Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (1985 Album Version) HQ - YouTube Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (1985 Album Version) HQ Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Nov 24, 2014 West End Girls is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, the song was released twice as a single. The song is influenced by hip hop music, with lyrics concerned with class and the pressures of inner-city life which were inspired partly by T. S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land. It was generally well received by contemporary music critics and has been frequently cited as a highlight in the duo's career. The first version of the song was produced by Bobby Orlando and was released on Columbia Records' Bobcat Records imprint in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States and some European countries.

After the duo signed with EMI, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague for their first studio album, Please. In October 1985, the song was re-released, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986. In 1987, the song won Best Single at the Brit Awards, and Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards. In 2005, 20 years after its release, the song was awarded Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994 by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. West End Girls is a synthpop song influenced by hip hop music. The song's socially conscious streak, as well as the propulsive bass line, derives from Grandmaster Flash's protest rap song The Message. Lowe and Hague created a "snaky, obsessive rhythm punch" for the music, replacing the song's previously sparse beats and minimal keyboard lines. The song's lyrics are largely concerned with class, inner-city pressure.

The lyric "From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station" refers to the train route taken by Vladimir Lenin when he was smuggled by the Germans to Russia during World War I, a pivotal event in the Russian Revolution. Indeed, it is highly likely the lyric was inspired by the book To the Finland Station by Edmund Wilson, a very famous work on the history of revolutionary thought and Socialism that Tennant would have at least heard of, if not read, as a student. The Bobby Orlando-produced version of the single included another line, "All your stopping, stalling and starting, / Who do you think you are, Joe Stalin?" which was removed for the 1985 version. The re-recorded version of West End Girls was released in the United Kingdom in October 1985, debuting on the UK Singles Chart at number 80, and within eight weeks of its release it had reached the top of the chart. It maintained the number one position for two weeks and received a gold certification by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in January 1986.

Across Europe, West End Girls also topped the singles chart in Norway, as well as peaking in the top three in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland. In Canada, where the original recording of West End Girls had already been a minor hit in 1985, the re-recorded version was issued as a single in early 1986. The re-recorded song entered the chart in March 1986, peaking at number one for one week on 17 May 1986. In the United States, West End Girls debuted on the Billboard Hot 100 at number 71, reaching the number one position on 10 May 1986, and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. The song also peaked at number one on Billboard's Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart for two weeks.

Category West End Girls West End Girls Subsequent albums - Disco , Discography , PopArt , Concrete , Pandemonium , Ultimate Other releases - 1984 single (UK #121); 1985 single (UK #1, US #1, US Dance #1) The Pet Shop Boys' first (and biggest) true hit single is famous for its unforgettable bass-synthesizer hook, its ambisexual lyrics (not only the "East End boys and West End girls" reference but possibly also the ambigious line "Which would you choose, a hard or soft option?"), and its "Brit-rap" innovation. The lyrics are at times cryptic and full of relatively obscure references that betray a variety of far-flung inspirations. Neil has stated that he wrote the lyrics as a stream of consciousness with different narrative voices, influenced in this respect by T.S. Eliot's great poem The Waste Land. He has also cited the influence of the early (1982) rap hit "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

Not only is there a stylistic influence"The Message" seminally influenced all rap and "rappish" tracks that followedbut a lyrical one as well, with both tracks graphically depicting urban decay, particularly in their respective first verses. And the ominously suicidal opening lines Sometimes you're better off dead There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head were inspired by an old James Cagney gangster film that he watched at his cousin's home one evening in the early 1980s. Certain lines in "West End Girls" seem to reflect an aimlessness and lack of identity ("We've got no future, we've got no past") commonly felt by members of the Boys' generation in the 1980s. That decade's rampant acquisitiveness ("How much have you got?") is touched upon. Neil also plays around with apparent opposites: rich and poor, upper class and lower class, London's East End and West End.

As he noted in a 1986 interview on Japanese television, much of the song concerns the contrast between "bright lights and dull lives," the dream of "escaping the ordinary, everyday life to the kind of fantasy of a city at night, with all the neon lights and stuff." Certain lines ("Have you got it? Do you get it?" among others) also seem to refer to the growth of street drug culture in Thatcherite Britain. Meanwhile, Neil's well-known interest and background in history (his major in college), particularly that of Russia, is evident in the line "from Lake Geneva to the Finland Station," which refers to the train route taken by Lenin when he was smuggled by the Germans to Russia during the First World War, a pivotal event in the Russian Revolution. Some of the lengthier mixes include additional Russian references, such as the bizarrely comic "Who do you think you areJoe Stalin?" (Speaking of mixes, "West End Girls" has the distinction of being the PSB song with the greatest number of "official" remixes: at least twenty, maybe more.) What all of these references have to do with the song's primary scenario of social and sexual conflict in London is, however, anybody's guess.

Perhaps they're simply meant to evoke images of revolution. At any rate, "West End Girls" was first recorded with American producer "Bobby O" Orlando and, in that version, became a minor hit in some countries (most successfully in Belgium). It was subsequently re-recorded and released after the Boys moved to EMI, and this second version proved a huge international success, hitting #1 in many nations, including the U.S. and Britain. Annotations The West End of London is home to the city's famed theatre district as well as many tourist attractions and popular shopping areas. It's generally the more affluent part of the city, as opposed to the generally poorer East End. The lyrical reference to "a dead-end world" possibly refers to a perceived inability of residents to transcend the socio-economic realities into which they're born. (Note, incidentally, the clever "-end" parallelism: West End, East End, dead end.) The opening line, "Sometimes you're better off dead," apparently had the dual inspiration of a 1930s James Cagney gangster film and the groundbreaking 1982 rap track "The Message" by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five.

The latter in particular proved a major influence on "West End Girls" in general. "… to a dive bar" – The fact that "dive bar" isn't capitalized in the "official" lyrics suggests that, at least in a general sense, it could refer to any sort of seedy, rundown bar—a "dive." But there was indeed a specific bar, now defunct, actually named "Dive Bar," located on London's Gerrard Street in the basement of the King's Head Pub in the Chinatown section of Soho. The Boys' official website (in a February 9, 2004 posting ) confirms that the famous reference in "West End Girls" was specifically inspired this particular bar, where "in the early 80s Chris and Neil used to drink." "Which do you choose, a hard or soft option?" – People have been speculating for years about the meaning of these words. One of the most common theories involves a contrast between men ("hard") and women ("soft") as possible sexual partners. According to this theory, then, it alludes to homosexuality vs. heterosexuality.

Other interpretations hinge upon the fact that, at the time the Boys wrote this song, the West End—particularly its Soho district—had long been known (at least until it began to undergo revitalization in the 1980s) for its many sex shops and sex shows. This makes even stronger sense when you consider another line only shortly before: "Faces on posters, too many choices." So might the "hard or soft option" allude to a choice between hardcore and softcore pornography? One of my site visitors, however, has astutely observed that not only this line but also several others that accompany it might very easily refer to a street drug deal: "If? When? Why? What?" - Questions that might accompany such a deal. "How much have you got?" - That is, how much of the drug(s) in question. "Have you got it? Do you get it?" - Again, "it" referring to the drugs. "If so, how often?" - In other words, "Can I get drugs from you on a regular basis?" "Which do you choose, a hard or soft option?" - Such as heroin (a "hard" option) vs. pot (a "soft" option).

"How much do you need?" - A rhetorical question that a dealer might ask in response to the previous "How much have you got?"—meaning that he can provide as much of the drug the buyer wants. This drug-deal interpretation of these lines, reflecting the "dead-end world" being described in the song, certainly makes a great deal of sense. "You got a heart of glass or a heart of stone?" – This contrast (fragility and/or transparency vs. hardness and/or opaqueness) is likely inspired in part by the title of Blondie's huge 1979 breakthrough hit "Heart of Glass." Of course, "heart of stone" is an age-old cliché in English that refers to any "hard-hearted," uncaring person, although critic Kenneth Partridge has observed that it's also the title of a classic Rolling Stones song (though only a relatively minor hit) from 1965.

