What is the best Prefab Sprout track? (Deadline 14. May)

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Because
- "Steve McQueen"/"Two Wheels Good" would obviously win an albums poll
- They weren't exactly a typical singles band, several of their best tracks were never singles
- They weren't that productive after all.

So here we're voting over everything they did instead (I have possibly left out some obscure b-sides), making the outcome of the poll less predictable.

(Whoever feels like doing the same thing with Prince, Neil Young or Frank Zappa, feel free - I'm not going to do the job ;) )

Poll Results

Option	Votes
We Let the Stars Go	3
Desire As	2
Faron Young	2
The Ice Maiden	1
Appetite	1
Goodbye Lucille #1	1
Carnival 2000	1
When the Angels	1
I Remember That	1
A Prisoner Of The Past	1
Jesse James Symphony	1
Cars and Girls	1
The Golden Calf	1
Mercy	1
Michael	1
The King of Rock 'n' Roll	1
When Love Breaks Down	1
Farmyard Cat	1
Lions in My Own Garden: Exit Someone	1
Wild Horses	1
The Wedding March	0
One of the Broken	0
When You Get To Know Me Better	0
Cornfield Ablaze	0
Moon Dog	0
Scarlet Nights	0
Love Will Find Someone For You	0
Doo Wop In Harlem	0
Paris Smith	0
The Gunman	0
Machine Gun Ibiza	0
Dragons	0
Jordan: The Comeback	0
Blue Roses	0
Jesse James Bolero	0
The Streets of Laredo-Not Long For This World	0
All the World Loves Lovers	0
All the Boys Believe Anything	0
The Sound Of Crying	0
If You Don't Love Me	0
Electric Guitars	0
Avenue Of Stars	0
Swans	0
The Fifth Horseman	0
Girl I'm Here	0
Weightless	0
Technique	0
Andromeda Heights	0
Just Because I Can	0
The End Of The Affair	0
Steal Your Thunder	0
Whoever You Are	0
I'm A Troubled Man	0
Wild Card In The Pack	0
The Mystery Of Love	0
Life's A Miracle	0
Anne Marie	0
Cowboy Dreams	0
Never Trust a Spell	0
Where The Heart Is	0
Looking for Atlantis	0
Radio Love	0
Spinning Belinda	0
Diana	0
The Yearning Loins	0
Donna Summer	0
Bonny	0
Hallelujah	0
Moving the River	0
Horsin Around	0
Blueberry Pies	0
Silhouettes	0
Green Isaac II	0
Elegance	0
The Devil Has All The Best Tunes	0
Walk On	0
Don't Sing	0
Cue Fanfare	0
Green Isaac	0
Here on the Erie	0
Cruel	0
Couldn't Bear to Be Special	0
I Never Play Basketball Now	0
Ghost Town Blues	0
Heaven Can Wait	0
Wigs	0
Tornado	0
The World Awake	0
Life of Surprises	0
Horse Chimes	0
Wicked Things	0
Dublin	0
Tiffanys	0
Diana	0
Talkin' Scarlet	0
Till the Cows Come Home	0
Tin Can Pot	0
Dandy of the Danube	0
The Guest Who Stayed Forever	0
Old Spoonface is Back	0
Enchanted	0
Nightingales	0
Hey Manhattan!	0
Knock on Wood	0
Nancy (Let Your Hair Down For Me)	0
The Venus of the Soup Kitchen	0
Vendetta	0
Moving the River	0
Pearly Gates	0

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 00:59 (eighteen years ago)

This was hard to pick though. Voted for "Jesse James Symphony" myself, but might as well have gone for "Knock On Wood", "Nightingales", "Andromeda Heights", "Nancy Let Your Hair Down", "The Sound Of Crying" or "When Love Breaks Down".

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 01:01 (eighteen years ago)

"Appetite," duh.

― Johnny Fever, Thursday, 10 May 2007 04:02 (eighteen years ago)

"when love breaks down". every time i think, hey, prefab sprout! classic winsome melodicism with a hidden razor edge. my god, i need to hear me some prefab sprout, i always end up realising it's only WLBD that i really, genuinely like. the rest leaves me ever-so-slightly cold.

― grimly fiendish, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:35 (eighteen years ago)

I miss Geir ;__;

― Noodle Vague, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:36 (eighteen years ago)

I think this may be quite a sparsely populated poll. I voted for 'Wild Horses', though 'Doo Wop in Harlem', 'Swans' and 'I Remember That' were all considered. I prefer my Sprouts soft and fluffy and you don't get much fluffier and gorgeous than 'Wild Horses'.

