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 |
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| Released | 9 November 1979 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 3:09 | |||
| Label |
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| Songwriters | ||||
| Producer | Chris Thomas | |||
| The Pretenders singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Brass in Pocket" on YouTube | ||||
| Back cover | ||||
Back sleeve for UK single | ||||
"Brass in Pocket", also known as "Brass in Pocket (I'm Special)", is a song by English rock band the Pretenders, released in late 1979 as the third single from their forthcoming self-titled debut album. It was written by Chrissie Hynde and James Honeyman-Scott, and produced by Chris Thomas. Originating as a guitar lick written by Honeyman-Scott, the song's lyrics were explained by Hynde to be about the cockiness that one needs to effectively perform on stage. The song's title derives from a phrase she overheard after a show.
"Brass in Pocket" became the band's biggest hit in the UK, reaching number one on the UK singles chart (and was the first new number one single of the 1980s) as well as Sweden and Ireland, and reached the Top Ten in various countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, South Africa, and New Zealand. It also reached number 14 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its music video was the seventh video aired on MTV on its launch on 1 August 1981.