The Pretenders endured tragedy and reinvented themselves with rapture and resonance on this remarkable and resilient rebirth. The band had become a sensation with their triumphant eponymous debut and the sophomoric sequel; but two founding members of the band were lost due to drugs, leaving the remaining half of the band reeling.
Chrissie Hynde recalls: As time went on...we got the band together, everything was going well and -you know, I loved Pete [Farndon]; but to my mind he he got too much in the sort of and roll mythology of it all. I mean he met the Heartbreakers when they came to London and you know they were all junkies and he really admired that - thought that was so cool Johnny Thunders and he sort of emulated that and that's what he got into and we kicked him out of the band and, you know, it wounded him deeply and it certainly hurt me, because I knew I'd started it with him and I didn't want to see it go that way. It got to the point where we couldn't work together. and anyone who's had that situation in a band that will tell you the same thing- not an original story there. And then he died about eight months later. And two days after we threw Pete out- totally out of the blue Jimmy [Honeyman-Scott] died...So suddenly it was me and Martin and I mean really suddenly, like within two days. It went from like everything to nothing...I was pretty resilient, I was only about twenty-eight, so I had a lot of strength. I suppose it was hard.I'm not one to cry about it now. And I got on with it the bad news was I was pregnant and I was traumatized by the loss of two of my best friends...I had to get on with replacing two members of the band while I was pregnant...I felt very driven to perpetuate the sound and keep the tradition of the sound going in [Jimmy's] honor...that's why I kept the thing alive, to keep the spirit alive."
Hynde and Chambers initially got together with Rockpile guitarist Billy Bremner and Big Country bassist Tony Butler to record both sides of the single 'Back in the Chain Gang' and 'My City Was Gone'. Hynde, Chambers, and Bremner were joined by Graham Parker's bass player Andrew Bodnar, and Paul Carrack (from Squeeze, Ace, and Roxy Music) to play on 'Thin Line Between Love and Hate'. Most of the songs for 'Learning to Crawl' were recorded with a completely different lineup that featured Chrissie Hynde on rhythm guitar, lead vocals, and harmonica; Martin Chambers on drums, vocals, and lead vocals on "Fast or Slow"; Robbie McIntosh on lead guitar and backing vocals; and Malcolm Foster on bass guitar and backing vocals. Chris Thomas produced all of the sessions at AIR Studios in London.
'Learning to Crawl' clambored to number thirty-eight in Germany, thirty in Switzerland, nineteen in New Zealand, eighteen in Australia and Norway, eleven in the UK, five in the US, four in Canada, and three in Sweden. The album title was inspired by Hynde's daughter (with Ray Davies) Natalie Rae Hynde who was doing just that.
http://www.chrissiehynde.com/
http://www.pretendersarchives.com/
"Middle of the Road" was inspired by the middle way described in the Tao Te Ching.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDeHAM93fuc
"Back on the Chain Gang" became the band's biggest hit in the US, peaking at number five.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CK3uf5V0pDA
"Time the Avenger"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bD8cuceC6Hc
"Watching the Clothes"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3HUOHqokOI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1odoCjGEWZc
"Show Me"
"is was obviously me talking to my daughter when she came into the world: welcome to the human race and welcome here from space...where does the soul transmigrate to and from and maybe you can show me now, you can teach me."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2wokIIzOjk
"My City Was Gone" was Hynde's response to the urban renewal programs in Akron.
"Thin Line Between Love and Hate" was originally recorded by the Persuaders.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pCCdclkdLY
"I Hurt You"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvKZMdL7760
"2000 Miles"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1SkWIqQ3oLY
'Learning to Crawl'
full album:
All songs written by Chrissie Hynde, except where noted.
"Middle of the Road" – 4:08
"Back on the Chain Gang" – 3:44
"Time the Avenger" – 4:47
"Watching the Clothes" – 2:46
"Show Me" – 4:00
"Thumbelina" – 3:12
"My City Was Gone" – 5:14
"Thin Line Between Love and Hate" (Richard Poindexter, Robert Poindexter, Jackie Members) – 3:33
"I Hurt You" – 4:27
"2000 Miles" – 3:30
bonus tracks
"Fast or Slow (The Law's the Law)" (Martin Chambers) – 3:15
"Tequila" – 3:35
"I Hurt You" (Denmark Street Demo, August 1982) – 4:06
"When I Change My Life" (Denmark Street Demo, August 1982) – 4:43
"Ramblin' Rob" (Denmark Street Demo, August 1982) (Robbie McIntosh) – 3:32
"My City Was Gone" (Live) – 4:53
"Money (That's What I Want)" (Live at US Festival, May 1983) (Berry Gordy Jr., Janie Bradford) – 4:39
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