Brand new deluxe editions of Pretenders and Pretenders II Curated by Chrissie Hynde

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. 

 

On 5th November, 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.

Tracklisting

Pretenders (Deluxe Edition) – 3CD

CD1 – Original Album & B-Sides

Original Album

Precious

The Phone Call

Up The Neck

Tattooed Love Boys

Space Invader

The Wait

Stop Your Sobbing

Kid

Private Life

Brass In Pocket

Lovers Of Today

Mystery Achievement

B-Sides

Cuban Slide

Porcelain

The Wait (Nick Lowe Version)

Nervous But Shy

Swinging London

 

CD2 – Demos & BBC In Studio

Demos

The Phone Call

Suicide*

Brass In Pocket

Precious

The Wait

I Can’t Control Myself

Stop Your Sobning

Tequila

Kid

I Go To Sleep*

Do I Love You*

BBC In Session: The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979

The Wait (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*

Up The Neck (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*

Stop Your Sobbing (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*

Private Life (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*

Cuban Slide (The Kid Jensen Show, February 5th, 1979)*

BBC In Session: The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979

Mystery Achievement (The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979)

I Need Somebody (The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979)

Tattooed Love Boys (The Kid Jensen Show, July 2nd, 1979)*

 

CD3 – Live

BBC In Session: Live at The Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979

The Wait (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Stop Your Sobbing (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Kid (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Cuban Slide (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Brass In Pocket (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Tattooed Love Boys (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Mystery Achievement (Live at Paris Theatre, London, January 2nd, 1979)*

Warner Bros. Music Show: Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)*

Space Invader (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

The Wait (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)

Kid Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

Private Life Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

Cuban Slide Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

The Phone Call Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)*

Talk Of The Town Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

Tattooed Love Boys Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)

Up The Neck Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

Mystery Achievement Precious (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

Stop Your Sobbing (Live at the Paradise Theater, Boston, March 23rd 1980)**

 

Pretenders (2018 Remaster) – 1LP Red

Precious

The Phone Call

Up The Neck

Tattooed Love Boys

Space Invader

The Wait

Stop Your Sobbing

Kid

Private Life

Brass In Pocket

Lovers Of Today

Mystery Achievement

 

Pretenders II (Deluxe Edition) – 3CD

CD1 – Original Album

The Adultress

Bad Boys Get Spanked

Message Of Love

I Go To Sleep

Birds Of Paradise

Talk Of The Town

Pack It Up

Waste Not Want Not

Day After Day

Jealous Dogs

The English Roses

Louie Louie

 

CD2 – Studio Demos, Singles & Alternates

Talk Of The Town (Demo)

What You Gonna Do About It

I Go To Sleep (Guitar Version – Outtake)

Pack It Up (Radio Mix – Outtake)

Day After Day (Single Mix)

In The Sticks

Louie Louie (Monitor Mix)*

Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980

Precious (Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980)

Space Invader (Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980)*

Cuban Slide (Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980)*

Porcelain (Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980)*

Tattooed Love Boys (Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980)*

Up The Neck (Live in Central Park, NYC, August 30th 1980)*

 

CD3 – Live At The Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981

The Wait (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

The Adultress (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Message Of Love (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Louie Louie (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Talk Of The Town (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Birds Of Paradise (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

The English Roses (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Stop Your Sobbing (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Private Life (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Kid (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Day After Day (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Up The Neck (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Bad Boys Get Spanked (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Tattooed Love Boys (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)*

Precious (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)*

Brass In Pocket (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

Mystery Achievement (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)*

Higher And Higher (Live at the Santa Monica Civic, September 4th 1981)

 Pretenders II (2018 Remaster) – 1LP White

The Adultress

Bad Boys Get Spanked

Message Of Love

I Go To Sleep

Birds Of Paradise

Talk Of The Town

Pack It Up

Waste Not Want Not

Day After Day

Jealous Dogs

The English Roses

Louie Louie

 

*previously unreleased

**first time on CD