What's New? – Recent Updates & Additions
October 4, 2023
Happy Birthday!
I'm sure all of my fellow PSB fans will join me in extending very Happy Birthday wishes to Chris Lowe!
October 3, 2023
Updates/Corrections
Thanks to José Díaz (whose name I've added to my Thank You page) for sharing with us his discovery that the image of rippling water that serves as a backdrop on the cover of the album Elysium very much appears to be taken from an image titled "Surface of the Sea" from the Japanese commercial stock-photo collection Sozaijiten, which translates "material dictionary." I've made note of this in my brief discussion of the album's artwork on my main page dedicated to that album.
October 2, 2023
Updates/Corrections
Thanks again to Matteo, this time for a clarification about the Japanese special edition of Behaviour (see my September 29 entry below)—namely the fact that, amazingly, the songs "Miserablism" and "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend" received their world debuts on that release—which I've used to modify what I've written about it on my page dedicated to that album.
I've Been Cited!
Thanks as well to Melanie B for letting me know that she recently cited one of my old surveys on her Instagram/Tumblr blog Erasure Picnic. I've now noted this fact on my "I've Been Cited!" page.
September 29, 2023
Updates/Corrections
Following up on yesterday's additions concerning special editions of Pet Shop Boys albums with "bonus" songs, regular correspondent Matteo wrote to point out two that I had overlooked: the U.S. Actually + Always on My Mind release and the Japanese special edition of Behaviour. I've now noted these on those albums' respective pages. Thanks, Matteo!
September 28, 2023
Updates/Corrections
Thanks to long-time site visitor Dan Newton for making a suggestion that validated something I had been considering for quite some time but which I just couldn't work up the gumption to do—at least not until I got that validating nudge. He suggested that I add to the pages for each of the pertinent Pet Shop Boys studio albums—which happens to be most of them—information about special editions that provide additional songs, most notably the 2001 and 2017 reissues with Further Listening discs. So I've now made these updates for Please, Actually, Introspective, Behaviour, Very, Bilingual, Nightlife, Release, Fundamental, Yes, and Elysium. (I've also briefly noted the instrumental bonus album for the special edition of Hotspot, even though it really doesn't offer "additional songs.") I think I've pretty much covered everything, but if I've missed anything, please let me know. Again, please note that I'm discussing only those special editions of albums that include additional songs not on the "album proper." Also keep in mind that I've long treated Relentless as a separate album, distinct from Very—something that the Boys themselves appear to have confirmed with yesterday's news of its upcoming re-release (see just below).
September 27, 2023
Breaking News!
The Pet Shop Boys' official website has just announced that their legendary album Relentless—originally released in 1993 as part of a limited-edition package with Very, together titled Very Relentless—will be re-released on October 20 as a stand-alone CD, digital album, and yellow-vinyl album, though the latter once again only in a limited edition. In the years since its original release it has become a highly sought-after collectible. New copies can now be pre-ordered through the official site.
This sort of puts me in a minor quandary. Do I continue to use a photo of its original packaging on my page devoted to that album, or do I change that image to reflect the packaging for the new release? My head says the former, but my heart says the latter. For design/layout purposes I'd rather not show both. I'll have to mull that over for a while. To be sure, there are far more important things to worry about in this world.
September 25, 2023
Song Annotations
Thanks so much to Steve N. for sharing his intriguing obsevation, based on several lines in the song, that "Betrayed" may be about the single most famous betrayal in world history: Jesus's betrayal by his disciple Judas Iscariot. While I myself don't believe that's what the song is "about," I have come to consider seriously, based on the evidence Steve has provided, that the Pet Shop Boys may be using the Jesus/Judas dynamic as metaphorical "coloring" of Neil's real-life experience that inspired the song. I've added a new annotation to my commentary on "Betrayed" to call attention to these particular lines.
September 24, 2023
Thanks
Having received his permission to do so, I've added Patrick Seyve (aka Cubitainer) to my Thank You page in recognition of his assistance day before yesterday (see just below). Thanks again, Patrick!
