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Paddy McAloon

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Patrick Joseph "Paddy" McAloon
Born (1957-06-07) 7 June 1957 (age 67)
Durham, England
GenresRock
OccupationSinger-songwriter
Instrument(s)Vocals, multi-instruments
Websitewww.sproutology.co.uk

Patrick Joseph "Paddy" McAloon (born 7 June 1957)[1] is an English singer-songwriter and a founder of the band Prefab Sprout.

Early life

McAloon was born in Durham, England. He trained as a Catholic priest before deciding to commit to a career in music.[2]

Career

Prefab Sprout enjoyed considerable success in the 1980s and early 1990s. They peaked commercially with "The King of Rock 'N' Roll", which was a top ten single in the UK Singles Chart.[3]

Songs written by McAloon have also been recorded by Kylie Minogue ("If You Don't Love Me"),[4] Cher ("The Gunman"),[5] Wendy Matthews ("God Watch Over You" and "Ride"),[6] Sondre Lerche ("Nightingales" - the song appeared in "From Langley Park to Memphis" and Lerche sang it with the Faces Down Quartet as a tribute to Prefab Sprout),[7] Danny Seward ("Home (Where The Heart Is)"),[8] Momus ("Green Isaac Pt. 2"),[9] and various songs for Jimmy Nail. "God Watch Over You" has also been covered by Frances Ruffelle,[10] and "When Love Breaks Down" has been covered by The Zombies,[11] Lisa Stansfield,[12] and Snow Patrol.[13] In 2008, the covers album Independents Day 08 included a version of "Bonny" performed by McAloon's label-mate Tom Smith of Editors.[14]

McAloon released the spoken word/instrumental album I Trawl The Megahertz (UK #167), under his own name, in 2003 on the EMI subsidiary company Liberty Records.[15] After losing his eyesight, now somewhat restored, he listened to CB radio and call-in talk shows and found inspiration for the album.[2] In a 2013 interview, McAloon stated:

That record [I Trawl The Megahertz] was so important to me. I was disappointed—extremely—that the Guardian never even reviewed it. That stayed with me. I kept waiting week after week: "Come on, if you're thinking they don't make records like they used to, if you're looking for personal vision, something unusual—I'm your guy!" But it never came.[16]

In 2006 Prefab Sprout's Steve McQueen album was remastered by Thomas Dolby, and was then released in 2007 as a double-CD package. The second CD featured acoustic versions of songs from the original album that were recorded in 2006.[17]

On 7 September 2009, Prefab Sprout released the album Let's Change the World with Music, based on a demo recording from 1992.[16]

A Prefab Sprout album entitled Crimson/Red was released by Icebreaker Records in October 2013.[18] McAloon is responsible for playing all of the instruments on the album.[16]

Personal life

As of September 2013, McAloon resides in his native County Durham with his wife and three daughters - Georgia, Cecilia, and Grace.[19] He suffers from a detached retina and tinnitus.[16] He dedicated the album Crimson/Red to "my wife and daughters", "the women with whom I'm lucky enough to share my life".[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Paddy McAloon biography". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  2. ^ a b "Let's Change The World With Music worth the long wait". Johncodyonline.com. John Cody. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  3. ^ Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 433. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
  4. ^ "Kylie Minogue Lyrics". Metrolyrics.com. Metrolyrics. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  5. ^ "Cher Lyrics". Metrolyrics.com. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  6. ^ "Wendy Matthews Discography". Users.bart.nl. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  7. ^ "Nightingales Lyrics". Lyricsfreak.com. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  8. ^ "Where My Heart Is". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  9. ^ "Momus Bibliotek CD". Discogs.com. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  10. ^ "Frances Reffelle God Watches Over You". lyricsmania.com. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  11. ^ "When Love Breaks Down - The Zombies". YouTube. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  12. ^ "Lisa Stansfield When Love Breaks Down". Metrolyrics.com. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  13. ^ "Friday Night Boys Paddy McAloon". Fridaynightboys300.blogspot.ca. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  14. ^ "Independents Day 08". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  15. ^ "Albums by Paddy McAloon: Discography, songs, biography, and listening guide". Rate Your Music. Retrieved 2015-12-23.
  16. ^ a b c d Paul Lester (5 September 2013). "Paddy McAloon: 'I'll do without an audience to make the music I want'". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  17. ^ "Prefab Sprout Steve McQueen Review". BBC.co.uk. BBC. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  18. ^ Jamie McGarry (1 August 2013). "01/08/2013". Prefab Sprout - The Unofficial Homepage. Jamie McGarry. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  19. ^ "Paddy McAloon the Return of the Prefab Sprouts Elusive Genius". Independent.co.uk. Retrieved 16 April 2015.
  20. ^ Liner notes Crimson/Red
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