Pretenders Deluxe Editions Out November 5

Artist Name
Pretenders
Release Date

BRAND NEW DELUXE EDITIONS OF PRETENDERS AND PRETENDERS II

Curated By Chrissie Hynde

3-CD, Colored Vinyl, Limited-Edition Numbered Print, And Exclusive Bundles Available From Rhino.com

 

LOS ANGELES – At the turn of the 80s, Pretenders announced themselves to the world with what is widely regarded as 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 November 5, 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 special, numbered print based on the "Brass In Pocket" single cover limited to 500 copies worldwide, exclusively available at Rhino.com.

Curated by Chrissie Hynde, both Pretenders and Pretenders II are each presented in striking 12x12 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 Auditorium 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 a 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 5 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 clamoring for more Pretenders material, Pretenders II was released on August 15, 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."

THE TEARS OF HERCULES

CD Track Listing:

  1. “One More Time”
  2. “Gabriella”
  3. “All My Days”
  4. “Some Kind Of Wonderful”
  5. “Born To Boogie (A Tribute To Mark Bolan)”
  6. “Kookooaramabama”
  7. “I Can’t Imagine”
  8. “The Tears Of Hercules”
  9. “Hold On”
  10. “Precious Memories”
  11. “These Are My People”
  12. “Touch Line”

 

LP Track Listing:

Side One

  1. “One More Time”
  2. “Gabriella”
  3. “All My Days”
  4. “Some Kind Of Wonderful”
  5. “Born To Boogie (A Tribute To Mark Bolan)”
  6. “Kookooaramabama”

Side Two

  1. “I Can’t Imagine”
  2. “The Tears Of Hercules”
  3. “Hold On”
  4. “Precious Memories”
  5. “These Are My People”
  6. “Touch Line”