Pet Shop Boys(park I)

Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic/pop music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant who provides main vocals, keyboards and very occasionally guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards and occasionally on vocals.

The longevity of their career is generally attributed to their ability to create melodic pop/dance music with intelligent lyrics and striking style. They are one of the most consistently successful duos in pop music, particularly in Europe. Since 1986, they have had 39 top 30 singles in the UK including four number ones: "West End girls", "It's a sin", "Always on my mind" and "Heart". They were very successful in the United States in the mid-1980s; however, their mainstream popularity waned by 1988 with their final top 40 single, "Domino Dancing", reaching number 18 on the US pop chart. They have continued to be successful worldwide since then, however, and their popularity is still prevalent through their very active and devoted fan base.

Their recent album, Fundamental, was released on the Parlophone label on 22 May 2006. The album so far has charted at number five in the UK and in the rest of Europe at number two marking a strong return to the charts. The album's first single, "I'm with Stupid" was released in the UK on 8 May 2006, reaching number eight in the UK Singles Chart. The second single to be taken from Fundamental was "Minimal", which received its first UK play on BBC Radio 1 on 19 May, and was released on 24 July, 2006. The third single from the album is 'Numb' written by Diane Warren with new production by Trevor Horn and was released on 16th October 2006. The single charted at No 23.

Sound and image

Music
Neil Tennant has consistently and sincerely labelled Pet Shop Boys' music as "disco." Their music's trademark sound is a combination of pure synthesised pop (which could qualify them as a New Wave group), with sometimes slightly over-the-top instrumentation, contrasting with Tennant's laconic vocals, sometimes spoken-word or rap. Despite a history of implementing current musical trends from the underground (house, electro, jungle, techno etc.) into their productions, they have always maintained their own specific and defined sound. Their lyrics (mainly written by Tennant) have been described as articulate, stylish and poetic. Among their musical trademarks is the combining of pop hooks with detailed chord structures and soundscapes.

One of the most frequent labels attached to the band is that of "ironists,"[1][2][3] referring to instances where their lyrics are used to exhibit veiled meanings or criticisms — shown, for example, by "Shopping" on Actually, an upbeat and catchy song hiding anti-Thatcherism sentiments.[3]

A defining element of Pet Shop Boys' style is their obsession with extended and remixed versions of their songs. As of 2006, they have been remixed by over 80 different DJs and producers. In many cases, Pet Shop Boys have used aspiring remixers who became well known later—they used Moby in 1991, Sasha in 1993, Tracy Young in 1995, Trouser Enthusiasts in 1997, and Eric Prydz in 2003. Their roster of remixers also includes The KLF, Brothers in Rhythm, David Morales, Frankie Knuckles, Rollo, Pink Noise, Basement Jaxx, Deep Dish, Blank and Jones, Scissor Sisters, Tiga, and Richard X. The vast array of Pet Shop Boys remixes have made them one of the most collectible bands in the world. Collectors relish the assortment of triple-vinyl limited editions, unique artwork sleeves, and multiple compact disc singles. One highly sought after item is a 1997 fan-club only release called "It doesn't often snow at Christmas," a CD single that is clear with a frosted snowflake on it that came in a PET film bubble sleeve (and interestingly, this song was included on a 2005 Elton John Christmas CD, sold exclusively at Starbucks Coffee shops in the United States). There is only one other artist who probably rivals Pet Shop Boys in this remix/collector category, and has used as many if not more remixers--Depeche Mode.

Band dynamic

The dynamic of Pet Shop Boys' image lies in the duo's distinct public personalities — Tennant is perceived as an erudite intellectual, articulate, and verbose in speech; while Lowe, now almost always seen in his trademark attire of hat and sunglasses (since as early as 1995),[4] appears as guarded and terse but nevertheless behaves as casual, flippant and fun-loving. They have even cultivated a pattern for interviews, in which Tennant is the primary speaker, answering questions at length, while occasionally being interrupted by brief, generally humorous interjections from Lowe[5][6] (comparable to the concept of a comedic double act).

They are also seen as willfully contrary, defying expectations of record labels and the music industry in terms of commercial image, self-promotion, and the nature of their music; it is said that the members of Pet Shop Boys are defined by the things they refuse to do. A 1986 quote by Lowe, taken from an Entertainment Tonight clip and subsequently sampled in their song "Paninaro," is often cited as the prime example of this:

Pet Shop Boys
I don'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.

