"Back On The Chain Gang" official video via Rolling Stone interview

Morrissey Covers the Pretenders’ ‘Back on the Chain Gang,’ Talks ‘Pop Classic’ - Rolling Stone
“It’s a pop classic,” singer says. “Of the brain as well as the loins”
By Kory Grow



Excerpt:

"When Morrissey decided to cover the Pretenders’ “Back on the Chain Gang” for an upcoming double-vinyl reissue of his Low in High School album, he wanted to play it loose with the lyrics. “I didn’t ever see the lyrics correctly printed because I wanted to sing them as I had always thought they were,” he tells Rolling Stone via e-mail. “This is tricky with [Pretenders singer] Chrissie [Hynde] because sometimes she’ll sing into a misty wobble. So, I decided to wobble also.”

Other than a few switched-up words, though, it’s mostly a reverent cover. He croons Hynde’s lyrics, wobbling his voice, along with a jangly guitar line that sounds like a mix of his solo music and the Pretenders. He recorded it this past April at Sunset Sound in Los Angeles. The song will also be available as a 45 with cover art, out November 23rd, which features Gilbert O’Sullivan’s “I Didn’t Know What to Do” on the flip side. Morrissey proudly points out the single sleeve features writer and feminist Germaine Greer, with the expanded LP out December 7th."


https://www.rollingstone.com/music/...etenders-back-on-the-chain-gang-cover-748605/


Studio & video versions are different to the live arrangements.
Moz on guitar!
Rolling Stone got the scoop, then linked to by 'Official' with the pre-order advert for the deluxe:


MP3:
https://www.sendspace.com/file/pkc1ce

Regards,
FWD.


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In a family pub and there is a brat dancing to whatever comes on. She did well dancing to my Morrissey. Obviously she's too young to know what the lyrics mean. Bit sad about Nags Head. Rang him earlier, they renounced the licence for no reason. I told Tony how I felt a bit let down. He said he didn't know who I was and then I mentioned the falling over and he knew me straight away. I suppose it's a sense of freedom when people know you from your actions rather than how you look? Or am I making excuses.
Well, you might look nondescript (not saying you do, but a person might), in which case your looks would go under the radar. But you've made yourself memorable. Not sure it's freedom, though, if it means people pigeonhole you. What was the child dancing to? I do hope you showed her how to give it the full Morrissey, flailing about with abandon.
 
Well, you might look nondescript (not saying you do, but a person might), in which case your looks would go under the radar. But you've made yourself memorable. Not sure it's freedom, though, if it means people pigeonhole you. What was the child dancing to? I do hope you showed her how to give it the full Morrissey, flailing about with abandon.
God bless you Peppermint. What will they do? They'll dance to anything, children. Surreal when you've got a guy talking about suicide and misery and you've got them dancing away just because it's a good beat. Am I in a parallel universe?
 
God bless you Peppermint. What will they do? They'll dance to anything, children. Surreal when you've got a guy talking about suicide and misery and you've got them dancing away just because it's a good beat. Am I in a parallel universe?
No, just the Morrissey Zone :lbf:
 
I just noticed the extra layer of "pretending" in the fact that both Jesse and Mando's guitars are plugged in, and Morrissey's is not.
 
Every video and tour I am still in shock the guy is still around and it makes me feel weird and sad. Imagine when he was young and had something to say. No one could have guessed that this man would become a tribute band singer and my god is his taste in music bad.
He must be much older than most of us realise. Pretenders, I mean can anyone take that sorry band seriously?
No talent or anything just some american woman who turned british going oooohhhh woooo like some distant war alarm echo.
How annoying is she with that hair getting in the way of her eyes?
Jeez.......

then why are you here?
 
I think its a throwback to top of the pops,its got a sepia tint to it as well.pep nothing wrong with dancing bimbos,thats the only reason I still go out at the weekend.ps nothing against any dancing bimbos who frequent this site.

Bring on the dancing bimbos
wherever they may roam...
 
then why are you here?

n93.jpg


I'm not here!
 
So you all think that the backing vocals are Moz himself? To me it sounds like a female voice and for a moment I thought it could be LP ...
 
Like it! Sweet vocal and Moz looks relaxed in the vid.
Jesse's guitar is pretty faithful, no?
Dancing girls is obviously a Sam request. Yet another "retro TV performance" concept (Moz obviously watched thousands as a wee lad).

Are you suggesting that Sam directed this video?
 
Easily his worst video ever to go with his uninteresting albums ever since Viva Hate. A young Moz would have recorded it at the the building site of the swedish company building the mexican wall.
I see him swaying his hips and banging a drum or something and having his tongue firmly placed in one cheek. A new song of course with lyrics like:

"The wall is real but the weather is nice
ice cream and cold drinks
and a water melon slice"
You know, a video with lyrics that totally ignores the topic of the site where he is not THAT would be bold and brave of him.
 
You quoted the wrong person. Also if it was heroin chic they wouldn't be dancing.
On purpose I did yes as a continuation of the dialogue. Heroin chic involves dancing but mostly a bit with the arms or if not possible at least they blink a bit.
 
I've seen better videos from 8 year olds and this Weezer tribute of a video doesn't in any way have anything to do with the Pretenders but then again who would ever want to have something to do with them?
 
This is the sound I was talking about that I wished they'd added to the bridge of Back On The Chain Gang at 02:10.

Its' that slightly wavering, distorted twang that you can hear in Sister I'm a poet and a little bit at the very start of Sing Your Life. I have always loved that sound in Morrissey's early work. I miss it.





And there's a touch of it at 01:24 in The Loop.

 
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