Their biggest commercial and critical success came with 1990's Jordan: The Comeback (one of two albums produced by Thomas Dolby), which was a hit in the UK and nominated for a BRIT award. The band also had a UK Top 10 hit with their 1988 song The King of Rock 'n' Roll.
Perhaps their finest album, Steve McQueen (originally released in June 1985) was re-released in August 2007 as a 2-CD deluxe edition, with a bonus disc of eight acoustic reinterpretations of some of the original tracks. Of the release, the record company said: "Digitally remastered by original producer Thomas Dolby, the album is sounding even better than ever. As if that weren't enough it is complemented here with a second disc containing eight sublime acoustic versions, which have been specially re-recorded for this release by Paddy McAloon."
Steve McQueen was released in the US under the title Two Wheels Good following pressure from the late actor's estate.
Prefab Sprout rleased Let's Change the World With Music - The Blueprint in 2009 on the Kitchenware Records label (website). See also Sprout Trivia below.
Discography:
Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) / Radio Love - Feb 25, 1982 (their first record, released on their own label Candle)
The Devil Has All the Best Tunes / Walk On - Oct 1983 (Kitchenware) (feat. Wendy Smith and Fiona Attwood)
Swoon - Mar 1984
Steve McQueen aka Two Wheels Good (US) - Jun 1985
From Langley Park to Memphis - Mar 1988
Protest Songs - Jun 1989
Jordan: The Comeback - Aug 1990
The Best of Prefab Sprout: A Life of Surprises - Jul 1992 (compilation; exit Conti hereafter)
Andromeda Heights - May 1997
38 Carat Collection (disc 1) - Oct 1999 (compilation)
38 Carat Collection (disc 2) - Oct 1999 (compilation)
The Gunman And Other Stories - Jun 18, 2001 (sans Smith)
Chronology of Bandmembers:
Paddy McAloon (born Patrick Joseph McAloon, Jun 7, 1957, Durham); vocals / guitars / keyboards
Martin McAloon (born Jan 4, 1962, Durham); bass guitar
Michael Salmon; drums / percussion
Wendy Smith (born May 31, 1963, Middlesbrough); vocals / guitars / keyboards
Neil Conti (born Feb 12, 1959, Luton); drums / percussion
Fiona Attwood (Chester-le-Street); backing vocals
Sprout Trivia:
Paddy conceived the name "Prefab Sprout" when he was just 14 back in 1972, he revealed in an interview with French magazine BEST. It was his attempt at creating an unusual name like groups that were popular at the time (eg Tyrannosaurus Rex, Moby Grape, Grand Funk Railroad, etc.).
The band has had as many as 11 drummers (including Paddy McAloon himself on programmed percussion!) in its lineup. Of these, Conti was the most closely identified with the group. (source: http://www.browningmcintosh.com/plocktonwest/sproutfacts.html)
Paddy had apparently conceived of an album named Let's Change The World With Music (the working title of the band's forthcoming album, due February 2009) as far back as the early 1990's:
"I actually wrote a Gulf War album called Let's Change The World With Music, and I've got a couple of beauties, but there are right and wrong times to do things, and it came after another album I wrote which is much lighter... it's called Billy Midnight, very romantic. So the Gulf War album was a more serious response to that. I keep junking things all the time." - NME June 20, 1992 (source: http://www.browningmcintosh.com/plocktonwest/sprout_misc.html)
"And I have an album called Let's Change The World With Music; lots of songs about music, playing on that horrible thing where you listen to a song like "We Are The World" and the sentiment is great but it's such a cliché that it sticks in your throat. It plays on that edge between that kind of thing and real sincerity." - NME April 15, 1995 (source: http://www.browningmcintosh.com/plocktonwest/sprout_misc.html)
"Look, since 1990 I've written what I think of as my best music. You can hear some of it on Andromeda Heights. But I have also - in detailed demo form - an album called Let's Change The World With Music. It was written as the follow up to Jordan." - BEST magazine (France) July 1997 (source: http://www.browningmcintosh.com/plocktonwest/sprout_misc.html)
Dragons
Prefab Sprout Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I realized at once you were an angel in torment
How could I desert you?
I vowed in that moment
Nothing in this world or any other
Would ever threaten or hurt you
But I'm on my way to save you
Devils wage unholy war
But I'm on my way to save you
The forces of darkness
May mobilize 100 million demons
An army to keep you far from me
Determined to stop me
They'll spend eternity
Regretting they ever crossed me
They'll suffer, believe me
Dragons may guard your door
But I'm on my way to save you
Devils wage unholy war
But I'm on my way to save you
To save you
The lyrics of Prefab Sprout's song "Dragons" evoke a sense of devotion and determination to save someone they see as an angel in torment. The singer vows to never leave their side and protect them from any harm. The dragons and devils mentioned represent the obstacles standing in the way of their happiness but the singer is willing to risk their own safety and fight to be with them. The lines "The forces of darkness, May mobilize 100 million demons, An army to keep you far from me, Determined to stop me" show the intensity of the struggle the singer is willing to face.
The song reflects a deep sense of love, almost to the point of obsession, as the singer declares his willingness to face any obstacle to be with the person they love. The dragons and devils can be interpreted as external threats or internal fears and doubts that one must overcome to find true love. The song suggests that love is worth fighting for, and nothing can stand in the way of true love if one is determined enough.
Overall, "Dragons" can be seen as an uplifting and inspiring love song. It conveys a message of hope, perseverance, and the power of true love to overcome any adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
The first time I saw you
I knew immediately that you were an angel in pain.
I realized at once you were an angel in torment
I immediately recognized your divine nature but also sensed your suffering.
How could I desert you?
There was no way I could abandon you or leave you alone.
I vowed in that moment
I made a promise at that very instant.
Nothing in this world or any other
Absolutely nothing, no matter the realm, would ever put you in harm's way.
Would ever threaten or hurt you
I'll do everything in my power to prevent you from being harmed.
Dragons may guard your door
There may be mighty creatures standing in the way of reaching you.
But I'm on my way to save you
Nonetheless, I'm determined to overcome any obstacle to reach and rescue you.
Devils wage unholy war
Even the forces of evil try to fight to keep us apart.
The forces of darkness
Evil is mobilizing an enormous army to keep us apart.
May mobilize 100 million demons
This army could be incredibly powerful with vast amounts of minions in its ranks.
An army to keep you far from me
Their sole purpose is to keep me from reaching you.
Determined to stop me
They are so set on their goal that they won't back down from trying to stop me.
They'll spend eternity
Their punishment will last forever.
Regretting they ever crossed me
They'll come to regret ever trying to cross me and interfering with my mission.
They'll suffer, believe me
I can assure you they will face the consequences of their actions.
To save you
All of these challenges are worth it because I want to save you.
Contributed by Aaron R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Patrick Stocks
The first time I saw you
I realized at once you were an Angel in torment
How could I desert you?
I vowed in that moment
Nothing in this world or any other
Would ever threaten or hurt you
Dragons may guard your door 🚪
But I’m on my way to save you
Devils wage unholy war
But I’m on my way to save you
The forces of darkness
May mobilize 100 million demons
An army to keep you far from me
Determined to stop me
They’ll spend eternity
Regretting they ever crossed me
They’ll suffer, believe me
Dragons may guard your door 🚪
But I’m on my way to save you
Devils wage unholy war
But I’m on my way to save you
To save you
Robotics, Control and Machine Learning
Great song!
Stephan Graham
such few comments? people suck
The Way.
🙂