"Box Of Letters" by sparkle*jets u.k. on colored vinyl with a full color insert and obi wrap.
SPARKLE*JETS U.K. (Long Beach, CA)
![](http://d10j3mvrs1suex.cloudfront.net/s:bzglfiles/u/284050/7b32247964c422e6b07708d79c0b6ed67ffdfed4/original/sparkle-jets-uk-press-photo.jpg/!!/b%3AW1sicmVzaXplIiwxMDAwXSxbIm1heCJdLFsid2UiXV0%3D/meta%3AeyJzcmNCdWNrZXQiOiJiemdsZmlsZXMifQ%3D%3D.jpg)
In 2023, Orange County, CA pop legends SPARKLE*JETS U.K. surprised and delighted the global power pop community with their surprise return, and their first full-length album release in over 20 years…. and it was just the start of a new renaissance for the band that reaches a long anticipated peak in 2024. The album that signaled their resurgence – BEST OF FRIENDS – was as unique as the band itself: spread across two colored vinyl LPs, it was a loving and lavish tribute to their fellow travelers on the LA pop scene at the turn of the century. With fresh versions of underground classics by the band's peers of the era (including The Masticators, The Sugarplastic, Cockeyed Ghost, Stew and many more), it was a hit with those for those who remembered and a revelation for those who had only heard of the scene. An astonishing collection of perfect, punchy pop-hits-that-should-have-been, served up fresh in all-new versions by a band who knows them by heart, the album showed off the much-admired chops of – and undiminished chemistry between – founding members Michael Simmons, (vocals, guitar and keys) Susan West (vocals, guitar) and Jamie Knight (bass). As a project, it went beyond nostalgia and brought many of the LA pop scene veterans it celebrated back to the fore just as it marked a triumphant return for the band who recorded it.
There was just one thing missing: new music penned by sparkle*jets u.k. themselves. Their pair of original albums (1998's In, Through and Beyond and 2001's Bamboo Lounge) left no doubt that their originals were more than a match for those penned by the peers they saluted on Best Of Friends. The band's never gone truly dormant, and their live gigs throughout the years have featured unrecorded tunes (some of which have appeared on Various Artist compilations from the indie pop world). But the dream of a third “proper” SJUK album has remained elusive, even with the appearance of two LPs' worth of covers and the copious airplay and critical accolades they occasioned.
That finally changes in 2024, starting with the new single “Box Of Letters”, which (spoiler warning!) is also the tite of the band's forthcoming album of band originals. It's a welcome return for sparkle*jets u.k., remembered as “one of the most adored bands in the power pop movement of the late '90s and early 2000s", according to Jason Damas from All Music Guide. Their adorably geeky sensibility and their sound – a distinctive marriage of '60s and '70s rock and whimsical guitar pop -- set them apart, then and now. Founding members Michael Simmons, Susan West, and Jamie Knight first met in 1995 at an open mic show in Fullerton, CA. Initially calling themselves Happy Birthday! before settling on sparkle*jets u.k. (including the very 80’s "U.K." tag as a gag, the three band members drew on a wealth of musical common ground, starting with the Beatles but embracing ELO, the Beach Boys, Jackson 5, Stax, and Big Star. They listened to Jason Falkner and Sugarplastic while engineering their own splash in the LA Pop scene.
Two decades on and with their salute to their roots on BEST OF FRIENDS a fait accompli, their new material – while still bearing all the hallmarks of their influences and their own past work – sounds remarkably fresh. The new album is power pop at its core, but reaches out to embrace sounds that call to mind such diverse touchstones as The Breeders and Steely Dan. Anyone who thinks they know what to expect from a sparkle*jets u.k. album is doubtless in for more than a few surprises. The band's devotion to hooks and harmony is unshakable, but there's more to it: more humor, more heartbreak, more hairpin turns and inventive arrangements. In short, everything that's always been unique about the band is on full display in this box of letters… and they're all addressed to you, the discerning pop music aficionado. They won't mind you sharing the contents with your own best of friends, either. Stand by for more news on the new album, coming soon from Big Stir Records.
Museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%
• Paper is sourced from Japan
Museum-quality posters made on thick matte paper. Add a wonderful accent to your room and office with these posters that are sure to brighten any environment.
