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.
Play With Fire
The Pretty Things Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And you've got your pretty clothes
And the chauffeur drives your car, babe
You let everybody know
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Your mother is some heiress
Your father would be there with her
If he only could
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
(Playing with fire, playing with fire)
Now she's got her diamonds
And she's gotta get some others
But she'd better watch her step, now
Or else be living with her mother
Oh don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
No don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
The Pretty Things's "Play With Fire" is a cautionary tale of a woman whose materialistic pursuits have led her down a dangerous path. The song is directed at a wealthy woman who flaunts her wealth with her diamonds and pretty clothes, and her father is unable to keep up with her high social status. The song suggests that these materialistic pursuits have a darker side and comes with a warning: don't mess with the wrong people because you're playing with fire.
The song is a reflection of the cultural and societal changes of the time period during which it was written. The 60s saw an increase in consumerism, and the song seems to be a critique of this trend. The imagery of diamonds and pretty clothes is a commentary on the superficiality of such pursuits and how they can lead to moral corruption and social isolation. Furthermore, the warnings against playing with fire suggest that these materialistic pursuits come with consequences, and that there are people who are willing to exploit such individuals for their own gain.
Overall, "Play With Fire" is a powerful social commentary and a warning about the dangers of materialism, consumerism, and superficiality. Its lyrics suggest that the pursuit of wealth and status can be destructive, and that one must be careful not to get caught up in a lifestyle that can lead to dangerous situations.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, you've got your diamonds
You possess valuable diamonds
And you've got your pretty clothes
You have attractive clothing
And the chauffeur drives your car, babe
You have a personal driver for your vehicle
You let everybody know
You like to show off your possessions to others
So don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Don't mess with me, as there could be repercussions
Your mother is some heiress
Your mom is wealthy and important
Got a block in Saint John's Wood
She owns real estate in a prestigious area
Your father would be there with her
Your dad wishes he could be by her side
If he only could
Unfortunately, he cannot be with her
Now she's got her diamonds
Now she also owns valuable diamonds
And she's gotta get some others
She wants to acquire more diamonds
But she'd better watch her step, now
She needs to be careful and cautious
Or else be living with her mother
Otherwise, she will lose everything and have to go back to her mom for support
Oh don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
Again, don't mess with me or face consequences
No don't play with me, 'cause you're playing with fire
A repeated warning to not provoke or challenge the singer
Contributed by Jeremiah F. Suggest a correction in the comments below.