James Honeyman-Scott
Encyclopedia
James Honeyman-Scott commonly referred to as "Jimmy", was an English rock guitarist, songwriter and founding member of the band The Pretenders
.
With the Pretenders, Honeyman-Scott established a reputation, in the words of Allmusic, as "one of the most original and versatile guitarists of the early-'80s new wave movement," he was found dead of heart failure caused by cocaine intolerance. In addition to his role as lead guitarist, Honeyman-Scott co-wrote a number of songs for the band, sang back-up vocals
, and played keyboards on a few tracks.
(bass guitar / vocals) and Martin Chambers
(drums / vocals / percussion), came from Hereford
, Herefordshire
, England, UK. Prior to joining the Pretenders, Honeyman-Scott played in several bands, including a precursor to The Enid
with Robert John Godfrey, The Band The Hawks - Kelv Wilson ( Bass Guitar & Vocals), Dave Plowman ( Guitar ), Stan Speak ( drums ). The Hot Band
, and Cheeks (Guitar Player, 1981). Fellow members in Cheeks included Chambers and ex-Mott the Hoople
keyboardist Verden Allen
, Kelv Wilson ( Bass Guitar - Vocals ). When Honeyman-Scott joined the Pretenders, he was growing vegetables and selling guitars in a music store in Widemarsh Street, Hereford, called Buzz Music.
Honeyman-Scott acknowledged a number of influences on his guitar playing (Guitar Player, 1981). Early musical influences included Cream
and the Allman Brothers Band. Later, he was influenced by the lead lines and finger vibrato
used by Mick Ralphs
of Mott the Hoople
. Honeyman-Scott also credited Nick Lowe
and Elvis Costello
with their "big jangly" Rickenbacker-influenced guitar sound (Guitar Player, 1981). During his tenure with the Pretenders, Dave Edmunds
and Billy Bremner
from Rockpile
were influential, as well as Nils Lofgren
and Chris Spedding
.
rehearsals and recording sessions, and he officially joined the group that summer (New Musical Express, 1980). Chrissie Hynde
recalled, "As soon as I heard Jimmy Scott, I knew I was getting close. Jimmy and I turned out to have a genuine musical affinity" (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006).
Honeyman-Scott's role in shaping the Pretenders' sound primarily involved adding melodic lead lines to existing songs to help tie them together (Guitar Player, 1981). He recalled in the early days, "We did lots of rehearsing - seven days a week, all hours of the day and night. At first a lot of the licks were very heavy - like 'Up the Neck' started off as a reggae song. I said, 'Let's speed it up,' and put in that little guitar run. The melodic parts of the numbers really all started coming together by me putting in these little runs and licks. And then Chrissie started to like pop music, and that's why she started writing things like 'Kid'" (Guitar Player, 1981).
His style evolved during his tenure with the group: "When I joined the Pretenders I could use a lot more melodic stuff, so my style changed quite a bit. Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe had a lot to do with it.... They always seem to have nice little guitar songs that you can sing along to, and that's what I started trying to do" (Guitar Player, 1981).
In terms of style, Honeyman-Scott is perhaps best known for his inventive guitar playing with the group. His playing relied on power chord
s, arpeggiated or percussive rhythms, "dive bombs" live, and short hooks rather than long solos. Although he preferred short fixed patterns, he did admit he was "a lot more wild" playing live (Guitar Player, 1981).
Hynde and Honeyman-Scott have both acknowledged the influence their contrasting styles had on each other (Guitar Player, 1981; Uncut, 1999). According to Honeyman-Scott, Hynde had a unique style he adjusted to in several ways: "She does quite a bit of rhythm guitar, and I don't know anybody who plays like her. It's real distinct, and I can't count her beat half the time. Instead, I just put a little guitar line over it, like the lick in 'Tattooed Love Boys'" (Guitar Player, 1981). He joked about his other strategy: "I've never told them I can't work out their time at all! They are used to me coming in a bar too late; they think that's the way I play. But it's because I've missed where she comes in! I just bluff it and hope for the best" (Guitar Player, 1981). Hynde later summarised his influence on her playing by saying that Jimmy Scott was her "musical right-hand" and that "He really was the Pretenders sound. I don't sound like that. When I met him, I was this not-very melodic punky angry guitar player and singer and Jimmy was the melodic one. He brought out all the melody in me" (Uncut, 1999, p. 62). Chambers later said, "Despite everything the original band accomplished in only two albums, Jimmy and Chrissie were just starting to figure out what they were capable of as a creative team" (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006).
