Spark (Amy Macdonald song)

"Spark"
Single by Amy Macdonald
from the album A Curious Thing
Released 10 May 2010
Format Digital download
Recorded 2009
Genre Rock
Length 3:07
Label Mercury Records
Writer(s) Amy Macdonald
Producer(s) Pete Wilkinson
Amy Macdonald singles chronology
"Don't Tell Me That It's Over"
(2010)		 "Spark"
(2010)		 "This Pretty Face"
(2010)

"Spark" is a song performed by Scottish singer Amy Macdonald. The song is her second single released from her album A Curious Thing and was released in the UK on 10 May 2010.[1] The song has charted in Austria, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland, however it was the first time a single failed to chart in the UK.

Background

Macdonald began writing songs for her second album in spring 2009, in a brief break from her touring commitments. For the first time she began poring through her old notebooks, looking at song ideas, unlike her debut which consists mainly of songs that she wrote straight away.[2] Many of the tracks were inspired by real-life personalities or events from her daily life. It is claimed that she wrote "Spark" for murdered toddler James Bulger, after watching a TV program on his violent death, though she denies this. She has stated that although the Bulger case was a catalyst, the song refers to a departed loved one in general.[3] "What Happiness Means to Me" is dedicated to her footballer fiancé Steve Lovell,[3] while "An Ordinary Life" is inspired by the "Z-list celebs" she saw flocking around Scots-born Hollywood actor Gerard Butler at a party he held in Glasgow late 2009 to mark the opening of his film Law Abiding Citizen.[2] "My Only One" is partly about her late grandparents and partly about Michael Jackson.[3] The tracks were recorded at Weller's BlackBarn Studios in Surrey.[4]

Music video

A still from the music video "Spark".

The music video was filmed at Loch Lomond in Scotland. It starts with Macdonald walking down a slipway towards the Loch carrying a case she puts it down and starts playing the guitar with a caravan in the background, orange lines flash throughout the music video and the viewer can see different shots of the loch, the forest and Macdonald playing her guitar.[1]

Track listing

Digital download[5]
  1. "Spark" – 3:07
  2. "Spark" (Acoustic Version - German Radio Tour) – 3:05
iTunes digital download[6]
  1. "Spark" – 3:07
  2. "Your Time Will Come" (Farewell Olympic Studios Version) – 3:48
  3. "Spark" (Tom Middleton Mix) – 8:22
  4. "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" (Acoustic Version - German Radio Tour) – 3:07
German single-CD[7]
  1. "Spark" – 3:07
  2. "Spark" (HR1 Acoustic Version) – 3:05
  3. "Spark" (Tom Middleton Mix) – 8:22
  4. "Don't Tell Me That It's Over" (HR1 Acoustic Version) – 3:07

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (2010) Peak
position
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[8] 109
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 15
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[10] 11
Germany (Media Control Charts)[11] 28
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[12] 30

Release history

Region Date Format Label
United Kingdom 10 May 2010 Digital download, CD single Mercury Records
Germany [13] 25 June 2010

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Amy Macdonald - Spark". Glasswerk National. Retrieved 2010-05-07.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Amy Macdonald — Biography". Amymacdonald.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-03-22.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Sweeney, Chris (2010-01-20). "Amy Macdonald is back with her second album". London: The Sun. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  4. ↑ "Amy Macdonald: I'm not thinking about marriage yet because it would mean taking break from my career". The Daily Record. Retrieved 2010-03-04.
  5. ↑ "Spark - Digital download". Amazon. Retrieved 2010-03-18.
  6. ↑ "Spark - iTunes Digital download". iTunes. Retrieved 2010-05-09.
  7. ↑ "Spark". Amazon. Retrieved 2010-06-14.
  8. ↑ "Austriancharts.at – Amy Macdonald – Spark" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Amy Macdonald – Spark" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  10. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Amy Macdonald – Spark" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  11. ↑ "Chartverfulgong > Macdonald, Amy > Spark – musicline.de" (in German). Media Control Charts. PhonoNet GmbH.
  12. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Amy Macdonald – Spark". Swiss Singles Chart.
  13. ↑ http://www.amazon.de/dp/B003MPHIN2

External links