Pet Shop Boys are an 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 formed in London in 1981. Consisting of primary vocalist
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 ...
and keyboardist
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 ...
, they have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and were listed as the most successful duo in UK music history in the 1999 edition of ''
The Guinness Book of Records
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a reference book published annually, listing world ...
''.
Three-time
Brit Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
winners and six-time
Grammy
The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pre ...
nominees, since 1984 they have achieved 42
top 30
In the music industry, the Top 40 is the current, 40 most-popular songs in a particular genre. It is the best-selling or most frequently broadcast popular music. Record charts have traditionally consisted of a total of 40 songs. "Top 40" or "conte ...
singles, 22 of these being top 10 hits 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 ...
, including four UK number ones: "
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 ...
" (also number one on the US
''Billboard'' Hot 100), "
It's a Sin
"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, ''Actually'' (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's se ...
", a synth-pop version of "
Always on My Mind", and "
Heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
". Other hit songs include a cover of "
Go West", and their own "
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their debut studio album, ''Please'' (1986). It was released as a single in 1985 and re-recorded and reissued in 1986, gaining greater popularity ...
", and "
What Have I Done to Deserve This?" in a duet with
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...
. With five US top ten singles in the 1980s, they are associated with the
Second British Invasion
The Second British Invasion consisted of music acts from the United Kingdom that became popular in the U.S. during the early-to-mid 1980s primarily due to the cable music channel MTV. The term derives from the similar British Invasion of the U. ...
.
At the
2009 Brit Awards
Brit Awards 2009 was the 29th edition of the British Phonographic Industry's annual Brit Awards. The awards ceremony was held at Earls Court in London, and was broadcast live on ITV on 18 February at 8pm (GMT). Duffy became the first female ar ...
in London, Pet Shop Boys received an award for
Outstanding Contribution to Music. In 2016, ''
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 ...
'' newspaper named Pet Shop Boys the number one dance duo/group over the 40 years since the chart's inception in 1976. In 2017, the duo received
''NME'' Godlike Genius Award.
History
Early years (1981–1984)
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 ...
and
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 ...
met in a
hi-fi shop, Chelsea Record Centre, on 203 King's Road, in
Chelsea, London
Chelsea is an affluent area in west London, England, due south-west of Charing Cross by approximately 2.5 miles. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames and for postal purposes is part of the south-western postal area.
Chelsea histori ...
on 19 August 1981.
Tennant had purchased a
Korg MS-10
, founded as Keio Electronic Laboratories, is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments, audio processors and guitar pedals, recording equipment, and electronic tuners. Under the Vox brand name, they ...
synthesizer
A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...
which sparked a conversation with Lowe. Discovering that they had a mutual interest in disco and electronic music, they became friends.
In particular, the pair drew inspiration from two synth-pop records: "Souvenir
A souvenir (), memento, keepsake, or token of remembrance is an object a person acquires for the memories the owner associates with it. A souvenir can be any object that can be collected or purchased and transported home by the traveler as a m ...
" by Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Wirral Peninsula, Wirral, Merseyside, in 1978. The group consists of co-founders Andy McCluskey (vocals, bass guitar) and Paul Humphreys (keyboar ...
(OMD); and "Bedsitter
A bedsit, bedsitter, or bed-sitting room is a form of accommodation common in some parts of the United Kingdom which consists of a single room occupancy, single room per occupant with all occupants typically sharing a bathroom. Bedsits are includ ...
" by Soft Cell
Soft Cell are an English synthpop duo who came to prominence in the early 1980s. The duo consists of vocalist Marc Almond and instrumentalist David Ball. The band are primarily known for their 1981 hit version of "Tainted Love" and their plat ...
, which reflected their lifestyles at the time. According to Tennant, he and Lowe would listen to "pioneers of electronic music", including OMD, Soft Cell, Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
, the Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
, and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting).
Depeche ...
.
The duo began to work together on material,[ first in Tennant's flat in ]Chelsea
Chelsea or Chelsey may refer to:
Places Australia
* Chelsea, Victoria
Canada
* Chelsea, Nova Scotia
* Chelsea, Quebec
United Kingdom
* Chelsea, London, an area of London, bounded to the south by the River Thames
** Chelsea (UK Parliament consti ...
, then, from 1982, in a small studio in Camden Town
Camden Town (), often shortened to Camden, is a district of northwest London, England, north of Charing Cross. Historically in Middlesex, it is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Camden, and identified in the London Plan as o ...
. They briefly labelled their demo tapes under the band name West End before settling on Pet Shop Boys. They say that their band name was taken from friends who worked in a pet shop in Ealing
Ealing () is a district in West London, England, west of Charing Cross in the London Borough of Ealing. Ealing is the administrative centre of the borough and is identified as a major metropolitan centre in the London Plan.
Ealing was histor ...
and were known as the "pet shop boys". They also noted a naming similarity with the recently formed rap rock group Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys were an American rap rock group from New York City, formed in 1978. The group was composed of Mike D, Michael "Mike D" Diamond (vocals, drums), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (voca ...
. In August 1983, Tennant, who was an assistant editor at ''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 ...
'', went to New York to interview Sting
Sting may refer to:
* Stinger or sting, a structure of an animal to inject venom, or the injury produced by a stinger
* Irritating hairs or prickles of a stinging plant, or the plant itself
Fictional characters and entities
* Sting (Middle-eart ...
.[ While there, he arranged to meet ]hi-NRG
Hi-NRG (pronounced "high energy") is a genre of uptempo disco or electronic dance music (EDM) that originated in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
As a music genre, typified by fast tempo, staccato hi-hat rhythms (and the ...
producer Bobby Orlando
Robert Philip Orlando (born 1958), also known as Bobby Orlando or just Bobby O, is an American record producer, indie record label owner, songwriter, and musician. He is regarded as an innovator in the hi-NRG genre for developing his signature so ...
and gave him a demo tape
A demo (shortened from "demonstration") is a song or group of songs typically recorded for limited circulation or for reference use, rather than for general public release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas in a fixed for ...
containing "It's a Sin
"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, ''Actually'' (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's se ...
" and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their debut studio album, ''Please'' (1986). It was released as a single in 1985 and re-recorded and reissued in 1986, gaining greater popularity ...
".
From 1983 to 1984, Orlando recorded 11 tracks with Tennant and Lowe, including "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 ...
", "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", "It's a Sin", "I Want a Lover", "I Get Excited", "Two Divided by Zero", "Rent", "Later Tonight", "Pet Shop Boys", "A Man Could Get Arrested" and "One More Chance". In April 1984, the Orlando-produced "West End Girls" was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles and San Francisco
San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...
. On 2 November, it was voted "Screamer of the Week" by listeners of Long Island
Long Island is a densely populated island in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York, part of the New York metropolitan area. With over 8 million people, Long Island is the most populous island in the United Sta ...
, New York, radio station WLIR
WLIR was a radio station that played a new music/modern rock format on the frequencies 92.7 FM, 98.5 FM, and 107.1 FM from the 1980s into the 2000s. Bob Wilson, longtime WLIR employee and historian, created the website WDARE (Dare FM), which m ...
. It was a minor dance hit in Belgium and France, but was only available in the United Kingdom as a 12" import.
''Please'' (1984–1986)
In March 1985, after long negotiations, Pet Shop Boys cut their contractual ties with Bobby O, with a settlement giving Bobby O significant royalties
A royalty payment is a payment made by one party to another that owns a particular asset, for the right to ongoing use of that asset. Royalties are typically agreed upon as a percentage of gross or net revenues derived from the use of an asset o ...
for future sales. Hiring manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business.
Management includes the activities o ...
Tom Watkins, they signed with the London-based Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
label
A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
. In April, Tennant left ''Smash Hits'' magazine—where he had progressed to the position of deputy editor—and in July, a new single, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their debut studio album, ''Please'' (1986). It was released as a single in 1985 and re-recorded and reissued in 1986, gaining greater popularity ...
", was released, reaching number 116 in the UK. The 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 ...
to this single, "In the Night", later resurfaced, in a longer remix
A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
ed version, as the opening track to the duo's first remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
, ''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 ...
'', in 1986. This version was also used as the theme for the UK television series ''The Clothes Show
''The Clothes Show'' is a British television show about fashion that was broadcast on BBC One from 1986 to 2000, and from 2006 on UKTV Style and Really. At its height, ''The Clothes Show'' had around 9 million viewers every Sunday night. It als ...
''.
They returned to the studio in August to re-record "West End Girls" with producer 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 ...
. Released in October 1985 it rose slowly in the British charts to become number one in January 1986. It subsequently replicated this success in the United States, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
, New Zealand and Norway and sold an estimated 1.5 million copies worldwide.
After the success of "West End Girls", Pet Shop Boys released a follow-up single, "Love Comes Quickly
"Love Comes Quickly" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the second single from their debut studio album, ''Please'' (1986). It peaked at number 19 on the UK Singles Chart in March 1986.
Writing and production
''Love C ...
", on 24 February 1986. The single reached number 19 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 was followed by their debut album, ''Please
''Please'' is a word used in the English language to indicate politeness and respect while making a request. Derived from shortening the phrase "if you please" or "if it please(s) you", the term has taken on substantial nuance based on its int ...
'', on 24 March. In June 1986, the band announced a European tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
; however, their plans for a theatrical extravaganza proved to be too expensive and the tour was cancelled. ''Please'' started Pet Shop Boys' penchant for choosing one-word album titles, which Neil Tennant has since stated is now a Pet Shop Boys "signature thing", akin to e. e. cummings' use of exclusively lower case letters. New versions of their second single, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their debut studio album, ''Please'' (1986). It was released as a single in 1985 and re-recorded and reissued in 1986, gaining greater popularity ...
", and the album track "Suburbia
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
" were also released in 1986, followed by ''Disco''. In September 1986, Pet Shop Boys performed "Love Comes Quickly" and "West End Girls" at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1986 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1986, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1985, to May 1, 1986. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and Dweezil Zappa, an ...
in Los Angeles.
''Actually'' (1987–1988)
1987 started with Pet Shop Boys receiving both a BRIT Award
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
and Ivor Novello Award
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They have been presented annually in London by the Ivors Academy (formerly the BASCA) since 1956, and over 1,000 statuettes have been a ...
for "West End Girls". Later, on 15 June, they released what became their second number one single, "It's a Sin
"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, ''Actually'' (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's se ...
". The single caused some controversy: Tennant's school, St. Cuthbert's Grammar School, in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
, chastised him in the press
Press may refer to:
Media
* Print media or news media, commonly called "the press"
* Printing press, commonly called "the press"
* Press (newspaper), a list of newspapers
* Press TV, an Iranian television network
People
* Press (surname), a famil ...
, while pop impresario Jonathan King
Jonathan King (born Kenneth George King; 6 December 1944) is an English singer, songwriter and record producer. He first came to prominence in 1965 when "Everyone's Gone to the Moon", a song that he wrote and sang while still an undergraduate, ...
accused them of plagiarising the Cat Stevens
Yusuf Islam (born Steven Demetre Georgiou; ), commonly known by his stage names Cat Stevens, Yusuf, and Yusuf / Cat Stevens, is a British singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. His musical style consists of folk, pop, rock, and, later in ...
song " Wild World". King recorded a version of "Wild World" in the style of Pet Shop Boys to prove his point. The group later sued King and won damages, which were donated to charity. The video
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...
to "It's a Sin" also saw their first collaboration with director 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 ...
.
The continued success of "It's a Sin" was followed by the release of " What Have I Done to Deserve This?" on 10 August. Co-written with Allee Willis
Alta Sherral "Allee" Willis (November 10, 1947 – December 24, 2019) was an American songwriter, multi-media artist, collector, and art director. Willis co-wrote hit songs including "September" and "Boogie Wonderland" by Earth, Wind & Fire. She ...
and also featuring Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...
on vocals, the single reached 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 the U.S. ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Although the duo
Duo may refer to:
Places
*Duo, West Virginia, an unincorporated community and coal town in Greenbrier County, West Virginia
*Duo, Tampere, a shopping centre in Hervanta, Tampere, Finland
* DUO, a twin-tower development in Singapore
Arts, enterta ...
had wanted to release this track on their debut album, they had been unable to track down Springfield and were reluctant to record it with any other female singer, despite their record company's suggestions. Springfield's manager finally contacted them in 1986, following the release of ''Please
''Please'' is a word used in the English language to indicate politeness and respect while making a request. Derived from shortening the phrase "if you please" or "if it please(s) you", the term has taken on substantial nuance based on its int ...
'', and towards the end of that year, she travelled to London to record "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" with them. It was the first track to be recorded for the duo's second album. Pet Shop Boys had been told that Springfield was difficult to work with and even that she could no longer sing; however, her performance on the track put any such concerns to rest and they began a collaboration with her, which lasted until the end of the decade. Included on their second album ''Actually
''Actually'' (stylised as ''Pet Shop Boys, actually.'') is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 7 September 1987 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI Manhattan in North America. According to Nei ...
'', the song became a massive worldwide hit and resurrected Springfield's career, leading to her 1990 album, ''Reputation
The reputation of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity typically as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance.
Reputation is a ubiquitous ...
'', on which Pet Shop Boys were major contributing writers and producers
Producer or producers may refer to:
Occupations
*Producer (agriculture), a farm operator
*A stakeholder of economic production
*Film producer, supervises the making of films
**Executive producer, contributes to a film's budget and usually does not ...
. This duet was also the start of a series of collaborations with high-profile musicians, going on throughout the band's career.
Also in August 1987, Pet Shop Boys appeared on ''Love Me Tender'', a UK television programme, on ITV
ITV or iTV may refer to:
ITV
*Independent Television (ITV), a British television network, consisting of:
** ITV (TV network), a free-to-air national commercial television network covering the United Kingdom, the Isle of Man, and the Channel Islan ...
, commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
's death. They were asked to perform one of their favourite Elvis tracks and they narrowed it down to two options, "Baby Let's Play House
"Baby Let's Play House" is a song written by Arthur Gunter and recorded by him in 1954 on the Excello Records label and covered by Elvis Presley the following year on Sun Records.
A line from the song ("I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than t ...
" and " Always on My Mind", eventually settling on the latter. Their Presley cover would later be re-released in a 12" version, consisting of a medley, along with an acid house
Acid house (also simply known as just "acid") is a subgenre of house music developed around the mid-1980s by DJs from Chicago. The style is defined primarily by the squelching sounds and basslines of the Roland TB-303 electronic bass synthesiz ...
track by the duo, titled "In My House". September 1987 saw the release of the duo's second studio album, ''Actually'', followed by the single "Rent
Rent may refer to:
Economics
*Renting, an agreement where a payment is made for the temporary use of a good, service or property
*Economic rent, any payment in excess of the cost of production
*Rent-seeking, attempting to increase one's share of e ...
" in October, which reached number 8 in the UK. The final song on the album, " King's Cross" accidentally anticipated the King's Cross fire
The King's Cross fire was a 1987 fire in a London Underground station with 31 fatalities, after a fire under a wooden escalator suddenly spread into the underground ticket hall in a flashover.
The fire began at approximately 19:30 on 18 Novembe ...
at the London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
section of the station in November of that year (part of the lyrics read: "Dead and wounded on either side/You know it's only a matter of time"). '' The Sun'' newspaper in the UK subsequently tried to get the track released as a charity single
A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity.
George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-mad ...
, but Pet Shop Boys would not allow this.
Towards the end of 1987, Pet Shop Boys started work on an hour-long film that would incorporate the songs from ''Please'' and ''Actually''. Working with director Jack Bond, the short film grew into a full-scale movie, ''It Couldn't Happen Here
''It Couldn't Happen Here'' is a 1988 musical film starring the British pop duo Pet Shop Boys and based on the music from their first two studio albums ''Please'' and ''Actually''. It was originally conceived as an hour-long video based on ''Act ...
'', starring Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor (born Barbara Ann Deeks; 6 August 193710 December 2020) was an English actress, known for her roles in the ''Carry On'' films and for playing Peggy Mitchell in the BBC One soap opera, ''EastEnders''.[Joss Ackland
Sidney Edmond Jocelyn Ackland CBE (born 29 February 1928) is an English retired actor who has appeared in more than 130 film and television roles. He was nominated for the BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for portraying Jock Del ...]
and Gareth Hunt
Alan Leonard Hunt (7 February 1942 – 14 March 2007), known as Gareth Hunt, was a British actor best remembered for playing footman Frederick Norton in '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' and Mike Gambit in '' The New Avengers''.
Early life
Alan Leona ...
. The film was eventually released in 1988 to mixed reviews. Footage from the film was also used for the music video to "Always on My Mind", now released as a single on 30 November; it became both the duo's third number one single in the UK and the Christmas number one single
In the United Kingdom, Christmas number ones are singles that top the UK Singles Chart in the week in which Christmas Day falls. The singles have often been novelty songs, charity songs or songs with a Christmas theme. Historically, the volume ...
for 1987, beating "Fairytale of New York
"Fairytale of New York" is a song written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan and recorded by their London-based band the Pogues, featuring singer-songwriter Kirsty MacColl on vocals. The song is an Irish folk-style ballad and was written as a due ...
" by The Pogues
The Pogues were an English or Anglo-Irish Celtic punk band fronted by Shane MacGowan and others, founded in Kings Cross, London in 1982, as "Pogue Mahone" – the anglicisation of the Irish Gaelic ''póg mo thóin'', meaning "kiss my arse". T ...
and Kirsty MacColl
Kirsty Anna MacColl (10 October 1959 – 18 December 2000) was a British singer and songwriter, daughter of folk singer Ewan MacColl. She recorded several pop hits in the 1980s and 1990s, including "There's a Guy Works Down the Chip Shop Swears He ...
. In November 2004, ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally.
It was fo ...
'' newspaper placed Pet Shop Boys' version of "Always on My Mind" at number two in a list of the fifty greatest cover versions of all time.
1988 started with another collaboration. Pet Shop Boys wrote and produced the song "I'm Not Scared
''I'm Not Scared'' ( it, Io non ho paura, ''I Am Not Afraid'') is a 2003 Italian crime mystery thriller film directed by Gabriele Salvatores. Francesa Marciano and Niccolò Ammaniti wrote the script, basing it on Niccolò Ammaniti's successful ...
" for Patsy Kensit
Patricia Jude Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and was the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder in the 1980s.
Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Bird ...
's band, Eighth Wonder. The song became her biggest hit single and Pet Shop Boys included their own extended version of the track on their ''Introspective'' album. March 1988 saw the duo achieve their fourth UK number one single (and their last to date), with a remixed edit of "Heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
", different from the album version. This single version would be included on their first and third 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, '' Discography: The Complete Singles Collection'' and ''Ultimate
Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums
* ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album)
* ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album)
*''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds
*''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...
'', whereas the album version would be used for their second retrospective
A retrospective (from Latin ''retrospectare'', "look back"), generally, is a look back at events that took place, or works that were produced, in the past. As a noun, ''retrospective'' has specific meanings in medicine, software development, popu ...
, the double '' PopArt: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits''. The video
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...
to the single, directed by Jack Bond, starred Ian McKellen
Sir Ian Murray McKellen (born 25 May 1939) is an English actor. His career spans seven decades, having performed in genres ranging from Shakespearean and modern theatre to popular fantasy and science fiction. Regarded as a British cultural i ...
as a vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead creatures that often visited loved ones and caused mi ...
who steals Neil Tennant's wife.
''Introspective'' and ''Behaviour'' (1988–1992)
In the 1996 BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including electronica, dance, ...
documentary ''About Pet Shop Boys'', Neil Tennant noted that their " Imperial Phase" ended in 1988. On 12 September 1988, Pet Shop Boys released a new single, "Domino Dancing
"Domino Dancing" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Introspective'' (1988). It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in Finland and Spain.
...
", and in the documentary Tennant recounts his disappointment when hearing the news that the single had reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart. He felt that their major success was now over and that it was going to be a challenge to maintain their level of success in the future.
Their third album, ''Introspective
''Introspective'' is the third studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 10 October 1988 by Parlophone. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Background
The album was unusual in that it reversed the typi ...
'', was released on 10 October 1988. Unusually, this was a six-track album of previously unheard remixes and new tracks in extended form. It was followed by the Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
–produced top-five single "Left to My Own Devices
"Left to My Own Devices" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in November 1988 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Introspective'' (1988). It was also the first track of the album. The song fared better t ...
", and a cover version of the Sterling Void single " It's Alright", in 1989. 1989 also saw the start of Pet Shop Boys' first tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
, in which they performed in Hong Kong, Japan, and Britain. The tour followed the ideas of the extravaganza that could not have been afforded earlier in their careers. 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 ...
returned to direct the performance and he provided several films that were projected during the shows.
The September 1990 single, "So Hard
"So Hard" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, '' Behaviour'' (1990). The song is about "two people living together; they are totally unfaithful to each other but they ...
" reached No. 4 in the UK and was followed by their fourth studio album, ''Behaviour
Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as wel ...
'' (1990), which was recorded in Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the States of Germany, German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the List of cities in Germany by popu ...
with producer Harold Faltermeyer
Hans Hugo Harold Faltermeier (born 5 October 1952) is a German musician, composer and record producer.
Faltermeyer is best known for composing the "Axel F" theme for the feature film ''Beverly Hills Cop'', an influential synth-pop hit in the 1 ...
. The album was not intended to reflect a dramatic change in mood from their earlier albums; however, it is noticeably subdued. It included the fan favourite "Being Boring
"Being Boring" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Behaviour'' (1990). The song reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the duo's first single to miss the ...
", the second single from the album, which only reached No. 20 on the UK Singles Chart, their lowest placing at the time. The song was inspired by a quote by Zelda Fitzgerald
Zelda Fitzgerald (; July 24, 1900 – March 10, 1948) was an American novelist, painter, dancer, and socialite.
Born in Montgomery, Alabama, she was noted for her beauty and high spirits, and was dubbed by her husband F. Scott Fitzgerald a ...
: "...she refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring", and was widely thought to be a commentary on the AIDS epidemic. The music video was directed by filmmaker Bruce Weber. By this time, the duo had also parted ways with manager Tom Watkins, replacing him with Jill Carrington,[ Heath, Chris (2001). In ''Behaviour'' ]D liner notes
D, or d, is the fourth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''dee'' (pronounced ), plural ''dees''.
History
The ...
London: Pet Shop Boys Partnership who had previously been marketing director at Polydor
Polydor Records Ltd. is a German-British record label that operates as part of Universal Music Group. It has a close relationship with Universal's Interscope Geffen A&M Records label, which distributes Polydor's releases in the United States. ...
.
In March 1991, a cover of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name
"Where the Streets Have No Name" is a song by Irish rock music, rock band U2. It is the opening track from their 1987 album ''The Joshua Tree'' and was released as the album's third single (music), single in August 1987. The song's hook (music) ...
" as a medley with "Can't Take My Eyes Off You
"Can't Take My Eyes Off You" is a 1967 song written by Bob Crewe and Bob Gaudio. It was recorded as a single by Frankie Valli. The song was among his biggest hits, earning a gold record and reaching No. 2 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 for a week ...
", the 1960s pop song by Frankie Valli
Francesco Stephen Castelluccio (born May 3, 1934), better known by his stage name Frankie Valli, is an American singer, known as the frontman of the Four Seasons beginning in 1960. He is known for his unusually powerful lead falsetto voice.
...
/ the Four Seasons, was released as a double- A-sided single with a remix of the album track "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?
"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fourth studio album, '' Behaviour'' (1990). It was released in the United Kingdom on 11 March 1991 as a double A-side with " Where the St ...
" 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 ...
. This was followed by the duo's first world tour. Named ''Performance'', the tour kicked off in Tokyo, on 11 March 1991. The tour also visited the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland and the United Kingdom. The shows were designed by David Alden and David Fielding, who had designed several sets for the Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Op ...
.
Before taking a break in 1992, in 1991 Pet Shop Boys released an 18-track compilation
Compilation may refer to:
*In computer programming, the translation of source code into object code by a compiler
**Compilation error
**Compilation unit
*Product bundling, a marketing strategy used to sell multiple products
*Compilation thesis
M ...
called ''Discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
'', which included all of their single releases up until then and two new singles—"DJ Culture
"DJ Culture" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their first greatest hits album, '' Discography: The Complete Singles Collection'' (1991). It was released on 14 October 1991 as the album's lead single, peaking at number 1 ...
" and " Was It Worth It?"—omitting only "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (although it did appear on the video companion ''Videography''). While "DJ Culture" had some success, "Was It Worth It?" became the duo's first single to miss the UK top 20 since their two Bobby O debut singles.
During this period, Pet Shop Boys continued to collaborate with many high-profile musicians. They worked again with Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien (16 April 1939 – 2 March 1999), known professionally as Dusty Springfield, was an English singer. With her distinctive mezzo-soprano sound, she was a popular singer of blue-eyed soul, Pop music, p ...
, on the singles "Nothing Has Been Proved
"Nothing Has Been Proved" is a song and a single release by British singer Dusty Springfield, written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. The song was the second collaboration between Springfield and the Pet Shop Boys, following their UK #2 and ...
" (which was a song written for their soundtrack for the film ''Scandal
A scandal can be broadly defined as the strong social reactions of outrage, anger, or surprise, when accusations or rumours circulate or appear for some reason, regarding a person or persons who are perceived to have transgressed in some way. Th ...
'' about the Profumo political scandal in Britain) and "In Private
"In Private" is a song by British singer Dusty Springfield, released as a single on 20 November 1989. It was Springfield's third single in a row to be a chart success, after an absence of nearly two decades from the charts. Both "In Private" and ...
". The duo later went on to produce half of the tracks on her 1990 solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
''Reputation
The reputation of a social entity (a person, a social group, an organization, or a place) is an opinion about that entity typically as a result of social evaluation on a set of criteria, such as behavior or performance.
Reputation is a ubiquitous ...
'' album. Pet Shop Boys were also asked to write and produce an album for Liza Minnelli
Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
, in 1989. The album, ''Results
A result is the outcome of an event.
Result or Results may also refer to: Music
* ''Results'' (album), a 1989 album by Liza Minnelli
* ''Results'', a 2012 album by Murder Construct
* "The Result", a single by The Upsetters
* "The Result", a song ...
'', generated four singles, including the hit single "Losing My Mind", a cover version of the Stephen Sondheim
Stephen Joshua Sondheim (; March 22, 1930November 26, 2021) was an American composer and lyricist. One of the most important figures in twentieth-century musical theater, Sondheim is credited for having "reinvented the American musical" with sho ...
song from the 1971 Broadway musical "Follies". The duo's own demo of this appeared on their "Jealousy
Jealousy generally refers to the thoughts or feelings of insecurity, fear, and concern over a relative lack of possessions or safety.
Jealousy can consist of one or more emotions such as anger, resentment, inadequacy, helplessness or disgust. ...
" single as a B-side.
Tennant worked with Bernard Sumner
Bernard Sumner (born 4 January 1956) is an English singer, musician, songwriter, and record producer. He is a founding member of the bands Joy Division, New Order, and Electronic. Sumner was an early force in several areas, including the post ...
and Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher, 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous ...
on their first album as Electronic
Electronic may refer to:
*Electronics, the science of how to control electric energy in semiconductor
* ''Electronics'' (magazine), a defunct American trade journal
*Electronic storage, the storage of data using an electronic device
*Electronic co ...
, whose first single, "Getting Away with It
"Getting Away with It" is the first single by the English band Electronic, which comprised Bernard Sumner of New Order, ex- Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, and guesting vocalist Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys. It was first released in 1989.
Comp ...
", co-written and co-produced by Tennant, was released on 4 December 1989. In 1991, Lowe also contributed to the Electronic project, contributing the chord sequence to "The Patience of a Saint" on their 1991 album. In 1992, Tennant sang lead vocals on the non-album single "Disappointed", which was featured on the soundtrack to the film ''Cool World
''Cool World'' is a 1992 American live-action/animated black comedy fantasy film directed by Ralph Bakshi and written by Michael Grais and Mark Victor. Starring Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne and Brad Pitt, it tells the story of a cartoonist w ...
''. Pet Shop Boys set up the Spaghetti Records
x2 (pronounced "times two") is a British record label set up in 2013 by Pet Shop Boys for the release of their own music.
x2 history
On 14 March 2013, the Pet Shop Boys officially left Parlophone after 28 years and entered into a new arrangeme ...
label
A label (as distinct from signage) is a piece of paper, plastic film, cloth, metal, or other material affixed to a container or product, on which is written or printed information or symbols about the product or item. Information printed dir ...
in 1991. Their most successful release was the soundtrack to the 1992 film ''The Crying Game
''The Crying Game'' is a 1992 thriller film written and directed by Neil Jordan, produced by Stephen Woolley, and starring Stephen Rea, Miranda Richardson, Jaye Davidson, Adrian Dunbar, Ralph Brown, and Forest Whitaker. The film explores the ...
'', which featured Boy George
George Alan O'Dowd (born 14 June 1961), known professionally as Boy George, is an English singer, songwriter, DJ, author and mixed media artist. Best known for his soulful voice and his androgynous appearance, Boy George has been the lead singe ...
performing the title song. The song was produced by Pet Shop Boys and featured Tennant on backing vocals. Other artists on the label included Scottish singer Cicero
Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, and academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises that led to the estab ...
, the Ignorants, and Masterboy
Masterboy is a German 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, h ...
.
In 1992, they were the subjects of a ''South Bank Show
''The South Bank Show'' is a British television arts magazine series originally produced by London Weekend Television and broadcast on ITV between 1978 and 2010. A new version of the series began 27 May 2012 on Sky Arts. Conceived, written, an ...
'' documentary on ITV with contributions from Liza Minnelli, Eric Watson (photographer and video director), Simon Frith
Simon Webster Frith (born 1946) is a British sociomusicologist and former rock critic who specializes in popular music culture. He is Tovey Chair of Music at University of Edinburgh.
Career
As a student, he read PPE at Oxford and earned a ...
(music critic), David Alden and David Fielding.
''Very'' and ''Disco 2'' (1993–1995)
In June 1993, Pet Shop Boys re-invented their image and made a strong return to the UK Singles Chart with "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 ...
". Taking its title from the Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...
novel of the same name, the single reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart, while its iconic music video featured the duo in orange body suits and tall dunce cap
Dunce is a mild insult in English meaning "a person who is slow at learning or stupid". The etymology given by Richard Stanyhurst is that the word is derived from the name of the Scottish Scholastic theologian and philosopher John Duns Scotus.
D ...
s, in a world of 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 ...
. The theme was continued with the follow-up single, often considered as their signature song, a 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 ...
single " Go West", which reached number 2 in the UK, with another computer-generated music video, this time inspired by the Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen national ...
, with shots of the duo filmed in Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. The tune was adopted into a football chant
A football chant or terrace chant is form of vocalisation performed by supporters of association football, typically during football matches. Football chanting is an expression of collective identity, most often used by fans to express their p ...
at Arsenal Football Club
Arsenal Football Club, commonly referred to as Arsenal, is a professional football club based in Islington, London, England. Arsenal plays in the Premier League, the top flight of English football. The club has won 13 league titles (inclu ...
(which Chris Lowe supports) and is heard at grounds throughout Europe to this day.
The duo's fifth studio album, ''Very
Very may refer to:
* English's prevailing intensifier
Businesses
* The Very Group, a British retail/consumer finance corporation
** Very (online retailer), their main e-commerce brand
* VERY TV, a Thai television channel
Places
* Véry, a co ...
'', followed on 27 September and is the only Pet Shop Boys album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
. It was produced by Pet Shop Boys and mixed with additional production by 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 ...
, who had produced their first album and had subsequently produced records by OMD, New Order and Erasure
Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...
. The other singles from ''Very'', "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
"I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fifth studio album, '' Very'' (1993). The song describes a person normally hesitant to unwind and show his feelings, who—because of some e ...
", "Liberation
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
" and "Yesterday, When I Was Mad
"Yesterday, When I Was Mad" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the fifth and final single from their fifth studio album, '' Very'' (1993), on 29 August 1994. The single peaked at number 13 on the UK Singles Chart and ...
", continued the theme of CGI videos, peaking with the "Liberation" video, which contained almost no real-life elements at all. All these videos were directed by 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 ...
, who continued to work with Pet Shop Boys well into the next decade. ''Very'' was also released in a limited edition including an entirely new album, ''Relentless'', which was composed of six all-new progressive house
Progressive house is a subgenre of house music. The progressive house style emerged in the early 1990s. It initially developed in the United Kingdom as a natural progression of American and European house music of the late 1980s.Gerard, Morgan; ...
tracks, with a darker tone to the perky ''Very''.
In 1994, Pet Shop Boys offered to remix fellow Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
act Blur's single " Girls & Boys"; it was a club hit throughout Europe and started a sporadic trend for Pet Shop Boys to remix other artists' music. Also in 1994, Pet Shop Boys released the 1994 Comic Relief
Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension.
Definition
Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic episo ...
single, "Absolutely Fabulous". The song started when Tennant and Lowe were playing around with sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
s from the BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board ex ...
sitcom
A sitcom, a portmanteau of situation comedy, or situational comedy, is a genre of comedy centered on a fixed set of characters who mostly carry over from episode to episode. Sitcoms can be contrasted with sketch comedy, where a troupe may use ne ...
''Absolutely Fabulous
''Absolutely Fabulous'' (also known as ''Ab Fab'') is a British television sitcom based on the ''French and Saunders'' sketch, "Modern Mother and Daughter", created by Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. The show was created and written by Saund ...
'' in the studio. They wanted to release a single, so approached lead actor
A leading actor, leading actress, or simply lead (), plays the role of the protagonist of a film, television show or play. The word ''lead'' may also refer to the largest role in the piece, and ''leading actor'' may refer to a person who typica ...
s Jennifer Saunders
Jennifer Jane Saunders (born 6 July 1958) is an English actress, comedian, singer and screenwriter. Saunders originally found attention in the 1980s, when she became a member of The Comic Strip after graduating from the Royal Central School of ...
and Joanna Lumley
Dame Joanna Lamond Lumley (born 1 May 1946) is an English actress, presenter, former model, author, television producer, and activist. She has won two BAFTA TV Awards for her role as Patsy Stone in the BBC sitcom ''Absolutely Fabulous'' (1992 ...
and suggested releasing it as a charity single
A charity record or charity single is a song released by musicians with most or all proceeds raised going to a dedicated foundation or charity.
George Harrison's " Bangla Desh" single in 1971 is commonly acknowledged as the first ever purpose-mad ...
. The single was released under the artist name of 'Absolutely Fabulous' too. Tennant and Lowe do not consider it as a Pet Shop Boys single release and it was not included on their next best-of album. The video to the single featured clips from the sitcom, along with newly recorded footage of Tennant and Lowe with the characters of Edina (Saunders) and Patsy (Lumley).
On 12 September 1994, Pet Shop Boys released the follow-up to their 1986 remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
''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 ...
'', in the form of '' Disco 2''. The album featured club remixes of the singles
Singles are people not in a committed relationship.
Singles may also refer to:
Film and television
* ''Singles'' (miniseries), a 1984 Australian television series
* ''Singles'' (1992 film), written and directed by Cameron Crowe
* ''Singles'' ...
released from ''Very'' and ''Behaviour'', in a continuous megamix
A megamix is a remix containing multiple songs in rapid succession. It often features various artists. There may be only one verse or even just a brief chorus of each song used, sometimes in addition to samples of the same or other songs. It is ...
by Danny Rampling
Danny Rampling (born 15 July 1961) is an English house music DJ and is widely credited as one of the original founders of the UK's rave/club scene.
His long career began in the early 1980s playing hip-hop, soul and funk around numerous bars an ...
. Then, in October, Pet Shop Boys began their ''Discovery'' tour, which would see them visit areas that they had never performed in before: Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Australia, Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...
, Mexico, Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, Chile, 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 ...
and Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. The following year, a new version of "Paninaro", the 1986 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 ...
to "Suburbia
A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area, which may include commercial and mixed-use, that is primarily a residential area. A suburb can exist either as part of a larger city/urban area or as a separate ...
", was released to promote the B-sides collection ''Alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
''. The single, called " Paninaro '95", is based on the live version from the ''Discovery'' tour.
''Bilingual'' and ''Nightlife'' (1996–2001)
The Pet Shop Boys remix of the David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
song "Hallo Spaceboy
"Hallo Spaceboy" is a song by David Bowie from his 1995 album '' Outside'', and the third and final single from the album. The track was re-recorded in 1996 and issued as a remix featuring Pet Shop Boys as guest artists. Bowie and Brian En ...
" featured Tennant on backing vocals and was released in the UK on 19 February 1996. Pet Shop Boys then joined Bowie during his performance of the song at the 1996 Brit Awards
The BRIT Awards (often simply called the BRITs) are the British Phonographic Industry's annual popular music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain", or "Britannia" (in the early days the awards were sponsored ...
ceremony, as well as an appearance on the ''Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British Record chart, music chart television programme, made by the BBC and originally broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show ...
'' television program.
In April, Pet Shop Boys released the single "Before
Before is the opposite of after, and may refer to:
* ''Before'' (Gold Panda EP), 2009
* ''Before'' (James Blake EP), 2020
* "Before" (song), a 1996 song by the Pet Shop Boys
* "Before", a song by the Empire of the Sun from ''Two Vines''
* "Befo ...
" which reached number 7 in 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 ...
. That month, Tina Turner
Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock; November 26, 1939) is an American-born Swiss retired singer and actress. Widely referred to as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Rock 'n' Roll", she rose to prominence as the lead singer o ...
also released her '' Wildest Dreams'' album, which featured the Pet Shop Boys-produced track "Confidential". In August, Pet Shop Boys released a follow-up single, "Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)
"Se a vida é (That's the Way Life Is)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 12 August 1996 as the second single from their sixth studio album, '' Bilingual'' (1996). The single was one of the most widely played records ...
", a Latin American music
The music of Latin America refers to music originating from Latin America, namely the Romance-speaking regions of the Americas south of the United States. Latin American music also incorporates African music from enslaved African people who were ...
-inspired track, featuring a drum sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
from a track called "Estrada da paixão" by Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian act Olodum
Olodum is a ''bloco-afro'' from Salvador's carnival, in Bahia, Brazil. It was founded by the percussionist Neguinho do Samba.
Banda Olodum (Olodum's Band)
Olodum is widely credited with developing the music style known as samba reggae and for ...
. This preceded the sixth Pet Shop Boys album ''Bilingual
Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...
'', which was released in September.
The majority of 1998 was spent with a series of live dates and minor releases, including a charity album of Noël Coward
Sir Noël Peirce Coward (16 December 189926 March 1973) was an English playwright, composer, director, actor, and singer, known for his wit, flamboyance, and what ''Time'' magazine called "a sense of personal style, a combination of cheek and ...
songs, called '' Twentieth Century Blues''. The album included Pet Shop Boys' version of "Sail Away", along with songs performed by Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
, Texas
Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, Marianne Faithfull
Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (born 29 December 1946) is an English singer and actress. She achieved popularity in the 1960s with the release of her hit single " As Tears Go By" and became one of the lead female artists during the British I ...
, The Divine Comedy
The ''Divine Comedy'' ( it, Divina Commedia ) is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun 1308 and completed in around 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and ...
, Suede
Suede (pronounced ) is a type of leather with a fuzzy, napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, fabrics, purses, furniture, and other items. The term comes from the French , which literally means "gloves from Sweden". The term was fir ...
, Damon Albarn
Damon Albarn (; born 23 March 1968) is an English-Icelandic musician, singer-songwriter and composer, best known as the frontman and primary lyricist of the rock band Blur and as the co-creator and primary musical contributor of the virtual ...
, Vic Reeves
James Roderick Moir (born 24 January 1959), better known by his stage name Vic Reeves, is an English comedian, artist, surrealist, musician, actor and television presenter, best known for his double act with Bob Mortimer as Reeves & Mortimer. ...
and Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
. Tennant also co-produced the Williams track and provided backing vocals for Elton John. Tennant provided backing vocals on Robbie Williams' " No Regrets" single, along with Neil Hannon
Edward Neil Anthony Hannon (born 7 November 1970) is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter. He is the creator and front man of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy, and is the band's sole constant member. Hannon wrote the theme tunes for t ...
from The Divine Comedy. Meanwhile, the band switched managers again as Carrington resigned and was succeeded by Mitch Clark, who had previously worked for EMI International
EMI Group Limited (originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records Ltd. or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At the time of its break-up in 201 ...
as Head of Promotion.
During this time, Pet Shop Boys began to work with playwright Jonathan Harvey on a stage musical project. In 1999, many of the tracks recorded ended up on the duo's seventh studio album, ''Nightlife
Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...
'', which included the Top 20 singles " I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More" and "New York City Boy
"New York City Boy" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 27 September 1999 as the second single from their seventh studio album, ''Nightlife'' (1999). In the UK, the single peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. ...
", the Top 10 hit "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
"You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 3 January 2000 as the third and final single from their seventh studio album, ''Nightlife'' (1999). It reached number eight on the ...
", " Closer to Heaven"—which would later become the title of Pet Shop Boys' musical—as well a duet with Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
, " In Denial", about a father coming out to his daughter. Minogue later performed the track live, during her 2005 ''Showgirl
A showgirl is a female dancer or performer in a stage entertainment show intended to showcase the performer's physical attributes, typically by way of revealing clothing, toplessness, or nudity.
History
Showgirls date back to the late 180 ...
'' tour, singing to a pre-recorded Neil Tennant. This is not the first time that Pet Shop Boys have worked with Minogue: in 1994, they wrote a song for inclusion on her eponymous ''Kylie Minogue
Kylie Ann Minogue (; born 28 May 1968) is an Australian singer, songwriter and actress. She is the highest-selling female Australian artist of all time, having sold over 80 million records worldwide. She has been recognised for reinve ...
'' album, called "Falling
Falling or fallin' may refer to:
*Falling (physics), movement due to gravity
*Falling (accident)
*Falling (execution)
*Falling (sensation)
People
* Christine Falling (born 1963), American serial killer who murdered six children
Books
* ''Fall ...
", which was based on an unreleased remix of " Go West" with new lyrics by Tennant; however, Minogue and her record company did not like the production sound of Pet Shop Boys' demo and asked 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 ...
to finally produce the track.
In 2000 the duo made their debut performance at the Glastonbury festival on the pyramid stage on Saturday 24 June as the sun was setting, before Travis headlined. Cerys Matthews
Cerys Matthews (; born 11 April 1969) is a Welsh singer, songwriter, author, and broadcaster. She was a founding member of Welsh rock band Catatonia and a leading figure in the "Cool Cymru" movement of the late 1990s.
Matthews programmes and ...
(of band Catatonia
Catatonia is a complex neuropsychiatric behavioral syndrome that is characterized by abnormal movements, immobility, abnormal behaviors, and withdrawal. The onset of catatonia can be acute or subtle and symptoms can wax, wane, or change during ...
) took the part of Dusty Springfield for the duet on " What Have I Done to Deserve This?". The performance was heralded as one of the weekend's most triumphant.
''Release'' (2002–2005)
After the mixed fortunes of '' Closer to Heaven'', Pet Shop Boys returned to the studio to start work on their eighth album. After toying with genres including hip hop, they went for a stripped back acoustic sound as a complete change from the over-the-top dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded danc ...
of the musical. In 2002, they released the modestly successful album ''Release
Release may refer to:
* Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song
* Legal release, a legal instrument
* News release, a communication directed at the news media
* Release (ISUP), a code to ident ...
''. Most of the tracks were produced by the duo themselves and many featured Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher, 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous ...
on guitar. The first single, " Home and Dry", featured a very peculiar video
Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...
, directed by Wolfgang Tillmans
Wolfgang Tillmans (born 16 August 1968) is a German photographer. His diverse body of work is distinguished by observation of his surroundings and an ongoing investigation of the photographic medium’s foundations.
Tillmans was the first photog ...
, mostly consisting of raw camcorder footage of mice filmed in the London Underground
The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or by its nickname the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent ceremonial counties of England, counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and He ...
. The follow-up single " I Get Along" had a video filmed by Bruce Weber, and after this they embarked on another world tour, although this time it was a stripped back affair, with no dancers, backing singers, costumes or lavish sets. They used two extra guitarists, Bic Hayes
Christian David "Bic" Hayes (born 10 June 1964) is an English rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. Best known as the frontman of Dark Star and guitarist with Levitation, he has also released solo material as Mikrokosmos, which was produced b ...
and Mark Refoy
Slipstream are an English indie rock band, not to be confused with the American band "The Slipstream", were formed in 1994 after Mark Refoy left Spiritualized. The band consisted of Ian Anderson on guitar, Gary Lennon on bass, Steve Beswick on dr ...
, a percussionist (Dawne Adams) and regular programmer
A computer programmer, sometimes referred to as a software developer, a software engineer, a programmer or a coder, is a person who creates computer programs — often for larger computer software.
A programmer is someone who writes/creates ...
(Pete Gleadall) alongside Chris Lowe (keyboards) and Neil Tennant (vocals and guitar).
The tour took them first to several universities around the UK; these dates saw them perform at Bristol University
, mottoeng = earningpromotes one's innate power (from Horace, ''Ode 4.4'')
, established = 1595 – Merchant Venturers School1876 – University College, Bristol1909 – received royal charter
, type ...
, Keele University
Keele University, officially known as the University of Keele, is a public research university in Keele, approximately from Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, England. Founded in 1949 as the University College of North Staffordshire, Keele ...
