page_title: The Pretenders
section_title: Original band (1978–1982)
hierarchical_section_title: The Pretenders / History / Original band (1978–1982)
caption_attribution_description: English: Pretenders, live at the Dominion Theatre, London Esperanto: Pretenders, vive en la Dominion Teatro, Londono
context_page_description: The Pretenders are an English–American rock band formed in March 1978. The original band consisted of founder and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde, James Honeyman-Scott, Pete Farndon, and Martin Chambers. Following the deaths of Honeyman-Scott and Farndon in 1982 and 1983, the band experienced numerous personnel changes; Hynde has been the band's only consistent member.
  The Pretenders' hit songs include "Brass in Pocket", "Talk of the Town", "Message of Love", "Back on the Chain Gang", "Middle of the Road", "2000 Miles", "Don't Get Me Wrong", "My Baby", and "I'll Stand by You". The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2005.
context_section_description: The band's first single, a cover of the Kinks song "Stop Your Sobbing" (produced by Nick Lowe and recorded at the July Regents Park sessions) was released in January 1979 and gained critical attention. It was followed by "Kid" in June of 1979. In January 1980, the band reached No. 1 in the UK with "Brass in Pocket", which was also successful in the US, reaching No. 14 on the Billboard Hot 100. 
  Their self-titled debut album was released in January 1980 and was a success in the United Kingdom and the United States both critically and commercially. It is regarded as one of the best debut albums of all time, and has been named one of the best albums of all time by VH1 (no. 52) and Rolling Stone (no. 155). 
  During March 1981, the EP Extended Play was released, containing the UK and US success "Message of Love" and "Talk of the Town", "Porcelain", "Cuban Slide" and a live version of "Precious", recorded in Central Park.
  The second full-length album, Pretenders II, was released during August 1981. Pretenders II included the Extended Play singles, the MTV video success "Day After Day", and popular album-radio tracks "The Adultress", "Birds of Paradise", "Bad Boys Get Spanked", and "The English Roses".
  On 18 September 1981, the Pretenders were the musical guest on the US late night sketch comedy show Fridays. The band performed "The Adultress", "Message of Love" and "Louie, Louie". Andy Kaufman was the guest host of the programme on that night. In the Autumn of 1981, The Pretenders cancelled their US+Canada Tour as Chambers had cut his hand, and the injury was so bad that he could not play for a number of weeks. The band decided to postpone the tour rather than replace Chambers.
  Due to escalating drug abuse, Farndon was fired from the band after a meeting between Hynde, Honeyman-Scott, and Chambers on 14 June 1982. Two days later, on 16 June 1982, Honeyman-Scott died of heart failure as a result of cocaine intolerance. Farndon was in the midst of forming a new band when he was found dead on 14 April 1983 by his wife. After taking heroin and passing out, Farndon had drowned in his bathtub, leaving the Pretenders with only two living members.
caption: The Pretenders (original line-up), Dominion Theatre, London, December 1981
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