I fell in love with Paddy - like literally - after I heard ‘From Langley Park To Memphis’ in ‘88 and when I joined the music world, had the opportunity to interview him when ‘Looking For Atlantis’ was released in 1990. Of course, the publicist in New York told him I was a fan girl - totally embarrassing tho she was a good aquaintance at the time. She arranged a phone interview and amongst the topics we spoke about, Paddy revealed he had just dyed his hair blonde - and hadn’t told his mother yet! I felt privileged to say the least 😆 And still wish they had made it bigger in the US.
Wow, what a great add, Amy! Thanks! What a cool story....does that phone interview still exist in any form (like in print, especially)? We could easily find a home for it FR&B, if you're game (and had no plans to feature it)! Yeah, Paddy and Prefab are just another coulda-shoulda, exquisitely fortunate find for far too few music fans.
I'd happily swap the thousands of times radio has forced me to listen to "Livin' on a Prayer," say, for just ten times hearing a choice Paddy tune! I wonder what it's like in the book world? I suppose everybody and their grandma reads all the NYTimes best-seller list books, but then finds a select few, choice, "hidden" fave finds to read. For us music-heads, we find the Prefabs and Scrittis to enjoy while we cursed the heavy rotation dross of MTV and hit radio back in the day!
Meanwhile, pardon my fan-boy, who's dying to ask, "So, what's Paddy like?" Although, your "dyed hair/hasn't told Mom yet" is an incredible peek into his wonderfully gentile sensibilities! Thanks again, Amy!😉👍
All of my rock interviews are in print but... are in a plastic tub in a closet at the moment. I hope within the next couple of months, I can get in there and start sharing them here. It’s just a matter of time - as even I haven’t re-read them in a long time! I found one of my interviews a few years ago online in a blog about Robyn Hitchcock - but that might be gone now. 🥹
That's great to hear! I can see the new Substack now: "Plastic Tub in a Closet" by AMH!! You've got rock history in there.....we eagerly await its eventual release!
Well, it’s a stop the presses moment (I just like saying that). I have dug into the deep recesses of the interweb and FOUND MY ROBYN HITCHCOCK INTERVIEW 🥹🥹🥹 Some blessed (read: devoted) fan has collected a ton of interviews from a long (read: decades) time o’clock and having said that... I will send the information to Mr. “Rockstar Writer” Kyle. God bless you and try not to laugh.
Well, there's only one thing to say after all that: "FOLLOW THAT CAR....AND STEP ON IT!"🚕Seriously, have you ever said that in a cab? It's fun. Of course, the kids today only know from "cab" as the second word in a rock group's name...Death something For Cutie. But, try it in an Uber or Lyft (those are still things, right.....or, has the world flown by me again!!)
Well, interweb or no, this reminds me of the 20 articles the wonderful Stephen Michael Schwartz has written for FR&B....as he'd send me his record biz/'70s/Hollywood first-hand accounts, I'd constantly be asking him, "Do you have that acetate? Hey, where's that demo? You were interviewed by Tiger Beat? Lemme see!" I sent him up to his attic on many occasions!
Great piece, Brad. Didn’t know about the vinyl release, and I just did a piece about Prefab for my substack a month ago! Another one of my favorite albums from 1985 from a rarefied band along with Prefab and Scritti was “Flaunt the Imperfection” by China Crisis. Are you a fan of that as well?
YOU were the one! I KNEW somebody did, and I know I read and liked (♥) it, too! I just added the link to it to this one! Thanks for sharing that...I even searched several of our fellow music writers looking for what I KNEW I had just seen (even did an all-Substack search for "Prefab Sprout"....and, nothing)! As I once said on my wedding night under far different circumstances, Matt (you'll doubtless be relieved to know)......."Pardon my boner." Oh, and excuse my mistake.😱
Ha! No worries, Brad. It was actually a few months ago, and maybe it didn't come up because the headline naturally included Tobin Sprout from Guided by Voices as well. ; )
You're very kind, Matt........it was actually but 3 weeks ago! I blame my short-term memory and its frequent lapses. I'm only doing THIS because, at 68, I still have my LONG-term memory!!😉
A boomer that loves Prefab Sprout! Did you see the Beatles on Ed Sullivan when you were 9? And more important, what incredible concerts did you see in the 70s? My first concert wasn't until 1981: the Dead Kennedys at the Whisky a Go Go!
I was about 5 weeks away from my 9th birthday, actually. And, if you're stunned by my love for Prefab (and Scritti, for that matter), all you need to know is that MY takeaway from that Sullivan Show was two-fold:
1) My fascination with the pop cultural phenomenon that could be whelped by the record biz (see Cassidys David and Shaun, about whom I've written much), and (more to the point regarding artists like Sprout and Scritti): 2) my absolute adoration of "the songwriter"---a talent I certainly don't have, but in its place, a fervent love and appreciation of their mystical gift (see Cole Porter, Brian Wilson, John'n'Paul, and hundreds of others on my songwriting lust list)!
We should collab, thread, or something, Matt! On something! Put your noggin to it, and see what we can put together, OK? I'd love to collab with you on something in this (or any) arena!
My first concert? Led Zep in '70 at Hofheinz Pavilion (basketball arena) on the U of Houston campus (sold the 1-inch-square ticket stub on eBay 2 decades ago for $100). Radio Dad got me gratis floor seats (so, 'twas my first "real" date, if you don't count my occasional movie outings in jr. hi with Lisa, written about, here: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/video-to-vinyl-1976-lisa-hartman)
Incredible concerts seen in the '70s? Name 'em. I've seen, literally, hundreds. Search FR&B for Sex Pistols, Ramones, Iggy Pop, New York Dolls, for starters! I moved from Houston to L.A. in January '80, and frequented the Sunset Blvd haunts a LOT (mostly in search of the skinny-tie power poppers)!
By the time you saw the DKs at the Whisky, I had seen many shows there, as well as at Madame Wong's and a couple others! Highlight was bumping into both Rodney Bingenheimer and Kim Fowley in front of the Roxy one night! For me, "Hit Parader" had come to life! Dood, we gotta do somethin'!
Wow! I'm 55, and I often wonder if I would have ended up in the music biz instead of producing films (my day job) if I had been born ten years earlier. Since you mentioned Iggy Pop, I'll tell you that not only am I huge fan (Stooges and solo), but also I got the chance to work with him on the first film I ever worked on in a meaningful way: The Crow 2. I was a junior exec for the producer of the Crow films, and when I met Iggy for the first time, he said, "Call me Jim." I had already been pulled into a breakfast with Stallone and been introduced to Tom Cruise by this time, and I can tell you without hesitation that meeting Iggy was a much bigger deal for me. Although Stallone did write "Rocky," which still blows my mind.
As for collaborating on something, I'm flattered by your offer, Brad. Let me give it some thought. I'm sure you'd agree we'd have to find a topic that warrants collaboration. For instance, a piece about your first three concerts and mine, which could tell a story of the early 70s vs. the early 80s. The contrast between Led Zepp and DK could hardly be greater! My second and third concerts were Wall of Voodoo and Echo & the Bunnymen. Yours? Just a thought. Or maybe it could be about the first albums we wore the grooves out on. U2, "Boy" for me. Anyway, I'm open to the possibility.....
I was just thinking the same thing Matt! I remember reading your piece and then, burying the lede, Brad drops that there is a new version of McQueen for us to hear. Wish I could’ve bought it on record store day, but every day is record store day nowadays!
But it’s Paddy’s chic-hippy Colonel Sanders appearance that is sticking with me most of all! And the cane is a great touch. I expect just out of frame he’s holding a pipe in the shape of a dragon.
Good news for you, Steve: you can download the acoustic "Steve McQueen" on Apple Music or Spotify. He recorded it in 2006, and some of the versions are definitely essential for fans. He didn't bother with "Horsin' Around" or "Blueberry Pies," which tells me that he's aware of which songs from the album are timeless. Answer: most of them!
Gotcha covered, Steve....I had read Matt's wonderful piece, too.....read my mea culpa to him above (or below....wherever it might appear)! My newly-discovered awareness of April's RSD release of the album was what prompted this article in the first place! And, I attended RSD at several stores in Austin, and was never made aware of it!
China Crisis! Yes! There's another unique band of that era I forgot to mention in my comment. And when I think of China Crisis I also always think of Japan, yet another unique one.
Might be a curious, but fascinating article/Playlist of geographic band names a-brewin': America, Kansas, Boston, China Crisis, Japan, Europe..........
