Brass in Pocket

"Brass in Pocket"

Artwork for vinyl releases in the UK, some European countries, and Australia
Single by The Pretenders
from the album Pretenders
B-side
  • "Swinging London"
  • "Nervous But Shy"
Released November 1979
Format 7" single
Recorded 1979
Genre New wave[1]
Length 3:09
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Chris Thomas
The Pretenders singles chronology
"Kid"
(1979)		 "Brass in Pocket"
(1979)		 "Precious"
(1980)

"Kid"
(1979)		 "Brass in Pocket"
(1979)		 "Precious"
(1980)

"Brass in Pocket" (also known as "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)") is a single by The Pretenders. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas.

Release

The band's third single was their first big success, scoring number one on the UK Singles Chart for two weeks in January 1980 (making it the first new number-one single of the 1980s), number two in Australia during May 1980 (for three weeks),[2] and number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in the United States.

Hynde got the idea for the song's title when, during an after-show dinner, she overheard someone enquiring if anyone had, "Picked up dry cleaning? Any brass in pocket?"[3] During an interview with The Observer in 2004, she revealed that she was initially reluctant to have the song released: "When we recorded the song I wasn't very happy with it and told my producer that he could release it over my dead body, but they eventually persuaded me."

The lyric describes the female singer about to have her first sexual encounter with a particular person, and is expressing her confidence that the experience will be successful.[4][5] According to Rolling Stone magazine critic Ken Tucker, the song uses "an iron fist as a metaphor for [Hynde's] sexual clout."[6] The Rolling Stone Album Guide critic J. D. Considine describes the song as "sassy" and credits the band for "putting bounce in each step" of it.[7] Author Simon Reynolds similarly describes Hynde's vocal as "pure sass" and "a feline narcissism," noting particularly her "lingering languorously" over the words "I'm special."[5] According to AllMusic critic Steve Huey, the backbeat "meshes very nicely with Hynde's unshakable confidence, and the song never gets aggressive enough to break its charming spell or make her self-assurance seem implausibly idealized."[4] Huey also points out a harmonic shift in the music for the portion of the song where the singer lists the various attractive qualities she will use to make the encounter a success.[4] Author Dave Thompson suggests that the song is actually about the Pretenders' first live concert rather than a sexual experience.[8]

Chart performance

Weekly charts

Chart (1979–1980) Peak
position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[2] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[9] 5
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[10] 5
France (IFOP)[11] 4
Ireland (IRMA)[12] 1
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[13] 7
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[14] 11
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[15] 2
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[16] 1
Spain (AFE)[17] 9
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[18] 1
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[19] 1
US Billboard Hot 100[20] 14
US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play[20] 28
US Cash Box[21] 13
US Record World[22] 15

Year-end charts

Chart (1980) Rank
Australia (Kent Music Report)[23] 5
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[24] 26
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[25] 42
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[26] 52
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[27] 54
South Africa (Springbok Radio)[28] 12
US Billboard Hot 100[29] 41
US Cash Box[30] 80

Covers

The song has been covered by Suede for NME's charity compilation Ruby Trax.[31]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Phares, Heather. "Various Artists – Just Can't Get Enough: New Wave Women". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  2. 1 2 "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – CHART POSITIONS PRE 1989". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  3. ↑ Hynde, Chrissie (2015). Reckless. Ebury Press. p. 256. ISBN 9781785031441.
  4. 1 2 3 Huey, Steve. "Brass in Pocket – Song Review". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 4 May 2014.
  5. 1 2 Reynolds, Simon (1996). The Sex Revolts: Gender, Rebellion, and Rock 'n' Roll. Harvard University Press. p. 239. ISBN 978-0-6748-0273-5.
  6. ↑ Tucker, Ken. Pretenders: The Pretenders at the Wayback Machine (archived 29 April 2007). Rolling Stone. 17 April 1980.
  7. ↑ Considine, J.D. (1992). DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly, eds. The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Straight Arrow Publishers. pp. 232–233. ISBN 0-679-73729-4.
  8. ↑ Thompson, Dave (2011). 1000 Songs That Rock Your World. Krause. p. 24. ISBN 978-1-4402-1422-6.
  9. ↑ "Ultratop.be – The Pretenders – Brass In Pocket" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  10. ↑ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0194a." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  11. ↑ "Le Détail par Artiste" (in French). InfoDisc. Select "The Pretenders" from the artist drop-down menu. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  12. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Brass In Pocket". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  13. ↑ "Nederlandse Top 40 – The Pretenders - Brass In Pocket search results" (in Dutch) Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  14. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – The Pretenders – Brass In Pocket" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  15. ↑ "Charts.org.nz – The Pretenders – Brass In Pocket". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  16. ↑ "South African Rock Lists Website SA Charts 1969 – 1989 Acts (P)". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  17. ↑ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  18. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – The Pretenders – Brass In Pocket". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  19. ↑ "Archive Chart: 1980-01-19" UK Singles Chart. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  20. 1 2 "Pretenders – Awards". AllMusic. All Media Network. Retrieved 25 June 2013.
  21. ↑ CASH BOX Top 100 Singles – Week ending MAY 31, 1980 at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 September 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  22. ↑ "Song artist 387 – The Pretenders". TsorT. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
  23. ↑ "Forum – ARIA Charts: Special Occasion Charts – Top 100 End of Year AMR Charts – 1980s". Australian-charts.com. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  24. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten 1980" (in Dutch). Ultratop. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  25. ↑ "Top 100 Singles". RPM. Vol. 34 no. 6. 20 December 1980. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  26. ↑ "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1980" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  27. ↑ "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1980" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Hung Medien. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  28. ↑ "Top 20 Hit Singles of 1980". Rock.co.za. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  29. ↑ "Top 100 Hits for 1980". The Longbored Surfer. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  30. ↑ The CASH BOX Year-End Charts: 1980 at the Wayback Machine (archived 15 September 2012). Cash Box magazine.
  31. ↑ Barnett, David (2003). Biog for 2003 at the Wayback Machine (archived 22 October 2003). Anglo Platinum.
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