The Pretty Things never really gained a foothold in the US although they did develop a nice fanbase. Nevertheless, in the UK, and some other parts of the world, they were important.
Sad for the US. The Pretty Things were a fine, fine Blues/Rock band that never really saw their rightful due.
The Pretty Things has an interesting bit of history attached to one of its members in that Dick Taylor was once in an embryonic version of The Rolling Stones. His bass guitar would be replaced by Bill Wyman after Dick Taylor quit (imagine that!). Eventually, Dick Taylor would join with Phil May to create the extraordinary band, The Pretty Things. In England, and other locations, The Pretty Things were selling music quite well. Over time, the band would employ a revolving door of musicians but the kind of fame they sought would never really attach.
The Pretty Things still managed to released a great album later on in the ’70s on Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song Records. Silk Torpedo, released in 1974. actually interested the American audience some, but not enough to prevent the band from disbanding after their follow-up, Savage Eye (1976).
On March 17, UK’s Madfish Records will issue a WHOPPING celebratory 50th Anniversary 16 disc Box being called Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky. This definitive retrospective will include all original albums, with bonus tracks attached to each, two CDs of rarities that include sessions pieces, outtakes, demos, and live tracks, and two DVDs that contain a veritable candy of material. While the set is pricey, if you’re a Pretty Things fan, and want to really settle your catalog with a serious collected effort, this is it!
All eleven albums will be here, all housed in gatefold sleeves. There is a 10″ acetate disc with four tracks, two per side, tow of them unreleased tracks (see track-list below). included in this spacious box is a 100-page book with many wonderful things.There’s a family tree poster tracing the band’s lineage from one point to the end. This VERY Limited run (only 200o copies) will have in just one of the 2000 available box sets, an original Phil May signed art print. This is a serious gem, folks!
Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky will issue in the UK on February 23.
CD1 – Rarities:
01 Don’t Bring Me Down (Live On The Beat Room 1964)
02 Mama Keep Your Big Mouth Shut (Live On The Beat Room 1964)
03 Johnny B. Goode (Live On The Beat Room 1964)
04 Cry To Me (Alternate Version)
05 Photographer (Rough Mix From Acetate)
06 Bright Lights Of The City (Demo)
07 Out In The Night (Demo)
08 One Long Glance (Demo)
09 Children (Alternate Version)
10 Defecting Grey (Alternate Mix)
11 Why (Live In Hyde Park)
12 She Says Good Morning (Live At The Paradiso, Amsterdam)
13 Alexander (Live At The Paradiso, Amsterdam)
14 Renaissance Fair (Live At The Paradiso, Amsterdam)
15 S.F. Sorrow Is Born (Live At The Paradiso, Amsterdam)
16 You Might Even Say (Philippe Debarge Sessions)
17 Eagle’s Son (Philippe Debarge Sessions)
18 Graves Of Grey (Philippe Debarge Sessions)
19 It`ll Never Be (Philippe Debarge Sessions)
20 Scene One (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
21 The Good Mr. Square (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
22 She Was Tall, She Was High (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
23 In The Square/The Letter (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
24 Rain (Westbourbe Terrace Demo)
25 Cries From The Midnight Circus (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
CD2 – Rarities:
01 I’d Love Her If I Knew What To Do (Version 1 – Westbourne Terrace Demo)
02 Seen Her Face Before (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
03 Everything You Do Is Fine (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
04 Cold Stone (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
05 You Never Told Me Lies (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
06 Take A Look At Me (Westbourne Terrace Demo)
07 Wild And Free (Demo)
08 I’d Love Her If I Knew What To Do (Version 2 – Demo)
09 Spider Woman (BBC Radio Session)
10 Route 66 (Live At The Hippodrome)
11 Joey (Mono US Single Mix)
12 Monster Club
13 Cause And Effect
14 Holding Onto Love (Outtake)
15 You Can`t Judge A Book
16 Chain Of Fools
17 No Questions
18 It’s All Over Now Baby Blue (Outtake)
19 Hoochie Coochie Man (Outtake)
20 Look Away Now (Outtake)
21 Helter Skelter
DVD1:
Midnight To Six, The Pretty Things 1965-70, produced by Reelin’ in the Years
Bonus Material:
The Pretty Things. On Film
Rosalyn (Promo Video)
Eve Of Destruction (Promo Video)
DVD2:
S.F. Sorrow – Live At Abbey Road
10″ ‘Replica Acetate’:
Side 1:
1 Defecting Grey (Full Length Demo from acetate)
2 Turn My Head (Demo)
Side 2:
1 Don’t Bring Me Down (Previously Unreleased Version)
2 I Can Never Say
Studio Albums Collection
The Pretty Things (1965):
01 Roadrunner
02 Judgement Day
03 13 Chester Street
04 Big City
05 Unknown Blues
06 Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut
07 Honey, I Need
08 Oh Baby Doll
09 She`s Fine She’s Mine
10 Don’t Lie To Me
11 The Moon Is Rising
12 Pretty Thing
Bonus Tracks:
13 Rosalyn
14 Big Boss Man
15 Don’t Bring Me Down
16 We’ll Be Together
17 I Can Never Say
18 Get Yourself Home
Get The Picture? (1965):
01 You Don’t Believe Me
02 Buzz The Jerk
03 Get The Picture?
04 Can’t Stand The Pain
05 Rainin’ In My Heart
06 We’ll Play House
07 You`ll Never Do It Baby
08 I Had A Dream
09 I Want Your Love
10 London Town
11 Cry To Me
12 Gonna Find Me A Substitute
Bonus Tracks:
13 Get A Buzz
14 Sittin’ All Alone
15 Midnight To Six Man
16 Me Needing You
17 Come See Me
18 L. S. D.
Emotions (1967):
01 Death Of A Socialite
02 Children
03 The Sun
04 There Will Never Be Another Day
05 House Of Ten
06 Out In The Night
07 One Long Glance
08 Growing In My Mind
09 Photographer
10 Bright Lights Of The City
11 Tripping
12 My Time
Bonus Tracks:
13 A House In The Country
14 Progress
15 Photographer
16 There Will Never Be Another Day
17 My Time
18 The Sun
19 Progress
S.F.Sorrow (1968):
01 S.F. Sorrow Is Born
02 Bracelets Of Fingers
03 She Says Good Morning
04 Private Sorrow
05 Balloon Burning
06 Death
07 Baron Saturday
08 The Journey
09 I See You
10 Well Of Destiny
11 Trust
12 Old Man Going
13 Loneliest Person
Bonus Tracks:
14 Defecting Grey
15 Mr. Evasion
16 Talkin’ About The Good Times
17 Walking Through My Dreams
Parachute (1970):
01 Scene One
02 The Good Mr. Square
03 She Was Tall, She Was High
04 In The Square
05 The Letter
06 Rain
07 Miss Fay Regrets
08 Cries From The Midnight Circus
09 Grass
10 Sickle Clowns
11 She`s A Lover
12 What`s The Use
13 Parachute
Bonus Tracks:
14 Blue Serge Blues
15 October 26
16 Cold Stone
17 Stone-Hearted Mama
18 Summer Time
19 Circus Mind
Freeway Madness (1970):
01 Love Is Good
02 Havana Bound
03 Peter
04 Rip Off Train
05 Over The Moon
06 Religion’s Dead
07 Country Road
08 Allnight Sailor
09 Onion Soup
10 Another Bowl?
Bonus Tracks:
11 Religion’s Dead (Live Lyceum 1973)
12 Havana Bound (Live Lyceum 1973)
13 Love Is Good (Live Lyceum 1973)
14 Onion Soup (Live Lyceum 1973)
Silk Torpedo (1974):
01 Dream/Joey
02 Maybe You Tried
03 Atlanta
04 L. A. N. T. A.
05 Is It Only Love
06 Come Home Momma
07 Bridge Of God
08 Singapore Silk Torpedo
09 Belfast Cowboys
Bonus Tracks:
10 Singapore Silk Torpedo (Live Santa Monica 1974)
11 Dream / Joey (Live Santa Monica 1974)
Savage Eye (1976):
01 Under The Volcano
02 My Song
03 Sad Eye
04 Remember That Boy
05 It Isn’t Rock ‘n’ Roll
06 I’m Keeping
07 It’s Been So Long
08 Drowned Man
09 Theme For Michelle
Bonus Tracks:
10 Tonight
11 Love Me A Little
12 Dance All Night
Cross Talk (1980):
01 I’m Calling
02 Edge Of The Night
03 Sea Of Blue
04 Lost That Girl
05 Bitter End
06 Office Love
07 Falling Again
08 It’s So Hard
09 She Don’t
10 No Future
11 Wish Fulfillment
12 Sea About Me
13 The Young Pretenders
Rage Before Beauty (1999):
01 Passion Of Love
02 Vivian Prince
03 Everlasting Flame
04 Love Keeps Hanging On
05 Eve Of Destruction
06 Not Givin’ In
07 Pure Cold Stone
08 Blue Turns To Red
09 Goodbye, Goodbye
10 Goin’ Downhill
11 Play With Fire
12 Fly Away
13 Mony Mony
14 God Give Me The Strength (To Carry On)
Balboa Island (2007):
01 The Beat Goes On
02 Buried Alive
03 Livin’ In My Skin
04 (Blues For) Robert Johnson
05 Pretty Beat
06 In The Beginning
07 Mimi
08 Feel Like Goin’ Home
09 The Ballad Of Hollis Brown
10 Freedom Song
11 Dearly Beloved
12 All Light Up
13 Balboa Island