087: Sparks - Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984) - Pretending to Be Drunk

We continue our deep dive into Sparks’ Pulling Rabbits Out of a Hat (1984) with track three — “Pretending to Be Drunk”, one of the album’s more puzzling single choices.

The panel agrees the idea is classic Sparks: a tongue-in-cheek scenario, a sly concept, and a title that promises comedy. But while the lyric gets a few smiles, the sound divides us. There’s a promising, punchy intro (we even catch a faint Prince-like vibe), yet the track quickly settles into a repetitive groove built around a brash, intrusive horn hook — and the big question becomes: where’s the chorus?

We talk about how the song feels oddly flat for a single, especially when the far stronger title track was left off the single run entirely. Along the way we touch on the 12" extended mix, the era-defining (and sometimes “cheap”) synth choices, and why this track has earned mixed reactions over the years.

Not a total disaster — but definitely a “how did this become a single?” moment in the Sparks story.