Prefab Sprout
Encyclopedia
Prefab Sprout are an alternative English
pop rock band
from Witton Gilbert
, County Durham
, England
who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart
, and one of their singles
, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll
", peaked at number seven in the UK Singles Chart
. The band formed in 1978 in Newcastle
.
Prefab Sprout had minimal chart success
in the United States
. Their 1985 album Steve McQueen
was released in the US with the title Two Wheels Good and peaked at number 180 in the Billboard 200
. Frontman Paddy McAloon
has been hailed as one of the greater songwriters of his era.
, the French city where his former girlfriend was staying at the time. Music journalist
Stuart Maconie
, described the track as "enigmatic, melancholy, tuneful and therefore perfect for a jobless literature graduate with girlfriend problems". Their debut album, Swoon, was released on the Kitchenware
label
in March 1984. The following album, the Thomas Dolby
-produced
Steve McQueen
, (released in America as Two Wheels Good after McQueen
's estate expressed their displeasure with the title) was highly praised by critics. Their Protest Songs
album was recorded next, but was not released until 1989. It included the song "Life of Surprises", which later became the title track for their greatest hits
compilation album
.
Their biggest commercial success in the UK came with the 1988 single "The King of Rock 'N' Roll
", taken from the album From Langley Park to Memphis
. It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart
, their only single to reach the Top 10. From Langley Park to Memphis included guest appearances from Stevie Wonder
and Pete Townshend
.
In 1990, Jordan: The Comeback
, again produced by Thomas Dolby
, was nominated for a BRIT Award
. Though the music was more accessible than their earlier material, the lyrics and subject matter remained characteristically oblique and suggestive (McAloon has often cited Stephen Sondheim
as an influence). McAloon has alluded in interviews to several albums-worth of songs that he has written but are unreleased/unrecorded including amongst others, concept album
s based on the life of Michael Jackson
(Behind the Veil), the history of the world (Earth: The Story So Far) and (Zorro the Fox) about a fictional superhero
.
Their greatest hits, A Life of Surprises - The Best of Prefab Sprout, gave them their biggest US hit, "If You Don't Love Me", which spent several weeks in the Top 10 on the dance chart
. McAloon joked in the album liner notes about the band's lack of touring over the past decade.
Prefab Sprout released Andromeda Heights
in the UK in 1997 and embarked on a short UK tour in 2000. This tour, and the subsequent album, did not feature Wendy Smith, who by this time had reportedly left the band. A double album
anthology
, the 38 Carat Collection
was released by CBS in 1999 as the group was leaving the record label
. Unexpectedly, the group's US label, Epic
, belatedly reissued this set as The Collection in early 2001. Smith left the group during this period, after the birth of her first child.
In 2001 the band released The Gunman and Other Stories
a concept album
themed on the American Wild West
. The opening track "Cowboy Dreams" was a hit for the British actor
-singer Jimmy Nail
. Though critically acclaimed, neither enjoyed major commercial success.
After being diagnosed with a medical disorder that seriously impaired his vision, Paddy McAloon released the album I Trawl The Megahertz
under his own name in 2003 on the EMI Liberty label. As of 2006, McAloon had suffered another setback: his hearing had deteriorated, reportedly due to Ménière's disease
. In early 2007 a remastered Steve McQueen was released in a two-CD
package, containing new versions of eight of the songs from the original album, in radically different arrangement
s performed by McAloon on acoustic guitar
.
Prefab Sprout's first album of new material since 2001, Let's Change the World with Music
, was released on 7 September 2009. Reviews in the UK press were favourable (e.g. 5/5 in The Times
, 4/5 in The Guardian
, 4/5 in Record Collector
). The release was also accompanied by a few interviews (e.g. Mojo
).
and Lee Hazelwood song, "Jackson
", misheard by frontman Paddy McAloon. The correct opening lyrics for "Jackson" are "We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout", which McAloon misinterpreted as 'hotter than a prefab sprout'. However, Allmusic reckons that the prosaic truth is that "an adolescent McAloon had devised the meaningless name in homage to the longwinded and equally silly band names of his late 1960s / early 1970s youth". But it is equally valid that, because of the proliferation of pre-fabricated houses in the North East (due to World War II
- and commonly called Prefabs), the former is true due to word association.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
pop rock band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
from Witton Gilbert
Witton Gilbert
Witton Gilbert is a village and civil parish in County Durham, England. It is situated to the north-west of Durham.The village once had a railway station on the...