In May and June 1982, Honeyman-Scott was in Austin, Texas, with wife Peggy Sue Fender (a Texan whom he had married in April 1981). After a major world tour he was taking a break in Austin and became involved in his first co-production effort for an album by Stephen Doster that was never released (Austin Chronicle, 1997). He also discussed plans with Jol Dantzig
for doing a side project called "The Boss Weird" that was to include possibly Elliot Easton
as well (Dantzig Design Group, 2006).
During the sessions with Stephen Doster in Austin, Honeyman-Scott was called back to London for a band meeting on 14 June with Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers that resulted in the dismissal of Pete Farndon from the Pretenders, due to Farndon's increasing substance dependence. Two days after the dismissal of Pete Farndon, Honeyman-Scott was found dead of heart failure
caused by cocaine intolerance (Washington, DC City Paper, 1984; Uncut, 1999). He was 25 years old. James Honeyman-Scott is buried in the churchyard at St. Peters Church, Lyde
, Herefordshire.
, who noted that "most of all, the jingle-jangle came from James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders. He was the last important influence on my playing before I went out on my own. The first time I played 'Kid' with the Pretenders, I couldn't believe it. I've used that solo to warm up with every day for years". In addition, Scott is also credited with discovering the Violent Femmes
, who opened for Pretenders at the Oriental Theatre
in Milwaukee
, Wisconsin, while the band was on tour (IO Productions, Inc., undated). In fact it was his wife Peggy Sue who found them busking outside the theatre while she was out looking for toothpaste while the band were at soundcheck.
Another legacy was the effect Honeyman-Scott's death had on the Pretenders' subsequent direction and longevity. Chrissie later said, "One of the things that kept the band alive, ironically, was the death of Jimmy Scott. I felt I couldn't let the music die when he did. We'd worked too hard to get it where it was.... I had to finish what we'd started" (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006). At the group meeting on 14 June 1982, Honeyman-Scott suggested bringing Robbie McIntosh
into the group in some capacity. After Honeyman-Scott's death, McIntosh became the group's lead guitarist for several years.
Just before joining the Pretenders, Honeyman-Scott used an Ibanez
Gibson-Explorer style with a Electro-Harmonix
Clone Theory pedal and Marshall
amplifier
in an attempt to emulate the Rickenbacker
12-string sound on songs by Elvis Costello
and Nick Lowe
(Guitar Player, 1981). Honeyman-Scott recorded most of his guitar parts for the Pretenders debut album using a Gibson ES-335
or Gibson Les Paul.
Honeyman-Scott owned several acoustic guitars including a Gibson
Dove, Martin D-28, and a Guild
12-string. Jimmy used Marshall
100-watt amplifiers
and BOSS
chorus, overdrive, and compressor effects pedals.
1979 - Place Your Bets - Tommy Morrison
The Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
.
With the Pretenders, Honeyman-Scott established a reputation, in the words of Allmusic, as "one of the most original and versatile guitarists of the early-'80s new wave movement," he was found dead of heart failure caused by cocaine intolerance. In addition to his role as lead guitarist, Honeyman-Scott co-wrote a number of songs for the band, sang back-up vocals
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, and played keyboards on a few tracks.
Early years and musical influences
Honeyman-Scott, along with Pretenders bandmates Pete FarndonPete Farndon
Pete Farndon was an English bassist and founding member of the rock band The Pretenders. Farndon attended Hereford Cathedral School in his home town of Hereford, before embarking on his musical legacy with The Pretenders...
(bass guitar / vocals) and Martin Chambers
Martin Chambers
Martin Chambers is the drummer in the rock band, The Pretenders. In addition to playing the drums with the group Chambers sings backing vocals and plays percussion...
(drums / vocals / percussion), came from Hereford
Hereford
Hereford is a cathedral city, civil parish and county town of Herefordshire, England. It lies on the River Wye, approximately east of the border with Wales, southwest of Worcester, and northwest of Gloucester...
, Herefordshire
Herefordshire
Herefordshire is a historic and ceremonial county in the West Midlands region of England. For Eurostat purposes it is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three counties that comprise the "Herefordshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire" NUTS 2 region. It also forms a unitary district known as the...
