The Pretty Things - The Pretty Things (1965)

Dick Taylor, Keith Richards, and Mick Jagger, before the formation of The Stones, performed in a group together called Little Boy Blue and the Blue Boys. After Brian Jones joined the band, its name changed to The Rolling Stones. The young Mr. Taylor left The Stones very early on to attend the London Central School of Art where he met Phil May. Mr. Taylor's guitar and Phil May's vocals and harmonica would end up forming the core of The Pretty Things. They had some early success in the UK with three charting singles ("Rosalyn", "Don't Bring Me Down", "Honey, I Need") and a top-ten charting album in their 1965 debut The Pretty Things, a series of Rhythm & Blues covers with a couple original songs.

The Pretty Things had everything it needed to be a solid blues-rock band: a fierce vocal gnarl, a vibrant beat, and creative musicianship. They, however, did not have enough of any quality to separate itself from the pack of other blues-rock inspired bands to come out of England. They had early success in England, but they were unable to "invade" America, the international bar of success and popularity, like early contemporaries The Rolling Stones or Them.

Here is the discography surrounding The Pretty Things's debut album:

Rosalyn (1964 single)
Don't Bring Me Down (1964 single)
The Pretty Things (1964 EP)
Honey, I Need (1965 single)
The Pretty Things
Roadrunner (1965 single)
Big City (1965 EP)



Remember to speak up if you have a good idea for where the Musical History Tour should go next.

The Rolling Stones - The Rolling Stones (1964)

The story continues with George Harrison and Dick Rowe meeting up again (after The Beatles stormed the charts) on the television program Juke Box Jury. Young Mr. Harrison reportedly raved about his favorite unsigned band The Rolling Stones. Not long after, Mr. Rowe signed The Rolling Stones to Decca Records and promptly recorded a handful of hit singles and their debut album The Rolling Stones.

Here is the discography surrounding The Rolling Stones's debut album:

Baby What's Wrong (1963 demo)
Come On (1963 single)
Fortune Teller (1963 unreleased single)
I Wanna Be Your Man (1963 single)

The Complete British Radio Broadcasts - Volume 1 1963 (compilation album)
The Rolling Stones (1964 EP)

You Better Move On (1964 single)
Not Fade Away (1964 single)

The Rolling Stones
England's Newest Hitmakers (1964 US album)

Carol (1964 single)
Tell Me (1964 single)

Pass the Headphones!!

The Beatles - Please Please Me (1963)

It was only a matter of time before we got around to everybody's favorite Liverpudlian band. Their connection to Them is a bit indirect, but fun, and follows this wayward path: Dick Rowe, a producer at Decca Records, is notorious as being one of the individuals to not sign The Beatles to a recording contract. The foursome auditioned at Decca Studios (an audition paid for by the band's manager Brian Epstein) and were rejected since "guitar bands are on their way out, Mr. Epstein". After The Beatles shot that theory down and shot to the top of the world, Dick Rowe was given a poor recording of Them's live act. Not willing to let another potential chart-topping band go unsigned, Mr. Rowe rushed to one of Them's concerts, liked what he heard and immediately signed them/Them to a recording contract.

The Beatles's debut album Please Please Me, released in 1963, is a solid collection of original songs by Lennon/McCartney and covers of songs they regularly performed at their concerts in Hamburg and the UK. But honestly, what else is there to say about "The World's Greatest Band" that hasn't been said a million times before?

Here is the discography surrounding The Beatles's debut album:

Love Me Do (1962 single)
Please Please Me (1963 single)
Please Please Me
From Me to You (1963 single)
Twist and Shout (1963 EP)
She Loves You (1963 single)
The Beatles' Hits (1963 EP)
The Beatles No. 1 (1963 EP)





Pass the Headphones!!

Them - The "Angry" Young Them! (1965)

UB40's song "Burden of Shame" from their debut album was co-written by Van Morrison. Although Mr. Morrison is known and revered for his solo output, he actually started out in a number of garage rock bands with the only notable one being Them. Can you find him on the cover?

Them's debut album The "Angry" Young Them! only opens a small window as to how the band truly sounded. Van Morrison put it that, while performing, the band fed off each other's energy and the energy of the crowd. Performances of their classic songs "Gloria", "Mystic Eyes" or "Here Comes the Night" could stretch to 20 minutes or longer depending on how Van Morrison felt, often ad-libbing new lyrics.

The group held a healthy amount of popularity while they were active and their live act often outshone their contemporaries: the early years of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Animals,... They melded garage rock and blues seamlessly and were one of the few bands that exhibited "genuine soul" in their music.

Here is the discography surrounding Them's debut album:

Don't Start Crying Now (1964 single)
Baby, Please Don't Go (1964 single)
Them (1965 EP)
Here Comes the Night (1965 single)
Gloria (1965 EP)
The "Angry" Young Them!
Mystic Eyes (1965 single)
One More Time (1965 single)
(It Won't Hurt) Half as Much (1965 single)

(at least it's something like this)

Pass the Headphones!!

UB40 - Signing Off (1980)

Randy Newman's wonderful song "I Think It's Going to Rain Today" was covered by British reggae band UB40 for their debut album Signing Off.

This is the first time I've heard of UB40 and the first time I've seriously listened to reggae, so I don't feel I can say much about the album's nature.

Here is the discography surrounding UB40's debut album:

Food for Thought (1980 single)
My Way of Thinking (1980 single)
Signing Off
The Earth Dies Screaming (1980 single)



Don't forget to speak up if you have any ideas for where the tour should go next.