The Pretty Things

The Pretty Things were an English rock band, originally formed in 1963 by guitarist/vocalist Dick Taylor and singer/guitarist Phil May. Taylor had briefly played the prior year in an embryonic lineup of The Rolling Stones. They were arguably the most significant band of the beat boom to not have a stateside breakthrough during the British Invasion of 1964/65.

The Pretties started as an R&B/beat combo before moving into freakbeat/psych with the 1967 single “Defecting Grey” and the 1968 album S.F. Sorrow, one of the first rock operas. Amid multiple lineup changes during the 1970s, they embraced hard rock on the albums Parachute and Silk Torpedo. After a three-year pause in activity, they regrouped in 1980 for the New Wave-influenced Cross Talk. They remained active as a touring and occasional recording unit for the subsequent four decades.

Members: Phil May (lead vocals, harmonica, guitar), Dick Taylor (lead guitar, vocals, 1963-69, 1979-81, 1984-present), John Stax (bass, 1963-67, 2012), Brian Pendleton (guitar, 1963-66), Peter Kirtley (drums, 1963), Viv Andrews (drums, 1963), Viv Prince (drums, 1963-65), Skip Alan (drums, 1965-68, 1969-76, 1979-81, 1994-2008), John Povey (keyboards, vocals, 1967-76, 1979-81, 1994-2007), Wally Waller (bass, guitar, vocals, 1967-70, 1979-81, 1994-2007), Twink (drums, vocals, 1968), Victor Unitt (guitar, vocals, 1969-70), Peter Tolson (guitar, vocals, 1970-76, 1979-81, 1994-95), Stuart Brooks (bass, 1971-74), Jack Green (bass, vocals, 1974-76), Gordon Edwards (keyboards, guitar, 1974-76)

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Background

The Pretty Things were formed in late 1963 by guitarist Dick Taylor and singer/harmonic player Phil May, both students at London’s Central School of Art and Design.

Two years earlier, Taylor played in the R&B outfit Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys with singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. In 1962, the three were enlisted by guitarist Brian Jones for a new band he was forming with pianist Ian Stewart, The Rolling Stones. Taylor served as their bassist for five months before quitting to enroll at Central School, where he met May.

With Taylor back on guitar, him and May enlisted bassist John Stax and rhythm guitarist Brian Pendleton. A sequence of temporary drummers preceded the arrival of wildman Viv Prince. They took their name from the 1955 song “Pretty Thing” by bluesman Willie Dixon.

Taylor hired aspiring businessman Bryan Morrison, another fellow student at Central School, as the Pretty Things’ manager. This would be the start of the Bryan Morrison Agency, which later represented Pink Floyd, The Incredible String Band, Tyrannosaurus Rex, The Deviants, and The Pink Fairies, in addition to the Pretties. Morrison formed a songwriting partnership with American Jimmy Duncan.

The Pretty Things signed to Fontana and issued their debut single, the Morrison/Duncan-penned “Rosalyn,” in May 1964 (UK No. 41). It was backed with a cover of “Big Boss Man,” made famous in 1960 by bluesman Jimmy Reed. That October, the Pretties issued “Don’t Bring Me Down” (b/w “We’ll Be Together”), written by Fairies road manager Johnny Dee. The single reached No. 10 on the UK Singles chart in advance of their first album.

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The Pretty Things

The Pretty Things released their debut album, The Pretty Things, on March 12, 1965, on Fontana.

The album captures The Pretty Things’ ferocious blend of rhythm and blues and hard-edged rock, marked by Phil May’s abrasive vocals and Dick Taylor’s overdriven guitar tone. Across its twelve tracks, the band channels the unfiltered energy of their stage sound, pushing early British R&B into louder, rougher territory.

Singer Phil May co-wrote half the album’s tracks with guitarist Dick Taylor and fellow bandmates John Stax, Brian Pendleton, and Viv Prince. The remaining numbers draw from the American R&B canon, including songs popularized by Bo Diddley (“Road Runner,” “Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut,” “She’s Fine, She’s Mine”) and Chuck Berry (“Oh Baby Doll”), plus covers of blues standards by Jimmy Reed (“The Moon Is Rising”), Tampa Red (“Don’t Lie to Me”), and Willie Dixon (“Pretty Thing”). Jimmy Duncan and Alan Klein contributed “Big City,” while May’s group-penned “13 Chester Street” pays tribute to the band’s London residence once shared with Rolling Stones guitarist Brian Jones.

The album opens with “Road Runner,” a pounding take on the 1960 Bo Diddley original, driven by churning rhythm guitar and relentless pace. “Judgement Day” surges with distorted riffs and shouted refrains, while “Unknown Blues” stretches into sustained feedback passages anchored by repetitive bass figures. The closing “Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut” builds into a three-minute coda of sustained feedback and distortion, among the earliest examples of this technique on a British rock album.

A1. “Road Runner” (3:14) — originated as a 1960 single by Bo Diddley, written by Ellas McDaniel.
A2. “Judgement Day” (2:49)
A3. “13 Chester Street” (2:22) — homage to the band’s shared London flat with Brian Jones.
A4. “Big City” (2:02) — written by Jimmy Duncan and Alan Klein.
A5. “Unknown Blues” (3:49)
A6. “Mama, Keep Your Big Mouth Shut” (3:03) — another Bo Diddley song, marked by extended instrumental feedback.

B1. “Honey I Need” (2:00) — written by Dick Taylor with outside contributors John Warburton, Peter Leslie Smith, and Ian Stirling.
B2. “Oh Baby Doll” (3:01) — first recorded by Chuck Berry in 1957.
B3. “She’s Fine, She’s Mine” (4:24) — originally written and performed by Bo Diddley.
B4. “Don’t Lie to Me” (3:53) — first recorded by Tampa Red in 1940 under the title “I Get Evil.”
B5. “The Moon Is Rising” (2:33) — based on Jimmy Reed’s 1960 recording.
B6. “Pretty Thing” (1:39) — Willie Dixon composition first recorded by Bo Diddley in 1955, the namesake of the band.

International versions replace “She’s Fine, She’s Mine” and “Don’t Lie to Me” with the pre-released UK hits “Rosalyn” and “Don’t Bring Me Down.”

Sessions occurred at Fontana Studios in London with producer Bobby Graham, who replaced label head Jack Baverstock midway through the recording after the band’s unruly conduct caused his resignation.

Fontana promoted The Pretty Things with four singles: “Rosalyn” (b/w “Big Boss Man”) in May 1964, which reached No. 41 on the UK Singles Chart; “Don’t Bring Me Down” (b/w “We’ll Be Together”) later that year, which hit No. 10; “Honey I Need” (b/w “I Can Never Say”) in March 1965, which reached No. 13; and “Road Runner” in the Netherlands, where it reached No. 11.

David Bowie covered “Rosalyn” and “Don’t Bring Me Down” on his 1973 covers album Pin Ups, while Stack Waddy recorded “Rosalyn” for their 1972 album Bugger Off!.

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Get the Picture?

The Pretty Things released their second album, Get the Picture?, in December 1965 on Fontana.

The album captures the band’s transition from raw R&B roots toward a sharper, more assertive form of beat and early garage rock. Guitarist Dick Taylor and singer Phil May emerge as the group’s core writers, developing a distinct edge from their contemporaries while retaining the boisterous energy of their live sound.

Taylor and May wrote three tracks and co-wrote another with co-producer Bobby Graham, who deputized drummer Skip Alan for this album. The band also covers songs by Slim Harpo (“Rainin’ in My Heart”), Tim Hardin (“London Town”), Solomon Burke (“Cry to Me”), Jimmy Witherspoon (“I Had a Dream”), and Ike Turner (“Gonna Find Me a Substitute”). The opener “You Don’t Believe Me” credits Graham and future Yardbirds/Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page as co-writers.