Just here to say that Two Wheels Good is a heck of an album, and I wish more people could hear it! Prefab also seems to be a favorite amongst the Substack music writing community, with at least 3-4 articles that I can remember- all coming from different angles. We all clearly have great taste. :)
And, we're right behind you, Sherman! And, if you've not discovered the fabulous Scritti Politti, I linked to their '85 album in the article! May I recommend?.......They pair so well with Prefab!🥂
Wow! Those pics of Paddy... I'd never have recognized him! He looks pretty cool in white and with that cane, though, I have to say.
I first heard Prefab Sprout in 1988 when my favorite French radio station aired "Cars and girls." It was love at first listen. I went looking for the album, "From Langley Park to Memphis," and it was quite an adventure (ie impossible to find). Ended up ordering it from my record store, but it was worth it. Man, what a great album! After that, I just had to go back and get their previous albums. "Steve McQueen" (which I bought under the original title) is another favorite. "When love breaks down" and "Goodbye Lucille" are such cool songs--that both got a decent amount of airplay on French radio, oddly enough.
These guys were so different from everything else out there... It was like alien music, ha! Same with Scritti Politti. You're right to say they sounded nothing alike, and yet they were similar in how different they were from the norm. There were a few other bands that shared that touch of distinctness, though perhaps to a lesser extent: The Fixx, Rainbirds, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Picnic at the Whitehouse... There might have been others, but those are the first that come to mind. All enjoyed brief success before falling into oblivion.
You also mention Blue Nile in that article. I'm familiar with the name, though I don't think I've ever heard anything by them. I'll have to fix this--it's never too late to listen to cool music ;)
Oh, and... "Duran Bon Journey" <-- Good one, by the way! :D
Thanks so much, Alex, for hopping on with such a great comment! As for the Blue Nile mention, I've never heard them, either....that mention was in the same Paul Lester (The Guardian) quote who mentioned Scritti. I almost hate to go listen to them, but only from the POV of "things that hit us in a moment in time" i.e. your discovery of SP and PS (and mine). For me, they happened at the time of release, and my life situation coupled with the particular sounds those bands were creating is what made it all such a special experience!
Not that I/we can't go back....I'd love to hear Blue Nile, and hear a reason to love them. But, I gotta think it would be more of an intellectual assent, and less one of the heart (picture me stroking a beard the likes of Paddy, and going, "Ah, yes.....Blue Nile....some nice music there."
But, my absolute love and adoration of Green's output (especially, if I'm honest), and certainly Paddy's are imbedded in my heart (if not soul) solely because they were organic and of-the-era finds. Those are ones you can't beat. Like being in your 20s, with your head in the lap of your amour, and being brought to tears when "God Only Knows" suddenly pops up on the radio.
So, Alex........I just perused your site. If you don't feel you're writing enough about music, you're more than welcome to scribe a guest post for little ole FR&B! I love your mention of French radio, and attendant record-finding from back in the day. Your tastes and listening habits with an international flair would be a welcome addition, if you're at all interested and so inclined! You could also make it a post for your page, so your efforts would also be beneficial for you. Any musical-related topic would do.....whatever motivates you! And, thanks again!
I hear ya. Context matters as much when listening to music as with anything else. I might not have received PF or SP the same way had I listened to them for the first time today. Heck, there are songs/bands I liked in my youth I do not like now--and vice-versa.
Still, what's the worse that could happen? You listen to an old band and you don't like it. It doesn't take anything away, since--precisely--it's not linked to any older context, only to the current one. I'd argue better this than disliking something you used to like. And, who knows, you might actually like it *because* of the peculiar context of this article :D
As for collaborating, I was thinking about that actually as I was writing my comment above. Not sure what I could write about though, need to give it some thought. Perhaps my even more epic (mis)adventures when trying to collect all of the Blue Oyster Cult albums (one of my favorite bands) or my tentative (and ultimately unconvinced) samplings of Hawkwind?
Great points, Alex! As for guesting/collabbin', we don't have to be limited to thinking in terms of just one piece...see the 20 FR&B articles the amazing Stephen Michael Schwartz has contributed! I mean it....if you haven't discovered his incredible litany of '70s-era record biz Hollywood (in his own words), 'tis a must-read!
