Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter

Chrissie Hynde Christine Ellen Hynde (born September 7, 1951) is an American 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 alon ...

(lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Martin Chambers (drums, backing vocals, percussion). 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. The band's hit songs include " Kid" (1979), "

Brass in Pocket "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 ...

" (1979), " Talk of the Town" (1980), "

Message of Love "Message of Love" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and performed by the Pretenders. Released first as a single and then on the Pretenders' 1981 EP ''Extended Play'', it was later re-released on the band's 1981 album '' Pretenders II''. A band ...

" (1981), "

My City Was Gone "My City Was Gone" is a song by the rock group The Pretenders. The song originally appeared in October 1982 as the B-side to the single release of "Back on the Chain Gang"; the single was the first release for the band following the death of fou ...

" (1982), "

Back on the Chain Gang "Back on the Chain Gang" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and originally recorded by her band the Pretenders, and released as a single by Sire Records in September 1982. The song also was released on '' The King of Comedy'' soundtrack album i ...

" (1982), " Middle of the Road" (1983) and "

2000 Miles "2000 Miles" is a song by British-American rock band Pretenders. Written by lead singer Chrissie Hynde and produced by Chris Thomas, it was released on 18 November 1983 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Learning to Crawl'' (19 ...

" (1983), "

Don't Get Me Wrong "Don't Get Me Wrong" is a song released by British-American alternative rock group The Pretenders. It was the first single taken from the group's 1986 album, '' Get Close''. It can also be found on the band's '' The Singles'' album, released in ...

" (1986), " My Baby" (1986) and "

I'll Stand by You "I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, '' Last of the Independents'' (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy ...

" (1994). Pretenders were inducted into the

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (RRHOF), sometimes simply referred to as the Rock Hall, is a museum and hall of fame located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States, on the shore of Lake Erie. The museum documents the history of rock music and ...

in 2005.

History

Background

Hynde, originally from

Akron Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau, about south of downtown Cleveland. As of the 2020 Census, the city ...

, Ohio, moved to London in 1973, working at the weekly music paper '' NME'' and at

Malcolm McLaren Malcolm Robert Andrew McLaren (22 January 1946 – 8 April 2010) was an English impresario, visual artist, singer, songwriter, musician, clothes designer and boutique owner, notable for combining these activities in an inventive and provo ...

and Vivienne Westwood's clothes store. She was involved with early versions of the

Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they were one of the most groundbreaking acts in the history of popular music. They were responsible for ...

the Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the w ...

, and the Damned and played in short-lived bands such as

Masters of the Backside Masters of the Backside was an early British punk rock group. They never released a recording or performed beyond practice sessions, but the group's members went on to greater success: Chrissie Hynde later fronted The Pretenders, and Dave Vania ...

(1976) and the Moors Murderers (1978 lineup). Pretenders formed in 1978 after Dave Hill at Anchor Records heard some

demos Demos may refer to: Computing * DEMOS, a Soviet Unix-like operating system * DEMOS (ISP), the first internet service provider in the USSR * Demos Commander, an Orthodox File Manager for Unix-like systems * plural for Demo (computer programming) ...

of Hynde's music. He arranged a rehearsal studio in Denmark Street, London, where a three-piece band consisting of Hynde, Mal Hart on bass (he had played with Hynde and Steve Strange in the Moors Murderers), and Phil Taylor of

Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock band formed in London in 1975 by Lemmy (lead vocals, bass), Larry Wallis (guitar) and Lucas Fox (drums). Lemmy was also the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band are often considered a prec ...

on drums played a selection of Hynde's original songs. Hill was impressed and arranged a day at Studio 51 to record another demo. Although it was rough, he felt he had seen and heard enough "star potential" to suggest that Hynde form a more permanent band to record for his new label, Real Records. Hynde then formed a band composed of Pete Farndon on bass, James Honeyman-Scott on guitar, and Gerry Mcilduff on drums. This band, then without a name, recorded five tracks at Regents Park Studio in July 1978, including a cover of The Kinks' song "Stop Your Sobbing". Shortly thereafter, Gerry Mcilduff was replaced on drums by Martin Chambers. Hynde named the band "Pretenders" after

the Platters The Platters was an American vocal group formed in 1952. They are one of the most successful vocal groups of the early rock and roll era. Their distinctive sound bridges the pre-rock Tin Pan Alley tradition and the new burgeoning genre. The a ...

song " The Great Pretender", which was the favourite song of one of her former boyfriends.

