I will vigorously fly the flag for Prefab Sprout. I had the honor of talking about them at length with Joi on her radio show just a little while back (because, stop me) AND I've reprinted/updated my interview with Paddy here on my Substack. The record label publicist who helped arrange the chat knew I also kinda...sorta... well, pretty much... had a teensy crush on Paddy and kinda... sorta... well, pretty much TOLD HIM before the interview, which was a huge source of embarrassment to me, as I was not one to fangirl over an interview subject. However, Paddy was a pure joy to speak with – I think it was the longest talk I had during my early music writing days – as he revealed (and I mentioned in the article) he'd dyed his hair – and hadn't told his mum about it!
Great post and great review of a record I'm admittedly unfamiliar with, but now curious to check out. However, I don't think I can forgive the shade, in your intro, towards George Michael, Madonna and Michael Jackson 😂 Congratulatory circus of the absurd with musical creativity tacking a backseat? These three artists, each in their way, were trailblazers. What they did was way more than pure image or just for show. In fact, I'd say that the image elements they introduced through their (IMO) ground-breaking records helped re-shape and redefine preconceived notions of body image, thus making huge contributions to society in ways other artists have simply failed to achieve. (Here I'd add Prince to the list although I realise he tends to get less of a bashing than George, Madonna and MJ). Just my two cents.
You're A+, 100% correct on all counts, Andy! I wanted to broad-brush the decade, in order to quickly try to explain--in easy caricature--how and why Prefab couldn't/didn't get airplay/MTV heavy rotation (and, get your attention!).
Would Paddy & Co. gotten more/easy exposure had he colored his hair orange? Had a small army of gym-shorts-clad dancers in the background? Dressed up in scary costumes and unison-danced their way thru an extended-form, heavily-financed mini-movie? Maybe. But, at what "artistic cost"?
Because of the newly-added visual element the '80s introduced, so many non-musical "temptations" became available, and many artists/labels/stars' "people", in many instances, just couldn't help themselves.
All those artists you mention (and, so many more) are/were magnificently talented "enough," and probably didn't "need" all that attendant folderol swirling around them to get their music heard, and certainly didn't need all that to have their respective artistic expressions be appreciated.
Michael Jackson's the most glaring example, as his blindingly prodigious talent was musically successful and appreciated since he was in single digits. We KNEW he was multi-talented already, and I have no problem giving him that latitude of artistic expression (costumes, make-up, Hollywood directors, long-form mini-movies, etc) that decade allowed. The coming together of the legends of Q and MJ was awe-inspiring to witness.
I wonder if a lot of these artists, if asked in the subsequent decades, if they thought, in retrospect, all that froo-froo was "necessary," and I'd be willing to bet many/most would reveal that they wished their music could've stood on its own, WITHOUT all that "stuff," but they were just trying to "keep up" with their peers, and I get that....every artist has done, and will do, exactly that with whatever new "tools" are there at their disposal.
Cyndi was a keen musician; I know that "from afar" because I know she was smart enough to record at least one Jules Shear song, "All Through the Night." Jules actually became the guy who, later that decade, conceived of the MTV property, "Unplugged" (although a couple of network producers have claimed sole credit...Jules DID host the network's first dozen eps of the show).
This artistic "push-me/pull-you" dynamic, for Cyndi, is illustrated in this reveal about her recording Jules' song (from the Wiki page for the song): Shear said he was surprised that his "folk song" was interpreted by Lauper as "a drum machine and techno thing". According to Lauper, she wanted it to be just like Shear's version, with a bit more of an acoustic sound. However, she changed her mind, saying that she wanted to remake it in her own style.
It may have been this encounter alone that prompted Jules to imagine "Unplugged". Jules is an artist I've been aching to highlight in an article, Andy. He wrote "If She Knew What She Wants" that The Bangles recorded and had a hit with. He's also been in countless bands (on major labels, yet). So, he was artistically active (and successful) in the '80s, but failed to break through into the collective consciousness of that decade's CD-buying public as an artist, himself.
Every one of the artists we've mentioned here are indisputably gifted and wildly talented (and, I have appreciated much of their recorded output, to be sure). So is Paddy and Prefab talented, and despite having the massive distribution clout of CBS Records at their back, their music failed to make a dent in the public's awareness with that decade's other talented artists. I guess one could conclude they just didn't scream loud enough....perhaps to their credit.
Even 4 decades later, Matt and I were eager to share our excitement and love for Paddy's songwriting, and his band's excellent performance of those delicate song-gems. Andy, I think I can speak for Matt when we say we hope you enjoy what they do!
