Discography
This page is less ambitious than most on the site - it is simply an attempt to list all of Prefab Sprout's UK album releases. With the exception of Steve McQueen, the US releases were identical or non-existant, and I believe the story was much the same in the other countries of the world. Paddy's solo album, I Trawl The Megahertz, is also included here, for the sake of simplicity.
Further down, I have also provided a helpful guide on how to find the rare, non-album Sprout tracks (since Sony won't let me just give them away on MP3!) There is also a sort of 'un-discography,' a list of all the albums Paddy has mentioned over the years, but have never seen the light of day.
For hardcore collectors, Bedford McIntosh has an extremely comprehensive and complete discography over at his site, with all the catalog numbers and obscure singles - which was absolutely invaluable when I was trying to locate rare tracks.
Albums
Swoon / March 1984
1. Don't Sing
2. Cue Fanfare
3. Green Isaac
4. Here on the Eerie
5. Cruel
6. Couldn't Bear to Be Special
7. I Never Play Basketball Now
8. Ghost Town Blues
9. Elegance
10. Technique
11. Green Isaac, Pt. 2
Steve McQueen / June 1985
1. Faron Young
2. Bonny
3. Appetite
4. When Love Breaks Down
5. Goodbye Lucille #1
6. Hallelujah
7. Moving the River
8. Horsin' Around
9. Desire As
10. Blueberry Pies
11. When the Angels
* In the USA, this album was called 'Two Wheels Good,' after an objection from Steve McQueen's daughter. The US version also included two bonus tracks.
Protest Songs / June 1989
1. The World Awake
2. Life of Surprises
3. Horsechimes
4. Wicked Things
5. Dublin
6. Tiffanys
7. Diana
8. Talkin' Scarlet
9. Till the Cows Come Home
10. Pearly Gates
* Protest Songs was actually recorded very quickly, just a few months after Steve McQueen came out. It was intended to be released for just one week, but the success of 'When Love Breaks Down' caused the album to be shelved for four years. For the purposes of this discography, however, I have returned it to it's rightful place in history.
From Langley Park To Memphis / March 1988
1. The King of Rock 'n' Roll
2. Cars and Girls
3. I Remember That
4. Enchanted
5. Nightingales
6. Hey Manhattan!
7. Knock on Wood
8. The Golden Calf
9. Nancy (Let Your Hair Down For Me)
10. The Venus of the Soup Kitchen
Jordan: The Comeback / September 1990
1. Looking for Atlantis
2. Wild Horses
3. Machine Gun Ibiza
4. We Let the Stars Go
5. Carnival 2000
6. Jordan: The Comeback
7. Jesse James Symphon
8. Jesse James Bolero
9. Moon Dog
10. All the World Loves Lovers
11. All Boys Believe Anything
12. The Ice Maiden
13. Paris Smith
14. The Wedding March
15. One of the Broken
16. Michael
17. Mercy
18. Scarlet Nights
19. Doo Wop In Harlem
Andromeda Heights / May 1997
1. Electric Guitars
2. A Prisoner Of The Past
3. The Mystery Of Love
4. Life's A Miracle
5. Anne Marie
6. Whoever You Are
7. Steal Your Thunder
8. Avenue Of Stars
9. Swans
10. The Fifth Horseman
11. Weightless
12. Andromeda Heights
The Gunman And Other Stories / June 2001
1. Cowboy Dreams
2. Wild Card In The Pack
3. I'm A Troubled Man
4. The Streets of Laredo/Not Long For This World
5. Love Will Find Someone For You
6. Cornfield Ablaze
7. When You Get To Know Me Better
8. The Gunman
9. Blue Roses
10. Farmyard Cat
I Trawl The Megahertz / June 2003
1. i trawl the MEGAHERTZ
2. esprit de corps
3. fall from grace
4. we were poor…
5. orchid 7
6. i’m 49
7. sleeping rough
8. ineffable
9. …but we were happy
Compilations
Steve McQueen: Legacy Edition / April 2007
CD1
1. Faron Young
2. Bonny
3. Appetite
4. When Love Breaks Down
5. Goodbye Lucille #1
6. Hallelujah
7. Moving the River
8. Horsin' Around
9. Desire As
10. Blueberry Pies
11. When the Angels
CD2
1. Appetite
2. Bonny
3. Desire As
4. When Love Breaks Down
5. Goodbye Lucille #1
6. Moving the River
7. Faron Young
8. When the Angels
* Disc 1 is the original album, remastered in 2006 by original producer Thomas Dolby. Disc 2 is a selection of tracks, re-arranged and re-recorded as 'acoustic versions' by Paddy himself.
