Make It New: The Pretenders – “Pretenders” (1980)

At this point, it’s hard to break too far from the formula of New Wave. No matter how unique every band is, there is assumption that they fizzled out shortly before the 1980s ended only to come back in the 2000s after a hiatus. In the case of The Pretenders, the story is a wonderful remix of expectations as not only does it feature some noteworthy early collaborations and deaths, but their self-titled debut is arguably one of the most boilerplate albums that the genre has produced. It can be argued that there have been better New Wave albums, but nothing speaks to the heart of what it stands for quite like a record packed with several hits and a legacy that has only grown from here. Alongside heavyweights like The Bangles and Duran Duran, they proved to be an inescapable force from the beginning.

Going into the 1980 record “Pretenders,” I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. While I had some assumptions of what they sounded like, I wasn’t sure if I was mistaking “Back on the Chain Gang” with a similarly named Fleetwood Mac track. Coming out the other side, I realized they had more hits than I originally expected. More than that, they were that perfect crossover from the erratic noise of late-70s punk and the experimental and artful direction of New Wave. I love the aggression alongside the focus. I am a sucker for a great bassist, and The Pretenders have something going on here. It may not be the perfect album, but it’s one of those debuts you hear and immediately want to hear more. In a sense, they are among the very peak of quintessential New Wave.

The origin story is a great cross-section of unexpected forces coming together. While the band formed in Hereford, England, singer Chrissie Hynde was from The United States. In 1973, Hynde moved from Akron, OH to London to begin working for the music paper NME. She was also an employee for Malcolm McLaren and Vivienne Westwood’s clothing stores. Given McLaren’s penchant for forming music groups like The Sex Pistols and Bow Wow Wow, it made sense that she would try to form some musical connections to launch her career. During her early days, she was in a handful of groups like Masters of the Backside and The Moors Murderers. Nothing lasted and, more appallingly, McLaren and Bernie Rhodes would swoop up her talented partners including members of The Damned and The Clash. Sid Vicious, whom Hynde taught to play guitar, would eventually be recruited for The Sex Pistols. This led to frustration and more concerted efforts to start her own band.

The band would feature Pete Farndon (bass), James Honeyman-Scott (guitar), and Gerry Mcilduff (drums) and would record five tracks as an unknown group at Regents Park Studio around July 1978. Mcilduff would be replaced by Martin Chambers and it wouldn’t be long until the band would be named The Pretenders. This stemmed from The Platters song “The Great Pretender” that was a favorite song of one of Hynde’s former boyfriends. 

Among the songs that earned them immediate attention was a cover of The Kinks’ “Stop Your Sobbing.” Ironically, producer Nick Lowe decided to stop working with them afterwards believing that The Pretenders were “not going anywhere.” As a result, Chris Thomas took over duties as they began to record their debut from 1978-1979. In another strange twist of fate, Hynde would meet The Kinks’ singer Ray Davies shortly after and have a child with him. However, the relationship wasn’t a long term investment otherwise.

From a distance, I tend to agree with Lowe’s views on The Pretenders following “Stop Your Sobbing.” While it was a debut single that garnered a modicum of success, it’s not necessarily a cover that inspires. Hynde’s vocal work is expressive and the orchestration is upbeat and fun, but it’s far from even the other songs on the record. It lacks the emotional weight and antagonism that other songs like “Precious” or “Brass in Pocket” has. There is something about every other song on here that makes you understand what made them stand out. “Kid” was a song about a child discovering his mother was a prostitute. It’s a shockingly tender song with depth that shows Hynde’s confidence and independence as vocalist and lyricist. 

To move back to the beginning, “Precious” is everything that a strong opener should be. Hynde’s style could be considered as sporadic and more stream of consciousness. It’s chaotic within the catchy rhythm, finding these odd analogies for how precious can be misconstrued. I love what it’s going for and think that the tongue-in-cheek nature presents this personality that a pop band needs in order to stand out. There needs to be a hook, and while this song isn’t flat out funny, it still amuses with how carefree the production is. Had Lowe recorded something like this, I’d be more willing to call him a madman. However, credit to Thomas for making something that hits like a wrecking ball, finding ways to break the typical rock structure and reassemble it with small idiosyncrasies.

“The Phone Call” is probably the biggest odd duck on the record if just because it’s supposed to imitate a poor phone signal. Compared to the clarity and focus of the opener, this feels more like a B-Side that doesn’t deliver anything memorable. If anything, it sounds unfinished. This could be because the band admits that certain effects weren’t finished in time for the final pressing. It’s a good idea to help The Pretenders stand out, but I think it immediately causes a disconcerting doubt that this record could be more than a handful of decent singles.

From here, I think the record becomes more and more interesting the further into the track listing that we get. While a lot of the record feels geared in straightforward rock, Hynde is giving every track a unique flair with lyrics that capture something more provocative. There isn’t a stereotypical love song here. Tracks like “Up the Neck” and “Tattooed Love Boys” capture something risqué and unexpected for romanticism. It’s the subversion necessary to paint a contemporary view of youth and rebellion. It’s not exactly punk, but it carries the sneer and independence the genre carries through often tender and thought-provoking manners. 

The aforementioned “Kid” is where the record starts to get into the promise of a band thinking long term. The lyrics are conversational, finding Hynde talking to the listener about what it means to be a prostitute. She claims that it’s not autobiographical, but it doesn’t stop it from feeling personal and full of a rich experience. As one of the slower songs on the record, it manages to convey the nuances of a stigmatized career without condemning it. More than anything, The Pretenders as a group feel shocking less because they say anything profane but more because songs like “Kid” and “Brass in Pocket” paint a sex positivity that has become more taboo in years to come. This isn’t to say that Hynde is painting herself as a skank, but more suggesting that people attracted to sexual encounters are humans deserving of respect. 

Another misnomer on the record is “Private Life,” which finds the band digging into reggae. While I don’t necessarily think it’s as successful as Madness, The Police, or English Beat, there is still something compelling about this left turn. As the longest track on the record at 6.5 minutes, it’s a chance to slow down and think about other conflicts. The versatile shift towards meditate tracks around the halfway point proves to be an effective switch. It allows for the listener to catch their breath and recognize Hynde’s ability to croon in different registers. For someone so associated with early punk, “Private Life” finds a moment where she reveals the potential long game. She’s got the chops to do balladry and experiment in ways that many New Wave bands wouldn’t be able to.

The final stretch features some of the early Pretenders standouts. “Brass In Pocket” and “Mystery Achievement” were both singles that I was familiar with. While I think the latter is a little less successful, they each feature some excellent chorus work that captures small moments that draw the listener in. “Brass In Pocket” especially has great buoyancy that finds her able to find just the right level of pop in the hook. 

As mentioned, I don’t necessarily think that this is a great record. It’s far from perfect and mostly features potential more than any great focus. I love their ability to jump from style to style and present their own lyrical worldview in a manner that is provocative and fresh. Like the best of New Wave, it’s about presenting something familiar yet also new. While there’s a lot of hooks that may carryover from more palatable genres, it’s done in a way that is more dissonance. Hynde’s lyrics feel less indebted to expectations and find her willing to explore difficult or taboo subjects with an earnestness that elevates the band beyond novelty. The fact that “Kid” has such a strange topic at its core only proves what they’re capable of.

The immediate success was evident. Along with having four singles, the band would go platinum in The United States. However, there would be immediate conflicts following their second album “Pretenders II.” The official line-up was about to crumble as Honeyman-Scott died of heart failure in 1982. Meanwhile, Farndon drowned in his bathtub in 1983. While this would signal for most bands to break-up and consider new careers, it wouldn’t take long for The Pretenders to find a new line-up. By 1983, they found replacements and would be on their way to their third record “Learning to Crawl.” Despite early success, The Pretenders were also a group who only made bigger hits as the years carried on.

Between 1980 and 1990, the band released five albums. In most stories, this would be about where the burnout sets in. However, The Pretenders were one of the rare New Wave groups to not disband following an initial success period. This may in part be attributed to Hynde being the only original member and thus controlled the operation. It could also be that they lucked into musicians who just liked collaborating with each other. Along with regular touring, the band would release 12 records with the most recent being “Relentless” in 2023. Meanwhile, Hynde would release three solo records including a Bob Dylan covers album in 2021. 

Overall, it’s hard to say that The Pretenders’ longevity is owed to the same luck of other New Wave peers. While groups like Depeche Mode or The B-52s would keep their core essence throughout decades, this group feels – like their name suggests – a mirage. Hynde is an undeniable talent and The Pretenders have released a lot of great music. There’s no denying that there will always be a draw for them even if they’re no longer as much of a household name. They are New Wave royalty and I think helped to shape the genre for the better. It may sound more conventional than some of the more experimental corners of this column like Soft Boys or Buggles, but they had the element of surprise. They were musically fun, but their lyrics could be disorienting. It makes sense why their self-titled debut ranks among the most beloved records of the era. It may not be my favorite, but it’s definitely an addictive little piece of music. 

Coming Up Next: Talk Talk – “Spirit of Eden” (1988)