Sparkle and Fade

Sparkle and Fade
Sparkle and Fade
Studio album by Everclear
Released	May 23, 1995
Recorded	September 1994
Studios	Smart (Madison); A&M (Hollywood); Electric Lady (New York City); Rondor (Los Angeles);
Genres	Alternative rock; pop-punk; grunge;
Length	42:47
Label	Capitol
Producers	Art Alexakis; Brian Malouf; Michael Douglass;
Everclear chronology
Singles from Sparkle and Fade
	"Heroin Girl"; Released: 1995; "Santa Monica"; Released: December 5, 1995; "Heartspark Dollarsign"; Released: March 23, 1996; "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore"; Released: 1996;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic
Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal	10/10
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music
The Great Rock Discography	9/10
Kerrang!
MusicHound Rock
The Rolling Stone Album Guide
The Village Voice	A−

Sparkle and Fade is the second album by American rock band Everclear, released in 1995. It was their first album to be released exclusively on Capitol Records; their previous effort, World of Noise, was re-released on Capitol after its introduction through the Portland, Oregon based label, Tim/Kerr Records. The album produced the singles "Heroin Girl", "Santa Monica", "Heartspark Dollarsign", and "You Make Me Feel Like a Whore". The album's music follows themes like addiction and romance through a loosely defined narrative similar to Art Alexakis' own troubled life when he was in his twenties.

The album's cover features childhood pictures of the three members of the band. It is Everclear's third-best-selling album to date. It climbed to the top of the Heatseekers Chart in January 1996 and was certified Platinum by the RIAA in May 1996. By December 2001, the album had sold 1,190,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Critical reception

Trouser Press wrote that "the sheer radiance of songs like 'Santa Monica' (which demands repeated listens) adds to the luster of this unexpected gem."

30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

In November 2025 the band released a remastered deluxe edition to celebrate the album's 30th anniversary. Also included in the deluxe edition were unreleased tracks, alternate versions of fan favorites, original demos and cover songs that were recorded during the Sparkle and Fade sessions.

Track listing

All songs written by Art Alexakis, Craig Montoya, and Greg Eklund, except where noted.

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Electra Made Me Blind"	Alexakis Scott Cuthbert Montoya	3:43
2.	"Heroin Girl"	Alexakis Cuthbert Montoya	2:23
3.	"You Make Me Feel Like a Whore"		2:47
4.	"Santa Monica"		3:11
5.	"Summerland"		3:42
6.	"Strawberry"		2:35
7.	"Heartspark Dollarsign"		2:52
8.	"The Twistinside"	Alexakis Cuthbert Montoya	4:37
9.	"Her Brand New Skin"		2:02
10.	"Nehalem"		1:53
11.	"Queen of the Air"	Alexakis Cuthbert Montoya	2:59
12.	"Pale Green Stars"		4:17
13.	"Chemical Smile"		1:49
14.	"My Sexual Life"	Alexakis Cuthbert Montoya	3:51

30th anniversary bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
15.	"Hateful"	1:36
16.	"Rocket Tattoo"	2:34
17.	"Annabella's Song"	3:26
18.	"Happy Hour"	2:10
19.	"American Girl" (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)	3:35
20.	"Don't Change" (INXS)	3:43
21.	"Sin City" (AC/DC)	4:34
22.	"Walk, Don't Run" (Johnny Smith)	2:01

Personnel

Personnel per liner notes.

