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)
Green Isaac II
Prefab Sprout Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's easy to make noise
I worship the silence that sings like a bird
I long for the moon as it looks from the earth
But to have and to hold it I'd only suggest
Suggest...
You take one step, Green Isaac, one step away
You take one step, Green Isaac, one step away
Stella mater
Light is failing
Making such a fool of thee
When you'd love to be someone
The lyrics of Prefab Sprout's song "Green Isaac II" can be interpreted in several ways, but one of the most common ones is that they refer to the complexity of life and the simplicity that we crave. The first two lines of the first stanza suggest that it is difficult to be straightforward in one's actions and thoughts, while it is easy to create chaos and confusion. The third line, "I worship the silence that sings like a bird," could mean that the singer values tranquility over noise and finds beauty in the stillness of nature. The fourth line, "I long for the moon as it looks from the earth," could imply that the singer yearns for a perspective that allows them to see the big picture and understand the world better. The fifth line, "But to have and to hold it I'd only suggest," suggests that the singer is aware that the reality could be different from their idealized perception of things.
The chorus of the song, "You take one step, Green Isaac, one step away," could be addressing someone who is hesitant or afraid to take action towards their goals. The repetition of the word "suggest" can be interpreted as a reminder that it is okay to suggest or propose something rather than have a definite plan. The second stanza, which starts with "Stella mater," could also be interpreted in different ways, but it seems to refer to a person who is losing their way while trying to achieve something. The line "Making such a fool of thee" could mean that they are acting foolishly or naively, while the last line, "When you'd love to be someone," suggests that they are striving to become someone they are not.
Line by Line Meaning
It's hard to act so simply
It's a difficult task to present oneself as natural and uncomplicated to the world
It's easy to make noise
It's simple to make commotion and disarray in the surroundings
I worship the silence that sings like a bird
I adore the stillness that is as melodious as the birds' warbling
I long for the moon as it looks from the earth
I yearn for the view of the moon as seen from the planet's surface
But to have and to hold it I'd only suggest
To obtain it and maintain it, I can only offer a recommendation
You take one step, Green Isaac, one step away
You, Green Isaac, are only a single move distant
Stella mater
Mother star
Light is failing
The brightness is diminishing
Making such a fool of thee
Rendering you foolish and absurd
When you'd love to be someone
At the very moment you deeply crave to be a specific person
Contributed by Caroline K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.