, England, UK. Prior to joining the Pretenders, Honeyman-Scott played in several bands, including a precursor to The Enid
The Enid
The Enid is a British rock band founded in 1975 by Robert John Godfrey, Stephen Stewart and Francis Lickerish. Another early member was William Gilmour, who subsequently founded his own band Craft and now plays keyboards in Lickerish's band Secret Green....
with Robert John Godfrey, The Band The Hawks - Kelv Wilson ( Bass Guitar & Vocals), Dave Plowman ( Guitar ), Stan Speak ( drums ). The Hot Band
The Hot Band
The Hot Band may refer to:* The backing band formed by American soul musician Sylvester James in 1973.* The backing band for Emmylou Harris from 1974 to 1991....
, and Cheeks (Guitar Player, 1981). Fellow members in Cheeks included Chambers and ex-Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
keyboardist Verden Allen
Verden Allen
Verden Allen is an organ player and founding member of 1970s rock band, Mott the Hoople...
, Kelv Wilson ( Bass Guitar - Vocals ). When Honeyman-Scott joined the Pretenders, he was growing vegetables and selling guitars in a music store in Widemarsh Street, Hereford, called Buzz Music.
Honeyman-Scott acknowledged a number of influences on his guitar playing (Guitar Player, 1981). Early musical influences included Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
and the Allman Brothers Band. Later, he was influenced by the lead lines and finger vibrato
Finger vibrato
Finger vibrato is vibrato produced on a string instrument by cyclic hand movements. Despite the name, normally the entire hand moves, and sometimes the entire upper arm. It can also refer to vibrato on some woodwind instruments, achieved by lowering one or more fingers over one of the uncovered...
used by Mick Ralphs
Mick Ralphs
Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Ralphs is an English guitarist and songwriter, who was a founding member of rock bands Mott the Hoople and Bad Company.-Career:...
of Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople
Mott the Hoople were a British rock band with strong R&B roots, popular in the glam rock era of the early to mid 1970s. They are popularly known for the song "All the Young Dudes", written for them by David Bowie and appearing on their 1972 album of the same name.-The early years:Mott The Hoople...
. Honeyman-Scott also credited Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
and Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
with their "big jangly" Rickenbacker-influenced guitar sound (Guitar Player, 1981). During his tenure with the Pretenders, Dave Edmunds
Dave Edmunds
David 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
and Billy Bremner
Billy Bremner
William John "Billy" Bremner was a Scottish professional footballer, most noted for his captaincy of the Leeds United team of the 1960s and 1970s. He has since been voted Leeds United's greatest player of all time and has a statue outside the South East corner of Elland Road...
from Rockpile
Rockpile
Rockpile were a British rock and roll group of the late 1970s and early 1980s, noted for their strong rockabilly and power pop influences, and as a foundational influence on new wave...
were influential, as well as Nils Lofgren
Nils Lofgren
Nils Hilmer Lofgren is an American rock music recording artist, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist...
and Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding
Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as...
.
The Pretenders
During the mid 1970s, Honeyman-Scott met future Pretenders bandmate Pete Farndon while the bassist was playing with Cold River Lady in Hereford (Melody Maker, 1979). In 1978, Farndon recruited Honeyman-Scott for a series of PretendersThe Pretenders
The Pretenders are an English rock band formed in Hereford, England in March 1978. The original band consisted of initiator and main songwriter Chrissie Hynde , James Honeyman-Scott , Pete Farndon , and Martin Chambers...
rehearsals and recording sessions, and he officially joined the group that summer (New Musical Express, 1980). Chrissie Hynde
Chrissie Hynde
Christine Ellen "Chrissie" Hynde is an US musician best known as the leader of the rock/new wave band the Pretenders. She is a singer, songwriter, and guitarist, and has been the only constant member of the band throughout its history.-Early life and career:Hynde is the daughter of a part-time...
recalled, "As soon as I heard Jimmy Scott, I knew I was getting close. Jimmy and I turned out to have a genuine musical affinity" (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006).
Honeyman-Scott's role in shaping the Pretenders' sound primarily involved adding melodic lead lines to existing songs to help tie them together (Guitar Player, 1981). He recalled in the early days, "We did lots of rehearsing - seven days a week, all hours of the day and night. At first a lot of the licks were very heavy - like 'Up the Neck' started off as a reggae song. I said, 'Let's speed it up,' and put in that little guitar run. The melodic parts of the numbers really all started coming together by me putting in these little runs and licks. And then Chrissie started to like pop music, and that's why she started writing things like 'Kid'" (Guitar Player, 1981).
His style evolved during his tenure with the group: "When I joined the Pretenders I could use a lot more melodic stuff, so my style changed quite a bit. Dave Edmunds and Nick Lowe had a lot to do with it.... They always seem to have nice little guitar songs that you can sing along to, and that's what I started trying to do" (Guitar Player, 1981).
