"Spark" is a song performed by Scottish singer Amy Macdonald

Amy MacDonald

Amy MacDonald is an American author of children's books. Her works include Little Beaver and the Echo, which has been translated into 28 languages around the world, and Rachel Fister's Blister. Her first book, a satire of Jill Krementz's children's books, was A Very Young Housewife.Amy MacDonald...

. The song is her 2nd single released from the album A Curious Thing

A Curious Thing

The album has garnered mixed to generally positive reviews. Paul Lester of BBC Music gave the album a glowing review, calling it "a triumphant return" and went on to add that "it is a bold, grand statement of intent, full of songs of epic sweep that build to undeniable choruses, to be enjoyed by...

, and was released in the UK on the 10th May 2010.

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. Many of the tracks were inspired by real-life personalities or events from her everyday life. It is claimed that she wrote "Spark" for murdered toddler Jamie Bulger, after watching a TV program on his violent death, though Amy denies this. She has stated that although the Bulger case was a catalyst, the song refers to a departed loved one in general. "What Happiness Means to Me" is dedicated to her footballer fiancé Steve Lovell

Steve Lovell

Stephen William Henry "Steve" Lovell is a former English footballer who played as a striker.-Portsmouth:...

, while "An Ordinary Life" is inspired by the "Z-list celebs" she saw flocking around Scots-born Hollywood actor Gerard Butler

Gerard Butler

Gerard James Butler is a Scottish actor who has appeared on film, stage, and television. A trained lawyer, Butler turned to acting in the mid-1990s with small roles in productions such as the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies , which he followed with steady work on television, most notably in...

 at a party he held in Glasgow

Glasgow

Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...

 late 2009 to mark the opening of his film Law Abiding Citizen

Law Abiding Citizen

Law Abiding Citizen is a 2009 thriller film directed by F. Gary Gray from a screenplay written by Kurt Wimmer, starring Jamie Foxx and Gerard Butler. The film takes place in Philadelphia and tells the story of a man whose developed sociopathic tendencies drove him into killing while targeting not...

. "My Only One" is partly about her late grandparents and partly about Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson

Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...

. The tracks were recorded at Weller's BlackBarn Studios in Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

.

Music video

The music video was filmed at Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond

Loch Lomond is a freshwater Scottish loch, lying on the Highland Boundary Fault. It is the largest lake in Great Britain by surface area. The lake contains many islands, including Inchmurrin, the largest fresh-water island in the British Isles, although the lake itself is smaller than many Irish...

 in Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

. It starts with Amy walking down a slipway towards the Loch carrying a case she puts it down and starts playing the guitar

Guitar

The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...

 with a caravan in the background, orange lines flash throughout the music video and you see different shots of the loch, the forest and Amy playing her guitar.

Track listing

Digital Download

1. "Spark" – 3:07
2. "Spark" (Acoustic Version - German Radio Tour) – 3:05

iTunes Digital download

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

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

Weekly charts

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Chart (2010)	Peak position

Release history

Region	Date	Format	Label
United Kingdom	May 10, 2010	Digital Download Music download A music download is the transferral of music from an Internet-facing computer or website to a user's local computer. This term encompasses both legal downloads and downloads of copyright material without permission or payment... , CD Single CD single A CD single is a music single in the form of a standard size Compact Disc, not to be confused with the 3-inch CD single, which uses a smaller form factor. The format was introduced in the mid-1980s, but did not gain its place in the market until the early 1990s...	Mercury Records Mercury Records Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
Germany	June 25, 2010