The Crate
The Pretenders
Get Close
Get Close is the Pretenders’ fourth studio album, released October 20, 1986 in the UK (Real Records) and November 4, 1986 in the US (Sire). It marked a transitional era for the band, with Chrissie Hynde at the helm and a largely new studio lineup; the album yielded the band’s two biggest Mainstream Rock tracks, Don’t Get Me Wrong and My Baby, both hitting the top spot on that chart. It closes with Jimi Hendrix’s Room Full of Mirrors. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
2. Recording History
- Studios: Get Close was recorded at AIR Studios (London); Power Station (New York City); Bearsville (Bearsville, NY); Right Track Recording (NYC); and Polar Studios (Stockholm). The bulk was tracked at Bearsville, near Woodstock. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
- Producers/engineers: Initial sessions were produced by Steve Lillywhite; later sessions were produced by Bob Clearmountain and Jimmy Iovine, with Lillywhite credited on the Hendrix cover. Bruce Lampcov was the engineer for the sessions. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
- Recording history and personnel: Early sessions featured the Learning to Crawl lineup (Hyde, Chambers, Robbie McIntosh, Malcolm Foster) and produced Room Full of Mirrors. The later sessions brought in numerous guest players (Bruce Thomas, Chucho Merchán, Simon Phillips, Bernie Worrell, Steve Jordan, etc.), and T. M. Stevens and Blair Cunningham joined later. Hynde fired drummer Martin Chambers during the process, making Get Close the last Pretenders album with him until Last of the Independents. ([sessiondays.com](https://www.sessiondays.com/2021/09/1986-pretenders-get-close/))
- Equipment/techniques: Clearmountain mixed Get Close at Bearsville on an SSL 4000 E Series desk; Power Station sessions used the studio’s Neve 8068 console for key tracks. The Bearsville sessions also involved hybrid, multi-studio tracking to unify the album’s sound. ([worldradiohistory.com](https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Audio/Mix-Magazine/10s/Mix-2010-02.pdf))
- Notable tracks: The closing track is the Hendrix cover “Room Full of Mirrors”; the album also includes the Carlos Alomar song “Light of the Moon.” ([sessiondays.com](https://www.sessiondays.com/2021/09/1986-pretenders-get-close/))
3. Chart Performance & Recognition
- UK Albums Chart peak: 6. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
- US Billboard 200 peak: 25; US Gold certification. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
- Other certifications: UK Gold; Spain Platinum; New Zealand Gold. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
- Singles: “Don’t Get Me Wrong” reached US Hot 100 No. 10 and UK Singles No. 10; it topped Billboard’s Album Rock Tracks for three weeks. “Hymn to Her” was released as a single on December 1, 1986. “My Baby” became a Top Mainstream Rock Tracks hit. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don%27t_Get_Me_Wrong))
4. Cultural Impact & Legacy
- The album is noted for its funk-inflected crossover approach, aided by a cast of high-profile session players (Bernie Worrell, Steve Jordan, Mel Gaynor, Simon Phillips, Bruce Thomas, and more), which broadened the Pretenders’ sonic palette. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))
- The Hendrix cover “Room Full of Mirrors” anchors the album’s closing, a nod to Hynde’s willingness to reinterpret classic rock while steering the band’s new direction. ([sessiondays.com](https://www.sessiondays.com/2021/09/1986-pretenders-get-close/))
- Get Close remains a milestone in the Hynde-led era, reflecting both a commercial peak and the internal realignment that would shape the band’s late-80s trajectory. ([en.wikipedia.org](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get_Close))