September 22, 2023
Mixes / Versions
Following up on my post yesterday (see just below) about "Always on My Mind" being used in the upcoming film All of Us Strangers, site visitor Patrick Seyve (aka Cubitainer) informed me that it's essentially the Dub Mix of the song that appears in the movie trailer, although additional instrumentation (percussion and orchestral flourishes) joins in later that isn't heard in that mix as it has existed for the past 36 years. I've compared the two, and I agree with this assessment. It remains to be seen whether this same "trailer version" will appear in the film itself. If this "new version of the Dub Mix" (as Patrick described it; I can't offer any better name for it at this time) is released on the film's soundtrack album—assuming, of course, there even is one—it will certainly qualify for inclusion as a separate entry in my list of mixes/versions of that song. In the meantime, thanks so much to Patrick for being the first to identify for me the mix in question!
September 21, 2023
Films That Have Featured PSB Songs
PSB Songs That Have Been Used in Films and "Non-musical" TV ShowsAs announced this morning on the official Pet Shop Boys website, the upcoming film All of Us Strangers prominently features the PSB version of "Always on My Mind." I've noted this in the entry for that song at #16 in my list of PSB songs that have been used in films and non-musical TV shows, and I've added this movie to my chronological list of films that have featured PSB songs.
"Always on My Mind" also features prominently in the film's trailer. I should state upfront, however, that I don't recognize the particular mix used in this trailer, so I don't yet know whether it's a brand new mix made especially for the film or whether it's an existing older mix. Don't be surprised! I'll be the first to admit that, while I've certainly heard virtually all of the official remixes of PSB songs, I'm not sufficiently familiar with all of them to recognize them off the cuff, especially if it's been many years since I've heard them. I'm not that obsessive a fan.If you, however, happen to recognize it as an existing older mix, please let me know so that I can make note of that as well.
Incidentally, thanks so much to Hannah Costanzo for writing to tell me about this new film's use of "Always on My Mind." I had already seen news about it on the Boys' website, but her email reached me before I'd had a chance to make any updates here about it.
September 20, 2023
Song Annotations
Thanks to Alexey Rusakov (whose name I've just added to my Thank You page) for reminding me that the speed of transmission of data over the internet seriously approaches the speed of light—especially nowadays with the increasingly common use of optical wiring—which inspires me to substantially revise my pre-existing annotation about the line "With a speed that couldn't be speedier" in the song "On Social Media."
September 19, 2023
Mixes/Versions
Thanks to Eddie Xavier for pointing out that previously unreleased instrumental edits of "West End Girls" and "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" have been officially released on the Smash blu-ray video disc. They can be heard during the opening menu sequence. I've now included them in my mixes/versions section for each of those songs. As Eddie informed me, someone has also posted them on YouTube for our listening convenience.
Song Annotations
No doubt inspired by yesterday's update regarding "Searching for the Face of Jesus," Richard Firth wrote to call attention to the fact that the "suffering" referred to in the song applies to Elvis as much as Jesus, which I hadn't mentioned in my commentary. In fact, Richard's email led me to a new realization—well, new at least to me—that Neil may be drawing a somewhat comical parallel between Jesus and Elvis in that song. I discuss this in my newly expanded bullet-point annotation about the line "Still he's suffering." Thanks so much, Richard!
Collaborations
The Pet Shop Boys' official website has provided a little bit of additional information about "Skydive," Neil's upcoming collaboration with CASisDEAD. I've used this info to make an update to my still very preliminary page devoted to that track.
September 18, 2023
Song Annotations
Thanks to Steve N. for suggesting that the line "Looking for the light we need" in "Searching for the Face of Jesus" is derived directly from biblical references to Jesus being "the light of the world." While I feel this is hardly inevitably true, I agree that it is most likely. So I've noted it in a new bullet-point annotation to my commentary on the song.