In terms of style, Honeyman-Scott is perhaps best known for his inventive guitar playing with the group. His playing relied on power chord
Power chord
In music, a power chord is a chord consisting of only the root note of the chord and the fifth interval, usually played on electric guitar, and typically through an amplification process that imparts distortion...
s, arpeggiated or percussive rhythms, "dive bombs" live, and short hooks rather than long solos. Although he preferred short fixed patterns, he did admit he was "a lot more wild" playing live (Guitar Player, 1981).
Hynde and Honeyman-Scott have both acknowledged the influence their contrasting styles had on each other (Guitar Player, 1981; Uncut, 1999). According to Honeyman-Scott, Hynde had a unique style he adjusted to in several ways: "She does quite a bit of rhythm guitar, and I don't know anybody who plays like her. It's real distinct, and I can't count her beat half the time. Instead, I just put a little guitar line over it, like the lick in 'Tattooed Love Boys'" (Guitar Player, 1981). He joked about his other strategy: "I've never told them I can't work out their time at all! They are used to me coming in a bar too late; they think that's the way I play. But it's because I've missed where she comes in! I just bluff it and hope for the best" (Guitar Player, 1981). Hynde later summarised his influence on her playing by saying that Jimmy Scott was her "musical right-hand" and that "He really was the Pretenders sound. I don't sound like that. When I met him, I was this not-very melodic punky angry guitar player and singer and Jimmy was the melodic one. He brought out all the melody in me" (Uncut, 1999, p. 62). Chambers later said, "Despite everything the original band accomplished in only two albums, Jimmy and Chrissie were just starting to figure out what they were capable of as a creative team" (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006).
In May and June 1982, Honeyman-Scott was in Austin, Texas, with wife Peggy Sue Fender (a Texan whom he had married in April 1981). After a major world tour he was taking a break in Austin and became involved in his first co-production effort for an album by Stephen Doster that was never released (Austin Chronicle, 1997). He also discussed plans with Jol Dantzig
Jol Dantzig
Jolyon C. Dantzig is known as an artist, businessman, songwriter, designer, guitarist, luthier, author and one of the founders of Hamer Guitars.-Biography:...
for doing a side project called "The Boss Weird" that was to include possibly Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton
Elliot Easton plays lead guitar and sings backing vocals for The Cars. His guitar solos are integral part of the band's hit singles. He studied music at the Berklee College of Music...
as well (Dantzig Design Group, 2006).
During the sessions with Stephen Doster in Austin, Honeyman-Scott was called back to London for a band meeting on 14 June with Chrissie Hynde and Martin Chambers that resulted in the dismissal of Pete Farndon from the Pretenders, due to Farndon's increasing substance dependence. Two days after the dismissal of Pete Farndon, Honeyman-Scott was found dead of heart failure
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
caused by cocaine intolerance (Washington, DC City Paper, 1984; Uncut, 1999). He was 25 years old. James Honeyman-Scott is buried in the churchyard at St. Peters Church, Lyde
Pipe and Lyde
Pipe and Lyde is a village and civil parish in Herefordshire, England. The parish includes Pipe and Lyde itself, Lower Lyde and Upper Lyde. Parts of the church of St Peter date from the 13th century including the south door which features Transitional moulding.-References:...
, Herefordshire.
Legacy
Although Honeyman-Scott died young, he influenced other well-known guitarists such as Johnny MarrJohnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
, who noted that "most of all, the jingle-jangle came from James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders. He was the last important influence on my playing before I went out on my own. The first time I played 'Kid' with the Pretenders, I couldn't believe it. I've used that solo to warm up with every day for years". In addition, Scott is also credited with discovering the Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes
Violent Femmes were an American alternative rock band from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, initially active between 1980 and 1987 and again from 1988 to 2009...
, who opened for Pretenders at the Oriental Theatre
Oriental Theatre (Milwaukee)
The Oriental Theatre is located in the East Side neighborhood of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was built and opened in 1927 as a movie palace. The themes of the decor are East Indian, with no traces of Chinese or Japanese artwork; it is said to be the only movie palace to incorporate East Indian...
in Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
, Wisconsin, while the band was on tour (IO Productions, Inc., undated). In fact it was his wife Peggy Sue who found them busking outside the theatre while she was out looking for toothpaste while the band were at soundcheck.
Another legacy was the effect Honeyman-Scott's death had on the Pretenders' subsequent direction and longevity. Chrissie later said, "One of the things that kept the band alive, ironically, was the death of Jimmy Scott. I felt I couldn't let the music die when he did. We'd worked too hard to get it where it was.... I had to finish what we'd started" (Rhino Entertainment Company, 2006). At the group meeting on 14 June 1982, Honeyman-Scott suggested bringing Robbie McIntosh
Robbie McIntosh
Robbie McIntosh is an English guitarist. McIntosh is well known as a session guitarist and member of The Pretenders from 1982 until 1987. In 1988 he began doing session guitar work for Paul McCartney joining his band full time until early 1994...
into the group in some capacity. After Honeyman-Scott's death, McIntosh became the group's lead guitarist for several years.
Equipment
Honeyman-Scott used a number of guitars during his professional career, including the following:- Gibson ES-335Gibson ES-335The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
used for Pretenders debut and songs on the Robert John Godfrey album - Gibson Les Paul Jr. (1957 - borrowed from Mick Ralphs of Mott the Hoople)
- Gibson Les PaulGibson Les PaulThe Gibson Les Paul was the result of a design collaboration between Gibson Guitar Corporation and the late jazz guitarist and electronics inventor Les Paul. In 1950, with the introduction of the Fender Telecaster to the musical market, electric guitars became a public craze. In reaction, Gibson...
(used to record the debut album) - Gibson FirebirdGibson FirebirdThe Gibson Firebird is a solid-body electric guitar manufactured by Gibson from 1963 to the present.-History:The Gibson Guitar Corporation released several new styles during the 1950s to compete with Fender's instruments, such as the Telecaster and Stratocaster. After success with the Les Paul in...
(1963) - Gibson Firebird (Pink)
- HamerHamer GuitarsHamer Guitars is an American manufacturer of electric guitars. Founded in 1973 by vintage guitar shop owners, Jol Dantzig and his business partner Paul Hamer. Early instruments featured guitar designs based on the Gibson Explorer and Flying V...
Custom-built guitars(3, one red known as "Red One", one white with Honeyman in mother of pearl up the neck known as "Honeyman", and one Explorer prototype [currently known as the Hamer Standard]) - MusicMan Stingray
- RickenbackerRickenbackerRickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
360/12 used during Extended Play / Pretenders II sessions - ZemaitisZemaitis GuitarsZemaitis Guitars is a British guitar-manufacturing company based in Tokyo, Japan. The company's guitars are based on designs by the Lithuanian luthier Tony Zemaitis. The company is led by his son, Tony Zemaitis, Jr., and produces both electric and acoustic guitars.- History :Tony Zemaitis began...
(1980) Metal Front Guitar (2) - Zemaitis (1980) Pearl Front Guitar
- Zemaitis (1981) Dragon (Wedding Axe)
- Zemaitis (1981) Scorpion Disc Front Guitar
Just before joining the Pretenders, Honeyman-Scott used an Ibanez
Ibanez
is a Japanese guitar brand owned by Hoshino Gakki. Based in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan, Hoshino Gakki were one of the first Japanese musical instrument companies to gain a significant foothold in import guitar sales in the United States and Europe, as well as the first brand of guitars to mass produce...
Gibson-Explorer style with a Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix
Electro-Harmonix is a New York-based company that makes high-end electronic audio processors. The company was founded by Mike Matthews in 1968. They are most famous for a series of popular guitar effects pedals introduced in the 1970s and 1990s....
Clone Theory pedal and Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
amplifier
Guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to make the signal of an electric or acoustic guitar louder so that it will produce sound through a loudspeaker...
in an attempt to emulate the Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker
Rickenbacker International Corporation, also known as Rickenbacker, is an electric and bass guitar manufacturer based in Santa Ana, California...
12-string sound on songs by Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello
Elvis Costello , born Declan Patrick MacManus, is an English singer-songwriter. He came to prominence as an early participant in London's pub rock scene in the mid-1970s and later became associated with the punk/New Wave genre. Steeped in word play, the vocabulary of Costello's lyrics is broader...
and Nick Lowe
Nick Lowe
Nicholas Drain "Nick" Lowe , is an English singer-songwriter, musician and producer.A pivotal figure in UK pub rock, punk rock and new wave, Lowe has recorded a string of well-reviewed solo albums. Along with vocals, Lowe plays guitar, bass guitar, piano and harmonica...
