The Pretty Things was preceded by Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys which consisted of Dick Taylor, fellow Sidcup Art College student Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger. When Brian Jones joined Little Boy Blue and the Blues Boys as guitarist, Taylor was pushed from playing guitar to bass and the Rolling Stones were formed.
Several months later Dick Taylor (born Richard Clifford Taylor, 28 January 1943, in Dartford, Kent) quit the newly formed Rolling Stones to pursue his schooling when he was accepted at London Central School of Art, where he met up with Phil May (born Phillip Arthur Dennis Kattner, on 9 November 1944, in Dartford, Kent: died 15 May 2020) and they formed Pretty Things.
Taylor was once again playing his preferred guitar with May singing and playing harmonica. They recruited Brian Pendleton (born 13 April 1944 in Wolverhampton–died 16 May 2001 in Maidstone, Kent) on rhythm guitar; John Stax (born John Edward Lee Fullegar, 6 April 1944 in Crayford, Kent) on bass; and, after trying a couple of different drummers, including Pete Kitley and Viv Andrews, stuck with Viv Prince (born Vivian St John Prince, 9 August 1944, in Loughborough, Leices).
Early career
They caused a sensation in England, and their first three singles — "Rosalyn" #41, "Don't Bring Me Down" #10, and the self-penned "Honey I Need" at #13 — appeared in the UK singles chart in 1964-1965. They never had a hit in the United States, but had considerable success in their native United Kingdom and in Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the Netherlands in the middle of the decade. However, in the U.S. they, along with The Yardbirds and Van Morrison's Them, were a huge influence on hundreds of garage bands, including the MC5 and The Seeds.
Their early material was hard-edged blues-rock influenced by Bo Diddley (they took their name from Diddley's 1955 song "Pretty Thing" in humorous contrast to their unkempt long-haired appearance) and Jimmy Reed, much like that of their contemporaries The Stones and The Yardbirds. They were known for wild "rock and roll" behaviour and shocking the establishment; their song "Midnight to Six Man" defined the mod lifestyle. Around this time, the first of what would be many personnel changes over the years also began, with Prince the first to go late in 1965. He was replaced by Skip Alan. Pendleton left late in 1966, and was not initially replaced. Then, Stax quit early in 1967 and Jon Povey and Wally Waller joined to make the band a five piece once again.
After an uncomfortable flirtation with mainstream pop on the Emotions album in 1967, they embraced psychedelia, producing the groundbreaking concept album S.F. Sorrow during 1967-68. This album, released in late 1968, is arguably one of the first rock operas, preceding The Who's Tommy by about a year. It was recorded in the legendary Abbey Road Studios six months after The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Pink Floyd's The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Each album shares a similar forward-thinking late-1960s psychedelic sound (as well as sharing the same record producer, Norman Smith, as the Floyd). S.F. Sorrow was followed by the highly-acclaimed record album Parachute, which continued the psychedelic sound and was named "Album of the Year" in 1970 by Rolling Stone Magazine. During this period they also recorded an album for a young French millionaire, Philippe DeBarge, which was intended only to be circulated among the man's social circle. The acetate has since been bootlegged.
Later career
From this point on, the group enjoyed less in the way of commercial success, but the devotion of a strong cult following, especially with critics and other rock musicians. Their material in the early 1970s tended towards more the hard rock and early heavy metal end of the spectrum, although still blues-based, on albums like Silk Torpedo. 1980's Cross Talk saw them incorporating influences of punk and New Wave into their hard rock sound; like most of their records, it was an artistic but not a commercial success.
With a new manager, Mark St John, they gigged sporadically during the 1980s. By the end of the decade their profile had almost disappeared, when founder members Phil May and Dick Taylor reformed the band for a successful European blues tour in late 1990 with Stan Webb's Chicken Shack and Luther Allison. This gigging outfit included drummer Hans Waterman (formerly of Dutch rock group Solution), bassist Roelf ter Velt and guitarist/keyboardist Barkley McKay (Waco Brothers and Pine Valley Cosmonaut's with Jon Langford of Mekon Fame). This line up regularly toured the European mainland playing a revitalised set that show cased their earlier, rootsy blues and r'n'b materiel, until late 1994. By 1995, they reformed the Cross Talk line-up and added Frank Holland on guitar in place of Peter Tolson. Their label, Snapper Music, issued remastered CDs with many bonus tracks, plus a DVD of a re-recording of S.F. Sorrow at Abbey Road Studios (with Dave Gilmour & Arthur Brown guesting). They toured more frequently, including a tour of the U.S. for the first time in decades
Original rhythm guitarist Brian Pendleton died of lung cancer on May 16, 2001.
