Oh The Pretty Things & David Bowie

In 1973 Bowie released Pin Ups, a relatively uninspired cash grab that was meant to capitalise on his newfound success after Ziggy Stardust.

The record features 12 covers of Bowie’s favourite songs from artists like The Who, The Kinks, and The Yardbirds. However two of the songs Bowie recorded on the record are covers of a less celebrated band; The Pretty Things.

The Pretty Things are a band founded by Phil May & Dick Taylor (A original Rolling Stone) who helped create some of the rawest music of the pre-punk era. They were wild (They were banned from New Zealand due to their tour antics) and boundary pushing (They wrote the first ever rock opera before The Who’s Tommy.)

When Bowie was a member of the London scene of the 1960s he was a close follower of The Pretty Things and this in turn lead up to his inclusion of two of their songs on his record. However is that where there relationship ends?

 Oh You Pretty Things!

Is Bowie’s 1971 song off Hunky Dory a reference to The Pretty Things? 

The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell

1999’s Bowie record Hours has a single titled ‘The Pretty Things Are Going To Hell.' Although the title is a nod towards The Stooges ‘Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell’ it is also Bowie blatantly showing his appreciation to another of his early influences. 

Pretty Thing

Is it possible that this Tin Machine song is a nod towards Bowie’s favoured band or is it just a coincidence?

These are The Pretty Things lead singer Phil May’s thoughts on the Bowie:

"With The Pretty Things, you'd have lots of people who'd come around the stage at the end, from Bromley or Sidcup, even at the early art school shows we did. Lost souls who, like us, thought they were weird and different and yet, when they were in a place where music was played, suddenly didn’t feel such a weirdo. David was the one who struck me like a jackdaw. He was collecting, storing and taking in music like a sponge. He wasn’t like a fan. We talked about art, too – we’d been at the same art school.

I’ve always interpreted this song as a fantasy of outsiders taking over. In terms of using our name, I think we were a beacon to him. I’ve never had a conversation with him about it, but there was ‘Pretty Things Are Going To Hell’, too. I think the phrase is a euphemism for how he saw our band when he was starting up – somebody shining a light on his situation, when for the rest of his life, he was on his own."

Phil May, the Pretty Things

Uncut, March 2008

For more on The Pretty Things click here.