• Paper thickness: 10.3 mil
• Paper weight: 189 g/m²
• Opacity: 94%
• ISO brightness: 104%
• Paper is sourced from Japan
The 100% cotton unisex classic tee will help you land a more structured look. It sits nicely, maintains sharp lines around the edges, and goes perfectly with layered streetwear outfits. Plus, it's extra trendy now!
• 100% cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% cotton, 10% polyester
• Ash Grey is 99% cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 5.0–5.3 oz/yd² (170-180 g/m²)
• Open-end yarn
• Tubular fabric
• Taped neck and shoulders
• Double seam at sleeves and bottom hem
• Blank product sourced from Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Mexico
The 100% cotton unisex classic tee will help you land a more structured look. It sits nicely, maintains sharp lines around the edges, and goes perfectly with layered streetwear outfits. Plus, it's extra trendy now!
• 100% cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% cotton, 10% polyester
• Ash Grey is 99% cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 5.0–5.3 oz/yd² (170-180 g/m²)
• Open-end yarn
• Tubular fabric
• Taped neck and shoulders
• Double seam at sleeves and bottom hem
• Blank product sourced from Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Mexico
The 100% cotton unisex classic tee will help you land a more structured look. It sits nicely, maintains sharp lines around the edges, and goes perfectly with layered streetwear outfits. Plus, it's extra trendy now!
• 100% cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% cotton, 10% polyester
• Ash Grey is 99% cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 5.0–5.3 oz/yd² (170-180 g/m²)
• Open-end yarn
• Tubular fabric
• Taped neck and shoulders
• Double seam at sleeves and bottom hem
• Blank product sourced from Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Mexico
The new album "Best Of Friends" on a double LP in a deluxe gatefold sleeve with bonus material.
The full double album "Best Of Friends" on one CD in a DigiPak.
Limited Edition CD Reissue of the 1998 debut album from sparkle*jets u.k., remastered and including bonus tracks for the 25th Anniversary Edition.
This t-shirt is everything you've dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and flattering for all.
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz./yd.² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US
The 100% cotton men's classic tee will help you land a more structured look. It sits nicely, maintains sharp lines around the edges, and goes perfectly with layered streetwear outfits. Plus, it's extra trendy now!
• 100% cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% cotton, 10% polyester
• Ash Grey is 99% cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 5.0–5.3 oz/yd² (170-180 g/m²)
• Open-end yarn
• Tubular fabric
• Taped neck and shoulders
• Double seam at sleeves and bottom hem
• Blank product sourced from Honduras, Nicaragua, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Bangladesh, Mexico
This t-shirt is everything you've dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and flattering for all.
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz./yd.² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US
This t-shirt is everything you've dreamed of and more. It feels soft and lightweight, with the right amount of stretch. It's comfortable and flattering for all.
• 100% combed and ring-spun cotton (Heather colors contain polyester)
• Fabric weight: 4.2 oz./yd.² (142 g/m²)
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Side-seamed construction
• Shoulder-to-shoulder taping
• Blank product sourced from Nicaragua, Mexico, Honduras, or the US
Big Stir Records is thrilled to announce the addition of Orange County, CA pop legends SPARKLE*JETS U.K. to our roster with their first new release in 18 years: a limited edition colored 7” vinyl single that's of unique significance to both the band and the label. It's a pair of covers related to BSR's namesake Big Star – the band's classic “The Ballad of El Goodo” and the beloved Chris Bell solo cut “You and Your Sister” – recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis with Jody Stephens on drums. Both the A and B sides will be available digitally ONLY with the physical 45 (until they're collected on the fourth Big Stir Singles CD in late 2019). The single is officially out Friday, July 26 and can be pre-ordered here:
www.bigstirrecords.com/sparkle-jets-u-k
It's a welcome return for sparkle*jets u.k., remembered as one of the most adored bands in the power pop movement of the late '90s and early 2000s and mainstays of the early International Pop Overthrow Festival years. Their adorably geekly sensibility and their sound – a distinctive marriage of '60s and '70s rock and whimsical guitar pop -- set then apart. Founding members Michael Simmons, Susan West, and Jamie Knight first met in 1995 at a gig for Simmons' band at the time, Virgin 7. Within a year the trio's separate acts had merged into a single entity, which included the first writing contributions from Simmons as well as material from West and Knight.