In the early 2000's, they released new recordings, including a live album and the studio album Rage Before Beauty.
In 2003, Alan Lakey's biography of the band, Growing Old Disgracefully, was published by Firefly. The book dealt with the long and involved history of the band, and paid special attention to the legal proceedings issued against EMI in the 1990s.
The band did their final tour in 2018.
Atlanta
The Pretty Things Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Atlanta airport driver please
Lockheed tristar, runway four
Don't you know I hate to leave.
Lazy acres, five slow days
That georgia farm gave me release
Tequila sunrise lay me down
But you know I'll return
For atlanta I burn
Atlanta you're my home
All my life, all my days.
I like atlanta, stayed there awhile
Kind of place that I could call home
I like atlanta stayed there awhile
Kind of place that I could call home.
Down at richards, cactus fly
We jammed together all night long
Southern people have a real good time
Grab your stuff and come along.
But you know I'll return
For atlanta I burn
Atlanta you're my home
All my life, all my days.
I like atlanta, stayed there awhile
Kind of place that I could call home
I like atlanta, stayed there awhile
Kind of place that I could call home.
L. a. n. t. a. atlanta
Living in atlanta.
The Pretty Things's song "Atlanta" is a heartfelt tribute to Atlanta, Georgia, and the memories that the city holds for the singer. The opening lines "Early morning, pack my bags, Atlanta airport driver please" suggest that the singer is leaving Atlanta and is reluctant to do so. The Lockheed TriStar and Runway Four mentioned in the next line are a clear reference to the Atlanta International Airport. The singer expresses his fondness for Atlanta and how he hates to leave the city.
The middle section of the song talks about the experiences the singer had in Atlanta, such as spending time on a Georgia farm, drinking Tequila Sunrise, and feeling at home in the city. The final lines of the song repeat the singer's love for Atlanta and how he will always consider the city his home.
Overall, "Atlanta" is a heartfelt tribute to a city that holds a special place in the singer's heart. The song captures the feeling of being at home in a city and the reluctance to leave it.
Line by Line Meaning
Early morning, pack my bags
I begin to prepare to leave the place I was staying in the early morning by packing my bags.
Atlanta airport driver please
I request the driver to take me to the Atlanta airport to begin my journey.
Lockheed tristar, runway four
The aircraft I board to leave Atlanta is the Lockheed Tristar and takes off on runway four.
Don't you know I hate to leave.
I feel sad and reluctant to leave Atlanta and the experiences I had while I was there.
Lazy acres, five slow days
I spent five leisurely days in the relaxing environment of the Georgia farm.
That Georgia farm gave me release
Being on the farm allowed me to escape from stress and anxiety by providing relaxation.
Tequila sunrise lay me down
I lay down to rest while savoring a tequila sunrise drink.
As the warm winds comb the trees.
The wind calmly brushes through the trees causing a rustling sound around me.
But you know I'll return
Although I have to leave now, it is a certainty that I will come back to Atlanta again.
For Atlanta I burn
I have a strong desire to come back to Atlanta and I get excited even thinking about it.
Atlanta you're my home
I have come to see Atlanta as my home and a place where I am comfortable and at ease.
All my life, all my days.
I can imagine spending my entire life in Atlanta because it feels so comfortable and welcoming.
I like Atlanta, stayed there awhile
My time in Atlanta was enjoyable and I stayed there for a considerable amount of time.
Kind of place that I could call home.
Atlanta is the type of place that I could settle down and live in comfortably for a long time.
Down at Richards, cactus fly
I spent time at Richards, and the atmosphere was lively due to the presence of cactus flies.
We jammed together all night long
I spent a long time at Richards jamming with others in a fun social gathering.
Southern people have a real good time
The Southern American people I met were enjoyable and knew how to have a great time.
Grab your stuff and come along.
I encourage others to pack their things and come to Atlanta with me to experience the good times I had there.
L. A. N. T. A. Atlanta
Atlanta is pronounced as L. A. N. T. A.
Living in Atlanta.
Living in Atlanta is a great experience and I would recommend it to others who seek a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER TOLSON, PHILIP MAY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind