Prefab Sprout live in Munich 1985

fulmine

Oh, I’m spoiling you now...

BobbyDavros

Preston Poly, now the University of Central Lancashire, student, I created a Dungeons and Dragons campaign called 'Moving the river'. I loved that band, guess I still do.

Flaneur

Nice. I had that on audio. There’s a cool Prefab Sprout website if anybody is interested;

https://www.sproutology.co.uk/

Jon

I listened to the Steve McQueen acoustic album on Spotify the other night. Got on my nerves after a while.

Flaneur

Know what you mean.

Perhaps Paddy had an ‘obligation’ to the record company?

Jon

Flaneur That’s why best ofs are for isn’t it? Seemed like a good idea and one or two are pretty good, well, they’re all good actually, they’re just not as good.

Flaneur

Yeah, in the Motown days, the artists did a Xmas album to drive through the album total. Then they could renegotiate or go to another record company.

They managed to keep Stevie by paying him so much more.

Berry Gordy, upon hearing 'What's Going On' apparently said to Marvin "Where's the hits?"....

Jon

Flaneur I like What’s Going In but I remain unconvinced of it’s greatness.

fulmine

The acoustic version was good for catching lyrics that you’d previously misheard. For decades I thought it was “you’re still in love with paying them bills” (ahem), rather than being in love with Hayley Mills. And never heard “save your speeches, flowers are for funerals” before.

Jon

fulmine Really? That’s the best line on the album.

Flaneur

fulmine Live, he used to sing, "You're still in love with Mrs. Mills".

My favourite Paddy lyric is "I spend the days with my vanity". Beaten by "All my insight from retrospect".

fulmine

I know! I’ve always been terrible with lyrics. Massive Vic Godard fan, always have a “wow, that’s a great line!” when I happen to read a lyric of his that I’ve been listening to for decades...

cordshoes

Re one of my favourite songs of his/them about lost love...

Recall seeing them about 91 and Paddy said...."This is a song about my team Newcastle selling Keegan, Beardsley, Waddle and Gazza. It's called We Let the Stars Go".

Flaneur

Brilliant

zico

Was never a massive fan of Prefab Sprout, had Swoon and Steve McQueen on tape years ago, which someone did for me. I much preferred Lloyd Cole & the Commotions which I had about the same time, Rattlesnakes and their Gladstonbury set. Having read this tonight it reminded me of how good Rattlesnakes and Easy Pieces were. Played a great set on Amazon music tonight, "Are you ready to be heartbroken" what a song.

Jon

Rattlesnakes is a classic. Not a single bum track on there. Not sure why I never bought the second album.

Kevin_Stapleton

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2020/jun/30/paddy-mcaloon-thomas-dolby-how-we-made-steve-mcqueen-album

fulmine

Kevin_Stapleton That’s great.

Flaneur

Yeah some great comments. I love that album so much. Sometimes I need distance from it, but when I'm ready to hear it, I immerse myself in it.

So musical, great lyrics. I'll always love it. I can still 'touch' that time when I heard it and began to understand it. It was like reading a book, finishing it and starting it again, or delving into a chapter and reading on.

Cool pop music personified.

Under-the-ground

I love Swoon. That green Isaac is so good.

also mainstream by Lloyd Cole & the commotions . I love this record. Reminds me of being enlightened at 15 1988. Wearing desert boots & thinking I was cool. New order, joy division, cure, Jam, cult, palies, etc etc all for the first time. I was & Will forever remain hooked.