As a 20-year-old, this singer/songwriter/guitarist, recorded an album for RCA Records in 1974....and, I had it as a 19-year-old radio DJ! How he and I "met" on the 'net is a story in itself! Let's just say it all started when I interviewed David Cassidy in '75 (an interview I actually recorded, and you can hear it, too, here): https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/in-a-houston-penthouse-with-david
Back to you: I, normally, would have no problem "directing" you in a particular direction (as I'm the one asking!), but I'd rather give you the opportunity to tell (that, hopefully, is leaping to be told!) ANY (and every, if you'd like) music-related story that you feel passionate about, and would make a cool read. As for your 2 examples above, I really have no particular Hawkwind stories of engagement, myself, but I might be able to add a couple parenthetical BOC peeks from my background, as well. I know I saw them once in the late '70s.
Just read your Beatles piece. Wonderful stuff, Brad. Accordian, then flute! Wow. Love that you're a musician. I'm not. I took clarinet lessons for two years, so I know all about embouchure, but I hated it (and my mean British instructor, Lawrence Bookins). I wanted to play saxophone, because I loved ska music in my early teens (Madness, English Beat, the Specials, etc....), but my mom knew that forcing me to learn the clarinet first would kill any future desire on my part to be a musician. Clever woman.
Glad you liked the Beatles one....thanks. I joke that I chose the flute while in high school, 'cause I was forced to lug around that infernal accordion at 8! My bro took clarinet for, almost literally, 5 minutes at the same time I was playing squeezebox. We quickly learned HE wasn't a musician (he became a stand-up and actor....more on that soon to Paid Subbies! In fact, that story will include someone you may know.....Lloyd Schwartz) at that point. He, too, not only hated the sound, but he had trouble producing that sound!
Certainly, Michael! Not only with your "Michael Acoustic" in mind, I was figuring if you hadn't heard "Steve McQueen" before, you of all people, ought to really appreciate a follow-up acoustic rendering after sampling the full-band effort! Knowing the album for nigh unto 40 years, I first heard the Acoustic just a few days ago, and with the familiarity of the original, and now, the newly-heard "tender renderings," it nearly brought me to tears! It was so much more than just "hearing those songs again." Enjoy! You've got a right proper way to pass a Sunday, Michael!
As an aside, Brian Fallon, one of my favorites, who is now back on tour with Gaslight Anthem after a solo hiatus (my kid once talked with them in their tour bus during some pre-show skateboarding in the parking lot), apparently had no worries about infringement in: https://open.spotify.com/track/50a3wWxBDG9B7s0RW3HP0L?si=4EolXDYwT26eL5oZXJ1kaw
Wow, that's funny....never heard this before, or knew there was another "Steve McQueen"! What on earth was it about McQueen that engendered such devotion from songwriters in the rock arena?! I mean, even to the point of making his name the title! And, why did HE never star in a movie titled, "Prefab Sprout" or "Brian Fallon"?!
“McQueen was understandably upset about becoming one of Manson’s targets, and from that point forward he kept a handgun in his car’s glove compartment.”
"Authentic cool" indeed! I'd not heard that about his becoming a Manson target (gotta admit, I fell down early, in keeping up with his list)! Cool car, indeed!
Thanks, Andy......much appreciated. I don't know what I would've used my never-ending thirst for knowledge (and multitudes of minutiae!) to fully throw myself into if it had not been for records/music/rock that my never-ending flood of promo albums provided!
Which always leads me to remember and thank Dad for that envious avenue that started in the mid-'60s with free Beatles albums he'd bring home from the Capitol rep! Thanks, Dad!☝🙏And, thanks again, Andy! You rock!
It’s fascinating how the influence of a parent/older sibling and, crucially, their records, can have on us from such an early age. It definitely shapes your personality in ways music streaming files could never!
Well, yeah......we just have no idea at the time.....as it should be. Even I wasn't THAT self-conscious back then.......close, though! I'm just glad that fully-immersed obsession I had for music and its attendant info now has a productive outlet (plus, it keeps me off the streets)! Always a good thing.
I fell in love with Paddy - like literally - after I heard ‘From Langley Park To Memphis’ in ‘88 and when I joined the music world, had the opportunity to interview him when ‘Looking For Atlantis’ was released in 1990. Of course, the publicist in New York told him I was a fan girl - totally embarrassing tho she was a good aquaintance at the time. She arranged a phone interview and amongst the topics we spoke about, Paddy revealed he had just dyed his hair blonde - and hadn’t told his mother yet! I felt privileged to say the least 😆 And still wish they had made it bigger in the US.
Wow, what a great add, Amy! Thanks! What a cool story....does that phone interview still exist in any form (like in print, especially)? We could easily find a home for it FR&B, if you're game (and had no plans to feature it)! Yeah, Paddy and Prefab are just another coulda-shoulda, exquisitely fortunate find for far too few music fans.