September 17, 2023
Updates / Corrections
Thanks to Sotirios Dimadis for writing to me with several suggestions for updates and corrections, some of which I've decided to use. For one thing, he pointed out that "Love Life" deserves a spot in my alphabetical list of Pet Shop Boys songs that have extra lyrics not used in their official album version. And he observed that the 7-inch and 12-inch versions of the Real Life song "God Tonight" do not contain the apparent PSB sample that I mention in my entry for that song at #57 in my list of tracks by other artists that sample the Pet Shop Boys. So I've made a few adjustments to what I say there to make note of that intriguing fact.
September 16, 2023
PSB Covers
As you probably know, I've greatly cut back on my listing of cover versions of Pet Shop Boys originals because of the tremendous proliferation of essentially amateur productions in recent years. But I do continue to list PSB remakes that seem to me, for one reason or another, to step well beyond the amateur realm. One such recent addition is the new cover of "Rent" by the Swedish synth duo Sally Shapiro, which I added several days ago to my page devoted to remakes of Tennant-Lowe songs. Not only is it very, very good, but it's also getting a lot of attention in the pop-music press. If you would like to hear it for yourself, it's available on YouTube and elsewhere online.
September 15, 2023
Thank You
Having received his permission to do so, I've added Kamil B. (aka Mylca) to my Thank You page for his contribution of information yesterday (see the second item yesterday, below).
September 14, 2023
Updates / Corrections
Thanks to Raymond Merkh for catching a typo, now corrected, on my page for "The Dictator Decides."
Song Annotations
Thanks to Kamil B. (aka Mylca) for pointing out that the opening and underlying synth-riff of "Blue on Blue" is essentially identical to one that appears during the instrumental break of the much earlier Pet Shop Boys track "That's My Impression." I've made note of this fact in a new annotation to my commentary on "Blue on Blue."
September 13, 2023
PSB Tours
It has just been announced that the Pet Shop Boys have added a second show in Mexico City to the Latin American leg of their Dreamworld Tour: November 20, 2023 at the Teatro Metropólitan. I've now made this update to my PSB Tours page.
September 12, 2023
Breaking News!
Famous Last Words, the debut studio album by U.K. rapper, producer, and entrepreneur CASisDEAD, is scheduled for release October 27. Neil Tennant makes a guest appearance on the album's final track, "Skydive" (for which I've created a placeholder page), although the actual extent of his collaboration is unknown at this time. I'll provide more information as soon as I'm able. Stay tuned!
Song Annotations
Thanks to long-time site visitor Alk for writing to tell me about a quotation attributed to the ancient Greek philosopher Thales of Miletus, which has inspired me to insert a new second bullet-point annotation to my commentary on "The Dictator Decides."
September 9, 2023
Thanks
Having received his permission to do so, I've added John Hognert Algesten's name to my Thank You page in recognition of his suggestion yesterday (see just below). John has also been kind (and scrupulous) enough to report well over a dozen broken links on my "I've Been Cited!" page. Some of these links I've been able to fix, whereas others pointed to webpages that, as best I can tell, are no longer available. So for the latter I've simply deleted the "unfixable" link while retaining the reference. Thanks again, John!
September 8, 2023
Song Annotations
Thanks to John Hognert Algesten for suggesting something that I'm extremely surprised didn't even occur to me. He feels that the reference to "Diamonds in the sky," which was already the subject of a bullet-point annotation to my commentary on "Monkey Business," may allude to the 1967 classic "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by one of my all-time favorite bands, the Beatles. I've therefore updated that annotation accordingly.
September 5, 2023
Updates / Corrections
Thanks to Jens Boldt for catching and reporting a number of hyperlinks no longer functioning in my list of "Pet Shop Boys" that aren't our Pet Shop Boys, which he had checked out in response to my posting yesterday (see just below). I've now eliminated those broken links.
September 4, 2023
"Pet Shop Boys" That Aren't Our Pet Shop Boys
Earlier this year I added a new item at #15 in my list of "Pet Shop Boys" that aren't our Pet Shop Boys concerning a feature film in the works with the prospective title Pet Shop Boys. As it turns out, that film had its premier yesterday, having undergone a title change to Pet Shop Days (my emphasis). I've therefore appropriately updated my entry for this film in that list.
September 1, 2023
Tracks by Other Artists That Sample the Pet Shop Boys
Over the past few days, I've received a good deal of input from several site visitors in response to my speculation described below on August 29 that the 1990 song "God Tonight" by Real Life contains a sample from the Pet Shop Boys' 1987 single version of "Always on My Mind." Thanks so much to Chris Rodkey, Dave F, Marc R, DonJuanSW, and Jason Little (the last of whom I've just added to my Thank You page; the others were already there) for sharing their observations and viewpoints regarding this matter. I'm now fairly well convinced that "God Tonight" indeed deserves a new spot at #57 in my list of tracks by other artists that sample the Pet Shop Boys. There I describe the matter in some detail, and there it will remain unless I obtain evidence to the contrary. Thanks again to those of you who have weighed in on this mystery, which I hope (fingers crossed) is now resolved.
August 30, 2023
Personal Observations
Following up on my post yesterday (see just below) about the possibility of Real Life having sampled the Pet Shop Boys, so far I've heard from several of you offering valuable input on this subject. Thanks so much! I haven't received anything definitive yet, but perhaps the biggest "clue" I've received at this point has come from Marc R, who pointed out that the sound I had described as a "woof" is actually a heavy distortion of the spoken word "you" (as in "You were always on my mind"). Intrigued by this assertion, I did a little further research into it and found that Marc is corroborated in that viewpoint by various other commentators who have made the same assertion for quite a long time. I've now listened to it repeatedly at high volume and have come to conclusion that they are indeed correct: it is "you," not "woof." So rather than "crash and woof," it's more aptly described as a "crash and [heavily distorted] 'you'."
Now, the fact that it's "you" and not "woof" greatly increases the likelihood that it's not a Fairlight or Emulator preset but rather something that the Boys created themselves using one of those devices (or something similar) specifically for their recording of "Always on My Mind." And that would virtually ensure that Real Life indeed sampled PSB for their recording of "God Tonight," even if the opening "crash" was more than likely a sampler preset. Still, I'm going to hold off for at least another day or two before adding it to my list of tracks by other artists that sample the Pet Shop Boys just in case anyone else weighs in on this matter with even more definitive information. In the meantime, thanks again to those of you who have already written to me about it, and to Marc in particular for that especially big clue!
August 29, 2023
Tracks by Other Artists That Sample the Pet Shop Boys (?)
Longtime site visitor Chris Rodkey has discovered something quite fascinating that triggers a question that I want to run by you, all of my other site visitors. He recently noticed that the 1990 single "God Tonight" by Real Life contains, within its first 35 seconds, four instances of a percussive sound that sounds exactly like the percussive effect—a "crash" immediately followed by a deep "woof"—that can be heard at the very start of the Pet Shop Boys' 1987 single version of "Always on My Mind." Chris was wondering whether the Real Life song had sampled PSB, thereby qualifying it for my list of tracks by other artists that sample the Pet Shop Boys. But, then again, we both consider the possibility that both bands were drawing upon the same "third party," perhaps yet another recording or a synth-pad setting. After all, where did PSB find that sound?