Original band (1978–1982)

The band's first single, a cover of

the Kinks The Kinks were an English rock band formed in Muswell Hill, north London, in 1963 by brothers Ray and Dave Davies. They are regarded as one of the most influential rock bands of the 1960s. The band emerged during the height of British rhyt ...

song " Stop Your Sobbing" (produced by

Nick Lowe Nicholas Drain Lowe (born 24 March 1949) is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer. A noted figure in power pop and new wave, It was followed by "Kid" in June 1979. In January 1980, the band reached No. 1 in the UK with "Brass in Pocket", which was also successful in the US, reaching No. 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. Pretenders Dec 81

Their self-titled debut album was released in January 1980 and was a success in the United Kingdom and the United States both critically and commercially. Produced by Chris Thomas, it is regarded as one of the best debut albums of all time, and has been named one of the best albums of all time by VH1 (no. 52) and ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' (no. 155). The second full-length album, '' Pretenders II'', was released during August 1981. ''Pretenders II'' included the songs from the US EP ''

Extended Play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

'', the

MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...

video success "Day After Day", and popular album-radio tracks "The Adultress", "Birds of Paradise", "Bad Boys Get Spanked", and "The English Roses". On 18 September 1981, Pretenders were the musical guest on the US late night sketch comedy show ''Fridays''. The band performed "The Adultress", "Message of Love" and "Louie, Louie" (not the Kingsmen song). Andy Kaufman was the guest host of the program on that night. Due to escalating drug abuse, Farndon was fired from the band after a meeting between Hynde, Honeyman-Scott, and Chambers on 14 June 1982. Two days later, on 16 June 1982, Honeyman-Scott died of heart failure as a result of cocaine intolerance. Farndon was in the midst of forming a new band when he was found dead on 14 April 1983 by his wife. After taking heroin and passing out, Farndon had drowned in his bathtub, leaving Pretenders with only two living members.

Re-grouping (1983–1989)

Hynde and Chambers continued the band after Honeyman-Scott's death. During July 1982, a caretaker team of Hynde, Chambers, Rockpile guitarist

Billy Bremner William John Bremner (9 December 1942 – 7 December 1997) was a Scottish professional footballer and manager. Regarded as one of the game's great midfielders, he combined precision passing skills with tenacious tackling and physical stam ...

, and Big Country bassist Tony Butler was assembled to record the single "Back on the Chain Gang". The song was released in October and became their biggest success in the US, staying at No. 5 for three consecutive weeks. The single's B-side, "My City Was Gone" was (except for a brief period in the 1990s) the theme music for '' the Rush Limbaugh Show'' since its inception. Hynde then set up a more permanent lineup for the band, keeping Chambers and adding Robbie McIntosh on guitar and Malcolm Foster on bass. "Middle of the Road" was this line-up's first single, released in the US in November 1983 and reaching the top 20 there. The US B-side, "2000 Miles", was released as a single in the UK. The third Pretenders album, ''

Learning to Crawl ''Learning to Crawl'' is the third studio album by British-American rock band The Pretenders. It was released on 21 January 1984 after a hiatus during which band members James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon died of drug overdoses. The album's ...

'' was produced by "fifth Pretender" Chris Thomas and released in January 1984. In July 1985, the band (including Rupert Black on keyboards) played at

Live Aid Live Aid was a multi-venue benefit concert held on Saturday 13 July 1985, as well as a music-based fundraising initiative. The original event was organised by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure to raise further funds for relief of the 1983–1985 fami ...

. Soon after recording sessions for the next album began and one track had been completed, Hynde declared that Chambers was no longer playing well and dismissed him. Discouraged at the loss of his bandmate, Foster quit ("My whole argument was that Martin Chambers was the rhythm section of the Pretenders and it didn't really matter who was playing bass. So I just said I didn't want to be involved any more."'Come a Long Way'
– interview with Malcolm Foster by Michael Leonard – ''Guitarist'' magazine, September 1990) Hynde and McIntosh recorded the rest of the album in various sessions in New York City and Stockholm with assorted session musicians. Towards the end of the sessions, Hynde hired two of the guest players–bassist T.M. Stevens and ex- Haircut One Hundred drummer

Blair Cunningham Blair Cunningham (born October 11, 1957, Memphis, Tennessee) is an American drummer who has played for many bands and artists including Denise LaSalle, Robert Johnson, the Detroit Emeralds, Frederick Knight, Echo & the Bunnymen, Haircut One ...

