The Pretty Things To Play in Auckland

Media Release: Friday 28th September, 2012

' BANNED ' from NZ for 47 years ...

THE PRETTY THINGS ARE BACK!

The Pretty Things have always been '4 Real'. Attitude with a capital A. Real accents and bolshy attitudes to match, 'the Pretties' eschewed the Sixties pop scene to carve their own niche of hard blues rock. While the Rolling Stones Stones took non-conformity and turned it into a commodity, flirting with drugs and the odd public piss against a garage wall, the Pretty Things weren't content to play the game, setting out and succeeding in breaking all the rules throughout a career that now spans six decades. While the world was supposed to be opening up in the Britain of the mid Sixties, the Pretty Things found themselves banned from venues, hotels and TV shows, thanks to their unrepentant attitude and the longest hair of any band to emerge from the British beat explosion. Such was their vile nature that questions were asked about the band in the Houses of Parliament. Even their roadie created headlines when brought before the law for wielding a sawn-off shotgun to expediently quell a disturbance following another incendiary performance.

Their tour of NZ in August 1965 caused much consternation and hand-wringing in the national press. Disparaged by 'squares' and 'olds' who found them too 'loud', too 'drunk', too 'destructive' and worst of all, too 'hairy', they were subject to public scrutiny by the national tabloid of the time , the 'Truth' (who went by the motto 'Above All for New Zealand) and banned from ever performing in Godzone again... until now.

The impact of that tour on the virtually comatose NZ music scene was seismic. Shockwaves were felt particularly in Invercargill where a group of noisy ne'er-do-wells named their band The Unknown Blues (after a Pretty Things song) and began blowing minds all over Invercargill and elsewhere (not an easy task in the sleepy ol' NZ of the 1960s). Seminal Christchurch band Chants R&B in particular took The Pretty Things to heart and created some of the rawest, most vital music ever heard on our islands, as did fellow travellers The Breakaways and Sandy Edmonds.

Legendary among their contemporaries, Pretty Things guitarist Dick Taylor, whose guitar sound has influenced everyone from Jimmy Page to Jack White, did time in the earliest line-up of The Rolling Stones. David Bowie recorded versions of the Pretty Things most well-known songs, 'Rosalyn' and 'Don't Bring Me Down' on his 1973 Pin Ups album. Bowie was a huge Pretties fan and some say his entire persona was based around singer Phil May's outrageously camp onstage antics. Legend has it that the future Ziggy Stardust kept Phil's phone number in his address book under the sobriquet 'God'.

The Pretty Things' 1968 rock opera SF Sorrow was the first of its kind, pre-dating The Who's Tommy by a good six months. Its bleak song cycle featured madness, war; tragedy and the inevitable decline of old age. Absolutely no one 'sure played a mean pinball’ and the album was a commercial disaster. Needless to say it is now viewed as something of a high water mark of sixties culture.

During the Seventies legendary Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant took the band on at his gilded charges' specific request but even Grant couldn't handle the Pretties' prodigious appetites. On to the present and The Pretty Things particular brand of hard blues-rock is as vital as ever. While revered as 60s R&B, freak-beat and psychedelic Gods by connoisseurs, their music is accessible to all due to its unmediated blazing intensity and raw honesty. Recent shows have seen the band perform a 'fast, stripped back and kick-ass' show to wildly appreciative audiences regardless of age.

Joining the bill will be our own exponents of tough R&B from the halcyon days of 1965 & 1966. All of whom, owe a shaggy nod to the Pretties.

THE SHUTDOWN 66 REVUE with Larry Morris, Midge Marsden & Dave Hurley will perform material from the earliest parts of their careers - when R&B meant songs cribbed from UK groups with names like the Stones, Yardbirds, Things, & Sect. It also meant growing your hair long which invited much public ridicule and derision not to mention a good hiding in the provinces. Returned servicemen would tell them disapprovingly ‘We fought the war for you!' The hair ain't as long as it once was - but the fire still burns.

Fuelling the fire will be The Mystic Eyes. They've backed Ray(s) Columbus and Woolf, and Wanda Jackson even, and will set the tone to overdrive for the night.

THE (AUSTRALIAN) PLEAZERS

Arriving in NZ the same time as the Pretties did in August 65, when they opened Auckland's Galaxie nightspot (after owner local svengali Eldred Stebbing had made them paint the joint) The Pleazers caused many a jaw to drop, with their two lead singers, the longest hair in town, and a scorching set of R&B honed in Brisbane and Sydney. The intuitive Stebbing was looking for an act to replace Ray Columbus & The Invaders on his roster and brought the group to NZ. "What has god wrought?" was the reaction. A live television performance in September of Bald Headed Woman with howling feedback and snarling original singer Bob London (who hadn't seen a barber in some years) caused mothers and fathers of the nation to protest muchly in the local papers. Bob left the group under mysterious circumstances and was replaced by UK immigrant Shane (real name: Trevor) Hales, who brought his impish energy to the group. During their tenure at Zodiac between 1965 and 1967 Stebbing recorded excellent singles, a face-melting EP, and an LP. Eleven years before the Sex Pistols The Pleazers recorded Dave Berry's Don't Gimmie No Lip Child not to mention the ball mashing backing on the Pretty Things Come See Me they laid down for blonde songstress Sandy Edmonds for her mid 66 release. Their appetite for off-stage antics was infamous. Shacked up in a Northland St house, the 'goings-on' - séances, ghosts, naked women riding horses through the backyard, not to mention their nick names Speedy, Phantom, Bunt and Shagger only added to their reputation.

Cut to 2012 and The Pleazers are back. Last seen in Auckland in 2007, once again singers Shane & Bill Bacon, rhythm Peter 'Bunt' Newing, lead - Bruce 'Phantom' Robinson, drummer - Denis 'Speedy' Gilmore and bassist Ronnie Peel bring their R&B to town.

SUGGESTED R’N’B HIGHLIGHTS - Bald Headed Woman, Gloria, Don't Gimmie No Lip Child, Baby Jane, 175

LARRY MORRIS
There's a photo of the last Pretty Things show in NZ at the Top 20 (now Bluestone room just off Durham Lane) in late August 1965. . The Pretties are in full swing and the two local groups on the bill, the Dark Ages and Larry’s Rebels, are standing right behind them. Larry Morris can be clearly seen taking it all in. The Taumaranui boy was fresh out of the navy when he joined The Rebels. Signed up by Benny Levin and Russell Clark to their Impact label in 1966, Larry’s Rebels cut some of the finest singles of any NZ group of the sixties. Sure there were the pop hits for the girls; important in marketing any pop band, but the group also had an edge with young guitarist John WIlliams. Combined with Larry's gritty vocals and powerful live presence there are unpolished nuggets amongst their pop gems. Given the Rebels treatment they turned these handpicked songs into their own with many NZers from the time still thinking they are their songs, such was the conviction they were covered. I'll Make You Happy (The Easybeats), Whatcha Gonna Do About It (The Small Faces), I Feel Good (The Artwoods) It's Not True (The Who), Painter Man (by UK MOD GODS The Creation) , not to mention Jimmy Page teaching John the chords to Train Kept A Rolling on the 1967 Yardbirds tour. They cut their teeth performing the length and breadth of the Dominion from 1966 to 1969 including the Animals tour when they experimented with LSD in Rotorua. Larry left the Rebels to go solo in the late 60s carving a reputation in the local music industry.

Larry was at the last Pretty Things show in NZ and it’s only fitting we have him back.

SUGGESTED LISTENING - Whatcha Gonna Do About It?, I Feel Good, Flying Scotsman, Painter Man, I'll Make You Happy

BREAKAWAYS – MIDGE MARSDEN AND DAVE HURLEY
The Pretty Things played Wanganui in 1965. Sitting in the audience were Taranaki beat band The Breakaways. The memory is firmly imprinted in Guitarists Midge Marsden and Dave Hurley minds. Overnight their attitude was changed, their repertoire became tougher and hair went longer, not that they were that far behind with many a local Wanganui lass thinking that in their threads, boots and long tresses they WERE the Pretties. The Breakaways recorded for HMV. Their two albums are now highly sought after by collectors. Dave Hurley's Dick Taylor influenced guitar stands out a mile. On their second album - they belt out the Pretty Things Rosalyn at 100 mph, and a not-too-shabby version of Come See Me.

Midge became a local legend and respected student of the blues. After a short time running a fish and chip store the ever modest Dave Hurley can lay claim to many a notable first in NZ raw rock and roll history, no doubt inspired by that moment in 1965. In the early seventies he started Mandrill Recording Studios with Glyn Tucker. Early clients of Mandrill were The Scavengers, and Toy Love. He produced the Suburban Reptiles' Saturday Night Stay At Home, sold Chris Knox his first 4 -track - yes THAT 4 track that started Flying Nun, and his name is even on the back of early Flying Nun releases.

SUGGESTED LISTENING - Baby Please Don't Go, Farmer John, Ain't Got You, Rosalyn

DON'T MISS THIS CHANCE TO SEE THESE ACTUAL FACTUAL LEGENDS WHEN THEY PLAY THE POWERSTATION THIS DECEMBER!
THE PRETTY THINGS
With:
THE PLEAZERS
THE SHUTDOWN 66 REVUE WITH THE MYSTIC EYES
TUESDAY 11TH DECEMBER
POWERSTATION, AUCKLAND
TICKETS ARE ON SALE NOW FROM REAL GROOVY RECORDS AND TICKETMASTER.
• For a limited time purchase your tickets instore at Real Groovy Records Queen Street and receive a free Pretty Things poster.
www.theprettythings.net www.ticketmaster.co.nz www.realgroovy.co.nz

LIST OF “THE PRETTY THINGS” OUOTES

“The Players”

DAVID BOWIE: (ON PHIL MAY, 1964, against his telephone no. entry in Bowie’s phone book)
“Is God!”

VAN (the man) MORRISON. (July 1995)
“The Pretty Things”? - one of the greatest “R&B” bands of all time - real wild.”

BOB DYLAN: “BOB DYLAN”
“the sweet “Pretty Things” are…….” (Tombstone Blues)

DAVE GILMOUR - “PINK FLOYD”
“The Pretty Things” always made The Stones look tame, and the time has definitely come for their renaissance.

GARY BROOKER - “PROCOL HARUM”
“The Pretties” were great on stage - always far more rebellious than “The Stones” You could like “The Stones” but if you were a real rebel, it was always “The Pretties.”

MICK JAGGER - “ROLLING STONES”
“always loved their version of “Cry To Me” — can’t wait for an evening with the new box set.” (Mick Jagger - July 1995)

JOEY RAMONE - “THE RAMONES’ (UPON MEETING “THE PRETTIES”)
“Shit, like, I’ve always wanted to meet Phil May - “The Pretty Things’ were the biggest influence on us. Like, right at the start, when there were The Beatles, & The Stones, & stuff, we would hear about “The Pretty Things” & just pick up the odd record, but they were so wild....... they invented garage bands.” (backstage ® The Town & Country 1989 - The Ramones meet The Pretties).

THE LATE GREAT JOHN PEEL - THE GRANDFATHER OF ALL SERIOUS RADIO DEEJAYS
“The Beatles” were cute, “The Stones” were students, but “The Pretty Things” were plain frightening, & much better at psychedelia than “The Stones.......”

PHIL MAY - LEAD SINGER WITH “THE PRETTIES” IN AN INTERVIEW WITH THE SUNDAY TIMES -12TH JULY 1964.
“who are you calling a queerie?” (Sunday Times 12.07.64).

GLEN MATLOCK - “SEX PISTOLS”
(first impression of “The Pretty Things”) “Pretty Things” - pretty seminal - (July 20th 1995).

SID VICIOUS & NANCY (& NANCY’S PARENTS - summer 1977)
Nancy’s Parents - “who are those terrible looking people sitting by the pool?” Sid (eventually) - “Oh them, I think that’s “The Pretty Things”
Nancy’s Parents - “Oh God, they look even worse than you” (summer 1977).

MICK FARREN - JOURNALIST, MUSICIAN, “UNDERGROUND” TORCH BEARER, NOVELIST, L.A. RACONTEUR, & LUNATIC
“The Pretty Things” -------—---- the mighty mutant fashion fusion of art school anarchy, & Kings Road “R&B” (Mick Farren 26 July 1995).

SCREAMING LORD SUTCH: 60’s ROCK & ROLL ICON, OBSCURE POLITICAL FIGURE, & VETERAN OF 1000 UNSUCCESSFUL BY-ELECTIONS
“They had everything it took to overtake “The Stones”, but in those days “all publicity is good publicity” didn’t apply because - though they were years ahead of their time image wise (The Sex Pistols of their day) - it was all too much for the general public in the early sixties. The Stones just about walked the line; The Pretty Things went way over it. This was a time, remember, when simply getting married could ruin a pop star’s career. The man in the street couldn’t imagine any of the Pretty Things even being married - except to each other...

DENNIS D’ELL - LEAD SINGER WITH “THE HONEYCOMBS’ & APPEARED ON VARIOUS RECORDINGS WITH OTHER “NAMES” & WAS RECORDED BY JOE MEEK.
“When we appeared on Sunday Night at The London Palladium in 1965, we borrowed Viv prince from “The Pretty Things” so that Honey Langtree, our usual drummer, could go centre stage & sing a duet - “That’s the Way” - with me. Viv had a massive reputation as a raver, so after the rehearsal that afternoon, he was locked in the dressing room until it was time to go on - in case he went on a binge, & didn’t show, or else went berserk on camera in front of an audience of millions. The next day one of the tabloids ran a feature headlined “Who was the other Honeycombs girl?” because of Viv’s long hair.

JIM McCARTY - EX YARDBIRDS DRUMMER, WRITER OF MANY 60’s HITS, WORKED WITH CLAPTON/BECK/PAGE/ETC.
“In the winter of 1992 I was approached by a major US “R&B” producer to work with Phil (May) & Dick (Taylor) of “The Pretties” on a seminal US “R&B” recording of old standards with various US musicians, in a famous old “black music” Chicago studio, where we would breathe the same air as Howlin’ Wolf, Muddy Waters, & all the Chess heroes
Along with Richard flute (ex Canned Heat) & a string of “New Chicago” blues legends, we cut a lot of Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry (the usual stuff), & a monster version of Aretha’s “Chain of Fools”.

Phil sang really well, & I have always been constantly amazed at how underrated Dick has been as a guitar player.

It was a great trip, & while we were there, we also managed a few Chicago club dates, every one of them packed out, despite the sub zero temperatures, & constant blizzards!”

KIM FOWLEY - 60’s RECORDING ARTIST, L.A. GADABOUT, CLUB OWNER, MENTOR OF FAMOUS GTO’s
“Viv Prince was God.”

DON CRAINE: LEADER OF 60’s “R&B” ICONS “THE DOWNLINERS SECT”
“A few years ago we managed to team up with Phil May & Dick Taylor for a few cuts on an album we were all guesting on - Dick turned out one effortless riff after another, & Phil - arriving like a 50’s screen Idol - blazed into incredible vocals, putting most songs down in just one take. Pretty they weren’t - brilliant they were, & still are.”

BRUCE BRAND - LEADER OF “THEE HEADCOATS” & MAINSTAY OF THE BURGEONING “NEW MOD” REVIVAL.
“of my three guitar heroes - Link Wray, Jet Harris, & Dick Taylor - Dick was the only one to grab my lapels & pogo to his own support act. Besides, anyone with the good taste to appear in a Norman Wisdom film - “What’s Good for the Goose” (1969) - has to have a bit of savvy!

JOHN STEPHEN - THE “KING OF CARNABY STREET” MILLIONAIRE FASHION RETAILER IN THE 1960’s, HUGELY INFLUENTIAL TEEN MOGUL
“Phil my boy, We’ll hope to see you white-jeaned & at your lovely best for the photographers who pounce on you. Have sent an invite to Brian (nb. Jones). And Mr. Baldry is likely to be in attendance to chat up the local talent.” (2nd Jan 1965).

“The Management”

CREATION RECORDS - SELF STYLED “INDIE” DARLINGS, & UNTIL LAST MONTH THE LABEL WHO WERE SIGNING THE NEW “PRETTY THINGS”ANTHOLOGY
“No, no - I just don’t want to do this, it’s already too difficult. Our current roster are far less trouble than you, & I don’t need to be involved with people who are more difficult to deal with than “Oasis” & “Primal Scream -especially when this is supposed to be a catalogue item” (James Kyllo - legal head – Creation / Revola after one meeting & a phone call with Mark St. John about “The Pretty Things” late May 1995).

BRYAN MORRISON - “PRETTY THINGS” FIRST MANAGER/AGENT!
PUBLISHER (1964-1969) STILL “PRETTIES” PUBLISHER & CURRENTLY PUBLISHES/ADVISES “PINK FLOYD” / GEORGE MICHAEL / “THE JAM” / ETC.
“after ‘Rosalyn’ but before ‘Don’t Bring Me Down” we were actively looking for a strong single. It had always been my contention that the first of the real “long haired/bad boy” bands to get a no.l hit would last & I wanted it to be “The Pretties”. Donovan had inadvertently turned me on to the Dylan track ‘Mr Tambourine Man’ just before it was released, & so I charged in to get first refusal on the track for the band. Right then “The Pretty Things” were hotter than a pistol in the States, & they gave me a four-week run on getting the song covered & out. Everything looked great, & I knew we had our no.1
Only the band wouldn’t do it!

I persuaded, pleaded, begged, & bribed, but no way Jose. They didn’t want it at any price. Finally after five weeks of pleading I had to give it up, & a few weeks later “The Byrds” crashed the charts everywhere with their version. “The Stones” picked up that elusive no.1 that we wanted, & the band never had another big single It was the one time that I would have been far happier to have been wrong - but it was so typical of them, no-one could ever control that lot” (Bryan Morrison 18.07.95).

TONY CALDER/ANDREW OLDHAM - STONES MANAGEMENT TEAM (1964/1967) OWNERS/FOUNDERS OF THE IMMEDIATE LABEL. MAJOR INDUSTRY MAFIA!!
“The new “Pretty Things” compilation is a great package, it really should be on the New Immediate! The trouble is they are looked after by an insane guy called Mark St.John and he drives us crazy. But not half as crazy as we were back in the 60’s. “The Pretties” had a record happening, & we wouldn’t let them onto the same Ready Steady Go show as “The Stones” - they were serious competition then. So they got bumped and the record stuffed. I recall that we did that to them about a year later as well. Sorry boys, we probably owe you an apology. They were good but what they needed at that time was good management, which “The Stones” had, but they hadn’t. Still, it’s a great package (Tony Calder 19.07.95).

PETER GRANT – MANAGER, LED ZEPPELIN FOR THEIR ENTIRE CAREER - INVENTED MODERN ROCK AS AN INDUSTRY
“The first time I met “The Pretty Things” was in 1963 when I was tour manager for Chuck Berry, & he played The Club Noreik in London & The Pretties came to see him. After the show Phil & a couple of the guys came backstage for a chat. I had seen them play a few gigs & had been most impressed - I was even more so now meeting them & seeing their attitude as to their careers whilst still being the original rock rebels. I gave them my thoughts. The next day Bryan Morrison phoned to say I had tried to steal his act - soon put him straight on that one!

Some ten or eleven years later Jimmy (Page) & I were discussing the kind of bands we would like to have on our new label - Swansong Records, & he suggested “The Pretty Things” which I though was great. He said, I think they are free. A few days later Phil & the guys arrived at my office in The Kings Road saying they were free, & would love to be on Swansong. I was most flattered when they asked me to manage them as well. Very hard to wear two hats at once, but as the band were real pro’s I jumped at the request & worked it out….. the rest is history. Mark St.John. seems to be doing a nice job with their new anthology box. Long overdue”(Peter Grant July 25 1995).

DOUG SMITH - UNCROWNED KING OF THE LATE 60’S HIPPY GRUNGE SCENE, MANAGER (AT VARIOUS TIMES) OF MOTORHEAD, HAWKWIIND, THE DAMNED, MICK FARREN, TED NUGENT, CREDIT TO THE NATION, & CHUMBAWUMBA
“I thought my one year with “The Damned” was bad but that was a holiday compared to one month with “The Pretty Things” - (Doug Smith July 1995).

BRIAN LANE - LABEL BOSS OF “FRAGILE RECORDS” MANAGER OF - YES/ASIA/FISH/IT BITES/RICK WAKEMAN/BUGGLES/DALEY THOMPSON/ETC. ENTREPENEUR & EX-PLUGGER FOR MIKI MOST!
“I knew that there were only two ways I could get membership of The Royal Berkshire Polo club - signing “The Pretty Things” or going to bed with a member of The Royal Family - Lady Di. wasn’t available, so I’m stuck with the worst behaved band in the world still, at least they meet my signing criteria, which states that no artist on the label may be younger than the managing director!” - (Brian Lane 21.06.95)

n.b. Bryan Morrison (Pretties publisher & ex-manager) is the owner of The Royal Berkshire Polo Club.

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