Sparklehorse Explained

Sparklehorse
Background:group_or_band
Origin:Richmond, Virginia, U.S.
Years Active:1995–2010
Website:sparklehorse.com
Past Members:Mark Linkous
Scott Minor
  • Scott Fitzsimmons
  • Johnny Hott
  • Paul Watson

Sparklehorse was an American indie rock band from Richmond, Virginia, led by singer and multi-instrumentalist Mark Linkous. It was active from 1995 until Linkous's 2010 death. Before forming Sparklehorse, Linkous fronted local bands Johnson Family and Salt Chunk Mary. Only one song, "Someday I Will Treat You Good", survived from these earlier bands to be played by Sparklehorse. Linkous said he chose the name Sparklehorse because the two words sounded good together and could be a loose metaphor for a motorcycle. At its inception, members of Sparklehorse included Paul Watson (banjo, cornet, lap steel and electric guitar), Scott Minor (drums, chord organ, banjo), Johnny Hott (Wurlitzer organ, percussion, backing vocals), and Scot Fitzsimmons (standup bass).

History

Sparklehorse's first album, Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot (1995), produced by Cracker frontman David Lowery (credited as "David Charles" on the record), was a modest college radio success. In 1996, while touring Europe with Radiohead shortly after the album's release, Linkous consumed a combination of anti-depressants, valium, alcohol, and heroin in a London hotel room.[1] Unconscious and with his legs pinned beneath him for almost 14 hours, the resulting potassium build-up caused his heart to stop for several minutes after his body was lifted up. The ensuing surgery almost caused him to lose the use of both legs and, as a result, he needed to use a wheelchair for six months and required dialysis for acute kidney failure. Good Morning Spider (1998) was recorded following this incident. Critics have conjectured that Linkous's brush with death inspired the album's somber tone, but Linkous said that much of GMS had already been written. One song that resulted from his affliction is "St. Mary", which is dedicated to the nurses at the eponymous hospital in Paddington where Linkous recuperated.

In 1999 Sparklehorse performed at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto.[2] 2001 saw the release of It's a Wonderful Life, featuring appearances by Tom Waits, PJ Harvey, Bob Rupe, Nina Persson and Dave Fridmann.[3] Much of Vivadixie... and Spider were recorded solely by Linkous on his Virginia farm, but the new album was more collaborative. Linkous expressed his satisfaction with the overall sound of It's a Wonderful Life, which was engineered by Joel Hamilton, while also saying he would have preferred to include more experimental and instrumental material.[4]

On September 25, 2006, Sparklehorse released its fourth album, Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain, collaborating with Danger Mouse, Christian Fennesz, and Steven Drozd. This album featured the radio release "Don't Take My Sunshine Away" and a remastered version of "Shade And Honey", which Linkous originally wrote for Alessandro Nivola to sing in the 2003 movie Laurel Canyon, as well as a virtually unchanged re-release of "Morning Hollow", the bonus track on It's a Wonderful Life.

In 2008, Sparklehorse recorded a cover of "Jack's Obsession" from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas for the official compilation album Nightmare Revisited.

In 2009, Sparklehorse teamed up with Danger Mouse and David Lynch on the project Dark Night of the Soul. Corliss et al. (2010) described Dark Night of the Soul as “spooky, beautiful, (and)... bittersweet...considering Linkous’ untimely death.”[5]

In 2009, Linkous collaborated with electronic ambient-music artist Christian Fennesz to create In the Fishtank 15, a wafting EP of experimentation and dreamy atmospherics. In October 2009, Linkous performed with Fennesz during a European tour.

Linkous died by suicide in Knoxville, Tennessee, on March 6, 2010.[6]

Discography

Studio albums

EPs

Compilations

Singles

Various artists compilations

Guest appearances on Cracker tracks

Filmography

Legacy

In March 2020, Spin magazine wrote that Linkous was more respected by his peers, such as PJ Harvey, Nina Persson and Tom Waits, than recognized by the record-buying public.[10]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Kelley. Trevor. Mark Linkous: It's a Wonderful Life. https://web.archive.org/web/20061031050602/https://www.harpmagazine.com/articles/detail.cfm?article_id=4606. October 31, 2006. February 28, 2022. Harp.
  2. Web site: Burland. Chris. April 13, 1999. Live Reviews – Sparklehorse/Varnaline. https://web.archive.org/web/20000202115625/http://chartattack.com:80/road/reviews/1999/19990414-sparklehorse.html. February 2, 2000. February 28, 2022. usurped. Chart Attack.
  3. Web site: Bento. Debbie. September 4, 2001. CD REVIEWS: Bif Naked, System Of A Down, Zeke and many more . https://web.archive.org/web/20011121220838/https://chartattack.com/damn/2001/09/0401.cfm . November 21, 2001. February 28, 2022. usurped. Chart Attack.
  4. Web site: Laurence. Alexander. March 6, 2010. The portable-infinite: Sparklehorse 2002 interview (Mark Linkous RIP). May 1, 2010. Portable-infinite.blogspot.com.
  5. Corliss. R.. Duerr. C.. Grossman. L.. Morrisson. T.. Zoglin. R.. 2010. Hitlist. Time. 176. 63.
  6. News: Sisario. Ben. Ben Sisario. March 8, 2010. Mark Linkous, Leader of Sparklehorse Band, Dies at 47. The New York Times. February 28, 2022. 0362-4331.
  7. Book: Roberts, David. 2006. British Hit Singles & Albums. 19th. Guinness World Records Limited. London. 1-904994-10-5. 518.
  8. Web site: December 22, 2011. Een eigenzinnige Southerner die met het stadsleven niet zo veel op heeft. April 17, 2020. VPRO. nl.
  9. Web site: This is Sparklehorse. April 17, 2020. www.7and7.co.uk.
  10. Web site: Shipley. Al. March 5, 2020. Remembering Sparklehorse's Mark Linkous 10 Years Later. April 17, 2020. Spin.

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