I was able to watch those unformed characters careering through the arc of the Sputnik life. Changing. They would experience too the ups and downs. They would experience the exhilaration of success and fame as well as the painful realities when things don’t go quite as hoped. The fickleness of success. The cruelties of a media that can tell you it loves you then stab you in the back. It’s like it is a test designed by God to see if you’ve got what it takes, whether you deserve it. How did they deal with it? How are they dealing with the continuing journey, of the prospect of starting again, perhaps creating something new. Will they, this time around, be the ones in charge, the creative force, calling the shots, taking the difficult decisions as they steer their own ships towards their own personal goals.
I wonder how they look back at this Sputnik story? Do they look back with fondness and amazement at our great fortune to have been a part of something so special and extraordinary? I hope so because I believe that ultimately there’s no point in regret or bitterness and because as cliche as it may sound, life IS all about learning and moving forward.
We had our good times, our amazing times, our can’t believe how we got here times. Our relationships. Did we all do our best, put in every ounce of the energy required. I hope so. I hope they take, in the words of Ferris Beuler, a moment to look around at life.
I wish Martin, Neal, Ray, Chris, Yana and everyone else who was a part of Sputnik all the best going forward. Let’s appreciate what we had, from those sunny days sitting outside Pindock Mews learning covers of Eddie Cochran songs to all the way to number one. We didn’t create a Beatles, we crashed and burned after only two initial albums of work, but I think Sputnik has left an extraordinary legacy.