Thank you, Brad! I totally see what you mean. At the same time, I think that, particularly in relation to the artists we’re mentioning (Madge, MJ, George, etc.) those visual elements were part of the art they were creating at the time. This is why I don’t think in their case the “do I need this v. do I not need this?” dichotomy you mention doesn’t quite apply. I mean, what would Like a Prayer be without the controversial video? George’s I Want Your Sex or Faith without the sex appeal in the videos? Alas, MJ’s Thriller without THAT video? Those visual elements were an integral part of their art and the message they were trying to convey at the time, and were specifically designed to shock and, in their way, revolutionise some of the puritanical elements of the society they burst into. Did other, certainly less talented artists, jump on the bandwagon and put the fireworks on display just to get their two seconds of fame? Certainly. But in the case of the specific artists we’re talking about, who by now are considered legends or at least legendary in their own right, that disruptiveness was part of the music. So I don’t necessarily agree with your appreciation that maybe they look back and wish they had just focused on the music, because at the time, those visuals were part of that music, in my view at least. Certainly as they then matured and grew as artists and individuals they took their art in a different direction and they were even self-critical with that of the things they had done in their earlier days. It took George just two short years to rip it all apart and start afresh with “Listen Without Prejudice”, criticising, in the song Freedom, his own MTV and image dependence; for Madge, it was a few years later with “Drowned World” (I traded fame for love…), and for MJ… well, a bit of an outlier here, for the reasons you mention in your comment, but one could argue Dangerous (on which incidentally Matt wrote an excellent review recently) was to a certain extent MJ rethinking or reacting to the hugely public image he himself had in many ways created. But what I love about these three (and I love that you mention Lauper because she belongs here as well) is that disruption was always pretty much embedded in their art, and they took those disruptive elements along with them ans reshaped them as they evolved.
Now, having said all of this, I am looking forward to diving deeper into the piece and the band you guys covered. Sorry for the length and this rabbit hole but I get sooo triggered when I feel George Michael is under attack 😅😅😂😂
Thank you, Andy.....I was in knots, Sat, wondering that maybe I didn't communicate clearly enough, what I was driving at. My bottom line: I appreciate ALL artists, their talent, and their art. My "liking" them matters not (if I DO like/love their art, that's the personal bonus...I love their talent and appreciate seeing/hearing how they express it, though, regardless.
As with pop radio, '60s and '70s, my real "beef" is with the "delivery system" and its flaws...this time, MTV in the '80s. For our band of the day: Had MTV given Prefab the kind of heavy rotation for any number of their songs as they did, say, Duran Duran (and, if MTV had given THEM radio silence)....we'd now be elevating Prefab into the artistic stratosphere, and going, "Duran who?" at the mention of their name. It all comes down to "are you at all familiar with their music in the first place" (so you can evaluate for yourself if they're "good" or not) vs. the talent level of the artist you're never "allowed" to hear....how can you know if they're "good" or not if radio/MTV deigns to never allow to air their music so you can hear them?).
Late '70s, when I worked in record stores, I'd get to know a small number of customers well enough to ask them one question (my little personal social experiment!): "Yeah, could I get that new Paul Simon song I hear on the radio, 'Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover'?" Q: Do you really LIKE that song, or do you think you're wanting to buy it because you're so familiar with it? You know the answer, and it was astounding (bless their hearts to be so open with me) to hear them actually verbalize it!
And, all that's fine....but, it illustrates my frustration with how no one even KNOWS about the artists I've been fortunate to hear and grow to love (largely due to my access to years of access to promo albums....I heard 2 decades of music radio and/or MTV didn't/wouldn't ever play)!
My challenge to anyone: Give, say, a Prefab Sprout the "ear exposure" to yourself MTV likely gave you in the '80s for any artist they exposed you to, relentlessly...for one week! I'd argue (GENERALLY) you'll come away being as big a fan of said artist as any "heavy-rotation" radio artist in the '70s or video artist in the '80s as your current favorites. Of course there'll be "misses"---a listener just flat won't LIKE what they end up hearing endlessly. Fine. But, at least they're being given the chance to HEAR it....MTV didn't give Prefab that ability to be heard in the first place (and, they're but one example....your mileage may vary)!
One more example: Because of my constant access to promo LPs, mid-'60s thru early-'80s, I had the chance to hear the 80% of music radio NEVER played (FM and AM). The added fun (and exercise) I trained myself to hone, was to listen to an album (or single)....right when released (before radio had a chance to decide to add it to their rotation or not), and try to decide A) if I thought this or that WOULD get airplay, and B) I'd ask myself "If I were in A&R at a label, would I sign this artist?" Doing that forced me to ignore "Do I 'like' this artist and their music?" and focus on their inherent TALENT. It was an astounding exercise, and beyond fun and rewarding!
Well known, now (for those who are regular FR&B readers), is how much I dislike Bob Dylan (can't sing, mumbles, too wordy for a guy who ignores lyrics, anyway....me!), but, I'd like to think beyond all that, I'd be able to recognize "this guy's got talent" in this way and that, and I'd sign him! I did that for years, and it was remarkably enlightening on a personal level!
Which brings us to our '80s artists about whom we're speaking now: I'd sign them all (I know...easy to say NOW!!!😁), but, they're all blindingly talented (which I'm more than happy to recognize and shout from the rooftops), and my "liking" them is immaterial, but if I do, hey, a bonus!
Again, my issue, thru all this, is the complete ignoring of the super-talented artists I was fortunate enough to hear that radio and/or MTV completely shut off from their airwaves (for whatever reasons...and, that's a whole other debate right there!). I think that's what drives me (and others here) to share so "aggressively" the artists and the music of artists we know got no airplay....we're trying to make up for what radio and MTV whiffed on decades ago!