So, before I add this this Real Life track to my list, I'm going to throw the matter out to see whether any of you can shed any light on it. Do any of you have any idea where the Pet Shop Boys may have gotten that "crash and woof" sound at the start their "Always on My Mind" single? Could Real Life have been drawing on the same third-party source as opposed to sampling PSB directly? I'll leave this matter open for at least a week or so in hopes of hearing from someone about it. If we can't resolve the matter by then, I'll plan on adding "God Tonight" to that list, at least tentatively. In the meantime, I offer my sincere thanks and appreciation in advance for your consideration of this matter. And thanks to Chris Rodkey for raising such an intriguing question in the first place!PSB Songs That Have Been Used in Films and "Non-musical" TV Shows
Meanwhile, thanks to Jens Boldt for informing me that the 2010 cover of "It's a Sin" by the Canadian band Metric (which I've long noted on my page that lists remakes of Tennant-Lowe songs) is used in the new Spanish film El club de los lectores criminales (Killer Book Club). I've now included it in the entry for "It's a Sin" at #21 in my list of PSB songs used in non-musical films and TV shows.
August 28, 2023
Song Annotations
Thanks so much to Henrik S for sharing some extremely interesting observations about the line "I want men to die with my name on their lips" from the recent Pet Shop Boys' song "Living in the Past." I've used what Henrik suggested about this line, adding some further impressions of my own, in a new bullet-point annotation to my commentary on that song.
August 27, 2023
How PSB Singles Differ (If at All) from the Album Versions
Thanks to Steve Bray (whose name I've added to my Thank You page) for providing some helpful information that allows me to expand a bit on my entries for "Thursday" and "Twenty-something" in my list devoted to how the Pet Shop Boys' singles differ (if at all) from the album versions.
PSB Songs That Have Been Used in Films and "Non-musical" TV Shows
Thanks as well to Regis P. (also newly added to my Thank You page) for letting me know that "Always on My Mind" could be heard in the Italian television program A Sua Immagine a week ago yesterday, a fact that I've now noted in the entry for that song at #16 in my list of Pet Shop Boys songs used in non-musical films and television shows.
August 25, 2023
Specific Songs by Well-Known Artists That Are Avowedly Influenced by PSB
Thanks so much to Rob Bainbridge for telling me about the new single by The Killers, "Your Side of Town," for which songwriter and lead singer Brandon Flowers has acknowledged the influence of the Pet Shop Boys as well as a couple other artists. I've therefore added it to my list of specific songs by well-known artists that are avowedly influenced by PSB. If you would to hear it for yourself—and, yes, I believe the PSB influence is pretty darn obvious—it's available to hear on YouTube and elsewhere.
August 21, 2023
Personal Observations
Our weather crisis has passed, I'm "back in business" (so to speak), and all is well. I thank you all for your patience and understanding.
August 19, 2023
Personal Observations
I hate for this to happen again after my last recent bout of silence, but we're being warned where I live of severe weather headed this way, with a strong chance of power outages, especially from late Saturday through early Monday. If we should indeed have such an outage for a prolonged period of time, I won't be able to read or respond to emails, nor will I be able to make any site updates. So if I "go silent" for a while over the next few days, that may be why. I'll let you all know when the crisis—that's assuming there even is one—has passed.
On This Day in PSB History
Lest we forget, it was on this day 42 years ago that Chris and Neil first met, kicking off the chain of events that would lead to the storied career of the Pet Shop Boys.
August 18, 2023
PSB Songs That Have Been Used in Films and "Non-musical" TV Shows
I'm back after several days' absence. My first update is to note the fact that "West End Girls" can be heard briefly in the 2023 British murder mystery film Medusa Deluxe in the appearance of that song at #1 in my list of Pet Shop Boys songs used in non-musical films and television shows. Thanks to Wilfred B. for telling me about this!
August 13, 2023
Personal Observations
I'm giving you all a heads-up that starting tomorrow (Monday), for personal reasons that I'd rather not go into, I'll be out of touch for a few days—for most of the week ahead—unable to read or respond to emails and unable to make any updates to this website. If you try to contact me during this period, I'll get back to you once I'm again able to do so. In the meantime, I appreciate your understanding and patience. And here's hoping nothing really big happens in the "PSB world" while I'm temporarily indisposed.