Pet Shop Boys

This also formed the foundation of the band's reputation as being anti-rock music (allying themselves with disco, positioned as a diametric opposite), which would later be built up in additional songs such as the 1993 single "Can you forgive her?" ("She's made you some kind of laughing stock / because you dance to disco and you don't like rock"), or the appropriately titled "How I learned to hate rock and roll." Eventually, however, these differences were reconciled — a process that symbolically culminated with Pet Shop Boys' performance at the 2000 Glastonbury Festival.

Image
This band dynamic has played a role in their public image as well. 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 hitting the occasional note on a Fairlight synthesiser keyboard and Tennant singing, but otherwise unanimated, in the foreground.

However, when they began touring in 1989, they were heavily influenced by opera and theatre staging. Derek Jarman staged their first tour, 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 no attempt to involve or even acknowledge the audience, and pushed the choreography and staging centre stage. Subsequent tours have used artist Sam Taylor-Wood and architect Zaha Hadid for stage design. Their latest tour, ongoing in 2006, was conceived and designed by theatre designer Es Devlin with choreography by Hakeem Onibudo.

Traditionally, Pet Shop Boys have always favoured avant-garde tailored fashions. Tennant often references the designers of his suits in interviews, and Lowe has often sported outfits and glasses made by Issey Miyake and Stüssy. Presentation has always been a major theme, and Pet Shop Boys have dramatically "reinvented" their image twice in their career. In 1993, when promoting their Very 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 reinvention was again realized for the promotion of the Nightlife album, in which they transformed their look wearing wigs and glasses with very futuristic urban wardrobes. In 2006 both Tennant and Lowe were seen on stage and in photographs wearing clothes designed by Hedi Slimane/Dior Homme.

Importance of the aesthetic
The duo have always been very interested in the artwork, design and photography for their releases. Photographer Eric Watson helped create the original image of Pet Shop Boys, creating many of their photographs and videos from 1984 to 1991. In design they have primarily worked with Mark Farrow, who designed the cover of their first Parlophone album release in 1986. The collaboration between Mark Farrow and Pet Shop Boys is comparable to the designer-band relationship of Peter Saville and New Order or Anton Corbijn and Depeche Mode. Their record sleeves are quite often very minimal, and the attention to detail is obvious, down to the font type and style. In October 2006, they released a 400-page hardcover book entitled Catalogue, showcasing their accomplishments in artwork, design, and of course, music. This retrospective of work is certainly one of the most comprehensive anthologies any music artist could have.

Biography

A chance meeting (August 19, 1981)

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe met in an electronics shop on Kings Road in Chelsea. Realizing they had a common interest in dance music, they began to work on material together in Tennant's flat in Chelsea and from 1982 in a small studio in Camden Town. It was during these early years that they first wrote several songs that would later appear on future albums, including "It's a sin," "West End girls," "Rent" and "Jealousy."

The Bobby 'O' Years (1981-1984)
Starting out, the two called themselves West End, because of their love of London's West End, but later they came up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who worked in a pet shop in Ealing. They said that Pet Shop Boys "sounded like an English rap group."

Their big break came in August 1983, when Tennant was assigned by Smash Hits to interview The Police in New York. The duo were obsessed with a stream of Hi-NRG records made by New York producer Bobby Orlando, known as Bobby 'O'. According to Tennant: "I thought well, if I've got to go and see The Police play then I'm also going to have lunch with Bobby 'O'." They shared a cheeseburger and carrot cake at a restaurant called the Apple Jack on August 19 (two years to the day since Tennant and Lowe had met) and Orlando suggested making a record with Pet Shop Boys after hearing a demo tape that Tennant had taken with him.[7] In April 1984, the Orlando-produced "West End girls" was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Though the track did not do well in the UK, it was a minor hit in France and Belgium.

Signing with Parlophone (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 for future sales. Hiring manager Tom Watkins, they signed with the London-based Parlophone label. In April, Tennant left Smash Hits (where he had progressed to the position of deputy editor), and in July a new single, "Opportunities (Let's make lots of money)", was released, reaching number 116 in the UK. The B-side to this single, "In the night," was used as the theme for the UK television series The Clothes Show.

Unperturbed by the low chart position, the band returned to the studio in August to re-record "West End girls" with producer Stephen Hague. Released in October 1985, this new version initially entered the charts at a similarly low position, but began a slow rise so that by January 1986 it achieved number one. It was subsequently number one in the USA, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Lebanon, Israel, New Zealand and Norway, and sold an estimated 1.5 million copies worldwide. It remains the most-heard Pet Shop Boys song to date.