I'd happily swap the thousands of times radio has forced me to listen to "Livin' on a Prayer," say, for just ten times hearing a choice Paddy tune! I wonder what it's like in the book world? I suppose everybody and their grandma reads all the NYTimes best-seller list books, but then finds a select few, choice, "hidden" fave finds to read. For us music-heads, we find the Prefabs and Scrittis to enjoy while we cursed the heavy rotation dross of MTV and hit radio back in the day!
Meanwhile, pardon my fan-boy, who's dying to ask, "So, what's Paddy like?" Although, your "dyed hair/hasn't told Mom yet" is an incredible peek into his wonderfully gentile sensibilities! Thanks again, Amy!😉👍
All of my rock interviews are in print but... are in a plastic tub in a closet at the moment. I hope within the next couple of months, I can get in there and start sharing them here. It’s just a matter of time - as even I haven’t re-read them in a long time! I found one of my interviews a few years ago online in a blog about Robyn Hitchcock - but that might be gone now. 🥹
That's great to hear! I can see the new Substack now: "Plastic Tub in a Closet" by AMH!! You've got rock history in there.....we eagerly await its eventual release!
Well, it’s a stop the presses moment (I just like saying that). I have dug into the deep recesses of the interweb and FOUND MY ROBYN HITCHCOCK INTERVIEW 🥹🥹🥹 Some blessed (read: devoted) fan has collected a ton of interviews from a long (read: decades) time o’clock and having said that... I will send the information to Mr. “Rockstar Writer” Kyle. God bless you and try not to laugh.
Well, there's only one thing to say after all that: "FOLLOW THAT CAR....AND STEP ON IT!"🚕Seriously, have you ever said that in a cab? It's fun. Of course, the kids today only know from "cab" as the second word in a rock group's name...Death something For Cutie. But, try it in an Uber or Lyft (those are still things, right.....or, has the world flown by me again!!)
Well, interweb or no, this reminds me of the 20 articles the wonderful Stephen Michael Schwartz has written for FR&B....as he'd send me his record biz/'70s/Hollywood first-hand accounts, I'd constantly be asking him, "Do you have that acetate? Hey, where's that demo? You were interviewed by Tiger Beat? Lemme see!" I sent him up to his attic on many occasions!
Anyhoo, Amy.......looking forward! And, thanks!
As you know, I can't wait to read them!
Great piece, Brad. Didn’t know about the vinyl release, and I just did a piece about Prefab for my substack a month ago! Another one of my favorite albums from 1985 from a rarefied band along with Prefab and Scritti was “Flaunt the Imperfection” by China Crisis. Are you a fan of that as well?
YOU were the one! I KNEW somebody did, and I know I read and liked (♥) it, too! I just added the link to it to this one! Thanks for sharing that...I even searched several of our fellow music writers looking for what I KNEW I had just seen (even did an all-Substack search for "Prefab Sprout"....and, nothing)! As I once said on my wedding night under far different circumstances, Matt (you'll doubtless be relieved to know)......."Pardon my boner." Oh, and excuse my mistake.😱
Ha! No worries, Brad. It was actually a few months ago, and maybe it didn't come up because the headline naturally included Tobin Sprout from Guided by Voices as well. ; )
You're very kind, Matt........it was actually but 3 weeks ago! I blame my short-term memory and its frequent lapses. I'm only doing THIS because, at 68, I still have my LONG-term memory!!😉
A boomer that loves Prefab Sprout! Did you see the Beatles on Ed Sullivan when you were 9? And more important, what incredible concerts did you see in the 70s? My first concert wasn't until 1981: the Dead Kennedys at the Whisky a Go Go!
As if on cue, Matt! Here ya go....my treatise on my Beatle trek: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/the-gospel-accordion-to-john-and
I was about 5 weeks away from my 9th birthday, actually. And, if you're stunned by my love for Prefab (and Scritti, for that matter), all you need to know is that MY takeaway from that Sullivan Show was two-fold:
1) My fascination with the pop cultural phenomenon that could be whelped by the record biz (see Cassidys David and Shaun, about whom I've written much), and (more to the point regarding artists like Sprout and Scritti): 2) my absolute adoration of "the songwriter"---a talent I certainly don't have, but in its place, a fervent love and appreciation of their mystical gift (see Cole Porter, Brian Wilson, John'n'Paul, and hundreds of others on my songwriting lust list)!