"From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station" – A famous but nonetheless very curious line that refers not only to Lenin's journey from exile in Switzerland back to Russia at the start of the Russian Revolution but also to the book To the Finland Station, a 1940 study of the history of European socialism by American literary critic and cultural historian Edmund Wilson. Lake Geneva is, of course, in Switzerland, while the "Finland Station" is a popular name for the railway station in St. Petersburg where trains arriving from Helsinki entered Russia. "Who do you think you are: Joe Stalin?" – The big hit single version of "West End Girls" doesn't include this line, but some other mixes do, including the original, less successful rendition. Joseph Stalin (nicknamed "Joe" or "Uncle Joe" in the West) was the brutal, autocratic dictator of the Soviet Union from the consolodation of his power in the late 1920s until his death in 1953.

Mixes Dub Mix (aka West End Dub) (9:31) Disco Mix Edit (6:34) On the 2009 UMTV CD box set 80s Niteclub Mixer: Pet Shop Boys and Frank Roszak The Dance Mix (aka Extended Dance Version) There are at least two slightly different versions of this mix The original version on the 12-inch vinyl release of "West End Girls" and on Essential (6:30) A remastered version with a slightly longer fade (mostly silence) on the Further Listening bonus disc with the Please reissue (6:39) Mixer: Sasha Available on the bonus third disc ("Mix") with the "Special Edition" of PopArt Sasha Dub (8:24) West End Megamix (aka ZYX Megamix, aka Part 1 Megamix) (8:04) Combines "West End Girls" with "One More Chance" and "West End Sunglasses" Ultimate Mix (5:40) Combines "West End Girls" with "One More Chance" and "West End Sunglasses" Mixer: Grum Grum Mix (5:32) Grum Dub Mix (5:

31) The Grum mixes were released as digitial bonus tracks with the 2010 "Together" single to help celebrate the 25th anniversary of the release of "West End Girls" (the "second version") by EMI.

Mixer: Tim Weidner Live Concrete rendition (4:58) Live rendition on the CD Single (4:58) This is essentially the exact same recording as the version on Concrete except that it has been modified in subtle ways, such as editing out the transition from the previous song, "Indefinite Leave to Remain." Mixer: unknown Nouvelle Version Edit (3:23) "2012 Summer Olympics Version" (2:14) Available on the various-artists compilation A Symphony of British Music: Music for the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games Mixer: Stuart Price Pandemonium CD live version (5:14) Official but unreleased Abbey Road "New Version/Second Version" (3:58) Mixer: Peter Schwartz Nightlife Tour studio arrangement for rehearsal (4:44) Mixer: Stuart Price Pandemonium Tour studio arrangement for rehearsal (4:51) Mixer: Pet Shop Boys November 24, 2003 XFM radio session version (3:56) List cross-references West End Girls | Pet Shop Boys Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Edit Produced by famed Hi-NRG mogul Bobby Orlando , the single was released on

 his Bobcat Records label in 1984.

It was not a huge hit in the Boys' home country, but it did fairly well in the States and in Italy. Under the Bobby O umbrella, "West End Girls" was remixed and repackaged several times, saturating the world's record stores with multiple formats of this single, the follow up single " One More Chance ", and several instrumental b-sides including "Pet Shop Boys", "To The Pet Shop Boys" and " Theme For The Pet Shop Boys " (essentially the same track). It was even mega-mixed with all of the above tracks together with a version of Corey Hart's "Sunglasses At Night", that was covered by a German singer not otherwise involved with the band. Bobby O and his various affiliates continued to issue repackaged and remixed versions of these original masters until roughly the mid-nineties. After a legal battle with Orlando, the band ended up signing with Parlophone Records in the UK, and "West End Girls" became their leadoff single to their first album, " Please ". It was rerecorded and produced by Stephen Hague and was a more polished and full sounding cut, doing much better on the charts than the first incarnation.

