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History

August 1983

Neil is sent to New York by Smash Hits to interview The Police. By this time the Pet Shop Boys are obsessed by a stream of hi energy records made by New York producer Bobby Orlando, known as Bobby O’. “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’ ”. Neil and Bobby O share a cheeseburger and carrot cake at a restaurant called The Apple Jack on August 19th (two years to the day since Neil and Chris met) and Bobby O’, flatered by Neil’s compliments, suggests making a record with the Pet Shop Boys.

On this day

2000

Chris continues working on the music for ‘Nine Out of Ten.’

2002

The Boys’ appearance on the U.K. TV show Later… with Jools Holland, taped two days earlier, airs on this date.

2005

They record new vocals for ‘The Resurrectionist’ and rework ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain,’ slowing the rhythm track down somewhat.

2011

‘Together’ is released as a digital single in the U.S.—roughly five months after it was released in the U.K. and various other countries. On this same day, Chris composes music and Neil writes lyrics for a new song, ‘Everything Means Something.’

2014

The Pet Shop Boys make the first of their two scheduled appearances at this year’s Coachella Music Festival in Indio, California. (To get there they first had to drive through a desert sandstorm.) Billboard gives PSB a glowing review, stating, ‘The duo may have fulfilled the role of elder statesmen for the day (no band on Saturday’s lineup has been around longer than the ’80s innovators), but PSB’s recent material packed an energetic punch that could have stood next to any of the younger acts on the bill.’

2024

Neil appears as a surprise guest vocalist onstage with Johnny Marr and his band at Hammersmith Apollo in London, singing on a cover of David Bowie’s ‘Rebel Rebel’ as well as the Electronic classic ‘Getting Away with It.’ Interestingly, Neil adds some new lyrics to the latter song.