, County Durham
County Durham
County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
who rose to fame during the 1980s. Eight of their albums have reached the Top 40 in the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
, and one of their singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, "The King of Rock 'n' Roll
The King of Rock 'N' Roll
"The King of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single by the British rock group Prefab Sprout, released in 1988. It was the second single taken from their album of that year, From Langley Park to Memphis, and makes reference to a washed-up '50s star who is only remembered for his one-hit novelty song, which is...
", peaked at number seven in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
. The band formed in 1978 in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
.
Prefab Sprout had minimal chart success
Record chart
A record chart is a ranking of recorded music according to popularity during a given period of time. Examples of music charts are the Hit parade, Hot 100 or Top 40....
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Their 1985 album Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen (album)
Steve McQueen is the second album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in June 1985. It was released in the United States as Two Wheels Good due to a legal conflict with the estate of American actor Steve McQueen...
was released in the US with the title Two Wheels Good and peaked at number 180 in the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. Frontman Paddy McAloon
Paddy McAloon
Paddy McAloon is an English singer-songwriter and member of the band Prefab Sprout. Allmusic describes him as "one of the most underrated lyricists of the '80s".-Career:...
has been hailed as one of the greater songwriters of his era.
Career
Prefab Sprout debuted in 1982 with their self-released single, "Lions In My Own Garden: Exit Someone" - songwriter Paddy McAloon wanted a song title where the first letters of the words spelled out LimogesLimoges
Limoges |Limousin]] dialect of Occitan) is a city and commune, the capital of the Haute-Vienne department and the administrative capital of the Limousin région in west-central France....
, the French city where his former girlfriend was staying at the time. Music journalist
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie
Stuart Maconie is an English radio DJ and television presenter, writer, journalist, and critic working in the field of of pop music and popular culture. He is currently a presenter on BBC 6 Music, where he hosts an afternoon show five times a week , alongside Mark Radcliffe, called the Radcliffe...
, described the track as "enigmatic, melancholy, tuneful and therefore perfect for a jobless literature graduate with girlfriend problems". Their debut album, Swoon, was released on the Kitchenware
Kitchenware Records
Kitchenware Records is an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
in March 1984. The following album, the Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
-produced
Record producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
Steve McQueen
Steve McQueen (album)
Steve McQueen is the second album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in June 1985. It was released in the United States as Two Wheels Good due to a legal conflict with the estate of American actor Steve McQueen...
, (released in America as Two Wheels Good after McQueen
Steve McQueen
Terrence Steven "Steve" McQueen was an American movie actor. He was nicknamed "The King of Cool." His "anti-hero" persona, which he developed at the height of the Vietnam counterculture, made him one of the top box-office draws of the 1960s and 1970s. McQueen received an Academy Award nomination...
's estate expressed their displeasure with the title) was highly praised by critics. Their Protest Songs
Protest Songs (album)
Protest Songs is the fourth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout . It was recorded in 1985, but was not released until 1989; it's not clear whether, at the time of recording, the band had intended it as the main follow-up to their breakthrough album Steve McQueen, released earlier in 1985...
album was recorded next, but was not released until 1989. It included the song "Life of Surprises", which later became the title track for their greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
.
Their biggest commercial success in the UK came with the 1988 single "The King of Rock 'N' Roll
The King of Rock 'N' Roll
"The King of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single by the British rock group Prefab Sprout, released in 1988. It was the second single taken from their album of that year, From Langley Park to Memphis, and makes reference to a washed-up '50s star who is only remembered for his one-hit novelty song, which is...
", taken from the album From Langley Park to Memphis
From Langley Park to Memphis
From Langley Park to Memphis is the third album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, and was released in March 1988.The title is taken from a lyric to the song, "The Venus of the Soup Kitchen", and refers to the village of Langley Park, County Durham in England, and the city of Memphis, Tennessee in...
. It reached #7 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
, their only single to reach the Top 10. From Langley Park to Memphis included guest appearances from Stevie Wonder
Stevie Wonder
Stevland Hardaway Morris , better known by his stage name Stevie Wonder, is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, record producer and activist...
and Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
.
In 1990, Jordan: The Comeback
Jordan: The Comeback
Jordan: The Comeback is the fifth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in August 1990.- Album :Jordan: The Comeback showed Prefab Sprout continuing their musical evolution from the prickly jangle guitars of Swoon, their debut...
, again produced by Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby
Thomas Dolby is an English musician and producer. Best known for his 1982 hit "She Blinded Me with Science", and 1984 single "Hyperactive!", he has also worked extensively in production and as a session musician.-Early life:Dolby was born in London, England, contrary to information in early 1980s...
, was nominated for a BRIT Award
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
. Though the music was more accessible than their earlier material, the lyrics and subject matter remained characteristically oblique and suggestive (McAloon has often cited Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim is an American composer and lyricist for stage and film. He is the winner of an Academy Award, multiple Tony Awards including the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, multiple Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize and the Laurence Olivier Award...
as an influence). McAloon has alluded in interviews to several albums-worth of songs that he has written but are unreleased/unrecorded including amongst others, concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
s based on the life of 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...
(Behind the Veil), the history of the world (Earth: The Story So Far) and (Zorro the Fox) about a fictional superhero
Superhero
A superhero is a type of stock character, possessing "extraordinary or superhuman powers", dedicated to protecting the public. Since the debut of the prototypical superhero Superman in 1938, stories of superheroes — ranging from brief episodic adventures to continuing years-long sagas —...
.
Their greatest hits, A Life of Surprises - The Best of Prefab Sprout, gave them their biggest US hit, "If You Don't Love Me", which spent several weeks in the Top 10 on the dance chart
Hot Dance Club Play
The Hot Dance Club Songs chart is a weekly national survey of the songs that are most popular in U.S. dance clubs...
. McAloon joked in the album liner notes about the band's lack of touring over the past decade.
Prefab Sprout released Andromeda Heights
Andromeda Heights
Andromeda Heights is a 1997 album by pop group Prefab Sprout. It was produced by Paddy McAloon and recorded by Calum Malcolm.- Overview :...
in the UK in 1997 and embarked on a short UK tour in 2000. This tour, and the subsequent album, did not feature Wendy Smith, who by this time had reportedly left the band. A double album
Double album
A double album is an audio album which spans two units of the primary medium in which it is sold, typically records and compact discs....
anthology
Anthology
An anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler. It may be a collection of poems, short stories, plays, songs, or excerpts...
, the 38 Carat Collection
38 Carat Collection
38 Carat Collection is a compilation album by British pop band, Prefab Sprout, released in 1999. It was released in a double CD version...
was released by CBS in 1999 as the group was leaving the record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
. Unexpectedly, the group's US label, Epic
Epic Records
Epic Records is an American record label, owned by Sony Music Entertainment. Though it was originally conceived as a jazz imprint, it has since expanded to represent various genres. L.A...
, belatedly reissued this set as The Collection in early 2001. Smith left the group during this period, after the birth of her first child.
In 2001 the band released The Gunman and Other Stories
The Gunman and Other Stories
The Gunman and Other Stories is the seventh studio album issued by the band, Prefab Sprout. Released in June 2001, the album was the band's only release for the EMI Liberty label.-Album history:...
a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
themed on the American Wild West
American Old West
The American Old West, or the Wild West, comprises the history, geography, people, lore, and cultural expression of life in the Western United States, most often referring to the latter half of the 19th century, between the American Civil War and the end of the century...
. The opening track "Cowboy Dreams" was a hit for the British actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
-singer Jimmy Nail
Jimmy Nail
James Bradford "Jimmy" Nail is an English singer-songwriter, actor, musician, film producer, film score composer and television writer....
. Though critically acclaimed, neither enjoyed major commercial success.