Has anyone picked up the deluxe edition of 'Steve McQueen' with the disc of 'demos'?

― Billy Dods, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:41 (eighteen years ago)

RIP Rhymefest. Here's hoping God has a "brand new" area of heaven set up for you, man.

― Dom Passantino, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:43 (eighteen years ago)

"Steve McQueen"/"Two Wheels Good" would obviously win an albums poll

You're probably right, 'though it wouldn't get my vote.

They weren't exactly a typical singles band, several of their best tracks were never singles

True. They recorded too many great tracks for them all to be released as singles (also their label spent too much time and effort repeatedly re-packaging and re-releasing "When Love Breaks Down" when there were any number of equally great tracks that they could have been releasing instead).

They weren't that productive after all.

There's still too much material of too high a quality for me to be able to choose one without my brain exploding - most of those songs deserve to be someone's favourite.

― Stewart Osborne, Thursday, 10 May 2007 09:49 (eighteen years ago)

Very difficult but went for 'We Let The Stars Go'

Billy, haven't bought it but the extra disc with Steve McQueen doesn't contain demos. It's acoustic versions that Paddy McAloon recorded specially for this release.

― cheasyweasel, Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:32 (eighteen years ago)

I haven't picked up the new edition of Steve McQueen because it's NEVER in ANY shops. Going for the commercial jugular, as per.

I'm now going to think hard about my vote.

― Matthew H, Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:36 (eighteen years ago)

The acoustic disc with the -Steve McQueen- reissue is fantastic. If it was a new band debut this year the press would be all over it.

― Mr. Odd, Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:44 (eighteen years ago)

Wild Horses, because of Jenny Agutter.

― Dr.C, Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:48 (eighteen years ago)

Too hard. TOO. HARD.

but maybe Moving The River for the opening verse:

"You surely are/ a truly gifted kid
But you're only as good as/ the last great thing you did
And where've you been since then?
Did the schedule get you down?
I hear you gotta new girlfriend/ how's the wife takin it?"

― pisces, Thursday, 10 May 2007 11:57 (eighteen years ago)

I still find it a bit weird with those new recordings. Sure it's a great statement, and the new recordings show very clearly that the songs are good enough to work well with any kind of production or arrangement.

But why no bonus tracks other than the new recordings? As the list above shows, there are several obscure b-sides that are very hard to find nowadays. At least "Diana", "The Yearning Loins", "Donna Summer", "Wigs", "The Guest Who Stayed Forever" and "The Old Spoonface Is Back" would have fit perfectly into such a package. Maybe along with remastered "Protest Songs" tracks as well.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 12:03 (eighteen years ago)

I think this may be quite a sparsely populated poll.

Maybe. But while there may be few people on ILM who have heard all of their albums, I would expect most are familiar with the most famous songs at least.

And Prefab Sprout should be right up the alley of those many Pet Shop Boys and Scritti Politti fans on ILM.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 12:04 (eighteen years ago)

I like Prefab Sprout's 80s stuff a lot, and I appreciate the insane comprehensiveness of the poll!

I voted for "Faron Young" , a snap decision. It was the first PF song I ever heard, too.

― Groke, Thursday, 10 May 2007 12:07 (eighteen years ago)

what a competitive poll...surely, this would be one for the bracketologists...

I went with "Desire As", because of:

"I've got six things on my mind
you're no longer one of them"

hey! a pre-break-up song...

wonderful liner notes in the Steve McQueen re-issue, form the always spot-on Paul Lester...

― henry s, Thursday, 10 May 2007 12:56 (eighteen years ago)

ooh i'd like to read them.

― pisces, Thursday, 10 May 2007 13:00 (eighteen years ago)

Paddy is one of the great under-recognized talents. "I Remember That" is my favorite among many amazing songs, including "When Love Breaks Down."

― whisperineddhurt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 14:34 (eighteen years ago)

But why no bonus tracks other than the new recordings?

I don't think the old b-sides are all that hard to find, and if you're a devoted PS fan you're likely to have them anyway- and I imagine the Steve McQueen Legacy Edition is only ever going to appeal to those fans.

― Matthew H, Thursday, 10 May 2007 14:38 (eighteen years ago)

Boy, what a great group. My vote is for "We Let the Stars Go Free" but there are a lot of candidates. And Jordan is a terrific record, too.

