Although it was rumored to be a song written about Kinks frontman Ray Davies, Chrissie Hynde was inspired to write the Pretenders’ “Talk of the Town” about a London nightclub of the same name and fan she met on their first tour.
“Talk of the Town" was initially released as a single in March 1980 and then on the Pretenders' 1981 EP Extended Play. It was later included on the band’s sophomore album release, Pretenders II.
Chrissie Hynde shared the inspiration for the song during a performance on the BBC Songwriters Circle program in 1999: "I had in mind this kid who used to stand outside the soundchecks on our first tour... I never spoke to him. I remember that the last time I saw him I just left him standing in the snow, I never had anything to say to him. I kind of wrote this for him, so, in the unlikely event that you're watching this, I did think about you."
The song was later referenced in the Garbage song "Special", where vocalist Shirley Manson sang "We were the talk of the town" as a tribute to Hynde.
