The Pretty Things
Rock bandWikipedia
17
MENTIONS
9
EPISODES
9
PODCASTS
Search complete. 17 mentions across 9 episodes found for "The Pretty Things".
Sep 28, 2026
Mike StaxHOST
Right.
Mike StaxHOST
Yeah, this is a really interesting discovery, because that was written by Johnny D, as you know, who wrote Don't Bring Me Down for The Pretty Things.
Mike StaxHOST
So this was another thing he was probably wanting to pitch to The Pretty Things, right?
Alec PalaoGUEST
Yeah, and I think this was, like I say, Francis Day and Hunter, the publishers, probably...
Alec PalaoGUEST
I assume via shell, you know, said, Oh, you know, got a band that can do this, uh, and send them in the studio region sound this time, not central sound.
Alec PalaoGUEST
And, um, of course, you know, uh, who knows what, what Johnny D gave him as, as you know, the sheet music or the chord changes, whatever, but what they came up with is like, you know, you know, I mean, so perverse as to be, you know, uh, I mean, uh, I mean, obviously, anybody who's familiar with the Pretty's version, the Pretty Things eventual version of Get the Picture, is going to say, well, this doesn't even sound like the same song.
Alec PalaoGUEST
It may not compare favorably to them, but to me, if you just look at this, uh, if you put away the comparison with the pretties version, put that aside for a moment, I just look at it as what it is.
Alec PalaoGUEST
It is just, I mean, it's a, yeah, it's a demo.
speaker_1SOUNDBITE_SPEAKER
never seen The people I know In the bright light of day So how can I say Bet you're any friend of mine See you anytime I'm feeling fine Midnight to six Well, that's my time That's your time Midnight, midnight to six Midnight, midnight to six Midnight, midnight to six Midnight, midnight to six I sleep through the day I wake around four But I always feel down Never get off the floor Till night comes around See you downtown You're taking some sound Baby, we're strong Oh, tell me some more Tell me some more See you downtown Take in some sound Maybe we'll score Tell me some more Tell me some more Midnight, midnight six Midnight, midnight six Midnight, midnight six Midnight, midnight six Midnight, midnight six Midnight, midnight six
Dave MataloniHOST
Ah, The Pretty Things, Midnight to Six, man.
Dave MataloniHOST
Just before they recorded that track back in 1965, they fired their drummer, Viv Prince, following a disastrous tour to New Zealand where Prince wandered around drunk on stage.
Dave MataloniHOST
He was setting props on fire.
Dave MataloniHOST
He had to be escorted off the airplane at the airport.
Dave MataloniHOST
His antics resulted in the New Zealand Parliament banning the not-so-pretty things from ever returning to their country.
Dave MataloniHOST
Ash Reid was in there with Midnight on the Border, and Bob Marley and his Wailers opened the second half of Words and Music with Midnight Ravers.
Dave MataloniHOST
Next up, we have Bob Dylan revealing what happened after Midnight.
Jack RabidHOST
But yeah, you can hear Nash and Tony Hicks for sure belting out the really prominent backing vocals on this.
Jack RabidHOST
We're also going to hear The Who and The Pretty Things and all those other greats.
Jack RabidHOST
But kicking us off, this is The Hollies from 66 doing their live version in Sweden of Reach Out.
Jack RabidHOST
I'll be there.
30 MINS LATER
Jack RabidHOST
The Rhythm Section is Dead.
Jack RabidHOST
Townsend and adultery, may they live forever.
Jack RabidHOST
The Pretty Things also have some dead folks in them, which is sad, but including the singer on that track, the late Phil May, a song written by Phil May and Dick Taylor called Midnight to Six.
Jack RabidHOST
That was live from a BBC TV show called A Whole Scene Going, done in London, January 12th, 66.
PaddyHOST
yeah um is it the vinyl has a picture of a bunch of guys in suits and sunglasses so this is very promising but it could be scar so
Johnny DambusterGUEST
it's great it's very appropriate for these times what with uh trump you know everything up and whatnot and things that are going on around the world so called eve of destruction it's the pretty things it was um covered covering the song by um Barry McGuire, who did that in 1967 about the Vietnam War.
Johnny DambusterGUEST
But it's appropriate still.
PaddyHOST
I feel like we've been touching on a little bit of that era's mood.
Bill BlackwellGUEST
Well, it, it was, yeah, it was pretty magical.
Bill BlackwellGUEST
And of course, you know, the, um, you know, the myriad of artists, I, I would say one of my most eclectic bookings was, um, Ted Nugent, Detroit artist, Styx, and Pretty Things.
Bill BlackwellGUEST
And [laughs] you know, the Pretty Things were this, you know, very ethereal, eclectic band out of England.
Bill BlackwellGUEST
And, uh, the, uh, it was Phil May was the, uh, lead vocalist, and he was a little perplexed how he was opening for Ted Nug- you know, Ted Nugent.
Hanif AbdurraqibHOST
Yeah.
speaker_0HOST
Joe Perry was born in 1950, of course, a legendary lead guitarist and co-songwriter for the group Aerosmith, who created some of the most recognizable guitar riffs in music history, like, say, Walk This Way.
speaker_0HOST
Peter Tolson was born in 1951, lead guitarist for the influential English rock band The Pretty Things during their 1970s run.
speaker_0HOST
Pat Mastolato was born in 1955.
speaker_0HOST
He was the drummer for the pop rock hitmakers Mr. Mister before he ended up joining the progressive rock band King Crimson.
Neal E. FischerHOST
Um, this was sort of the raw material garage rock would be built from, thousands of kids, thousands of garages, k- you know, away from their parents, just playing music, s- a lot of it not very good.
Neal E. FischerHOST
Um, but then in 1964, '65, when the British invasion happened with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, um, you know, a lot of British bands followed those bands onto the American airwaves, p- people like the Dave Clark Five, The Zombies, Gerry and the Pacemakers, The Pretty Things, Herman's Hermits, um, and plus future legends like The Kinks and The Who.
Neal E. FischerHOST
And so American kids at the time heard this music.
Neal E. FischerHOST
It was very hook heavy, slightly ragged, and they thought, "Oh, well, we could do that.
JeffHOST
They were the only two original members continuing at this point.
JeffHOST
Other members at this time included Dick Taylor, one of the founders of Pretty Things, and an early member of the Rolling Stones as he was a classmate of Mick Jagger.
JeffHOST
He was on lead guitar, while Lou Edmonds, who had worked with P.I.L., was on bass.
JeffHOST
Steve Golding of The Rumor handled drums, and Susie Honeyman played violin.
Chris O'ConnorHOST
True story.
Chris O'ConnorHOST
This guy, one, was a member of the band The Pretty Things.
Chris O'ConnorHOST
Yep.
Chris O'ConnorHOST
And check out their SF sorrow, which is just fantastic.