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)
The Old Magician
Prefab Sprout Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
His act has not improved with age
Observe the shabby hat and gloves
The tired act that no one loves
There was a time he produced doves
A mirror and a puff of smoke
His mysteries are now a joke
She's tired of being sawn in two
She's tired of being sawn in two
Hidden trapdoor, velvet cape
Still from death there's no escape
Words of sympathy and tact
Only underline the fact
Death is a lousy disappearing act
Lord have mercy and be kind
When our faculties unwind
Overlook the hat and gloves
The tired act that no one loves
There was a time we produced doves
Overlook the hat and gloves
The tired act that no one loves
There was a time we produced doves
The old magician takes the stage
With sleight of hand he'll disengage
As dignified as you'll allow
He'll take his last , his final bow
He's lost all his illusions now.
As dignified as you'll allow
He'll take one last one final bow
He's lost all his illusions now
The Old Magician by Prefab Sprout is a poignant exploration of the passage of time and the waning of our abilities as we age. The titular character is an aging magician whose act has seen better days. His props and costumes are worn and shabby, and his assistant has grown tired of being sawn in two. Despite his best efforts, the Old Magician's performances have become a laughingstock, and the once-magical act has become a joke. The song is a meditation on the fleeting nature of success and fame, and a reminder that nothing lasts forever.
In the second verse, the Old Magician's desperate attempts to cling to his former glory are revealed. His trickery is no longer fooling anyone, and his assistant is bruised and battered from his clumsy attempts to execute illusions that once came easily. The imagery of a “hidden trapdoor” and “velvet cape” hint at the behind-the-scenes mechanics of the magician's act, reminding us that even the most polished performances rely on a team of assistants and props. The final verse is a plea for mercy and understanding from the audience - a request to overlook the Old Magician's faults and shortcomings in the twilight of his career. In the end, he takes one last bow, having lost all his illusions.
Line by Line Meaning
The old magician takes the stage
The magician, who is old, steps onto the stage to perform.
His act has not improved with age
The magician's performance has not gotten any better as he has gotten older.
Observe the shabby hat and gloves
Take note of the magician's worn-out hat and gloves.
The tired act that no one loves
The magician's performance is uninteresting and nobody enjoys it.
There was a time he produced doves
In the past, the magician was able to make doves appear during his performance.
A mirror and a puff of smoke
The magician uses a mirror and smoke to create illusions during his performance.
His mysteries are now a joke
The elements of mystery in the magician's performance are no longer taken seriously and are seen as silly.
His poor assistant black and blue
The magician's assistant is covered in bruises from being part of the act.
She's tired of being sawn in two
The assistant is tired of being part of a dangerous trick where she is sawn in half.
Hidden trapdoor, velvet cape
The performance relies on a trapdoor and a cape made of velvet.
Still from death there's no escape
Even though the magician uses tricks to make it look like there is a way to escape death during the performance, death is inevitable.
Words of sympathy and tact
People say kind things to the magician to make him feel better about his failing career.
Only underline the fact
However, the kind words only emphasize the truth about the situation.
Death is a lousy disappearing act
Death is not a magical or disappearing act - it is a harsh reality.
Lord have mercy and be kind
A plea is made to be compassionate and merciful.
When our faculties unwind
When we become old and lose our mental abilities.
The tired act that no one loves
The magician's performance is still uninteresting and nobody enjoys it.
There was a time we produced doves
In the past, the magician was able to make doves appear during his performance, and we enjoyed it.
With sleight of hand he'll disengage
The magician will use his impressive hand movements to end his performance.
As dignified as you'll allow
As respectful and classy as the audience will let him be.
He'll take his last, his final bow
The magician will take his last bow at the end of his final performance.
He's lost all his illusions now
The magician no longer has any belief in his magic tricks.
As dignified as you'll allow
As respectful and classy as the audience will let him be.
He'll take one last one final bow
The magician will take his last bow one final time.
He's lost all his illusions now
The magician no longer has any belief in his magic tricks.
Contributed by Parker Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
keithachrist
The old magician takes the stage
(His act does not improve with age)
Observe the shabby hat and gloves
The tired act that no-one loves
There was a time he produced doves
A mirror and a puff of smoke
His mysteries are now a joke
His poor assistant black and blue
She's tired of being sawn in two
She's tired of being sawn in two
Hidden trapdoor, velvet cape
Still from death there's no escape
Words of sympathy and tact
Only underline the fact
Death is a lousy disappearing act
Lord have mercy and be kind
When our faculties unwind
Overlook the hat and… More
Tom Bolton
Always delivers, keeps producing music that surprises, moves, engages and transforms
Peter Cotter
simply divine ,makes me smile "his assistant is tired of been sawed in two" brilliant
Gerard Hughes
listening to this two yrs later . total legend is paddy . love his music still. magical music . little does he know how much he makes us happy as hell listening to his genius
odyshape
My fave Song from "Crimson/Red"...
I'm so amazed, that in our lousy post-millenium-area - such cool and moving songs can still be written...
This fact makes me happy - thanx Paddy... :)
(Pat, Switzerland)
James Williams
Poignant beyond words. Exquisite songwriting.
David Buckley
me too love the song so much. what an amazing band.
Lance Wright
Love this song.
Cellotropism
I just hope that the hint "hidden" in the Old Magician....do not come true... Paddy genius, thanks Paddy for your sublime art...
Dirk Krause
The old magician takes the stage
With sleight of hand he’ll disengage
As dignified as you’ll allow
He’ll take his last, his final bow
He’s lost all his illusions now
redrob67
That harmonica - wonderful!