The Pretenders
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The Pretenders
Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (bass guitar, backing vocals) and Martin Chambers (drums, backing vocals, percussion). Following the deaths of Honeyman-Scott in 1982 and Farndon in 1983, the band experienced numerous personnel changes; Hynde has been the band's only consistent member. The band's hit songs include "Kid (Pretenders song), Kid" (1979), "Brass in Pocket" (1979), "Talk of the Town (Pretenders song), Talk of the Town" (1980), "Message of Love" (1981), "My City Was Gone" (1982), "Back on the Chain Gang" (1982), "Middle of the Road (song), Middle of the Road" (1983) and "2000 Miles" (1983), "Don't Get Me Wrong" (1986), "My Baby (Pretenders song), My Baby" (1986) and "I'll Stand by You" (1994). Pretenders were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ...
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Dubai
Dubai (, ; ar, دبي, translit=Dubayy, , ) is the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, the most populated of the 7 emirates of the United Arab Emirates.The Government and Politics of the Middle East and North Africa. D Long, B Reich. p.157 Established in the 18th century as a small fishing village, the city grew rapidly in the early 21st century with a focus on tourism and luxury, having the second most five-star hotels in the world, and the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, which is tall. In the eastern Arabian Peninsula on the coast of the Persian Gulf, it is also a major global transport hub for passengers and cargo. Oil revenue helped accelerate the development of the city, which was already a major mercantile hub. A centre for regional and international trade since the early 20th century, Dubai's economy relies on revenues from trade, tourism, aviation, real estate, and financial services.
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Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher, 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous other bands and embarked on a solo career. Born in Manchester, to Irish parents, Marr formed his first band at the age of 13. He was part of several bands with Andy Rourke before forming the Smiths with Morrissey in 1982. The Smiths attained commercial success and were critically acclaimed, with Marr's jangle pop guitar style becoming distinctive of the band's sound, but separated in 1987 due to personal differences between Marr and Morrissey. Since then, Marr has been a member of the Pretenders, The The, Electronic, Modest Mouse, and the Cribs, and he has become a prolific session musician, working with names such as Pet Shop Boys, Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry and Hans Zimmer. Having released an album titled '' Boomslang'' in 2003 under ...
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I'll Stand By You
"I'll Stand by You" is a song recorded by English-American rock band the Pretenders from their sixth studio album, '' Last of the Independents'' (1994). The song was written by Chrissie Hynde and the songwriting team of Tom Kelly and Billy Steinberg, and produced by Ian Stanley. The song is a ballad in which the singer pledges love and faithful assistance to a loved one in times of personal darkness. Released on April 11, 1994, "I'll Stand by You" reached the top 20 in several countries, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Iceland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. It also became a major hit for British girl group Girls Aloud in 2004 and American country singer Carrie Underwood in 2007, both times recorded as a charity single. Colombian singer Shakira performed the song for the live charity telethon ''Hope for Haiti Now'' in 2010; her cover version was released on the charity benefit album, which was also entitled ''Hope for Haiti Now''. Release and commercial recep ...
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My Baby (Pretenders Song)
"My Baby" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde that was originally released on the Pretenders 1986 album ''Get Close''. "My Baby" was included on the Pretenders' 1987 compilation album '' The Singles''. Background "My Baby" is a love song to Hynde's baby daughter. Vic Garbarini of ''Musician'' magazine also suggested that the song is about the baby within Hynde herself, in the sense of "something being born" into a "new life. Allmusic critic Matthew Greenwald describes the acoustic guitar melody that begins the song as sounding like an Irish folk song. He describes the rest of the melody as having a " folk-rock groove," applying a two- chord pattern that he describes as "ingenious." He describes the lyrics as Hynde expressing her "near-overflowing affection in her literate, conversational style." Reception ''Cash Box'' said that with this single "Chrissie Hynde exhibits her great growth as a writer and interpretive singer." ''SPIN Magazine'' described the song as "gorgeous," ...
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Don't Get Me Wrong
"Don't Get Me Wrong" is a song released by British-American alternative rock group The Pretenders. It was the first single taken from the group's 1986 album, ''Get Close''. It can also be found on the band's '' The Singles'' album, released in 1987. Chrissie Hynde said she was inspired to write the song for her friend John McEnroe. Background The song features a jangly guitar sound and an emphasis on melody. Hynde's lyrics contain literary references in addition to the more relationship-based subject matter typical for rock and pop music. Reception ''Billboard'' said that although Hynde is the only original Pretender remaining, this song represents "a pretty upbeat, strutting, confident Pretenders." ''Cash Box'' praised Hynde's "sultry vocal" and "powerful songwriting." ''Classic rock review'' describes "Don't Get Me Wrong" as a "jaunty rock track". ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' critic Matt Wardlaw rated it the Pretenders 8th greatest song, saying that it " ammershome the point r ...
