Prefab Sprout

The feted songwriting talents of Paddy McAloon, a love of The Beatles and The Beach Boys' guitar melodies and the production of 1980s synth pioneer Thomas Dolby made Prefab Sprout "sophisticated pop" darlings of the 1980s, adored by the critics as an antidote to the cheesy chart pouters of the era. Formed in Co. Durham in the north east of England in 1982 by Paddy and his brother Martin McAloon (bass), they were later joined by Wendy Smith (vocals, keyboards) and Neil Conti (drums). Fabled Radio 1 DJ John Peel championed the band's self-released single Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone) and debut album Swoon (1984) was enthusiastically received by a music press impressed by their melancholic romance and smart, off-kilter take on classic pop music. Singles When Love Breaks Down and Cars And Girls became cult, indie favourites, but it was their classic Top 10 hit The King Of Rock 'N' Roll that defined the band and sent third album From Langley Park To Memphis (1988) to Number 5 in the UK charts. Follow-ups Jordan: The Comeback (1990) and Andromeda Heights (1997) both reached Number 7 and McAloon remained a well-respected songwriter who influenced the likes of Editors and Snow Patrol. Suffering from tinnitus and a detached retina, McAloon was unable to take the band back on the road, although they did release a new album Crimson/Red in 2013.