Hamlet, you're a prince! Thanks for "getting" me!😉
I totally get where you are coming from, and it is a valid (and very interesting) angle. In my case, as a huge fan of artists who sold not just hundreds of thousands but hundreds of millions around the world, for years and decades and counting, I feel what you say, but I cannot fully empathise because my experience has been diametrically different. I am the one who gets asked if I really want another Mariah Carey record because she’s popular. And it hurts, because as a fan of artists who are or were or have been constantly in the spotlight, I know I’m looked down on in so many intellectual circles (especially here on the Musicstack). There’s nothing wrong with uncovering gems or shedding a light on artists who for whatever reason didn’t “make it” or didn’t achieve the level of fame of others, and I will always celebrate that work (the work of the artists themselves, and the work of writers who bring those gems to the current audiencce). But personally I cannot fully endorse the statement that the only or crucial dividing factor between those who made it big and those who didn’t was how much rotation they got on MTV — I think the work of my idols speaks for itself, with or without MTV.
I knew who Prefab Sprout were yet I wasn't aware of their magnetism with these classic, alternative pop sound. I was listening to a lot of Cyndi Lauper, Men at Work, Pat Benatar, Thompson Twins, Duran Duran, and even XTC. Thomas Dolby is an innovator in his own right. He founded HeadSpace. His distinctive style as an artist and producer sometimes is overlooked.
Paddy McAloon & Co should have went deeper on the US charts. Thanks for the road odyssey down '80s Electric Avenue.
Thanks, Jt! MTV in the '80s was what radio was in the '70s. If all you heard was what they deigned to "let" you hear, you became unwittingly musically starved. It's, now, in hearing what you may have missed (because they didn't get radio/MTV rotation), our hope is that Paddy and Prefab can finally be the "heard" they just weren't 40 years ago! Thanks again!
MTV ruined the whole audio experience. It was fun and exciting and arresting during the eighties. I followed the channel programming as well. The current MTV experience is so narrow and slick and over-produced. I own a Real World t shirt. I miss certain aspects of what once was considered alternative. YouTube remastered & rebooted MTV. Music videos are still playing on the music channel but it’s not even comparable anymore. As for ‘80s bands like Prefab Sprout, I bet hundreds of other pop groups never hit the mainstream. We aren’t aware of the depth of their sound.
Great points, Jt! I think the new-music delivery systems can only be evaluated thru the rear-view....We added FM to the radio band in the '60s, and that had its moments (both + and -), and the "video decade" was a blast, and a "whole new toy" as it was happening (and artists discovered they could act....or couldn't), and as we're discussing here, artists got just as ignored as they did on the AM side for decades, and/or on the FM side for "album artists".
All of that has changed now, certainly with the advent and proliferation of streaming, and the current access and availability of ways for "the general public" to program their OWN day parts, thankyouverymuch, and we no longer have to be held hostage to the corporate whims and fancies of radio programmers or MTV execs and/or VJs to decide who they'd like for us to aid in making famous.
Now, for whatever MTV is or may be, it's not only a shell of its former self, but, really only a cute little retro artifact, much like Granny's sewing machine in the corner.
As for your last two on-point sentences, you have no idea! As I've mentioned many times on FR&B (so folks can know my perspective, growing up), my dad was in Houston radio for decades (ad sales exec), and from the '60s (I was 10 in '65) thru the early-'80s, I was privy to virtually all the albums that were released by major labels during that time (he'd bring home the promos)!
I got to hear a decade and a half (I got into radio in the mid-'70s, and then retail records, late-'70s thru early-'80s, earning my own promos!) of music radio (and MTV) never let you hear! I'd say that left about 80-90% of all recorded music that radio and the other outlets never gave airtime to! That's staggering!
The common consensus (I've discovered) of the "general public" is this: "Gee...Journey's sold billions of records! They must be good!" Fine. We can have that debate. But, more to the point, they were, yes, "good," but most artists themselves will concede that they got lucky to get the airplay right out the box, and were able to follow up said hit single or album with something their FIRST hit simply allowed them the entry point for airplay, because of their previous exposure!
A great example, Jt, exists right here at FR&B: The '74 RCA Records debut of Stephen Michael Schwartz, age 20 at the time. A perfectly fine singer/songwriter/guitarist whose debut simply didn't sell. His single got no AM play, and he was a little too "pop" for FM play. His album sold 15,000 units, and 4 songs into recording his 2nd album in '75 (with Elton John's recently fired rhythm section of Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson, and eventual 16-Grammy winner, David Foster on keys and serving as Stephen's music director for the sessions), RCA cut him from his contract!
