The self-titled debut album by The Pretty Things was released on 12 March 1965.
The band was formed by Dick Taylor in 1962, and originally included Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, who were lured away by Brian Jones and Ian Stewart to form the Rolling Stones. Phil May then joined the band, followed by John Stax (bass and harmonica), Brian Pendleton (guitar), and Viv Prince (drums).
Known for their raw sound (they were one of the first rock bands to use distortion and feedback) and rude behavior, their first producer (label head Jack Baverstock) quit after about 30 minutes of working with the band in the studio. Bobby Graham took over producing duties and captured the group's sound.
7 of the 12 tracks on the UK release are by US blues or rock musicians (4 by Bo Diddley, including "Pretty Thing," co-written by Willie Dixon and where the band got their name), while the US version includes "I Can Never Say" and "We'll Be Together," both written by the band. The US version also includes the singles "Rosalyn" and "Don't Bring Me Down" (both later covered by David Bowie).
While the album was a hit in the UK, peaking at #6 and spending 10 weeks on the charts, it was mostly ignored in the US.