Songs like “Buzz the Jerk,” “Get the Picture?,” and “We’ll Play House” exemplify their shift toward a tougher, proto-freakbeat sound marked by fuzz-toned rhythm parts, terse vocal phrasing, and compact arrangements. The blues-rooted numbers “Can’t Stand the Pain” and “Rainin’ in My Heart” contrast this with slower, more reflective moods, while “London Town” reveals their earliest foray into folk-rock textures.

A1. “You Don’t Believe Me” (2:24) – May/Graham/Page/Willie Morrell
A2. “Buzz the Jerk” (1:55) – May/Taylor
A3. “Get the Picture?” (1:56) – May/Taylor
A4. “Can’t Stand the Pain” (2:42) – May/Taylor/Graham
A5. “Rainin’ in My Heart” (2:33) – originated as a 1961 single by Slim Harpo, written by James Moore (aka Slim Harpo) and Jerry West (J.D. Miller).
A6. “We’ll Play House” (2:34) – May/Taylor

B1. “You’ll Never Do It, Baby” (2:29) – Brian Smith/Terry Fox
B2. “I Had a Dream” (2:59) – Witherspoon 
B3. “I Want Your Love” (2:18) – Johnnie Dee/Johnny Tarr
B4. “London Town” (2:28) – early cover of an unreleased Hardin song later circulated in demo form.
B5. “Cry to Me” (2:53) – Bert Russell. First recorded by Solomon Burke in 1961 and popularized on American Bandstand in 1962.
B6. “Gonna Find Me a Substitute” (2:59) – Turner

Sessions took place in mid-to-late 1965 at Philips Studios, London, with production handled jointly by drummer Bobby Graham, engineer Glyn Johns, and the band itself.

“Rainin’ in My Heart” and “London Town” first appeared on an August 1965 Fontana EP with two exclusives: “Sittin’ All Alone,” a Taylor/May/Sterling track and “Get a Buzz,” a group-written rocker. The EP reached No. 12 on the UK Singles chart.

Fontana promoted Get the Picture? with the December 1965 single “Midnight to Six Man” (b/w “Can’t Stand the Pain”), recorded the prior month at IBC Studios with Glyn Johns producing. The track features piano by Nicky Hopkins and organ by Margo Lewis of Goldie and the Gingerbreads. It reached No. 46 on the Record Retailer chart.

A standalone follow-up, “Come See Me” (b/w “£.s.d”), appeared in April 1966 and reached No. 43 in the UK.

“Cry to Me” and “Rainin’ in My Heart” have since become standards covered by multiple artists, while “Midnight to Six Man” remains one of the group’s most durable mid-’60s anthems, marking their progression toward the heavier, fuzz-driven style that presaged late-decade freakbeat.

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Emotions

The Pretty Things released their third album, Emotions, on April 18, 1967, on Fontana.

The album marks a stylistic shift from the band’s early rhythm and blues foundation toward orchestrated pop and baroque psychedelia. Guitarist Dick Taylor and singer Phil May led the new lineup with bassist Wally Waller and keyboardist–drummer Jon Povey, both recent recruits from The Fenmen.

May and Taylor wrote most of the album’s twelve songs, with Waller contributing to half. Additional co-writes came from lyricist Ian Sterling. The band also recorded outside material by Carl Spencer and Bob Halley (“Progress”) and a cover of Ray Davies’ “A House in the Country.”

The songs span chamber-style ballads and brass-textured R&B. “The Sun” and “House of Ten” contrast gentle harmonies and orchestral strings, while “Photographer” and “Tripping” recall their garage roots with jagged guitars and brisk pacing. “One Long Glance” and “Bright Lights of the City” introduce psychedelic feedback and social commentary, while “Death of a Socialite” and “Children” highlight Waller and Povey’s new vocal blend.

A1. “Death of a Socialite” (2:44) — May/Taylor/Stirling
A2. “Children” (3:05) — May/Taylor/Waller
A3. “The Sun” (3:06) — May/Waller
A4. “There Will Never Be Another Day” (2:22) — May/Taylor/Waller
A5. “House of Ten” (2:54) — May/Taylor/Waller
A6. “Out in the Night” (2:44) — Taylor/Stirling

B1. “One Long Glance” (2:54) — May/Taylor/Waller
B2. “Growing in My Mind” (2:21) — May/Taylor
B3. “Photographer” (2:07) — May/Taylor/Stirling
B4. “Bright Lights of the City” (3:02) — May/Waller
B5. “Tripping” (3:26) — May/Taylor
B6. “My Time” (3:09) — May/Taylor/Waller

Sessions took place at Philips Studios in London with producer Steve Rowland and arranger–conductor Reg Tilsley, who added orchestral and brass overdubs at Fontana’s request.

Emotions features permanent drummer Skip Alan and outgoing rhythm guitarist Brian Pendleton. Auxiliaries include saxophonist Johnnie Gray (alto, tenor, soprano), harpist Marie Goossens, trombonist Keith Christie, and trumpeters Albert Hall, Bert Ezzard, and Greg Bowen.

The Pretty Things preceded Emotions with the autumn 1966 non-album singles “Progress” (b/w “Buzz the Jerk”) and “A House in the Country,” a Kinks cover backed with the May/Taylor rarity “Me Needing You.” Fontana previewed the new album with “Children” (b/w “My Time”).

After its release, Emotions fulfilled the band’s Fontana contract, allowing them to move to EMI and begin work on S.F. Sorrow, where their psychedelic direction fully matured.

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“Defecting Grey”

On November 10, 1967, The Pretty Things released the standalone single “Defecting Grey,” backed with “Mr. Evasion.”

The single showcases the band at their most experimental phase, blending psychedelic pop, acid rock, and multi-part mini-suites. “Defecting Grey” shifts between innocent singalong motifs, dramatic guitar-powered passages, harmonized Byrds-like segments, and carnival-inspired textures. “Mr. Evasion,” delivers a tighter psychedelic pop approach with complementary instrumental flourishes.

Frontman Phil May wrote both songs, collaborating with guitarist Dick Taylor and keyboardist Wally Waller on select sections. 

Musically, “Defecting Grey” opens with a childlike melody that drifts into darker, contoured passages, including a brief boozy singalong and heavy freak-out sections. “Mr. Evasion” maintains a steadier psych-pop rhythm with angular guitar lines and layered vocal harmonies.

A. “Defecting Grey” (4:28) — a mini-suite of psychedelic shifts, combining innocent singalongs, guitar-powered outbursts, harmonized sections, and carnival-like motifs. Lyrics depict a drifting consciousness interrupted by dark visions.
B. “Mr. Evasion” (3:26) — psych-pop with sharper rhythm changes and layered harmonies; complements the experimental A side.

Sessions occurred at Abbey Road Studios in London with producer Norman Smith.

“Defecting Grey” became a defining artifact of the UK psychedelic boom. Brian Eno lifted the carnival motif for his 1974 song “Back In Judy’s Jungle.”

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“Talkin’ About the Good Times”

On February 16, 1968, The Pretty Things released “Talkin’ About the Good Times,” backed with “Walking Through My Dreams.”

The single continues the band’s psychedelic exploration, mixing layered textures, experimental tape effects, and extended instrumental passages. “Talkin’ About the Good Times” combines acapella-like harmonies with a gradual fade-out that emphasizes the interplay between sitar, mellotron, and tape manipulation. “Walking Through My Dreams,” features angular guitar lines and fuzzed bass beneath haunting vocal layers.

