I POLLED the Megahertz - ILM Artist Poll #100 - Prefab Sprout - RESULTS

oh my god appetite vs. bonny

i have no idea

"bonny" was my very first prefab sprout song and its effect was immediate

same

can't believe "the wedding march" has made it this high

hey, i voted for it

"goodbye lucille #1" was my #1. it's everything all in one song

The margin between #2 and #1 is much bigger than that between #3 and #2. Anyway...

https://images2.imgbox.com/3a/14/7VDvoP12_o.jpg

#2
BONNY
from Steve McQueen (1985)
Points: 597
Votes: 23 (2)

Youtube audio

well i sorta knew in my heart "appetite" would be no. 1. how could i not vote for it

https://images2.imgbox.com/d4/00/ee72sOby_o.jpg

#1
APPETITE
from Steve McQueen (1985)
Points: 695
Votes: 26 (2)

Youtube: promo video

crazy to think that thomas dolby believed he never did justice to the song

i think it's very appropriate that whatever true version of "appetite" dolby has an idea of is forever out of reach

"Appetite" was the very first Prefab Sprout song I heard, and it sounded pleasant, but I think I was put off by the dude with a beard in Smash Hits saying mean things about... Duran Duran, or something. LOL

Well, my voting strategy tanked.

I would have been ok with any order if ranking of the top 3.

thanks for running this!

Yeah, thanks Nag! I had the Sound of Crying at #1 so that was TOO LOW, but Appetite was my #2 so overall I'm happy with these results.

A bit disappointed that Cowboy Dreams and Dublin were shut out tho

didn't vote but that would have been my exact top 2...

Thanks everyone for voting and writing stuff, etc, etc. I'll extract the full results a little later, cuz stats are awesome.

Definitely. Thank you, Nag! This poll, the Physical Graffiti thread and the bass players thread have helped me get through this work week from home!

"Appetite" was (and is) my #1!

Thank you for doing this! Good way to get me to delve back into the PS catalog.

I hear McAloon has an entire album of songs named 'Goodbye Lucille', hence the 'Goodbye Lucille #2'.

For some reason I didn't vote for Bonny or Goodbye Lucille, even though they're both great.

This was such a delightful poll and the only good thing that's happened this week!

Thanks so much for putting it together Nag! One of the best top 10s I've ever seen on any of these polls. 10 absolutely perfect songs.

So, it’s official. I Love Music doesn’t love “I Love Music”.

Also, pouring one out for “Here On The Eerie” and “Mercy”

Thanks, Nag!

Huh, just realised Ghost Town Blues didn't make it. My highest Swoon track I think. I assumed that was seen as one of the highlights.

Most of the tracks in the last two posts were just beyond the arbitrary cut-off!

Just a moment, I'll make the formatting a bit neater...

FULL RESULTS
                                                        Points   votes   #1 votes
 