Stephen ended up writing songs with Spector legend Jeff Barry, Manilow hit songwriter ("Tryin' to Get the Feeling," "The Old Songs"), David Pomeranz, and Carole King lyricist, Toni Stern, and others. So, clearly, he's talented. He just didn't get airplay. Here are the 20 articles Stephen has graciously written exclusively for FR&B: https://bradkyle.substack.com/t/stephen-michael-schwartz
MTV seemed like your cool mother with music videos galore and yet so many pop songwriters weren't exposed to their audience. I admit that I embraced the whole music tv phenomena. I was once a DJ for my college radio station. I wasn't very technical. I played the rotation though it seemed kinda predictable. You had the heavy rotation which seems like a radio station like Q104 in New York. It constantly feeds classic rock. I was more interested in the '90s alternative & indie artists that didn't peak. You had King Missile with their hilarious parody song "Detachable Penis". You also had ironic groups like Cake, Ween or Barenaked Ladies. This is a visceral experience for me. Eugenious was another credible band that didn't break through the mainstream. All those one-hit wonders can transform a rock group from obscurity to notoriety. Airplay is fickle even now. I still listen to digital albums on Spotify and I am informed of their scant royalties to artists. I was shaped by my local Tower Records in Nanuet. That was like another education besides the one I received in real-time. You could interview the staff about their favourite artists. It was an authentic community. I work in a library that will be phasing out their music collection in cd format. I am an analog music rat at heart. Streaming has devolved the whole audio moment. I won't bore thee to tears. We both understand that back in the day even FM radio generated interest for its freeform ways. My local radio station, WFUV, is not a progressive station anymore. I would hear music in all sorts of genres. How many times do I have to hear Mumford & Sons, the Head & the Heart, Caamp, Mt. Joy, or the Lumineers? Neo-folk is a terrible genre.
Anyhow, that's just me and my opinions won't win an election. Now back to Wimbledon tennis and the Lush station on SomaFM. I even read poetry with the radio on in the background. It stimulates my own writings. Thanks for informing me of the MTV wasteland. I did happen to read 'I Want My MTV' in book format. Rock star memoirs are one of my current reading activities.
i enjoyed 'Reckless' which accounted for Chrissie Hynde's upbringing in Akron, OH to where she played a post-punk guitar in the Pretenders. Take care now.
Thanks so much, Jt! A really cool convo...I appreciate your POVs, and your stories of your very valid experiences! Your mention of Tower Records makes me remember the early-'90s moment I had at the Sunset Blvd/Hollywood Tower: Thankfully, they had CD listening stations w/headphones! I was curious about a rather blank-looking CD with a big, fat "E" on the cover and not much else! I listened, and immediately fell in love...as I mention in the article I wrote about that artist....I couldn't wait to take the CD to the register!
Paddy McAloon - a living legend and sophisti-pop music genius (with a touch of harmless God-bothering thrown in). The master of the metaphor and Steve McQueen is probably one of the most perfect pop albums in the entire world. I may not believe that there is a single album that the whole world can enjoy, but I really and truly can't imagine a demographic that wouldn't accept this masterful work with open arms.
Swoon to this and every one of the Prefab's albums. Oh - and his lyrical masterstrokes... (here are just a sample)
"I've lost just what it takes to be honest, You offer infrared instead of sun, You offer bubble gum, You give me Faron Young "Four In The Morning"..."
"When love breaks down, The things you do, To stop the truth from hurting you, When love breaks down, The lies we tell, They only serve to fool ourselves"
...and then there's...
"I've got six things on my mind, and you're not one of them" (ouch) from the saddest song ever written: 'Desire As'
Thanks, Geoff.....all of this and more! What first grabbed me, in real time, as these albums dropped, were the easily (and consistently) gorgeous melodies. I'd listen to, say, "Two Wheels Good" at the time (maybe doing something else), and when it ended, I'd go, "Hmmm, that was an easy listen, and made me feel good," and I'd put it on again, this time with a lot more determined interest.
I'm not, historically, a lyric guy, but as Paddy enunciated clearly (and Dolby recorded him that way, too!), it was easy for me to, now, be completely won over by his lyrics! I instantly recognized and could hear in my head, the melodies that accompany the lyrics you quoted!
I've always drawn a connective tissue between the two men behind my two favorite '80s-era bands: Scritti Politti (and their Green Gartside...and, frequently, David Gamson) and Prefab and Paddy. Two wildly talented gentlemen whose backing musicians (and producers) were tasked with transmitting the written charts to the rolling tape. Their music (to my ears....and heart) was lightyears ahead and above the bloated dance tracks that mostly took over that MTV decade!
Thanks for reading, and adding your memorable comment, Geoff! Please know you're always welcome FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE!
Thanks, Nick.....that compilation certainly looks like it'd be a great resource in anybody's collection! I'm happy to share Matt's terrific review of the album, FR&B!
I really like that collection. My sense is that people who were really into that scene don't like the collection because it's too broad and doesn't tell a clear story, but from my perspective it's an example of a Rhino collection done well -- with decent liner notes.
I will vigorously fly the flag for Prefab Sprout. I had the honor of talking about them at length with Joi on her radio show just a little while back (because, stop me) AND I've reprinted/updated my interview with Paddy here on my Substack. The record label publicist who helped arrange the chat knew I also kinda...sorta... well, pretty much... had a teensy crush on Paddy and kinda... sorta... well, pretty much TOLD HIM before the interview, which was a huge source of embarrassment to me, as I was not one to fangirl over an interview subject. However, Paddy was a pure joy to speak with – I think it was the longest talk I had during my early music writing days – as he revealed (and I mentioned in the article) he'd dyed his hair – and hadn't told his mum about it!
Great stuff, Amy....thanks! Feel free to add a link to your updated interview here....it'd be a great add!
Here 'tis:
https://writehearpopculture.substack.com/p/the-alternating-currents-legacy-interview-paddy-mcaloon-prefab-sprout
Great post and great review of a record I'm admittedly unfamiliar with, but now curious to check out. However, I don't think I can forgive the shade, in your intro, towards George Michael, Madonna and Michael Jackson 😂 Congratulatory circus of the absurd with musical creativity tacking a backseat? These three artists, each in their way, were trailblazers. What they did was way more than pure image or just for show. In fact, I'd say that the image elements they introduced through their (IMO) ground-breaking records helped re-shape and redefine preconceived notions of body image, thus making huge contributions to society in ways other artists have simply failed to achieve. (Here I'd add Prince to the list although I realise he tends to get less of a bashing than George, Madonna and MJ). Just my two cents.
You're A+, 100% correct on all counts, Andy! I wanted to broad-brush the decade, in order to quickly try to explain--in easy caricature--how and why Prefab couldn't/didn't get airplay/MTV heavy rotation (and, get your attention!).
Would Paddy & Co. gotten more/easy exposure had he colored his hair orange? Had a small army of gym-shorts-clad dancers in the background? Dressed up in scary costumes and unison-danced their way thru an extended-form, heavily-financed mini-movie? Maybe. But, at what "artistic cost"?
Because of the newly-added visual element the '80s introduced, so many non-musical "temptations" became available, and many artists/labels/stars' "people", in many instances, just couldn't help themselves.
All those artists you mention (and, so many more) are/were magnificently talented "enough," and probably didn't "need" all that attendant folderol swirling around them to get their music heard, and certainly didn't need all that to have their respective artistic expressions be appreciated.
Michael Jackson's the most glaring example, as his blindingly prodigious talent was musically successful and appreciated since he was in single digits. We KNEW he was multi-talented already, and I have no problem giving him that latitude of artistic expression (costumes, make-up, Hollywood directors, long-form mini-movies, etc) that decade allowed. The coming together of the legends of Q and MJ was awe-inspiring to witness.
I wonder if a lot of these artists, if asked in the subsequent decades, if they thought, in retrospect, all that froo-froo was "necessary," and I'd be willing to bet many/most would reveal that they wished their music could've stood on its own, WITHOUT all that "stuff," but they were just trying to "keep up" with their peers, and I get that....every artist has done, and will do, exactly that with whatever new "tools" are there at their disposal.
Cyndi was a keen musician; I know that "from afar" because I know she was smart enough to record at least one Jules Shear song, "All Through the Night." Jules actually became the guy who, later that decade, conceived of the MTV property, "Unplugged" (although a couple of network producers have claimed sole credit...Jules DID host the network's first dozen eps of the show).
This artistic "push-me/pull-you" dynamic, for Cyndi, is illustrated in this reveal about her recording Jules' song (from the Wiki page for the song): Shear said he was surprised that his "folk song" was interpreted by Lauper as "a drum machine and techno thing". According to Lauper, she wanted it to be just like Shear's version, with a bit more of an acoustic sound. However, she changed her mind, saying that she wanted to remake it in her own style.
It may have been this encounter alone that prompted Jules to imagine "Unplugged". Jules is an artist I've been aching to highlight in an article, Andy. He wrote "If She Knew What She Wants" that The Bangles recorded and had a hit with. He's also been in countless bands (on major labels, yet). So, he was artistically active (and successful) in the '80s, but failed to break through into the collective consciousness of that decade's CD-buying public as an artist, himself.
Every one of the artists we've mentioned here are indisputably gifted and wildly talented (and, I have appreciated much of their recorded output, to be sure). So is Paddy and Prefab talented, and despite having the massive distribution clout of CBS Records at their back, their music failed to make a dent in the public's awareness with that decade's other talented artists. I guess one could conclude they just didn't scream loud enough....perhaps to their credit.
Even 4 decades later, Matt and I were eager to share our excitement and love for Paddy's songwriting, and his band's excellent performance of those delicate song-gems. Andy, I think I can speak for Matt when we say we hope you enjoy what they do!