We should collab, thread, or something, Matt! On something! Put your noggin to it, and see what we can put together, OK? I'd love to collab with you on something in this (or any) arena!
My first concert? Led Zep in '70 at Hofheinz Pavilion (basketball arena) on the U of Houston campus (sold the 1-inch-square ticket stub on eBay 2 decades ago for $100). Radio Dad got me gratis floor seats (so, 'twas my first "real" date, if you don't count my occasional movie outings in jr. hi with Lisa, written about, here: https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/video-to-vinyl-1976-lisa-hartman)
Incredible concerts seen in the '70s? Name 'em. I've seen, literally, hundreds. Search FR&B for Sex Pistols, Ramones, Iggy Pop, New York Dolls, for starters! I moved from Houston to L.A. in January '80, and frequented the Sunset Blvd haunts a LOT (mostly in search of the skinny-tie power poppers)!
By the time you saw the DKs at the Whisky, I had seen many shows there, as well as at Madame Wong's and a couple others! Highlight was bumping into both Rodney Bingenheimer and Kim Fowley in front of the Roxy one night! For me, "Hit Parader" had come to life! Dood, we gotta do somethin'!
Wow! I'm 55, and I often wonder if I would have ended up in the music biz instead of producing films (my day job) if I had been born ten years earlier. Since you mentioned Iggy Pop, I'll tell you that not only am I huge fan (Stooges and solo), but also I got the chance to work with him on the first film I ever worked on in a meaningful way: The Crow 2. I was a junior exec for the producer of the Crow films, and when I met Iggy for the first time, he said, "Call me Jim." I had already been pulled into a breakfast with Stallone and been introduced to Tom Cruise by this time, and I can tell you without hesitation that meeting Iggy was a much bigger deal for me. Although Stallone did write "Rocky," which still blows my mind.
As for collaborating on something, I'm flattered by your offer, Brad. Let me give it some thought. I'm sure you'd agree we'd have to find a topic that warrants collaboration. For instance, a piece about your first three concerts and mine, which could tell a story of the early 70s vs. the early 80s. The contrast between Led Zepp and DK could hardly be greater! My second and third concerts were Wall of Voodoo and Echo & the Bunnymen. Yours? Just a thought. Or maybe it could be about the first albums we wore the grooves out on. U2, "Boy" for me. Anyway, I'm open to the possibility.....
I was just thinking the same thing Matt! I remember reading your piece and then, burying the lede, Brad drops that there is a new version of McQueen for us to hear. Wish I could’ve bought it on record store day, but every day is record store day nowadays!
But it’s Paddy’s chic-hippy Colonel Sanders appearance that is sticking with me most of all! And the cane is a great touch. I expect just out of frame he’s holding a pipe in the shape of a dragon.
Good news for you, Steve: you can download the acoustic "Steve McQueen" on Apple Music or Spotify. He recorded it in 2006, and some of the versions are definitely essential for fans. He didn't bother with "Horsin' Around" or "Blueberry Pies," which tells me that he's aware of which songs from the album are timeless. Answer: most of them!
Better news for Steve: I've got the Spotify acoustic album raht-cheer in this here article!
Well, that would be too easy!
IKR? Let's put Steve to work.......keep HIM off the streets!!😉
I’m a professional dog walker-- I own the streets!
Gotcha covered, Steve....I had read Matt's wonderful piece, too.....read my mea culpa to him above (or below....wherever it might appear)! My newly-discovered awareness of April's RSD release of the album was what prompted this article in the first place! And, I attended RSD at several stores in Austin, and was never made aware of it!
China Crisis! Yes! There's another unique band of that era I forgot to mention in my comment. And when I think of China Crisis I also always think of Japan, yet another unique one.
Might be a curious, but fascinating article/Playlist of geographic band names a-brewin': America, Kansas, Boston, China Crisis, Japan, Europe..........
Just here to say that Two Wheels Good is a heck of an album, and I wish more people could hear it! Prefab also seems to be a favorite amongst the Substack music writing community, with at least 3-4 articles that I can remember- all coming from different angles. We all clearly have great taste. :)
True dat! As the guy whose mouth was stuffed with marshmallows once said, "I couldn't have said it better!"
Wow, I haven't thought about Prefab in decades. Now I'm going on a binge.