The singles featured remixes by Shep Pettibone . The b-side, previously recorded (but not released) with Bobby O was " A Man Could Get Arrested ". Lyrics Edit According to Neil, the song was inspired initially by Grandmaster Flash's famous track "The Message". He says he woke up in the morning with one of the couplets in his head: "Sometimes you're better off dead / There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head..." and the rest came shortly thereafter. Many people believed that the song was about prostitution, but they say that it's really about "class, about rough boys getting a bit of posh...", the difference between lower and upper classes and the way they tended to co-mingle with one another. The line "From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station" refers to the journey that Lenin made in a sealed train. The "Dive Bar" mentioned in the lyrics is actually the name of a nightclub in London the Boys often patronized. The Bobby O Version of the song also features a verse that is not heard in any of the band's subsequent versions.

One of the couplets in the verse reads, "All your stopping, stalling and starting / Who do you think you are, Joe Stalin?" Sometimes you're better off dead There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head You think you're mad, too unstable kicking in chairs and knocking down tables in a restaurant in a West End town Call the police! There's a madman around Running down underground to a dive bar in a West End town In a West End town, a dead end world the East End boys and West End girls In a West End town, a dead end world the East End boys and West End girls West End girls Too many shadows, whispering voices faces on posters, too many choices If? When? Why? What? How much have you got? Have you got it? Do you get it? If so, how often? Which do you choose a hard or soft option?

(How much do you need?) In a West End town, a dead end world the East End boys and West End girls In a West End town, a dead end world the East End boys and West End girls West End girls West End girls (How much do you need?) In a West End town, a dead end world the East End boys and West End girls A West End town, a dead end world East End boys, West End girls West End girls You got a heart of glass or a heart of stone? Just you wait 'til I get you home We've got no future, we've got no past Here today, built to last In every city, in every nation from Lake Geneva to the Finland station (How far have you been?) And a West End town, a dead end world the East End boys and West End girls A West End town, a dead end world East End Boys, West End girls West End girls ----- written by Tennant/Lowe Releases and Versions Edit The Bobby O version was released on vinyl formats in 1984 . The concentration was mainly the UK and Germany and contained 7" and 12" versions, as well as several edits. Often the mix names are mislabeled or incorrect.

The B-side was most often a eponymous instrumental track simply called Pet Shop Boys . Since that time, the original production material was every so often repackaged and redistributed, especially since the band left Bobby Orlando to join with Parlophone Records . In 1986 , Orlando had his version remixed and re-released in Germany, perhaps as an attempt to cash in on the band's Parlophone single. Then in 1988 , a second wave of re-issues, this time incorporating many of the original tracks into megamixes. Finally, in 1992 , a German CD single containing the 'Montreal mixes' was distributed. As for the Parlophone version, its initial release in 1985 was more far reaching than Orlando's. 7" and 12" formats were made around the world, featuring the b-side A Man Could Get Arrested . In the UK, a special 10" disc with an exclusive mix of the single was created. Also, limited edition European 12" editions featured the Shep Pettibone mixes, and an edited version of his mix appears on Disco: The Remix Album .

Being one of their signature tracks, it was subsequently remixed numerous times. In 1993 , remixes by Sasha were done for the I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing single. 2004 saw the track remixed by DJ Hell for the Flamboyant single and in 2010 , Graeme Shepherd of Grum remixed it for the singles of Together . The song was frequently performed live, often as a finale track, and various live versions have been released on commercial releases over the years. Design and Packaging Edit The 1984 releases featured basic and somewhat crude design. The typography and background elements of the cover varied, but a small photo of Neil and Chris which only showed their eyes and leaving the rest of their faces in silhouette was always present. It also featured a stylized text block of the band's name which was later adopted as an element in the Parlophone single cover. For the 1985 release, a black and white Eric Watson full body photo of the band was used. The sleeve design is credited to XL Design and C.S. Lowe . Set upon a grey and black patterned field, the song title and information was done in red and blue.

Other editions of the pressing retained this motif, some versions with die-cut holes featuring the photo on the record label as part of the facing, some without. The 10" was packaged in a round fold-out picture sleeve, sealed with a circular yellow picture sticker that identifies it as a "collectors edition". The limited edition Shep Pettibone UK 12" altered the colour scheme of the design slightly and removed all typographical elements from the facings. This pressing was packaged in three configurations: An uncut printed sleeve housing a record with 4" center labels, a die-cut title-stickered printed sleeve housing a record with 6" center labels, and an uncut printed sleeve with a 6" yellow printed center circle, housing a record with 4" center labels. Videos The video for this single featured the Boys in various locations around London. Awards and Recognition Edit In 1987 , the song won Best Single at the Brit Awards, and Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards.

In 2005 , 20 years after its release, the song was awarded Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994 by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters. The song was performed by Pet Shop Boys at the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony and was included as part of the soundtrack of the 2013 game Grand Theft Auto V on the Non-Stop-Pop radio station.

UK Top 100 Hits of 1985 UK Top 100 Hits of 1985 UK Top 100 Hits of 1985 1985-001 Jennifer Rush - The Power Of Love.mp3 4.0MB [4:24] 1985-002 Elaine Paige & Barbara Dickson - I Know Him So Well.mp3 3.9MB [4:15] 1985-003 Sister Sledge - Frankie.mp3 3.6MB [3:55] 1985-004 Paul Hardcastle - 19.mp3 3.3MB [3:38] 1985-005 Madonna - Into The Groove.mp3 4.2MB [4:35] 1985-006 Phyllis Nelson - Move Closer.mp3 3.9MB [4:12] 1985-007 Philip Bailey With Phil Collins - Easy Lover.mp3 9.3MB [5:05] 1985-008 Band

 Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas?.mp3 3.5MB [3:47] 1985-009 David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street.mp3 2.9MB [3:11] 1985-010 Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F.mp3 3.5MB [3:01] 1985-011 Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You.mp3 5.5MB [3:59] 1985-012 Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart.mp3 4.2MB [4:35] 1985-013 Foreigner - I Want To Know What Love Is.mp3 7.0MB [5:06] 1985-014 A-ha - Take On Me.mp3 5.2MB [3:47] 1985-015 UB40 feat.

Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe.mp3 5.5MB [3:08] 1985-016 Kool & The Gang - Cherish.mp3 5.2MB [5:40] 1985-017 Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Record).mp3 3.0MB [3:14] 1985-018 Wham!

- I'm Your Man.mp3 4.7MB [4:06] 1985-019 King - Love And Pride.mp3 4.7MB [3:20] 1985-020 Colonel Abrams - Trapped.mp3 4.7MB [3:24] 1985-021 Madonna - Crazy For You.mp3 3.4MB [3:45] 1985-022 Eurythmics - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart).mp3 4.1MB [4:28] 1985-023 Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World.mp3 3.8MB [4:10] 1985-024 Midge Ure - If I Was.mp3 4.9MB [5:20] 1985-025 Duran Duran - A View To A Kill.mp3 3.3MB [3:35] 1985-026 Marillion - Kayleigh.mp3 5.9MB [4

:04] 1985-027 Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero.mp3 6.0MB [4:24] 1985-028 Ashford & Simpson - Solid.mp3 5.3MB [3:44] 1985-029 USA For Africa - We Are The World.mp3 6.5MB [7:04] 1985-030 The Crowd - You'll Never Walk Alone.mp3 2.4MB [2:39] 1985-031 Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark.mp3 4.6MB [4:01] 1985-032 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone.mp3 3.4MB [3:41] 1985-033 Stevie Wonder - Part-Time Lover.mp3 4.8MB [4:12] 1985-034 Dire Straits - Money For Nothing.mp3 9.5MB [4:09] 1985-035 Bronski Beat & Marc Almond

