308:, the song was largely formed in the studio based on a rough sketch presented by Hynde. Chambers explained, "We never really got into the studio without any rehearsal and record a song, we have done that once and that was 'Message of Love'. ... likes to come to when she has finished in her mind ... but this time she hadn't really finished it and so we just ... rehearsed it already set up in the studio and it was on tape in two hours, basically." The song, as bassist
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track). The single was a top 20 hit in the United
Kingdom, entering the charts at number 28 and peaking at number 11 in its second week on the charts. The single also saw some success in the United States, reaching number five on the
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critic Bryan
Wawzenek rated it as drummer Martin Chambers' 3rd best Pretenders songs, saying that "He gets to swing and slam on this monstrous Pretenders song; he might as well be playing a lead instrument."
405:
praised the performances of bassist Pete
Farndon and drummer Martin Chambers on the song and described the track as "unfairly overlooked by all but the Pretenders' biggest fans." Sean Murphy of
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as a "fairly standard rocker", "Message of Love" features a "a stop-start beat ... with skittering snare fills that give the song a paradoxically driving rhythm." The song was characterized by
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said, initially featured multiple sound effects (among them were sounds of car accidents recorded by the band on Paris streets) but most of them were removed from the final released version.
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A band effort largely composed in the studio, the song was a radio hit and reached number 11 in the United
Kingdom. It has since been praised by critics as a highlight of
329:, Hynde found confidence in the song's radio success, saying "I knew that people still liked us and we were getting airplay with 'Message of Love', '
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as a "tough" rocker. Lyrically, the song features, as described by Mason, "undistinguished 'love power' lyrics". The song quotes
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377:"Message of Love" was initially released as a single in February 1981. The B-side of the single was "Porcelain" (another
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singles "Talk of the Town" and "Day After Day", "richly deserve their rotation on less imaginative DJ's play lists".
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with the lyric, "We are all of us in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars".
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in March 1981. In late 1981, the song was re-released on the band's second studio album,
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274:. Released first as a single and then on the Pretenders' 1981
315:"Message of Love", one of the first songs created following
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Song recordings produced by Chris Thomas (record producer)
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The Irish Charts – Search
Results – Message of Love"
283:, it was later re-released on the band's 1981 album
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739:"Pretenders Chart History - Mainstream Rock"
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885:. Australian Chart Book, St Ives, N.S.W.
856:"Top 10 Martin Chambers Pretenders songs"
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411:said that the song, along with fellow
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325:. At the time of the creation of
589:Reckless: My Life as a Pretender
1448:Songs written by Chrissie Hynde
1318:Thin Line Between Love and Hate
882:Australian Chart Book 1970–1992
913:. Retrieved October 23, 2019.
348:Described by Stewart Mason of
1:
696:(Television production). MTV.
16:1981 single by The Pretenders
828:"The Best Of The Pretenders"
592:(Reprint ed.). Anchor.
425:called it a "fine single".
386:chart and number 44 on the
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658:Erlewine, Stephen Thomas.
1346:Where Has Everybody Gone?
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1092:Last of the Independents
858:. Ultimate Classic Rock
567:– via flickr.com.
363:Stephen Thomas Erlewine
266:" is a song written by
90:Pathe Marconi Studios (
1283:Back on the Chain Gang
1209:The Best of Pretenders
692:(interviewer) (1981).
1113:Break Up the Concrete
429:Ultimate Classic Rock
373:Release and reception
304:According to drummer
1458:Sire Records singles
1443:The Pretenders songs
1002:James Honeyman-Scott
559:: 2. 31 January 1981
1370:Chrissie Hynde solo
911:Irish Singles Chart
1325:Don't Get Me Wrong
1304:Middle of the Road
1180:Compilation albums
826:(12 August 1990).
321:, was recorded in
193:singles chronology
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1353:I'll Stand by You
1227:Stop Your Sobbing
1071:Learning to Crawl
793:"The Pretenders:
631:"Message of Love"
586:(9 August 2016).
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455:Kent Music Report
401:Stewart Mason of
270:and performed by
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246:"Message of Love"
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22:"Message of Love"
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1395:Related articles
1290:My City Was Gone
1262:Talk of the Town
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860:. Retrieved
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711:"Pretenders"
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1402:Discography
1332:Hymn to Her
1188:The Singles
1144:Live albums
1106:Loose Screw
1040:Andy Rourke
1030:Johnny Marr
877:Kent, David
808:16 November
563:18 December
514:Dance/Disco
453:Australia (
367:Oscar Wilde
239:Music video
178:Producer(s)
64:"Porcelain"
1433:1980 songs
1427:Categories
1297:2000 Miles
1134:Relentless
1057:Pretenders
862:2022-12-28
802:PopMatters
795:Pretenders
776:9 November
748:9 November
720:30 October
669:8 November
640:8 November
605:8 November
537:References
408:PopMatters
388:Dance Club
318:Pretenders
300:Background
1378:Stockholm
1078:Get Close
824:Kot, Greg
771:Billboard
743:Billboard
511:Billboard
497:Billboard
465:Ireland (
448:position
1248:Precious
879:(1993).
664:Allmusic
635:Allmusic
525:See also
417:Greg Kot
403:Allmusic
357:Allmusic
351:Allmusic
113:new wave
77:Recorded
69:Released
1407:Members
1339:My Baby
1311:Show Me
1085:Packed!
419:of the
251:YouTube
226:(1981)
217:(1981)
208:(1980)
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839:6 June
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551:"News"
122:Length
86:Studio
59:B-side
37:Single
1360:Human
1219:Songs
1120:Alone
446:Peak
333:', '
323:Paris
139:Label
100:Genre
887:ISBN
841:2013
810:2006
778:2017
750:2017
722:2017
671:2017
642:2017
607:2017
594:ISBN
565:2020
467:IRMA
153:(US)
150:Sire
146:Real
108:Rock
80:1980
1234:Kid
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509:US
495:US
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340:".
249:on
39:by
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
