Two days later, on June 16, James Honeyman-Scott died, a consequence of cocaine abuse. On June 14, 1982, Pete Farndon was ushered out of the band due to his escalating drug problem. But all wasn’t perfect behind the scenes. Honeyman-Scott’s jangly, taut licks, Farndon’s confident bass, and Chambers’ hard-hitting drums all melded into one perfect unit in support of the frontwoman. 1981’s Pretenders II followed the band’s Extended Play EP and adhered closely to the sound, spirit and style of the first LP, right down to the Ray Davies cover – in this case, “I Go to Sleep.” Once again, Hynde – as vocalist and writer or co-writer of every song on the album save the Davies tune – balanced her youthful, sexually-charged persona (“The Adultress”, “Bad Boys Get Spanked”) with that of a mature woman reflecting on life and love (“Birds of Paradise,” “Talk of the Town”). (Nick Lowe handled the production on a rendition of “Stop Your Sobbing” by Kinks frontman Ray Davies, with whom Hynde shared a long relationship.) Pretenders: Deluxe Edition features Chris Thomas’ album remaster and five B-sides on CD 1 eleven studio demos and eight BBC performances on CD 2 and live tracks from London’s Paris Theatre (1979) and Boston’s Paradise Theatre (1980) on CD 3.Īlas, the original line-up only created one more full-length record. She kept true to that lyric on this raw, tough, sexy and surprisingly emotional record as produced by Chris Thomas. “Gonna make you, make you, make you notice,” Hynde belted with assurance on “Brass in Pocket,” the hit single and future classic which anchored Pretenders. The Ohio-born singer-songwriter found ideal (for the moment) conspirators in the three gents from Hereford, all of whom had diverse musical influences. But Hynde knew the rules of rock before she broke them. punk scene, and brought that brash spirit to her own band. Chrissie Hynde, who wrote or co-wrote ten of the album’s twelve tracks, was already a well-known figure around the U.K. Though filled with pop-worthy hooks in sync with the new wave movement, its attitude was sheer punk. Both albums will also be available on limited edition red and white vinyl, respectively.ġ979’s Pretenders set the tone for the band’s electrifying sound.
TATTOOED LOVE BOYS THE PRETENDERS PLUS
Due on November 5, these 12 x 12 sets contain the newly remastered albums plus demos, rarities, and live tracks (many of which are previously unreleased). The Pretenders’ hip, seemingly effortless sound was crystallized on the band’s first two records (not incidentally, the only two records with the original lineup.) Now, both Pretenders and Pretenders II will be reissued by Sire/Rhino in new 3-CD deluxe editions curated by Chrissie Hynde to mark the 40th anniversary of the sophomore set. The four-piece rock combo fused American and British styles (Hynde was the American émigré the other three were British), bringing the swagger of punk to the craft of classic rock. They may have called themselves The Pretenders, but Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon, and Martin Chambers were as authentic as they come. Stop Your Sobbing: Rhino Expands First Two Pretenders Albums for 40th Anniversary