Everclear

Art Alexakis – guitar, lead vocals
Greg Eklund – drums, vocals
Craig Montoya – bass, vocals

Production

Art Alexakis – production
Brian Malouf – co-producer, mixing (at Electric Lady)
Michael Douglass – co-producer, recording (at Smart and A&M)
Mike Urkell – assistant engineer (at Smart Studios)
Brian Sperber – assistant engineer, recording (at Electric Lady)
Alex Reed – recording assistant (at A&M)
P. Castellano – recording assistant (at Electric Lady)
Nick Brophy – recording (at Rondor)
Bill Jackson – recording assistant (at Rondor)
Bob Ludwig – mastering (at Gateway Mastering), sequencing (8–14)
Rich Breen – sequencing (1–7)

Artwork

Art Alexakis – cover design concept
Steven Birch – graphic design, layout
Marc Tunz – band photography
Debbie Desantes –live photo

Charts

Weekly charts

Chart (1995–1996)	Peak position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	9
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)	39
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	20
US Billboard 200	25

Year-end charts

Chart (1996)	Position
Australian Albums (ARIA)	45
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)	39
US Billboard 200	88

Certifications


Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)	Platinum	70,000^{^}
Canada (Music Canada)	Platinum	100,000^{^}
United States (RIAA)	Platinum	1,190,000
^{^} Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

↑ "Everclear - Sparkle and Fade". Punknews.org. October 16, 2005. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
↑ Cizmar, Martin (November 17, 2015). "It's a Real Small Town: The story behind Everclear's Sparkle and Fade—and why everyone hates the man behind it". Williamette Week. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
↑ Brodsky, Rachel (June 11, 2015). "Everclear's Art Alexakis: "Sparkle And Fade' Was My Escape Route'". Spin. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sparkle & Fade – Everclear". AllMusic. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
↑ Prevatt, Mike (October 7, 1997). "Everclear clarifies style with 'Sparkle'". Daily Bruin. Retrieved June 2, 2022.
↑ Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.
↑ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Everclear". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 1016. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
↑ Strong, Martin C. (2004). "Everclear". The Great Rock Discography. Canongate. pp. 512–513. ISBN 9781841956152.
↑ Brannigan, Paul (March 9, 1996). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 587. EMAP. p. 44.
↑ Holtje, Steve (1999). "Everclear". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. pp. 399–400. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
↑ Harris, Keith (2004). "Everclear". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 285–86. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
↑ Christgau, Robert (November 14, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 5, 2015.
1 2 Sprague, Deborah. "Everclear". Trouser Press. Retrieved July 31, 2020.
↑ Colburn, Randall (September 15, 2015). "On Sparkle And Fade, Everclear found universality in drug-addled intimacy". The A.V. Club.
↑ Phalen, Tom (December 1, 1997). "Everclear, Electric And Acoustic, Shows Sparkle, No Fade". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
↑ Borzillo, Carrie (February 3, 1996). "Everclear Won't "Sparkle and Fade"". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2014.
↑ "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
1 2 Basham, David (December 13, 2001). "Got Charts? Usher's Platinum Mine; A Tolkien Spell; An Ill-Fated Concept". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2022.
↑ "Everclear Release Expanded 'Sparkle And Fade' 30th Anniversary Edition". antimusic. November 22, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
1 2 Sparkle and Fade (booklet). Capitol Records. 1995. 7243 8 30929 2 5.
↑ "Australiancharts.com – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
↑ "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 63, Issue 3 (1996-03-04)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
↑ "Charts.nz – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
↑ "Everclear Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
↑ "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1996". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
↑ "Top Selling Albums of 1996". The Official NZ Music Charts. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
↑ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2021.
↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
↑ "Canadian album certifications – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Music Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2021.
↑ "American album certifications – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[punknews-1] "Everclear - Sparkle and Fade". Punknews.org. October 16, 2005. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[cizmar-2] Cizmar, Martin (November 17, 2015). "It's a Real Small Town: The story behind Everclear's Sparkle and Fade—and why everyone hates the man behind it". Williamette Week. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[brodsky-3] Brodsky, Rachel (June 11, 2015). "Everclear's Art Alexakis: "Sparkle And Fade' Was My Escape Route'". Spin. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[allmusic-4] 1 2 Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Sparkle & Fade – Everclear". AllMusic. Retrieved December 5, 2015.

[prevatt-5] Prevatt, Mike (October 7, 1997). "Everclear clarifies style with 'Sparkle'". Daily Bruin. Retrieved June 2, 2022.