After being diagnosed with a medical disorder that seriously impaired his vision, Paddy McAloon released the album I Trawl The Megahertz
I Trawl the Megahertz
I Trawl The Megahertz is a 2003 album by English singer-songwriter Paddy McAloon.The debut solo album from McAloon, it marks a notable stylistic change from his work with Prefab Sprout, the act he is best known for...
under his own name in 2003 on the EMI Liberty label. As of 2006, McAloon had suffered another setback: his hearing had deteriorated, reportedly due to Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease
Ménière's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can affect hearing and balance to a varying degree. It is characterized by episodes of vertigo and tinnitus and progressive hearing loss, usually in one ear. It is named after the French physician Prosper Ménière, who, in an article published...
. In early 2007 a remastered Steve McQueen was released in a two-CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
package, containing new versions of eight of the songs from the original album, in radically different arrangement
Arrangement
The American Federation of Musicians defines arranging as "the art of preparing and adapting an already written composition for presentation in other than its original form. An arrangement may include reharmonization, paraphrasing, and/or development of a composition, so that it fully represents...
s performed by McAloon on acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
.
Prefab Sprout's first album of new material since 2001, Let's Change the World with Music
Let's Change the World with Music
Let's Change the World with Music is the eighth album from UK band Prefab Sprout. It was released in the UK on 7 September 2009. It is the band's first album of new material since 2001's The Gunman and Other Stories and marks a return to their former label Sony Music. The album reached #39 in the...
, was released on 7 September 2009. Reviews in the UK press were favourable (e.g. 5/5 in The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, 4/5 in The Guardian
The Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 4/5 in Record Collector
Record Collector
Record Collector is the United Kingdom's longest-running monthly music magazine. It distributes both within the UK and worldwide. It started in 1979.-The early years:...
). The release was also accompanied by a few interviews (e.g. Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
).
Band name
According to the Guinness Book of British Hit Singles & Albums, the band was named after a phrase from the Nancy SinatraNancy Sinatra
Nancy Sandra Sinatra is an American singer and actress. She is the daughter of singer/actor Frank Sinatra, and remains best known for her 1966 signature hit "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'"....
and Lee Hazelwood song, "Jackson
Jackson (song)
"Jackson" is a song, written in 1963 by Jerry Leiber and Billy Edd Wheeler, about a married couple who find that the "fire" has gone out of their relationship...
", misheard by frontman Paddy McAloon. The correct opening lyrics for "Jackson" are "We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout", which McAloon misinterpreted as 'hotter than a prefab sprout'. However, Allmusic reckons that the prosaic truth is that "an adolescent McAloon had devised the meaningless name in homage to the longwinded and equally silly band names of his late 1960s / early 1970s youth". But it is equally valid that, because of the proliferation of pre-fabricated houses in the North East (due to World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- and commonly called Prefabs), the former is true due to word association.
Core members
- Paddy McAloonPaddy McAloonPaddy McAloon is an English singer-songwriter and member of the band Prefab Sprout. Allmusic describes him as "one of the most underrated lyricists of the '80s".-Career:...
(born Patrick Joseph McAloon, 7 June 1957, DurhamDurhamDurham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...
); vocals / guitars / keyboards - Wendy Smith (born 31 May 1963, MiddlesbroughMiddlesbroughMiddlesbrough is a large town situated on the south bank of the River Tees in north east England, that sits within the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire...
); vocals / guitars / keyboards - Feona Attwood (born, Chester-le-StreetChester-le-StreetChester-le-Street is a town in County Durham, England. It has a history going back to Roman times when it was called Concangis. The town is located south of Newcastle upon Tyne and west of Sunderland on the River Wear...
, County Durham); vocals - now Professor Attwood teaching Media and Communication Studies at Sheffield Hallam University. - Martin McAloon (born 4 January 1962, Durham); bass guitar
- Neil ContiNeil ContiNeil Conti is an English drummer and music producer who was an integral member of the pop/rock band Prefab Sprout, while continuing to be in demand as a session drummer for artists and bands such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox, Cher, Level 42, Laurie Anderson, Steve Winwood, Paul Young,...
(born 12 February 1959, LutonLutonLuton is a large town and unitary authority of Bedfordshire, England, 30 miles north of London. Luton and its near neighbours, Dunstable and Houghton Regis, form the Luton/Dunstable Urban Area with a population of about 250,000....
); drums / percussion - Michael Salmon (born Durham); the band's first drummer and co-founder - left January 1983 replaced by Graham Lant. Steve Dolder joined in mid 1983 before Conti joined in late 1984
Albums
| Year | Album | UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Swoon | 22 | - | - |
| 1985 | Steve McQueen Steve McQueen (album) Steve McQueen is the second album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in June 1985. It was released in the United States as Two Wheels Good due to a legal conflict with the estate of American actor Steve McQueen... |
21 | 180 | Released in the US as Two Wheels Good |
| 1988 | From Langley Park to Memphis From Langley Park to Memphis From Langley Park to Memphis is the third album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, and was released in March 1988.The title is taken from a lyric to the song, "The Venus of the Soup Kitchen", and refers to the village of Langley Park, County Durham in England, and the city of Memphis, Tennessee in... |
5 | - | - |
| 1989 | Protest Songs Protest Songs (album) Protest Songs is the fourth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout . It was recorded in 1985, but was not released until 1989; it's not clear whether, at the time of recording, the band had intended it as the main follow-up to their breakthrough album Steve McQueen, released earlier in 1985... |
18 | - | Recorded in 1985 |
| 1990 | Jordan: The Comeback Jordan: The Comeback Jordan: The Comeback is the fifth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in August 1990.- Album :Jordan: The Comeback showed Prefab Sprout continuing their musical evolution from the prickly jangle guitars of Swoon, their debut... |
7 | - | - |
| 1992 | The Best Of - A Life Of Surprises The Best of - A Life of Surprises A Life Of Surprises – The Best Of Prefab Sprout is a compilation album by British pop band, Prefab Sprout, released in July 1992. The album reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Paddy McAloon... |
3 | - | - |
| 1997 | Andromeda Heights Andromeda Heights Andromeda Heights is a 1997 album by pop group Prefab Sprout. It was produced by Paddy McAloon and recorded by Calum Malcolm.- Overview :... |
7 | - | - |
| 1999 | 38 Carat Collection 38 Carat Collection 38 Carat Collection is a compilation album by British pop band, Prefab Sprout, released in 1999. It was released in a double CD version... |
95 | - | Last album for Sony/Columbia |
| 2001 | The Gunman and Other Stories The Gunman and Other Stories The Gunman and Other Stories is the seventh studio album issued by the band, Prefab Sprout. Released in June 2001, the album was the band's only release for the EMI Liberty label.-Album history:... |
60 | - | Only album for EMI-Liberty to date |
| 2003 | I Trawl the Megahertz I Trawl the Megahertz I Trawl The Megahertz is a 2003 album by English singer-songwriter Paddy McAloon.The debut solo album from McAloon, it marks a notable stylistic change from his work with Prefab Sprout, the act he is best known for... |
167 | - | Paddy McAloon Paddy McAloon Paddy McAloon is an English singer-songwriter and member of the band Prefab Sprout. Allmusic describes him as "one of the most underrated lyricists of the '80s".-Career:... solo project |
| 2007 | Steve McQueen | 155 | - | Remastered Legacy edition with second acoustic disc recorded by McAloon in 2005 |
| 2009 | Let's Change the World with Music Let's Change the World with Music Let's Change the World with Music is the eighth album from UK band Prefab Sprout. It was released in the UK on 7 September 2009. It is the band's first album of new material since 2001's The Gunman and Other Stories and marks a return to their former label Sony Music. The album reached #39 in the... |
39 | - | - |
| 2011 | [New Album] | - | - | New album of new material has reportedly been delivered to Kitchenware Records and expected for a 2011 release |
- All chart positions takes from Chart Log UK (http://www.zobbel.de/cluk/CLUK_P.HTM)
Singles
