''Andromeda Heights'' is the sixth studio album by the English pop group

Prefab Sprout Prefab Sprout are an English pop band from Witton Gilbert, County Durham who rose to fame during the 1980s. Formed in 1978 by brothers Paddy and Martin McAloon and joined by vocalist, guitarist and keyboard player Wendy Smith in 1982, they r ...

. It was released by

Kitchenware Records Kitchenware Records was an independent record label based in Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. It was founded in 1982 by Keith Armstrong, Paul Ludford and Phil Mitchell, and was originally part of The Soul Kitchen, an artist collective and nightclub. ...

on 2 May 1997. It peaked at number 7 in the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...

. "

A Prisoner of the Past "A Prisoner of the Past" is a single by English pop band Prefab Sprout, released by Kitchenware Records on 21 April 1997. It was the lead single from ''Andromeda Heights'', the band's first studio album in seven years. Frontman Paddy McAloon wrot ...

" and "Electric Guitars" were also released as singles, peaking at number 30 and number 53, respectively, in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

. The high-tech recording studio that Paddy McAloon built for himself at his home in

County Durham County Durham ( ), officially simply Durham,UK General Acts 1997 c. 23Lieutenancies Act 1997 Schedule 1(3). From legislation.gov.uk, retrieved 6 April 2022. is a ceremonial county in North East England.North East Assembly �About North East E ...

is also called Andromeda heights.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

stated that "the album doesn't quite fulfill the hopes of the group's fervent followers." He added, "''Andromeda Heights'' is a solid Prefab Sprout record, filled with elegant melodies, wry lyrics and immaculate production, but after seven years, that nevertheless ranks as a disappointment."

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes. Musicians ''(billed as "The Andromeda Heights Orchestra")'' *

Paddy McAloon Patrick Joseph McAloon (born 7 June 1957) is an English singer-songwriter and a founder of the band Prefab Sprout. Early life McAloon was born and grew up in Witton Gilbert in County Durham, England. He was trained to be a Catholic priest bef ...

– vocals, piano, keyboards, programming, "fake mandolin" & acoustic guitar (on "A Prisoner of the Past") * Wendy Smith – vocals * Martin McAloon – bass guitar, fretless bass guitar * David Brewis – guitars, "fake mandolin" & acoustic guitar (on "A Prisoner of the Past") * Paul Smith – percussion * Tommy Smith – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute * Frazer Spiers – harmonica * Jim Hornsby – "fake mandolin" & acoustic guitar (on "A Prisoner of the Past") * Martin Taylor – lead guitar (on "Anne Marie"), rhythm guitar (on "Andromeda Heights") *

Calum Malcolm Calum Malcolm is a Scottish record producer, sound engineer and keyboardist, who is based in Edinburgh, Scotland. He started his career in rock music with the band The Headboys in 1977. From 1974, he has worked with bands and musicians such a ...

– piano, keyboards, programming; Hammond organ (on "The Fifth Horseman") *

Alan Clark Alan Kenneth Mackenzie Clark (13 April 1928 – 5 September 1999) was a British Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), author and diarist. He served as a junior minister in Margaret Thatcher's governments at the Departments of Employment, Tra ...

– Hammond organ (on "The Mystery of Love") Technical personnel * Paddy McAloon – production * Calum Malcolm – recording, mixing *

Stylorouge Stylorouge is a graphic design studio based in Yalding, Kent, formed in London by creative director Rob O'Connor in 1981. Art work created by the studio has included record sleeve designs for bands such as Siouxsie and the Banshees for their 1981's ...

– sleeve design * Stuart Douglas – sleeve photography * Anne Magill – cover painting

Charts

References

External links

* * {{Authority control 1997 albums Prefab Sprout albums Kitchenware Records albums