Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham fo… Read Full Bio ↴Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham formed in 1976, who rose to fame during the 1980s. Though critically acclaimed, and considered by many to have released some of the best pop albums of the decade, the band never matched this acclaim with commercial success. The band's best known lineup comprised Paddy McAloon (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Wendy Smith (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Martin McAloon (bass), and Neil Conti (drums).

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 released 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)

Dublin
Prefab Sprout Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Who does not adore the sound
Of music in the name of towns
To build a city on such picturesque ground
That takes some sort of flair
We draw a line the ink is fear
You stay that side we'll stay here
It's far harder to keep it up
Than to tear it down

Does it take you back to the kind of world
Hindsight calls the good old days?
Now that there's no room in an Einstein world
For simple cause and effect

Dublin Dublin home of pretty Coleens
Dublin Dublin, nurse of such bitter dreams

Behind the soft and peachy skin
Where D.N.A. or God begin
Where sub-Gaelic rot sets in
With stories from your mother
In myths and less exalted forms
The heady cocktail glory is born
You know it's not a bottled storm
So why do you indulge it?

Dublin Dublin home of pretty Coleens
Dublin Dublin, nurse of such bitter dreams

Overall Meaning

The song Dublin by Prefab Sprout is a deeply insightful take on the intricate social and cultural fabric of the Irish city. The lyrics point towards the fact that music is a fundamental part of the identity of Dublin, and the citizens take great pride in it. The song draws a parallel between building a city on a picturesque location and the creativity and passion that goes into making music. The song also highlights the challenge of maintaining something beautiful and precious in the face of fear and uncertainty.

The second verse delves into the dark side of the city. The lyrics explore the stories that are passed down from generation to generation and how they shape the cultural identity of the city. These stories may not always be uplifting or positive, but they are an essential part of the city's history. The song questions why these bitter dreams are indulged, even though they do not necessarily contribute to the betterment of the society.

Overall, the lyrics of the song Dublin shed light on the fascinating cultural and social aspects of the city. The song is a poignant reminder of the complexity of human nature and the beauty that can emerge from it, even in the darkest of times.

Line by Line Meaning

Who does not adore the sound
Who wouldn't love to listen to

Of music in the name of towns
Music that identifies with a place

To build a city on such picturesque ground
Constructing a city on a beautiful location

That takes some sort of flair
It needs a unique talent

We draw a line the ink is fear
We're afraid to cross the line

You stay that side we'll stay here
You stay there, we'll stay here

It's far harder to keep it up
It takes more effort to maintain it

Than to tear it down
Compared to dismantling it

Does it take you back to the kind of world
Does it remind you of a great past

Hindsight calls the good old days?
When looking back, were the past better

Now that there's no room in an Einstein world
In today's complex world