070: Sparks - Modesty Plays (1982 single version)

In this bonus episode we jump just outside Angst in My Pants to look at Sparks’ lost TV-theme-that-wasn’t: “Modesty Plays”, written for an abandoned ABC pilot based on the comic strip Modesty Blaise. We talk about how the song sits halfway between album track and TV theme, with its very 80s intro, sleek synth production and tongue-in-cheek lyrics that seem to gently mock the source material rather than treat it as straight adventure.

We react to the extended 12" “long version”, with all its repeats, studio trickery and subtle dubby details, and contrast its ultra-electronic sound with the band feel of Angst in My Pants. We also touch on the Blaise→Plays title change, single releases, that Niagara Falls sleeve photo, and why this catchy one-off was strong enough that Sparks later re-recorded it for 1986’s Music That You Can Dance To.