Phil May wrote “Talkin’ About the Good Times” with contributions from guitarist Dick Taylor and keyboardist Wally Waller. Dick Taylor wrote “Walking Through My Dreams,” which features lyrics by Jon Povey. 

Musically, “Talkin’ About the Good Times” unfolds with a subtly shifting rhythm, layered instrumental textures, and bursts of acapella motifs reminiscent of contemporary psychedelic pop. “Walking Through My Dreams” emphasizes a more contoured instrumental approach with stark transitions between bass-driven passages and ethereal vocal overlays.

A. “Talkin’ About the Good Times” (3:41) — psychedelic pop with layered sitar, mellotron, and tape effects; extended instrumental fade highlights shifting textures and intertwined vocals.
B. “Walking Through My Dreams” (3:35) — fuzz bass and angular guitar passages underpin ethereal vocal layers; lyrics depict drifting consciousness and introspective imagery.

Sessions occurred at EMI Studios in London with producer Norman Smith.

German copies feature sleeve art printed by Carl Lindström GmbH.

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S.F. Sorrow

The Pretty Things released their fourth album, S.F. Sorrow, in December 1968 on EMI Columbia.

The album presents an ambitious psychedelic rock opera, narrated through a sequence of interconnected songs that trace the life of protagonist Sebastian F. Sorrow from birth to death. It marked a sharp departure from the group’s rhythm-and-blues foundation into an expansive sound world shaped by multi-tracked harmonies, distorted guitars, sitar passages, and studio effects.

Singer Phil May wrote the narrative text and co-wrote all thirteen songs with guitarist Dick Taylor and bassist Wally Waller, with additional input from keyboardist Jon Povey, drummer Twink, and producer Norman Smith.

Musically, the album moves between acid-tinged raga pop, orchestral psychedelia, and heavier proto-progressive sequences. “S.F. Sorrow Is Born” and “Bracelets of Fingers” open the story with bright harmonies and layered effects; “Private Sorrow” and “Balloon Burning” pair martial rhythms with soaring guitar phrasings; “Trust” and “Old Man Going” reveal a denser, darker energy foreshadowing early 1970s hard rock. The minute-long closer “Loneliest Person” ends the cycle in quiet resignation.

A1. “S.F. Sorrow Is Born” (3:12)
A2. “Bracelets of Fingers” (3:41)
A3. “She Says Good Morning” (3:23)
A4. “Private Sorrow” (3:51)
A5. “Balloon Burning” (3:51)
A6. “Death” (3:05)

B1. “Baron Saturday” (4:01)
B2. “The Journey” (2:46)
B3. “I See You” (3:56)
B4. “Well of Destiny” (1:46)
B5. “Trust” (2:49)
B6. “Old Man Going” (3:09)
B7. “Loneliest Person” (1:29)

Sessions took place between November 1967 and September 1968 at EMI Studios, London, with production by Norman Smith and engineering by Peter Mew. Ken Scott handled additional recording on “Bracelets of Fingers.”

The cover features artwork by Phil May, whose surreal design and Dick Taylor’s photography visualize the album’s dreamlike descent into loss and disillusionment.

S.F. Sorrow achieved landmark status as the first album-length rock opera, influencing narrative works by The Who and other progressive artists of the 1970s.

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Parachute

The Pretty Things released their fifth album, Parachute, in June 1970 on Harvest.

Parachute is a transitional work that blends late-’60s psychedelia with emerging forms of progressive and hard rock. The album carries a dual theme of urban fatigue and rural escape, expressed through alternating heavy electric passages and softly layered acoustic sequences. It marked the band’s first project without founding guitarist Dick Taylor, replaced by Vic Unitt of the Edgar Broughton Band.

Singer Phil May and bassist Wally Waller wrote the majority of the material, often in suite-like groupings that flow between contrasting moods. May co-composed the closing title track with producer Norman Smith.

