Cet article non signé est paru dans le numéro 11 (3e année) de l’hebdomadaire britannique Pop Weekly, daté du 7 novembre 1964. Forts du succès de leur deuxième single, Don’t Bring Me Down, les Pretty Things semblent promis à un avenir radieux : les promoteurs se les arrachent et leurs fans sont de plus en plus nombreux. Mais peuvent-ils se faire une place sur un créneau déjà occupé par les Rolling Stones ?
Transcription
One group that has been causing considerable interest are The Pretty Things. They are in fact, tipped in show business to take over from The Rolling Stones. They have a drive on-stage that makes Britain’s latest super-jet, the TSR 2 look like a slow caterpillar on a Sunday outing. Seriously, these boys can turn out a fantastic sound on-stage, plus of course, they don’t have to look for screams, they already have plenty of those from their many thousands of fans that they have made throughout the country. In a few weeks’ time The Pretty Things will be on the road and heading for more success when they appear on the P. J. Proby tour.
This could mean that The Pretty Things will also start to hit the charts really hard the second time out. Their first record, Rosalyn which made the Top Forty, established the fact that the boys were certainly popular. Their latest platter, a hefty chunk of wax destined to keep your feet tapping and your head shaking, is called Don’t Bring Me Down which is a very strong beater, rather Stoneish, but containing enough of The Pretty Things’ individual appeal to show that they are a group apart.
Proof of their popularity can be seen by the way the promoters of dance halls and tours are rushing to sign the group up. Already after only a few days of sale, their record is heading towards the Top Twenty. It seems a fairly even bet that the disc will be one of the best and longest sellers from one of Britain’s very capable and well-liked groups. Certainly, judging by the sales of Rosalyn, which was released over four months ago, the group are pretty certain to hit the charts with this one.
I doubt whether the end of this year will see the group hitting the charts strongly enough to put in a bid against The Stones, but certainly in popularity they are fast becoming one of the best and biggest groups of the year. Everyone in show business is watching them with an eagle eye, and watching to see whether the fact that they are worth a few hundred pounds a night means anything. Certainly, things are going to be popping with the group scene for a long time whilst we have groups like The Pretty Things happening. I say they’re going to happen big. They’re already doing so, with this new disc, which isn’t even a brilliant song. But it’s going to be a hit. Just wait and see.
Plus too, they have the image, rather like The Stones unfortunately. After all we can’t have two groups with the same image as The Rolling Stones, and they could make this image stretch to hits across the seas into the American charts. We’ll just have to wait and see.
Source : WorldRadioHistory.com (PDF).