Thank you, Brad! I totally see what you mean. At the same time, I think that, particularly in relation to the artists we’re mentioning (Madge, MJ, George, etc.) those visual elements were part of the art they were creating at the time. This is why I don’t think in their case the “do I need this v. do I not need this?” dichotomy you mention doesn’t quite apply. I mean, what would Like a Prayer be without the controversial video? George’s I Want Your Sex or Faith without the sex appeal in the videos? Alas, MJ’s Thriller without THAT video? Those visual elements were an integral part of their art and the message they were trying to convey at the time, and were specifically designed to shock and, in their way, revolutionise some of the puritanical elements of the society they burst into. Did other, certainly less talented artists, jump on the bandwagon and put the fireworks on display just to get their two seconds of fame? Certainly. But in the case of the specific artists we’re talking about, who by now are considered legends or at least legendary in their own right, that disruptiveness was part of the music. So I don’t necessarily agree with your appreciation that maybe they look back and wish they had just focused on the music, because at the time, those visuals were part of that music, in my view at least. Certainly as they then matured and grew as artists and individuals they took their art in a different direction and they were even self-critical with that of the things they had done in their earlier days. It took George just two short years to rip it all apart and start afresh with “Listen Without Prejudice”, criticising, in the song Freedom, his own MTV and image dependence; for Madge, it was a few years later with “Drowned World” (I traded fame for love…), and for MJ… well, a bit of an outlier here, for the reasons you mention in your comment, but one could argue Dangerous (on which incidentally Matt wrote an excellent review recently) was to a certain extent MJ rethinking or reacting to the hugely public image he himself had in many ways created. But what I love about these three (and I love that you mention Lauper because she belongs here as well) is that disruption was always pretty much embedded in their art, and they took those disruptive elements along with them ans reshaped them as they evolved.
Now, having said all of this, I am looking forward to diving deeper into the piece and the band you guys covered. Sorry for the length and this rabbit hole but I get sooo triggered when I feel George Michael is under attack 😅😅😂😂
Thank you, Andy.....I was in knots, Sat, wondering that maybe I didn't communicate clearly enough, what I was driving at. My bottom line: I appreciate ALL artists, their talent, and their art. My "liking" them matters not (if I DO like/love their art, that's the personal bonus...I love their talent and appreciate seeing/hearing how they express it, though, regardless.
As with pop radio, '60s and '70s, my real "beef" is with the "delivery system" and its flaws...this time, MTV in the '80s. For our band of the day: Had MTV given Prefab the kind of heavy rotation for any number of their songs as they did, say, Duran Duran (and, if MTV had given THEM radio silence)....we'd now be elevating Prefab into the artistic stratosphere, and going, "Duran who?" at the mention of their name. It all comes down to "are you at all familiar with their music in the first place" (so you can evaluate for yourself if they're "good" or not) vs. the talent level of the artist you're never "allowed" to hear....how can you know if they're "good" or not if radio/MTV deigns to never allow to air their music so you can hear them?).
Late '70s, when I worked in record stores, I'd get to know a small number of customers well enough to ask them one question (my little personal social experiment!): "Yeah, could I get that new Paul Simon song I hear on the radio, 'Fifty Ways to Leave Your Lover'?" Q: Do you really LIKE that song, or do you think you're wanting to buy it because you're so familiar with it? You know the answer, and it was astounding (bless their hearts to be so open with me) to hear them actually verbalize it!
And, all that's fine....but, it illustrates my frustration with how no one even KNOWS about the artists I've been fortunate to hear and grow to love (largely due to my access to years of access to promo albums....I heard 2 decades of music radio and/or MTV didn't/wouldn't ever play)!
My challenge to anyone: Give, say, a Prefab Sprout the "ear exposure" to yourself MTV likely gave you in the '80s for any artist they exposed you to, relentlessly...for one week! I'd argue (GENERALLY) you'll come away being as big a fan of said artist as any "heavy-rotation" radio artist in the '70s or video artist in the '80s as your current favorites. Of course there'll be "misses"---a listener just flat won't LIKE what they end up hearing endlessly. Fine. But, at least they're being given the chance to HEAR it....MTV didn't give Prefab that ability to be heard in the first place (and, they're but one example....your mileage may vary)!
One more example: Because of my constant access to promo LPs, mid-'60s thru early-'80s, I had the chance to hear the 80% of music radio NEVER played (FM and AM). The added fun (and exercise) I trained myself to hone, was to listen to an album (or single)....right when released (before radio had a chance to decide to add it to their rotation or not), and try to decide A) if I thought this or that WOULD get airplay, and B) I'd ask myself "If I were in A&R at a label, would I sign this artist?" Doing that forced me to ignore "Do I 'like' this artist and their music?" and focus on their inherent TALENT. It was an astounding exercise, and beyond fun and rewarding!
Well known, now (for those who are regular FR&B readers), is how much I dislike Bob Dylan (can't sing, mumbles, too wordy for a guy who ignores lyrics, anyway....me!), but, I'd like to think beyond all that, I'd be able to recognize "this guy's got talent" in this way and that, and I'd sign him! I did that for years, and it was remarkably enlightening on a personal level!
Which brings us to our '80s artists about whom we're speaking now: I'd sign them all (I know...easy to say NOW!!!😁), but, they're all blindingly talented (which I'm more than happy to recognize and shout from the rooftops), and my "liking" them is immaterial, but if I do, hey, a bonus!
Again, my issue, thru all this, is the complete ignoring of the super-talented artists I was fortunate enough to hear that radio and/or MTV completely shut off from their airwaves (for whatever reasons...and, that's a whole other debate right there!). I think that's what drives me (and others here) to share so "aggressively" the artists and the music of artists we know got no airplay....we're trying to make up for what radio and MTV whiffed on decades ago!