The group, which was initially dubbed Happy Birthday!, was renamed sparklekets u.k., including the "U.K." tag because the name wasn't nearly wacky enough. The three bandmembers also shared a lot of musical common ground, starting at The Beatles and running through Electric Light Orchestra, Brian Wilson, Teenage Fanclub, Pixies, The Jackson 5. SJUK recorded their 1998 debut In, Through and Beyond and pressed just 1,000 copies. Copies of the disc made it into a single store, where rock journalist John Borack (Goldmine Magazine and the Shake Some Action power pop guidebooks) bought a copy, his decision based only on the cover art and 3.99 dollar price. After passing word onto pop fanatic and International Pop Overthrow organizer David Bash, sparkle*jets u.k. were soon inducted into the close-knit family of Los Angeles-based power pop acts and their fans, then in its fondly remembered heyday.
The delightfully absurd I Love SparkleJets U.K. multi-artist tribute album and the excellent 2001 sophomore album Bamboo Lounge would follow before the group went dormant on the recording front. Simmons would go on play a major role in Popdudes (with Borack, Knight, Robbie Rist, BSR's own Addison Love and many more) and form another multigenerational in the form of Yorktown Lads (also with Love and Cameron Lew). His own solo album First Days of Summer, recently reissued in expanded form on Big Stir, adorned many a Best of 2018 lists. The album, along with occasional and warmly received SJUK reunion gigs, paved the way for the Memphis sessions which yielded the new single.
Along with “El Goodo”, Big Stir Records is making expanded versions of the two proper sparkle*jets u.k. albums available for download, and also offering the 2017 vinyl reissue of Bamboo Lounge in our store. There are rumblings that the much-rumored third LP may see completion and release in the year ahead... stay tuned for further developments, and grab your 45 while they last!
Vinyl reissue of SPARKLE*JETS U.K.'s celebrated sophomore release. Comes with a download of the album and a complete full length bonus disc of exclusive rarities!
The original CD of SPARKLE*JETS U.K.'s 2001 album comes packed with bonus content as CD-ROM content and even a physical cocktail umbrella. Limited supplies remain!
Vinyl LP (orange vinyl) plus CD plus a digital download of the full album and a 20-track collection of remixes, demos, singles, compilation contributions and live tracks!
Big Stir Records proudly announces the July 19 release on Deluxe Vinyl, CD, and Streaming of the new album BOX OF LETTERS from beloved Southern California guitar pop veterans SPARKLE*JETS U.K. -- the band's first full-length set of original music since 2002. The album arrives hot on the heels of the band's triumphant return last year with the
Big Stir Records proudly announces the July 19 release on Deluxe Vinyl, CD, and Streaming of the new album BOX OF LETTERS from beloved Southern California guitar pop veterans SPARKLE*JETS U.K. -- the band's first full-length set of original music since 2002. The album arrives hot on the heels of the band's triumphant return last year with the acclaimed double LP covers collection Best Of Friends, and it's been heralded by the single “Box Of Letters (Single Mix)” with “I Can't Wait For Summer” soon to follow. The new LP is up for pre-order and pre-save now:
https://orcd.co/sjuk-boxofletters
On BOX OF LETTERS, sparklejets u.k. -- vocalist-guitarist SUSAN WEST, singer-guitarist-producer MICHAEL SIMMONS and bassist JAMIE KNIGHT, here chiefly augmented by longtime collaborators Tisha Boonyawatana (keys, vocals) and Joel Valder (drums) – make good on a promise left dangling at the end of 2002's Bamboo Lounge, an album crucial enough to the LA pop scene that it's been reissued twice in the years since. Famed in equal parts for their facility with unforgettable hooks, cheeky lyrical quirk, and the lead singer handoffs between Simmons and West, SJUK picks up right where they left off in the sense that their mutual love of The Beatles, Big Star, ELO and their '90s power pop of their peers still provides the bedrock to their sound. But the years have added layers of influences, nuance and versatility: few bands could deliver a set that evokes The Breeders, Steely Dan and The Beach Boys with equal ease and make them sound as natural together as sparklejets u.k. do on Box Of Letters.
