Song of the Day: 'Space Invader' by the Pretenders

Final day of my series of instrumentals I actually listen to: "Space Invader" has always worked as the perfect musical interlude on Side 1 of the debut album by the Pretenders. That it's the band's only original that Chrissie Hynde didn't write and is still so good gives you an idea of how talented soon-to-be late colleagues James Honeyman Scott and Peter Farndon truly were. But what might have become dated -- a few seconds of the sound effects from the 1979 video game "Space Invaders" are heard at the very end of the track -- now stands as the only reminder that this utterly timeless classic is from 1979-80.

Interesting factoids: "Space Invader" appeared in the film "Cheech and Chong's Next Movie" (1980) and the television series "Miami Vice" (1984-89) and "The Sopranos" (1999-2007). 

Game developer Dona Bailey cited the song as her introduction to video games, saying the song inspired her to play the original arcade game "Space Invaders" and then join Atari, where she developed the 1980 arcade game "Centipede."

Song of the Day: 'Maybe Love in NYC' by the Pretenders

Have gotten texts from three different friends raving about the new Pretenders album, "Hate for Sale," which I suppose answers my question: Is it just me or is this thing really good? 

Song of the Day: 'Didn't Want to Be This Lonely' by the Pretenders

Another new song from the Pretenders' upcoming album, "Hate for Sale." This one is a little reminiscent of "Cuban Slide," which is to say pretty damn good. And how about this Lichtensteinesque video? 

Song of the Day: 'The Buzz' by the Pretenders

I'm on the fence about this: Is it better or worse to have a new product come out during a pandemic? One the one hand the world is ridiculously distracted. But on the other, what better time to feed the public's need for entertainment -- new movies, books, records -- than when we're all forced to stay home? With that in mind, I just stumbled upon two fantastic new songs from "Hate for Sale," Chrissie Hynde and Co.'s 11th studio album. The LP was supposed to come out on May 1 with a tour with Journey scheduled to begin on May 15. But with the live shows postponed, the album has been pushed back until July 17, which tells me they're not on board with my coronavirus theory! 

Info HERE.

Happy to see Martin Chambers is back in the band -- those two have the most tempestuous relationship since Sam and Diane -- and the other two blokes are apparently with whom she's been touring for many years since her most stable group of pretend Pretenders called it quits in the mid and late aughts. Although we're now going to have to wait until the summer to hear the whole thing, tell me "The Buzz" and the title track don't sound like they were recorded not far from East 55th and Euclid Avenue ... they're borderline precious.

P.S. 

Back when my friend Greg and I were making compilation albums of rarities by our favorite artists, I used to be on top of everything they put out. But I missed this little gem Chrissie recorded for a Paul McCartney tribute album, so figured I'd share it in case you had, too.

Song of the Day: 'Estoy Aqui' by Shakira

A friend sent me a YouTube link that purported to reveal that Shakira had a song that sounded exactly like the Pretenders' least good hit, "I'll Stand by You." Imagine my surprise, though, when I clicked through and it turned out to be one of my favorite songs from the Colombia's singer's breakthrough album, "Pies Descalzos," which was in heavy rotation when I was dating a guy from Bogota in the 1990s! 

P.S.  These days the only time I think of Shakira is when I'm sweating her hot soccer-playing hubby, who spends way too much time trying to ruin tennis!

I wouldn't say they're identical, but there's a definite similarity between the opening lines of:

Oh, why you look so sad, the tears are in your eyes
Come on and come to me now

Ya se que no vendrás
Todo lo que fue
El tiempo lo dejo atrás

'The Pretenders With Friends' Comes to Blu-Ray and DVD

I may actually have to break down and buy this just to see the full version of Chrissie F**king Hynde singing "Talk of the Town" AND "I"m Only Happy When It Rains" with Shirley F**king Manson, AND the Great Pretender singing "Candy" with Iggy F**king Pop live in concert!

Blu-ray / DVD / CD package available July 12th featuring bonus interviews with band members, slide show, trailers and more HERE.

Song of the Day: 'Holy Commotion' by the Pretenders

Get "Alone" HERE.

Thrilling that Chrissie Hynde still delivers new music I can get into, even if she's really just a solo artist flip-flopping between monikers.

Song of the Day: 'My City Was Gone' by the Pretenders

One of the best B-sides ever -- and a fitting lead-in to my blog's top story of the day.

Song of the Day: 'Private Life' by Grace Jones

Considered by some to be one of the weaker tracks on the Pretenders' seminal debut -- not sure I agree, but if it's true then that's just how good the others are -- Grace Jones made the most of it here.

Song of the Day: 'Tattooed Love Boys' by the Pretenders

The Pretenders' Debut Album: 12 Songs Ranked for Its 35th Anniversary

In one of those bizarre coincidences that happens bizarrely often, my brothers and I were JUST ranking the songs from the debut album by the Pretenders this weekend in Washington. "Up the Neck" came on a mix CD my brother made -- yes, I'm not the only one in the family! -- and Bill mentioned how even though on paper it seemed nothing could top the effortlessly brilliant "Precious," "Up the Neck" might just be the best. Even our less-Chrissie-obsessed brother (Terence) chimed in in agreement, then threw in a possible close second in "Kid." No sooner had I nearly exhausted my neck nodding, I stopped and said, "Oh, wait. There is one that may be better: 'Tattooed Love Boys" -- all the while thinking of "The Wait" and "Mystery Achievement" as well. 

Now read how much an expert agreed HERE!

Chrissie Hynde at the Beacon Theatre: Not Just Another Night in My Veins

Saw Chrissie Hynde's "solo" show at the gorgeously renovated Beacon on Wednesday, spur-of-the-moment via StubHub. As I started to write my recap, I realized this email exchange with my friend I ran into at the venue said everything I wanted to say ...

Him: Why do you think she didn't play Brass in Pocket? I was over the moon to hear The Message [sic]*, Tattooed Love Boys, and Precious. Crowd didn't seem to be as excited as I was, though. 

Me: She's pulled that before -- also skipped two of her other biggest, Middle of the Road and I'll Stand by You, not that I minded as much. But no Message of Love either! To her credit it was still riveting. I agree that the audience did not appreciate the stuff from debut as they should have. Pack It Up was a pleasant surprise from Pretenders II!!

Him: And I guess it was a little early in the season for 2000 Miles. She's always been on my list of Five Coolest People on the Planet (Bryan Ferry's on there, too--not sure who else, though, to be honest), but seeing her live just put her at the top. She's just effortless with that cool thing. Aside from the true punk heritage and the amazing music, it must be the confidence/doesn't-give-a-fuck thing which she wears so well. 

Me: Yep. Or as I said afterward, Debbie who?

Him: WoW. If you said that...

Me: Ha ha. Debbie is cool in her awkward way. But like you said, Chrissie just embodies that "I don't give a fuck" attitude that is so effortless that it's truly remarkable.

Him: Chrissie is my new Spirit Animal that I'm going to try and emulate from here on out.

Didn't write down the set list, but I remember she did a lot of her great new solo album, plus "My City Was Gone" followed by "Downtown (Akron)," "Biker" (random), "Don't Lose Faith in Me" (random again), "I Go to Sleep," "Back on the Chain Gang," "Don't Get Me Wrong," "Night in My Veins" and "Talk of the Town" and "Kid." I've seen her a half-dozen times -- which is why I wasn't going to go this time -- but I have to say she sure seemed to be enjoying herself more than in years past. Maybe time isn't the avenger after all.

Favorite moment: When she stopped singing mid-song and stared down someone who was taking flash photos of her and said, "Ya gonna keep doing that all night?" ... then later stood at the edge of the stage "posing" for photos.

* "The Message" being "The Phone Call," of course :-)

Twitter Message of Love

Said I was going to cut back on seeing artists I have seen live a bunch of times live before, but snagged two orchestra seats for this show tonight for 60 bucks and feel like a million!

