The Pretenders

The word obscure doesn't aptly describe the Pretenders' brief association with the recording industry. Their recordings were virtually unknown until the reissue of various albums of Carnival Records recordings. The only Carnival acts to receive any exposure nationally were the Manhattans and Lee Williams & the Cymbals; Carnival's many other releases by a laundry list of artists never saw much action. Carnival was a tiny company that owner Joe Evans ran out of his house; his wife and a part-time employee were his only staff. While running Carnival, Evans also played sax and tou...