,

Personnel:

  • Paul McCartney– lead vocals, bass guitar, acoustic and electric guitars, piano, keyboards, synthesizers
  • Eric Stewart– acoustic and electric guitars
  • Pete Townshend– electric guitars
  • Carlos Alomar– acoustic and electric guitars
  • Eddie Rayner– keyboards
  • Nick Glennie-Smith– keyboards
  • Simon Chamberlain – piano
  • Linda McCartney– keyboards, backing vocals
  • Neil Jason– bass guitar
  • Phil Collins– drums, percussion
  • Jerry Marotta– drums, percussion
  • John Bradbury– drums, percussion
  • Graham Ward– drums, percussion
  • Ray Cooper– percussion
  • Dick Morrissey– tenor saxophone
  • Lenny Pickett– alto and tenor saxophone
  • Gary Barnacle– saxophone
  • Gavyn Wright– violin solo
  • Kate Robbins– harmony vocals
  • Ruby James – harmony vocals
  • James McCartney– spoken word
  • Steve Jackson– spoken word
  • Eddie Klein – spoken word
  • John Hammel – spoken word
  • Matt Howe – spoken word
  • Tony Visconti– orchestral arrangements
  • Anne Dudley– orchestral arrangements
  • Hugh Padgham – engineer
  • Tony Clark– engineer assistant
  • Jon Kelly– engineer assistant
  • Peter Mew– engineer assistant
  • Matt Howe – engineer assistant
  • Steve Jackson – engineer assistant
  • Haydn Bendall– engineer assistant
  • Hugh Padgham – mixing
  • Bert Bevans – mixing
  • Steve Forward – mixing
  • Julian Mendelsohn – mixing

Track listing:

All tracks by Paul McCartney and Eric Stewart, except where noted.

  1. Stranglehold
  2. Good Times Coming/Feel the Sun – Paul McCartney
  3. Talk More Talk – Paul McCartney
  4. Footprints
  5. Only Love Remains – Paul McCartney
  6. Press – Paul McCartney
  7. Pretty Little Head
  8. Move Over Busker
  9. Angry
  10. However Absurd