Song of the Day: 'Message of Love' by the Pretenders

If you're wondering how you can write a love song without even a hint of schmaltziness, listen no further. I'm still astounded by how good this is every time I hear it. #eternalgoosebumps

Can't help but wonder what the Pretenders might have been capable of if James Honeyman Scott and Pete Farndon hadn't been such messes. Although there were more good albums to come, the group was a band in name only. Strangely, only on the new "Stockholm" album is Chrissie Hyde using her name as the artist. In fact, she just announced fall "solo" tour dates, and I can't help but wonder if she can fill these places on her name alone, despite the fact that she has been the Pretenders for more than 30 years now.

Stockholm - Chrissie Hynde

Chrissie Hynde Fall Tour Dates

10/30/14 – Toronto, ON @ Massey Hall
11/01/14 – Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
11/02/14 – Red Bank, NJ @ Count Basie Theatre
11/04/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Tower Theatre
11/05/14 – New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
11/07/14 – Washington, DC @ Lincoln Theatre
11/08/14 – Charlotte, NC @ Ovens Auditorium
11/10/14 – Nashville, TN @ Ryman Auditorium
11/12/14 – Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
11/13/14 – Akron, OH @ Akron Civic Center
11/15/14 – Detroit, MI @ Masonic Temple
11/16/14 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater
11/18/14 – Dallas, TX @ Winspear Opera House
11/19/14 – Austin, TX @ ACL Live at the Moody Theater
11/20/14 – Houston, TX @ Bayou Music Center
11/21/14 – Tulsa, OK @ Brady Theatre
11/23/14 – Denver, CO @ Paramount Theatre
11/24/14 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kingsbury Hall
11/26/14 – Mesa, AZ @ Mesa Arts Center
11/28/14 – Las Vegas, NV @ The Pearl
11/29/14 – San Diego, CA @ The Balboa Theatre
12/02/14 – San Francisco, CA @ The Masonic
12/04/14 – Santa Rosa, CA @ Wells Fargo Center for the Arts
12/05/14 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Arlington Theatre
12/06/14 – Los Angeles, CA @ Pantages Theatre

Song of the Day: 'Lust for Life' by Tom Jones and Chrissie Hynde

   Stumbled upon a cover of Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" by Tom Jones and Chrissie Hynde. Apparently Jones put out an album of covers called "Reload" in 2002, but a duet with the leader of the Pretenders is about as random as it gets.

  

Song of the Day: 'Give It Up' by Chrissie Hynde and Annie Lennox

I'm what you'd call a selective obsessive compulsive. Despite being a professional copy editor, I think nothing of littering my blog with typos (or worse) -- when I'm in writer mode, who has time to go back and review their work? -- yet when it comes to my music collection, I will leave no "i" undotted or "t" uncrossed. Case in point when I decided to import my Pretenders collection into iTunes over the weekend, a endeavor as performed by me that would render the average person unable to stop their sobbing. Now I'm not talking about the band's nine main albums -- those have been in my computer for years. But in my obsessive compulsiveness, I also have another 36 sources of material -- a Flexipop single from 1981, UB40 collaborations, soundtrack contributions to "The Living Daylights," "1969," "Indecent Proposal," "Wayne's World 2," "G.I. Jane," "Fever Pitch," "The Other Sister" and "The Wild Thornberrys," tracks on tribute albums to Jimi Hendrix, James Bond themes, Burt Bacharach, Gram Parsons, Bruce Springsteen, the Doors, Sun Records, John Lennon and the Ramones, plus a duet with the Chairman of the Board, collaborations with Moodswings, Tube & Berger, a PETA benefit plus assorted b-sides, live covers and the bonus material included on the Rhino reissues of the band's classic first four albums. Back when I was producing CDs with my friend Greg, I was content to have these songs all lumped together on compilation discs. But with iTunes, my idiot savant mind would not rest until each and every one of these 226 songs was in its rightful place in chronological order -- complete with proper artwork -- so I wound up staying up till the sun came up Sunday, finally able to sleep knowing everything was at long last where it belonged. During my research, I came across this gem of a song that I wasn't even aware until about 3:30 a.m. Sunday morning -- a rollicking cover of KC and the Sunshine Band's "Give it Up" performed by Chrissie Hynde and Annie Lennox during the Colombian Volcano Relief Concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London on February 9, 1986. (You'll also Pete Townshend on guitar, on a break from his child pornography "research.") Maybe I was a little loopy by then, but it sure seemed like the most adorable thing I've seen in ages. I've been Chrissie Hynde's biggest fan for 30-some years -- unlike Debbie Harry, I've never even tried to meet her ... because I'm afraid of her -- and I wasn't even aware she knew how to smile, much less let go and have fun! Watch for yourself. If nothing else, you'll get a kick out of Chrissie's pants!

P.S. As obsessive as I am about having song and the chronology of my music, for some strange reason it doesn't bother me that, say, Debbie Harry gets alphabetized under "D" rather than "H." I have friends who go through all their artist and change them -- Harry, Debbie -- yet my brain is OK with it. 

Happy Birthday, Darling (Thank You for the Schooling)

Before I forget -- like I did with, gasp, Belinda Carlisle -- just wanted to give a birthday shoutout to Chrissie Hynde, who turns the big 6-0 today. Although Debbie Harry holds the title of my "favorite" woman in music, truth be told Chrissie is really the ultimate rock 'n' roll chick. (Deb's an original, but she's pop all the way.) Although the Pretenders' albums have become more mellow with age -- bet she laughs about being "Middle of the Road" back when she got a kid and was 33, baby! -- "Pretenders" still ranks as the best debut of all time, and most bands would be lucky to have ever recorded something as good as "Pretenders II" or even "Learning to Crawl." So happy birthday, Chrissie. I shook your hand at the Celebrity Theater back in 1983, but we've never crossed paths since. Something tells me it's better that way. You're a bona fide rock legend, and I'd almost be afraid to meet you now anyway. But I have learned more than a bit from your who-gives-a-fuck-what-other-people-think attitude, even if I'm still not prepared to try it out on you!

Never trust a user with your television overnight.

Music Box: Chrissie Hynde & Kris Kringle

 

Given the fact that she's the least warm and fuzzy person alive, it's kind of funny that Chrissie Hynde has been involved several of the sweetest Christmas songs in modern times. "2000 Miles" set the standard for rock bands recording new holiday tunes, and the Pretenders' cover of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" for the "Very Special Christmas" album remains a classic. "Happy Christmas" -- the ex-Patriot way -- was the memorable European b-side to "2000 Miles," and she even recorded a holiday song with bitter ex Ray Davies last year. (Lest you think she's lost her edge, she never set foot in the same room with him -- natch!) Now Chrissie's back with JP and the Fairground Boys, with yet another one for the ages, called "Christmas Soon."

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Music Box: Christmas Classics

The other day I lamented Blondie's lame attempt at Christmas cheer. While I said it was hard for even a band as cool as they are to not come across as lame doing a holiday song, I wasn't exactly on target. Quite a few artists have brought their yuletide cool to the airwaves over the years -- including the Pretenders, Kirsty MacColl & the Pogues, Band Aid, Frank Sinatra and the Wilsons, whose original Christmas song ("Hey, Santa!") was better than anything they'd ever recorded. A few years ago I compiled my ultimate holiday favorites for the "Very Kenny Christmas" CD, and today I'll share three songs with you, including "2000 Miles," one of the worst videos of all time!

She's No 'Kid' ...

 

But Chrissie Hynde has still got it ...

Merry Christmas Eve

Hope everyone's close to their loved ones by now. I'm spending Christmas here in the city, some 2000 miles away from my family. I couldn't get time off this year to go home to Arizona but luckily most of Michael's family is here (or in town), so we'll be out on the island later in the week spending time with them. In honor of my family so far away, I give you my favorite "modern" Christmas song -- "2000 Miles" by the Pretenders. It may be one of the worst videos ever, but 25 years after it came out it's strangely become half its charm.