 - I Feel Love (Medley).mp3 9.6MB [8:21] 1985-036 UB40 - Don't Break My Heart.mp3 3.5MB [3:50] 1985-037 Elton John - Nikita.mp3 6.6MB [5:44] 1985-038 Red Box - Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo).mp3 3.9MB [4:16] 1985-039 Alison Moyet - That Ole Devil Called Love.mp3 5.6MB [3:02] 1985-040 Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome).mp3 6.8MB [4:56] 1985-041 Baltimora - Tarzan Boy.mp3 4.3MB [3:44] 1985-042 Prince - 1999.mp3 5.1MB [3:41] 1985-042 Prince - Little Red Corvette.mp3

 5.7MB [5:01] 1985-043 Dee C Lee - See The Day.mp3 6.8MB [4:39] 1985-044 Wham!

- Everything She Wants.mp3 5.9MB [6:29] 1985-044 Wham!

- Last Christmas.mp3 6.2MB [6:48] 1985-045 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasuredome.mp3 22.1MB [9:41] 1985-046 Go West - We Close Our Eyes.mp3 5.5MB [3:41] 1985-047 Billy Ocean - Suddenly.mp3 5.3MB [3:53] 1985-048 Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls.mp3 4.5MB [3:57] 1985-049 The Commodores - Nightshift.mp3 6.2MB [4:17] 1985-050 Tears For Fears - Shout.mp3 6.0MB [6:30] 1985-051 The Cars - Drive.mp3 4.5MB [3:54] 1985-052 Madonna - Holiday.mp3 7.0MB [6:07] 1985-053 Level 42 -

 Something About You.mp3 4.2MB [3:42] 1985-054 Madonna - Like A Virgin.mp3 3.6MB [3:11] 1985-055 DeBarge - Rhythm Of The Night.mp3 4.5MB [3:54] 1985-056 Opus - Live Is Life.mp3 5.5MB [4:02] 1985-057 Madonna - Material Girl.mp3 4.5MB [3:53] 1985-058 Billy Idol - White Wedding.mp3 3.8MB [4:09] 1985-059 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill.mp3 7.3MB [4:58] 1985-060 Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy - Kiss Me.mp3 6.9MB [7:31] 1985-061 Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me).mp3 7.9MB [4:20] 1985-0

62 Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives.mp3 5.8MB [4:06] 1985-063 Paul Young - Every Time You Go Away.mp3 6.1MB [4:29] 1985-064 John Parr - St Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion).mp3 9.4MB [4:06] 1985-065 Bruce Springsteen - Born In The USA.mp3 7.3MB [4:38] 1985-065 Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire.mp3 6.2MB [2:41] 1985-066 Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere.mp3 6.0MB [4:20] 1985-067 Jimmy Nail - Love Don't Live Here Anymore.mp3 5.4MB [3:56] 1985-068 Madonna - Gambler.mp3 5.4MB [3:54] 1985-069 Jermaine Jackson - Do What You Do.mp3

 5.4MB [4:44] 1985-070 Mai Tai - History.mp3 4.3MB [3:44] 1985-071 Animotion - Obsession.mp3 4.5MB [3:58] 1985-072 Sarah Brightman & Paul Miles-Kingston - Pie Jesu.mp3 3.6MB [3:55] 1985-073 David Grant & Jaki Graham - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love.mp3 5.2MB [3:45] 1985-074 Princess - Say I'm Your Number One.mp3 8.1MB [3:32] 1985-075 Scritti Politti - The Word Girl.mp3 6.1MB [4:24] 1985-076 Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home.mp3 5.0MB [3:34] 1985-077 Billy Idol - Rebel Yell.mp3 4.4MB [4:47]