  1  Appetite                           SMc (1985)      695      26      2
  2  Bonny                              SMc (1985)      597      23      2
  3  Goodbye Lucille #1                 SMc (1985)      582      23      2
  4  When Love Breaks Down              SMc (1985)      499      21      2
  5  Wild Horses                        JTC {1990)      480      24      1
  6  Faron Young                        SMc (1985)      406      19      0
  7  I Trawl the Megahertz              ITtMHz (2003)   380      16      0
  8  Cars and Girls                     FLPTM (1988)    369      18      1
  9  The Ice Maiden                     JTC {1990)      356      17      2
 10  We Let the Stars Go                JTC {1990)      337      17      0
 11  Moving the River                   SMc (1985)      332      20      0
 12  Desire As                          SMc (1985)      315      13      2
 13  The Sound of Crying                LoS (1992)      302      15      2
 14  The Best Jewel Thief in the World  C/R (2013)      287      19      0
 15  I Remember That                    FLPTM (1988)    283      14      1
 16  Looking for Atlantis               JTC {1990)      281      18      0
 17  Scarlet Nights                     JTC {1990)      272      16      1
 18  Lions in My Own Garden (Exit...    A-side (1982)   269      16      2
 19  Life of Surprises                  PS (1989)       224      16      0
 20  Cruel                              Swoon (1984)    220      13      1
 21  Cue Fanfare	                Swoon (1984)    217      11      0
 22  If You Don't Love Me               LoS (1992)      211      13      0
 23  The King of Rock 'n' Roll          FLPTM (1988)    206      13      0
 24  Nightingales                       FLPTM (1988)    205      10      0
 25  Moondog                            JTC {1990)      197      12      0
 26  All the World Loves Lovers         JTC {1990)      193      12      0
 27  Technique                          Swoon (1984)    184      10      1
 28  The Golden Calf                    FLPTM (1988)    180      11      0
 29  Don't Sing                         Swoon (1984)    157       9      0
 30  The World Awake                    PS (1989)       153       7      0
 31  Carnival 2000                      JTC {1990)      147       9      0
 32  Jesse James Bolero                 JTC {1990)      144       8      0
 33  Hallelujah                         SMc (1985)      130       8      0
 34  Enchanted                          FLPTM (1988)    128      10      0
 35  Doo-Wop in Harlem                  JTC {1990)      127       7      0
 36  Horsin' Around                     SMc (1985)      114       8      0
 37  Ride                               LCtWwM (2009)   113       6      0 
 38  Hey Manhattan!                     FLPTM (1988)    110       7      0
 39  Jordan: The Comeback               JTC {1990)      110       6      0
 40  Green Isaac I                      Swoon (1984)    107       8      0
 41  Elegance                           Swoon (1984)    102       6      0
 42  The End Of The Affair              B-Side (1997)   102       5      1
 43  Wicked Things                      PS (1989)        99       6      0
 44  Paris Smith                        JTC {1990)       88       6      0
 45  A Prisoner of the Past             AH (1997)        85       6      0
 46  I Never Play Basketball Now        Swoon (1984)     84       5      0
 47  When the Angels                    SMc (1985)       79       7      0
 48  Knock on Wood                      FLPTM (1988)     79       5      0
 49  Earth: The Story So Far            LCtWwM (2009)    77       5      0
 50  Til the Cows Come Home             PS (1989)        76       5      0
 51  Donna Summer                       B-side (1984)    75       6      0
 52  Billy                              C/R (2013)       74       4      0
 53  Cornfield Ablaze                   TG&OS (2001)     71       5      0
 54  God Watch Over You                 LCtWwM (2009)    68       5      0
 55  Diana                              PS (1989)        65       4      0
 56  Weightless                         AH (1997)        64       4      0
 57= Machine Gun Ibiza                  JTC {1990)       62       4      0
 57= One of the Broken                  JTC {1990)       62       4      0
 59  Couldn't Bear to Be Special        Swoon (1984)     61       6      0
 60  Tiffanys                           PS (1989)        59       3      0
 61  Here on the Eerie                  Swoon (1984)     58       3      0
 62  Mercy                              JTC {1990)       56       3      0
 63  Swans                              AH (1997)        55       3      0
 64  Horsechimes                        PS (1989)        53       5      0
 65  Michael                            JTC {1990)       48       3      0
 66  The Songs of Danny Galway          C/R  (2013)      47       4      0
 67  Electric Guitars                   AH (1997)        43       4      0
 68  Andromeda Heights                  AH (1997)        42       3      0
 69  Adolescence                        C/R  (2013)      36       3      0
 70  Talking Scarlet                    PS (1989)        36       2      0
 71  Jesse James Symphony               JTC {1990)       34       2      0
 72  Ghost Town Blues                   Swoon (1984)     31       2      0
 73  Dublin                             PS (1989)        30       3      0
 74  Sleeping Rough                     ITtMHz (2003)    28       3      0
 75= The Dreamer                        C/R (2013)       24       2      0
 75= Cowboy Dreams                      TG&OS (2001)     24       2	 0
 77  The Wedding March                  JTC {1990)       23       3	 0
 78  Real Life (Just Around The Corner) B-side           23       1	 0
 79  The Venus of the Soup Kitchen      FLPTM (1988)     22       2      0
 80  Let There Be Music                 LCtWwM (2009)    20       3      0
 81= Blueberry Pies                     SMc (1985)       20       1      0
 81= Tin Can Pot                        B-Side	         20       1      0
 81= Where The Heart Is                 TV Theme         20       1      0
 81= Esprit de corps                    ITtMHz (2003)    20       1      0
 85  I Love Music                       LCtWwM (2009)    19       1      0
 86  Radio Love                         B-side           18       2      0
 87= Walk On                            B-side           17       1	 0
 87= Wild Card in the Pack              TG&OS (2001)     17       1	 0
 87= The Old Magician                   C/R (2013)       17       1	 0
 87= Mysterious                         C/R (2013)       17       1	 0
 91  Nancy (Let Your Hair Down for Me)	FLPTM (1988)     15       1	 0
 92  The Devil Has All the Best Tunes	A-side           14       1	 0
 93  ...But We Were Happy               ITtMHz (2003)    12       1	 0
 94=  Blue Roses                         TG&OS (2001)    11       1	 0
 94= Last of the Great Romantics	LCtWwM (2009)    11       1	 0
 96  Bearpark                           B-side           10       1	 0
 97= The Yearning Loins                 B-side            8       2	 0
 97= Pearly Gates                       PS (1989)         8       2	 0
 99  Angel of Love                      LCtWwM (2009)     8       1	 0
100= Devil Came a Calling               C/R (2013)        7       1	 0
100= Sweet Gospel Music                 LCtWwM (2009)     7       1	 0
102= Nero The Zero                      B-side            3       1	 0
102= Life's a Miracle                   AH (1997)         3       1	 0
102= I'm 49                             ITtMHz (2003)     3       1	 0
102= Meet the New Mozart                LCtWwM (2009)     3       1	 0
102= Farmyard Cat                       TG&OS (2001)      3       1	 0
107  Green Isaac II                     Swoon (1984)      2       1	 0

here's my ballot

tracks:
Goodbye Lucille #1
Appetite
If You Don't Love Me
When Love Breaks Down
Wild Horses
Doo Wop in Harlem
Bonny
Jesse James Bolero
I Trawl the Megahertz
Looking for Atlantis
The Best Jewel Thief in the World
Faron Young
Cars and Girls
I Remember That
The Sound of Crying
Moving the River
Ride
Scarlet Nights
Sleeping Rough
Desire As
When the Angels
Earth: The Story So Far
Jordan: The Comeback
Let There Be Music
The Ice Maiden
The King of Rock 'N' Roll
Nightingales
Life of Surprises
God Watch Over You
The Golden Calf

albums:
Steve McQueen
Jordan: The Comeback
From Langley Park to Memphis
Let's Change the World With Music
Crimson/Red

Mine - bolded didn't place

Tracks:
The End Of The Affair
The Ice Maiden
Appetite
The Best Jewel Thief In The World
The World Awake
I Remember That
Cornfield Ablaze
Faron Young
Scarlet Nights
Billy
Jordan: The Comeback
The Sound Of Crying
I Trawl the Megahertz
When Love Breaks Down
Life Of Surprises
Looking For Atlantis
If You Don't Love Me
Cars And Girls
Moving The River
Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
Dublin
Let There Be Music
We Let The Stars Go
Moon Dog
The Dreamer
Electric Guitars
The Songs Of Danny Galway
Enchanted
Donna Summer
Pearly Gates

Albums:
Jordan: The Comeback
Steve McQueen
Crimson/Red
Protest Songs
I Trawl the Megahertz

And thanks very much for running the poll, it was fun!

FUN FACTS
Album tracks attracting no votes:
All Boys Believe Anything        JTC {1990)
The Mystery of Love              AH (1997)
Anne Marie                       AH (1997)
Whoever You Are                  AH (1997)
Steal Your Thunder               AH (1997)
Avenue of Stars                  AH (1997)
The Fifth Horseman               AH (1997)
I'm a Troubled Man               TG&OS (2001)
Streets of Laredo/Not Long...    TG&OS (2001)
Love Will Find Someone for You   TG&OS (2001)
When You Get to Know Me Better   TG&OS (2001)
The Gunman                       TG&OS (2001)
Fall from Grace                  ITtMHz (2003)
We Were Poor...                  ITtMHz (2003)
Orchid 7                         ITtMHz (2003)
Ineffable                        ITtMHz (2003)
Music Is a Princess              LCtWwM (2009)
Falling in Love                  LCtWwM (2009)
List of Impossible Things        C/R (2003)
Grief Built the Taj Mahal        C/R (2003)

List of Impossible Things and Orchid 7 were on my longlist

crazy to think that thomas dolby believed he never did justice to the song

― ooga booga-ing for the bourgeoisie (voodoo chili),

He didn't. I think it sounds stupid. I like the song a lot, fwiw.

anyway here's the real number one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=StTYET71jDQ

TRACKS (all placed!)
Cars and Girls
Appetite
When Love Breaks Down
The King of Rock 'N' Roll
We Let the Stars Go
Moving the River
Wicked Things
Goodbye Lucille #1
Hey Manhattan!
Moon Dog
Doo-Wop in Harlem
Faron Young
Paris Smith
When the Angels
Scarlet Nights
The End of the Affair
Bonny
Looking for Atlantis
Wild Horses
A Prisoner of the Past

ALBUMS
Steve McQueen
Jordan: The Comeback
From Langley Park to Memphis

LYRICS
"If there ain't a heaven that holds you tonight / they never sang doo-wop in Harlem"
"Little boy got a hot rod / thinks it makes him some kind of new god / but this is one race he won't win"
"If you take, then put back good / if you steal, be Robin Hood / if your eyes are wanting all you see / then I think I'll name you after me"
"Any music worth its salt is good for dancing / but I tried to be the Fred Astaire of words"
"You were never fleet of foot, hippie"

Thanks, Nag!

I hear McAloon has an entire album of songs named 'Goodbye Lucille', hence the 'Goodbye Lucille #2'.

― aphoristical, Friday, 20 March 2020 00:41 (one hour ago)

I think he makes up stories about vast catalogues of unwritten work. If he had these songs he'd put them out.

sorry, unreleased work.

but I think unwritten is right!

Thanks, Nag!

I thought that writing a whole album of "Goodbye Lucille"s was a plan he never got around to following up on.

Tracks (ranked, bold didn't place):
Scarlet Nights
I Trawl The Megahertz
The Ice Maiden
Bonny
Goodbye Lucille #1
When Love Breaks Down
One Of The Broken
Appetite
We Let The Stars Go
All The World Loves Lovers
Cue Fanfare
Jesse James Bolero
I Remember That
King of Rock and Roll
Don’t Sing
The Sound of Crying
Moon Dog
Wild Horses
Cruel
Sleeping Rough
If You Don’t Love Me
Enchanted
The Golden Calf
Hallelujah
Carnival 2000
Knock On Wood
Moving The River
The Best Jewel Thief In The World
I'm 49
The Wedding March

Albums (ranked)
Jordan The Comeback
Steve McQueen
I Trawl The Megahertz
From Langley Park to Memphis
Swoon

Lyrics (unranked)
The Ice Maiden - “We’re talking fire, we’re talking flame/We’re talking ice into ashes/but death is a small price for heaven”
Moon Dog - “We chopped a billion trees/To print up eulogies”
Jesse James Bolero - “Don’t goodbyes deserve some Bach, not Barbershop”
King of Rock and Roll - “All my lazy teenage boasts/Are now high precision ghosts/And they're coming round the track/To haunt me.”
We Let The Stars Go - ‘There was a boy I used to be/I guess that he was cold/If she came to buy him now/How cheaply he'd be sold”

thanks nag, the poll was super fun.

these songs are sooo good.

Although Richard D. James did shock me by actually having albums worth of material that could have been released.

So, maybe, with Paddy? I really doubt it though.

he's just a mega bullshitter.

let's change the world with music was a whole unfinished album taken from the vaults and tweaked a little, and the songs on crimson/red date back to 1997 at the earliest apparently, he went through the vaults to choose songs to record as well as writing new ones for it. i don't think he has like rdj amounts of unreleased material but i'll happily believe he has a decent amount of demos for unreleased songs lying around at least

what i want him to release is the 30-minute version of one of the let's change the world with music tracks he supposedly made after misunderstanding what his label wanted him to do

These were, apparently, my non-placing selections. I was the lone voter (*) for half of them. *weeps*

Andromeda Heights
Tin Can Pot*
Radio Love
The Devil Has All the Best Tunes*
The Yearning Loins
Angel of Love*

Thanks for a fantastic poll Nag, every time the current situation started to get to me I would relieve the pressure with a bit of PS therapy!

Coming out of this I now know:

a) Of the three PS albums I own, Swoon is now my go-to and I have had snippets of songs from it bouncing around in my head for weeks...usually with the lyrics incorrect! Every song is awesome and Here on the Eerie and Ghost Town Blues were robbed.

b) Listening to the others on Spotify for a few weeks is not long enough to absorb them - dismiss a PS song at your peril; Hey Manhattan has got its hooks into me since I wrote my poll, what I thought was light and inconsequential has now become essential head music. Those disco strings are what done it.

c) As others have said, at least 3 of their albums for me would rank above most bands best single album...and those are just the ones I know well (albums 1, 2 and 5).

d) I need to own I Trawl the Megahertz NOW (and probably all the others)!

Can we do another one next week please?

Yes thank you N!N!N!, I haven't posted much in this thread but it's been very welcome this past week. Can't really argue with the top four - I had the same songs in a different order but really it's impossible to choose between them.

My ballot:

SONGS(ranked 1-30):
When Love Breaks Down
Goodbye Lucille #1
Appetite
Bonny
All the World Loves Lovers
Cars and Girls
Desire As
Life of Surprises
I Trawl the Megahertz
Hallelujah
We Let the Stars Go
Carnival 2000
The Ice Maiden
Jordan: The Comeback
The Golden Calf
Paris Smith
Looking for Atlantis
Moving the River
Wild Horses
...But We Were Happy
Don't Sing
The Sound of Crying
Green Isaac (I)
A Prisoner of the Past
Hey Manhattan!
Lions in My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
The Best Jewel Thief in the World
Technique
Scarlet Nights
Swans

ALBUMS (ranked 1-5):
Steve McQueen
Jordan: The Comeback
I Trawl the Megahertz
From Langley Park to Memphis
Swoon

Tracks:
The Sound of Crying
Appetite
Nightingales
Ride
Desire As
I Trawl the Megahertz
A Prisoner of the Past
Moon Dog
A Life of Surprises
Cars and Girls
When Love Breaks Down
Earth: The Story So Far
The Best Jewel Thief In the World
Cowboy Dreams
Bonny
Scarlet Nights
The King of Rock ’n’ Roll
Dublin
Til the Cows Come Home
Lions In My Own Garden (Exit Someone)
I Remember That
Looking for Atlantis
Jordan: the Comeback
Diana
Wild Horses
Horsin Around
Horsechimes
Enchanted
The Ice Maiden
Jesse James Bolero

Albums:
From Langley Park to Memphis
Steve McQueen
Let’s Change the World With Music
Protest Songs
Jordan: the Comeback

Another thanks for running this, Nags. Great music to have in my head this past week.

Only shut out on three: Michael (my #8), Bearpark (22), Life's a Miracle (29). The End of the Affair is so aggressively catchy in a If You Don't Love Me vein, but the demo beat and "I know, I know..." of Bearpark make it my favorite b-side.

Kudos to the lone Farmyard Cat vote! I was close to putting it on mine. It might be slight, but there's a glee in singing along with "Me - Me - Yow". Makes me think of the house-raising fight in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers".