The Pretenders
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The Pretenders Biography
Over the years, the Pretenders became a vehicle for
guitarist/vocalist Chrissie Hynde's songwriting, yet it was a
full-fledged band when it was formed in the late '70s. With their
initial records, the group crossed the bridge between punk/new wave and
Top 40 pop more than any other band, recording a series of hard, spiky
singles that were also melodic and immediately accessible. Hynde was an
invigorating, sexy singer who bent the traditional male roles of rock
& roll to her own liking, while guitarist James Honeyman-Scott
created a sonic palate filled with suspended chords, effects pedals,
and syncopated rhythms that proved remarkably influential over the next
two decades. After Honeyman-Scott's death, the Pretenders became a more
straightforward rock band, yet Hynde's semi-autobiographical
songwriting and bracing determination meant that the group never became
just another rock band, even when their music became smoother and more
pop-oriented.
Originally from Akron, OH, Hynde moved to England in the early '70s,
when she was in her twenties. British rock journalist Nick Kent helped
her begin writing for New Musical Express; she wrote for the newspaper
during the mid-'70s. She also worked in Malcolm McLaren's SEX boutique
before she began performing. After playing with Chris Spedding, she
joined Jack Rabbit; she quickly left the band and formed the Berk
Brothers.
In 1978, Hynde formed the Pretenders, which eventually consisted of
Honeyman-Scott, bassist Pete Farndon, and drummer Martin Chambers.
Later in the year, they recorded a version of Ray Davies' Stop Your
Sobbing produced by Nick Lowe. The single made it into the British Top
40 in early 1979. Kid and Brass in Pocket, the group's next two
singles, also were successful. Their self-titled debut album was
released in early 1980 and eventually climbed to number one in the U.K.
The Pretenders were nearly as successful in America, with the album
reaching the Top Ten and Brass in Pocket reaching number 14.
During an American tour in 1980, Hynde met Ray Davies and the two fell
in love. Following a spring 1981 EP, Extended Play, the group released
their second album, Pretenders II. Although it fared well on the
charts, it repeated the musical ideas of their debut. In June of 1982,
Pete Farndon was kicked out of the band, due to his drug abuse. A mere
two days later on June 16, James Honeyman-Scott was found dead of an
overdose of heroin and cocaine. Pregnant with Davies' child, Hynde went
into seclusion following Honeyman-Scott's death. In 1983, two months
after Hynde gave birth, Farndon also died of a drug overdose.
Hynde regrouped the Pretenders in February 1983, adding former Manfred
Mann's Earth Band guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster;
the reconstituted band released 2000 Miles in time for Christmas. The
new Pretenders released Learning to Crawl early in 1984 to positive
reviews and commercial success. Ending her romance with Ray Davies,
Hynde married Jim Kerr, the lead vocalist of Simple Minds, in May of
1984.
Apart from a performance at Live Aid, the only musical activity from
the Pretenders during 1985 was Hynde's appearance on UB40's version of
I Got You Babe. Hynde assembled another version of the Pretenders for
1986's Get Close. Only she and McIntosh remained from Learning to
Crawl; the rest of the album was recorded with session musicians. Get
Close showed the Pretenders moving closer to MOR territory, with the
bouncy single Don't Get Me Wrong making its way into the American Top
Ten in 1987. Hynde recorded another duet with UB40 in 1988, a cover of
Dusty Springfield's Breakfast in Bed.
Hynde's marriage to Kerr fell apart in 1990, the same year the
Pretenders released Packed!, which failed to ignite the charts in
either America or Britain. She was relatively quiet for the next few
years, re-emerging in 1994 with Last of the Independents, which was
hailed as a comeback by some quarters of the press. The album did
return the Pretenders to the Top 40 with the ballad I'll Stand by
You. In the fall of 1995, the Pretenders released the live album Isle
of View, then remained silent for a few years. Hynde finally returned
in 1999 with an album of new material, Viva el Amor. Three years later,
the Pretenders left their longtime label for Artemis. The reggae-tinged
Loose Screw appeared in November and a tour followed in January 2003.
In March 2006, the Pretenders released their first-ever box set, Pirate
Radio, via Rhino. The four-disc package included over five hours of
music and a DVD of rare performances. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All
Music Guide
Written by Stephen Thomas Erlewine