The songs divide between driving, aggressive numbers like “Cries From the Midnight Circus” and “Sickle Clowns” and bucolic pieces such as “In the Square” and “Grass,” enriched with harpsichord, Mellotron, and choral harmonies. The medley “The Good Mr. Square / She Was Tall, She Was High” introduces a recurring character motif, while “Miss Fay Regrets” revives their rhythm and blues foundation in an amplified context. The closing “Parachute” fuses pastoral and electric modes into a climactic coda.

A1. “Scene One / The Good Mr. Square / She Was Tall, She Was High” (4:54)
A2. “In the Square / The Letter / Rain” (6:03)
A3. “Miss Fay Regrets” (3:28)
A4. “Cries From the Midnight Circus” (6:28)

B1. “Grass” (4:20)
B2. “Sickle Clowns” (6:36)
B3. “She’s a Lover” (3:32)
B4. “What’s the Use” (1:45)
B5. “Parachute” (3:52)

Sessions took place between September 1969 and April 1970 at Abbey Road Studios in London with Norman Smith and engineers Tony Clark and Nick Webb.

Parachute appeared in June 1970 on Harvest as a gatefold LP with artwork by Hipgnosis, whose nocturnal image depicts a glowing child standing on a deserted highway between an industrial chimney and an overgrown flower.

Harvest promoted the album with “Cries From the Midnight Circus” (b/w “Grass”), which reached No. 43 on the UK Albums Chart.

Parachute was later reissued with post-album singles featuring new guitarist Pete Tolson, including “Blue Serge Blues” and “Cold Stone.” The 2010 anniversary edition contained acoustic reinterpretations by May and Waller. After this album, Vic Unitt cleared for guitarist Pete Tolson.

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Freeway Madness

The Pretty Things released their sixth album, Freeway Madness, in December 1972 on Warner Bros.

The album finds the band shifting from the conceptual, suite-like structures of Parachute toward a more direct, transatlantic form of rock with pronounced vocal harmonies and occasional country and string textures. It was their first release under Warner Bros. and marked the beginning of a stylistic trilogy continued on Silk Torpedo and Savage Eye.

Singer Phil May and guitarist Pete Tolson wrote the bulk of the material, with additional contributions from keyboardist Jon Povey and returning associate Wally Waller, who produced the sessions under the alias Asa Jones and sang lead on “Over the Moon.” Session player Gordon Huntley of Matthews Southern Comfort appears on pedal steel for “Country Road,” and string players Don Harper, Billy Reid, Johnny Van Derrick, and Peter Willison perform on select tracks.

The album balances electric and acoustic contrasts: “Love Is Good” unfolds in six minutes of shifting tempos and vocal layering, while “Peter” offers a brief acoustic interlude with cello counterpoint. “Rip Off Train” and “Havana Bound” combine rhythmic drive and blues phrasing, whereas “Over the Moon” stands out for its orchestral climax. “Country Road” introduces pedal steel and a reflective pace, and the two-part “Onion Soup / Another Bowl?” closes the album with brisk guitar interplay.

A1. “Love Is Good” (6:51) May/Povey
A2. “Havana Bound” (3:54)
A3. “Peter” (1:26) Tolson
A4. “Rip Off Train” (3:17)
A5. “Over the Moon” (4:31) May/Waller

B1. “Religion’s Dead” (4:11)
B2. “Country Road” (4:46)
B3. “Allnight Sailor” (1:55)
B4. “Onion Soup” (3:48)
B5. “Another Bowl?” (2:50)

Sessions took place at Morgan Studios in Willesden with production by Wally Waller (as Asa Jones) and engineering by Mike Bobak.

Warner Bros. promoted Freeway Madness with the single “Over the Moon” (b/w “Havana Bound”), issued on December 8, 1972. The album reached No. 51 in Australia on the Kent Music Report. After this album, Wally cleared for multi-instrumentalist Gordon John Edwards.

The 2002 Repertoire CD reissue includes live recordings from the Pretty Things’ 1973 Lyceum performance, along with single edits of “Over the Moon” and “Havana Bound.”

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Silk Torpedo

The Pretty Things released their seventh album, Silk Torpedo, on November 1, 1974, on Swan Song.

The album combines post-psychedelic textures with the flamboyance of glam-era rock and marked their first release on Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song label. It continues the narrative ambitions of S.F. Sorrow through an implied life-cycle concept but favors tighter arrangements and denser, polished production.

Singer Phil May wrote most of the material, co-authoring several songs with guitarist Pete Tolson and keyboardist Jon Povey. Producer Norman Smith contributed to “L.A.N.T.A.” and oversaw sessions that framed May’s songwriting in a grand, layered soundscape with multiple guitars, keyboards, and brass. 

The record moves between dramatic and reflective modes. “Dream / Joey” opens with an organ prelude and develops into a theatrical rocker framed by May’s shouted refrains. “Maybe You Tried” and “Come Home Momma” exemplify the band’s turn toward accessible, harmony-driven rock. “Is It Only Love” builds on a brass-accented ballad form, while “Singapore Silk Torpedo” layers piano, guitar, and choir effects into a climactic centerpiece. “Belfast Cowboys” closes the album with shifting tempos and imagery tied to wartime upheaval.

A1. “Dream” (1:08) – Povey instrumental prelude that segues into the following track.
A2. “Joey” (5:35) – May
A3. “Maybe You Tried” (4:19) – May/Tolson
A4. “Atlanta” (2:42) – May/Tolson
A5. “L.A.N.T.A.” (2:23) – May/Povey/Smith 
A6. “Is It Only Love” (5:04) – May. Silver Band brass.

B1. “Come Home Momma” (3:32) – May
B2. “Bridge of God” (5:01) – May
B3. “Singapore Silk Torpedo”(5:11) – May/Tolson
B4. “Belfast Cowboys” (5:10) – May/Povey
B5. “Bruise in the Sky” (1:50) – Povey

Sessions occurred at Olympic Studios in London with producer Norman Smith and engineer Keith Harwood. Both Swan Song albums feature Scottish backing vocalist Jack Green (a recent T. Rex sideman) multi-instrumentalist Gordon John Edwards, a secondary guitarist/keyboardist whose basswork anchors drummer Skip Alan. 

Silk Torpedo features cover photography by Hipgnosis, whose surreal nighttime image centers on a reclining mannequin form viewed through reflective glass.

Swan Song promoted the album with “Is It Only Love” (b/w “Joey”) in the UK and “Joey” (b/w “Come Home Momma”) in the US. The album reached No. 104 on the Billboard 200 during their 1974 American tour supporting Led Zeppelin.

Silk Torpedo stands as The Pretty Things’ first project under the Zeppelin patronage, pairing their narrative rock sensibilities with the lush studio depth of mid-’70s glam production.

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Savage Eye

The Pretty Things released their eighth album, Savage Eye, in January 1976 on Swan Song.

The album expands on the polished rock direction of Silk Torpedo with elaborate vocal layering, orchestral textures, and dense guitar–keyboard arrangements. It blends hard rock drive with reflective, occasionally pop-oriented compositions, closing the band’s 1960s–70s cycle with singer Phil May before his departure later that year.

May wrote four songs and co-wrote one apiece with guitarist Pete Tolson and keyboardist Jon Povey. Tolson contributed the ballad “Sad Eye,” while Povey wrote the bookends of Side B, including the instrumental “Theme for Michelle.”

The material alternates between vigorous electric numbers and subdued, melodic passages. “Under the Volcano” opens with taut, syncopated rhythms and layered guitar figures, while “Remember That Boy” and “Drowned Man” sustain the rock edge with intricate tempo changes and stacked vocal parts. “My Song” introduces orchestral flourishes and shifting dynamics, contrasting the acoustic-led “Sad Eye” and the bright mid-tempo pop of “I’m Keeping.” Povey’s “It Isn’t Rock ’n’ Roll” leans toward music hall phrasing, and “It’s Been So Long” offers a blues-inflected reflection. The album closes with the piano miniature “Theme for Michelle.”

A1. “Under the Volcano” (6:02) – May/Tolson
A2. “My Song” (5:12)
A3. “Sad Eye” (4:31) – Tolson
A4. “Remember That Boy” (5:04)

B1. “It Isn’t Rock ’n’ Roll” (4:07) – Povey
B2. “I’m Keeping” (4:04)
B3. “It’s Been So Long” (5:07)
B4. “Drowned Man” (4:23) – May/Povey
B5. “Theme for Michelle” (1:59) – Povey

Sessions occurred at Olympic Studios in London with producer Norman Smith and engineer Keith Harwood.

Savage Eye appeared on Swan Song with sleeve photography by Hipgnosis, depicting a woman’s face obscured by reflective surfaces and diffused light.

Swan Song preceded the album with the single “I’m Keeping” (b/w “Atlanta”) in June 1975 and followed it with “Sad Eye” (b/w “Remember That Boy”) in February 1976. The album reached No. 163 on the Billboard 200 during the group’s final U.S. tour before their mid-decade split.

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Cross Talk

The Pretty Things released their ninth album, Cross Talk, in August 1980 on Warner Bros.

The album marked the band’s return after a four-year hiatus and captured their adaptation to the new wave era with sharp, concise song forms, angular guitar lines, and brisk rhythmic pacing. It reunited the Parachute–Savage Eye lineup—singer Phil May, guitarist Dick Taylor, lead guitarist Pete Tolson, keyboardist Jon Povey, bassist Wally Waller, and drummer Skip Alan—and paired them with producers Jon Astley and Phil Chapman.

May wrote “Lost That Girl” and or co-wrote nine songs, including six with Tolson. The material updates their 1960s R&B energy in a tight, modern framework comparable to contemporaries such as The Police and Joe Jackson.

The songs range from punchy rockers to reflective ballads. “I’m Calling” and “Office Love” open the set with clipped rhythmic drive and overlapping vocal refrains. “Edge of the Night” and “Bitter End” add tension through syncopated accents and distorted guitars, while “Sea of Blue” and “She Don’t” reveal their melodic core with layered harmonies and acoustic textures. “No Future” closes the album with a reggae-influenced rhythm and satirical tone.

A1. “I’m Calling” (4:06)
A2. “Edge of the Night” (3:19) – May/Waller
A3. “Sea of Blue” (3:13)
A4. “Lost That Girl” (2:50) – May
A5. “Bitter End” (3:16)

B1. “Office Love” (4:12)
B2. “Falling Again” (3:20) – May/Waller
B3. “It’s So Hard” (3:14)
B4. “She Don’t” (4:08)
B5. “No Future” (4:28)

Sessions occurred at Matrix Studios in London with producers Jon Astley and Phil Chapman and engineers Richard Whaley and Simon Smart.

Warner Bros. promoted Cross Talk with “I’m Calling” (b/w “Sea of Blue”) and “Falling Again” (b/w “She Don’t”), both released in the UK in 1980.

The Pretty Things appeared as a performance act in the 1981 horror anthology The Monster Club, performing “I’m Calling” in a nightclub sequence alongside other featured artists.

Cross Talk stands as a mature late-period statement, fusing the group’s R&B foundation with new wave precision and the professional sheen of their Swan Song-era recordings.

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Discography:

• The Pretty Things (1965)
• Get the Picture? (1965)
• Emotions (1967)
• S.F. Sorrow (1968)
• Parachute (1970)
• Freeway Madness (1972)
• Silk Torpedo (1974)
• Savage Eye (1976)
• Cross Talk (1980)

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Sources:

• Discogs: The Pretty Things
• English P Albums Directory (page 5)
  
• 45worlds: The Pretty Things
• 45cat: The Pretty Things