History Music / ThePrettyThings

By the end of the year, the Pretties had [[ChannelHop switched labels]] to Creator/{{EMI Columbia|Records}} and evolved their style into PsychedelicRock. In 1968, they released their MagnumOpus ''Music/SFSorrow'', the first ever RockOpera -- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! It didn't sell well, although today it is [[VindicatedByHistory usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art]]. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute'' (on Creator/{{EMI}}'s ProgressiveRock imprint Creator/{{Harvest|Records}}), continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and received rave reviews. It didn't sell either.

* CoolOldGuy: What May and Taylor eventually became.

Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor, the Pretties began as a tough R&B outfit often compared with Music/{{The Rolling Stones|Band}} (partially because Taylor was the Stones' first bassist), although they never achieved the level of fame and success that the Stones did. They signed with Creator/FontanaRecords in 1964, releasing two albums (their self-titled debut and ''Get the Picture?'') and several successful singles over the next two years in the UK. However, by 1966 the British R&B scene was decaying -- and so were the band's sales. The Pretties were anxious to leave Fontana, but they owed the company [[ContractualObligationProject one more album]]. The result, the 1967 release ''Emotions'', was the product of severe ExecutiveMeddling, as strings and horns were overdubbed onto the band's original recordings, leading to CreatorBacklash.

Built around the core formed by lead singer Phil May and guitarist Dick Taylor, the Pretties began as a tough R&B outfit often compared with Music/TheRollingStones (partially because Taylor was the Stones' first bassist), although they never achieved the level of fame and success that the Stones did. They signed with Creator/FontanaRecords in 1964, releasing two albums (their self-titled debut and ''Get the Picture?'') and several successful singles over the next two years in the UK. However, by 1966 the British R&B scene was decaying -- and so were the band's sales. The Pretties were anxious to leave Fontana, but they owed the company [[ContractualObligationProject one more album]]. The result, the 1967 release ''Emotions'', was the product of severe ExecutiveMeddling, as strings and horns were overdubbed onto the band's original recordings, leading to CreatorBacklash.

* DarkerAndEdgier: Just as Music/TheRollingStones were edgier than Music/TheBeatles, the Pretties were even edgier than the Stones.

By the end of the year, the Pretties had [[ChannelHop switched labels]] to Creator/{{EMI Columbia|Records}} and evolved their style into PsychedelicRock. In 1968, they released their MagnumOpus ''Music/SFSorrow'', the first ever RockOpera -- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! It didn't sell well, although today it is [[VindicatedByHistory usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art]]. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute'' (on Creator/{{EMI}}'s ProgressiveRock imprint Creator/{{Harvest|Records}}) continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and received rave reviews. It didn't sell either.

Still failing to attain much popular success, the Pretties recorded a few more albums before disbanding in 1980; two of these, ''Silk Torpedo'' and ''Savage Eye'', were originally released on Music/LedZeppelin's Swan Song label and were their best-selling albums in America. They went on to reunite several times and release further critically acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums. May and Taylor toured with a new lineup until they retired from the road in 2018. Also, a group called [=xPT's=], consisting of several former Pretties (not including May or Taylor), released ''Parachute Reborn'' (a re-recording of ''Parachute'' with a couple of bonus tracks) in 2012.

By the end of the year, the Pretties had [[ChannelHop switched labels]] to Creator/{{EMI Columbia|Records}} and evolved their style into PsychedelicRock. In 1968, they released their MagnumOpus ''Music/SFSorrow'', the first ever RockOpera -- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! It didn't sell well, although today it is [[VindicatedByHistory usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art]]. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute'' (on Creator/{{EMI}}'s ProgressiveRock imprint Creator/{{Harvest|Records}}) continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Magazine/RollingStone'''s Album of the Year. It didn't sell either.

By the end of the year, the Pretties had [[ChannelHop switched labels]] to Creator/{{EMI Columbia|Records}} and evolved their style into PsychedelicRock. In 1968, they released their MagnumOpus ''Music/SFSorrow'', the first ever RockOpera -- yes, even before Music/TheWho's ''Music/{{Tommy}}''! It didn't sell well, and although today it is [[VindicatedByHistory usually regarded as a groundbreaking work of art]]. The next album, 1970's ''Parachute'' (on Creator/{{EMI}}'s ProgressiveRock imprint Creator/{{Harvest|Records}}) continued in the psychedelic/art rock vein and became ''Magazine/RollingStone'''s Album of the Year. It didn't sell either.

!!The Pretty Things' studio albums:

The Pretty Things were an English rock and roll band from UsefulNotes/{{London}}, who formed in 1963 and [[LongRunners remained active for well over 50 years]].