Emotions est le troisième album studio des Pretty Things, sorti en avril 1967 chez Fontana Records.
En perte de vitesse commerciale, le groupe n’est pas en position de force vis-à-vis de sa maison de disques et doit accepter de voir ses chansons couvertes d’arrangements orchestraux plus ou moins heureux. Ce n’est pas ça qui inversera les courbes de ventes, et les Pretties auront tôt fait de renier ce vilain petit canard et d’accueillir avec soulagement la fin de leur contrat avec Fontana.
Un disque mal-aimé par ses propres créateurs, donc, mais sa réputation le fait bien plus mauvais qu’il ne l’est réellement. Les premières compositions du duo May-Waller valent le coup d’oreille, en particulier le fragile bijou qu’est The Sun.
Titres
Sur le 33 tours original, toutes les chansons sont créditées à Phil May et Dick Taylor, sauf There Will Never Be Another Day et Bright Lights of the City, créditées Taylor/May/Waller. La réédition CD reconnaît davantage de contributions à Wally Waller, mais aussi à Ian Stirling, un camarade d’école d’art de Dick Taylor qui avait déjà coécrit Honey, I Need.
Face 1
- Death of a Socialite (Phil May, Ian Stirling, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 41 s
- Children (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 3 min 1 s
- The Sun (Phil May, Wally Waller) – 3 min 2 s
- There Will Never Be Another Day (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 2 min 16 s
- House of Ten (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 2 min 49 s
- Out in the Night (Ian Stirling, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 38 s
Face 2
- One Long Glance (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 2 min 51 s
- Growing in My Mind (Phil May, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 18 s
- Photographer (Phil May, Ian Stirling, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 4 s
- Bright Lights of the City (Phil May, Wally Waller) – 3 min
- Tripping (Phil May, Wally Waller) – 3 min 21 s
- My Time (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 3 min 4 s
Bonus
La plus récente réédition CD de Emotions inclut onze titres bonus :
- A House in the Country (Ray Davies) – 2 min 57 s
- face A du single Fontana TF 722
- Progress (Bob Halley, Carl Spencer) – 2 min 38 s
- face A du single Fontana TF 773
- Children (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 2 min 57 s
- face A du single Fontana TF 829
- My Time (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 2 min 55 s
- face B du single Fontana TF 829
- Death of a Socialite (Phil May, Ian Stirling, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 39 s
- face A du single Star-Club 148 596 STF
- Photographer (Phil May, Ian Stirling, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 4 s
- face B du single Star-Club 148 596 STF
- There Will Be Another Day (version sans overdubs) – 2 min 25 s
- version sans overdubs
- My Time (Phil May, Dick Taylor, Wally Waller) – 3 min 11 s
- version sans overdubs
- The Sun (Phil May, Wally Waller) – 3 min 9 s
- version sans overdubs
- Progress (Bob Halley, Carl Spencer) – 2 min 53 s
- version sans overdubs
- Photographer (Phil May, Ian Stirling, Dick Taylor) – 2 min 14 s
- version sans overdubs
Participants
- Skip Alan : batterie
- Phil May : chant
- Jon Povey : claviers, chant
- Dick Taylor : guitare, chant
- Wally Waller : basse, chant
- Reg Tilsley : arrangements
Premier groupe d’accompagnement :
- A. Hall : trompette
- Johnnie Gray : saxophone alto et soprano
- J. Edwards : trombone
- Keith Christie : trombone
- G. (Gib ?) Wallace : trombone basse
Deuxième groupe d’accompagnement :
- Johnnie Gray : saxophone ténor
- J. (John ? Jack ?) Shinebourne : violoncelle
- W. (William ?) de Mont : violoncelle
- R. (Alexander « Bobby » ?) Kok : violoncelle
- L. Ross : violoncelle
- J. Collier : basse
- Marie Goossens : harpe
Troisième groupe d’accompagnement :
- Johnnie Gray : saxophone alto et ténor
- Bert Ezzard : trompette
- Greg Bowen : trompette
- J. Edwards : trombone
Principales éditions
- 1967 :
33 tours, Royaume-Uni, Fontana STL 5425 - 1967 :
33 tours, Allemagne, Fontana 158 036 STY - 1990 : CD, Royaume-Uni, Fontana 846 705-2
- 2000 : CD, Royaume-Uni, Snapper SDPCD 111
- 2002 : CD, Allemagne, Repertoire REP 4929
Critiques
PRETTY THINGS present “Emotions,” an above-average beat group album, with some very nice backing sounds by Keith Christie and others. All original compositions which all sound vaguely like something else. It is really Reg Tilsley and his orchestrations that have pulled this one out of the rut. (Fontana)
Disc & Music Echo, 22 juillet 1967
This top group has faded out of the limelight of late, but this LP should bring it back. With instrumental additions of trumpet, tenor sax, trombones, harp and cello, they put over their rocking numbers in a low key, striving for, and getting, more intricate sounds without losing the beat appeal on the arresting vocals by Phil May. On Tripping they build up excitement without raising the volume, and the soft, haunting Growing In My Mind has a fascinating Oriental-sounding backing. ★ ★ ★ ★
Allen Evans, NME, 22 juillet 1967
Quite a different album from the Things. They have progressed somewhat to using different instruments, which are played by able session musicians, and the songs themselves show some kind of development. A pity that the Things have fallen out of the public eye because this LP will need to be heard to sell. ★ ★ ★
Record Mirror, 22 juillet 1967
I’m afraid that this is not a very strong album although it’s pleasant enough. The Pretty Things could have done better. They have amalgamated with brass and strings and quite honestly the size or the project doesn’t seem right for the Pretties.
All the tracks on this album are written by vocalist Phil May, and lead guitarist Dick Taylor helped now and again by a gent called Waller. But even though the composition stakes have been kept in the family they are hardly “Taylor-May-d” for the group’s style.
A very courageous try, but material isn’t as strong as the Pretty Things’ sound.
Beat Instrumental, août 1967
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