Truly Gifted Kids: A Book About a Band Called Prefab Sprout

by Nige Tassell

5/5 - Mojo

‘A beautiful thing’ Tim Burgess

'Unapologetically eccentric - a perfect fit for Prefab Sprout' Uncut

'A charming, compassionate and utterly entertaining book' The Mirror

'This is a book as playful, quirky and engaging as the band themselves' Stuart Maconie

A celebration of a much-cherished pop group and a long-overdue companion to their unique musical output.

Rolling Stone called him ‘the last pop genius’, while Richard Osman claimed he is ‘the most unfairly overlooked lyricist of his generation’.

Paddy McAloon 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.

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.

Genres: Music, Nonfiction

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 13, 2026

Reviews

[Jim Donahue · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well, it's official: You may not have been aware of it, but this has been Prefab Sprout Summer.

I offer as evidence:

1. The use of "Cars and Girls" in the trailer for the upcoming offering in the wildly popular "Grand Theft Auto" game franchise.

2. The fact that when I entered the local health-food store (Cornucopia in Sayville, NY -- I might as well give them a plug) last Saturday, "Cue Fanfare" was playing -- an unexpectedly deep cut from Prefab Sprout's 1984 debut, "Swoon."

3. The publication of Nige Tassell's delightfully impressionistic "Truly Gifted Kids: A Book About a Band Called Prefab Sprout." To be honest, it's not THAT hard to get me choked up over a subject I care about, but, still, I had a tear or two in my eyes when I got to the end of the book's "Outro." Tassell is wholeheartedly a huge fan of the band and its songwriter and lead vocalist, Paddy McAloon, and doesn't pretend otherwise. I have no problem with that. (If you want to read a book by a writer who obviously hates his subject, read Albert Goldman's "Elvis" or, perhaps to a lesser extent, "The Lives of John Lennon." But I recommend skipping them because they are bad.)

I discovered Prefab Sprout via a review of their second album, 1985's "Steve McQueen" (aka "Two Wheels Good" in America) in New York City's alternative paper, the Village Voice. Kids, back then, if you were interested in music that wasn't getting played on the radio or MTV, you had to find critics on your wavelength and make some blind buys -- this is long before the internet and finding almost any song you want online. This was one of those blind buys for me. (Other acts I discovered, and loved, based on reviews in the VV: Blue Nile and Jane Siberry. One album that was a big flop -- and I'll blame this on a review in Billboard and not the Village Voice -- was an effort by a Belgian band called Won Ton Ton. Oof, that was a dog. I eventually tossed that disc in the garbage.)

I bought "Steve McQueen" (again, it was titled "Two Wheels Good" at the time, but if you're looking for it now, it is officially "Steve McQueen" in the US, too) on LP rather than CD, though I had a CD player by then. That was because ... well, because CDs were more expensive than LPs at the time. That's perhaps hard to believe in 2026 when a brand-new LP will set you back at least $30 or even $40.

I loved Paddy McAloon's clever, word-drunk lyrics and melodies, as well as Thomas Dolby's production, and I dubbed the album onto cassette so I could play it on my Walkman (jeez, this is unintentionally turning into a real nostalgia fest) while commuting on the Long Island Rail Road into my job in Manhattan. That tape eventually would not suffice, and I splurged on the CD as well. A not inconsiderable expense, given I was living on the wages of an editorial assistant at a book publisher. (Starting salary of $11.5K in 1984. In -- hey! -- Manhattan! I had interviewed for the same position at another publishing house and was offered a salary of -- get ready -- $9.5K. This was a pittance, even in 1984.)

I bought all the other Prefab Sprout releases on CD as soon as they came out, and they remain in steady rotation for me. (Well, not "The Gunman" -- ugh, those saxophones, and the band's worst track, "Farmyard Cat." Nevertheless, I'll give it a re-listen soon -- perhaps I will find more to appreciate now.)

This is all to say that the band means a lot to me, and yes, Nige Tassel's "Truly Gifted Kids" is essential reading for any fan. Will it convert you if you're not already a fan? Perhaps not, but if you've read this far, you probably are, so go ahead and buy it. (Note: It hasn't been published in the US yet, but I bought it on Waterstones' website, and it was shipped from the UK to the US for free.)

[Ipswichblade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another superb book from Nige Tassell about a great band. Time to revisit Prefab Sprout’s back catalogue

[Rozonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book written by a fan of the band with passion but also with intelligence and depth. Rather than a biography, it's a collection of moments, memories and observations both about the Sprouts and about the author's relationship with their music. As a nearly 40 year long Sprout fan myself, I have enjoyed Tassell's humorous, deep and very often moving stories, anecdotes and musings. Recommended.

[Martin Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nige Tassell writes great books. It’s that simple whether it’s music, films or football, they are always a joy. This one is about one of the greatest bands and song writers these islands have ever produced. The story is a fascinating one, full of details you might have known (if you’re a fan obviously) or simply didn’t know even though Paddy McAloon’s wonderful songs have soundtracked your life since the early 80s. Warm, witty and brilliantly researched you don’t have to be a fan of the band to enjoy it but my God it helps. The biggest compliment I can give any music book is that it has sent me scurrying back to the records. My record player has played nothing else but Prefab Sprout for two weeks, I cannot praise this book any higher than that.

[Nick Cubs · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book about one of my all time favourite bands that I have read and by far the best of the bunch. Mr. Tassell is a truly gifted writer, who has a deep understanding of the peculiarities of a unique band. I taped Steve McQueen from my babysitter in 1985 and fell in love instantly, sparking a long love affair with them. Having lived in Newcastle for 30 years, I have met Martin and Wendy on a couple of occasions. The one time I saw Paddy in Waterstones, I bottled it… kind of glad I did. He didn’t look particularly happy as I passed him on the stairs.. I just couldn’t do it. I enjoyed listening to their whole discography whilst reading on holiday in Spain. The structure of the biography is really nice and works terrifically. Fan of the band? Buy it.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A two-hundred-and-fifty page love letter to a band that's worth writing a two-hundred-and-fifty page love letter to. And there aren't too many of them...

[Paul Charlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book you’ve always wanted about a favourite band who delivered great records but always seemed slighly out of reach and it is even better than you could have hoped for. The author has done a brilliant job. Obviously he has you returning to the records but it is written from a fan’s perspective so the author provides insights and recollections that resonate and remind you of what it means to be a fan of the group - the release of new records, the thrill of that first listen, the detail of poring over liner notes. But it is much more than that. I would encourage people who only know the hits to read this book. Nige Tassell’s fan perspective answers all the questions you have asked yourself. The chapter about the boxes of songs and lost albums is thrilling, ‘Let there be Music’ is a drama in five acts that ends in triumph and tragedy I.e. what a follow up it would have been to Jordan. But he takes you even higher. Who doesn’t want to see the mystery of ECU 574E resolved? What about Room 551? And hopefully the Pet Shop Boys take up the challenge. A book I will revisit as often as I revisit the records. Loved it.

[Paul Simpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

More than a hint of the psychogeographic in a book when you write a fan's-eye perspective of the band that took us "From Langley Park to Memphis". A beautiful collection of reflections and stories on all kinds of ephemera that try to illuminate the magic and the mystery on the over four decade long journey many of us have enjoyed with Prefab Sprout, discovering many more places in between that contribute to the picture. Nige Tassell's hardback book makes up for the number of cassette albums I lost, played to destruction in the car stereo of my Dark British Racing Green Triumph Toledo at the turn of the late 80s, into the 90s. A book that delights.

[Gerald McWilliams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A terrific, entertaining book.