Cet article non signé est paru dans le numéro de l’hebdomadaire britannique Disc Weekly daté du 31 juillet 1965. Défiant comme toujours, Phil May proclame qu’il ne changera jamais… un engagement tenu jusqu’au bout.
Transcription
The Pretty Things consider themselves the last of the really wild long-haired groups. Where other once-wild people like the Stones, have suddenly developed an amazing respectability, the Pretty Things go on and on.
“We shall never change,” says Phil May—longest haired of all. “Or I won’t anyway. It’s a personal thing with us. I’d rather give up the business than conform.
“And as I won’t cut my hair and I have no intention of dressing like a mod I can’t see THAT happening!
“Oh, Dick’s just had his hair cut a bit, but that’s not a group decision. That’s his own personal choice.”
The Things have always had a reputation for being way out and unruly. When they were first in London a couple of years ago their flat was the policeman’s nightmare.
“In those days we were very unexperienced and we went mad. We covered a hell of a lot of ground in those days. Then you go through a stage of getting a bit fed up, then the urge to go potty is re-awakened in you.
“But today, even though we all live an outwardly respectable home life with our parents, we are still the same underneath. I could never start all over again—fancy going in for the Unit Four Plus Two image! I don’t think fans would accept it either.
“Sometimes I think perhaps we should change. Certainly today we stand out in the pop scene. Everyone else looks quite normal! But the fans like to come and see us just because we are a change from the normal looking groups.
“Of course, nowadays they don’t follow our style in hair or clothes as they used to. But they don’t with any group these days. They follow the crowd.”
To prove that they haven’t changed, they have a habit these days of playing one-nighters in some deserted part of England, then tearing back to London and going mad for 24 hours. Doing all the “in” places and drinking everywhere dry!
“We came back from this tour of Scotland the other day,” said Phil. “It was hell, honestly. We arrived back in London and in the past four days we’ve only had about five hours sleep.
“We feel great, too. I nearly got convinced by the others to go and take in an afternoon film matinee so you can imagine what a state we were in!
“I don’t honestly think we’ve changed at all. Despite the changes of everyone about us. The Stones have changed gradually. At one time I thought they would get respectable about the same time as the Beatles—if they’d made it a bit sooner there might have been two groups with MBEs!
“I don’t think changing would be at all beneficial to us. Even though our new record is much quieter than our image would suggest, we merely thought we’d prove that it was something we could do.”