Pretenders (album)

Last updated

Pretenders
Pretenders album.jpg
Studio album by
the Pretenders
Released11 January 1980 [1]
Recorded1978–1979
Studio
Genre
Length47:12
Label Real Records
Producer
The Pretenders chronology
Pretenders
(1980)		 Extended Play
(1981)
Singles from Pretenders
  1. "Stop Your Sobbing"
    Released: January 1979
  2. "Kid"
    Released: June 1979
  3. "Brass in Pocket"
    Released: November 1979
  4. "Precious"
    Released: 1980 (EU)

Pretenders is the debut studio album by British-American band The Pretenders, released in January 1980. A combination of rock and roll, punk and new wave music, [2] this album made the band famous. The album features the singles "Stop Your Sobbing", "Kid" and "Brass in Pocket".

Contents

Nick Lowe produced the Pretenders' first single, "Stop Your Sobbing", but decided not to work with them again as he thought the band was "not going anywhere". [3] Chris Thomas took over on the subsequent recording sessions.

Release

Pretenders debuted at number one on the UK Albums Chart in the week of its release and stayed there for four consecutive weeks. It also made the top 10 on the Billboard 200 and was certified platinum during 1982 by the RIAA.

Pretenders was remastered and re-released in 2006 and included a bonus disc of demos, B-sides and live cuts, many previously unreleased. "Cuban Slide" and "Porcelain" originally appeared as B-sides to "Talk of the Town" and "Message of Love", while "Swinging London" and "Nervous But Shy" both appeared on the flip side of "Brass in Pocket". The Regents Park demo of "Stop Your Sobbing" was included initially as a flexi-single in the May 1981 edition of Flexipop magazine. The tracks "Message of Love", "Talk of the Town", "Porcelain" and "Cuban Slide" alongside a live version of the album's opening track, "Precious", were released on a follow-up EP entitled Extended Play soon after.

Pretenders was also reissued in 2009 by Audio Fidelity as a limited-edition audiophile gold CD, using the original master tapes. However, this remaster suffered from unauthorized, heavy limiting supposedly applied after engineer Steve Hoffman's digital master was created and approved for CD manufacturing. The song "The Phone Call" is missing some of the telephone effects on this release because the effects were "flown in" after the master was completed for the song and, as a result, were not on the original master tape. [4] [5] There were no bonus tracks included.

A shortened version of "Tequila" would be performed nearly 15 years later on the Last of the Independents . "Sabre Dance" features Chrissie Hynde singing portions of "Stop Your Sobbing" over lengthy solos by James Honeyman-Scott and Martin Chambers' insistent drumming, making it a truly unique version.

A cover version of "Brass in Pocket" and the master version of "Precious" are available as downloadable content for Rock Band .

Another deluxe edition of the album, curated by Hynde, was released on 5 November 2021 and features the original album remastered by Chris Thomas, alongside demos, rarities, and many live performances. These include BBC sessions on The Kid Jensen Show, and performances at The Paris Theatre in London and Paradise Theater in Boston. [6]

Critical reception

Contemporary reviews for the album were mixed. In Melody Maker , Chris Brazier called the record "the first important album" of the 1980s, and while the second side of the album was better than the first side, overall "the album is irresistible". [7] However, Tony Stewart of NME criticised Melody Maker for hyping the band, and said that "so much about the Pretenders is reminiscent of '60s pop games that any claim they are innovative is completely invalid". Stewart noted influences from the Velvet Underground, the Beatles, the 1960s beat boom, Blondie and the Police, and while he acknowledged Hynde's talents as a frontwoman, he dismissed the band's playing and inability to lift the music to the level of the lyrics, stating that "they seem unable to give it an edge". [8]

Sounds 's Robbi Millar said of the album, "Its success, which should be fairly apparent through the next few months, will be valued not through hype and wildly enthusiastic pen-happy journalists but through a number of strong album tracks." Millar also noted several influences, including Sting and Public Image Ltd, and that the album included three singles and two B-sides that had already been released, but that it also included "seven other worthy tracks" which resulted in "one fine first album". [9]

Retrospective reviews
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [10]
Blender Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [11]
Chicago Tribune Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [12]
Mojo Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [13]
Rolling Stone Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [14]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [15]
Spin Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg [16]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 10/10 [17]
Uncut 9/10 [18]
The Village Voice A− [19]

In 1989, Rolling Stone ranked Pretenders the 20th best album of the 1980s. In 2012, Slant Magazine listed Pretenders at number 64 on its list of the best albums of the 1980s. [20]

Pretenders has been named one of the best albums of all time by VH1 (#52). In 2003, Rolling Stone ranked the album at number 155 on its list of the 500 greatest albums of all time, [21] with Pretenders maintaining the rating in the 2012 revised list, [22] and moving up to number 152 on the 2020 revision. [23] In 2020, Rolling Stone included the band's debut album in their "80 Greatest albums of 1980" list. [24]

Ultimate Classic Rock critic Bryan Wawzenek rated "Precious", "Kid", "Tattooed Love Boys" and "Brass in Pocket" as being among drummer Martin Chambers' top 10 Pretenders songs. [25]

"This is one of the most astonishing debut albums in the history of music," enthused author Michael Chabon. "On songs like 'Tattooed Love Boys', you're wondering, Who is Chrissie singing about when she says, 'I shot my mouth off and you showed me what that hole was for?' That was just one of those obsessive-listening records for me." [26] In her autobiography, Hynde confirms she is singing about herself and her own personal experience. [27]

In 2016, the album was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame. [28]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chrissie Hynde, except where noted. All tracks on the original album were produced by Chris Thomas, except "Stop Your Sobbing" produced by Nick Lowe

