033: Noël (with Sparks) - Is There More to Life Than Dancing (1979)- Dancing is Dangerous (incl. album history)

In this episode, we kick off a new series diving into Is There More to Life Than Dancing?, the obscure 1979 side project by Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks, fronted by the mysterious singer Noël.

We set the stage with the album’s fascinating backstory: recorded in early 1979 while Sparks were waiting to release No. 1 in Heaven, this project saw the Maels experimenting with their freshly acquired electronic production chops. We dig into what little is known about Noël—possibly Patricia A. Noël—whose intense stage presence caught the Maels’ attention in Los Angeles.

Then we jump into the opening track, “Dancing is Dangerous,” a nearly 10-minute disco-meets-synthpop workout. We discuss its hypnotic instrumental sections, extended “club mix” structure, and that persistent (maybe too persistent?) chorus. Was this Sparks trying to create their own Donna Summer moment? Did it work? And why didn’t this single, released in multiple versions across the US, UK, Japan, and Europe, make a dent in the charts?

Join us as we start unraveling this forgotten Sparks side project—and let us know what you think: is this hidden gem Sparks quality, or a fascinating misstep?