049: Sparks - Whomp That Sucker (1981) - Funny Face

Sparks keep the momentum going with Funny Face, the album’s second single: a tight, mid-tempo new-wave earworm with Blondie/Bowie-ish guitar strums, a simple singalong chorus, and that cheeky call-and-response backing vocal. Lyrically it’s classic Mael—darkly comic and story-driven—ending as abruptly as it begins. We talk the sharp arrangement, the delightfully odd video (and the infamous prank cut they first sent RCA), and why L.A.’s KROQ put this one at #15 on its 1981 year-end list despite no U.S. single release. A bright, accessible cut that helped reboot Sparks’ stateside momentum.