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Precious" 3:36
2."The Phone Call" 2:29
3."Up the Neck" 4:27
4."Tattooed Love Boys" 2:59
5."Space Invader"
3:26
6."The Wait"
3:35
7."Stop Your Sobbing" Ray Davies 3:26
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Kid" 3:06
2."Private Life" 6:25
3."Brass in Pocket"
  • Honeyman-Scott
  • Hynde
3:04
4."Lovers of Today" 5:51
5."Mystery Achievement" 5:22
2006 reissue bonus disc
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Cuban Slide"
  • Honeyman-Scott
  • Hynde
4:33
2."Porcelain" 3:54
3."The Phone Call" (demo, late 1977) 4:33
4."The Wait" (Regents Park demo, 12 April 1978)
  • Farndon
  • Hynde
3:08
5."I Can't Control Myself" (Regents Park demo, 12 April 1978) Reg Presley 4:24
6."Swinging London" (instrumental)
1:55
7."Brass in Pocket" (AIR Studios demo, 6 February 1978)
  • Honeyman-Scott
  • Hynde
3:48
8."Kid" (Olympic Studios demo, 6 December 1978) 4:04
9."Stop Your Sobbing" (Regents Park demo, 12 April 1978)Davies3:48
10."Tequila" (Regents Park demo, 12 April 1978) 5:22
11."Nervous but Shy" (instrumental)
  • Farndon
  • Honeyman-Scott
  • Hynde
  • Chambers
3:48
12."I Need Somebody" (live on The Kid Jensen Show, BBC Radio 1, 17 July 1979) Rudy Martinez 3:48
13."Mystery Achievement" (live on The Kid Jensen Show, BBC Radio 1, 17 July 1979) 4:54
14."Precious" (live at the Paradise Theatre, Boston, 23 March 1980) 3:26
15."Tattooed Love Boys" (live at the Paradise Theatre, Boston, 23 March 1980) 3:06
16."Sabre Dance" (live at the Marquee Club, London, 2 April 1979) (contains elements of "Stop Your Sobbing")
3:50

Personnel

The Pretenders

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
Australia (ARIA) [40] Platinum50,000^
Belgium (BEA) [41] Gold25,000*
Netherlands (NVPI) [42] Gold50,000^
New Zealand (RMNZ) [43] Gold7,500^
United Kingdom (BPI) [44] Gold100,000^
United States (RIAA) [45] Platinum1,000,000^

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pretenders</span> British-American rock band

The Pretenders are a British-American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon and Martin Chambers. Following the deaths of Honeyman-Scott in 1982 and Farndon in 1983, the band experienced numerous personnel changes; Hynde has been the band's only consistent member.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chrissie Hynde</span> American musician (born 1951)

Christine Ellen Hynde is an American-British musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band The Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alongside drummer Martin Chambers. She is the only continuous member of the band, appearing on every studio album.

<i>Pretenders II</i> 1981 studio album by The Pretenders

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<i>Learning to Crawl</i> 1984 studio album by the Pretenders

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<i>Get Close</i> 1986 album by the Pretenders

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<i>Loose Screw</i> 2002 studio album by the Pretenders

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<i>Extended Play</i> (Pretenders EP) 1981 EP by Pretenders

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<i>The Isle of View</i> 1995 live album by The Pretenders

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brass in Pocket</span> 1979 single by the Pretenders

"Brass in Pocket", also known as "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)", is a song by English–American rock band the Pretenders, released in 1979 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas. Originating as a guitar lick written by Honeyman-Scott, the song's lyrics were explained by Hynde to be about the cockiness that one needs to effectively perform. The song's title derives from a phrase she overheard after a show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back on the Chain Gang</span> 1982 single by the Pretenders

"Back on the Chain Gang" is a song written by American-British musician Chrissie Hynde, originally recorded by her band the Pretenders and released as a single by Sire Records in September 1982. The song was included on The King of Comedy soundtrack album in March 1983 and was later included on the Pretenders' third album, Learning to Crawl, in January 1984.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pretenders discography</span>

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"Stop Your Sobbing" is a song written by Ray Davies for the Kinks' debut album, Kinks. It was later covered by the Pretenders as their first single.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kid (Pretenders song)</span> 1979 single by The Pretenders

"Kid" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde that was released on the Pretenders 1979 debut album Pretenders. Hynde wrote the song about a fictional boy discovering that his mother is a prostitute. The song's melodicism was attributed by guitarist James Honeyman-Scott to Hynde's growing interest in pop music. Honeyman-Scott wrote the song's solo, which he had designed over a couple of days.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Precious (Pretenders song)</span> 1980 single by The Pretenders

"Precious" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and performed by her band the Pretenders. First released on the band's self-titled debut album in late 1979, the song features punk-inspired music and aggressive lyrics.

<i>Alone</i> (The Pretenders album) 2016 studio album by The Pretenders

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<i>Hate for Sale</i> 2020 studio album by the Pretenders

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References

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  3. ↑ "First Steps: Pretenders 'Pretenders'". Vivascene. 5 December 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
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  6. ↑ [ dead link ]
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  8. ↑ Stewart, Tony (12 January 1980). "The pop games people play". NME . p. 27.
  9. ↑ Millar, Robbi (12 January 1980). "No feignt hearts". Sounds . p. 18.
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  20. ↑ "The 100 Best Albums of the 1980s". Slant Magazine . 5 March 2012. Retrieved 25 November 2019.
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  23. ↑ "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 16 March 2021.
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  27. ↑ "Chrissie Hynde tells story with tough-girl insouciance".
  28. ↑ https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#p
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