, University of East Anglia
The University of East Anglia (UEA) is a public research university in Norwich, England. Established in 1963 on a campus west of the city centre, the university has four faculties and 26 schools of study. The annual income of the institution f ...
in Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the See of Norwich, with ...
, University of Teesside
, mottoeng = Deeds Not Words
, established = 1930 – Constantine Technical College1969 – as Teesside Polytechnic 1992 – gained university status
, type = Public
, endowment = £0.23 m (2019/20)
, chancellor ...
, Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area.
Until the early 1800s, the a ...
and De Montfort University
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) is a public university in the city of Leicester, England. It was established in accordance with the Further and Higher Education Act in 1992 as a degree awarding body. The name De Montfort University was tak ...
, Leicester
Leicester ( ) is a city status in the United Kingdom, city, Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority and the county town of Leicestershire in the East Midlands of England. It is the largest settlement in the East Midlands.
The city l ...
. Subsequent dates took them to Germany, the U.S., Canada, Spain, Italy, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, then another series of dates in the UK again, Switzerland and onto Japan, Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
, Hong Kong and then a first-ever date in Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
as the final show, at the large Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai language, Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estima ...
Impact Arena
Impact, Muang Thong Thani ( th, ศูนย์แสดงสินค้าและการประชุม อิมแพ็ค เมืองทองธานี) is a commercial complex consisting of an arena, convention centre and ...
, in front of 9,000 fans. A third single, "London", was only released in Germany, at the request of EMI Germany. It was never planned for release in the UK, although a promotional video was shot by the distinguished photographer Martin Parr
Martin Parr (born 23 May 1952) is a British documentary photographer, photojournalist and photobook collector. He is known for his photographic projects that take an intimate, satirical and anthropological look at aspects of modern life, in p ...
and it was serviced to some UK radio stations. Following a live stint on the John Peel
John Robert Parker Ravenscroft (30 August 1939 – 25 October 2004), known professionally as John Peel, was an English disc jockey (DJ) and radio presenter. He was the longest-serving of the original BBC Radio 1 DJs, broadcasting regularly fr ...
show on Radio 1 Radio 1 or Radio One most commonly refers to:
*BBC Radio 1, a music radio station from the BBC
** BBC Radio 1Xtra, a digital radio station broadcasting black music
*CBC Radio One, a talk radio station operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporatio ...
, Pet Shop Boys released ''Disco 3
''Disco 3'' is the third remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 3 February 2003 by Parlophone. The album consists of five remixes of songs and B-sides from their previous album, ''Release'', three new tracks, a new rec ...
'', in February 2003. The album followed their previous ''Disco'' albums, but this one also included new songs as well as remixes.
In 2003, Pet Shop Boys launched two new labels, Olde English Vinyl and Lucky Kunst, their Spaghetti Records
x2 (pronounced "times two") is a British record label set up in 2013 by Pet Shop Boys for the release of their own music.
x2 history
On 14 March 2013, the Pet Shop Boys officially left Parlophone after 28 years and entered into a new arrangeme ...
label becoming defunct. The first release on Olde English Vinyl was Atomizer's "Hooked on Radiation", followed by Pete Burns' "Jack and Jill Party" in 2004. The only Lucky Kunst release to date is the mentioned Kiki Kokova's version of " Love to Love You Baby". They also remixed Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
's "Walking on Thin Ice
"Walking on Thin Ice" is a song by Yoko Ono, released in 1981. She and John Lennon concluded the recording of the song on December 8, 1980. It was upon their return from the recording studio to The Dakota (their home in New York City) that Lenno ...
" in 2003 and Rammstein
Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, ...
's "Mein Teil" in 2004. Another new manager, David Dorrell, was brought on board to replace Clark. In November 2003, Pet Shop Boys released a second 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 ...
, ''PopArt: The Hits'', a double Compilation album, compilation with two new singles: "Miracles (Pet Shop Boys song), Miracles" and "Flamboyant (Pet Shop Boys song), Flamboyant". Not chronologically arranged, the tracks were divided into two discs: ''Pop'' including the more traditional pop songs and ''Art'' containing those works which were considered more experimental.
In September 2004, Pet Shop Boys appeared at a free concert in Trafalgar Square in London, where they performed, with the Dresdner Sinfoniker orchestra, a whole new soundtrack to accompany the seminal 1925 silent film ''Battleship Potemkin''. There were four further live performances of the work with the Dresdner Sinfoniker in Germany in September 2005. The Battleship Potemkin (album), ''Battleship Potemkin'' soundtrack was then released on 5 September 2005. In November 2004, Pet Shop Boys played at the Prince's Trust concert titled ''Produced by Trevor Horn'' with other artists who had worked with the British producer Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, including Grace Jones, ABC (band), ABC, Seal (musician), Seal and Frankie Goes to Hollywood. In 2005, Pet Shop Boys was selected as the headline act for the Live 8 concert, Moscow, Moscow Live 8 concert, in Red Square. They were received extremely well by the crowd in Moscow. Also in 2005, Pet Shop Boys were asked to put together the twentieth release in the ''Back to Mine'' series, an ongoing anthology showcasing artists' favourite music selections, with an emphasis on afterhours chill-out music. As a condition, 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 ...
and 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 ...
were given one disc each, whereas all previous releases in the series consisted of only a single disc per group (see ''Back to Mine: Pet Shop Boys'').
In July 2017, Pet Shop Boys reissued ''Release'' as part of their ''Catalogue: 1985–2012'' series. It features the remastered album, plus bonus tracks, demos and Pet Shop Boys' remixes of their tracks.
''Fundamental'' (2006–2008)
Pet Shop Boys began 2006 remixing Madonna's single "Sorry (Madonna song), Sorry", for release in February. The single reached number one in the UK and the Pet Shop Boys remix included new backing vocals performed by Tennant. Madonna subsequently used the Pet Shop Boys remix, including Tennant's vocals, on her 2006 Confessions Tour. In April, Pet Shop Boys released a new single that reached No. 8 in the UK, "I'm with Stupid (Pet Shop Boys song), I'm with Stupid", a commentary on the relationship between George W. Bush and Tony Blair. The promo video featured Matt Lucas and David Walliams, better known as the team behind ''Little Britain (sketch show), Little Britain''. Lucas and Walliams portray Tennant and Lowe, parodying two of the duo's previous videos, " Go West", and "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 ...
". The ninth Pet Shop Boys studio album, ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental'', followed in May, reaching a strong No. 5 in their home country. The album was produced by Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, who Pet Shop Boys had previously worked with on "Left to My Own Devices
"Left to My Own Devices" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in November 1988 as the second single from their third studio album, ''Introspective'' (1988). It was also the first track of the album. The song fared better t ...
", in 1988. The album was also released with a limited edition remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
called ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamentalism'', which included a version of "In Private
"In Private" is a song by British singer Dusty Springfield, released as a single on 20 November 1989. It was Springfield's third single in a row to be a chart success, after an absence of nearly two decades from the charts. Both "In Private" and ...
" as a duet with Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
and "Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fugitive", a new track produced by Richard X.
The week that ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental'' was released, a documentary, titled ''Pet Shop Boys – A Life in Pop'', was broadcast on Channel 4, directed by George Scott and produced by Nick de Grunwald. The original broadcast was less than an hour in duration; a 140-minute version was released on DVD in October 2006. Contributors to the programme included Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
, Brandon Flowers, Tim Rice-Oxley, Jake Shears and Bruce Weber. The DVD also contained promo videos that had been made since the release of ''PopArt: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits, PopArt'', although the promo for "Flamboyant" only appeared on early pressings of the DVD.
The second single to be taken from the album was the UK top twenty "Minimal (song), Minimal". The duo filmed the video to the single in Paris with Dan Cameron. The single was the first of theirs to be playlisted by London's biggest radio station, Capital Radio, in a decade. Pet Shop Boys began a worldwide Fundamental Tour, tour in support of ''Fundamental'' in June 2006 in Norway. The show was designed and directed by Es Devlin, the award-winning British theatre designer, and choreographed by Hakeem Onibudo. Between 15 June and 10 September 2006, Pet Shop Boys played a series of concert dates across Europe, mainly at assorted festivals and outdoor venues. These included two dates at the Tower of London on 28 June and 29, and a single show at Thetford Forest. These dates also included performances of ''Battleship Potemkin'', in Germany and Spain. On 1 May 2006, ''Battleship Potemkin'' was also performed at the Swan Hunter shipyard, in Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is ...
, with Pet Shop Boys accompanied by the Northern Sinfonia orchestra.
On 3 October 2006, the long-delayed U.S. release of their ''PopArt: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits, PopArt'' hits package was issued by Capitol Records. During 2006, Pet Shop Boys worked with Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
on his then-new album, ''Rudebox (album), Rudebox'', producing two tracks: a cover version of "Miracles (Pet Shop Boys song), We're the Pet Shop Boys", written by My Robot Friend (which they have also recorded themselves and released as a 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 ...
to "Miracles (Pet Shop Boys song), Miracles", in 2003) and "She's Madonna", a duet with Tennant, allegedly about Guy Ritchie's affair with Tania Strecker, prior to his relationship with Madonna. On 10 October 2006, Pet Shop Boys embarked on the Americas, North and Central American leg of their world tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
, which took them through Canada, the United States and Mexico, concluding on 16 November. A DVD of the show in Mexico City was released on 21 May 2007, titled ''Cubism (video), Cubism''. It was recorded on 14 November 2006, in the National Auditorium, Auditorio Nacional, and was directed by David Barnard.
On 16 October, ''Catalogue'' was published by Thames & Hudson, a 336-page hardcover book, written by Philip Hoare and Chris Heath, detailing their entire visual output (photography, as well as the design of albums, Music videos, videos, concert tours, books and Fanzine, fan club magazines) from 1984 to 2004. Neil Tennant comments in the book: "In the beginning we made a decision – and it was in our EMI contract – that that we would have control over how everything worked; that obviously the songs mattered hugely, but the way they were presented was going to matter hugely as well; and that we were never going to give up on that." Pet Shop Boys supported the publication of the book with signings in London, New York City, Los Angeles and Berlin. To coincide with the publication of ''Catalogue'', a small exhibition of portraits of Pet Shop Boys opened in the Bookshop Gallery of London's National Portrait Gallery, London, National Portrait Gallery, on 30 October 2006 and ran to 28 February 2007.
Also on 16 October, the third single from ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental'', "Numb (Pet Shop Boys song), Numb", was released, following its appearance at the end of the BBC's coverage of England at the FIFA World Cup, World Cup. It was written by Diane Warren and is the only song on the album not written by Tennant and Lowe. "Numb (Pet Shop Boys song), Numb" became only the second Pet Shop Boys single in their career to miss the Top 20.
On 23 October 2006, ''Concrete (Pet Shop Boys album), Concrete'' was released. It is a compact disc, double CD of the complete Mermaid Theatre concert, with the BBC Concert Orchestra (musical director: Trevor Horn), featuring guests Rufus Wainwright, Frances Barber and Robbie Williams
Robert Peter Williams (born 13 February 1974) is an English singer and songwriter. He found fame as a member of the pop group Take That from 1990 to 1995, and achieved commercial success after launching a solo career in 1996. His debut stud ...
. A 90-minute "director's cut" of the concert aired on BBC 6 Music, on 28 August 2006. On 7 December 2006, Pet Shop Boys were nominated for two 2007 Grammy Awards. These were 'Best Dance Recording' for "I'm with Stupid (Pet Shop Boys song), I'm with Stupid", and 'Best Electronic/Dance Album' for ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental''.