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2000 Miles
"2000 Miles" is a song by British-American rock band Pretenders. Written by lead singer Chrissie Hynde and produced by Chris Thomas, it was released on 18 November 1983 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Learning to Crawl'' (1984). It was most popular in the UK, where it peaked at No. 15 on the UK Singles Chart in December 1983. In the US, it was released as the B-side of both the 7-inch single and 12-inch single remix of the band's hit " Middle of the Road". Considered a Christmas song, it has been released on various Christmas compilation albums. Background While many people believe the song's title and lyrics refer to two long-distance lovers who miss each other over the holidays, it was actually written for James Honeyman-Scott, the group's original guitarist, who died in 1982 aged just 25. "Robbie McIntosh plays beautifully on '2000 Miles'," Hynde recalled. "Anything to avoid listening to my voice and my stupid words." The song frequently reappears in the ...
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Middle Of The Road (song)
"Middle of the Road" is a single that appears on The Pretenders' album ''Learning to Crawl''. The song peaked at number 19 on the US pop singles chart and number 2 on the US mainstream rock chart in January 1984, where it stayed for four weeks. Composition Singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde has stated that "Middle of the Road" refers to ''Tao Te Ching'', which she interprets as "the middle way." According to Charles M. Young of ''Musician'', the song is about "getting out there and mixing it up with the world." The song's lyrics include observations about the difference between wealth and poverty that Hynde had observed. The lyrics also refer to autobiographical details (i.e., the lyric "I got a kid, I'm thirty-three" although Hynde had just turned 32 when the single was released). The harmonica solo near the end of the song is uncredited. ''Ultimate Classic Rock'' attributes the solo to Hynde, who usually plays it during live performances of the song. "Middle of the Road" uses ...
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Back On The Chain Gang
"Back on the Chain Gang" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and originally recorded by her band the Pretenders, and released as a single by Sire Records in September 1982. The song also was released on '' The King of Comedy'' soundtrack album in March 1983 and later was included on the Pretenders' next album, ''Learning to Crawl'', in January 1984. "Back on the Chain Gang" entered the ''Billboard'' charts in early October 1982, then reached No. 5 on the Hot 100, becoming the band's biggest hit in the U.S. It also got as high as No. 4 on ''Billboards Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart. The single's flip side, "My City Was Gone", later became a substantial hit in the U.S., with lyrics about Ohio. Recording "Back on the Chain Gang" was recorded after James Honeyman-Scott, the Pretenders guitarist, died of a drug overdose at the age of 25 on June 16, 1982. This came two days after the Pretenders fired their longtime bassist Pete Farndon because of his ...
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My City Was Gone
"My City Was Gone" is a song by the rock group The Pretenders. The song originally appeared in October 1982 as the B-side to the single release of "Back on the Chain Gang"; the single was the first release for the band following the death of founding bandmember James Honeyman-Scott. The song was included on the album ''Learning to Crawl'', which was released in early 1984, and it became a radio favorite in the United States. It is sometimes referred to as "The Ohio Song" for its constant reference to the state. The song was written by Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde, and reflected her growing interest in environmental and social concerns. The lyrics take the form of an autobiographical lament, with the singer returning to her childhood home of Ohio and discovering that rampant development had destroyed the "pretty countryside" of her youth. The song makes a number of specific references to places in and around Akron, Ohio including South Howard Street (line 5), the historic cente ...
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Message Of Love
"Message of Love" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and performed by the Pretenders. Released first as a single and then on the Pretenders' 1981 Extended Play, EP ''Extended Play (Pretenders EP), Extended Play'', it was later re-released on the band's 1981 album ''Pretenders II''. A band effort largely composed in the studio, the song was a radio hit and reached number 11 in the United Kingdom. It has since been praised by critics as a highlight of ''Pretenders II''. Background According to drummer Martin Chambers, the song was largely formed in the studio based on a rough sketch presented by Hynde. Chambers explained, "We never really got into the studio without any rehearsal and record[ed] a song, [but] we have done that once and that was 'Message of Love'. ... [Hynde] likes to come to [the band] when she has [a song] finished in her mind ... but this time she hadn't really finished it and so we just ... rehearsed it already set up in the studio and it was on tape in two hours ...
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Brass In Pocket
"Brass In Pocket (I'm Special)" is a song by English–American rock band the Pretenders, released in 1979 as the third single from their self-titled debut album. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas. Originating as a guitar lick written by Honeyman-Scott, the song features a lyric that Hynde explained to be about the cockiness that one needs to effectively perform. The song's title derives from a phrase she overheard after a show. "Brass in Pocket" became the band's biggest hit to that point, reaching number one in the UK and number 14 in the US. Its music video was the seventh video aired on MTV on its launch on 1 August 1981. Background "Brass in Pocket" originated as a guitar line that James Honeyman-Scott played for Chrissie Hynde. Hynde then recorded the part with a tape recorder and wrote the song's lyric. Musically, Hynde described the song as "trying to be a Motown song, but it didn't quite get it." Hynde got the id ...
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