the sparteens
At one time you could hear nothing else. Not content with being the kings of the airwaves, no party or fest was complete without the music of The Sparteens. You couldn't pick up a magazine without finding their mugs plastered all over it. A whole generation named their children after them. Then came bleaker times and silence, but Maribel and Douglas, Douglas and Maribel are back. And here they are in an exclusive interview with the balde. Your road has been long and there have been many setbacks... Why have you got back together to once again thread the boards after such a long absence? As has been the case with other great names from the past... Have you reformed for the money?
We've been asked that question so many times and we've always given the same answer, let there be no doubts about this: we're only doing this for ALL-OUR-FANS. We've being getting serious fanmail. Many have asked us to return. It never really occurred to us to actually do it especially since those legal problems we had with Franco's judicial system that forced us to seek refuge in France. We were living simple everyday lives in our little houses in Miarritze. There I was one day at the local spa when I ran into our old friend and manager, Rémy Rivers. We were soon recalling past battles and glories and I suppose that's when we that little idea of reforming first sprang to mind...
Why did you give it up? What was life like for you in that silent period? Did you split up or did you maintain some kind of relationship? You know that your fans have always regarded the
relationship between Doug and Maribel as something of a mystery...
I'm here to talk about music but just to clear this up once and for all, there is absolutely nothing between me and Maribel. We're just good friends. The press nowadays, well you don't really work in the way the press did back in the day. I should remind you that we are taking legal proceedings against the magazine Entzun because of this. I hope you donÕt go down the same road as them. What would you and other magazines like you do without fiddling around in the private lives of famous people. You'd really have to start working, wouldn't you! (Please, don't publish what I've just said, the mic is off, isn't it?)
Sure, don't worry about it... I'll chop it out... getting back to the music... Is there a place for your dance party "yeah-yeahs" and joyful twist-dancing on today's scene?
I kinda see things from the other end: what new stuff is being done nowadays? At the end of the day, the songs are the same, but the sound is different. Noting has changed as regards songwriting. All that's left to do is to compress the sound more to be able to listen to it even louder. But what kind of volume are we looking for? We are creating a deaf youth...
We're not too sure... but your songs do sound familiar to us... Have you anything to say about that?
See what I mean? What did I tell you? At the end of the day, there's nothing new nowadays. All people do now is recycle music form other periods. In five minutes you can come up with a prefabricated song on your computer... but whatever happened to originality? As far as I am concerned modern music is nothing but monotonous... all the songs are the same... boom boom pah pah smack! Nothing but noise! And it always has to be louder than the last one... My, my...
The times have changed in all imaginable aspects (not that you would think so lookingat Douglas and Maribel's outfits and hairstyles). How are you getting on with all thenew technology available nowadays?
We don't wanna know... We only use the internet to send emails and to download films. I don't know the names of all the gadgets that our artistic producer, Ricky Rock, uses. We see computers and stuff lying around but it's up to him to use whatever he feels necessary.
Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?
Of course there is. Dear readers, especially you young ones, we wish you love and peace. These are difficult times. Especially for young people. It's so hard to get on in life. Keep the chin up... God bless you all. Is the mic off?
Yes
(Christ, when you think of it, the kids these days are just a bunch of wimps... living at home with Mammy and Daddy till they're 30-odd. Fuck's sake, parasites... That is turned off, isn't it? Right, I'll let you and my agent sort out the money... I have Telenorte (TV Station) to do and I'm late as it is.)
We've been asked that question so many times and we've always given the same answer, let there be no doubts about this: we're only doing this for ALL-OUR-FANS. We've being getting serious fanmail. Many have asked us to return. It never really occurred to us to actually do it especially since those legal problems we had with Franco's judicial system that forced us to seek refuge in France. We were living simple everyday lives in our little houses in Miarritze. There I was one day at the local spa when I ran into our old friend and manager, Rémy Rivers. We were soon recalling past battles and glories and I suppose that's when we that little idea of reforming first sprang to mind...
Why did you give it up? What was life like for you in that silent period? Did you split up or did you maintain some kind of relationship? You know that your fans have always regarded the
relationship between Doug and Maribel as something of a mystery...
I'm here to talk about music but just to clear this up once and for all, there is absolutely nothing between me and Maribel. We're just good friends. The press nowadays, well you don't really work in the way the press did back in the day. I should remind you that we are taking legal proceedings against the magazine Entzun because of this. I hope you donÕt go down the same road as them. What would you and other magazines like you do without fiddling around in the private lives of famous people. You'd really have to start working, wouldn't you! (Please, don't publish what I've just said, the mic is off, isn't it?)
Sure, don't worry about it... I'll chop it out... getting back to the music... Is there a place for your dance party "yeah-yeahs" and joyful twist-dancing on today's scene?
I kinda see things from the other end: what new stuff is being done nowadays? At the end of the day, the songs are the same, but the sound is different. Noting has changed as regards songwriting. All that's left to do is to compress the sound more to be able to listen to it even louder. But what kind of volume are we looking for? We are creating a deaf youth...
We're not too sure... but your songs do sound familiar to us... Have you anything to say about that?
See what I mean? What did I tell you? At the end of the day, there's nothing new nowadays. All people do now is recycle music form other periods. In five minutes you can come up with a prefabricated song on your computer... but whatever happened to originality? As far as I am concerned modern music is nothing but monotonous... all the songs are the same... boom boom pah pah smack! Nothing but noise! And it always has to be louder than the last one... My, my...
The times have changed in all imaginable aspects (not that you would think so lookingat Douglas and Maribel's outfits and hairstyles). How are you getting on with all thenew technology available nowadays?
We don't wanna know... We only use the internet to send emails and to download films. I don't know the names of all the gadgets that our artistic producer, Ricky Rock, uses. We see computers and stuff lying around but it's up to him to use whatever he feels necessary.
Is there anything else you'd like to say to our readers?
Of course there is. Dear readers, especially you young ones, we wish you love and peace. These are difficult times. Especially for young people. It's so hard to get on in life. Keep the chin up... God bless you all. Is the mic off?
Yes
(Christ, when you think of it, the kids these days are just a bunch of wimps... living at home with Mammy and Daddy till they're 30-odd. Fuck's sake, parasites... That is turned off, isn't it? Right, I'll let you and my agent sort out the money... I have Telenorte (TV Station) to do and I'm late as it is.)
