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Mark Radcliffe presents solo, with a feast of great music and chat for weekend breakfast.

Today Mark hears from singer, songwriter and one half of American band Sparks, Russell Mael. Russell shares his ‘First, Last and Everything’ - that’s his first record, the most recent one he's enjoyed and the record that means ‘everything’ to him - and chats about the band's forthcoming new album.

Russell (singer & charisma) and older brother Ron Mael (keyboards, songwriting, moustache) were born and raised in Los Angeles, and first recorded under the name Urban Renewal Project and subsequently Halfnelson, before settling on the name Sparks in 1972. Despite being mentored and produced by Todd Rundgren and signed by Bob Dylan's manager Albert Grossman, American audiences initially proved unreceptive to Sparks' uniquely arch, ironic aesthetic, and their breakthrough came instead after they relocated to London with a new backing band, scoring a huge hit in 1974 with the cinematic, staccato single 'This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us', and unleashing full-scale Sparksmania in the UK.

Their latest album ‘MAD!’, released later this month, finds Russell and Ron examining cultural phenomena such as branded backpacks, tattoos, performative devotion, the hegemony of banter, and the rise of influencers.

Also on the show... long-running feature ‘The Chain’ which gives listeners the chance to pick a track that links in some way to the last. The list now contains over 8000 songs.

With a selection of music old and new to get the weekend started.