The Pretty Things is a 1960s and 1970s rock and roll band from London. They pioneered a raw approach to rhythm and blues that influenced a number of key bands of the 1960s British invasion, particularly The Rolling Stones. Download high resolution version (728x729, 191 KB) This is an album cover. ... Image File history File links Flag_of_England. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences, first performed by African American artists. ... (world)Beat music is a music by the styles of Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Rock en español, Tropical, Salsa, and Merengue. ... The appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964, was the breakthrough moment of the burgeoning British Invasion. ... Psychedelia in music (or also psychedelic music, less formally) is a term that refers to a broad set of popular music styles, genres and scenes, that may include psychedelic rock, psychedelic folk, psychedelic pop, psychedelic soul, psychedelic ambient, psychedelic trance, psychedelic techno, and others. ... 1964 (MCMLXIV) was a leap year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1964 calendar). ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Fontana Records was a record label active in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1960s, as a subsiduary of the Dutch Phillips company. ... Columbias Magic Notes trade mark The Columbia Graphophone Company was one of the earliest gramophone companies in the United Kingdom. ... Laurie Records was started in 1958 by the brothers Bob and Gene Schwartz together with Elliott Greenberg and Allan I. Sussel. ... Motown Records, Inc. ... Harvest Records was a record label, formed by EMI in 1969 to promote progressive rock music and to compete with Philips Vertigo label and Deccas Deram labels. ... Warner Bros. ... Swan Song Records was a record label launched by Led Zeppelin on May 10, 1974. ... Snapper Music is an independent record label founded in 1996. ... Phil May (born Phillip Arthur Dennis Kattner, 9 November 1944, in Dartford, Kent), is a founding member of, and vocalist for, The Pretty Things. ... Dick Taylor performing with The Pretty Things in 1999. ... Brian Pendleton (born 13th April 1944 in Wolverhampton died 16th May 2001 in Maidstone, Kent) was an original member of 60s pop group The Pretty Things. ... John Charles Alder (born 29 November 1944), better known as Twink, is a British musician (drummer), singer and song writer) who was a central figure in the British psychedelic movement, and an actor. ... The 1960s decade refers to the years from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 1969, inclusive. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... In music, a band is a group of musicians, or musical ensemble, usually popular or folk, playing parts of a musical arrangement. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Rhythm and blues (also known as R&B or RnB) is a popular music genre combining jazz, gospel, and blues influences, first performed by African American artists. ... The appearance of The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, February 9, 1964, was the breakthrough moment of the burgeoning British Invasion. ... “Rolling Stones” redirects here. ...

Original band members

The Pretty Things were preceded by Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys, which consisted of Dick Taylor, fellow Sidcup Art College student Keith Richards and Mick Jagger. When Brian Jones joined the band as guitarist, Taylor was pushed from playing guitar to bass and the Rolling Stones were formed. Dick Taylor performing with The Pretty Things in 1999. ... Sidcup Art College was an art college in Sidcup, London Borough of Bexley (an outer suburb of Greater London near Kent), England. ... Keith Richards (born 18 December 1943) is an English guitarist, songwriter, singer and a founding member of The Rolling Stones in 1962. ... Sir Michael Phillip Mick Jagger CBE (born July 26, 1943) is an English rock musician, actor, songwriter, record and film producer and businessman. ... Lewis Brian Hopkin Jones (28 February 1942 – 3 July 1969) was the founding member, lead and rhythm guitarist and backing singer in the English rock group, The Rolling Stones. ...

Several months later, Taylor (born January 28, 1943, in Dartford, Kent) quit the newly formed Rolling Stones to pursue his schooling when he was accepted at London Central School of Art, where he met Phil May (born Phillip Arthur Dennis Wadey, on November 9, 1944, in Dartford, Kent) and they formed Pretty Things. January 28 is the 28th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1943 (MCMXLIII) was a common year starting on Friday (the link will display full 1943 calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Dartford is the principal town in the borough of Dartford. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... Phil May (born Phillip Arthur Dennis Kattner, 9 November 1944, in Dartford, Kent), is a founding member of, and vocalist for, The Pretty Things. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ...

Taylor was once again playing guitar with May singing and playing harmonica. They recruited Brian Pendleton (born April 13, 1944 in Wolverhampton – died May 16, 2001 in Maidstone, Kent) on rhythm guitar; John Stax (born John Edward Lee Fullegar, April 6, 1944 in Crayford, Kent) on bass; and Viv Prince (born Vivian St John Prince, August 9, 1941, in Loughborough, Leicestershire). Brian Pendleton (born 13th April 1944 in Wolverhampton died 16th May 2001 in Maidstone, Kent) was an original member of 60s pop group The Pretty Things. ... April 13 is the 103rd day of the year (104th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Wolverhampton is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands, England. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... Maidstone is the county town of Kent, England, halfway (30 miles) between the City of London and the English Channel. ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... For other uses, see Crayford (disambiguation). ... coat of Arms of Kent For other uses, see Kent (disambiguation). ... is the 221st day of the year (222nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the movie, see 1941 (film). ... Loughboroughs carillon Loughborough parish church The Brush engineering works Loughborough University Loughborough (pronounced locally as either , LUFF-burra or , LUFF-bruh, and more widely as [ˈlÊŒfËŒb(É™)ɹə]) is a town in Leicestershire, central England with a population of 57,600 as of 2004. ... Leicestershire ( IPA: (RP), IPA: (locally)), abbreviation Leics. ...

Early career

Pretty Things caused a sensation in England, and their first three singles — "Rosalyn" #41, "Don't Bring Me Down" #10, and the self-penned "Honey I Need" at #13 — appeared in the UK singles chart in 1964-1965. They never had a hit in the United States, but had considerable success in their native United Kingdom and in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the Netherlands in the middle of the decade. However, in the U.S. they, along with The Yardbirds and Van Morrison's Them, were a huge influence on hundreds of garage bands, including the MC5 and The Seeds. Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... Rosalyn is a Pretty Things song by Jimmy Duncan and Bill Farley. ... Dont Bring Me Down is a song written by Johnnie Dee, and first performed by the rock band, The Pretty Things in 1964. ... The UK Singles Chart is currently compiled by The Official UK Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the British record industry. ... Not to be confused with Yard Birds. ... George Ivan Morrison OBE (generally known as Van Morrison) (born August 31, 1945) is a singer-songwriter from Belfast, Northern Ireland. ... Them was a Northern Irish band formed in Belfast in April 1964, best known for the garage rock standard Gloria and launching singer Van Morrisons career. ... Garage rock is a raw form of rock and roll that enjoyed its original period of wide success in the United States and Canada, from 1963 to 1967. ... MC5 (short for Motor City Five) was a hard rock band formed in Detroit, Michigan, USA in 1964 and active until 1972. ... The Seeds were a 1960s rock and roll band whose raw and abrasive energy and simple, repetitive lyrics came to exemplify the garage rock style. ...

Their early material consisted of hard-edged blues-rock influenced by Bo Diddley (they took their name from Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing") and Jimmy Reed. They were known for wild stage behaviour and edgy lyrical content; their song "Midnight to Six Man" defined the mod lifestyle. Around this time, the first of what would be many personnel changes over the years also began, with Prince the first to go late in 1965. He was replaced by Skip Alan. Brian Pendleton left late in 1966, and was not initially replaced. Stax quit early in 1967. Jon Povey and Wally Waller joined to make the band a five piece once again. Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Bo Diddleys emphasis on rhythm largely influenced popular music, especially that of rock and roll in the 1960s. ... Jimmy Reed James Jimmy Mathis Reed (September 6, 1925 - August 29, 1976) was an important United States blues singer notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Brian Pendleton (born 13th April 1944 in Wolverhampton died 16th May 2001 in Maidstone, Kent) was an original member of 60s pop group The Pretty Things. ...

After a flirtation with mainstream pop on the Emotions album in 1967, they embraced psychedelia, producing the concept album S.F. Sorrow during 1967-68. This album, released in late 1968, is arguably one of the first rock operas, preceding The Who's Tommy by about a year. It was recorded in the legendary Abbey Road Studios six months after The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Each album shares a similar late-1960s psychedelic sound (as well as sharing the same record producer, Norman Smith). For popular forms of music in general, see Popular music. ... Psychedelia is a term describing a category of music, visual art, fashion, and culture that is associated originally with the high 1960s, hippies, and the Haight-Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, California. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... S.F. Sorrow is the title of a 1968 LP by British rock group The Pretty Things. ... The Whos Tommy, the first album explicitly billed as a rock opera A rock opera or rock musical is a musical production in the form of an opera or a musical in a modern rock and roll style rather than more traditional forms. ... This article needs additional references or sources for verification. ... Tommy (1969) is the first of The Whos two full-scale rock operas (the second being Quadrophenia), and the first musical work explicitly billed as a rock opera. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... The White Album, see The Beatles (album). ... The Beatles U.S. chronology Back cover The back cover of the original 1967 UK LP. This release featured (for the first time on a Beatles album) complete lyrics. ... Pink Floyd are an English rock band that earned recognition for their psychedelic rock music, and, as they evolved, for their avant-garde progressive rock music. ... The Piper at the Gates of Dawn is Pink Floyds debut album and the only one made under Syd Barretts leadership, although he made some contributions to the follow-up, A Saucerful of Secrets. ... For psychedelics, see psychedelic drug. ... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Norman Smith is a musician and record producer. ...

