Happy birthday to Paddy McAloon, born 7th June 1957.
Bucking the accidental theme of this week's posts, Paddy hasn't released or performed music for a long time, but when you consider the music he has gifted us, it would be ungracious to complain.
I received the Prefab Sprout album Steve McQueen as a Christmas present in 1985, having already bought the Faron Young 12" single that summer and both changed my perspective on what pop music was and could be. Moving The River was a standout amongst standout songs on the album.
Prefab Sprout scored a long deserved smash hit single with The King Of Rock 'n' Roll and follow up album From Langley Park To Memphis in 1988. Cars And Girls, Paddy's tribute to Bruce Springsteen, was the single that preceded it and whilst not as big a hit is one of the finest songs he's ever written...and that's really saying something.
On 20th June, it'll be 24 years since Prefab Sprout played their last concert together, at the Fleadh festival in London. It's a gorgeously sunny day and this might just be the most wonderful yet bittersweet 13 minutes you'll experience today.
Another classic from Steve McQueen popped up on social media recently in the most unexpected places. Here's Seal performing Bonny at the BeachLife Festival on Redondo Beach in California last month. It's a beautifully understated version, seal letting Paddy's superlative songwriting do all the heavy lifting. A surprise and a delight.
I haven't created a new selection for today's post, but I have reactivated one that I posted back in September 2021, imaginatively titled Paddy McAloon's Shorts.
Have a great day, Paddy, with lots of love and thanks for the songs that you've shared with you.
