040: Sparks - Terminal Jive (1980) - When I'm with You

In this episode we kick off our track-by-track journey through Sparks’ Terminal Jive (1980) with “When I’m With You.” The only one of Ron Mael’s twenty proposed songs that Giorgio Moroder kept for the sessions, it went on to become Sparks’ biggest-selling single, topping the French charts for six weeks and selling over 750,000 copies.

We discuss the song’s irresistible synth riff, Harold Faltermeyer’s keyboard work, and Ron’s typically awkward yet brilliant lyrics that twist a love song into something uniquely Sparks. We also dive into the curious inclusion of an instrumental version on the album, the charmingly odd music video with Ron as a ventriloquist and Russell as his dummy, and how the track has remained in their live repertoire across decades.

From unexpected French superstardom to New Order’s 11-minute cover version, “When I’m With You” is a Sparks song with a story unlike any other.