Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1995
When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)
Buy When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing) now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)
| cover = Sparks-When_I_Kiss_You_(I_Hear_Charlie_Parker_Playing).jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Sparks
| album = Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins
| released = 1995
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = *Electronic dance music
*house music
*synth-pop
| length = 3:49
| label = *Logic Records
| writer = *Ron Mael
*Russell Mael
| producer = *Ron Mael
*Russell Mael
| prev_title = When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'
| prev_year = 1994
| next_title = Now That I Own the BBC
| next_year = 1995
| misc =
}}
"'When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing)'" is a 1995 electronic dance music song by American rock band Sparks, released as the second single from their 16th album, 'Gratuitous Sax & Senseless Violins' (1994). Written and produced by the Mael brothers, it also has a reference to American jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker. The song peaked at number 36 in the UK, number 61 in Germany and number 24 on the 'Billboard' Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US. Originally it was released as "'(When I Kiss You) I Hear Charlie Parker Playing'", before being re-named to its present title.
Critical reception
Ned Raggett from AllMusic remarked that the song "finds Russell rapping (!)". Music writer James Masterton said in his weekly UK chart commentary, "The new single is as bizarre as the title sounds, featuring a high-speed rapped verse that Neil Tennant would I'm sure give his right arm to have written, coupled with an impressively commercial chorus." Pan-European magazine 'Music & Media' wrote, "We're living in the age of fast food Euro with one-liners serving as lyrics. Luckily the Sparks still use their imaginationthrough a tooth filling the lover here receives a jazz station." A reviewer from 'Music Week' rated the song four out of five, describing it as "more delicious high camp drama from the kings of eccentric synth pop", and stated that former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler's Fashionable World Of Fashion Mix "should create a buzz." James Hamilton from the magazine's 'RM' Dance Update viewed it as "Pet Shop Boys-ishly".
Music video
A music video was produced to promote the single, directed by English music video director Sophie Muller. It was later published on Sparks' official YouTube channel in June 2012. Muller also directed the video for "When Do I Get to Sing 'My Way'".
Track listing
Charts
Buy When I Kiss You (I Hear Charlie Parker Playing) now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1995