I may have put this up before, so sue me if I did. It’s my favorite Pretenders song, featuring the inimitable Chrissie Hynde on vocals. “Don’t get me wrong” (1986) was also of Hynde’s composition, and I like it because it has some SCIENCE in it. But mainly I like it because it’s a real rocker, and its driving and almost monotonic beat is what I need to wake up this morning: I’m having a latte with three shots of espresso (my own making; I eschew the overpriced Starbucks because, like Dan Arel, I hate capitalism). If you want to hear another favorite, “Back on the Chain Gang”, sung in the same London concert, go to this video.
Fun fact: Hynde was born in Akron, Ohio.
Bloody hell – was it as late as that? [Mumble … fading memory … mumble]
The joys of aging gracelessly.
“Growing old disgracefully” has been a family tradition I’m willing to uphold.
“… a family
traditiondelusion …”FIFY. 🙂
I will forever associate this song with the opening credits to the movie “Gung Ho”, a politically incorrect movie that I nonetheless thoroughly enjoyed.
I saw The Pretenders once, years ago. Before the show started Chrissie Hynde came on stage and asked for a show of hands of those who stopped at McDonalds on the way or had a nice steak dinner before the show. Once everyone’s hands were raised she said that she hoped that every damned one of us died of cancer and went to hell where we were eternally eaten by animals. Everyone cheered and the show started.
Unlike with Abba, I’m in agreement with PCC about Chrissie Hynde. I’d always thought she was English, probably because of the Pretenders. She had a unique voice and delivery that wasn’t obviously English or American.
I liked her collaboration with UB40 on “I Got You Babe” – a cheerful little song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aP4GaAruws
But a lot of her songs are a little off-beat or enigmatic – like Creep
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lML2N4xB9GU
or Hymn to Her
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwdZPzz2qLE
cr
Chrissie’s got some strong Brit connections, including a kid with Kink’s frontman Ray Davies. But in her way, she’s a Rubber City gal, through and through.
A big favorite, both the band/Hynde and the song. I love the little drum thing right near the end of this song; such a little thing, but a hook you anticipate.
She/they do a number of great covers as well. Besides “Creep,” check out “Not A Second Time,” “Windows of the World,” and “Needle and the Damage Done.”
And of course original songs like “The Wait” (the best rock song with almost no intelligible lyrics), “Talk of the Town,” etc.
She was a rock-music critic in UK before deciding she could form her own band. But her Ohio roots are right there in ‘My City Was Gone’ and in her recent memoir ‘Reckless,’ which has some disturbing moments. I’m also a big fan of ‘Middle of the Road’ and ‘Precious.’
Saw Pretenders on their Chain Gang tour at the Bushnell in Hartford. Unbelievably powerful performance.
Great voice and performance. I learned recently that Hynde is a Hindu and a member of PETA. Oh well…
No wonder she had it in for those steaks and burgers.
Big fan of The Pretenders. “Mystery Achievement” is one of my favs. I always put Concrete Blond in the same mental category, perhaps because they both are rock bands with strong female leaders. Anyway, I imagine that most Pretenders fans would also like Concrete Blond. Check out “Caroline”: https://youtu.be/wlg91FG9m5Y
Chrissie Hynde, a gritty rocker with such a gorgeous voice.
Saw Chrissie & The Pretenders live last summer. As ever, they were superb.
On a side note, if you like Chrissie you should check out her brother Terry’s band 15.60.75 (often called ‘The Numbers Band’). Never had a hit but released one absolute classic album in 1975 called ‘Jimmy Bell’s Still in Town’. I never miss an opportunity to champion this album. Worth tracking down for the most amazing, declamatory vocals ever. As far as I know a version of the band still gig around Ohio & Illinois.
My fave pop-rock band, and Chain Gang is my favorite pop song of all time.
It’s not so good, but there’s a CAT in it.
I found Jerry’s comments about Starbuck’s and Capitalism amusing. Reminded me of something:
A friend of mine in Italy was the singer/front man for a band called Yu Kung, a band starting in 1971 and still occasionally active. https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yu_kung
He said once, “Non vado prendere cafe nei bar. E’ borgese”.
“I don’t take coffee in bars. Its bourgeois”
Their most famous song:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OrMC1K_DS4
Piazza Fontana or Luna Rossa (Red Moon).
Piazza Fontana 1969 was a bomb outrage in the piazza next to the Duomo cathedral in Milan.
The police blamed it on two anarchists (one of whom “fell” out of a window while in custody. The other did fifteen years in jail and was then declared innocent: he later had a bar near my workshop).
Obviously the “true story” has never come to light: likely right wing elements with undefined State involvement/knowledge intending to place blame.
The “falling from a window” was the basis of Dario Fo’s “Accidental Death of an Anarchist” and his later Nobel for literature.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piazza_Fontana_bombing
Piazza Fontana for Italians is like discussing the death of Kennedy for Americans.
I think the video link got lost: