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History

January 1988

‘I’m Not Scared’, a song the Pet Shop Boys have written and produced for Patsy Kensit, is released as a single by her group Eighth Wonder, and is their first hit.

February 1988

At the BPI Awards, the Pet Shop Boys win the Best Group award. They also mime to ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ on stage with Dusty Springfield. Afterwards Neil comments, “It’s kind of macho nowadays to prove you can cut it live, I quite like proving that we can’t cut it live. We’re a pop group, not a rock ’n’ roll group”.

March 1988

A different mix of ‘Heart’ is released as a single on March 21st and reaches #1 in the UK. “It’s a real disco song — the idea of ‘heartbeat’ the beat of the record and the beat of your heart. It’s actually pretty corny, to be honest, but I think the words are quite sweet and sincere”. The video, shot in Yugoslavia, is a resetting of the Dracula story with Ian McKellen in the title role.

1988 March

May 1988

For the second year running, the Pet Shop Boys win the Best International Hit award at the Ivor Novello Awards, this time for ‘It’s a sin’.

June 1988

Ian McKellen persuades the Pet Shop Boys to play live at an anti-Clause 28 benefit, Before The Act, at London’s Piccadilly Theatre, performing ‘It’s a sin’ and ‘One more chance’. “A brilliant event”, they say afterwards.

July 1988

‘It couldn’t happen here’ is released on July 8th to mixed reviews: it wins an award at the Houston film festival.

August 1988

The Pet Shop Boys win the Berolina award in Germany for ‘Group of the Year’. The award is presented to them by Miss Venezuela.

September 1988

On September 12th, ‘Domino dancing’ is released, a song they recorded that February in Miami with Expose producer, Lewis Martinee. They shoot a video in Puerto Rico and appeared with a full Latin band on Wogan and Top Of The Pops.

1988 September

October 1988

On October 10th, their new album ‘Introspective’ is released. It is so called because “all the songs, although it’s a dance album, are introspective”. The title was chosen after considering and dismissing ‘f’, ‘Dogmatic’, ‘Bounce’ and ‘Hello’. They explain that ‘Introspective’ sounds serious, like an art exhibition: “Nick Rhodes”, says Chris at the time, “will be so jealous”.

1988 October

November 1988

On November 14th, ‘Left to my own devices’ is released: “an exaggerated autobiography”. The second verse refers to a time when Neil’s mother would worry about him because he’d wait in a corner of the back garden pretending to be a Roundhead soldier.

1988 November

On this day

1986

As the two members of one of the hottest new acts in the music industry, Neil and Chris are among the many celebrities who attend the ‘grand opening’ of Michael Jackson’s Captain EO film at Disneyland in Anaheim, California.

1987

The U.K. tabloid The Sun mistakenly reports that the Pet Shop Boys are about to split up. The story alleges that Neil was furious with Chris for not showing up for the filming of a music video.

1996

Neil is the focus of a three-page article in The Advocate.

2010

The official PSB website announces that Chris and Neil will be composing music for the children’s play My Dad’s a Birdman by David Almond, to be performed at London’s Young Vic theatre for the upcoming holiday season.

2012

The Boys are interviewed on BBC Breakfast TV. On this same day, their pre-recorded interview with Mark Radcliffe airs on the BBC 6 Music radio station.

2013

For the second night in a row, they present their Electric Tour show at New York City’s Beacon Theater.

2017

The Pet Shop Boys perform in Brasilía.

2022

They kick off their North American ‘Unity Tour’ (co-headlining with New Order) with a concert this evening in Toronto.