And, we're right behind you, Sherman! And, if you've not discovered the fabulous Scritti Politti, I linked to their '85 album in the article! May I recommend?.......They pair so well with Prefab!🥂
Wow! Those pics of Paddy... I'd never have recognized him! He looks pretty cool in white and with that cane, though, I have to say.
I first heard Prefab Sprout in 1988 when my favorite French radio station aired "Cars and girls." It was love at first listen. I went looking for the album, "From Langley Park to Memphis," and it was quite an adventure (ie impossible to find). Ended up ordering it from my record store, but it was worth it. Man, what a great album! After that, I just had to go back and get their previous albums. "Steve McQueen" (which I bought under the original title) is another favorite. "When love breaks down" and "Goodbye Lucille" are such cool songs--that both got a decent amount of airplay on French radio, oddly enough.
These guys were so different from everything else out there... It was like alien music, ha! Same with Scritti Politti. You're right to say they sounded nothing alike, and yet they were similar in how different they were from the norm. There were a few other bands that shared that touch of distinctness, though perhaps to a lesser extent: The Fixx, Rainbirds, Martin Stephenson and the Daintees, Picnic at the Whitehouse... There might have been others, but those are the first that come to mind. All enjoyed brief success before falling into oblivion.
You also mention Blue Nile in that article. I'm familiar with the name, though I don't think I've ever heard anything by them. I'll have to fix this--it's never too late to listen to cool music ;)
Oh, and... "Duran Bon Journey" <-- Good one, by the way! :D
Thanks so much, Alex, for hopping on with such a great comment! As for the Blue Nile mention, I've never heard them, either....that mention was in the same Paul Lester (The Guardian) quote who mentioned Scritti. I almost hate to go listen to them, but only from the POV of "things that hit us in a moment in time" i.e. your discovery of SP and PS (and mine). For me, they happened at the time of release, and my life situation coupled with the particular sounds those bands were creating is what made it all such a special experience!
Not that I/we can't go back....I'd love to hear Blue Nile, and hear a reason to love them. But, I gotta think it would be more of an intellectual assent, and less one of the heart (picture me stroking a beard the likes of Paddy, and going, "Ah, yes.....Blue Nile....some nice music there."
But, my absolute love and adoration of Green's output (especially, if I'm honest), and certainly Paddy's are imbedded in my heart (if not soul) solely because they were organic and of-the-era finds. Those are ones you can't beat. Like being in your 20s, with your head in the lap of your amour, and being brought to tears when "God Only Knows" suddenly pops up on the radio.
So, Alex........I just perused your site. If you don't feel you're writing enough about music, you're more than welcome to scribe a guest post for little ole FR&B! I love your mention of French radio, and attendant record-finding from back in the day. Your tastes and listening habits with an international flair would be a welcome addition, if you're at all interested and so inclined! You could also make it a post for your page, so your efforts would also be beneficial for you. Any musical-related topic would do.....whatever motivates you! And, thanks again!
I hear ya. Context matters as much when listening to music as with anything else. I might not have received PF or SP the same way had I listened to them for the first time today. Heck, there are songs/bands I liked in my youth I do not like now--and vice-versa.
Still, what's the worse that could happen? You listen to an old band and you don't like it. It doesn't take anything away, since--precisely--it's not linked to any older context, only to the current one. I'd argue better this than disliking something you used to like. And, who knows, you might actually like it *because* of the peculiar context of this article :D
As for collaborating, I was thinking about that actually as I was writing my comment above. Not sure what I could write about though, need to give it some thought. Perhaps my even more epic (mis)adventures when trying to collect all of the Blue Oyster Cult albums (one of my favorite bands) or my tentative (and ultimately unconvinced) samplings of Hawkwind?
Great points, Alex! As for guesting/collabbin', we don't have to be limited to thinking in terms of just one piece...see the 20 FR&B articles the amazing Stephen Michael Schwartz has contributed! I mean it....if you haven't discovered his incredible litany of '70s-era record biz Hollywood (in his own words), 'tis a must-read!
As a 20-year-old, this singer/songwriter/guitarist, recorded an album for RCA Records in 1974....and, I had it as a 19-year-old radio DJ! How he and I "met" on the 'net is a story in itself! Let's just say it all started when I interviewed David Cassidy in '75 (an interview I actually recorded, and you can hear it, too, here): https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/in-a-houston-penthouse-with-david
Back to you: I, normally, would have no problem "directing" you in a particular direction (as I'm the one asking!), but I'd rather give you the opportunity to tell (that, hopefully, is leaping to be told!) ANY (and every, if you'd like) music-related story that you feel passionate about, and would make a cool read. As for your 2 examples above, I really have no particular Hawkwind stories of engagement, myself, but I might be able to add a couple parenthetical BOC peeks from my background, as well. I know I saw them once in the late '70s.
Alright, got it. Will email you ;)
Just read your Beatles piece. Wonderful stuff, Brad. Accordian, then flute! Wow. Love that you're a musician. I'm not. I took clarinet lessons for two years, so I know all about embouchure, but I hated it (and my mean British instructor, Lawrence Bookins). I wanted to play saxophone, because I loved ska music in my early teens (Madness, English Beat, the Specials, etc....), but my mom knew that forcing me to learn the clarinet first would kill any future desire on my part to be a musician. Clever woman.
Glad you liked the Beatles one....thanks. I joke that I chose the flute while in high school, 'cause I was forced to lug around that infernal accordion at 8! My bro took clarinet for, almost literally, 5 minutes at the same time I was playing squeezebox. We quickly learned HE wasn't a musician (he became a stand-up and actor....more on that soon to Paid Subbies! In fact, that story will include someone you may know.....Lloyd Schwartz) at that point. He, too, not only hated the sound, but he had trouble producing that sound!
Thanks for the shout, Brad!! Listening to the playlist now, can’t wait to get to the acoustic mix!
Your post is going to take me all day to properly mine all the diamonds here!! Another home run, my friend!!
Certainly, Michael! Not only with your "Michael Acoustic" in mind, I was figuring if you hadn't heard "Steve McQueen" before, you of all people, ought to really appreciate a follow-up acoustic rendering after sampling the full-band effort! Knowing the album for nigh unto 40 years, I first heard the Acoustic just a few days ago, and with the familiarity of the original, and now, the newly-heard "tender renderings," it nearly brought me to tears! It was so much more than just "hearing those songs again." Enjoy! You've got a right proper way to pass a Sunday, Michael!
As an aside, Brian Fallon, one of my favorites, who is now back on tour with Gaslight Anthem after a solo hiatus (my kid once talked with them in their tour bus during some pre-show skateboarding in the parking lot), apparently had no worries about infringement in: https://open.spotify.com/track/50a3wWxBDG9B7s0RW3HP0L?si=4EolXDYwT26eL5oZXJ1kaw
Wow, that's funny....never heard this before, or knew there was another "Steve McQueen"! What on earth was it about McQueen that engendered such devotion from songwriters in the rock arena?! I mean, even to the point of making his name the title! And, why did HE never star in a movie titled, "Prefab Sprout" or "Brian Fallon"?!
I ask ya!🤷♂️
Authentic cool, personified I think...
“McQueen was understandably upset about becoming one of Manson’s targets, and from that point forward he kept a handgun in his car’s glove compartment.”
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cc/f5/f3/ccf5f3395785f480f87e4e15549efab9.jpg
"Authentic cool" indeed! I'd not heard that about his becoming a Manson target (gotta admit, I fell down early, in keeping up with his list)! Cool car, indeed!
Apparent he escaped fate by going on a last minute date instead of attending the party.
https://www.thevintagenews.com/2022/05/16/steve-mcqueen-sharon-tate/
Great piece, as always! And lots for me to discover. Your music industry knowledge is just... WOW. And I mean it!
Thanks, Andy......much appreciated. I don't know what I would've used my never-ending thirst for knowledge (and multitudes of minutiae!) to fully throw myself into if it had not been for records/music/rock that my never-ending flood of promo albums provided!
Which always leads me to remember and thank Dad for that envious avenue that started in the mid-'60s with free Beatles albums he'd bring home from the Capitol rep! Thanks, Dad!☝🙏And, thanks again, Andy! You rock!
It’s fascinating how the influence of a parent/older sibling and, crucially, their records, can have on us from such an early age. It definitely shapes your personality in ways music streaming files could never!
Well, yeah......we just have no idea at the time.....as it should be. Even I wasn't THAT self-conscious back then.......close, though! I'm just glad that fully-immersed obsession I had for music and its attendant info now has a productive outlet (plus, it keeps me off the streets)! Always a good thing.
Absolutely!! Cheers to that. You’re the one who rocks!