—as the new Pretenders rhythm section. The '' Get Close'' album was released in 1986; the disc included the top 10 singles, "Don't Get Me Wrong" from the film ''

Gung Ho ''Gung ho'' () is an English term, with the current meaning of "overly enthusiastic or energetic". It originated during the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) from a Chinese term, ( zh, hp=gōnghé, l=to work together), short for Chinese I ...

'' (helped by a popular video homage to the television series '' the Avengers'') and "Hymn to Her", a No. 8 success in the UK. In the US, both "Don't Get Me Wrong" and "My Baby" reached No. 1 on the ''Billboard''

Mainstream Rock Mainstream rock (also known as heritage rock) is a radio format used by many commercial radio stations in the United States and Canada. Format background Mainstream rock stations represent the middle ground between classic rock and active ro ...

chart. For the ''Get Close'' tour, Bernie Worrell was added to the live lineup on keyboards. During the tour, Hynde felt the band's sound had strayed from its new wave rock roots. She believed that she was now fronting a new band that was "not Pretenders". Partway into the tour, she took drastic action: Stevens and Worrell were both sacked, Malcolm Foster was reinstated on bass, and Rupert Black returned on keyboards.

1990s

In 1990, Hynde hired session players (including one-time Pretenders Bremner and Cunningham and bassist John Mckenzie) and recorded a new Pretenders album, ''

Packed! ''Packed!'' is the fifth album by rock group The Pretenders, released in 1990. Besides band leader Chrissie Hynde, no other person is pictured anywhere within the album package. At the time the album was recorded, the only other remaining offic ...

'' Hynde was the only person pictured anywhere on the album, and was the only official member of the band. By 1993, Hynde had teamed with ex-

Katydids Insects in the family Tettigoniidae are commonly called katydids (especially in North America), or bush crickets. They have previously been known as "long-horned grasshoppers". More than 8,000 species are known. Part of the suborder Ensifera, ...

guitarist Adam Seymour to form a new version of Pretenders. The team of Hynde and Seymour then hired a number of session musicians to record '' Last of the Independents'' that year, including ex-Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, ex- Primitives bassist Andy Hobson, and former Pretender and drummer/writer/producer James Hood, previously with

the Impossible Dreamers The Impossible Dreamers were a 1980s new-wave band that had a major club hit with their 12" single "Spin", before signing for RCA Records, where they were produced by Johnny Marr ( the Smiths). The Imps (as they were nicknamed) started off as ...

and Moodswings. But by the end of the album sessions (and for the subsequent tour) the official band line-up was Hynde, Seymour, Hobson, and returning drummer Martin Chambers. When ''Last of the Independents'' was released in 1994, it rated gold in the US. Lead single "Night In My Veins" was a minor success in the US, a mid-chart success in the UK, and a top 10 success in Canada. The second single was the album's centrepiece ballad "I'll Stand by You"; this track received substantial airplay, and was a top 10 success in the UK, and top 20 in the US (No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100) and in Canada. On 10 April 1999, Hynde led the memorial concert " Here, There and Everywhere – A Concert for Linda" for her late close friend Linda McCartney at the Royal Albert Hall, London, organised by Hynde and Carla Lane. Pretenders were the backing band for all artists. ''

Viva el Amor Viva may refer to: Companies and organisations * Viva (network operator), a Dominican mobile network operator * Viva Air, a Spanish airline taken over by flag carrier Iberia * Viva Air Dominicana * VIVA Bahrain, a telecommunication company * V ...

'' was released during 1999, as was their collaboration with

Tom Jones Tom Jones may refer to: Arts and entertainment *Tom Jones (singer) (born 1940), Welsh singer *Tom Jones (writer) (1928–2023), American librettist and lyricist *''The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling'', a novel by Henry Fielding published in 1 ...

on the album '' Reload''.

2000s

Pretenders joined with

Emmylou Harris Emmylou Harris (born April 2, 1947) is an American singer, songwriter and musician. She has released dozens of albums and singles over the course of her career and has won 14 Grammys, the Polar Music Prize, and numerous other honors, includin ...

on '' Return of the Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons'', performing the song "She". A ''Greatest Hits'' compilation followed in 2000. During 2002 ''

Loose Screw ''Loose Screw'' is the eighth studio album by rock group The Pretenders, and was released in 2002. It was the first time that the Pretenders had the same credited band line-up (Chrissie Hynde, Martin Chambers, Andy Hobson and Adam Seymour) on th ...

