There's an understandable weariness to the Pretenders' biggest Billboard hit, as Chrissie Hynde returns to the rock 'n' roll grind with "Back on the Chain Gang" after suffering unspeakable loss.
The band had quickly established itself over two early albums and an EP, earning platinum success by combining her all-attitude contralto with guitarist James Honeyman-Scott's distinctive suspended-chord phrasing. Next, Hynde was having a baby with boyfriend Ray Davies, and she thought she had everything figured out.
Hynde, drummer Martin Chambers, bassist Pete Farndon and Honeyman-Scott would construct their third album during her pregnancy and then she'd take some time off after giving birth in early 1983. But "life," as Hynde ruefully told Rolling Stone in 1984, "is never what you think it's going to be."
Instead, she was forced to have a very difficult conversation in the summer of 1982 with the heroin-addicted Farndon. "For me, the hardest part of the past couple of years was deciding to fire Pete. It was so bloody sad that it had come to that," Hynde added. "He was in a sort of diminished mental condition 'cause he was stoned a lot. He couldn't handle drugs that well. No one can handle that drug very well.
Two days later, Honeyman-Scott was dead after suffering cocaine-related heart failure. "It was incredibly tough," Chambers told the Mercury in 2009. "I lost my best friend [in Honeyman-Scott], and my second best friend in Pete."
Watch the Video for Pretenders' 'Back on the Chain Gang'
Hynde put on a stoic front. "I don't look back at those events as being a hardship," she told Rolling Stone in 1984. "It's just real life. People die that's part of life." They were back in the studio a month later, after quickly adding Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner and Big Country bassist Tony Butler. A basic outline for "Back on the Chain Gang" awaited them.
"We had rehearsed it a lot with Jimmy, and thought it would make a pretty good single," Chambers told Creem in 1983. "So after his funeral and everything was sorted out, we thought: 'Let's get on with it.' There was never any real thought of packing it in or anything. We decided to get some people to work with us for the time being."
They spent a week rehearsing with Bremner and Butler before recording began, and eventually brought in Honeyman-Scott's friend Robbie McIntosh for some additional guitar. The lyrics "I found a picture of you," Hynde sings, "well, it hijacked my world at night, to a place in the past we've been cast out" became a personal remembrance, something more emotional than anything she could perhaps say out loud about Honeyman-Scott.
"He made whatever I had sound good, and I got him out of Hereford and out of the music store where he was working and put him onstage and in the studio," Hynde told Curve magazine in 2020. "So we offered each other what we both needed. I mean, I loved Martin and Pete too and they were absolutely integral to the sound of the band but frankly, a band is about electric guitar. Thats my opinion.
"I had my little tunes and my little guitar parts," she added, "but Jimmy Scott made them sound a whole lot better, and he invented the Pretenders sound with [the] very simple effects he had and the way he played."
Hynde stole away, as was her habit, to record the lyrics all alone. "When it came to her vocals, Chrissie was great so long as nobody else was in the room," Pretenders engineer Steve Churchyard later told Sound on Sound. "The band, everybody was kicked out. They all went upstairs and played pool, and nobody was allowed to come back down until we'd got them."
Watch Pretenders Perform 'Back on the Chain Gang' at Live Aid
On some level, this quick return to work served as a coping mechanism. "What else were we going to do?" Hynde asked Rolling Stone. "Stay at home and be miserable, or go into the studio and do what we dig and be miserable?" Pressed, she finally admitted: "Well, it wasn't exactly a barrel of monkeys."
Chambers was typically more forthcoming. "It was a very strange time, very tough for Chrissie and me, with no Jimmy or Pete," he told Creem. "But we just shook our fists to the heavens and got on with it. With 'Chain Gang,' we thought ourselves into it to a point. There was a real feeling of hopelessness, really like Can we do this? Not that it crossed our minds that we couldn't but you really question yourself."
In fact, Hynde briefly considered changing the band's name. Sessions that produced their No. 5 comeback hit convinced her otherwise. "I finally thought it still was the Pretenders more than it wasn't. To me, 'Back on the Chain Gang' sounded like a Pretenders song," Hynde told Rolling Stone. "It was sort of like Ken Kesey: Either you're on the bus or you're off the bus, and I felt like Martin and I were still on the bus even if the other guys had gotten off."
Released on Sept. 17, 1982, "Back on the Chain Gang" was paired as a single with "My City Was Gone," which in turn became a rock-radio staple. But Bremner and Butler wouldn't last. As halting work on the album that would become 1984's platinum-selling Learning to Crawl continued for nearly a year, a new lineup coalesced around McIntosh and bassist Malcolm Foster.
One day during the sessions, someone brought in an earlier Pretenders album just for musical comparison's sake. "I haven't listened to any of that stuff since we used to play it," Hynde told Stiletto magazine in 1984. "While it was on, I found it very difficult to look at the other guys. I had to leave the room."
By then, she'd also lost Farndon. He died before Learning to Crawl arrived, drowned in his own bath after overdosing on heroin.
UCR takes a chronological look at the 100 best rock albums of the '80s.
Link:
How 'Back on the Chain Gang' Gave Purpose to Grieving Pretenders - Ultimate Classic Rock
- 20 Brown Nail Looks to Rock All Year Long - InStyle - March 6th, 2024 [March 6th, 2024]
- 'We Mean Business' Coalition's COP28 Manifesto Neglects Major ... - Energy In Depth - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Affectionate love letter to Northampton - interactive art welcomes visitors to University bar - Yahoo News UK - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Studs and Duds from Warriors' 108-104 loss to Suns on opening night - Warriors Wire - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Desus Nice Interview: 'The Daily Show' And 'Desus & Mero' - UPROXX - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Regional Cross Country: Shady Spring girls and PikeView boys ... - Lootpress - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- What I found at Uluru: Australia's most sacred Aboriginal site - The Times - October 25th, 2023 [October 25th, 2023]
- Hot Ticket: What do bell bottoms, shrimp and '90s rock all have in ... - Galveston County Daily News - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Hotspurs and Optimists make most of extra fixture in Boston indoor bows league - Yahoo Eurosport UK - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Win Tickets to Journey's Freedom Tour - WROR - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Super Group From The 80s Set To Play In ND In Early 2024 - US 103.3 - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Rolling Stone issues statement on Jann Wenner controversy - NME - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Emma Watson just combined two of autumn's biggest trends - Yahoo News UK - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- O'Shea Jackson Jr. Talks The Time His Dad Ice Cube Pulled From ... - CinemaBlend - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Can You Dig It? Discover 13 Archaeological Sites Off the Beaten Path - ARTnews - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- College Football Best Bets: 3 Afternoon Predictions for Ole Miss vs ... - The Action Network - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- 18 New Rock + Metal Albums That Were Announced This Week - Loudwire - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- A Closer Look into the Online Gambling Scene in New Jersey - New Jersey 101.5 FM - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- The Most Controversial Singers in Rock + Metal - Loudwire - September 25th, 2023 [September 25th, 2023]
- Monarchs pound the rock, pitch shutout in win over GICC - Columbus Telegram - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- "Everyone thinks my dad woke me up and went "practice your scales ... - Louder - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- A visit to Iceland where two continents meet - Irish Post - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Kibb's Bar-B-Q in Stuttgart lands on Southern Living's 'Top 50 ... - Arkansas Times - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- iPhone 15 you buy in UK has a big difference to US handsets - LADbible - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Overflow Chapel takes an acoustic approach to worship The OBU ... - OBU The Signal - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Apple users warned they're being 'robbed' as new iPhone feature ... - LADbible - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Sun Valley Vanguards Noah Griffin rushes to the promise land over ... - PA Football News - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Fire Up The Delorean - I Constructed A Roster Of Barstool ... - Barstool Sports - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- How Lakeith Stanfield Soared to the Heights of Hollywood - AnOther Magazine - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Our islands are living communities you are in them, not on - The National - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- 10 Harsh Realities About Bret Hart His Fans Need To Realize - TheSportster - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Diageo Elusive Expressions Special Release Whiskies - Quill & Pad - September 17th, 2023 [September 17th, 2023]
- Black English Teacher Says He Was Fired For Teaching Dear Martin Book To Students During Black History Month - Yahoo News - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Sabres Have Great Defensive Options With 13th Overall Pick - The Hockey Writers - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- The Avett Brothers Plan 'At The Beach' Mexico Event Ft. Charley ... - Live for Live Music - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Throwback Varsity Jackets Are Having A Fashion Renaissance (No ... - Women.com - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Digital Banking Platform Market to Gain High Momentum Driven by ... - Digital Journal - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Whats on - Matariki, roller disco, art - The Bay's News First - SunLive - June 16th, 2023 [June 16th, 2023]
- Rockall score for evaluation of upper gastrointestinal bleeding - March 31st, 2023 [March 31st, 2023]
- WWE will "never get mad at" three stars who are all incidentally former rivals of Triple H, claims former champion (Exclusive) - Sportskeeda - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- Rockall Basin - Wikipedia - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- Rockall Exped - An epic expedition to raise 50,000 for charity - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- When Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Priyanka Chopra, and other Bollywood divas shared their motherhood journeys - The Indian Express - January 31st, 2023 [January 31st, 2023]
- DBTB Buffalo Sabres Open Thread - Week of Dec 19th | A very Buffalo weekend - Die By The Blade - December 21st, 2022 [December 21st, 2022]
- Andys Player Ratings: Sunderland 3-0 Millwall - Moggas Lads take their chances and bury Milwall - Roker Report - December 4th, 2022 [December 4th, 2022]
- MAMA 2022: BTS' J-Hope is a total hottie in all-black deep-neck fit in first-ever solo appearance - Zoom TV - December 4th, 2022 [December 4th, 2022]
- Fashion and Beauty Forum - clothes, shoes, hair care, skin ... - City-Data - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- University of Galway Maree to host Champions Tralee - Galway Bay FM - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Classic Nature Journal: Tall trees of the Smokies inspired early naturalists - Citizen Times - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Gilla Band on New Name, 'Most Normal,' and Mental Health - Esquire - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Final Score: Cleveland Cavaliers preseason begins with a 113-112 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers - Fear the Sword - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Colts vs Broncos Picks: Our 4 Best Bets for Thursday Night Football - The Action Network - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Billy Blues Bar and Grill to host 'Rock For Autism' fundraiser - The Reflector - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Oregon Shows Signs of Greatness in 45-27 Win Over Stanford - Sports Illustrated - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- 'Community' Fans Are Hyped Up About The Movie Getting Made - UPROXX - October 6th, 2022 [October 6th, 2022]
- Willow Smith on claiming space in rock - NME - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- The Tonight Show and Samsung are coming to Fortnite metaverse this week - SamMobile - Samsung news - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- On SPARK, Whitney are rebuilt in glass and neon - The FADER - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- WCU celebrates opening of its newest residence halls - Smoky Mountain News - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- 'The Phantom of the Opera' to close on Broadway next year - RiverBender.com - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Starcrawler Keeps One Riff In Glam And Another Fist In Metal On 'She Said' (ALBUM REVIEW) - Glide Magazine - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- How the Go-Go's Antics Got Their Roadie Kicked Out of Hotels - Ultimate Classic Rock - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- No Strangers to Music: 9 "Stranger Things" Actors With Musical Connections, From Joe Keery's Djo To Millie Bobby Brown's Video Cameos - The... - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Best Bets of Week 2: Falcons Take Flight, Pats Burn Pittsburgh in the "Week of the Road Dog" - Fanbuzz - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Lamb of God's Randy Blythe - What It Takes to Be a Good Frontman - Loudwire - September 20th, 2022 [September 20th, 2022]
- Your Favorite Cover Artists Toyah and Fripp Are Back with 5 Minutes Alone - MetalSucks - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- The Long Wait For Arctic Monkeys New Release Is Finally Almost Over - The Honey POP - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- This Band Made a $3.44 Music Video. Then They Went Viral - Wired.co.uk - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Win Aerosmith Tickets And Shake Shack Gift Card With 96.3 KKLZ - 96.3 KKLZ - September 6th, 2022 [September 6th, 2022]
- Worker shortage is driving up construction costs in the Triangle - WRAL News - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Chris Rock Says Will Smith Oscars Slap Followed His 'Nicest' Joke - We Got This Covered - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- The Predictions: Can Cabrillo keep up with Lompoc in the Big Game? - Santa Ynez Valley News - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- This Band Made a $3.44 Music Video. Then They Went Viral - WIRED - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Franz Ferdinand at the Rooftop at Pier 17 / August 13, 2022 - Aquarian Weekly - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Top Quarterback Bets for 2022: Will Russell Wilson Lead the League in Passing yards? - Sportsbook Review - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- Muse: Will of the People Review Oozing With Paranoia and Chaos - Music Feeds - September 3rd, 2022 [September 3rd, 2022]
- These Tennis Outfits Will up Your Game on and off the Court Eat This Not That - Eat This, Not That - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- Dont Play That Song! How Ben E King Broke Through With Soul - Dig! - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- Volleyball area rankings (8/17): Prosper and Plano Prestonwood move up to No. 1; five new teams join the - The Dallas Morning News - August 23rd, 2022 [August 23rd, 2022]
- Family Paints Rocks for Neighborhood Kids and One Little Girl In Particular Is Fascinated - DenGarden - August 2nd, 2022 [August 2nd, 2022]