On August 19th, Neil and Chris meet by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they have a common interest in dance music, they begin to write together. Initially they call themselves West End; later they come up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who work in a pet shop in Ealing. “We thought it sounded like an English rap group”.
The Boys perform the first of two consecutive nights’ concerts in Tokyo.
Chris and Neil bring their Release Tour to Milan, Italy.
They rehearse with Yoko Ono in preparation for a live performance together the following evening.
PSB performs in Stockholm, Sweden.
They appear in concert at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool, U.K. (It’s a ‘hometown crowd’ for Chris.)
The Pet Shop Boys’ fourth hits collection, Smash, is released today in a variety of formats.