Pretenders - Brass In Pocket

What this video is

Released in November 1979 and reaching UK #1 in January 1980, 'Brass in Pocket' sits at the hinge between British punk's dissolution and the New Wave's commercial consolidation. The Pretenders — fronted by American-born, London-adopted Chrissie Hynde — embodied the transatlantic fusion that would define early MTV programming. When the network launched in August 1981, this video became one of its first seven…

Why it matters

A foundational artefact of UK New Wave's translation into the music video medium, 'Brass in Pocket' (1979) is among the earliest examples of a fully narrative-driven promo film by a rock act. Its selection as one of MTV's launch videos directly influenced the channel's early identity, helping…

The director

Mark Robinson directed the 1979 promotional video for The Pretenders' 'Brass in Pocket,' confirmed across IMDb, IMVDb, and Songfacts. He worked within the UK promo film tradition of the late 1970s, a period before music video became a formalised industry.…