Cars And Girls - Prefab Sprout, 1988

Paddy McAloon & Prefab Sprout perform 'Cars and Girls' on The Late Late Show.
"They have a very, very odd name so they have."
While Gay Byrne notes the band have never had a number one single, he is impressed by the number of albums they have sold to date. He expects Prefab Sprout’s third studio album ‘From Langley Park to Memphis’ to be just as successful as their other albums.
Released in March 1988, ‘From Langley Park to Memphis’ features a number of guest musicians, including Pete Townshend of The Who and Stevie Wonder.
Prefab Sprout perform ‘Cars and Girls’ the first single from their new album. The band members are Paddy McAloon on vocals and guitar, Wendy Smith on vocals, Martin McAloon on bass and Neil Conti on drums.
At the end of the performance Gay Byrne comments,
"That was the sound of Prefab Sprout, they have relations in Brussels I suppose."
This episode of ‘The Late Late Show’ was broadcast on 15 April 1988. The presenter is Gay Byrne.

[@anthonyhind1308]

Paddy McAloon-such a great songwriter.

[@eightiesmusic1984]

Bona fide genius.

[@ChrisMcM3]

Absolutely love this song and cars and girls still at 45 ha ha

[@billyo54]

This is great. When old gits like myself complain about 80s music I remind them of Prefab Sprout, China Crisis, The The and others. More of the same please.

[@eightiesmusic1984]

China Crisis is probably my favourite band if I had to pick. Flaunt The Imperfection and Diary Of A Hollow Horse are amazing albums and the rest of their work is not half bad too! Steve McQueen and From Langley Park To Memphis are also two masterpieces from Prefab Sprout. I like their other albums too although lost interest with the comeback album in around 2000. That said, Music Is A Princess from their second comeback in 2007 is a really good tune. Great sentiment about the power of music.

[@jamesbradshaw3389]

the 60,70,and a little of the 80s were the times of the most brilliant music, I could tell you hundred of stories of selling the greatest rocking bands of all times, Thin Lizzy, Rory Gallagher and many more, I also love a few of the new bands

[@im-ix9xt]

Aaahh the sweet sweet sweet days of innocent youth and forever love ... where talent oozes by bucketloads and we cannot see the curve over the setting horizon...

[@SpaceCadet45s]

Wow thanks for introducing me to this good music 👍🏾

[@finolaomurchu8217]

CR how can that full episode of late late be viewed? I was in the audience with my mother, her twin sister and my late grandmother. I'd love to watch it again. Knowing the date is helpful 15th April 1988.

[@FlameFlickers]

If you contact RTE archive, they may be able to get you a copy. Knowing the date is a big plus. My mother was on a show once and I was able to get a dvd copy of it via a friend who worked in RTE at the time. I'm not sure how it works if you randomly contact them but it's definitely worth a try.

[@philbutcher6959]

If the Irish film archive operates like the BFI used to, you should be able to get a copy through them. In the UK, it was legal requisite that all broadcast television was recorded in later years. Give it a try.

[@pmacc3557]

Oh cool, hopefully you acquire it

[@hector-sauvage]

Contacting RTE is the way to go, I did for a Today Tonight piece on my family aired in 1984. All I had was the name of the show and a rough time period. The archivist sent me on a written list of episodes and their synopsis from the time and I found it that way. It was damn expensive though, it cost €120 for the DVD, and that was around 15 years ago.

[@philbutcher6959]

Perhaps it is the fact they invented their own category of music that they were under-rated. I bought all their records and never knew anyone else who knew about them.

[@rooflessmofo]

Their album Steve McQueen has one of the most exquisite 20 odd minutes in pop music. The first 5 tracks, fabulous. Kind off drops off a cliff after that, but that set of songs, heavenly.

[@rhonoratoe]

the whole album is extraordinary 😎

[@curly_wyn]

It’s my seventh favorite album of all time.

[@charliegeorge.]

I still adore Jordan the comeback. Sublime production by Thomas Dolby.

[@gravvin845]

What an intro from Gay the absolute GOAT,

[@martinkeary8187]

What are they at today I wonder ☘️🇮🇪

[@MartinMartinm]

The late late show was never the same without ray. RIP.

[@charliegeorge.]

You mean Gay Byrne?

[@bingefeller]

are the vocals live here?

[@ythom4201]

信じてもらえないかも知れないけど　自分が最初に見たパディはハルクホーガンみたいな髭面なのに　まるでジェームズ・ステュアートにもなれるんだなぁ

[@FredThompson-w3r]

Total limp synch but I love these guys

[@charliegeorge.]

This ain't studio version, it's live.

[@jeffwolinski2659]

Bass and guitar aren't plugged in, even to a wireless transmitter, no mics on the drums, no keys on stage, pretty much miming to the record. Paddy's lead vocal may be live, would need to compare directly to be sure.

[@mattgreen5720]

Vocal is live.