VINTAGE VIDEO: The Pretenders On ABC-TV’s Fridays, February 1981: “The Adultress,” “Message of Love,” and “Louie Louie”

Yeah, I know that I just did a Vintage Video post on The Pretenders a few days ago. But, so what? I just found these clips on You Tube yesterday, and they’re really great. Besides, I can never get enough of The Pretenders.

These three clips are from the ABC-TV sketch comedy show Fridays that aired on February 27, 1981. (Do you remember Fridays? It was ABC’s attempt to compete with NBC-TV’s Saturday Night Live. Larry David and Michael Richards were part of the ensemble cast.) Andy Kaufman, then starring in the sitcom Taxi, was the guest host, and he introduces The Pretenders before they play “Message of Love.”

The original lineup of The Pretenders is featured here: Pete Farndon on bass, Chrissie Hynde on rhtyhm guitar and vocals, James Honeyman-Scott on lead guitar, and Martin Chambers on drums. The songs that they played on that episode of Fridays–”The Adultress,” “Message of Love,” and “Louie Louie”–were all on The Pretenders’ second album, Pretenders II. Sadly, that would be the last Pretenders album upon which Farndon and Honeyman-Scott appeared.

To watch the performances, click in the individual places below:

“The Adultress”:

“Message of Love”:

“Louie Louie”: