Neil Conti (born 12 February 1959) is an English drummer and music producer best known as a member of the English pop band Prefab Sprout (1983–1993, 2000). As an in-demand session drummer, he has collaborated with acts such as David Bowie, Mick Jagger, Annie Lennox, Cher, Level 42, Laurie Anderson, Steve Winwood, Paul Young, Youssou N'dour, Brian Eno, Robert Palmer, Deep Forest and Will Young. Early career Born to musically-orientated parents, the six-year-old Conti was trained as a classical pianist at their encouragement. He became interested in performing after seeing his cousin Morgan Fisher onstage as keyboardist for Mott the Hoople, feeling it looked like "much more fun than doing four hours of piano scales every day". Twelve years old at the time and inspired by the band's drummer, Dale Griffin, he started playing drums and, over the next few years, gained some drumming experience with numerous local rock bands while showing an interest in jazz and soul music. After completing a diploma in graphic design, he moved to London, where his musical apprenticeship included a range of styles such as reggae, calypso and funk. Among the early bands in which he drummed were Linx, Tropicana Steel Band, Kokomo and Combo Passe as well as various recording sessions with such artists such as Pauline Black and Carl Douglas. In a 1988 interview, he listed Stix Hooper of the Crusaders and Ronnie "Diamond" Hoard of Ohio Players as among his drumming influences. In late 1983, Conti joined Prefab Sprout as drummer after hearing Paddy McAloon being interviewed on Richard Skinner's show on BBC Radio 1 and calling the office of Kitchenware Records to offer his services. He remained a member of the band for the next decade and featured on their successful studio albums Steve McQueen, From Langley Park to Memphis, Protest Songs and Jordan: The Comeback. With Prefab Sprout, he toured the UK and Europe and was acting as the band's live MD by 1990. Conti considered Protest Songs a personal highlight, declaring "I would also probably put it up there near the top if someone asked which drumming performances I have been happiest with. It's one of the few albums I have done where I can bear to listen without flinching from 'hearing that bit that I could've done better'". Conti did not appear on Andromeda Heights (1997), Prefab Sprout's sixth album that followed several years of inactivity, but