A celebration of a much-cherished pop group and a long-overdue companion to their unique musical output.
The Rolling Stone Magazine called him ‘the last pop genius’, while Richard Osman
claimed he is ‘the most unfairly overlooked lyricist of his generation’. Talking about some guy named Paddy
McAloon which is undoubtedly one of the great songwriters of the last
half-century. As the leader of Prefab Sprout, he's overseen ten heavily
praised albums.
Including the classic Steve McQueen, along with a
trail of hit singles, among them ‘When Love Breaks Down’ and ‘The King
of Rock ’n’ Roll’. His songs have been sung by Kylie and Cher. Others were written for Madonna, Sinatra and Streisand.
But despite the commercial success and abundant critical acclaim,
McAloon remains an enigmatic figure within the bright, brash world of
pop. The semi-reclusive Prefab Sprout have seldom followed paths
trod by others. They rarely toured. They took their time to make
records. They always danced to their own drum.
As a lifelong fan of the band, acclaimed writer Nige Tassell attempts to
illuminate the mystery, to uncloak the enigma. Truly Gifted Kids is the
deepest dive ever made into McAloon’s craft, exploring the motivations
and methods of a man who, 13 years since the band’s last album, still
obsessively marries melody to words on a daily basis, in the process
building up an enormous stockpile of songs that no one will
hear. Occasionally esoteric and freeform, and always original.
Truly
Gifted Kids pulls together stories, interviews, analysis, history and
travelogue to fashion a fulsome portrait of the band, with its chief
creative force at the very centre. During his investigations, Tassell
both acts as an ad-hoc roadie for solo Sprout Martin McAloon and goes
undercover in search of pop music’s most famous motorbike.
At its beating, romantic heart, Truly Gifted Kids is a celebration of
a much-cherished pop group, a long-overdue companion to their wonderful
music. The book will be available on 13 August 2026.
Title: Truly Gifted Kids: A Book About A Band Called Prefab Sprout
Author: Nige Tassell
Pages: 400
Publisher: New Modern
Format: Hardcover
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