A Life Of Surprises / July 1992
1. The King of Rock 'n' Roll
2. When Love Breaks Down
3. The Sound of Crying
4. Faron Young
5. Carnival 2000
6. Goodbye Lucille #1
7. Cruel
8. I Remember That
9. Cars and Girls
10. We Let the Stars Go
11. Life of Surprises
12. Appetite
13. If You Don't Love Me
14. Wild Horses
15. Hey Manhattan!
16. All the World Loves Lovers
38 Carat Collection / October 1999
CD1
1. Lions In My Own Garden
2. Don't Sing
3. Couldn't Bear To Be Special
4. When Love Breaks Down
5. Faron Young
6. Appetite
7. Johnny Johnny
8. Cars & Girls
9. The King Of Rock 'n' Roll
10. Hey Manhattan!
11. The Golden Calf
12. Looking For Atlantis
13. We Let The Stars Go
14. Carnival 2000
15. The Sound Of Crying
16. If You Don't Love Me
17. Life Of Surprises
18. A Prisoner Of The Past
19. Electric Guitars
CD2
1. Cue Fanfare
2. Cruel
3. Bonny
4. Movin' The River
5. Desire As
6. Horsin' Around
7. Pearly Gates
8. 'Til The Cows Come Home
9. Enchanted
10. I Remember That
11. Nightingales
12. Jordan: The Comeback
13. All The World Loves Lovers
14. Jesse James Bolero
15. Doo Wop In Harlem
16. Life's A Miracle
17. Swans
18. Andromeda Heights
19. Where The Heart Is
* In the USA, this is known as 'The Collection.' Disc 1, Track 7 is actually 'Goodbye Lucille #1' - this release uses the title given to the song when it was released as a single.
Kings Of Rock & Roll / November 2007
CD1
1. The King of Rock 'n' Roll
2. When Love Breaks Down
3. Cars and Girls
4. The Sound of Crying
5. The Golden Calf
6. Carnival 2000
7. Appetite
8. Moving The River
9. A Prisoner of the Past
10. The Yearning Loins
11. We Let The Stars Go
12. Nightingales
13. Johnny Johnny
14. Life of Surprises
15. Nero The Zero
16. Desire As
17. Bonny
18. Couldn't Bear To Be Special
19. Wild Horses
CD2
1. Faron Young
2. Hey Manhattan!
3. Don't Sing
4. If You Don't Love Me
5. Looking For Atlantis
6. Electric Guitars
7. I Remember That
8. Green Isaac
9. Here On The Eerie
10. Cruel
11. Swans
12. I Never Play Basketball Now
13. Donna Summer
14. The Ice Maiden
15. The Mystery of Love
16. Scarlet Nights
17. Anne Marie
18. Pearly Gates
* Disc 1, Track 13 is actually 'Goodbye Lucille #1' - this release uses the title given to the song when it was released as a single.
Rare Track Guide
Radio Love - This was the b-side of 'Lions,' the Sprouts' very first single, and that is still the only place where you can find it. Martin reckons he has hundreds of copies in his loft, but you'll have more luck finding the Kitchenware re-releases, with catalog numbers SRTS82, SK4, SK8.
The Devil Has All The Best Tunes - This was the Sprouts' second single, which remains curiously obscure. I found it on the original vinyl release (SK7), but a fan named Mick once sent me a version of it he had found on some obscure CD, named 'The Indie Scene 1983.' Good luck tracking it down!
Walk On - The b-side of 'Devil.' Your only chance to get this is again on vinyl, but as well as SK7, both tracks were bundled with the final 'Lions' re-release, number SK8.
He'll Have To Go - This appeared as a bonus track on 'Two Wheels Good,' the US release of Steve McQueen. If you can be bothered, however, I think the version on the CD single of 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' (CDSK37) is slightly better quality. It is a cover version - Jim Reeves did the original.
Spinning Belinda - Another hard-to-find one, but a favourite among fans. This was the b-side to 'Couldn't Bear To Be Special' (SK10, SK1012), but locating those is a bit of a lost cause. Your best chance is to find it on SK2112, one of the numerous 'When Love Breaks Down' releases.
Silhouettes - This track is Wendy's one and only lead vocal, and was the b-side to 'Faron Young.' There are two versions out there - a short version (on SK22) and a long version (on SKX22.) My advice is to go for the long one (which also came with a 'Truckin' remix of 'Faron.')
Heaven Can Wait - This track is just an instrumental of 'When The Angels,' but is still worth your time, in my opinion. You can find it on the single releases of 'Appetite' (SK23, SKX23, and SKDP23.)
Oh, The Swiss! - A bit of a throwaway effort, this is a very short piano instrumental. It can only be found in one place, on the Appetite single, catalog number SKX23.
Real Life (Just Around The Corner) - You'll have more luck with this one, which is one of the best b-sides. It can be found on the CD singles of 'Cars & Girls.' (CDSK35, CDDSK35)
Your indispensable guide to all the Sprout tracks that were offically released, but haven't made it onto any of the albums or compilations above. Obviously, I would provide MP3's of these tracks for you, but Sony BMG (the legal owners of all the individual Sprout songs) have asked me very nicely not to. So instead, I have provided information on where you can find them - though your best bet may still be to trawl the internet.
Wigs - This curious song consists of the line 'he's the man who let the hatbox rule his head,' said in many different arragements. It's strangely effective, though, and can be found on the various singles of 'Goodbye Lucille #1' - which was actually known as 'Johnny Johnny' for these releases. (SK24, SKW24, SKX24) They don't make it easy, do they?
The Guest Who Stayed Forever / Old Spoonface Is Back - These two tracks are quite reasonable efforts, but can only be found on SKX24 (another 'Johnny Johnny' single.)
Vendetta - Another fairly good one, which can again be found on the 'Cars & Girls' singles. (CDSK35, CDDSK35)
Dandy Of The Danube - A fairly gentle number, which you'll find on 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' CD single. (CDSK37)
Tin Can Pot - The Sprouts' most 'rockin' song, worth getting just for the intro. Not available on CD, but found on 'The King of Rock 'n' Roll' vinyl single, SKX37.
Tornado - Another gentle one. This can be found on the 'Hey Manhattan!' CD single, CDSK38.
Bearpark - A beautiful track about a small town in the area where Paddy grew up. This was only released as a 4-track demo, and is found on the 'Nightingales' singles. There is meant to be a CD one (CDSK39), but I've never been able to find it, so you might try the vinyl. (SKX39)
Just Because I Can - After 'Bearpark,' this was the first new b-side for nine miserable years. You can pick it up with ease, on one of the 'Prisoner Of The Past' singles. (SKCD70, SKZD70)
Dragons / The End Of The Affair / Girl I'm Here / Never Trust A Spell - The 'Electric Guitars' singles (SKCD71, SKZD71) gave us four fantastic new tracks, relics from Paddy's abandoned 'Knights in Armour' project. These should be fairly easy to get your hands on, too.
There are also a few tracks in existence that were recorded, but never released. You can find those on our audio page.
Albums That Never Were
Famous Fakes - 'Faron Young' and 'Donna Summer' were going to be on this album, conceieved by Paddy in the 70's. They were going to be songs using famous names, but not actually about the people. 'But,' Paddy adds, 'most of them were crap.'
