![]() They certainly never hit the dizzying heights achieved by peers like The Smiths, Depeche Mode and The Cure. and here, in U.S., they never achieved the popularity of like-minded acts like Style Council, Aztec Camera or Everything But The Girl. Meanwhile, “Hey Manhattan!” was a swoony Valentine to Paddy’s sudden New York state of mind.Īlthough Prefab won over a devoted legion of fans in the U.K. Tracks like “The King Of Rock N’ Roll” and “Cars & Girls” paid something of a sideways homage to Elvis Presley and Bruce Springsteen, respectively. At this point, they were fairly obsessed with America. By their third album, From Langley Park To Memphis, the band seemed ready to conquer the world. In the U.K., the first single, “When Love Breaks Down” almost squeaked into the Top 40. They also expanded their fanbase in the U.S. The band also added a fourth member, drummer Neil Conti.Ĭritical acclaim for Steve McQueen was unanimous. Fresh off his own big hits like “Europa And The Pirate Twins,” “She Blinded Me With Science” and “Hyperactive,” A fan of their music, he offered his services. ![]() This time production chores were handled by musical mad scientist/technical whiz kid, Thomas Dolby. as Two Wheels Good, where the late actor’s estate claimed copyright infringement). Less than 15 months later, Prefab returned, upping the ante considerably with their sophomore effort Steve McQueen (released in the U.S. record store and felt as though I hit the jackpot. That was enough for me! Not long after that, I found a used LP in an L.A. Not only were critics comparing them to Elvis Costello, but Elvis himself was singing their praises. Paddy was favorably compared to Paul McCartney, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter, Difford & Tilbrook (the wily blokes from Squeeze) and Elvis Costello. It garnered rave reviews in Great Britain. Heady and wordy, this 11 song collection obsessed over chess champ Bobby Fisher, catalogued the romantic associations connected to basketball, dissected heartbreak and all manner of teenage ephemera with a crystalline scalpel. The result was 1984’s Swoon (another acronym, Songs Written Out Of Necessity), a dense, yet delightful slice of sophisticated songcraft. ![]() ![]() Rather quickly, Paddy and Martin were signed to Kitchenware Records and in the studio, recording their first long-player, they were joined by fan, turned bandmate, Wendy Smith on vocals. Painterly and pastoral, the song was a clever and heartfelt ode to the girl who’d gotten away (to Limoges, France, turning the song title into an acronym). In 1982, they self-released their first single, “Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone),” via their own Candle Records imprint (the label’s sly slogan “The wax that won’t get on your wick”). Clearly, Paddy’s inspirations were less Sid Vicious and more Syd Barrett. The apocryphal explanation was a mis-interpretation of lyrics “we got married in a fever, hotter than a prefab sprout,” from the Lee Hazelwood/Nancy Sinatra hit, “Jackson.” In reality, he devised the meaningless name as a mocking homages to Psychedelic bands like The Electric Prunes or Strawberry Alarm Clock. The Witton Gilbert wunderkind had been stockpiling song ideas in his bedroom throughout his adolescence, as well as oblique band names, finally settling on Prefab Sprout. ![]() The brainchild of Paddy McAloon, it’s original incarnation, which included his brother, Martin, formed in 1978, as Dick Diver, in their hometown parish of Witton Gilbert, County Durham in Northeast England. Musically, the band occupy a very specific niche. Prefab Sprout is one of those bands where, either you get it, or you don’t. ![]()
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