The bottom line on this Box is that, after all this time, sparkle*jets u.k. sound positively invigorated to be playing their own music together, and the songs – some brand new, some having been developed over two decades – sound as fresh as anything on the airwaves or streaming services. A big part of the fun is toggling between the differing but complementary approaches of the two main songwriters: compare Susan's sly and snarky vocal on the giddy, alt-rock-tinged “Love Burn” with the sincere tenderness Michael brings to the gorgeously aching “Little Circles.” But as with any pair of ambitious, instinctively intelligent frontpersons from Lennon-McCartney on down, the dichotomy isn't that simple: West embodies nostalgic romanticism (albeit with a twist) on the '70s-informed title track “Box Of Letters”, and Simmons applies some acidic wit of his own to “I'm Away From My Desk”. The band's having palpable fun turning expectations on their ears all over the record: Cheap Trick crunch on “Goodbye X 3”, AM Gold vibes on “Princess Needy”, a Fleetwood Mac-worthy groove on the anthemic “Where Is The Moment”, the intricate push-pull rhythms and new wave charm of “One Two Tango”. An encyclopedic grasp of pop rock history is abundantly evident, but nothing here is by rote.
In truth, it's not contrast but chemistry that fuels the band on Box Of Letters. To borrow the title of their previous long player, it couldn't be more clear that you're listening to best of friends here. It's there in the signature vocal tradeoffs within the songs, and even more so in the band's legendarily majestic harmonies. That fine-tuned empathic vocal blend elevates “I Can't Wait For Summer” (an anthem if there ever was one for our heroes, who split their time between musical and educational careers) to Brian Wilson-worthy heights few can scale however hard they try, and SJUK make it sound effortless. And the harmonies form the core of the pair of covers – of course there are covers! -- which bookend the record and pay tribute to '60s roots of the power pop form. The closer, a rollicking tear through Moby Grape's “Hey Grandma”, is emblematic of the sparkle*jets live experience (the band's never been far from the stage for all the years between albums, and many of Box Of Letters' songs have been workshopped live the whole time). But it's the opener that stands as a true statement of purpose.
“Around the turn of the century, just after Bamboo Lounge was released, I got belatedly obsessed with The Zombies' Odessey and Oracle LP, as one does,” says Simmons. “I imagined a more aggressive version of ‘This Will Be Our Year’, hoping that it might lead off our third album as a bit of a manifesto. We felt that whatever we did next was really going to be the thing! This song would plant the flag and say 'This is our year, everybody... look up here! It just took a lot longer to happen.” In a way, it's fortunate that it did: years of creative maturation and sustained collaboration make this a richer experience of an album than what might have materialized in 2003. And we would have missed out on some of the newest songs, including the utterly contemporary “Where Is The Moment”, which for all its pitch-perfect 1974 production trappings delivers a message that couldn't be more essential today. “We’re still hopeful about 2024,” Michael concludes.
And well they should be: BOX OF LETTERS doesn't just encompass the time elapsed between their own albums, but the full rich history of guitar pop since its inception. More than just that, in an indie pop scene that's increasingly homogenous and backward looking, the band sounds like no one else, and they've crafted a genuinely forward-looking record of the kind that's all too rare. There's no doubt that it's been a long-incubating labor of love, but labor is not what leaps off its grooves... there's too much wildly inventive fun being had here to be resisted. Where is the moment? It's right here, and right now. And by all rights, this will be sparkle*jets u.k.'s year at last.
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0:00/2:29
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Goodbye X 3 3:570:00/3:57
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Princess Needy 3:460:00/3:46
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Love Burn 3:160:00/3:16
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0:00/3:30
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Little Circles 3:290:00/3:29
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Box of Letters 3:560:00/3:56
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Where's the Moment 3:200:00/3:20
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You Complete Me 2:520:00/2:52
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0:00/3:41
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One Two Tango 2:530:00/2:53
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Hey Grandma 3:380:00/3:38
Please join Big Stir Records and our SoCal pop rock heroes sparkle*jets u.k. in welcoming Summer – and continuing the set the stage for their new album due at the height of the season – with the perfectly sunny single “I Can't Wait For Summer”! It's out July 5 on all platforms and up for pre-order and pre-save now:
“I
Please join Big Stir Records and our SoCal pop rock heroes sparkle*jets u.k. in welcoming Summer – and continuing the set the stage for their new album due at the height of the season – with the perfectly sunny single “I Can't Wait For Summer”! It's out July 5 on all platforms and up for pre-order and pre-save now:
“I Can't Wait For Summer” follows sparkle*jets u.k.'s surprise return last month with “Box Of Letters”, the band's first new original tune to see commercial release in over 20 years. “Summer” finds SJUK co-leader Michael Simmons stepping to the fore (after Susan West's lead vocal spotlight on “Box”) as the group – Simmons, West, bassist Jamie Knight, drummer Joel Valder and Tisha Boonyawatana on keys and vocals -- conjures up a vocal sound that's a tribute to a key influential band slyly referenced by the cover art. Its July 5 release date ensures that the tune will be getting heavy pre-release airplay on the global pop-rock airwaves heading into the US holiday weekend, and will be a mainstay on Summer party playlists while fans eagerly await the full-length album BOX OF LETTERS just two weeks later on Vinyl, CD and Streaming.
For fans of classic pop rock sounds, the cover art is a tipoff as to what to expect here, but couldn't prepare any listener for the giddy freshness of sparkle*jets u.k.'s spin on the sunshine pop sound. Michael Simmons explains that the band – whose affinity for the midyear months stems in part from their complementary careers as music educators – have been waiting for this particular “Summer” for quite some time. “This song holds the distinction of being the first one on the record to be started – over 20 years ago – and the last one finished,” he tells us, referring to the long gestation period of the band's third album of originals (not to dismiss last year's acclaimed covers collection BEST OF FRIENDS which marked the band's true return to the indie pop scene where they'd be so sorely missed). “This was my first serious attempt at a Beach Boys pastiche, and it's probably good that we got to do some real musical maturing between then and now -- I recently found an early version that’s even more brazenly Beach Boys than the finished one. The final version of 'Summer' is a loving homage, but it's definitely us!”
“When we left off recording all those years ago, the first half of the song was done and stayed pretty much as-is, but I could never figure out what to do with the second half,” Simmons continues. “When we got back to recording again to do BEST OF FRIENDS, the third 'real' album started to naturally come together. I finally finished writing this tune, and even came up with a couple more hooks that the ladies sing at the end that really take it to another level. We had our friend Greg Carroll slap some harmonica on there – a texture we’ve never used before – and the whole thing turned out better than we even hoped.”
With early airplay and strong reviews already pouring in for the full album BOX OF LETTERS (out July 19 on Vinyl, CD and Streaming and up for pre-order now), sparkle*jets u.k. are answering the question posed on one of the album's tracks: “Where Is The Moment?” For the band, the moment is now, but even more so, the Summer months in their native California are the perfect time for this single and video. And whatever the weather is like where you are, they'll bring some sunshine into your musical life, too.
Southern California guitar pop veterans sparkle*jets u.k. are back with a new single -- “Box Of Letters (Single Mix)” -- to make good on the promise of last year's hit covers collection Best Of Friends: new original music from one of the global pop scene's leading lights. The new track is the first preview of their forthcoming album on Big Stir
Southern California guitar pop veterans sparkle*jets u.k. are back with a new single -- “Box Of Letters (Single Mix)” -- to make good on the promise of last year's hit covers collection Best Of Friends: new original music from one of the global pop scene's leading lights. The new track is the first preview of their forthcoming album on Big Stir Records, and it's out May 31 on all digital platforms.
Not since 2002's BAMBOO LOUNGE – a record beloved enough to have been two reissued twice – have sparkle*jets u.k. issued a full album of their own compositions. The band (singer-guitarist SUSAN WEST, bassist JAMIE KNIGHT, and vocalist/multi-instrumentalist MICHAEL SIMMONS) has hardly been dormant, with frequent live appearances and new recordings shining on Various Artists collections throughout the years. The 2020s, however, have seen a true resurgence for the band, culminating with the release last year of the widely-acclaimed double LP tribute to their peers from the turn-of-the-century power pop scene, BEST OF FRIENDS. All of the band's charm and chemistry was on display for a whole new audience, augmented by the studio wizardry of in-demand producer Simmons (who's released a fine solo album and worked alongside drummer John M. Borack in Popdudes during SJUK downtime).
But sparkle*jets u.k. are known as fine songwriters themselves, working from a Beatles-and-Beach Boys base with hints of everyone from Steely Dan to The Breeders. They've debuted new tunes onstage over the years, giving fans ample reason to anticipate a new set of signature SJUK popcraft on record. But as sweet as Best Of Friends was, the wait continued... until now: “Box Of Letters” is not just the first single from the band's forthcoming album, it's also the title track. With West at the forefront singing lead, it's the beginning of a series of classic SJUK vocal handoffs with Simmons, who details the origins of the tune. “Jamie had written a riff and chords a long time ago that we then built into a little sketch demo that we really liked, but at the time the song had no melody or lyrics. So when we were finishing up this album which didn’t really have a title yet, I asked if anyone had any other songs up for consideration, Jamie reminded me of this demo and said ‘that song has a melody and lyrics now!'”
“He came in with this really touching set of lyrics that were based on meeting Susan and their early days together. He wanted her to sing it, and I think she was a little reluctant because the song was so personal and honest. Where I'm very matter-of-fact and honest in my lyrics most of the time, Susan prefers to throw some curveballs in to get you off the scent,” Simmons continues. “I changed a couple words to make the meter match, and Susan added a few things to turn the lyrics on their head a little bit in a way that made her happy. And all of a sudden we had a pretty great track. It’s a perfect example of the specific way we collaborate, and it’s a really sweet and nostalgic love song. I love it so much, and was shocked to find how catchy it was after we laid it down because it wouldn’t leave my brain for a week or two.”
As a single, “Box Of Letters” is being issued in a different mix from the one set to appear on the album that shares its title. “We asked our guitarist Marty Beal, who is a really great engineer, to make a single remix just for fun. He added a few guitar parts that aren’t on the album version and bumped up some super stacked backing vocals we'd recorded but buried in the album mix. It's cool that fans will get to hear both versions!”
Happily, after more than two decades of patience, sparkle*jets u.k. fans won't be waiting much longer: the album release announcement is just around the corner from Big Stir Records, and this box of letters will be delivered this summer. Stand by for the details!
SPARKLE*JETS U.K., beloved icons of the Turn-of-the-Century Southern California guitar pop scene, are most assuredly back. BIG STIR RECORDS is proud to announce not only the June 30 release of the band's first album in over 20 years, BEST OF FRIENDS, on 2-LP Vinyl and CD in record stores everywhere and streaming worldwide, but a veritable
SPARKLE*JETS U.K., beloved icons of the Turn-of-the-Century Southern California guitar pop scene, are most assuredly back. BIG STIR RECORDS is proud to announce not only the June 30 release of the band's first album in over 20 years, BEST OF FRIENDS, on 2-LP Vinyl and CD in record stores everywhere and streaming worldwide, but a veritable multimedia renaissance for the band throughout 2023. Bringing back not just the vibes of the scene that birthed them but the songs as well, SJUK's jaw-dropping new double album (up for pre-order and pre-save now: https://orcd.co/sparklejets-uk-bestoffriends) is both a love letter of a tribute to the artists with whom they shared stages, and a thrilling revelation of those lost sounds to those who missed them the first time around.
Already heralded by the lead single, a cover of THE MASTICATORS' “He's Coming Out”, BEST OF FRIENDS boasts 21 sparkling, punchy, hook-filled tracks across its four sides of wax, all originally recorded by the band's sterling peers on the late '90s LA pop scene. Think WONDERMINTS, THE ANDERSONS, THE SHAZAM, COCKEYED GHOST and more, with versions of STEW & THE NEGRO PROBLEM's “Mahnsanto” and THE SUGARPLASTIC's “Another Myself” slated for release as subsequent singles. Each track is lovingly served up in the inimitable SJUK style, and the full album is almost dizzying in its rush of pure power pop delight.
