Learning to Crawl

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Professional reviews
Learning to Crawl

Studio album by The Pretenders
Released	January 17, 1984
Recorded	1982–1983
Genre	Rock
Length	44:19
Label	Sire
Producer(s)	Chris Thomas
All Music Guide link Robert Christgau (A-) link Rolling Stone link
The Pretenders chronology
Pretenders II (1981)	Learning to Crawl (1984)	Get Close (1986)

After a more than two-year hiatus - during which time Pretenders membersJames Honeyman-Scott and Pete Farndon both died of drug overdoses - new wave pioneers The Pretenders released their third album Learning to Crawl in 1984.

After Fandon's dismissal from the band and Honeyman-Scott's death, Chrissie Hynde (vocals, guitar) and Martin Chambers (drums) initially recruited Rockpile's Billy Bremner and Big Country's Tony Butler to fill out a 'caretaker line-up' of The Pretenders in 1982. Bremner played guitar and Butler played bass on the band's September 1982 single "Back on the Chain Gang"/"My City Was Gone", both sides of which were later included on Learning to Crawl. As the album sessions got underway, Bremner, The Rumour's Andrew Bodnar, and Paul Carrack (formerly of Squeeze, Ace and Roxy Music) played guitar, bass and piano respectively for the track "Thin Line Between Love and Hate".

Finally, Robbie McIntosh (guitar) and Malcolm Foster (bass) were recruited to join Hynde and Chambers, and the band was now officially a quartet. It was this line-up that recorded the majority of the tracks featured on Learning to Crawl.

The November 1983 single "2000 Miles"/"Fast or Slow (The Law's the Law)" was the newly-reconstituted foursome's first release, followed shortly by the full Learning to Crawl album in January 1984.

1 Track listing
2 Personnel
- 2.1 Additional personnel
3 Charts
4 Certifications

[edit] Track listing

All songs written by Chrissie Hynde except as indicated.

"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

[edit] Personnel

Chrissie Hynde – guitar, vocals
Martin Chambers – drums, vocals
Robbie McIntosh – guitar, vocals
Malcolm Foster – bass guitar, vocals

[edit] Additional personnel

Billy Bremner – lead guitar on 2 7, rhythm guitar on 8, vocals on 8
Tony Butler – bass guitar on 2 7
Andrew Bodnar – bass guitar on 8, vocals on 8
Paul Carrack – piano on 8, vocals on 8

[edit] Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
1984	The Billboard 200	5

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
1983	"Back on the Chain Gang"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	4
1983	"Back on the Chain Gang"	Billboard Pop Singles	5
1983	"Middle of the Road"	The Billboard Hot 100	19
1983	"My City Was Gone"	Billboard Mainstream Rock	11
1983	"Middle of the Road"	Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play	43
1984	"Show Me"	The Billboard Hot 100	28
1984	"Thin Line Between Love and Hate"	The Billboard Hot 100	83