"Go West" is a song by American
disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
group
Village People
Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release ...
, released as the lead single from their
fourth studio album of the same name (1979). It was written by
Jacques Morali
Jacques Morali (4 July 1947 – 15 November 1991) was a French disco and dance music record producer and songwriter, known for creating acts like The Ritchie Family and Village People.
Early life
Morali was born in Casablanca, Morocco. ...
,
Henri Belolo
Henri Belolo (; 27 November 1936 – 3 August 2019) was a French music producer and songwriter active during the disco era.
Born in Morocco, he started his career as a club DJ and A&R man. In the 1970s, with his friend, composer Jacques Moral ...
and the group's lead singer
Victor Willis
Victor Edward Willis (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the founding member of the disco group Village People. He performed as their lead singer and was co-songwriter for all of their most successful singles ...
. The song was successful in the disco scene during the late 1970s. "Go West" found further success when it was covered in 1993 by English
synth-pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s ...
duo
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
.
Village People version
The song's title is attributed to the 19th-century quote "
Go West, young man Go west, young man may refer to:
* "Go West, young man", a quote often attributed to American author Horace Greeley concerning America's expansion westward
Film and television
* ''Go West, Young Man'' (1918 film), an American comedy western film ...
" commonly attributed to
Horace Greeley
Horace Greeley (February 3, 1811 – November 29, 1872) was an American newspaper editor and publisher who was the founder and newspaper editor, editor of the ''New-York Tribune''. Long active in politics, he served briefly as a congressm ...
, a rallying cry for the
colonization
Colonization, or colonisation, constitutes large-scale population movements wherein migrants maintain strong links with their, or their ancestors', former country – by such links, gain advantage over other inhabitants of the territory. When ...
of the
American West
The Western United States (also called the American West, the Far West, and the West) is the region comprising the westernmost states of the United States. As American settlement in the U.S. expanded westward, the meaning of the term ''the Wes ...
, but also an invitation to pursue one's own dreams and individuality. The melody resembles that of the
State Anthem of the Soviet Union
The "State Anthem of the Soviet Union" was the national anthem of the Soviet Union and the regional anthem of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic from 1944 to 1991, replacing "The Internationale". Its original lyrics were written b ...
(and later
National anthem of Russia
The "State Anthem of the Russian Federation" is the national anthem of Russia. It uses the same melody as the "State Anthem of the Soviet Union", composed by Alexander Alexandrov, and new lyrics by Sergey Mikhalkov, who had collaborated with ...
) composed by
Alexander Alexandrov.
Both the 7″ and 12″ versions of the song were subsequently collected on various
greatest hits album
A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be crea ...
s, including a 1997 radio remix which was made in the wake of the success of Pet Shop Boys' 1993 version. The song does share some melodic elements with "
Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart
"Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart" or simply Give Thanks is an American Christian worship song written by Henry Smith in 1978.
History
"Give Thanks with a Grateful Heart" was written in 1978 by Henry Smith. The song was his only published wors ...
" by Henry Smith and later covered by
Don Moen
Donald James Moen (born June 29, 1950) is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter of Christian worship music.
Early and personal life
Moen grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota where he attended high school in 1968. Moen attended Oral Rob ...
.
Copyright lawsuit
On May 7, 2012, in a landmark ruling in accordance with the
Copyright Act of 1976
The Copyright Act of 1976 is a United States copyright law and remains the primary basis of copyright law in the United States, as amended by several later enacted copyright provisions. The Act spells out the basic rights of copyright holders, cod ...
,
Victor Willis
Victor Edward Willis (born July 1, 1951) is an American singer, songwriter, and actor. He is the founding member of the disco group Village People. He performed as their lead singer and was co-songwriter for all of their most successful singles ...
was awarded 33% of the copyright to "Go West" and other Village People hits.
Charts
Pet Shop Boys version
In 1992, when
Pet Shop Boys
The Pet Shop Boys are an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist Neil Tennant and keyboardist Chris Lowe, they have sold more than 50 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo i ...
were asked by
Derek Jarman
Michael Derek Elworthy Jarman (31 January 1942 – 19 February 1994) was an English artist, film maker, costume designer, stage designer, writer, gardener and gay rights activist.
Biography
Jarman was born at the Royal Victoria Nursing Home ...
to perform at an AIDS charity event at
The Haçienda
The Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, North West England, which became famous during the Manchester years of the 1980s and early 1990s. It was run by the record label Factory Records.
The club opened in 1982, eventually ...
nightclub in Manchester,
Chris Lowe
Christopher Sean Lowe (born 4 October 1959) is an English musician, singer and songwriter, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Neil Tennant in 1981.
Biography
Lowe attended Arnold School, an independent ...
of the duo selected "Go West" as the song they would perform. Though singer
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and a ...
was unable to remember the lyrics during that performance, the two decided to record it as a single.
Release
The original single version of the song, set for an earlier release in 1992 as a non-album single, was never used. However, both its extended dance mix, and its similarly unreleased
B-side
The A-side and B-side are the two sides of phonograph records and cassettes; these terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or record compan ...
"Forever in Love" (an edited version was released on ''Very Relentless'' in 1993), were eventually released on the 2001 expanded reissue of ''
Very''. Instead, the song was released in a different version on September 6, 1993, as the second single from ''Very'', and featuring the B-side "Shameless". This release included remixes by
Brothers in Rhythm
Brothers in Rhythm are a British electronic music group comprising Dave Seaman, Steve Anderson and Alan Bremner. The group was originally a duo comprising Seaman and Anderson, with Bremner joining later in 1999. They have remixed and/or produc ...
,
Farley & Heller
Fire Island are an English house music duo, made up of producers and remixers Pete Heller and Terry Farley. Both are prolific musicians who have an extensive list of remixes to their credit, using the Fire Island moniker and also being billed a ...
,
Kevin Saunderson
Kevin Maurice Saunderson (born September 5, 1964) is an American electronic dance music Dj and record producer. He is famous for being a member of a trio, along with Juan Atkins and Derrick May, who came to be known as The Belleville Three, w ...
, and
Mark Stent
Mark may refer to:
Currency
* Bosnia and Herzegovina convertible mark, the currency of Bosnia and Herzegovina
* East German mark, the currency of the German Democratic Republic
* Estonian mark, the currency of Estonia between 1918 and 1927
* Finn ...
. The single peaked at number two on the
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...
and number one in Finland, Germany and Iceland. The single also reached number one in Ireland, becoming the last of the duo's four Irish number-one singles to date, and topped the US ''Billboard''
Dance Music/Club Play Singles
Dance Club Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. It is a national look over of club disc jockeys to determine the most popular songs being played in nightclubs across the country. It was launched as th ...
chart.
Changes
The new version enhances the basis of the original's
chord progression
In a musical composition, a chord progression or harmonic progression (informally chord changes, used as a plural) is a succession of chords. Chord progressions are the foundation of harmony in Western musical tradition from the common practice ...
in
Pachelbel's Canon
Pachelbel's Canon (also known as the Canon in D, P 37) is an accompanied canon by the German Baroque composer Johann Pachelbel. The canon was originally scored for three violins and basso continuo and paired with a gigue, known as ''Canon and G ...
, bringing the theme to the forefront at the opening of the song.
[ In addition to the Canon elements, it included a new introduction which Lowe later said "does sound surprisingly like the former Soviet anthem". The song also underwent extensive reworking of its instrumental tracks, with producers ]Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague (born 1960) is an American record producer most active with various British acts since the 1980s.
Early life
Hague was born in Portland, Maine in 1960.
Early career
Hague started his musical career in the mid-1970s as a session k ...
and Mark Stent credited for the mixing, as well as an all-male Broadway
Broadway may refer to:
Theatre
* Broadway Theatre (disambiguation)
* Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
** Broadway (Manhattan), the street
**Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...
choir arranged by Richard Niles
Richard Niles is an American composer, arranger, record producer, guitarist, broadcaster, and journalist.
Biography Early years
Niles was born May 28, 1951, in Hollywood. He is the son of Tony Romano, a composer, singer, and guitarist who writ ...
(said by Tennant to be inspired by the song "There Is Nothing Like a Dame
"There Is Nothing Like a Dame" (for 4 part male voices, 2 tenors and 2 basses) is one of the songs from the 1949 musical '' South Pacific''. The song was written by Richard Rodgers with lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II. It is widely popular in the mu ...
" from the Broadway musical '' South Pacific''). In addition, Tennant and Lowe wrote a new coda and a bridge for the song, with the lyrics:
Critical reception
Stephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance writer, occ ...
from AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
said the song is a "bizarrely moving" cover. Larry Flick
Larry Flick is an American journalist, former dance music columnist, single reviewer, and Senior Talent Editor for ''Billboard'' magazine, where he worked for 14 years. Now he produces and hosts Sirius XM radio shows. Flick started in the music ...
from ''Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
'' commented, "Nothing better captures the tone of bittersweet joy and drama that permeates '' Very'' than PSB's cover of the Village People
Village People is an American disco group known for its on-stage costumes and suggestive lyrics in their music. The group was originally formed by French producers Jacques Morali, Henri Belolo and lead singer Victor Willis following the release ...
nugget, 'Go West'. Covered with thick layers of pillowy synths, the track swaps the male-bonding vibe of the original with a wistful demeanor that's lined with a pensive subtext of loss". In the single review, he described it as a "gorgeous reading", adding that Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English musician, singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for ''Smash Hits'', and a ...
"gives the happy, male-bonding lyrics a wistful, almost melancholy edge—an odd but successful contrast to the fist-waving chants at the chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
". Dave Sholin from the ''Gavin Report
The ''Gavin Report'' was a San Francisco-based radio industry trade publication. The publication was founded by radio performer Bill Gavin in 1958. Its Top 40 listings were used for many years by programmers to decide content of programs. The pu ...
'' deemed it an "uptempo, melodic pop winner". Caroline Sullivan from ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' constated that "Can You Forgive Her?
''Can You Forgive Her?'' is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in serial form in 1864 and 1865. It is the first of six novels in the Palliser series, also known as the Parliamentary Novels.
The novel follows three parallel stories o ...
" and "Go West" "are among the best singles of the year, the latter distinguishing itself by making the Village People original seem flagrantly heterosexual." A reviewer from ''Lennox Herald'' declared it as a "90s update" of the disco
Disco is a genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the 1970s from the United States' urban nightlife scene. Its sound is typified by four-on-the-floor beats, syncopated basslines, string sections, brass and horns, electric pia ...
anthem, and an "outside bet for the top spot".
''Liverpool Echo
The ''Liverpool Echo'' is a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror North West & North Wales – a subsidiary company of Reach plc and is based in St Paul's Square, Liverpool, Merseyside, England. It is published Monday to Sunday, and is Liverp ...
'' said it is the "funniest thing they've done for ages", noting that it "comes complete with butch male chorus contrasting with the Pet Shop Boys' sweet and innocent vocals." James Masterton
James Masterton (born 2 September 1973) is a music writer and columnist, his work focusing on the UK Singles Chart having been an online fixture on various sites since the 1990s. Masterton is also a producer for talkSPORT, and has worked on air ...
remarked in his weekly UK chart commentary, that the duo's cover "is affectionate rather than mocking but no less brilliant for it with Male Voice Choirs and Gospel Singers adding to what has to be one of the singles of the year." Pan-European magazine ''Music & Media
''Music & Media'' was a pan-European magazine for radio, music and entertainment. It was published for the first time in 1984 as ''Eurotipsheet'', but in 1986 it changed name to ''Music & Media''. It was originally based in Amsterdam, but later ...
'' wrote, "The emperors of synth pop
Synth-pop (short for synthesizer pop; also called techno-pop; ) is a subgenre of new wave music that first became prominent in the late 1970s and features the synthesizer as the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s a ...
are backed by a Cossack
The Cossacks , es, cosaco , et, Kasakad, cazacii , fi, Kasakat, cazacii , french: cosaques , hu, kozákok, cazacii , it, cosacchi , orv, коза́ки, pl, Kozacy , pt, cossacos , ro, cazaci , russian: казаки́ or ...
choir. Blue helmets replace the Indian head dress and stetson, worn by the original singers of the song, the Village People." ''Reading Evening Post
The ''Reading Post'' (until 2009, the ''Reading Evening Post'') was an English local newspaper covering Reading, Berkshire and surrounding areas. The title page of the paper featured the Maiwand Lion, a famous local landmark at Forbury Gardens. Th ...
'' noted that "Seagulls
Gulls, or colloquially seagulls, are seabirds of the family Laridae in the suborder Lari. They are most closely related to the terns and skimmers and only distantly related to auks, and even more distantly to waders. Until the 21st century, m ...
and strings usher" in this version, adding that "it's insistent and instantly catchy, and brings to mind the song YMCA
YMCA, sometimes regionally called the Y, is a worldwide youth organization based in Geneva, Switzerland, with more than 64 million beneficiaries in 120 countries. It was founded on 6 June 1844 by George Williams in London, originally ...
even without knowing who originally sang this track." They concluded, "Go West will obviously be a hit". Gavin Reeve from ''Smash Hits
''Smash Hits'' was a British music magazine aimed at young adults, originally published by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006, and, after initially appearing monthly, was issued fortnightly during most of that time. The name survived as a brand fo ...
'' gave it two out of five, commenting, "Neil and Chris have dug up an old Village People hit from the '70s and changed it from a singalong disco number to a... singalong disco number." David Petrilla from ''The Weekender
''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the ...
'' said it "sounds like The Village People meet Al Stewart
Alastair Ian Stewart (born 5 September 1945) is a Scottish born singer-songwriter and folk-rock musician who rose to prominence as part of the British folk revival in the 1960s and 1970s. He developed a unique style of combining folk-rock so ...
", adding, "expect to start marching in place and finding your arms up in the air when you hear it."
Music video
The accompanying music video
A music video is a video of variable duration, that integrates a music song or a music album with imagery that is produced for promotion (marketing), promotional or musical artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a m ...
for "Go West" was directed by British director Howard Greenhalgh
Howard Douglas Greenhalgh (born 19 February 1963) is a British director of music videos and advertising.
Biography
Greenhalgh was born in Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire and studied at the Royal College of Art, setting up the firm Why No ...
and relies heavily on computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the use of computer graphics to create or contribute to images in art, printed media, video games, simulators, and visual effects in films, television programs, shorts, commercials, and videos. The images may ...
, like all of his videos for the ''Very'' singles. It begins with a red Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
, and then depicts a grey city where the communist domination is evident on the basis of Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
imagery such as red star
A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
s and red flags, the Yuri Gagarin Monument (a spaceman on a column) and the Monument to the Conquerors of Space
The ''Monument to the Conquerors of Space'' ( rus, Монуме́нт «Покори́телям ко́смоса», r=Monumént "Pokorítelyam kósmosa", p=mənʊˈmʲent pəkɐrʲˈitʲɪlʲɪm ˈkosməsə) is a giant obelisk erected in Mosc ...
(a rocket on a spire-like pedestal). Troops of identical Soviet men march up a staircase stretching into the clouds, seemingly toward a Western
Western may refer to:
Places
*Western, Nebraska, a village in the US
*Western, New York, a town in the US
*Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia
*Western world, countries that id ...
society, with the Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty (''Liberty Enlightening the World''; French: ''La Liberté éclairant le monde'') is a List of colossal sculpture in situ, colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor in New York City, in the U ...
, now appearing as a black
Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white have o ...
diva
Diva (; ) is the Latin word for a goddess. It has often been used to refer to a celebrated woman of outstanding talent in the world of opera, theatre, cinema, fashion and popular music. If referring to an actress, the meaning of ''diva'' is clo ...
looming in the distance (played by backing-vocalist Sylvia Mason-James
Sylvia Mason-James (born 8 December 1958) is a British singer who has worked extensively as a backing vocalist and solo artist.
Early life and career
Mason-James was born on 8 December 1958 in south London, United Kingdom to immigrants from J ...
). Tennant and Lowe appear throughout; Tennant carries a blue-and-yellow striped arrow staff, and Lowe travels on a flying surfboard. Occasional live action shots of Soviet iconography appear; in one Tennant and Lowe appear in their costumes, walking across Red Square
Red Square ( rus, Красная площадь, Krasnaya ploshchad', ˈkrasnəjə ˈploɕːətʲ) is one of the oldest and largest squares in Moscow, the capital of Russia. Owing to its historical significance and the adjacent historical build ...
.
The video received heavy rotation
In broadcasting, rotation is the repeated airing of a limited playlist of songs on a radio station or satellite radio channel, or music videos on a TV network. They are usually in a different order each time. However, they are not completely sh ...
on MTV Europe
MTV Global (formerly as MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV, a 24-hour music and entertainment TV channel that began broadcasting on August 1, 1987, as part of the worldwide MTV network.
Initially, MTV serve ...
in November 1993 and was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Short Form Music Video
The Grammy Award for Best Music Video is an honor presented at the Grammy Awards, a ceremony that was established in 1958 and originally called the Gramophone Awards, to performers, directors, and producers of quality short form music videos. Hon ...
in 1995, losing to "Love Is Strong
"Love Is Strong" is a song by English rock band the Rolling Stones, released as the opening track, and first single, from their 20th British and 22nd American studio album, ''Voodoo Lounge'' (1994). Issued as a single on 4 July 1994, the song ...
" by The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
. The "Go West" costumes were parodied in the video for their later 2006 single, " I'm with Stupid".
Track listings
*UK 7-inch single
*UK 12-inch single
*UK CD single
*# "Go West" – 5:03
*# "Shameless" – 5:04
*# "Go West" (Ming's Gone West: First and Second Movement) – 10:12
*US CD single
*# "Go West" – 5:03
*# "Shameless" – 5:04
*# "Go West" (Ming's Gone West: First and Second Movement) – 10:12
*# "Go West" (Farley and Heller Disco Mix) – 6:01
*# "Go West" (Farley and Heller Fire Island Mix) – 7:42
*# "Go West" (Kevin Saunderson Tribe Mix) – 6:50
*# "Go West" (Kevin Saunderson Trance Mix) – 6:53
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Other versions
German metal band JBO covered the song on their 1997 Album (loud), entitled (a party), mocking the song.
Remixed Eurodance
Euro-Dance (sometimes referred to as Euro-NRG, Euro-electronica or Euro) is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s in Europe. It combines many elements of hip hop, techno, Hi-NRG, house music, and Euro-Disco. This ...
versions of the song have appeared on the ''Dancemania
''Dancemania'' is a series of remix compilation albums by i-DANCE. The series deals primarily with dance music, especially Eurodance. Despite many of its tracks being made by various musicians from all over the world and mainly from the European ...
'' series albums, including '' Dancemania SPEED 4'' issued in 2000.
Clubringer covered the song in 2003 with a trance CD single released in Poland. Four versions of the song were created.
The Swedish PSB cover band West End Girls
"West End Girls" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. The song's lyrics are concerned with class and the pressures of inner-city life which were in ...
released their version of the song in January 2006. In 2007, classical singer Rhydian performed the song on ''The X Factor
''The X Factor'' is a television music competition franchise created by British producer Simon Cowell and his company Syco Entertainment. It originated in the United Kingdom, where it was devised as a replacement for ''Pop Idol'' (2001–2003 ...
'', surrounded by men in sailor
A sailor, seaman, mariner, or seafarer is a person who works aboard a watercraft as part of its crew, and may work in any one of a number of different fields that are related to the operation and maintenance of a ship.
The profession of the s ...
outfits.
Austrian baritone singer Patrizio Buanne
Patrizio Franco Buanne (born 20 September 1978) is an Italian-Austrian baritone singer, songwriter, and producer.
Biography
Early life
Patrizio Buanne was born in Vienna, Austria to Franco and Alina Buanne; he spent his childhood living and t ...
used the notes and changed its lyrics in the song "Stand Up (Champions Theme)", which was included in some versions of his 2006 album ''Forever Begins Tonight
''Forever Begins Tonight'' is the second album by Italian baritone Patrizio Buanne. It was released on October 16, 2006 in the United Kingdom and on April 24, 2007 in the United States.
Like his first album, '' The Italian'', Buanne's second alb ...
''.
German pop singer Mickie Krause
Mickie Krause (born Michael Engels on June 21, 1970), a native of Wettringen, is a singer of German Schlager. His notoriety exploded in Germany in 1999 with his hit 'Zehn nackte Friseusen' '(Ten nude hairdressers).http://www.schlagerplanet.com/ ...
covered the song on his 2008 album entitled . On the occasion of the UEFA Euro 2008
The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as UEFA Euro 2008 or simply Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by the member nations of UEFA (the Union of European ...
football championship, he published the chorus melody that directed against the Netherlands' abusive song, alluding to the traditional orange jersey of the Netherlands national football team.
British comedy band The Wurzels
The Wurzels are an English Scrumpy and Western band from Somerset, England, best known for their number one hit " The Combine Harvester" and number three hit "I Am a Cider Drinker" in 1976. They are known for using British West Country phrases ...
covered the song on their 2010 album ''A Load More Bullocks''.
Osem, the Israeli food giant, created a commercial for its ketchup based on the Pet Shop Boys video clip and song version a short time after the single was released.
Hermes House Band
The Hermes House Band is a Dutch pop band, established in 1982 by members of the Rotterdamsch Studenten Corps, a fraternity/sorority in Rotterdam, Netherlands. They have released more than 25 albums and singles.
History
The band rose to fame i ...
released a version in 2006.
Bulgarian comedy band Zamunda Banana Band's ("Back to Nature") is a parody of "Go West".
The Japanese pop group Beyooooonds
, is a Japanese idol
An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merch ...
covered the song on their debut single, titled "Go Waist". Beyooooonds interprets "Go West" as a waist exercise song.
British retailer GO Outdoors
JD Sports Fashion plc, more commonly known as JD Sports or JD, is a British sports-fashion retail company based in Bury, Greater Manchester, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index. Pentland ...
parody the song in a 2016 advert, altering the lyric "Go west" to "Go there".
As a sports chant
Many football clubs throughout the world (primarily in Germany and England, but also Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain Football Club (), commonly referred to as Paris Saint-Germain, Paris, Paris SG or simply PSG is a professional football club based in Paris, France. They compete in Ligue 1, the top division of French football. As Fr ...
) have created their own renditions of "Go West" to be sung by supporters on matchday. Versions observed in English include "go home to your sexy wives" and others. Borussia Dortmund
Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
began this tradition in 1993 with their version entitled ("Olé, here comes the BVB"), while fans of FC Schalke 04
Fußballclub Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04 e. V., commonly known as FC Schalke 04 (), Schalke 04 (), or abbreviated as S04 (), is a professional German football and multi-sports club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhi ...
originated the popular and influential ("Stand Up, if you're a Schalke Fan"). Also the fans of the Poland national football team
The Poland national football team ( pl, Reprezentacja Polski w piłce nożnej) has represented Poland in men's international tournaments football competitions since their first match in 1921. The team is controlled by the Polish Football Associ ...
and of the Poland national teams in other sports traditionally sing ("Poland, white and red") to the melody of the song. During 2022 Fifa World Cup
The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international association football, football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022 ...