It's a full-circle return for the Long Beach-based trio, consisting now as then of vocalist-guitarist SUSAN WEST, bassist JAMIE KNIGHT, and singer/multi-instrumentalist MICHAEL SIMMONS who also takes most drumming duties for the current edition of SPARKLE*JETS U.K (with Joel Valder sitting in on three tracks). The band has hardly been dormant for the decades since releasing their two widely admired albums In, Through And Beyond in 1998 and 2001's Bamboo Lounge, nor have they ever gone their separate ways. In addition to Simmons' continuing output as a solo artist (the acclaimed 2018 album First Days Of Sumer) and with Popdudes, SJUK joined the Big Stir Records family in 2019 for a special 7” tribute to Big Star recorded at Ardent Studios in Memphis with Jody Stephens on board. And all three 'jets have been a part of creating the extraordinary (and very much pop-rock oriented) music program at Huntington Beach High School. The band's 2023 renaissance, though, is something altogether bigger, and this new collection is just the start, with a full album of SJUK originals already completed for release next year.
But we're here to talk about BEST OF FRIENDS, whose mission is right there in the double meaning of its title: it consists of songs by the band's true friends from the late '90s and early 2000s LA pop scene, and it serves as a veritable “Best Of” collection for those unfamiliar with that era's delights. Destined to have a reach beyond its impact as a superb pop rock record, BEST OF FRIENDS is more of a multi-media event than a simple album release. Along with the singles and their inevitable companion music videos, the album's publicity campaign incorporates a weekly podcast (also entitled BEST OF FRIENDS) which captures SPARKLE*JETS U.K. in candid conversation with the artists covered on the album, bridging the gap between the fondly remembered adventures and recordings of yesteryear and the fresh, bracing versions on the new LP.
And the media itself bears mentioning, not just because this is the first SJUK record to bow in the streaming era. The gorgeous double LP package includes complementary colored vinyl discs in powder blue and tangerine orange. There is of course a CD edition with a foldout replica of the vinyl's gatefold. And copies of both formats purchased via Big Stir's online points of sale (www.bigstirreords.com and the label's Bandcamp site) will come with a genuine vintage treat for fans: the original 2000 CD of the Various Artists Tribute collection I w sparkle*jets u.k., a veritable inverted prequel to BEST OF FRIENDS whereupon the band's millennial contemporaries paid homage to them. It's a lot to take in... best to sit back and watch it all unfold over the course of a pure-pop-saturated summer.
But it is most deservedly sparklejets u.k. who stand tall as the band of the hour on this vital revisitation of these tunes they know by heart. The amazing vocal and all-around instrumental prowess of Simmons has never been more clearly on display, nor West's singing more invitingly impassioned in bringing the belters to life, while KNIGHT owns the low end with the perfect pulses, grooves and tasty fills these sterling songs demand. The songs are such a perfect fit for the SJUK chemistry that if you didn't know differently, you'd think the trio had spent the past twenty years quietly writing the best guitar pop songs ever, until the day arrived when they could be quiet no longer. And the truth is, you wouldn't be wrong, as the future, and another stellar record, will reveal. But that's a story for another day: BEST OF FRIENDS is just the beginning of a new lease on musical life for our heroes, and they can still write 'em just as well as they can play them. For now, though, turn it up loud as SPARKLEJETS U.K. take flight once again, shattering the sound barrier between yesterday and tomorrow and paying loving tribute to their BEST OF FRIENDS.
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Hold On Tight 3:100:00/3:10
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He's Coming Out 2:580:00/2:58
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0:00/3:40
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One Summer Sunday 3:120:00/3:12
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Are We There Yet? 4:360:00/4:36
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Ludlow 6:18 3:390:00/3:39
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Battle Song 3:180:00/3:18
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I Want a Pony 3:220:00/3:22
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Till We Meet Again 2:490:00/2:49
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Come Down Now 4:590:00/4:59
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Automatic 3:170:00/3:17
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Who Can Really Know? 2:540:00/2:54
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Sunshine Tonight 3:020:00/3:02
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Good Sounds 3:110:00/3:11
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0:00/3:34
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0:00/2:56
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Another Myself 2:580:00/2:58
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Right Idea 3:000:00/3:00
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Mahnsanto 4:160:00/4:16
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Probléme Romantique 3:390:00/3:39
The 1998 debut from SoCal guitar pop heroes sparkle*jets u.k., remastered and reissued for a 25th Anniversary Definitive Edition and available as a limited edition CD.
