Release of A Series of Sneaks

After the release of Soft Effects , Spoon signed to Elektra Records and released A Series of Sneaks in May 1998. The album did not sell as well as the label had hoped; merely four months after the release of Sneaks , Spoon’s Elektra A&R contact Ron Laffitte quit his job and that week the band was dropped from the label. Angry with Laffitte, who had promised to stick with the band, Spoon recorded a vindictive yet humorously titled two-song concept single entitled “The Agony of Laffitte”, which was released by Saddle Creek Records. They lamented their experience with the music business executive and questioned his motivations with the songs “The Agony of Laffitte” and “Laffitte Don’t Fail Me Now”.