During the latter part of 2006 and early 2007, Neil Tennant served as executive producer on Rufus Wainwright'salbum, ''Release the Stars'', recorded in Berlin. He sang backing vocals on a number of tracks, including "Release the Stars, Do I Disappoint You", and "Release the Stars, Tiergarten". They continued their world tour, albeit with a slightly different production and set-list, on 14 March 2007, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil then played concerts in 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 ...
, Chile, New Zealand and Australia (as co-headliners of the V Festival 2007), Norway, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Denmark, Ireland, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Singapore
Singapore (), officially the Republic of Singapore, is a sovereign island country and city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. It lies about one degree of latitude () north of the equator, off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, borde ...
. Pet Shop Boys "played" at the free festival Secondfest, in the Online and offline, online virtual world ''Second Life'', on 30 June.
On 8 October 2007, Pet Shop Boys released ''Disco 4'', the latest in their series of remix album
A remix album is an album consisting of remixes or rerecorded versions of an artist's earlier released material. The first act who employed the format was American singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson (''Aerial Pandemonium Ballet'', 1971). As of 2007 ...
s; the fourth in the set differed in that it was largely made up of remixes, completed by Pet Shop Boys, of other artists' work over the past decade. These include The Killers, David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
, Yoko Ono
Yoko Ono ( ; ja, 小野 洋子, Ono Yōko, usually spelled in katakana ; born February 18, 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer, songwriter, and peace activist. Her work also encompasses performance art and filmmaking.
Ono grew up i ...
, Madonna, Atomizer and Rammstein
Rammstein (, "ramming stone") is a German Neue Deutsche Härte band formed in Berlin in 1994. The band's lineup—consisting of lead vocalist Till Lindemann, lead guitarist Richard Kruspe, rhythm guitarist Paul Landers, bassist Oliver Riedel, ...
. Only two tracks by Pet Shop Boys, remixed versions of ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental'' tracks "Integral (song), Integral" and "I'm with Stupid (Pet Shop Boys song), I'm with Stupid", were included. The Fundamental tour ended in Bucharest, Romania, in November 2007.
In October 2008, Pet Shop Boys released the single "I'm in Love with a German Film Star" featuring famous British photographer Sam Taylor-Wood on vocals. This single was made for her exhibition in London and it was released by Kompakt records in Germany, on both CD and 7" and 12" vinyl. The most notable remixes were by Gui Boratto, Juergen Paape and Mark Reeder, who also made a special mix in 5.1 surround.
In July 2017, Pet Shop Boys reissued ''Fundamental'' as part of their ''Catalogue: 1985–2012'' series. It features the remastered album, plus bonus tracks, demos and Pet Shop Boys' remixes of their tracks.
''Yes'' (2009–2011)
Pet Shop Boys completed their next album in late 2008. Recorded with Xenomania and released in UK on 23 March 2009, ''Yes (Pet Shop Boys album), Yes'' was a critical success and hit No. 4 in the UK, their highest album chart position in more than a decade. Pet Shop Boys also appeared on Girls Aloud's new album ''Out of Control (Girls Aloud album), Out of Control'', collaborating on the Top-10 track "The Loving Kind", released on 12 January 2009 as a single. Originally written for Yes, The Loving Kind was deemed too bubblegum pop by Lowe and given to the popular girl group to record instead.
On 4 November 2009, Pet Shop Boys celebrated the Brazilian leg of the tour by releasing a compilation titled ''Party (Pet Shop Boys album), Party'', including songs that were heavily featured in the following TV Globo soap operas: "Being boring" (''Meu Bem Meu Mal'' OST), "Domino dancing" (''O Salvador da Patria'' OST), "West End Girls" (''Selva de Pedra'' OST) and "King of Rome" (''Viver a Vida''). On 14 December 2009, Pet Shop Boys released an Extended play, EP of covers, remixes, and new material, titled ''Christmas (Pet Shop Boys album), Christmas''. On 20 December the EP entered the UK chart at No. 40.
On 15 February 2010, Pet Shop Boys released a live album/DVD double-pack called ''Pandemonium (Pet Shop Boys album), Pandemonium''. It contains the soundtrack and footage recorded from their 21 December 2009 show at the The O2 (London), O2 Arena in London. Pet Shop Boys released their version of "Love Life (song), Love life" in April 2010, a song they originally recorded during the ''Release'' sessions in 2001 and subsequently gave to Swedish band Alcazar (band), Alcazar. Released as a limited edition 7-inch dinked vinyl single available only in independent UK record stores, its B-side was "A Powerful Friend", a song originally composed in the early 1980s and subsequently recorded in late 2002 during the recording sessions that would contribute to the ''Disco 3
''Disco 3'' is the third remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 3 February 2003 by Parlophone. The album consists of five remixes of songs and B-sides from their previous album, ''Release'', three new tracks, a new rec ...
'' album.
In June 2010, Pet Shop Boys headlined the Other Stage on the Saturday evening of the 40th anniversary Glastonbury Festival (their second appearance after previously playing there in 2000) and were heralded as dazzling with "one of the most spectacular Glastonbury moments ever.". This set included a surprise cover of Coldplay's Viva La Vida, which Tennant described as basically a Pet Shop Boys song when he first heard it.
In November they released their third compilation album ''Ultimate
Ultimate or Ultimates may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Music Albums
* ''Ultimate'' (Jolin Tsai album)
* ''Ultimate'' (Pet Shop Boys album)
*''Ultimate!'', an album by The Yardbirds
*''The Ultimate (Bryan Adams Album)'', a compilatio ...
'', (a limited edition version of this featured the entire Glastonbury festival performance from that same year on an additional dvd) preceded by the single "Together (Pet Shop Boys song), Together". On 15 November 2010, they adapted ''The Most Incredible Thing'', a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, opened at Sadlers Wells in London on 17 March 2011. The story has been adapted by Matthew Dunster and features choreography by Javier de Frutos. It features former Royal Ballet star Ivan Putrov, animated films created by Tal Rosner, and orchestrations by German composer Sven Helbig, who worked with the band in 2005 as a co-producer for ''Battleship Potemkin''.
''Elysium'' and ''Electric'' (2011–2015)
On 28 September 2011, Pet Shop Boys announced that they had written 16 songs for their next studio album and expected to start recording the new songs in November 2011 for release in Autumn 2012. In the meantime, ''Format (album), Format'', an album of the duo's B-sides from 1996 to 2009, was released on 6 February 2012 as a sequel to their earlier B-side collection ''Alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
''. ''Format'' entered the UK charts at No.26 on 12 February 2012.
On 21 November 2011, the Evening Standard Award#Beyond Theatre award, Beyond Theatre Award was presented to Pet Shop Boys and the director of ''The Most Incredible Thing (album), The Most Incredible Thing'', Javier de Frutos. The award was introduced and presented by the artist, film director and occasional PSB collaborator Sam Taylor-Wood.
In January 2012, Pet Shop Boys announced on their official website that they had started recording their new album in Los Angeles with producer Andrew Dawson (record producer), Andrew Dawson. On 9 June 2012, a film by renowned Los Angeles artist/film-maker Brian Bress for the album track "Invisible" began to circulate on the web and was posted to the official site and the band's YouTube page on 11 June, at which time ''Elysium (Pet Shop Boys album), Elysium'' was revealed to be name of the new album. That June "Winner" became the first single from the album ''Elysium''. On 27 June 2012, Pet Shop Boys performed three songs before the Olympic tennis games in Henman Hill, Wimbledon: "Always On My Mind", " What Have I Done to Deserve This?", and "Winner (Pet Shop Boys song), Winner".
The twelfth album, entitled ''Electric (Pet Shop Boys album), Electric'', was released on 12 July 2013. The album was the biggest-selling record among the UK's independent record shops during the week of its release, and went straight to the number 1 position on the Official Record Store Chart. The album was produced by Stuart Price and the release coincided with the Electric World Tour that included Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Brazil, Colombia, Asia (the duo performed in the Philippines, Indonesia, and China for the first time), Lebanon, Israel, Turkey, Europe and North America.
''Super'', ''Hotspot'', and ''Nonetheless'' (2016–present)
On 21 January 2016, Pet Shop Boys announced that their thirteenth album, ''Super (Pet Shop Boys album), Super'', would be released on 1 April. The announcement was accompanied by the release of an album teaser track, "Inner Sanctum". The lead single from the new album, entitled "The Pop Kids", was released on 18 March 2016. "The Pop Kids" was the duo's eleventh number one on the US Dance Club Songs chart. The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales and (from March 2015) audio streaming in the United Kingdom. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the Official Charts C ...
, selling 16,953 copies in its first week, becoming their 13th consecutive top 10 studio album. In the United States, Super debuted at number 58 on the Billboard 200 with first-week sales of 10,000 copies. It also debuted at number one on Billboard's Dance/Electronic Albums chart, becoming Pet Shop Boys' first number-one album on the chart since Disco 3 (2003).
Pet Shop Boys announced their ''Further Listening'' reissues project, called ''Catalogue: 1985–2012'' in June 2017. The first batch was released that July with a remaster of ''Nightlife'', ''Release'' and ''Fundamental''. On 31 August 2017, Pet Shop Boys announced that the reissues for ''Yes'' and ''Elysium'' would be released on 20 October 2017. Previously released ''Further Listening'' albums would also be remastered for 2018, with ''Please'', ''Actually'' and ''Introspective'' reissues being released on 2 March 2018. The fourth and final batch of reissues—''Behaviour'', ''Very'' and ''Bilingual''—was released on 31 August 2018.
Pet Shop Boys announced a live album/DVD/Blu-ray release, ''Inner Sanctum (album), Inner Sanctum'', in April 2019. It followed February's EP ''Agenda (Pet Shop Boys album), Agenda''. which contains four new songs with a political and pop culture angle. Neil Tennant said the release "contains three satirical songs and one rather sad song. I think it's because of the times we're living through".
In 2020, their fourteenth album, ''Hotspot (album), Hotspot'', was released on x2 Records/Kobalt. The corresponding Dreamworld tour was planned to start mid-2020, but was postponed twice due to the COVID-19 pandemic; it finally got underway in May 2022 and included their third appearance at the Glastonbury festival (and second time headlining the other stage, this time on the Sunday night, closing the stage). The performance was another success with a lot of opinions saying they were one of the major highlights that year.
In September and October 2022, the band co-headlined the Unity Tour with New Order, playing twelve arenas across Canada and the US.
On 31 December 2022, Pet Shop Boys headlined Edinburgh's Hogmanay celebrations with a special Dreamworld show. In 2023 they continued their Dreamworld tour, among other headlining the Primavera Sound festivals in Barcelona, Madrid, Porto, Santiago, Sao Paulo and Lima.
In March 2023, the duo announced on their website that they had started working on their fifteenth studio album with producer James Ford (musician), James Ford. In the interim, the EP ''Lost (EP), Lost'', made up of music recorded during ''Super'' sessions was released. On 24 January 2024, the album title ''Nonetheless'' and its cover art was announced with an 26 April release date, along with its first single, "Loneliness", whose music video was released on YouTube.
Style and image
In 2020, BBC journalist Nick Levine noted that Pet Shop Boys still maintain a somewhat "detached and ambivalent approach" to their success, which also shows in their low profile on social media. Music journalist Steve Harnell described them as having both an "ear for commerciality" and the desire to create "something more highbrow". He also described Tennant's lyrics as showing a "love for language", which Tennant sparkles with sometimes quite-obscure cultural references. Their music in the 1980s was inspired by dance music in gay clubs but transformed into a "very British and brainy brand of pop music, shot through with a streak of social comment so subtly done that people frequently missed the point entirely."
Lowe said in a 1986 ''Entertainment Tonight'' interview that he doesn't "like country and western. I don't like rock music, I don't like rockabilly or rock and roll particularly. I don't like much, really, do I? But what I do like, I love passionately. The quote was subsequently sampling (music), sampled in the song "Paninaro (song), Paninaro". The 1997 B-side "How I Learned to Hate Rock and Roll", and their early 1990s songs "DJ Culture
"DJ Culture" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their first greatest hits album, '' Discography: The Complete Singles Collection'' (1991). It was released on 14 October 1991 as the album's lead single, peaking at number 1 ...
", "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 "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?
"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fourth studio album, '' Behaviour'' (1990). It was released in the United Kingdom on 11 March 1991 as a double A-side with " Where the St ...
" continued this sentiment. They are still known for openly criticising trends in the music business, such as reality television music shows in 2010 ("it's so awful and negative and stifling, and so un-pop").
Their band dynamic has played a role in their public image. Early in their career, the duo were frequently accused of lacking stage presence, said to be a deliberate reaction to the hyper-cheerful music of the time, demonstrated by bands such as Wham!. A typical early performance featured Lowe in the background playing the bassline on a Fairlight CMI, Fairlight synthesiser keyboard and Tennant singing, but otherwise passive, in the foreground. Tennant and Lowe both became well known for standing still throughout performances. In a 2016 interview, Chris Lowe said the duo's live performances were a response to the music scene in the 1980s: "Everyone was so active. It was a big party where everyone was having a great time and smiling at the camera. Thumbs aloft! We just didn't want to do that. So we ignored the cameras and the jollity of the situations. Let's face it, it's easier to stand stock-still isn't it?".
When they first began touring, in 1989, they were heavily influenced by opera and theatre staging. 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 ...
staged their first tour
Tour or Tours may refer to:
Travel
* Tourism, travel for pleasure
* Tour of duty, a period of time spent in military service
* Campus tour, a journey through a college or university's campus
* Guided tour, a journey through a location, directed b ...
, making a series of films to be projected behind the costumed singers and dancers. In 1991, they brought in David Alden and David Fielding, from the English National Opera, to create the staging and costume design, for a show which made little attempt to involve or even acknowledge the audience and pushed the choreography and staging (theatre), staging centre-stage. Subsequent tours have used artist Sam Taylor-Wood and architect Zaha Hadid for stage design. The Fundamentalism tour in 2006–2007 was conceived and designed by theatre designer Es Devlin, with choreography by Hakeem Onibudo. Es Devlin also conceived the 2009–2010 Pandemonium Tour as well as the Electric Tour beginning in 2013.
Typically, Pet Shop Boys have favoured avant-garde tailored fashions. Tennant has referenced the designers of his suits in certain interviews and Lowe has often sported outfits and glasses made by Issey Miyake, Stüssy and Yohji Yamamoto's Y-3 (fashion brand), Y-3 for Adidas. Presentation has always been a major theme for Pet Shop Boys and the duo have dramatically "re-invented" their image twice in their career. In 1993, when promoting their ''Very
Very may refer to:
* English's prevailing intensifier
Businesses
* The Very Group, a British retail/consumer finance corporation
** Very (online retailer), their main e-commerce brand
* VERY TV, a Thai television channel
Places
* Véry, a co ...
'' album, they wore brightly-coloured costumes and used state-of-the-art computer technology to place themselves in a modern computer graphic world. This concept of re-invention was revisited for the promotion of their ''Nightlife
Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...
'' album, in which they transformed their look, wearing wigs and glasses, with stylised futuristic urban wardrobes. In 2006, both Tennant and Lowe were seen on stage and in photographs wearing clothes designed by Hedi Slimane/Dior Homme.
They have always been interested in the cover art, artwork, design and photography of their own releases. Photographer Eric Watson helped shape the original image of Pet Shop Boys, creating many of their photography, photographs and music video, videos from 1984 to 1991. In design they have primarily worked with Mark Farrow, who designed the cover art, cover of their first Parlophone
Parlophone Records Limited (also known as Parlophone Records and Parlophone) is a German–British record label founded in Germany in 1896 by the Carl Lindström Company as Parlophon. The British branch of the label was founded on 8 August 192 ...
album release in 1986. The collaboration between Mark Farrow and Pet Shop Boys is comparable to the designer/band relationship of Peter Saville (artist), Peter Saville and New Order, Anton Corbijn and Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in Basildon, Essex, in 1980. The band currently consists of Dave Gahan (lead vocals and co-songwriting) and Martin Gore (keyboards, guitar, co-lead vocals and main songwriting).
Depeche ...
, or the epic-length collaboration of Simon Halfon and Paul Weller (singer), Paul Weller. Their record sleeves are quite often very minimalism, minimal and the attention to detail is obvious. In October 2006, British art publisher Thames & Hudson published a 336-page hardcover book titled ''Pet Shop Boys Catalogue'', by Chris Heath and Philip Hoare, showcasing the group's accomplishments in artwork, design and music. A German-language edition was also published. An exhibition of photographs of Pet Shop Boys was organised at the National Portrait Gallery in London to coincide with the publication.
Even the band's fan base has been subject to commentary. In 2001, music theorist Fred Everett Maus wrote that, contrary to the ideologies of anti-commercialism and authenticity (philosophy), authenticity embodied by "serious" discussions of popular music such as rock, Pet Shop Boys fans exhibit "an undisguised love of commercial success". This was demonstrated through mailing list discussions from 1998 onwards, in which fans voiced concern over the "most commercially promising selection and marketing of singles" for the then-upcoming ''Nightlife'', and debated the quality of the then-recent ''Bilingual'', spurred by the album's poorer performance in sales. Most posters, Maus summarised, feared that the band's appeal would become essentially limited to a cult following; "dissent, along the lines that the fans would always have the Pet Shop Boys, no matter what happened commercially, was scarce and ineffectual". Noting the fact that Pet Shop Boys "began their career with hits", Maus made the point that this early success was valued by fans: the band's "large audiences" were just as important to "many fans" as the making of "distinctive music that individual fans loved".
Pet Shop Boys have been noted for keeping their fingers on the musical pulse to date, while "maintaining the mystique of performers from a different era". Lynn Barber, writing for the London Observer on 1 July 1997 stated that "The genius of the Pet Shop Boys was to combine these polar opposites: Neil's wistful introspective lyrics and Chris's mindless, cheerful, upbeat rhythms. They would never have been in the Top 10 without Chris; they would never have engaged an intelligent audience without Neil."
Influence
As of 2003, Pet Shop Boys were ranked by ''Billboard magazine, Billboard''s Joel Whitburn (in his book ''Billboard's Hot Dance/Disco 1974–2003'') as the fourth most successful act on the U.S. Hot Dance Music/Club Play, Dance/Club Play charts, behind only Madonna, Michael Jackson and Donna Summer.
The history between Madonna and Pet Shop Boys goes back to 1988, with the song "Heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
". In the liner notes to their 1991 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 ...
, ''Discography
Discography is the study and cataloging of published sound recordings, often by specified artists or within identified music genres. The exact information included varies depending on the type and scope of the discography, but a discography entry ...
'', the band states that: "When we wrote this song ("Heart") we wanted to submit it to Madonna but didn't dare risk disappointment." Pet Shop Boys kept the song for themselves and it ended up going to number one in the UK. Later, in 1991, Madonna was referenced in a tongue-in-cheek lyric, in the song "DJ Culture
"DJ Culture" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their first greatest hits album, '' Discography: The Complete Singles Collection'' (1991). It was released on 14 October 1991 as the album's lead single, peaking at number 1 ...
", soon after she and Sean Penn had divorced. Tennant writes: "Like Elizabeth Taylor, Liz before Betty Ford Clinic, Betty / She after Sean / Suddenly you're missing / Then you're reborn". Madonna's album ''Confessions on a Dance Floor'', released November 2005, includes a track called "Jump (Madonna song), Jump", which has close similarities to "West End Girls". An interview at Popjustice with Stuart Price, who produced Madonna's album, revealed that the track was a complete 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 ...
inspiration. Pet Shop Boys then remixed "Sorry (Madonna song), Sorry", the second single from the album. Madonna has used their version in her 2006 ''Confessions Tour, Confessions'' tour. Lady Gaga stated that she listened regularly to Pet Shop Boys while working on her debut album ''The Fame'', and that they were an influence on her music.
In October 2005, a Swedish tribute band called West End Girls (Swedish band), West End Girls had a number three hit single in their home country, with a cover version of "Domino Dancing
"Domino Dancing" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the lead single from their third studio album, ''Introspective'' (1988). It reached number seven on the UK Singles Chart and topped the charts in Finland and Spain.
...
". In January 2006, they released their own version of "West End Girls" and an album was also released in June. In August 2014, Pet Shop Boys appeared in the BBC Radio 4 series ''The Archers'' as last-minute headliners at the fictional festival Loxfest. Both Tennant and Lowe had speaking roles in the show.
Sexuality
Neil Tennant, who neither denied nor confirmed gay rumours throughout the 1980s, "coming out, came out" in a 1994 interview for ''Attitude (magazine), Attitude'', a UK gay lifestyle magazine. He has stated that his lyrics are not specifically gay. Many of the duo's songs are written using Pronoun game, gender-neutral language, so that they could refer to any gender.
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Please
''Please'' is a word used in the English language to indicate politeness and respect while making a request. Derived from shortening the phrase "if you please" or "if it please(s) you", the term has taken on substantial nuance based on its int ...
'' (1986)
* ''Actually'' (1987)
* ''Introspective'' (1988)
* ''Behaviour
Behavior (American English) or behaviour (British English) is the range of actions and mannerisms made by individuals, organisms, systems or artificial entities in some environment. These systems can include other systems or organisms as wel ...
'' (1990)
* ''Very
Very may refer to:
* English's prevailing intensifier
Businesses
* The Very Group, a British retail/consumer finance corporation
** Very (online retailer), their main e-commerce brand
* VERY TV, a Thai television channel
Places
* Véry, a co ...
'' (1993)
* ''Bilingual
Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all E ...
'' (1996)
* ''Nightlife
Nightlife is a collective term for entertainment that is available and generally more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes pubs, bars, nightclubs, parties, live music, concerts, cabarets, theatre, c ...
'' (1999)
* ''Release
Release may refer to:
* Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song
* Legal release, a legal instrument
* News release, a communication directed at the news media
* Release (ISUP), a code to ident ...
'' (2002)
* ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental'' (2006)
* ''Yes (Pet Shop Boys album), Yes'' (2009)
* ''Elysium (Pet Shop Boys album), Elysium'' (2012)
* ''Electric (Pet Shop Boys album), Electric'' (2013)
* ''Super (Pet Shop Boys album), Super'' (2016)
* ''Hotspot (album), Hotspot'' (2020)
* ''Nonetheless'' (2024)
Tours
* MCMLXXXIX Tour (1989)
* Performance Tour (1991)
* Discovery Tour (1994)
* Somewhere Residency (1997)
* Nightlife Tour (1999–2000)
* Uni/Release Tour (2002)
* Fundamental Tour (2006–2007)
* Pandemonium Tour (2009–2010)
* Electric Tour (2013–2015)
* Super Tour (2016–2019)
* Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live (2022–2024)
* Unity Tour (with New Order) (2022)
Awards and nominations
''Billboard'' Music Awards
!Ref.