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She's My Fave 2:210:00/2:21
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10 Inches 2:340:00/2:34
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0:00/3:51
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Above The Clouds 3:570:00/3:57
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Dat 2:430:00/2:43
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Thirteen 2:420:00/2:42
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Oh Poor Me 3:580:00/3:58
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Haircut Girl 3:140:00/3:14
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Girl Don't Tell Me 2:510:00/2:51
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Space 36 2:500:00/2:50
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She's So Mean 4:230:00/4:23
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Golden 3:230:00/3:23
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Listen To Me 4:180:00/4:18
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Surfin' Monkeys 2:430:00/2:43
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Love Sacrifice 3:190:00/3:19
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0:00/2:31
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0:00/3:52
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Dat (Demo) 2:170:00/2:17
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0:00/2:46
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Waiting 3:300:00/3:30
BIG STIR RECORDS takes great pride in announcing the surprise return of SPARKLE*JETS U.K. with a new single heralding an upcoming resurgence of new recordings – and much more! -- from the beloved icons of the Turn-of-the-Century Southern California guitar pop scene. “He's Coming Out,” a cover of a tune by underground pop legends THE MASTICATORS,
BIG STIR RECORDS takes great pride in announcing the surprise return of SPARKLE*JETS U.K. with a new single heralding an upcoming resurgence of new recordings – and much more! -- from the beloved icons of the Turn-of-the-Century Southern California guitar pop scene. “He's Coming Out,” a cover of a tune by underground pop legends THE MASTICATORS, is out May 19 on all digital platforms and up for pre-order/pre-save at www.bigstirrecords.bandcamp.com and everywhere now.
It wouldn't do to give away everything SPARKLE*JETS U.K. (in their definitive lineup of vocalist-guitarist SUSAN WEST, bassist JAMIE KNIGHT, and singer/multi-instrumentalist MICHAEL SIMMONS) have in store for us this summer and beyond as they enter a new renaissance phase over 20 years after the release of their last album. Suffice it to say that “He's Coming Out” is a terrific core sample of the band's forthcoming deep dive into the '90s/2000s LA pop scene on which SJUK made their name. To the uninitiated, it's quite simply a prime example of the kind of revved-up, anthemically sweet power pop at which the band excels. To those familiar with the original version, from THE MASTICATORS' classic album Masticate!, it's a sort of homecoming, hearkening back to the days when the two bands shared many a stage at LA venues like Mr. T's Bowl and Highland Grounds. “The Masticators became the band we played with more than anyone,” recalls Simmons. “They were so fantastic!”
THE MASTICATORS' frontwoman LISA MYCHOLS – still very much active on the pop scene and currently launching a new band, THE HIGH FREQUENCIES, from her new hometown of Richmond, VA – reminds SJUK that the admiration was and is mutual. “I was so obsessed with you guys back in the day. It's so cool to hear you doing 'He's Coming Out'! I love it, it sounds so good,” she recently told them, offering some insights into the song's inspiration as well. “I was originally inspired by the move Falling Down, but then it took off into a different story. I remember you guys doing it live, so it's amazing to hear it done in the studio. I really miss having bandmates like sparkle*jets u.k., just like having a community and that chemistry... that's part of why I've got a new band coming out.”
Indeed, rumblings of the rebirth of that millennial pop sound seem to be everywhere. It would be more than accurate to call the new SPARKLEJETS U.K. single a sign of things to come. There's not only more of their intoxicatingly punchy pop sound in store for fans, but further fresh takes on the turn-of-the-century sound as well. And before you ask, yes, there's an album on the way. In fact, make that a double album, with dual-colored vinyl as one might expect, to say nothing of a multimedia campaign including more singles, videos, and a podcast series that's a veritable class reunion featuring the band in conversations with many of their peers from the halcyon days of two decades past. But don't mistake it for a pure nostalgia trip: SPARKLEJETS U.K. are very much a band of today, picking up where they left off and taking flight with their pop instincts and boundless inventiveness fully intact. We at Big Stir Records are honored just to be part of the flight crew.