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)
Falling in Love
Prefab Sprout Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That's what my friends tell me.
It's letting a bird
Out of a cage,
When will my heart, my heart
Be free?
Falling in love is simple,
It's falling off logs (falling off logs)
Follow the flow (follow the flow-oh)
Why is my heart, my heart,
So slow?
It's falling off logs (falling off logs)
Follow the flow (follow the flow-oh)
Why is my heart, my heart,
So slow?
Falling in love is child's play,
Just take it stage by stage.
Fly away bird (fly away bird)
Take to the sky (take to the sky-y)
Why are you scared
To leave your cage?
Fly away bird (fly away bird)
I'm counting to three (one two three)
When will my heart, this heart
Be free?
The lyrics to Prefab Sprout's song Falling In Love depict the singer's difficulty in falling in love and surrendering themselves to the emotions and vulnerability it entails. The first verse emphasizes the ease with which others seem to fall in love and the singer's struggle in doing so. The metaphor of a bird in a cage is used to illustrate the confinement and fear the singer feels in opening up their heart. The chorus repeats the imagery of falling off a log and following the flow to reinforce the idea that falling in love should be simple, yet the singer's heart remains hesitant and slow to open up.
In the second verse, the singer compares falling in love to child's play and encourages themselves to take it step by step. The repetition of the phrase "fly away bird" emphasizes the idea of freedom and releasing oneself from the constraints of fear and doubt. The countdown to three at the end adds a sense of urgency and highlights the singer's desire to break free from their emotional cage.
Overall, the lyrics of Falling In Love convey the fear, hesitancy, and longing for emotional freedom that can come with falling in love. It portrays the struggle of being vulnerable and surrendering oneself to the unpredictable nature of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Falling in love is easy,
Starting to experience romantic feelings towards someone is straightforward and uncomplicated.
That's what my friends tell me.
The singer's friends have shared their belief that falling in love is easy.
It's letting a bird
Out of a cage,
Entering a romantic relationship can feel like releasing a bird from captivity, granting freedom and happiness.
When will my heart, my heart
Be free?
The artist is wondering when their own heart will be liberated and able to embrace love fully.
Falling in love is simple,
The process of falling in love is straightforward.
Nothing you need to know.
No special knowledge or complicated process is required to fall in love.
It's falling off logs (falling off logs)
Follow the flow (follow the flow-oh)
Falling in love could be compared to the simple act of falling off logs in a stream and following the current.
Why is my heart, my heart,
So slow?
The artist wonders why their own heart seems to be taking longer to fall in love than others.
Fly away bird (fly away bird)
Take to the sky (take to the sky-y)
Leaving a metaphorical cage and embracing freedom, perhaps in love.
Why are you scared
To leave your cage?
The artist is questioning why they might be self-sabotaging and hesitant to let themselves fall in love.
I'm counting to three (one two three)
When will my heart, this heart
Be free?
The singer is reassuring themselves that they will take the necessary steps and eventually allow their heart to be free to love.
Contributed by Lucy N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gelsyviolet
Pochi, come Paddy McAloon, riescono a raggiungere tali profondità nel cuore. Un immenso grazie per le stupende melodie in questi decenni hai saputo regalarci. Lunga vita felice a te Paddy.
Niels Ohlsen
Wow. Great chords. Since I love both Burt Bacharach and Chris Rea (Maj7 chords), of course I love this.
Thanks very much for the upload!
che williams
Chris Rea XXX
joaquim oliva
2009 : " Enamorar-se es fàcil
Això és el què em diuen els meus amics
És com treure un ocell de la seva gàbia
Quan el meu cor, el meu cor
Serà lliure ?
Enamorar-se és senzill
Només et cal saber res més
És com el descens de troncs que segueixen la corrent d'un riu
Per què el meu cor, el meu cor
És tan lent ?
És com es troncs que segueixen la corrent
Per què el meu cor, el meu cor
és tan lent ?
Enamorar-se és un joc de nens
Cal que vagis pas a pas
Vola i allunya't ocell
Arriba fins el cel
Per què tens tanta por a deixar la teva gàbia ?
Vola i allunya't ocell
Estic comptant fins a tres ( un, dos, tres?
Quan el me cor, aquest cor
Serà lliure ? "
Vitonicola Cinquepalmi
MERAVIGLIA