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
fans started chanting a variation for Ángel Di María
Ángel Fabián Di María (born 14 February 1988) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for club Juventus and the Argentina national team. He can play as either a winger or attacking midfielder.
Di María began his career with R ...
("Fideo lalala lala") which would later be used to cheer for all grandmothers of the country ("Abuela la lalala").
Irish professional Rugby Union club Ulster Rugby
Ulster Rugby is one of the four professional provincial rugby teams from the island of Ireland. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and the European Rugby Champions Cup.
The team represents the IRFU Ulster Branch, which is one of ...
sing their own supporters version entitled "Stand Up for the Ulstermen"
In popular culture
The Village People version of "Go West" features in the film ''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
''The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert'' is a 1994 Australian road comedy film written and directed by Stephan Elliott. The plot follows two drag queens, played by Hugo Weaving and Guy Pearce, and a transgender woman, played by Tere ...
'' and in the stage musical adaptation as the three lead characters leave Sydney
Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...
for Alice Springs
Alice Springs ( aer, Mparntwe) is the third-largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Known as Stuart until 31 August 1933, the name Alice Springs was given by surveyor William Whitfield Mills after Alice, Lady Todd (''née'' Al ...
(which lies just over 2,000 kilometres north-west of Sydney as the crow flies
__NOTOC__
The expression ''as the crow flies'' is an idiom for the most direct path between two points, rather similar to "in a beeline". This meaning is attested from the early 19th century, and appeared in Charles Dickens's 1838 novel '' Oliv ...
).
The Pet Shop Boys version of the song is played in the first and last scenes of award-winning Chinese director Jia Zhangke's film ''Mountains May Depart
''Mountains May Depart'' () is a 2015 Mandarin-language drama and the 8th feature film directed by Jia Zhangke. It competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival. and was also selected to be shown in the Special Presentations secti ...
'' (2015). In many of Jia's films, the 'turn' China has made towards 'the West' is a central theme – ''Mountains May Depart'' is no exception. Also, the song serves as a unifying element: it connects the first part of the film (set in 1999) to the final scene (set in 2025), creating a poignant effect which several critics have praised; David Rooney of the ''Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Hollywood film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade paper, and in 2010 switched to a weekly larg ...
'' called the ending "a beautiful concluding sequence that reaffirms the film's aching depth of feeling and extraordinary sense of place".
Sharwood's
Sharwood's is a British food company, which specialises in Asian food, established in 1889 and acquired by RHM in 1963, which was then merged into Premier Foods in March 2007.
Company products
The company produces Indian, Chinese and South East ...
used the melody for an advertising jingle for an advertising campaign for their products in circa 2008, substituting "Go West" for "Go East".
In 2021, Highways England
National Highways, formerly the Highways Agency and later Highways England, is a government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving motorways and major A roads in England. It also sets highways standards used by all fo ...
used the melody in a public information film
Public information films (PIFs) are a series of government-commissioned short films, shown during television advertising breaks in the United Kingdom. The name is sometimes also applied, ''faute de mieux'', to similar films from other countries, ...
about what to do in the event of getting into difficulty on the motorway (pulling up left on the hard shoulder and disembarking the vehicle on the left hand side); the campaign was aptly named "Go Left".
Notes
References
Further reading
* (2001).
Go West
". ''Very / Further Listening 1992–1994'' D liner notes
*
*
External links
Neil Tennant explains the real meaning behind the PSB remix
{{authority control
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Music videos directed by Howard Greenhalgh
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