In 1981, the Psychedelic Furs release their second album Talk Talk Talk. It is full of lacerating guitar work, pummeling drums, and the Bowie-esque vocals of Richard Butler. Despite not being a hit single in the U.S., the song "Pretty In Pink" enjoys widespread cult success long after the album has come and gone.
Five years later, A John Hughes film bearing the song's name hits U.S. theatres. Featured prominently in the film, and on the soundtrack album, is a re-recorded version the current line-up of the band recorded at Hughes' request.
Some immediately considered the new version a travesty, as when any band attempts to re-record one of their best, or more popular songs. Others felt the new version was far superior to the original because Richard Butler's vocals were now front and center.
But only one version can reign supreme! Here, we will settle this once and for all.
Never underestimate the power of a woman to get things done.
In this case, the woman in question was 17-year-old Molly Ringwald, who, during the filming of "The Breakfast Club", played the Psychedelic Furs' "Pretty In Pink" for director John Hughes.
Hughes didn't just listen to the song, he loosely based an entire movie script around the song and then offered Ringwald the opportunity to star in the film. Hilariously, Ringwald refused at first.
After seeing how difficult a time Hughes was having filling the role, she relented, and the Psychedelic Furs wound up being dragged into director's orbit, whether they wanted to be or not.
The song "Pretty In Pink", from the Psychedelic Furs' second album, Talk Talk Talk, must have made quite the impression on the successful director, whose previous films "Sixteen Candles" and "The Breakfast Club", had turned the plight of the average suburban teenager into box office gold.
Like all great songs, "Pretty In Pink" was one of those teenage anthems whose popularity was not contingent upon radio airplay or chart action. If you were cool and had ears in 1981, then you dug "Pretty In Pink", there were no two ways about it.
As a director, Hughes no doubt wanted to tap into that and, upon hearing "Pretty In Pink", must have had one of those "Eureka!' moments where song and inspiration meet. While the resulting film bares no thematic resemblance to the song whatsoever, we got the sentiment.
Calling the film "Pretty In Pink" was a nod to the geeks, freaks and arty kids who were always cooler than the popular kids, but you couldn't just use the original version of the Furs song, could you? After all, the version on Talk Talk Talk was dark and murky and the lyrics never seemed to be the same twice.
Additionally, Steve Lillywhite's production on the original seems to opt for the kitchen sink approach, as all manner of guitars come flying from different directions and, even as Butler begins singing, refuse to give an inch.
Perhaps more than any other album by a sextet, Talk Talk Talk is the sound of all six fighting to be heard. So much so that, even as a wide-eyed kid, this writer knew something had to give.
(Long story short, the band was a four-piece by the time they began sessions for Forever Now in 1982).
One wonders when the discussion of having the Furs re-record the song came up and why, but the Furs were a much different band in 1986. For starters, they were now down to three members, Richard, Butler, his brother Tim, and John Ashton.
Stylistically, the band had all but dropped the dark swirling walls of guitars in favor of the synthesizers and drum machines that were all but required in 1986. Expecting them to be able to recapture the essence of their original version, minus the "out-of-tune guitars" the film's producers had laid out as the basis for their request that the band re-record the song.
As the band was already committed to begin sessions for their next album with Chris Kimsey (Killing Joke, Rolling Stones), naturally they enlisted him to produce the new version of "Pretty In Pink", with Charles Harrowell (Fabulous Thunderbirds, ABC) engineering.
The result, believe it or not, is actually pretty commendable. Without six members all fighting to be heard, the song is able to breathe a little and the chugging guitar in the verse gives Richard Butler's vocals the room to swing.
Is it perfect? No, but it might have been if not for the minute of superfluous saxophone delivered up at the song's three-minute mark. If we'd wanted that much sax, by golly, we'd be listening to "Tenth Avenue Freeze Out". While it doesn't ruin the song, it does make this version sound just a tad cheesy.
WINNER: The original version.
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which pink is prettier