''The Pretty Things'' is the self-titled debut album by the English rock band

Pretty Things The Pretty Things were an English band formed in September 1963 in Sidcup, Kent. They took their name from Willie Dixon's 1955 song "Pretty Thing". A pure rhythm and blues band in their early years, with several singles charting in the Unit ...

, which features mostly R&B and

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

cover version In popular music, a cover version, cover song, remake, revival, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording by a musician other than the original performer or composer of the song. Originally, it referred to a version of a song release ...

s. A re-issue released in 2000 on CD featured every track from both the American and British versions of the album. The liner notes were written by Jimmy Duncan and

Bryan Morrison Bryan Morrison (14 August 1942 – 27 September 2008) was an English businessman, music publisher and polo player. Career He served as representative for musicians such as Pink Floyd. His company, the Bryan Morrison Agency, became one of th ...

2011 release

The album was released as part of a two CD package with the follow-up album '' Get the Picture?'' as ''the pretty things get the picture?'' Both CDs include bonus cuts.

Track listing

UK track listing

Side one #" Road Runner" (

Ellas McDaniel Ellas McDaniel (born Ellas Otha Bates; December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), known professionally as Bo Diddley, was an American guitarist who played a key role in the transition from the blues to rock and roll. He influenced many artists, inclu ...

) – 3:14 #"Judgement Day" (

; adapted and arranged by the Pretty Things) – 2:49 #"13 Chester Street" ( Phil May,

Dick Taylor Richard Clifford Taylor (born 28 January 1943) is an English musician, best known as the guitarist and founding member of the Pretty Things. Taylor was an early bassist for the Rolling Stones, but left the band to resume his studies at Sidcu ...

Brian Pendleton Brian Pendleton (13 April 1944 – 16 May 2001) was a British guitarist, and a founder member of the 1960s pop group Pretty Things. Early life Born in Wolverhampton, England, Pendleton moved south as a child, attending Dartford Grammar School. ...

, John Stax, Vivian Prince) – 2:22 #"Big City" ( Jimmy Duncan,

Alan Klein Alan Charles Klein (born 29 June 1940) is an English singer-songwriter and musician. He wrote the soundtrack for the stage play and film, ''What a Crazy World'' (1963). In 1964, he released his only solo album, ''Well at Least It's British'', ...

) – 2:02 #"Unknown Blues" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 3:49 #"Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut" (Ellas McDaniel) – 3:03 Side two #" Honey, I Need" (Dick Taylor, John Warburton, Peter Leslie Smith, Ian Stirling) – 2:00 (credited: Dick Taylor, Button, Smithing) #"Oh, Baby Doll" (

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

) – 3:01 #"

She's Fine, She's Mine "You Don't Love Me" is a rhythm and blues-influenced blues song recorded by American musician Willie Cobbs in 1960. Adapted from Bo Diddley's 1955 song "She's Fine She's Mine", it is Cobbs' best-known song and features a guitar figure and melody ...

" (Ellas McDaniel) – 4:24 #" Don't Lie to Me" (

Tampa Red Hudson Whittaker (born Hudson Woodbridge; January 8, 1903March 19, 1981), known as Tampa Red, was a Chicago blues musician. His distinctive single-string slide guitar style, songwriting and bottleneck technique influenced other Chicago blues gu ...

) – 3:53 #"The Moon Is Rising" (

Jimmy Reed Mathis James Reed (September 6, 1925 – August 29, 1976) was an American blues musician and songwriter. His particular style of electric blues was popular with blues as well as non-blues audiences. Reed's songs such as "Honest I Do" (1957), " ...

) – 2:33 #"

Pretty Thing "Pretty Thing" is a 1955 song written by Bo Diddley and Willie Dixon and performed by Bo Diddley. The song was Diddley's third single release through Checker Records after "Diddley Daddy". In 1963, the song was released in the United Kingdom wh ...

" ( Willie Dixon) – 1:39

US track listing

Side one #"Honey, I Need" (Taylor, Warburton, Smith) – 1:58 #" Rosalyn" (Jimmy Duncan, Bill Farley) – 2:20 #"13 Chester Street" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 2:20 #"I Can Never Say" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 3:00 #"Unknown Blues" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 2:35 #"The Moon Is Rising" (Reed) – 2:30 Side two #"

Don't Bring Me Down "Don't Bring Me Down" is the ninth and final track on the English rock band the Electric Light Orchestra's 1979 album ''Discovery''. It is their highest-charting hit in the United States to date. History "Don't Bring Me Down" is the band's s ...

" (Johnnie Dee) – 2:09 #"Road Runner"(McDaniel) – 3:13 #"We'll Be Together" (May, Taylor, Stax) – 2:09 #"Judgement Day" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 2:45 #"Big City" (Duncan, Klein) – 2:30 #"Pretty Thing" (Dixon) – 1:39

2000 CD remastered track listing

#"Road Runner" (McDaniel) – 3:14 #"Judgement Day" (Morrison) – 2:49 #"13 Chester Street" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 2:22 #"Big City" (Duncan, Klein) – 2:02 #"Unknown Blues" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 3:49 #"Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut" (McDaniel) – 3:03 #"Honey, I Need" (Taylor, Warburton, Smith) – 2:00 #"Oh, Baby Doll" (Berry) – 3:01 #"She's Fine, She's Mine" (McDaniel) – 4:24 #"Don't Lie to Me" (Berry) – 3:53 #"The Moon Is Rising" (Reed) – 2:33 #"Pretty Thing" (Dixon) – 1:39 #"Rosalyn" (Duncan, Farley) – 2:20 #" Big Boss Man" (

Luther Dixon Luther Dixon (August 7, 1931 – October 22, 2009) was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 1960s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Jackson 5, B. ...

, Al Smith) – 2:39 #"Don't Bring Me Down" (Johnnie Dee) – 2:09 #"We'll Be Together" (May, Taylor, Stax) – 2:09 #"I Can Never Say" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 2:37 #"Get Yourself Home" (May, Taylor, Pendleton, Stax, Prince) – 2:14

Personnel

;The Pretty Things * Phil May – lead vocals *

– lead guitar *

– rhythm guitar, backing vocals * John Stax – bass guitar, harmonica, backing vocals * Viv Prince – drums * Bobby Graham – drums

Charts

''The Pretty Things'' reached number six and spent 10 weeks on the

UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts ...

in 1965.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pretty Things 1965 debut albums Pretty Things albums Fontana Records albums Albums produced by Bobby Graham Philips Records albums Repertoire Records albums Sundazed Records albums Norton Records albums Victor Entertainment albums