(Guitar Player, 1981). Honeyman-Scott recorded most of his guitar parts for the Pretenders debut album using a Gibson ES-335
Gibson ES-335
The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial thinline arched-top semi-acoustic electric guitar. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES series in 1958, it is neither hollow nor solid; instead, a solid wood block runs through the center of its body...
or Gibson Les Paul.
Honeyman-Scott owned several acoustic guitars including a Gibson
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
Dove, Martin D-28, and a Guild
Guild
A guild is an association of craftsmen in a particular trade. The earliest types of guild were formed as confraternities of workers. They were organized in a manner something between a trade union, a cartel, and a secret society...
12-string. Jimmy used Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
100-watt amplifiers
Guitar amplifier
A guitar amplifier is an electronic amplifier designed to make the signal of an electric or acoustic guitar louder so that it will produce sound through a loudspeaker...
and BOSS
Boss Corporation
Boss is a manufacturer of effects pedals for electric guitar and bass guitar. It is a division of the Roland Corporation, a Japanese manufacturer that specializes in musical equipment and accessories...
chorus, overdrive, and compressor effects pedals.
Sources
- Austin ChronicleAustin ChronicleThe Austin Chronicle is an alternative weekly, tabloid-style newspaper published every Thursday in Austin, Texas, United States. The paper is distributed through free news-stands, often at local eateries or coffee houses frequented by its targeted demographic...
, Sept 26, 1982, Stephen Doster—Working Class Hero, by Andy Langer, accessed 23 July 2006 at http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol17/issue04/music.doster.html - Guitar Player, April 1981, The Pretenders James Honeyman-Scott, by Jas Obrecht accessed 3 July 2006, at http://www.pretendersarchives.com/articles/ArtGP4-81.html
- Guitar Player, January 1990, Guitar Hero Johnny Marr: The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
and Beyond, by Joe Gore, accessed 3 July 2006, at http://foreverill.com/interviews/post87/antihero.htm - Dantzig Design Group, 2006, "James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders." Hamer Unofficial Artist Archives. Accessed 30 July 2006, at http://www.dantzig.com/hamerhist/artistpages/honeyman.htm
- IO Productions, Inc., undated, Interview with Victor de Lorenzo, by "Gaignaire" as part of MusiCalifornia radio program. Transcript accessed 8 July 2006 at http://www.ioproductions.com/archives/music/
- Melody Maker, 17 February 1979, Say a Prayer for the Pretenders, by Mark Williams.
- New Musical ExpressNMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
, 26 January 1980, Only a Hobo Only a Star, by Paul MorleyPaul MorleyPaul Morley is an English journalist, who wrote for the New Musical Express from 1977 to 1983, during one of its most successful periods, and has since written for a wide range of publications...
. - Rhino EntertainmentRhino EntertainmentRhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
Company, 2006, This is Pirate Radio, by Ben Edmonds. Pirate Radio Box SetBoxed setA box set is a compilation of various musical recordings, films, television programs, or other collection of related items that are contained in a box.-Music box sets:...
booklet. - Uncut, June 1999, Rock and Roll Heart (Pretenders Special), by Allan Jones, pp. 46–65.
- Washington DC City Paper, 3 February 1984, Hynde Sight, by Michazil Yockel, accessed 4 July 2006, at http://www.pretenders.org/aryockel.htm
The Pretenders
- 1980 - PretendersPretenders (album)Pretenders is the debut studio album by the British New Wave band The Pretenders, released on 19 January 1980 on Real Records . A combination of rock, punk, and pop music, this album made the band famous...
- 1981 - Extended PlayExtended Play (The Pretenders EP)Extended Play is an EP released by new wave band The Pretenders. "Message of Love" and "Talk of the Town" were included on their second album released later in the year. "Porcelain" and "Cuban Slide", outtakes from the first album, were included on the 2006 remastered edition of Pretenders, as well...
- 1981 - Pretenders IIPretenders IIPretenders II is the second studio album by British rock band the Pretenders.-History:The success of the Pretenders' debut album in 1980 created a great demand for more material from the fledgling band; however, a lack of songs precluded the quick release of a followup album...
Early appearances
1974 - Fall of Hyperion - Robert John GodfreyRobert John Godfrey
Robert John Godfrey is a British composer, pianist and founder member of The Enid.Born on the Leeds Castle estate in Kent, England, Godfrey was educated at Finchden Manor in Tenterden, which was described by its founder George Lyward as a "therapeutic community for adolescents", other alumni of...
1979 - Place Your Bets - Tommy Morrison