The Pretenders was born in 1978 by the will of the American singer Chrissie Hynde, also author and composer. But it is with the English - Pete Farndon, James Honeyman and Martin Chambers - that the singer is going to associate, from where a group American-English, originating in Akron for the American part and Hereford for the English part. It was after riding her bump all over the United States that the singer arrived in London in 1973. A trained guitarist, she collaborates with several groups and future local figs like Malcolm MacLaren. She made a quick stopover in 1974 in Paris where she formed the group "Les Frenchies". Without much success. She leaves for London where the punk wave breaks, living from squats to squats for several years. It was in 1978, after meeting progressively with the members of the group and constituting the group The Pretenders that a first single came out "Stop your Sobbing", a single that works as soon as it is released. But it was in 1980 that the album that changed everything was released, an album that just bears their name and that contains the now cult "Brass in pocket". It’s a global tidal wave. Released in 1981 their 2nd album "The Pretenders II" which contained "I go to sleep", a single which was also going to meet the top of the world hits. Unfortunately, the addiction of some members to the drug will stop the meteoric rise of the group with the death of 2 of the members, Pete Fardon in 1982 and James Honeyman in 1983. This will not prevent the group - in its new form - from experiencing a new notorious success a few years later with the single "Don't get me wrong" in 1986.
A magnificent adventure that will continue thereafter with the release of the album “Packed!" in 1990 and "Last of the independents" in 1994. And for the latter, the production of a new gem with the title "I'll stand by you".
Mega hit which will be the last for the group because the albums and Singles which will be released thereafter will not allow the group to equal the levels of success reached previously... To discover or rediscover. Discography (among others ...) :
• Stop your sobbing 1979
• Kid 1979
• Brass in pocket 1979
• Precious 1980
• Talk of the town 1980
• Message of love 1981
• Day after day 1981
• The adultress 1981
• I go to sleep 1981
• Louie Louie 1981
• Back on the chain gang 1982
• My city was gone 1982
• 2000 Miles 1983
• Middle of the road 1983
• Time the avenger 1984
• Show me 1984
• Thumbelina 1984
• Thin line between love and hate 1984
• Don’t get me wrong 1986
• Hymn to her 1986
• My baby 1987
• Room full of mirrors 1987
• Where has everybody gone ? 1987
• If there was a man 1987
• Windows of the world 1988
• Never do that 1990
• Hold a candle to this 1990
• Sense of purpose 1990
• I'm not in love 1994
• I’ll stand by you 1994
• Night in my veins 1994
• 977 1994
• Money talk 1994
• Goin' back 1997
• Loving you is all I know 1999
• Human 1999
• Popstar 1999
• You know who your friends are 2003
• Saving grace 2003
• The losing 2003
• Boots of Chinese plastic 2008
• Love's a mystery 2008
• Holy commotion 2016
• Let's get lost 2017
• The buzz 2020
• You can't hurt a fool 2020
• Hate for sale 2020
• Didn't want to be this lonely 2020
Clips :
1979 ... promising beginnings and very 1970s. A group carried at arm's length by a 'little' singer who will not stay that way for very long ...
1979 ... the potential of the group is obvious and clearly announces that this group is going to do great things. Even very big things !
1979 ... the HUGE intergalactic hit that will raise them to the rank of planetary stars overnight. Surely one of the biggest hits of that year and of the decade itself. HU-GE !
1980...despite the enormous success of the previous title, the 1980s will start in halftone with this new title which will pass somewhat under the radar...
1980 ... the confirmation of a certain talent. Undeniably one of their best titles ! In just 2 years the group will have become one of the big musical phenomena across the Channel and this is only the beginning ...
1981 ... return to the rock fundamentals of their origins. A somewhat mixed result but which at least has the merit of offering them their first success in the USA !
1981 ... not all titles will end at the top of the Charts but the quality is still present, it is clear. We will therefore largely be satisfied ...
1981... ditto for this one but no worries about them. Because given what is looming on the horizon, the group will directly set the record straight...
1981 ... the WONDER ! A HUGE Ultimate Slow which definitely consecrates them as one of the major groups of the decade. MA-GIC !
1981...a plethoric 1981 in terms of titles with winners and losers. Unfortunately this one will rather belong to the second category...
1982 ... a nice song, which will not remain as their best but which will still bring them one of their biggest planetary hits...
1982...this title will not really have the same destiny as its predecessor with a level of classification in the Charts, to say the least, limited...
1983 ... another nice ballad which shows that the group is particularly good in this so-called 'emotional' area
1983 ... a title radically opposed to the previous one, 100 % Rock and which spins at 200 km/h. A model of its kind !
