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History

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.

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.

1985 July

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

1994

Neil and Chris work on a new song, ‘Yes in a No Kind of Way,’ but never get around to finishing it.

1995

The Boys perform ‘Paninaro ‘95’ on Top of the Pops. Meanwhile, BBC 1 radio host Kevin Greening breaks the First Commandment (not for the first time) by declaring Neil Tennant ‘God of the Week.’

2001

They’re busy working on ‘Home and Dry.’

2007

Neil and Chris enjoy (as the latter writes on their official website) ‘a night off in Brussels.’

2012

The CD and ‘digital EP’ of the PSB single ‘Winner,’ featuring three previously unreleased bonus songs, is released today in Germany and several other nations on iTunes, Amazon, and other online outlets. It will similarly be released (digitally) in various other nations over the next few days.

2013

The Pet Shop Boys perform this evening in Singapore.

2014

The Electric Tour comes to Girona, Spain.

2019

Neil and Chris, along with Frances Barber, take a train to Edinburgh, where Musik will soon have its premiere.