, -
, rowspan=11, Billboard Year-End, 1986
, rowspan=6, Themselves
, Billboard Music Award for Top New Artist, Top New Artist
,
, rowspan=11,
, -
, Billboard Music Award for Top Billboard 200 Artist, Top ''Billboard'' 200 Artist
,
, -
, Billboard Music Award for Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist
,
, -
, Top Hot 100 Artist – Duo/Group
,
, -
, Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance Club Play Artist
,
, -
, Top Dance Sales Artist
,
, -
, ''Please
''Please'' is a word used in the English language to indicate politeness and respect while making a request. Derived from shortening the phrase "if you please" or "if it please(s) you", the term has taken on substantial nuance based on its int ...
''
, Billboard Music Award for Top Billboard 200 Album, Top ''Billboard'' 200 Album
,
, -
, rowspan=3, "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 ...
"
, Billboard Music Award for Top Hot 100 Song, Top Hot 100 Song
,
, -
, Top Dance Sales Single
,
, -
, rowspan=3, Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song, Top Dance Club Play Single
,
, -
, "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their debut studio album, ''Please'' (1986). It was released as a single in 1985 and re-recorded and reissued in 1986, gaining greater popularity ...
"
,
, -
, rowspan=3, Billboard Year-End, 1987
, "It's a Sin
"It's a Sin" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their second studio album, ''Actually'' (1987). Written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the song was released on 15 June 1987 as the album's lead single. It became the duo's se ...
"
,
, rowspan=3,
, -
, rowspan=2, Themselves
, Billboard Music Award for Top Hot 100 Artist, Top Hot 100 Artist
,
, -
, Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Artist, Top Dance Club Play Artist
,
, -
, Billboard Year-End, 2007
, "Minimal (song), Minimal"
, Billboard Music Award for Top Dance/Electronic Song, Top Dance Club Play Single
,
,
Brit Awards
, -
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, 1987
, Themselves
, Brit Award for British Group, Best British Group
,
, -
, "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 ...
"
, Brit Award for British Single of the Year, Best British Single
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=3, 1988
, Themselves
, Brit Award for British Group, Best British Group
,
, -
, " Always on My Mind"
, Brit Award for British Single of the Year, Best British Single
,
, -
, ''Actually''
, rowspan=2, Brit Award for British Album of the Year, Best British Album
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, 1989
, ''Introspective''
,
, -
, rowspan=2, Themselves
, rowspan=2, Brit Award for British Group, Best British Group
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1992
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1994 Brit Awards, 1994
, " Go West"
, Brit Award for British Video of the Year, Best British Video
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2009 Brit Awards, 2009
, Themselves
, Outstanding Contribution to Music
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2010 Brit Awards, 2010
, " Go West"
, Live Performance of 30 Years
,
Grammy Awards
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1994 Grammy Awards, 1994
, ''Very Relentless''
, Best Recording Package
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1995 Grammy Awards, 1995
, " Go West"
, Best Music Video, Short Form
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1995 Grammy Awards, 1995
, "Alternative
Alternative or alternate may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki''
* ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film
* ''The Alternative ...
"
, Best Recording Package – Boxed
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1998 Grammy Awards, 1998
, "To Step Aside"
, rowspan="2" , Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording, Best Dance Recording
,
, -
, rowspan="2" , 2006 Grammy Awards, 2006
, "I'm with Stupid (Pet Shop Boys song), I'm with Stupid"
,
, -
, ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental''
, rowspan="2" , Grammy Award for Best Dance/Electronic Album, Best Dance/Electronic Album
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2010 Grammy Awards, 2010
, ''Yes (Pet Shop Boys album), Yes''
,
Ivor Novello Awards
, -
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, 1987
, rowspan=2, "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 ...
"
, International Hit of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan=2, Best Contemporary Song
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;" rowspan=2, 1988
, " What Have I Done to Deserve This?"
,
, -
, "It's A Sin"
, International Hit of the Year
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 1990
, "Nothing Has Been Proved
"Nothing Has Been Proved" is a song and a single release by British singer Dusty Springfield, written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. The song was the second collaboration between Springfield and the Pet Shop Boys, following their UK #2 and ...
"
, Best Film Theme or Song
,
, -
, style="text-align:left;", 2000
, Themselves
, Outstanding Contribution to British Music
,
Lunas del Auditorio
, -
, 2005
, rowspan=3, Themselves
, rowspan=3, Best Foreign Pop Artist
,
, -
, 2006
,
, -
, 2010
,
Smash Hits Poll Winners Party
, -
, 1986
, rowspan=4, Themselves
, rowspan=3, Best Group
,
, -
, 1987
,
, -
, rowspan=3, 1988
,
, -
, Worst Group
,
, -
, "Heart
The heart is a muscular organ in most animals. This organ pumps blood through the blood vessels of the circulatory system. The pumped blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the body, while carrying metabolic waste such as carbon dioxide t ...
"
, Best Pop Video
,
, -
, 1990
, Themselves
, Best Group
,
Other awards
{, class=wikitable
, -
! Year !! Awards !! Work !! Category !! Result
, -
, rowspan=2, 1986
, Music Week, Music Week Awards
, Themselves
, Top Music Week/Studio Week Advertisement Mono
,
, -
, 1986 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards
, rowspan=3, "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 ...
"
, MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, Best New Artist
,
, -
, rowspan=4, 1987
, American Music Awards of 1987, American Music Awards
, American Music Award for Favorite Pop/Rock Song, Favorite Pop/Rock Song
,
, -
, ASCAP Pop Music Awards
, Most Performed Song
,
, -
, Bravo Otto Awards
, rowspan=3, Themselves
, Best Rock Band (Silver)
,
, -
, Silver Clef Award
, Best Newcomer
,
, -
, rowspan=3, 1988
, Berolina Awards
, Group of the Year
,
, -
, Houston Film Festival
, "It Couldn't Happen Here
''It Couldn't Happen Here'' is a 1988 musical film starring the British pop duo Pet Shop Boys and based on the music from their first two studio albums ''Please'' and ''Actually''. It was originally conceived as an hour-long video based on ''Act ...
"
, Gold July Award
,
, -
, Billboard Music Awards, ''Billboard'' Music Awards
, rowspan=2, " What Have I Done to Deserve This?"
, Top Dance Club Play Single
,
, -
, 1989 ,
, ASCAP Pop Music Awards
, Most Performed Song
,
, -
, rowspan=2, 1991
, 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards
, rowspan=2, "Being Boring
"Being Boring" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as the second single from their fourth studio album, ''Behaviour'' (1990). The song reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the duo's first single to miss the ...
"
, MTV Video Music Award – Viewer's Choice, Viewer's Choice (Europe)
,
, -
, Music Week, ''Music Week'' Awards
, Music Video of the Year
,
, -
, 1992
, Pollstar, Pollstar Concert Industry Awards
, ''Performance Tour''
, Most Creative Stage Production
,
, -
, rowspan=5, 1994
, Design and Art Direction, D&AD Awards
, rowspan=2, " Go West"
, Pop Promo Video
,
, -
, 1994 MTV Europe Music Awards, MTV Europe Music Awards
, Best Cover
,
, -
, Effects and Nomination Festival
, rowspan=2, "Liberation
Liberation or liberate may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Liberation'' (film series), a 1970–1971 series about the Great Patriotic War
* "Liberation" (''The Flash''), a TV episode
* "Liberation" (''K-9''), an episode
Gaming
* '' Liberati ...
"
, rowspan=2, Best Music Video
,
, -
, Siggraph Wave Awards
,
, -
, ''Billboard'' Music Awards
, rowspan=2, Themselves
, Top Hot Dance Music Club Play Artist
,
, -
, rowspan=2, 1999
, Gaffa (magazine), ''GAFFA'' Awards (Denmark)
, Best Foreign Band
,
, -
, Viva Comet Awards
, "I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Any More, I Don't Know What You Want"
, Best International Video
,
, -
, 2000
, RSH Gold Awards
, Themselves
, Best International Band
,
, -
, rowspan=2, 2003
, 14th GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD Media Awards
, ''Release
Release may refer to:
* Art release, the public distribution of an artistic production, such as a film, album, or song
* Legal release, a legal instrument
* News release, a communication directed at the news media
* Release (ISUP), a code to ident ...
''
, Outstanding Music Artist
,
, -
, 2003 World Music Awards, World Music Awards
, rowspan=4, Themselves
, The World Arts Award
,
, -
, 2004
, Q Awards
, Inspiration Award
,
, -
, rowspan=3, 2007
, International Dance Music Awards
, Best Dance Artist (Group)
,
, -
, Webby Awards
, Websites – Celebrity/Fan
,
, -
, 18th GLAAD Media Awards, GLAAD Media Awards
, ''Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album), Fundamental''
, Outstanding Music Artist
,
, -
, 2008
, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, Cannes International Advertising Festival
, "Integral"
, Gold Cyber Lion Award
,
, -
, 2009
, Popjustice £20 Music Prize
, rowspan=3, "Love Etc. (song), Love Etc."
, Best British Pop Single
,
, -
, rowspan=3, 2010
, rowspan=3, International Dance Music Awards
, Best Pop Dance Track
,
, -
, Best Music Video
,
, -
, rowspan=6, Themselves
, Best Dance Artist (Group)
,
, -
, 2011
, 2011 Evening Standard Theatre Awards, ''Evening Standard'' Theatre Awards
, Beyond Theatre Award
,
, -
, 2012
, Hungarian Music Awards
, Foreign Electronic Music Production of the Year
,
, -
, 2013
, Q Awards
, Outstanding Contribution to Music
,
, -
, rowspan=2, 2015
, 2015 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Mnet Asian Music Awards
, Worldwide Inspiration Award
,
, -
, British LGBT Awards
, Best Music Artist
,
, -
, rowspan=4, 2016
, rowspan=2, Gay Music Chart Awards
, "The Pop Kids"
, Best Lyric Video
,
, -
, "The Pop Kids" (Offer Nissim Remix)
, Best Music Video from Israel
,
, -
, Douban, Abilu Music Awards
, rowspan=2, ''Super (Pet Shop Boys album), Super''
, International Electronic Album of the Year
,
, -
, AMFT Awards
, Best Dance/Electro Album
,
, -
, rowspan=2, 2017
, NME Awards 2017, ''NME'' Awards
, Themselves
, Godlike Genius Award
,
, -
, San Diego Film Awards
, "Twenty-Something"
, Best Music Video
,
, -
, 2019
, rowspan=2, Classic Pop (magazine), ''Classic Pop'' Reader Awards
, ''Further Listening 1984–1986''
, Reissue of the Year
,
, -
, 2020
, rowspan=2, Themselves
, Group of the Year
,
, -
, rowspan=2, 2021
, rowspan=2, Gaffa (magazine), ''GAFFA'' Awards
, Best International Band
,
, -
, ''Hotspot (album), Hotspot''
, Best International Album
,
References
External links
*
*
*
*
Pet Shop Boys dedicated page
a
Eurochannel
{{Authority control
Pet Shop Boys,
Brit Award winners
NME Awards winners
English synth-pop groups
English pop music duos
English electronic music duos
British disco groups
English house music duos
British hi-NRG groups
Art pop musicians
Dance-pop groups
British male musical duos
LGBT-themed musical groups
Musical groups established in 1981
Musical groups from the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea
Parlophone artists
Atlantic Records artists
Capitol Records artists
Astralwerks artists
EMI Records artists
British remixers
Ivor Novello Award winners
1981 establishments in England
Second British Invasion artists