AT THE turn of the 80s, Pretenders announced themselves to the world with what is widely regarded one of the greatest debut albums of all time.
They solidified their status as one of the most exciting bands around with their follow up album Pretenders II, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Consisting of their most famous line-up with Chrissie Hynde (vocals and guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (guitar), Pete Farndon (bass) and Martin Chambers (drums), Pretenders first two albums created a rock sound that perfectly blended glistening guitar hooks, striking vocals with undertones of punk that still sounds fresh to this day.
This week, Pretenders’ first two albums will be celebrated in two brand-new 3CD deluxe editions curated by Chrissie Hynde and will be available from all music retailers. Pretenders and Pretenders II will also be available on limited edition red and white vinyl respectively, as well as a special, numbered print based on the Brass In Pocket single cover limited to 500 copies worldwide, exclusively available on Dig!
Curated by Chrissie Hynde, both Pretenders and Pretenders II are each presented in striking 12×12 3CD deluxe sets, featuring a high-quality book with brand-new liner notes by acclaimed journalist Will Hodgkinson.
They also include a myriad of rare and unseen photos of the band, by turn both beautiful and candid. Pretenders (Deluxe Edition) contains 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, London and Paradise Theater in Boston.
Pretenders II (Deluxe Edition) also features a remastered version of the album by Chris Thomas, demos, and alternates alongside two live performances; one from Central Park, New York City in 1980, and an electric show from The Santa Monica Civic in 1981.
Pretenders’ first release came almost a year earlier to the album’s release, with their top 40 debut single, a cover of The Kinks’ Stop Your Sobbing produced by Nick Lowe.
Next came Kid, another UK top 40 hit and their first originally written single. Following both singles would come one of Pretenders’ biggest tracks to this day, Brass In Pocket.
Leading with a glorious guitar rhythm embodied by luscious chorus, Brass In Pocket launched Pretenders onto a different level, with the track finishing reaching #1 in the UK, Ireland, Sweden and South Africa, as well as top 5s in Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, New Zealand and more.
It was also a success in the US, reaching #14 and becoming the 7th music video aired on MTV. The album continues to be highly acclaimed to this day, regularly featuring amongst best of the 1980s lists, as well as being certified Platinum in USA, and Gold in UK, Netherlands, Belgium, and New Zealand.
During the year between Pretenders and Pretenders II, the band continued their momentum releasing two singles in the UK, Talk Of The Town and Message Of Love, with the former reaching #8 and the latter #11 in the UK singles charts. The appetite in the US maintained too, with Pretenders releasing an EP simply named “Extended Play”, containing five tracks that would later be on the Pretenders II album.
With a clamouring for more Pretenders material, Pretenders II was released on 15th August 1981 to great fanfare.
The album would end up peaking #7 in the UK, and #10 in the US, being certified Silver and Gold respectively in the process. Further highlights of the album include another cover of The Kinks, in the form of I Go To Sleep.
WIN COPIES OF THE TWO DELUXE EDITION PRETENDERS’ CDs!
We have two sets of the two Pretenders’ first two albums which will be celebrated in two brand-new 3CD deluxe editions curated by Chrissie Hynde.
To enter the competition simply tell us who was the drummer in Pretenders’ classic line up?
Email your answer with “Pretenders competition” in the subject bar, complete with your phone number and address, to [email protected] by no later than Friday, November 12 and two winners will be chosen at random. No correspondence will be entered into and there is no cash alternative.