Goodbye Lucille (The Album) - When the Sprouts first started, Paddy had the bold idea of writing 'an entire album with the same title for each song, the completely different tunes and subjects to be differentiated by numbers.' Paddy felt that Goodbye Lucille #1, later to appear on Steve McQueen, was 'the only worthwhile result.'
Total Snow - This was going to be a Christmas album, and was written in the mid-eighties. Paddy reckoned he'd got it completely written, but wanted to 'get other people to sing on it.' In the end, he did Langley Park instead, and we've heard nothing about this project since.
Zorro the Fox - A possible film score, Paddy having been inspired by Thomas Dolby's soundtrack work post-Steve McQueen. 'I'm tentative talking about it because I know people will laugh,' Paddy said, about Zorro, 'but the thing is, I'm deadly serious about it.' In the film, Zorro was going to ride a talking horse, and was 'not going to have much joy in his life, other than being good at what he does, which is to be a hero.' One song from this project - Swans - turned up on 1997's Andromeda Heights.
Behind the Veil - 'I've written an entire album about Michael Jackson,' Paddy said, in 1995. One of the tracks was to be called 'Only The Boogie Music Will Never Let You Down,' which later became 'The Sound Of Crying' (with the lyrics changed.) There were also going to be tracks titled 'Unicorn in Trouble,' 'Danger and Me,' and 'Mr. Lightning Boots.' Paddy gave up on this one though, feeling it was all a bit 'corny.'
Atomic Hymnbook - This album apparently consisted of 'secular gospel songs.' 'Songs about spiritual subjects,' none of which have appeared.
Paddy is well-known for having a wealth of material composed, but never released. Just check out his 'repetoire' page on the BMI website - it seems like fans have yet to see half the songs he's written. In 1999, Paddy talked about 'the triumphs I never had; my hypothetical career,' adding: 'I never thought I'd be kept awake at night thinking about all the stuff I hadn't recorded. I'm haunted by all these unrealised visions.' In this section, I have compiled a list of the main projects brought to our attention over the years. (Thanks to Bedford McIntosh, from who I borrowed most of the quotes.)
Earth: The Story So Far - Perhaps the most legendary 'lost' album, this was to be Paddy's next project after Jordan: The Comeback. This went the same way as Brian Wilson's legendary 'Smile,' with legend telling us that Paddy spent most of the mid-nineties arranging it, and simply becoming tired and disillusioned. The album was going to be a history of the world, with pop music, in an hour - an ambitious project by anyone's standards. It was inspired by a single track on 'Let's Change The World With Music,' and rumour says Muff Winwood of CBS encouraged Paddy to expand the scope of it.
Let's Change The World With Music - This album was 'playing on that edge bewteen cliché and real sincerity,' according to Paddy. When presenting Sony with this album, nineteen tracks in detailed demo form, they suggested he should try something different. So, ever the adventurer, Paddy decided to expand one of the tracks off this record and make a one track album - Earth: The Story So Far (I hope you are following this.)
'Let's Change The World' remained lost for about twenty years, except for two tracks, 'God Watch Over You' and 'Ride,' which were given to Austrailian artist Wendy Matthews. Should you wish to hear them, you will need to pick up her album 'Witness Tree.' But the whole thing is now set to be released by the Sprouts themselves, on the 7th September 2009!
Knights in Armour - This was the project before Let's Change The World, and was 'much lighter...very romantic.' Most of the tracks from this album surfaced as b-sides on the Andromeda Heights singles. It was also known as 'Billy Midnight.'
20th Century Magic - An album intended to 'soundtrack the millenial mindset,' including a delightful song entitled 'Twilight Of The Pimps,' about London's 'Millenium Dome.' 'Dear Tony, It's a bold idea/We could use an unloved dome round here,' were just some of the lyrics.
'I regret it not being out at the moment,' Paddy commented, in February 2000 - one can only wonder how he feels about it now.