| Year | Song | UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | "Don't Sing" | 62 | - | Swoon |
| "When Love Breaks Down When Love Breaks Down When Love Breaks Down is a single released by the British rock group Prefab Sprout in 1984. It was the first single taken from their album of that year, Steve McQueen... " |
88 | - | Steve McQueen Steve McQueen (album) Steve McQueen is the second album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in June 1985. It was released in the United States as Two Wheels Good due to a legal conflict with the estate of American actor Steve McQueen... |
|
| 1985 | "Faron Young" | 74 | - | |
| "Appetite" | 92 | - | ||
| "When Love Breaks Down When Love Breaks Down When Love Breaks Down is a single released by the British rock group Prefab Sprout in 1984. It was the first single taken from their album of that year, Steve McQueen... " (reissue) |
25 | - | ||
| 1986 | "Johnny Johnny" (called "Goodbye Lucille #1" on the album) | 64 | - | |
| 1988 | "Cars and Girls Cars and Girls "Cars and Girls" is a single released by the British rock group Prefab Sprout in 1988. It was the first single taken from their album of that year, From Langley Park to Memphis. The single reached number 44 in the UK Singles Chart, and spent five weeks in that listing... " |
44 | - | From Langley Park to Memphis From Langley Park to Memphis From Langley Park to Memphis is the third album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, and was released in March 1988.The title is taken from a lyric to the song, "The Venus of the Soup Kitchen", and refers to the village of Langley Park, County Durham in England, and the city of Memphis, Tennessee in... |
| "The King of Rock 'n' Roll The King of Rock 'N' Roll "The King of Rock 'n' Roll" is a single by the British rock group Prefab Sprout, released in 1988. It was the second single taken from their album of that year, From Langley Park to Memphis, and makes reference to a washed-up '50s star who is only remembered for his one-hit novelty song, which is... " |
7 | - | ||
| "Hey Manhattan!" | 72 | - | ||
| "Nightingales" | 78 | - | ||
| 1989 | "The Golden Calf" | 82 | - | |
| 1990 | "Looking for Atlantis" | 51 | - | Jordan: The Comeback Jordan: The Comeback Jordan: The Comeback is the fifth album by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released in August 1990.- Album :Jordan: The Comeback showed Prefab Sprout continuing their musical evolution from the prickly jangle guitars of Swoon, their debut... |
| "We Let The Stars Go" | 50 | - | ||
| 1991 | "Jordan - The EP" | 35 | - | |
| 1992 | "The Sound of Crying" | 23 | - | The Best Of - A Life Of Surprises The Best of - A Life of Surprises A Life Of Surprises – The Best Of Prefab Sprout is a compilation album by British pop band, Prefab Sprout, released in July 1992. The album reached number 3 on the UK Albums Chart.-Track listing:All tracks composed by Paddy McAloon... |
| "If You Don't Love Me" | 33 | - | ||
| "All The World Loves Lovers" | 61 | - | ||
| 1993 | "Life of Surprises" | 24 | - | |
| "I Remember That" | - | - | ||
| 1997 | "A Prisoner of the Past" | 30 | - | Andromeda Heights Andromeda Heights Andromeda Heights is a 1997 album by pop group Prefab Sprout. It was produced by Paddy McAloon and recorded by Calum Malcolm.- Overview :... |
| "Electric Guitars" | 53 | - | ||
| 1999 | "Where the Heart Is" | 153 | - | 38 Carat Collection 38 Carat Collection 38 Carat Collection is a compilation album by British pop band, Prefab Sprout, released in 1999. It was released in a double CD version... |
| 2001 | "Cowboy Dreams" | - | - | The Gunman and Other Stories The Gunman and Other Stories The Gunman and Other Stories is the seventh studio album issued by the band, Prefab Sprout. Released in June 2001, the album was the band's only release for the EMI Liberty label.-Album history:... |
| 2009 | "Let There Be Music" | - | - | Let's Change the World with Music Let's Change the World with Music Let's Change the World with Music is the eighth album from UK band Prefab Sprout. It was released in the UK on 7 September 2009. It is the band's first album of new material since 2001's The Gunman and Other Stories and marks a return to their former label Sony Music. The album reached #39 in the... |
Sources
- Myths, Melodies & Metaphysics: Paddy McAloon's Prefab Sprout - ISBN 978-0-9558832-0-0