'' was released by Artemis Records, the first Pretenders record to be released by a company other than WEA. ''Rolling Stone'' noted its "refinement, stylish melodies and vocal fireworks," while ''Blender'' called it "slick, snarky pop with flashes of brilliance". In March 2005, Pretenders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. At the induction ceremony, the band performed "Precious" and "Message of Love". During her acceptance speech, Hynde named and thanked all the replacement members of the group, then said:

"I know that the Pretenders have looked like a tribute band for the last 20 years. ... And we're paying tribute to James Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon, without whom we wouldn't be here. And on the other hand, without us, they might have been here, but that's the way it works in rock 'n' roll."

Pretenders' album '' Break Up the Concrete'' was released through

Shangri-La Music Shangri-La Music is an indie record label based in Santa Monica, California. The label was started by Steve Bing as an expansion of Shangri-La Entertainment. Co-founders Jeff Ayeroff and Jon Rubin run the label. Shangri-La Music is a "boutique" lab ...

on 7 October 2008. It was the band's first Top 40 album in the US in twenty-two years, and its last to date. Tracks include "Boots of Chinese Plastic", "Don't Cut Your Hair", "Love's a Mystery", "The Last Ride" and "Almost Perfect".

2010s

In September 2012, Pretenders re-grouped (Hynde, Chambers, Heywood, Walbourne, Wilkinson) as part of the entertainment line-up for the

2012 Singapore Grand Prix The 2012 Singapore Grand Prix (officially the 2012 Formula 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race that took place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore on 23 September 2012 as the fourteenth round of t ...

. They were joined by keyboardist/acoustic guitarist Carwyn Ellis in autumn 2012. On 6 September 2016,

Stevie Nicks Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist. After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...

announced that Pretenders would tour with her on a 27-city tour for the last three months of 2016. The live band consisted of Hynde, Chambers, Heywood, Walbourne, Wilkinson, as before. Pretenders released their 10th studio album, '' Alone'', on 21 October 2016. However, as on ''Packed!'', Hynde was the only Pretender on the album, which was otherwise played entirely by session musicians. In May 2017, Ellis resumed touring with Pretenders who toured Australia and New Zealand with Nicks. In October 2017, Pretenders appeared on '' Austin City Limits''.

2020s

The band was originally scheduled to release their 11th studio album ''

Hate for Sale ''Hate for Sale'' is the eleventh studio album by English-American rock band The Pretenders. It was released on July 17, 2020 by BMG Rights Management. It has received positive reception from critics. Recording and release Lead single "The Buz ...

'' on 1 May 2020, and lead single "The Buzz" was released on 17 March 2020. However, on March 24, the album release was delayed to July 17. On the same day (24 March), they released the second single, which is the title track, "Hate for Sale." 17 April 2020 saw the release of the third single "You Can't Hurt a Fool." On 12 May 2020, they released their third single "Turf Accountant Daddy." "Don't Want to be This Lonely", release 28 May 2020, was the fifth and final single from the album. A five-month North American tour with Journey was originally slated to begin May 15, 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour was cancelled. On September 3, 2022, The Pretenders performed at the Taylor Hawkins Tribute Concert at Wembley Stadium with Dave Grohl on bass. They performed "Precious", "Tattooed Love Boys" and "Brass In Pocket".

Discography

* '' Pretenders'' (1979) * '' Pretenders II'' (1981) * ''

'' (1984) * '' Get Close'' (1986) * ''

'' (1990) * '' Last of the Independents'' (1994) * ''

¡Viva El Amor! ''¡Viva El Amor!'' (Spanish for ''Long Live Love'') is the seventh studio album by the rock band the Pretenders, released in 1999. The band's lineup for the album is the same as that credited on 1994's ''Last of the Independents'': Chrissie Hyn ...

'' (1999) * ''

'' (2002) * '' Break Up the Concrete'' (2008) * '' Alone'' (2016) * ''

'' (2020)

Band members

References

External links

*
Pretenders 977 RadioListen to Pretenders' Complete New Album, 'Break Up the Concrete'
''

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...

''
Pretenders studio sessions at NPR Music
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pretenders English new wave musical groups English pop rock music groups English alternative rock groups Musical groups from Herefordshire Musical groups established in 1978 Musical quartets Sire Records artists Warner Records artists 1978 establishments in England Female-fronted musical groups Second British Invasion artists