Cet article de Norman Jopling est paru dans le numéro 206 de l’hebdomadaire britannique Record Mirror, daté du 20 février 1965. Comme d’habitude, c’est l’apparence des Pretty Things qui sert d’accroche, mais le journaliste a l’honnêteté de reconnaître qu’ils ne sont pas totalement dépourvus d’intelligence. L’article annonce également la sortie prochaine de leur premier 33 tours.
Transcription
ONE accusation that can’t be levelled against the Pretty Things is that they’re dull. In fact this wild-sounding, and equally wild-looking group are one of the most interesting beat groups on the scene.
Their views on their own appearance, considered bizarre by some, great by others, are interesting and logical. Said lead singer Phil May: “The fact is that most people who really stare at us in the street and make rude remarks are the same people who just dress in absolutely anything, and have their hair cut in any old style—usually S.B. & S. They’re just gawking ignorant plebs. It doesn’t worry us at all. But what would worry us would be if people who do take care of their appearance start looking at us and making remarks. Then we’d know something was wrong.
“I think that if we hadn’t had success we’d still be dressing and wearing our hair in the same way. Because as we’re from Art Schools, we’d spend all our grant money on clothes, and not be able to afford a haircut. It’d be even longer then!
“Mind you there’s not much in the way of gawking in London. Everyone’s used to it by now. But when we go up to Manchester or somewhere… well, we usually get followed by big crowds of Beatniks.
There’s been a slight change though in the style of music the Things are playing. Admittedly it’s still their wild uninhibited form of R & B, but things are changing. The boys are becoming more and more drawn towards a folksy kick. And although it’s not likely any pure folk music will materialise on their L.P. “The Pretty Things” to be issued next month, their fans can expect some interesting new developments.
Favourite artistes of the group are the Beach Boys, Bobby Bland, Marvin Gaye, Dionne Warwick, The Animals, and, of course, The Beatles.
Some of the original tracks on the new LP include their new single “Honey I Need,” “Unknown Blues,” “13 Chester Street,” and “Big City.” Something which get the Things rather annoyed is the mention of the beat boom slump. And their reasons for thinking this is untrue are pretty good. “It’s all a plot!” said Phil. “By the managers who haven’t got any big groups, and the Press who are fed up that the beat boom has been going so long. After all, they didn’t mind writing about it when it was starting. But they find it a drag now, so they all want to finish it. Anyway there are more group discs in the charts than ever before.
“It’s not that groups are out. It’s that certain kinds of groups are out—and they’re being replaced by other kinds of groups. Groups, as groups won’t go out. Just certain kinds of groups.
“And it’d be very hard for one kind of group to change into another kind. I mean, you couldn’t do it if you thought that the new type of group and music were coming in, so you’d better get on the bandwagon. You could only do it properly if you really felt you should change, and you wanted to for the sake of the music.
“And the main reason why groups won’t go out is that the kids love them. To them, the groups are their representatives. Before, the kids had to make do with their parents’ type of music, like Frankie Vaughan. Now they have a music of their own, and it’s kept in the forefront of everything.”
Certainly the Things seem to be in the forefront at the moment—they’ll keep there if they continue to make discs like “Honey I Need.”
Source : WorldRadioHistory.com (PDF).