Hamlet, you're a prince! Thanks for "getting" me!😉
I totally get where you are coming from, and it is a valid (and very interesting) angle. In my case, as a huge fan of artists who sold not just hundreds of thousands but hundreds of millions around the world, for years and decades and counting, I feel what you say, but I cannot fully empathise because my experience has been diametrically different. I am the one who gets asked if I really want another Mariah Carey record because she’s popular. And it hurts, because as a fan of artists who are or were or have been constantly in the spotlight, I know I’m looked down on in so many intellectual circles (especially here on the Musicstack). There’s nothing wrong with uncovering gems or shedding a light on artists who for whatever reason didn’t “make it” or didn’t achieve the level of fame of others, and I will always celebrate that work (the work of the artists themselves, and the work of writers who bring those gems to the current audiencce). But personally I cannot fully endorse the statement that the only or crucial dividing factor between those who made it big and those who didn’t was how much rotation they got on MTV — I think the work of my idols speaks for itself, with or without MTV.
I knew who Prefab Sprout were yet I wasn't aware of their magnetism with these classic, alternative pop sound. I was listening to a lot of Cyndi Lauper, Men at Work, Pat Benatar, Thompson Twins, Duran Duran, and even XTC. Thomas Dolby is an innovator in his own right. He founded HeadSpace. His distinctive style as an artist and producer sometimes is overlooked.
Paddy McAloon & Co should have went deeper on the US charts. Thanks for the road odyssey down '80s Electric Avenue.
Thanks, Jt! MTV in the '80s was what radio was in the '70s. If all you heard was what they deigned to "let" you hear, you became unwittingly musically starved. It's, now, in hearing what you may have missed (because they didn't get radio/MTV rotation), our hope is that Paddy and Prefab can finally be the "heard" they just weren't 40 years ago! Thanks again!
MTV ruined the whole audio experience. It was fun and exciting and arresting during the eighties. I followed the channel programming as well. The current MTV experience is so narrow and slick and over-produced. I own a Real World t shirt. I miss certain aspects of what once was considered alternative. YouTube remastered & rebooted MTV. Music videos are still playing on the music channel but it’s not even comparable anymore. As for ‘80s bands like Prefab Sprout, I bet hundreds of other pop groups never hit the mainstream. We aren’t aware of the depth of their sound.
Great points, Jt! I think the new-music delivery systems can only be evaluated thru the rear-view....We added FM to the radio band in the '60s, and that had its moments (both + and -), and the "video decade" was a blast, and a "whole new toy" as it was happening (and artists discovered they could act....or couldn't), and as we're discussing here, artists got just as ignored as they did on the AM side for decades, and/or on the FM side for "album artists".
All of that has changed now, certainly with the advent and proliferation of streaming, and the current access and availability of ways for "the general public" to program their OWN day parts, thankyouverymuch, and we no longer have to be held hostage to the corporate whims and fancies of radio programmers or MTV execs and/or VJs to decide who they'd like for us to aid in making famous.
Now, for whatever MTV is or may be, it's not only a shell of its former self, but, really only a cute little retro artifact, much like Granny's sewing machine in the corner.
As for your last two on-point sentences, you have no idea! As I've mentioned many times on FR&B (so folks can know my perspective, growing up), my dad was in Houston radio for decades (ad sales exec), and from the '60s (I was 10 in '65) thru the early-'80s, I was privy to virtually all the albums that were released by major labels during that time (he'd bring home the promos)!
I got to hear a decade and a half (I got into radio in the mid-'70s, and then retail records, late-'70s thru early-'80s, earning my own promos!) of music radio (and MTV) never let you hear! I'd say that left about 80-90% of all recorded music that radio and the other outlets never gave airtime to! That's staggering!
The common consensus (I've discovered) of the "general public" is this: "Gee...Journey's sold billions of records! They must be good!" Fine. We can have that debate. But, more to the point, they were, yes, "good," but most artists themselves will concede that they got lucky to get the airplay right out the box, and were able to follow up said hit single or album with something their FIRST hit simply allowed them the entry point for airplay, because of their previous exposure!
A great example, Jt, exists right here at FR&B: The '74 RCA Records debut of Stephen Michael Schwartz, age 20 at the time. A perfectly fine singer/songwriter/guitarist whose debut simply didn't sell. His single got no AM play, and he was a little too "pop" for FM play. His album sold 15,000 units, and 4 songs into recording his 2nd album in '75 (with Elton John's recently fired rhythm section of Dee Murray and Nigel Olsson, and eventual 16-Grammy winner, David Foster on keys and serving as Stephen's music director for the sessions), RCA cut him from his contract!
Stephen ended up writing songs with Spector legend Jeff Barry, Manilow hit songwriter ("Tryin' to Get the Feeling," "The Old Songs"), David Pomeranz, and Carole King lyricist, Toni Stern, and others. So, clearly, he's talented. He just didn't get airplay. Here are the 20 articles Stephen has graciously written exclusively for FR&B: https://bradkyle.substack.com/t/stephen-michael-schwartz
Thanks again, Jt!
That comment was more than generous.
