Birthdays | CHRISSIE HYNDE

Happy birthday to Chrissie Hynde, born in Akron, Ohio on this day in 1951. 

Now the reason we're here, every man, every woman, is to love each other, stand by each other.

THE PRETENDERS

Message Of Love

thanks to

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Songwriters’ Circle : JOHN CALE, NICK CAVE, CHRISSIE HYNDE

John Cale, Nick Cave & Chrissie Hynde - Songwriters' Circle, Subterania Club, London, Britain, 7-9-1999

Paul says : I recently discovered a bunch of "Songwriters' Circle" albums, and I plan on posting more of them soon. Most of them are pretty hard to find, except this one. It probably gets around more due to the star line-up of John Cale (formerly of the Velvet Underground), Nick Cave, and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders.

By the way, I've already posted two Songwriters' Circle albums. They all follow the same format, in which three singer-songwriters are chosen and take turns singing songs in an acoustic format. Sometimes they join in a bit on each other's songs, sometimes not. Then, at the end, they usually sing a song together. 

I've already posted two such shows. Here's one with Jimmy Webb, Chip Taylor, and Nick Lowe:

https://albumsthatshouldexist.blogspot.com/2023/03/jimmy-webb-chip-taylor-nick-lowe.html

And here's one with Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega, and Loudon Wainwright III:

https://albumsthatshouldexist.blogspot.com/2022/12/richard-thompson-suzanne-vega-loudon.html

I have figured out all of these come from a BBC TV show called "Songwriters' Circle." But the odd thing is, this show has had two brief runs. There were a bunch of shows in 1999, including the one I'm posting here. Then there was a second bunch in 2010 and 2011. There haven't been any since. All the episodes remain unreleased as audio albums, but you can often find the videos of them on YouTube.

For this show, I found out there are two versions. One ends with "The Ship Song," and goes into a BBC DJ announcing the end of the show. Another has one more song, a cover of "I'm Waiting for the Man" by the Velvet Underground. I used the shorter version for most of this concert, since I had that in better quality. But I added in the extra song from the other version.

This album is 49 minutes long.

01 talk (John Cale)
02 Dying on the Vine (John Cale)
03 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
04 Talk of the Town (Chrissie Hynde)
05 talk (Nick Cave)
06 West Country Girl (Nick Cave)
07 Thoughtless Kind (John Cale)
08 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
09 Kid (Chrissie Hynde)
10 talk (Nick Cave)
11 Henry Lee (Nick Cave)
12 talk (John Cale)
13 Fear Is a Man's Best Friend (John Cale)
14 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
15 I'll Stand by You (Chrissie Hynde)
16 talk (Nick Cave)
17 Into My Arms (Nick Cave)
18 talk (John Cale)
19 Ship of Fools (John Cale)
20 Back on the Chain Gang (Chrissie Hynde)
21 The Ship Song (Nick Cave)
22 talk (Chrissie Hynde)
23 I'm Waiting for the Man (John Cale, Nick Cave & Chrissie Hynde)

Simply put . . . . . wow! This seems rare as hen’s teeth but you may know different yet I love these three and the Songwriters’ Circle has thrown up some fascinating bedfellows!

Check this!  

John Cale - Ship Of Fools (oh you KNOW it!)

Waiting For My Man - Hynde, Cave & Cale!

Songwriters’ Circle - John Cale, Nick Cave & Chrissie Hynde complete

Birthdays : Chrissie Hynde (legend) of The Pretenders

 Happy birthday to Chrissie Hynde, born in Akron, Ohio on this day in 1951. 

Now the reason we're here, every man, every woman, is to love each other, stand by each other.

THE PRETENDERS- MESSAGE OF LOVE

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THE PRETENDERS : BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG | Top Hat Crew's "Live Music Archives” : Facebook

A long term favourite and Chrissie is a force to be reckoned with in my book, great writer, great rocker . . .  

So let’s start the week with the same song nearly thirty years apart and yes I bought the ex-jukebox single when it came out some forty two years ago!

Pretenders - Back On The Chain Gang (Live Aid 1985)

Chrissie Hynde - Back On The Chain Gang at Radio 2 Live in Hyde Park 2014

Top Hat Crew's "Live Music Archives"

Time for some more Chrissie!

On this day in music history: January 21, 1984 - “Learning To Crawl”, the third album by The Pretenders is released. Produced by Chris Thomas, it is recorded at AIR Studios in London from July 1982 - October 1983. Following the release of The Pretenders second full length album “Pretenders II”, the band begin to experience problems when lead guitarist James Honeyman-Scott and bassist Pete Farndon are both struggling with substance abuse problems. Things come to a head when Farndon is fired from the band on June 14, 1982. Two days later June 16, 1982, James Honeyman-Scott dies suddenly of a drug overdose. Then ten months later on April 14, 1983, Pete Farndon also succumbs, having overdosed on heroin and drowned in his bathtub after taking the fatal dose. In spite of these tragedies, bandleader and lead vocalist Chrissie Hynde and drummer Martin Chambers continue, with Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner, Big Country bassist Tony Butler and bassist Andrew Bodnar (Graham Parker & Rumour) filling in until permanent replacements can be found. In the interim, they record the tracks “Back On The Chain Gang” (#5 Pop), “My City Was Gone” (#11 Mainstream Rock), and a cover of The Persuaders soul classic “Thin Line Between Love And Hate” (#83 Pop). The first two tracks are released as a stand alone single in late 1982, with “Chain Gang” also being featured in the Martin Scorsese film “The King Of Comedy”. When recording on the bands’ third album resumes, guitarist Robbie McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster are recruited to fill out the line up. The albums’ title is inspired by Hynde’s then infant daughter Natalie who was “learning to crawl” during the recording sessions. It spins off a total of four singles including “Middle Of The Road” (#19 Pop) and “Show Me” (#28 Pop). In 2007, the album is remastered and reissued on CD, featuring seven additional bonus tracks. In 2012, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab issues the title as a limited edition, individually numbered hybrid SACD and 180 gram LP. In 2015, UK reissue label Edsel Records releases a two CD + DVD Deluxe Edition. The first disc features the original ten track album, with the second including B-sides, live tracks and demos. The DVD features all of the original music videos made for the singles, plus two TV performances of “2000 Miles”. Demon also releases the album as a 180 gram vinyl LP"Learning To Crawl" peaks at number five on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.

Chrissie Hynde and The Pretenders

'Don't Get Me Wrong'

In the long tradition of songs pleading to not be misunderstood this is classic Chrissie at her songwriting best. I think I was still buying every single of The Pretenders when they came out but may have slipped this from its cover by finding it in the ex-jukebox bins which I did often (I know how much of this reads as if I was made of money and first world problems not being able to buy a single when it came out makes me seem irritatingly middle class but I wasn't made of money and tried every which way to buy the latest sound, bargain bins were something featured heavily in my searches throughout a range of record shops, my local home town having around 6-10 record shops, some 3 on the same main street at one point and the ex-jukebox single was a bargain shop ploy that today we probably don't recall or means less than nothing)

On this day in music history: November 4, 1986 - “Get Close”, the fourth album by The Pretenders is released. Produced by Bob Clearmountain, Steve Lillywhite and Jimmy Iovine, it is recorded at AIR Studios in London, The Power Station and Right Track Recording Studios in New York City, Bearsville Studios in Bearsville, NY and Polar Studios in Stockholm, Sweden from Spring - Fall 1986. Following the Platinum selling “Learning To Crawl”, original drummer Martin Chambers is fired from The Pretenders when leader Chrissie Hynde feels that his playing abilities are no longer up to snuff. In the wake of this, bassist Malcolm Foster also quits the band. Hynde replaces them  with Blair Cunningham (drums) and T.M. Stevens (bass). The sessions are also augmented with other outside musicians including Bernie Worrell, Carlos Alomar, Mel Gaynor, Simon Phillips, Steve Jordan, Bruce Thomas, on various tracks. It spins off three singles including “Don’t Get Me Wrong” (#10 Pop) and “My Baby” (#64 Pop). The music video for “Don’t Get Me Wrong” pays tribute to the 60’s TV series “The Avengers”, with Hynde playing the role of Emma Peel, originated by actress Diana Rigg. This line up of the band only lasts for this one album as Cunningham and Stevens clash with Chrissie Hynde over musical differences, and depart following the tour in support of the album. “Close” is remastered and reissued on CD in 2007 with six additional bonus tracks added. It is remastered and reissued again in 2015 as a two CD + DVD deluxe edition. Disc one contains the original eleven song album, with the second disc featuring sixteen additional bonus tracks. The DVD featuring three music videos and two television appearances from 1986. The album is also reissued as a 180 gram vinyl LP in 2015.  "Get Close" peaks at number twenty five on the Billboard Top 200, and is certified Gold in the US by the RIAA.

thanks to Jeff Harris' Behind The Grooves 

seminal moments in music history  . . . . . .

THE PRETENDERS - BACK ON THE CHAIN GANG

Chrissie was on TV last week and seemed comfortable, relaxed and funny on a hokey One Show setting she might have cause to be uncomfortable it seemed but she was delightful and the band proved they were just still rocking and on fire in terms of being able to set up and just play live in front of BBC studio outside.

I sometimes forget or take for granted how brilliant Chrissie is and consider her one of the finest songwriters and voices of the era, she is a rock chick with poetic sensibilities and great writing skills . . . . . . check this out if you don't believe me. I think this is as close to perfection as modern 'pop' songs have ever become. This arrangement with the bass, drums and fine fine guitar augmented by Chrissie on rhythm and a pedal steel is down right wonderful. TURN IT UP!