The Pretenders · Learning to Crawl, 1984
Back on the Chain Gang
15 sourced items across 6 sectionsVerified7Reported8
What the sources do and do not say
Single source: SOS Classic Tracks (Buskin, September 2005) with engineer Steve Churchyard. Kit mic list and effects are not tied explicitly to this song, so they are album-level; guitar, bass and vocal rows come from the Chain Gang tracking passages. Churchyard says all recordings were made on AIR Studio One's Neve 8078 but his vocal chain says only 'custom Neve board', so no console row was made.
Lead vocal
3 items
Chrissie Hynde
Microphone
The real chain
Neumann U 47 fet
Verified
Churchyard put this microphone in front of Hynde for the finished lead vocal.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.
The real chain
Shure SM58
Reported
Used for Hynde's scratch (guide) vocals during the band tracking.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.
Input chain
The real chain
UREI 1176
Verified
Compressed Hynde's lead vocal, patched through the custom Neve console.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
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Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio 1176 Classic Limiter Collection
compressor
Models several revisions of the 1176, including the blackface units.
Also worth a look 1
- Waves CLA-76 Compressor / Limiter (Models two 1176 revisions (blacky and bluey))
Robbie McIntosh rhythm guitar
2 items
Robbie McIntosh
Microphone
The real chain
Shure SM57
Reported
One of two microphones on McIntosh's amp, which sat in an isolation booth.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.
The real chain
Neumann U 87
Reported
Second microphone alongside the SM57 on McIntosh's amp.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.
Telecasters (Bremner lead, Hynde)
3 items
Billy Bremner, Chrissie Hynde
Instrument
The real chain
Fender Telecaster
Reported
Played by both Bremner and Hynde.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. A guitar is the source of the sound, not a process applied to it. No plugin stands in for it.
Microphone
The real chain
Shure SM57
Reported
Part of the SM57/U87 pairing used on both Telecaster guitars.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.
The real chain
Neumann U 87
Reported
Part of the SM57/U87 pairing used on both Telecaster guitars.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.
Bass
1 item
Tony Butler
Amplifier
The real chain
Recorded direct (DI), no amplifier
Reported
Butler's bass was recorded direct.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Recorded direct, so there is no amp to model. Leave the amp simulator off.
Drum kit
4 items
Martin Chambers
Microphone
The real chain
AKG D12
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Kick drum microphone on Chambers' kit.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.
The real chain
Sennheiser MD 421
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Tom microphones on Chambers' kit (421s).
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The MD 421 is still made.
The real chain
Shure SM57
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Microphone on the top of the snare.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model. The SM57 is still made and inexpensive: the real thing is the practical route.
The real chain
Neumann KM 84
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Microphone on the bottom of the snare, with a second KM84 on the hi-hat.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
No plugin suggested. Microphone-modelling plugins only work with their own matched hardware microphone, so there is no plugin to link. Placement and the room matter more than the model.
Effects
2 items
Mix effects
The real chain
EMT 140
VerifiedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Churchyard recalls an EMT 140 echo with tape delay among the few effects available in the sessions.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
Emulation of this unit
Universal Audio EMT 140 Classic Plate Reverberator
reverb
Models three EMT 140 plates, made with EMT.
Also worth a look 1
- Soundtoys Little Plate (A simpler EMT 140 model with one decay control)
The real chain
MXR Flanger
ReportedAlbum sessions
Album sessions, not stated for this song: Churchyard thinks an MXR flanger may have been used here and there on the drums.
Source: Sound On Sound, accessed 15 Nov 2026
Get the sound · our suggestion
Close match
Universal Audio MXR Flanger/Doubler
modulation
Models MXR's rack Flanger/Doubler. The source does not say whether the rack unit or the pedal was used.
Sources
- Classic Tracks: The Pretenders 'Back On The Chain Gang', Sound On Sound, 2005-09. Accessed 15 Nov 2026.
What the ratings mean
Stated by the engineer, producer or artist, or by the manufacturer.
Stated by a reputable secondary source.
An educated suggestion, not a documented fact.
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