037: Noël (with Sparks) - Is There More to Life Than Dancing (1979) - I Want a Man

We close out Noël’s Sparks-produced disco experiment with the fifth and final track, “I Want a Man.”

This one divided the panel: Frode finds it quirky and intriguing, appreciating its off-kilter bassline and more experimental feel, while Chris calls it the weakest Sparks-related track he’s heard so far. The sparse lyrics (essentially two lines rearranged repeatedly), the oddly mixed percussion, and the overall chaotic atmosphere make it a very different beast than the rest of the album — for better or worse.

Originally a B-side to “Dancing Is Dangerous” in the UK/US but flipped to A-side status in some European markets, it’s easy to see why Virgin may have hoped this one would catch on. Did it? Not at all. But as a curiosity, it’s fascinating to hear Sparks experimenting in such a stripped-down, raw way.

What do you think? Hidden gem or best left in the vault?