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Index of Artists
The Pack
Paddy, Klaus & Gibson
The Paramounts
The Bobby Patrick Big Six
Peter & Gordon
Pinkerton's Assorted Colours
The Poets
Brian Poole & The Tremeloes
Jimmy Powell & The Five Dimensions
Keith Powell & The Valets
Earl Preston & The TT's
The Alan Price Set
P. J. Proby
Phil May - vocals (born November 9th 1944, Dartford)
Dick Taylor - lead guitar (born January 28th 1943, Dartford)
Brian Pendleton -rhythm guitar (born April 13th 1944, Wolverhampton, died 25th May 2001)
John Stax - bass guitar (born John Fullegar, April 6th 1944, Crayford)
Viv Prince/Skip Allan - drums (born August 9th 1944, Loughborough)
Taking their name from a Bo Diddley song, The Pretty Things were formed in Kent during1963 and quickly gained a reputation around the art schools in the south of England. The Pretties were considered even scruffier and more outrageous than the Stones.
In 1963, when every British record company was looking for its own "Rolling Stones", Fontana spotted The Pretty Things. The band had never had a regular drummer until Fontana introduced them to Viv Prince. Prince was fired in 1965 after being thrown off a plane for being drunk and disorderly during a Australian tour.
The first single, "Rosalyn", although only reaching No. 41 in the charts, was an instant classic. The follow-up, "Don't Bring Me Down", was a top ten hit in Britain but was banned in America for its "objectionable lyrics". Other notable releases included "Honey I Need" and "Midnight To Six Man".
Initially compared favourably to The Rolling Stones (for whom Taylor was the original bassist), the Pretties' biggest problem was a lack of original material, but it didn't help them that, although numerous offers were made for them to tour the US, none were taken up.
Along with the Yardbirds, the Pretties were enormously influential on many mid-60s US garage bands.
In spite of numerous changes in personnel they struggled on until June 1971 when May disbanded the group only to reform it five months later!
Singles
|
May '64 |
Rosalyn/ Big Boss Man |
Fontana TF 469 |
UK#41 |
|
Oct '64 |
Don't Bring Me Down/ We'll Be Together |
Fontana TF 503 |
UK#10 |
|
Feb '65 |
Honey I Need / I Can Never Say |
Fontana TF 537 |
UK#13 |
|
Jul '65 |
Cry To Me/ Get A Buzz |
Fontana TF 585 |
UK#28 |
|
Dec '65 |
Midnight To Six Man/ Can't Stand The Pain |
Fontana TF 647 |
UK#46 |
|
Apr '66 |
Come See Me/ L.S.D. |
Fontana TF 688 |
UK#43 |
|
Jul '66 |
A House In The Country/ Me Needing You |
Fontana TF 722 |
UK#50 |
|
Dec '66 |
Progress/ Buzz The Jerk |
Fontana TF 773 |
- |
E.P.s
|
Feb '65 |
The Pretty Things - Don't Bring Me Down/We'll Be Together/Big Boss Man/RosalynFontana TE 17434 |
|
Oct '65 |
Rainin' In My Heart - Rainin' In My Heart/London Town/Sittin' All Alone/Get A BuzzFontana TE 17442 |
|
Aug '66 |
On Film - Midnight To Six Man/Can't Stand The Pain/LSD/Me Needing YouFontana TE 17472 |
L.P.s
|
Mar '65 |
The Pretty Things - Roadrunner/Judgement Day/13 Chester Street/Big City/Unknown Blues/Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut/Honey I Need/Oh Baby Doll/She's Fine, She's Mine/Don't Lie To Me/The Moon Is Rising/Pretty ThingFontana TL 5239 |
|
Jan '66 |
Get The Picture - You Don't Believe Me/Buzz The Jerk/Get The Picture/Can't Stand The Pain/Rainin' In My Heart/We'll Play House/You'll Never Do It Baby/I Had A Dream/I Want Your Love/London Town/Cry To Me/Gonna Find A SunshineFontana TL 5280 |
Selected Re-issues
|
1992 |
Get A Buzz - The Best Of The Fontana Years - Rosalyn/Big Boss Man/Don't Bring Me Down/Honey I Need/I Can Never Say/Roadrunner/Judgement Day/Big City/She's Fine, She's Mine/Cry To Me/Get A Buzz/Rainin' In My Heart/Midnight To Six Man/Can't Stand The Pain/Buzz The Jerk/We'll Play House/Come See Me/L.S.D/House In The Country/Me Needing You/Progress/Tripping/Death Of A Socialite/Photographer/The SunFontana 512 446 |
|
1997 |
The EP Collection - Roadrunner/Don't Bring Me Down/Big Boss Man/Buzz The Jerk/Sittin' All Alone/Come See Me/London Town/Judgement Day/Progress/We'll Play House/Can't Stand The Pain/Midnight To Six Man/Big City/Get The Picture/We'll Be Together/Rainin' In My Heart/I Can Never Say/Gonna Find A Substitute/Get A Buzz/Me Needing You/Honey I Need/Cry To Me/Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut/L.S.D./House In The Country/RosalynSee For Miles 476 |