March 1985
They sign to Parlophone Records after long negotiations with Bobby O’, who relinquished his contractual rights over them in return for a substantial royalty on future record sales.
History
April 1985
On April 5th, Neil leaves Smash Hits. In the next issue an ‘obituary’ is written, bidding him a sad adieu and predicting that in a matter of weeks Neil’s pop duo, the Pet Shop Boys “will be down the dumper and he’ll come crawling back on bended knees, ha ha ha”. “I spoke to my mum on the telephone and said how we’d signed with EMI and she said “But you’re not going to give up your job, are you?” and I said, actually I did last week”.
July 1985
On July 1st, the first version of ‘Opportunities’ is released. It reached #116 in the UK.
August 1985
They play a short set as part of the ICA Rock Week in London, Chris showing off his skills on the trombone. Neil and Chris are interviewed on stage by Max Headroom. They re-record ‘West End girls’ with producer Stephen Hague the same month.
October 1985
‘West End girls’ is released on October 28th and goes to #1 in the UK in January. It is subsequently #1 in USA, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and Norway, selling 1.5 million copies. “People endlessly ask us what it’s like having a #1” says Neil at the time. “But what it feels like is vaguely nothing. It feels like having a cup of tea”.
On this day
1999
Neil and Chris begin two days of filming for the video of ‘I Don’t Know What You Want But I Can’t Give It Any More.’
2007
For the second time in less than two weeks, the Pet Shop Boys perform at London’s Hammersmith Apollo. In attendance at tonight’s show are Kylie Minogue as well as Tim Rice-Oxley from the band Keane.
2011
The Boys report on their official website that this evening they attended the live premiere of the duo Nero’s Dubstep Symphony at the new BBC Media City in Salford. It’s performed by Nero with the BBC Philharmonic, conducted by Joe Duddell, who collaborated with Nero on the composition.
2014
The Boys perform the first of three consecutive nights’ shows in Sydney, Australia.
2015
Traveling in Spain from the previous day’s gig in Badajoz to the following day’s show in Pamplona, Neil and Chris stop at Valladolid for the night. Writing on their official website, Neil says that he ‘enjoyed wandering around the old city.’
2019
At the request of the director of My Beautiful Laundrette, the Boys create a ‘darker version’ of ‘Johnny’s Theme.’ They title the new track ‘Johnny’s Dark Side.’
2023
They perform this evening in Madrid in what Neil later describes as ‘a beautiful little theatre.’
2024
Pet Shop Boys perform this evening at Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham.
- Facts collated by geowayne.com