― ellaguru, Thursday, 10 May 2007 14:46 (eighteen years ago)

all this enthusiasm ... my god, i need to hear me some prefab sprout again ... er, oh.

― grimly fiendish, Thursday, 10 May 2007 15:08 (eighteen years ago)

Even tho my first dance w/ my wife at our wedding was "Andromeda Heights," I went w/ "Desire As."

― Naive Teen Idol, Thursday, 10 May 2007 15:20 (eighteen years ago)

don't have the link here and dunno if it's still up there, but I saw this youtube clip of paddy with jimmy webb doing "the highwayman." in my book, paddy is as good a songwriter as jimmy webb, and a far better singer actually. I think in twenty years the sprout stuff will be far more appreciated, in what I've termed The Odessey and Oracle Effect in which subsequent generations latch onto something that at the time was sort of out of time but wasn't totally obscure. I mean shit, the new Clientele record is like that--the singer sounds like green gartside and it's strictly baroque-a-broke-o-pre-Yoko pop, quite good. the zombies, the left banke, the '68 byrds, harpers bizarre, that roger cook and his circle of friends ez-listening stuff...

anyway, paddy's in a whole different league than they are, in a diferent league from almost anyone from the '80s I could name--in there with someone also criminally underappreciated for his perfect touch, marshall crenshaw. I'm a huge fan.

― whisperineddhurt, Thursday, 10 May 2007 16:31 (eighteen years ago)

I went with "We Let The Stars Go", too, just an astonishing piece of music.

As for finding b-sides, there was a link to a site full of them in another Prefab thread.

― Mr. Odd, Thursday, 10 May 2007 17:06 (eighteen years ago)

in my book, paddy is as good a songwriter as jimmy webb, and a far better singer actually.

Did Jimmy Webb ever perform his own songs?

Btw. I agree that Paddy is the better songwriter out of the two, but I can also see the similarities musically. One current act constantly mentioning Paddy as a very important influence is Sondre Lerche.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 18:58 (eighteen years ago)

I don't think the old b-sides are all that hard to find

But why only the b-sides.

OK, surely all the stuff they did between 1990 and 1997 wouldn't belong on this album, so maybe we should hope for special editions of "Jordan...The Comeback" and "Andromeda Heights" with lots of outtakes added as extras instead.

― Geir Hongro, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:00 (eighteen years ago)

i voted for "Mercy".

― jed_, Thursday, 10 May 2007 19:01 (eighteen years ago)

almost went w/ "Moving the River" but "When the Angels" won. Heartless little pricks

― Morley Timmons, Thursday, 10 May 2007 23:55 (eighteen years ago)

But why only the b-sides

Good point. Why didn't Paddy add 'Zorro The Fox' and 'Earth: The Story So Far' to this edition?

― Matthew H, Friday, 11 May 2007 12:23 (eighteen years ago)

ruddy duck!

I picked out "We let the stars go free" thinking ah that's great and obscure.

It's in danger of winning isn't it?

Good.

― Mark G, Friday, 11 May 2007 12:28 (eighteen years ago)

Seems so. Unless all those who voted for "When Love Breaks Down" just shut up and vote.

"We Let The Stars Go" is a great song btw.

― Geir Hongro, Friday, 11 May 2007 13:22 (eighteen years ago)

As for finding b-sides, there was a link to a site full of them in another Prefab thread.

This is the site you want: http://www.prefabsprout.net/

Sadly, all the mp3's have been removed at Sonys request, however if anyone wants to mail me off board I could ysi them if interested.

― Billy Dods, Friday, 11 May 2007 14:39 (eighteen years ago)

"Did Jimmy Webb ever perform his own songs?"

he did, releasing a series of solo LP's in the early 70's (compiled on the ace The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress box set)...he's pretty limited vocally, but there's a certain charm in hearing him giving them a go...

― henry s, Friday, 11 May 2007 15:44 (eighteen years ago)

Possibly two many choices. Zillions of songs got one vote, but "We Let The Stars Go" is the winner as suggested by the discussion.

Surprised at how "When Love Breaks Down" got just one vote.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:25 (eighteen years ago)

Well, that's only 2 off the top spot.

Mind you, the song in last place only got three less!

― Mark G, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:27 (eighteen years ago)

Well that poll was a complete waste of time then

― Tom D., Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:27 (eighteen years ago)

OK as an experiment, but obviously this kind of poll will leave people with too many options to pick personal favourites. Might have worked if one was allowed to pick, say, 10 tracks each.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:29 (eighteen years ago)

24 people voted, after all.

