Pet Shop Boys

**Pet Shop Boys** are a pop music duo formed in London in 1981 by former music journalist Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe. Specialising in music with a strong electronic base, their music has over the years encompassed many diverse musical styles ranging from synth-pop to ballads, dance, soundtracks and the theatrical, although largely ignoring the traditional 'rock' format. The group has also survived changes in musical trends over the decades, often going against the grain of the moment.

The duo are also characterised by a rage of strong visual images of themselves, often unexpected and in contrast to trends and fashion, favouring the avant-garde or flamboyant, in stark contrast to their deadpan and 'ordinary' selves. Album artwork and stage designs have also been an important part of their visual image.

Although considered prevalently a 'singles' band, Pet Shop Boys have to date released thirteen studio albums four remix albums, four soundtrack albums and two live albums. They have also collaborated with other artists, usually female vocalists, such as Dusty Springfield, Liza Minelli and Kylie Minogue. The Guinness Book of Records lists the group as the most successful musical duo of all time.

## Links to Janice

In 2023 a typed letter from Neil Tennant to Janice dated 12 April 1984 was discovered inside a second-hand copy of the Pet Shop Boys debut single West End Girls (original version). In the letter Tennant confirms that he was indeed the same person who worked at *Smash Hits* and who had also contributed to Janice's Platform 9 shows. He also thanked Janice for playing their single "on Thursday" and nominated her "an honorary Pet Shop Girl!" With the letter Tennant "enclosed" a copy of the 12" single, which, some 39 years later, was bought by a record shop owner in Altrincham and then sold to a PSB fan, local journalist David Prior.[1] Since the letter date of 12 April 1984 was also a Thursday, we can deduce that Tennant was referring to the previous Thursday, ie. 5th April 1984.

As well as playing the group's songs during the early part of their career in the 1980s, Janice continued to play both new material and 'classic' tracks in more recent years on her shows.

See also: Singled Out (Neil Tennant)

## Sessions

* Neil Tennant, Spoken Word session 10 October 2013

## Shows played

### 1980s

* 05 April 1984 - West End Girls (7", 1984) - *see 'letter' news item above*
* 03 August 1987 - It's a Sin (single, 1987)

### 2000s

* 04 March 2009 - Love etc. (single, 2009)
* 11 March 2009 - Being Boring
* 13 March 2009 - Love etc.
* 16 March 2009 - The Way It Used To Be
* 18 March 2009 - More Than a Dream
* 19 March 2009 - All Over The World
* 20 March 2009 - Beautiful People
* 23 March 2009 - Love etc.
* 27 March 2009 - Love etc.
* 04 / 05 / 06 / 07 / 08 May 2009 - Did You See Me Coming? (R2 Record of the Week)
* 12 May 2009 - Did You See Me Coming?
* 26 May 2009 - Did You See Me Coming?

### 2010s

* 04 May 2010 - Hallo Spaceboy (David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys remix)
* 16 November 2010 - It's Alright
* 13 April 2011 - Where The Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)
* 19 April 2011 - Hallo Spaceboy (David Bowie, Pet Shop Boys remix)
* 18 May 2011 - All Over the World
* 26 March 2012 - Domino Dancing
* 26 March 2013 - Being Boring
* 15 April 2013 - West End Girls
* 26 April 2013 - Domino Dancing
* 03 May 2013 - I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing
* 24 May 2013 - West End Girls
* 10 October 2013 - Love Is A Bourgeois Construct / Inside A Dream + Spoken Word session and interview with guest Neil Tennant (BBC Sounds clip)
* 12 March 2014 - Domino Dancing
* 24 March 2014 - It's A Sin
* 24 April 2014 - West End Girls
* 07 May 2014 - Liberation
* 26 March 2015 - Se A Vida E (That's The Way Life Is)
* 06 April 2015 - What Have I Done To Deserve This? (feat. Dusty Springfield) - *OJ Borg*
* 05 May 2015 - Love etc.
* 12 May 2015 - Domino Dancing
* 12 November 2015 - Always On My Mind
* 09 March 2016, 10 March 2016 - The Pop Kids (single - R2 Record of the Week)
* 15 March 2016 - The Pop Kids
* 23 March 2016 - Being Boring
* 31 March 2016 - The Pop Kids
* 04 April 2016 - Into Thin Air (from Album of the Week, *Super*)
* 05 April 2016 - The Dictator Decides (from Album of the Week, *Super*)
* 06 April 2016 - Burn (from Album of the Week, *Super*)
* 07 April 2016 - Twenty Something (from Album of the Week, *Super*)
* 16 June 2016 - Twenty Something
* 01 September 2016 - Say It To Me
* 08 November 2016 - Brick England (with Jean-Michel Jarre)
* 27 March 2018 - Always On My Mind
* 11 April 2018 - West End Girls

### 2020s

* 13 January 2020 - Monkey Business
* 27 January 2020 - What Have I Done To Deserve This? (feat. Dusty Springfield) / Always On My Mind / Dreamland (feat. Years & Years) / Burning The Heather / Monkey Business / Hoping For A Miracle
* 24 February 2020 - What Have I Done To Deserve This? (feat. D. Springfield)
* 10 March 2020 - I Don't Wanna
* 11 May 2021 - West End Girls

#### Other shows

* Janice Long, 24 March 2009, "Janice is joined by the Pet Shop Boys, who received the Outstanding Contribution to Music Award at the Brit Awards 2009" (no records listed)
* *Pick of the Week*, 27 March 2016 - features *Pet Shop Boys, Documentary* (BBC R2)

### TV

* 20 August 1987 (TOTP) - What Have I Done To Deserve This? (feat. Dusty Springfield) (breaker)