071: Lio - Marie Antoninette (Sparks English version of Le Banana Split)

In this final bonus stop before leaving Sparks in 1982, we take a detour into the world of Lio, the Belgian pop star who—thanks to the Telex/Sparks connection—ended up recording several tracks with English lyrics written by Ron Mael.Originally a massive Francophone hit titled “Le Banana Split” (1979), the song was reimagined by Sparks in 1982 as “Marie Antoinette” for Lio’s Suite Sixtine compilation, complete with Ron’s sharp, witty rewrite: guillotines, hamburgers, and Sparksian historical irreverence.We listen to the Sparks-lyric version, compare it with the breathlessly fast French original, and talk about how the Maels turn a fluffy Europop hit into something unmistakably theirs—short, catchy, playful, and lyrically skewed in all the right ways. A tiny Sparks detour, but a fun one, and a small glimpse into their early-80s side paths beyond the main albums.