S.F. Sorrow was commercially unsuccessful, with no immediate release in the US. Their album was subsequently picked up by Motown Records and issued with a different cover on their Rare Earth label. Motown Records, also known as Tamla-Motown outside of the United States, is a record label originally based out of Detroit, Michigan (Motor City), where it achieved widespread international success. ... A rare earth is an oxide of a rare earth element. ...

S.F. Sorrow was followed by the highly-acclaimed record album Parachute, which kept the psychedelic sound and was named "Album of the Year" in 1970 by Rolling Stone. During this period they also recorded an album for a young French millionaire Philippe DeBarge, which was intended only to be circulated among his social circle. The acetate has since been bootlegged. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article is about the magazine. ... An acetate, or ethanoate, is a salt or ester of acetic acid. ... Bootlegging is an informal term for smuggling, sale or transport of illicit goods. ...

Later career

By late 1970, the group had gone their separate ways due to commercial failures, and Skip Alan was in a group called Sunshine. In 1971, Alan was driving with manager Bill Shepherd when he put on a tape of Parachute; Shepherd loved it, and asked who the band was. When Alan told him it was his last group, Shepherd asked what had happened to them and vowed to get them back together. Within three months, Shepherd had assembled May, Povey, Alan, Peter Tolson, and Stuart Brooks, and the group signed with Warner Bros. Records. Warner Bros. ...

From this point on, the group enjoyed less in the way of commercial success, but the devotion of a strong cult following, especially with critics and other rock musicians. Their material in the early 1970s tended towards more blues, hard rock and early heavy metal, on albums like Silk Torpedo. 1980's Cross Talk saw them incorporating influences of punk and new wave into their hard rock sound; like most of their records, it was not a commercial success. Blues is a vocal and instrumental form of music based on the use of the blue notes and a repetitive pattern that most often follows a twelve-bar structure. ... Hard rock is a variation of rock and roll music which has its earliest roots in mid-1960s garage and psychedelic rock. ... Heavy metal (sometimes referred to simply as metal) is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ... Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... New Wave is a term that has been used to describe many developments in music, but is most commonly associated with a movement in Western popular music, in the late 1970s and early 1980s inspired by the punk rock movement. ...

With a new manager, Mark St John, they performed sporadically during the 1980s. By the end of the decade their profile had almost disappeared. May and Taylor reformed the band for a successful European blues tour in late 1990 with Stan Webb's Chicken Shack and Luther Allison. This outfit included drummer Hans Waterman (formerly of Dutch rock group Solution), bassist Roelf ter Velt and guitarist/keyboardist Barkley McKay (Waco Brothers and Pine Valley Cosmonauts with Jon Langford of Mekons fame). This line up regularly toured the European mainland, playing a revitalised set that showcased their earlier, rootsy blues and R&B material, until late 1994. By 1995, they reformed the Cross Talk line-up and added Frank Holland on guitar in place of Peter Tolson. Their label, Snapper Music, issued remastered CDs with many bonus tracks, plus a DVD of a re-recording of S.F. Sorrow at Abbey Road Studios (with Dave Gilmour and Arthur Brown as guest players). They played a tour of the U.S. for the first time in decades. Stan Webb (born Stanley Webb, 3 February 1946, in Fulham, South London, England) is the lead guitarist with the blues band, Chicken Shack. ... Chicken Shacks 1969 album, 100 Ton Chicken Chicken Shack were a British blues band of the late 1960s, consisting of Christine Perfect (vocals and keyboards), Stan Webb (guitar and vocals), Andy Sylvester (bass guitar), and Alan Morley (drums). ... Luther Allison (August 17, 1939–August 12, 1997) was an American blues guitarist. ... The first album Solution. ... Jon Langford is a Welsh-born musician and artist who is based in Chicago. ... The Mekons are a punk rock/post punk band. ... CD may stand for: Compact Disc Canadian Forces Decoration Cash Dispenser (at least used in Japan) CD LPMud Driver Centrum-Demokraterne (Centre Democrats of Denmark) Certificate of Deposit České Dráhy (Czech Railways) Chad (NATO country code) Chalmers Datorförening (computer club of the Chalmers University of Technology) a 1960s... DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... David Gilmour, as photographed for the Pink Floyd album Meddle. ... Brown on the cover of The Crazy World of Arthur Browns Nightmare single The Rev. ...

Original rhythm guitarist Brian Pendleton died of lung cancer on May 16, 2001. The following year ex-keyboard player Gordon Edwards died of a drug overdose. Lung cancer is the malignant transformation and expansion of lung tissue, and is the most lethal of all cancers worldwide, responsible for 1. ... May 16 is the 136th day of the year (137th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2001 (MMI) was a common year starting on Monday (link displays the 2001 Gregorian calendar). ... A drug overdose occurs when a drug is ingested in quantities and/or concentrations large enough to overwhelm the homeostasis of a living organism, causing severe illness or death. ...