After the success of "West End girls", Pet Shop Boys released a follow-up single, "Love comes quickly", on February 24, 1986. The single reached number 19 in the UK singles chart and was followed by their debut album, Please on March 24. In June 1986, the band announced a European tour; 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.

New versions of "Opportunities (Let's make lot's of money)" and album track "Suburbia" were also released in 1986, followed by a remix album, Disco, in November.


"Imperial phase" (1987-1988)
1987 started with Pet Shop Boys receiving both BPI and Ivor Novello Awards for "West End girls". Later, on June 15, they released what became their second number one single, "It's a sin". The single caused some controversy: Neil's school, St. Cuthbert's Grammar School in Newcastle upon Tyne, chastised him in the press, while Jonathan King accused them of plagarising the Cat Stevens song Wild World. Pet Shop Boys later sued King and won damages which were donated to charity. The video to "It's a sin" also saw their first collaboration with director Derek Jarman.
The continued success of "It's a sin" was followed by the release of "What have I done to deserve this?" on August 10. Co-written with Allee Willis and also featuring Dusty Springfield on vocals, the single reached number two on the UK Singles Chart, and the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. Although the duo 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" 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 album Actually, the song became a massive worldwide hit and resurrected Springfield's career, leading to her 1990 album "Reputation", on which Pet Shops Boys were major contributing producers. This duet was also the start of a series of collaborations with high profile musicians throughout the band's career.

Also in August 1987, Pet Shop Boys appeared on Love Me Tender, a UK television programme on ITV commemorating the tenth anniversary of Elvis Presley'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" and "Always on My Mind," eventually settling on the latter. September 7, 1987 saw the release of the duo's second studio album, Actually, followed by the single "Rent" in October, which reached number 8 in the UK. The final song on the album, "King's Cross", was revealed to have a strange prescience when there was a fatal fire at the London underground 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 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 Actually. Working with director Jack Bond, the short film grew into a full-scale movie, It Couldn't Happen Here, starring Barbara Windsor, Joss Ackland and Gareth Hunt. 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 November 30; it became both the duo's third number one single in the UK and the Christmas number one single for 1987, infamously beating out "Fairytale of New York" by The Pogues.
1988 started with another collaboration. Patsy Kensit's band, Eighth Wonder, had the song "I'm not scared" written and produced for them by Pet Shop Boys. The song became her biggest hit single and Pet Shop Boys included their own version of the track on their Introspective later that year. March 1988 saw the duo achieve their fourth UK number one single (and their last to date) with a remixed edit of "Heart", different from the album version (NB: The single version is included in their Discography collection, whereas the album version is used in their "Pop Art" retrospective). The video to the single, directed by Jack Bond, was a retelling of the Dracula story, starring Ian McKellen as the vampire who steals Neil Tennant's wife. It was seen to be ironic since McKellen was a well-known gay figure at the time (he came out in the 1970s).

In the 1996 BBC Radio 1 documentary About Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant noted that their "Imperial Phase" ended in 1988. On September 12, 1988, Pet Shop Boys released a brand new single, "Domino dancing," and in the documentary Neil recounts his depression when hearing the news that the single had reached number 7 in the UK single chart. He felt that their major success was now over and that it was going to be a challenge to remain successful going forward.

1988 started with another collaboration. Patsy Kensit's band, Eighth Wonder, had the song "I'm not scared" written and produced for them by Pet Shop Boys. The song became her biggest hit single and Pet Shop Boys included their own version of the track on their Introspective later that year. March 1988 saw the duo achieve their fourth UK number one single (and their last to date) with a remixed edit of "Heart", different from the album version (NB: The single version is included in their Discography collection, whereas the album version is used in their "Pop Art" retrospective). The video to the single, directed by Jack Bond, was a retelling of the Dracula story, starring Ian McKellen as the vampire who steals Neil Tennant's wife. It was seen to be ironic since McKellen was a well-known gay figure at the time (he came out in the 1970s).

In the 1996 BBC Radio 1 documentary About Pet Shop Boys, Neil Tennant noted that their "Imperial Phase" ended in 1988. On September 12, 1988, Pet Shop Boys released a brand new single, "Domino dancing," and in the documentary Neil recounts his depression when hearing the news that the single had reached number 7 in the UK single chart. He felt that their major success was now over and that it was going to be a challenge to remain successful going forward.