MTV seemed like your cool mother with music videos galore and yet so many pop songwriters weren't exposed to their audience. I admit that I embraced the whole music tv phenomena. I was once a DJ for my college radio station. I wasn't very technical. I played the rotation though it seemed kinda predictable. You had the heavy rotation which seems like a radio station like Q104 in New York. It constantly feeds classic rock. I was more interested in the '90s alternative & indie artists that didn't peak. You had King Missile with their hilarious parody song "Detachable Penis". You also had ironic groups like Cake, Ween or Barenaked Ladies. This is a visceral experience for me. Eugenious was another credible band that didn't break through the mainstream. All those one-hit wonders can transform a rock group from obscurity to notoriety. Airplay is fickle even now. I still listen to digital albums on Spotify and I am informed of their scant royalties to artists. I was shaped by my local Tower Records in Nanuet. That was like another education besides the one I received in real-time. You could interview the staff about their favourite artists. It was an authentic community. I work in a library that will be phasing out their music collection in cd format. I am an analog music rat at heart. Streaming has devolved the whole audio moment. I won't bore thee to tears. We both understand that back in the day even FM radio generated interest for its freeform ways. My local radio station, WFUV, is not a progressive station anymore. I would hear music in all sorts of genres. How many times do I have to hear Mumford & Sons, the Head & the Heart, Caamp, Mt. Joy, or the Lumineers? Neo-folk is a terrible genre.
Anyhow, that's just me and my opinions won't win an election. Now back to Wimbledon tennis and the Lush station on SomaFM. I even read poetry with the radio on in the background. It stimulates my own writings. Thanks for informing me of the MTV wasteland. I did happen to read 'I Want My MTV' in book format. Rock star memoirs are one of my current reading activities.
i enjoyed 'Reckless' which accounted for Chrissie Hynde's upbringing in Akron, OH to where she played a post-punk guitar in the Pretenders. Take care now.
Thanks so much, Jt! A really cool convo...I appreciate your POVs, and your stories of your very valid experiences! Your mention of Tower Records makes me remember the early-'90s moment I had at the Sunset Blvd/Hollywood Tower: Thankfully, they had CD listening stations w/headphones! I was curious about a rather blank-looking CD with a big, fat "E" on the cover and not much else! I listened, and immediately fell in love...as I mention in the article I wrote about that artist....I couldn't wait to take the CD to the register!
https://bradkyle.substack.com/p/audio-autopsy-1992-the-man-who-put?utm_source=publication-search
Enjoy!
And, thanks again, Jt! You're welcome, FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE, anytime!
Paddy McAloon - a living legend and sophisti-pop music genius (with a touch of harmless God-bothering thrown in). The master of the metaphor and Steve McQueen is probably one of the most perfect pop albums in the entire world. I may not believe that there is a single album that the whole world can enjoy, but I really and truly can't imagine a demographic that wouldn't accept this masterful work with open arms.
Swoon to this and every one of the Prefab's albums. Oh - and his lyrical masterstrokes... (here are just a sample)
"I've lost just what it takes to be honest, You offer infrared instead of sun, You offer bubble gum, You give me Faron Young "Four In The Morning"..."
"When love breaks down, The things you do, To stop the truth from hurting you, When love breaks down, The lies we tell, They only serve to fool ourselves"
...and then there's...
"I've got six things on my mind, and you're not one of them" (ouch) from the saddest song ever written: 'Desire As'
Thanks, Geoff.....all of this and more! What first grabbed me, in real time, as these albums dropped, were the easily (and consistently) gorgeous melodies. I'd listen to, say, "Two Wheels Good" at the time (maybe doing something else), and when it ended, I'd go, "Hmmm, that was an easy listen, and made me feel good," and I'd put it on again, this time with a lot more determined interest.
I'm not, historically, a lyric guy, but as Paddy enunciated clearly (and Dolby recorded him that way, too!), it was easy for me to, now, be completely won over by his lyrics! I instantly recognized and could hear in my head, the melodies that accompany the lyrics you quoted!
I've always drawn a connective tissue between the two men behind my two favorite '80s-era bands: Scritti Politti (and their Green Gartside...and, frequently, David Gamson) and Prefab and Paddy. Two wildly talented gentlemen whose backing musicians (and producers) were tasked with transmitting the written charts to the rolling tape. Their music (to my ears....and heart) was lightyears ahead and above the bloated dance tracks that mostly took over that MTV decade!
Thanks for reading, and adding your memorable comment, Geoff! Please know you're always welcome FRONT ROW & BACKSTAGE!
Thank you Matt for the write-up and Brad for highlighting it.
I probably first heard Prefab Sprout on the Left Of The Dial compilation ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Left_of_the_Dial:_Dispatches_from_the_%2780s_Underground ) , and I'd mentally included them in that group, without paying a lot of attention.
But, I appreciate Matt highlighting both the songwriting and Dolby's production; both of which are top-notch.
Thanks, Nick.....that compilation certainly looks like it'd be a great resource in anybody's collection! I'm happy to share Matt's terrific review of the album, FR&B!
I really like that collection. My sense is that people who were really into that scene don't like the collection because it's too broad and doesn't tell a clear story, but from my perspective it's an example of a Rhino collection done well -- with decent liner notes.