![]() ![]() She then recorded her own backing vocals. Later, alone in the studio as was her preference, Hynde performed her main vocal line with three or four overdubs dropped in to fix minor imperfections. Bremner's featured guitar solo was performed in one take. Small loudspeakers were aimed at the musicians from behind Chambers to reinforce the sound of selected drums such as the snare. Most of the song was recorded quickly with the band placed close together in the studio, arranged as if performing live, with Chambers' drums up on a riser. The producer was Chris Thomas who was familiar to the band from his integral role in making the Pretenders' earlier records, using Bill Price as his engineer, but for this session Steve Churchyard replaced Price because Price was committed to another AIR project at Wessex Sound Studios. Other musicians were hired to fill out the session: lead guitarist Billy Bremner of Rockpile, guitarist Robbie McIntosh, and bassist Tony Butler who was already at the studio for a Big Country recording project. Chambers commented on the song in a 1983 interview, "We had rehearsed it a lot with Jimmy, and thought it would make a pretty good single". At that time, only two Pretenders were left: singer-songwriter Chrissie Hynde, who was about three months pregnant with her first daughter, and drummer Martin Chambers. On July 20, 1982, the band began recording the song at AIR Studios in London. This came two days after the Pretenders fired their longtime bassist Pete Farndon because of his drug problem. "Back on the Chain Gang" was recorded after James Honeyman-Scott, the Pretenders guitarist, died of a drug overdose at the age of 25 on June 16, 1982. The single's flip side, " My City Was Gone", later became a substantial hit in the U.S., with lyrics about Ohio. 4 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart and No. 5 on the Hot 100, becoming the band's biggest hit in the U.S. "Back on the Chain Gang" entered the Billboard charts in early October 1982, then reached No. The song also was released on The King of Comedy soundtrack album in March 1983 and later was included on the Pretenders' next album, Learning to Crawl, in January 1984. So for every song on the 1984 album Learning to Crawl, if it sounds like Hynde’s singing about a dead friend, then she probably is." Back on the Chain Gang" is a song written by Chrissie Hynde and originally recorded by her band the Pretenders, and released as a single by Sire Records in September 1982. What else were we going to do? Stay at home and be miserable, or go into the studio and do what we dig and be miserable? ![]() When asked how she could return to releasing music so quickly after the loss, she told Rolling Stone in 1984: “Back On The Chain Gang” was written about the passing of Honeyman-Scott, released three months after his death. Then Farndon ended up dying of an overdose a few months later. Honeyman-Scott went along with the decision, but a few days later died in an apparent overdose suicide. ![]() In June 1982, Hynde and Chambers decided to fire Farndon because he was refusing to treat his drug addiction. The song was then later included on their third album Learning To Crawl, which came out more than a year after this single.įrom 1978 until 1982, The Pretenders were Chrissie Hynde (vocals/rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar/keyboard), Pete Farndon (bass), and Martin Chambers (percussion). It also reached the top 40 in the UK, New Zealand, Belgium and The Netherlands. It became the band’s first of two top 10 US hits. “Back On The Chain Gang” was originally released as a standalone single in the fall of 1982, a year after their second album Pretenders II. ![]()
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