August 10, 2023
A World of Pet Shop Boys Fans
I'm delighted that the Flag Counter routine on my home page has just recorded my first site visitor from the Pacific island nation of Kiribati (pronounced kiri-bass; in the native language, Te taetae ni kiribati, ti is pronounced like an English s). I've therefore updated my "A World of Pet Shop Boys Fans" page to include that country. And I extend a very hearty welcome to my I-Kiribati visitor!
August 8, 2023
Singles That Weren't Included on Smash and the Likely Reasons for Their Exclusion
Thanks to Jarek Staszkowian for reminding me that the Super track "Undertow" was released as a single not only as a bonus CD with Annually 2017 but also digitally and on 12-inch vinyl. I've made the appropriate modifications to what I've written about it in my list of singles that weren't included on Smash and the likely reasons for their exclusion.
Song Annotations
As a follow-up on my July 2 update on this matter, thanks so much to first-time correspondent Dean Langridge (whose name I've added to my Thank You page) for pointing out that there are quite a few precedents for inconsistencies in the titles of Pet Shop Boys songs, especially with regard to punctuation. For this reason, it may be a mistake to assign any special significance to the difference in the puntuation used in the Smash appearance of "Where the Streets Have No Name/I Can't Take My Eyes Off You." I've thus made updates both to my annotation on this subject on my page dedicated to this song and to the footnote about it for Smash. Incidentally, although I do list in that annotation a couple of examples of those aforementioned inconsistencies, I won't bother listing all of them, which Dean so helpfully made an attempt at providing. I fear that would simply open a can of worms that I would personally prefer to leave sealed.
I've also expanded my pre-existing annotation to "The Theatre" dealing with the line " Pavarotti in the Park" to make note of a fact uncovered by long-time site visitor Javier Richarte, who noticed that the sampled sounds of thunder and perhaps rain can be heard in the song from about 3:15 to 3:25—just before Neil sings that line. As Javier discovered (and as documented on YouTube), the day of Pavarotti's famed Hyde Park performance (July 30, 1991) was indeed rather stormy, with many members of the audience shielding themselves with umbrellas. Thanks, Javier, for sharing this delightful observation—as well as for catching my error (now corrected) in repeatedly misspelling the great tenor's name!
August 7, 2023
PSB Tours
Two more dates have added to the Latin American leg of the Pet Shop Boys' Dreamworld Tour: Santiago, Chile, this coming November 29, and San Miguel, Peru (part of the greater Lima metropolitan area) on December 7. I've therefore updated my PSB Tours page accordingly.
Mixes/Versions
Thanks to Richard Firth for pointing out the differences between the released mixes of the PSB/Elton John remake of "Alone Again, Naturally." I already knew and had noted in my entry for the track that they were slightly different, but I didn't describe there just how they were different. I've now done that thanks to Richard's input.
August 6, 2023
PSB Songs for Which the Boys Have Acknowledged the Influence of Specific Tracks by Other Artists
I'm greatly indebted to TallThinMan of the Pet Shop Boys Community Forum for bringing to our attention (with evidence, which I've independently confirmed) that author-musician Bob Stanley has, in his recent book Bee Gees: Children of the World, reported that the Pet Shop Boys once acknowledged to the Gibb brothers that "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" was strongly influenced by the Bee Gees classic "Lonely Days." I've now noted this fact in my list of PSB songs for which the Boys have acknowledged the influence of specific tracks by other pop artists. I've also mentioned it in my "PSB-Bee Gees connections" on my page dedicated to my other favorite artists.
August 5, 2023
Singles That Weren't Included on Smash and the Likely Reasons for Their Exclusion
Thanks so much to Dan Newton for reminding me that re-recorded versions of "Fluorescent" were issued back in 2014 on a limited-edition single for Record Store Day. It therefore qualifies for my list of singles that weren't included on Smash and the likely reasons for their exclusion.
Updates/Corrections
Thanks to Raymond Merkh for providing some input that has inspired me to expand Footnote #1 to my list of early titles of Pet Shop Boys songs.
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