― Geir Hongro, Tuesday, 15 May 2007 11:30 (eighteen years ago)

eleven months pass...

'Cause life's no cruise with a cool chick, too many folks feelin' car sick.

― Bodrick III, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 20:37 (seventeen years ago)

it's a great line but the song has a fatal flaw.

― jed_, Tuesday, 13 May 2008 21:41 (seventeen years ago)

What is it?

― rebop, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 00:06 (seventeen years ago)

yeah man what's the flaw

― electricsound, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 00:09 (seventeen years ago)

1. surely nothing hurts more than girls? 2. paddy's written as many songs about girls as bruce.

― jed_, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 00:31 (seventeen years ago)

i still love the song.

― jed_, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 00:32 (seventeen years ago)

"'Cars and Girls' isn't an anti-rock song. It's simply saying to Bruce Springsteen that his metaphor for everything ('life's a highway') just isn't big enough to include all the complexity and sadness in the world." NME, March 25, 1989

― rebop, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 00:38 (seventeen years ago)

Errm, not my words, the words of paddy mcaloon.

― rebop, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 01:01 (seventeen years ago)

so you didn't write for the nme in '89? how disappointing

― electricsound, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 01:02 (seventeen years ago)

No. I wasn't a member of Prefab Sprout being interviewed by them either.

― rebop, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 01:18 (seventeen years ago)

but you are Bruce Springsteen, right?

― Mark G, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 08:30 (seventeen years ago)

"Brucie" is an unfair target, did Paddy never check the lyrics to Born in the USA?

― ledge, Wednesday, 14 May 2008 08:45 (seventeen years ago)

eight months pass...

I don't know what people think is so great about "We Let The Stars Go". It's a nice song - graceful verse melody, but it probably wouldn't even be in my top 50 Sprout tracks.

― Freedom, Friday, 13 February 2009 09:54 (seventeen years ago)

It won with three votes!

― Mark G, Friday, 13 February 2009 09:58 (seventeen years ago)

Too many choices, should be a Sprout poll of album track winners.

― Shallow Gravy (Billy Dods), Friday, 13 February 2009 10:24 (seventeen years ago)

"Move in close, closer still, I hear the songs of Georgie Gershwin"

Hallelujah > Appetite > Jordan: The Comeback

― sam500, Friday, 13 February 2009 10:33 (seventeen years ago)

four years pass...

Jeez...a decent new Prince track and now this!!

https://soundcloud.com/icimusic-1/the-best-jewel-thief-in-the-1/s-DX32T?ut

It's like I've been transported back to best day evah in 1987...

― The Pastiche Liberation Front (sonnyboy), Wednesday, 14 August 2013 14:19 (twelve years ago)

Yeah, the forthcoming album really is the best since "Jordan".

― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Wednesday, 14 August 2013 14:28 (twelve years ago)

otm, the best tracks have knocked me down - almost another whole album about music & art & where it all comes from, but much better in every way than Let's Change the World… - more human I guess, a lot of sadness.

― woof, Wednesday, 14 August 2013 16:23 (twelve years ago)

Would have voted for 'Appetite'.

― I wanna live like C'MOWN! people (Turrican), Wednesday, 14 August 2013 18:24 (twelve years ago)

six years pass...

nightingales

― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Monday, 30 March 2020 02:51 (five years ago)

this band is so fucking good jesus

― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Monday, 30 March 2020 02:51 (five years ago)

B-b-but we scientifically determined it to be the 24th best track some ten days ago.

― Nag! Nag! Nag!, Monday, 30 March 2020 09:09 (five years ago)

HOW DID I MISS THIS

― diamonddave85 (diamonddave85), Monday, 30 March 2020 15:34 (five years ago)

five years pass...

'The Best Jewel Thief In The World' randomly popped up on my iPhone the other day...I almost cried...what an absolutely phenomenal eleventh hour banger..I love Paddy Mcaloon so much

― X-Prince Protégé (sonnyboy), Thursday, 1 January 2026 21:20 (two months ago)

Guess there was truth to Femmes Mythologiques being lost in a 2019 computer crash. Glad Martin's out touring and entertaining the faithful.

― the body of a spider... (scampering alpaca), Thursday, 1 January 2026 21:45 (two months ago)

Every December I’m hoping that their mythical Christmas album will sneak out, but am resigned to fact we’ll never hear it.

― Dan Worsley, Friday, 2 January 2026 11:36 (one month ago)

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