1984...a 1984 that will not remain as their best Vintage. Good work once again but nothing transcendent as they say...
1984...certainly the level of success of this year 1984 will not be at the same level as the previous years but the quality is always in order and that is above all what is essential...
1984...the 'little' hit of the year. It is clear that all the titles that come out cannot finish No.1, which nevertheless puts this poor performance into perspective...
1984 ... a resounding return to the Intimist mode. Another magnificent title with obvious lyricism and inspiration of the highest order
1986 ... strong comeback on the Dance side with this fast-paced title which allows them to land a new global mega hit
1986 ... listen to that ! Once again very gently, all in finesse, absolutely magnificent ! One of the very few bands of the decade to alternate with such ease dance hits, rock hits and Intimist hits
1987 ... that one isn't bad either. A pure summary of all their influences history to have a global view of all their know-how...
1987...a sequel that will struggle to compete and will go somewhat unnoticed. It happens even to the best as they say...
1987 ... when you are chosen to appear on the soundtrack of a James Bond, it is rather flattering, to say the least. Unfortunately, the result will be somewhat disappointing...at least in the Charts
1987...always for the same soundtrack but this time on a title full of finesse. Once again the group brilliantly shows that hr can do in all registers...
1988 ... new soundtrack this time for the movie '1969'. As for success in the Charts, this one will unfortunately do no better than the one that preceded it ...
1990 ... a change of decade perfectly negotiated in particular thanks to this new title. A title that replaces them as one of the flagship groups on which we will be able to count on in the years to come ...
1990...this one will go a little more unnoticed but no worries about them at this stage. The adventure is far, very far from over...
1990 ... a beautiful year 1990 with quality on all levels. The group was able to bounce back as he should and it shows. At least it can be heard...
1994... here they are once again present on a soundtrack this time for the film "Indecent proposal" all thanks to this revisited version of the 10CC masterpiece dating from 1975. They will not be able to sublimate the original but their version has at least the merit of originality...
1994 ... after an absence of 4 years, they sign here a resounding return and deliver to us at the same time their 2nd WONDER ! For a pure rock band, a real feat ! They will have left in history 2 of the most beautiful Ultimate Slow of the decade, even of this end of the XXth century !
1994 ... their last notorious hit. Other titles will be released later but the group will never find the level of excellence of previous years...
1994 ... a last ballad of very large caliber to prove a new - and last - time that they are really among the best in this field !
1994...a plethoric year in terms of titles but not all of them will be popular with the public. This will be the case for this one which will go somewhat unnoticed...
1997...another small soundtrack to add to a counter that is already starting to count a few. This time it will be for the movie "Fever pitch"...
1999 ... that does not prevent to find them a few years later. The adventure is still not over for them at first sight !
1999 ... a late 90's on the hats of wheels with a plethora of titles and quality on every level. The proof once again with this particularly successful revisited version of the Divinyls title dating from 1996. A revisited version that will allow them to come back to the race a little bit ...
1999...a year 1999 which will be the last big success on the Singles Charts side. The rest will turn out to be much less favorable unfortunately...
2003 ... we regularly lose sight of them now and they keep coming back. A desire to move forward that commands respect, that's clear ...
2003 ... the group manages to maintain a quality level more than obvious and this whatever the decades. The brand of the Greats necessarily !
2003...even if this title will pass 'through' it confirms the fact that the group is still capable of producing titles that hold up. The proof...
2008 ... they disappear again for nearly 5 years and here they are back in this year 2008 in a form that we will qualify as certain. Sufficient in any case to continue to make talk about them ...
2008...certainly the success is now exclusively limited to the USA but it's still better than nothing as they say...
2016 ... and we lose sight of them for almost 8 years. With each title we tell ourselves that it will surely be the last and each time they come back. It is not beautiful that !
2017 ... who knew they would still be here in 2017 ? And yet, nothing and no one seems to be able to stop their desire to go further and further in the adventure ...
2020 ... and here they are entering their 6th decade! Many of their colleagues from the 1970s are long gone and they are still here. Respect as they say !
2020 ... another nice title of which they have the secret. The years may pass, their talent in the field of emotional titles does not weaken one iota. When is the next one ...?
2020...return to overspeed mode. Not sure if this is the best way to attract the general public and especially the younger generations...
2020... this title will also be supercharged to say the least, but unlike its predecessor, it will find favor with the public. Like what...
Top Bonus : when 2 stars from past decades decide to push the song together and revisit the title of one of them dating from 1990, the result is necessarily up to par...
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