In the early 2000's, they released new recordings, including a live album and the studio album Rage Before Beauty.

In 2003, Alan Lakey's biography of the band, Growing Old Disgracefully, was published by Firefly. The book dealt with the long and involved history of the band, and paid special attention to the legal proceedings issued against EMI in the 1990s. An extensively re-written version is expected to be published towards the end of 2007 with, on this occasion, the full co-operation of the band. The EMI Group (LSE: EMI) is a British music company comprising of the major record company EMI Music which operates several labels, based in Kensington in London, England, and EMI Music Publishing, based in New York. ...

The band — now signed to the Cote Basque record label — have just finished recording their latest album, Balboa Island, to be released in Summer 2007.

Trivia

• Some of Pretty Things' mid-Sixties singles were written by US soul belter J.J. Jackson and Pierre Tubbs.
• The band made some extra money by recording a number of songs for low-budget films including What's Good For the Goose (1969), Haunted House of Horror (1969), and even a couple of softcore porn films. Not intended for official release, these songs were later compiled on two records and released under the alias Electric Banana: Electric Banana (1967), More Electric Banana (1968), Even More Electric Banana (1969), Hot Licks (1970), and Return of the Electric Banana (1978). The initial releases featured one side of vocal and one side of instrumental tracks. Subsequent releases of these albums generally keep the true identity of the band secret.
• The track "Cause I'm a Man" is also featured in George A. Romero's film Dawn of the Dead (1978).
• The Pretty Things were among the many bands and artists who employed session drummer Bobby Graham, who played on their first two albums.
• The songs "Rosalyn" and "Don't Bring Me Down" were both covered by David Bowie on his cover album Pin Ups (1973).

It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Belt (music). ... Jerome Louis J.J. Jackson is a soul/R&B singer (belter), songwriter and arranger. ... Pierre Tubbs is an English songwriter and music producer. ... Pornography ... George Romero at the 2006 DragonCon George Andrew Romero (born February 4, 1940) is an American director, writer, editor and actor. ... For the remake, see Dawn of the Dead (2004 film) Dawn of the Dead (also known as Zombi) is a 1978 Italian/American independent zombie horror film. ... Bobby Graham (born Robert Graham Neate on March 11, 1940 in Edmonton, London) is a session musician and has been described as the most incredible drummer in the United Kingdom, or alternatively, Europe. ... David Bowie (IPA: []) (born David Robert Jones on 8 January 1947) is an English singer, songwriter, actor, multi-instrumentalist, producer, arranger and audio engineer. ... Pin Ups is a 1973 covers album by David Bowie. ...

Albums

• The Pretty Things (1965) - UK Number 6
• Get the Picture (1965)
• Emotions (1967)
• S.F. Sorrow (1968)
• Parachute (1970)
• Freeway Madness (1972) – this album had leanings towards country music.
• Silk Torpedo (1974)
• Savage Eye (1975)
• Cross Talk (1980)
• Live At Heartbreak Hotel (1984)
• Out of the Island (1987)
• Unrepentant (1995)
• Resurrection (1999)
• Rage... Before Beauty (1999)
• LT 4 CB (1999)

As Electric Banana (Music for Film) 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1965 (MCMLXV) was a common year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1965 calendar). ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... S.F. Sorrow is the title of a 1968 LP by British rock group The Pretty Things. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Cross Talk, released in 1980 is the Pretty Things ninth studio album Im Calling (May/Tolson) Edge of the Night (May/Waller) Sea of Blue (May/Tolson) Lost That Girl (May) Bitter End (May/Povey) Office Love (May/Tolson) Falling Again (May/Waller) Its So Hard (May/Tolson... Year 1980 (MCMLXXX) was a leap year starting on Tuesday (link displays the 1980 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1984 (MCMLXXXIV) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1987 (MCMLXXXVII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display full 1995 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ...

• Electric Banana (1967)
• More Electric Banana (1968)
• Even More Electric Banana (1969)
• Hot Licks (1970)
• The Return Of The Electric Banana (1978)

As Pretty Things/Yardbird Blues Band (Phil May and Dick Taylor with Jim McCarty of the Yardbirds) 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Year 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar). ... Jim McCarty was a guitarist from Michigan. ... Yardbirds album cover The Yardbirds were an early British rock band, noted for spawning the careers of several of rock musics most famous guitarists, including Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Jimmy Page. ...

• The Chicago Blues Tapes 1991 (1991)

Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ...

External links

• Pretty Things website
• Brian Pendleton website
• The Pretty Things at All Music Guide