[6] Popoff, Martin (2007). The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties. Burlington, Ontario, Canada: Collector's Guide Publishing. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-894959-62-9.

[7] Larkin, Colin (2011). "Everclear". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 1016. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.

[GRD-8] Strong, Martin C. (2004). "Everclear". The Great Rock Discography. Canongate. pp. 512–513. ISBN 9781841956152.

[9] Brannigan, Paul (March 9, 1996). "Albums". Kerrang!. No. 587. EMAP. p. 44.

[MH-10] Holtje, Steve (1999). "Everclear". MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. pp. 399–400. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.

[11] Harris, Keith (2004). "Everclear". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 285–86. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.

[12] Christgau, Robert (November 14, 1995). "Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Retrieved December 5, 2015.

[TP-13] 1 2 Sprague, Deborah. "Everclear". Trouser Press. Retrieved July 31, 2020.

[14] Colburn, Randall (September 15, 2015). "On Sparkle And Fade, Everclear found universality in drug-addled intimacy". The A.V. Club.

[15] Phalen, Tom (December 1, 1997). "Everclear, Electric And Acoustic, Shows Sparkle, No Fade". Seattle Times. Retrieved August 13, 2014.

[16] Borzillo, Carrie (February 3, 1996). "Everclear Won't "Sparkle and Fade"". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2014.

[17] "Gold & Platinum - RIAA". RIAA. Retrieved December 27, 2016.

[Everclearsales-18] 1 2 Basham, David (December 13, 2001). "Got Charts? Usher's Platinum Mine; A Tolkien Spell; An Ill-Fated Concept". MTV News. Archived from the original on January 27, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2022.

[19] "Everclear Release Expanded 'Sparkle And Fade' 30th Anniversary Edition". antimusic. November 22, 2025. Retrieved January 8, 2026.

[LinerNotes-20] 1 2 Sparkle and Fade (booklet). Capitol Records. 1995. 7243 8 30929 2 5.

[ac_Australia_Everclear-21] "Australiancharts.com – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.

[ac_Canada_RPM_-22] "Top Albums/CDs. Volume 63, Issue 3 (1996-03-04)". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[ac_New_Zealand_Everclear-23] "Charts.nz – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 25, 2021.

[ac_Billboard200_Everclear-24] "Everclear Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2021.

[25] "ARIA Top 100 Albums for 1996". Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved July 25, 2021.

[26] "Top Selling Albums of 1996". The Official NZ Music Charts. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[27] "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1996". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2021.

[AustraliaEverclearSparkle_and_FadealbumCertRef-28] "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1996 Albums" (PDF). Australian Recording Industry Association. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[CanadaEverclearSparkle_and_FadealbumCertRef-29] "Canadian album certifications – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Music Canada. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

[United_StatesEverclearSparkle_and_FadealbumCertRef-30] "American album certifications – Everclear – Sparkle and Fade". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved November 16, 2021.

v t e Everclear
Art Alexakis Dave French Freddy Herrera Sean Winchester Josh Crawley Craig Montoya Greg Eklund Scott Cuthbert Brett Snyder Tommy Stewart Johnny Hawthorn Sam Hudson Sasha Smith Jordan Plosky
Studio albums	World of Noise Sparkle and Fade So Much for the Afterglow Songs from an American Movie Vol. One Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude Slow Motion Daydream Welcome to the Drama Club Invisible Stars Black Is the New Black
Extended plays	Nervous & Weird White Trash Hell Live from Toronto Closure EP Extended Versions
Compilation albums	Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994–2004 The Best of Everclear The Vegas Years Greatest Hits The Very Best of Everclear In a Different Light Return to Santa Monica
Singles	"Heroin Girl" "Santa Monica" "Heartspark Dollarsign" "Everything to Everyone" "I Will Buy You a New Life" "Father of Mine" "The Boys Are Back in Town" "Wonderful" "AM Radio" "Brown Eyed Girl" "Volvo Driving Soccer Mom" "Rich Girl"
Related articles	Discography Sun Songs