 1985-078 Marti Webb - Ben.mp3 4.1MB [2:56] 1985-079 Russ Abbot - Atmosphere.mp3 3.2MB [3:28] 1985-080 Denise La Salle - My Toot Toot.mp3 4.0MB [4:22] 1985-081 Steve Arrington - Feel So Real.mp3 4.7MB [5:06] 1985-082 Doug E Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - The Show.mp3 5.7MB [6:10] 1985-083 Lionel Richie - Say You Say Me.mp3 4.6MB [3:59] 1985-084 Mai Tai - Body And Soul.mp3 3.5MB [3:46] 1985-085 The Art Of Noise - Close (To The Edit).mp3 7.7MB [5:38] 1985-086 Ray Parker Jr - Ghostbusters.mp3

 4.6MB [4:03] 1985-087 Madonna - Dress You Up.mp3 5.5MB [3:59] 1985-088 Phil Collins - One More Night.mp3 8.5MB [6:13] 1985-089 The Cult - She Sells Sanctuary.mp3 5.0MB [6:13] 1985-090 Strawberry Switchblade - Since Yesterday.mp3 4.0MB [2:56] 1985-091 Paul McCartney & The Frog Chorus - We All Stand Together.mp3 4.0MB [4:24] 1985-092 Simple Minds - Alive And Kicking.mp3 6.2MB [5:25] 1985-093 Gary Moore & Phil Lynott - Out In The Fields.mp3 3.9MB [4:17] 1985-094 Madonna - Angel.mp3 5.4MB [3:56] 1985-095 Bryan Adams -

 Run To You.mp3 8.9MB [3:53] 1985-096 Kirsty MacColl - A New England.mp3 4.3MB [3:46] 1985-097 Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood.mp3 3.6MB [3:56] 1985-097 Amii Stewart - Light My Fire.mp3 9.2MB [3:59] 1985-098 Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better.mp3 3.6MB [3:55] 1985-099 Marillion - Lavender.mp3 5.1MB [3:42] 1985-100 The Rah Band - Clouds Across The Moon.mp3 6.0MB [6:34] Total file size: 563MB Total run-time: 7:39:50 Downloads: Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls at Discogs 1985 Notes: These editions comprise the worldwide hit version of "West End Girls".

The song was originally produced by Bobby Orlando and released in 1984 (see Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls ) and became a minor club hit. In 1985, Pet Shop Boys signed with EMI/Parlophone and re-recorded the song with producer Stephen Hague . This version was released in late 1985 and topped the charts worldwide into early '86. Tracklist West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys Songfacts West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys Songfacts Songfacts Tennant said in 1000 UK #1 Hits by Jon Kutner and Spencer Leigh, "We arrived in the studio and Bobby O had programmed Michael Jackson's Billie Jean drum pattern. Chris started to play along and I started playing chords. In terms of the lyrics, the inspiration for West End Girls came from The Message by Grandmaster Flash.

I remember once staying at my cousin's house in Nottingham and we were watching some kind of gangster film with James Cagney, and just as I was dropping off to sleep, the lines 'sometimes you're better off dead, there's a gun in your hand and it's pointing to your head' came into my head and I thought 'that's quite good' so I went off to find a pen." Another influence was TS Eliot's poem The Wasteland. Said Tennant: "What I like about it is, it's the different voices, almost a sort of collage. All the different voices and languages coming in and I've always found that very powerful. So on West End Girls it's different voices. The line 'Just you wait till I get you home' is a direct quotation." Recorded in one take, this originally missed the UK Top 40 in 1984, though it made #1 in Belgium. The song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague. As Stephen explained, "I heard the Bobby O version and thought it had potential. I felt it should be slowed down and the story told a little clearer.

Neil and Chris agreed once they'd heard it." The above 2 quotes are also from 1000 UK #1 Hits. This won the 1987 BRIT Award for Best Single.

>> Suggestion credit: The Greatest Hits 1985 (UK) A-Ha - Take On Me - 09-1985 A-Ha - The Sun Always Shines On TV - 12-1985 Bryan Adams - Run To You - 01-1985 Amazulu - Excitable - 07-1985 Amazulu - Don't You Just Know It - 11-1985 Animotion - Obsession - 05-1985 Steve Arrington - Feel So Real - 04-1985 Steve Arrington - Dancin' In The Key Of Life - 07-1985 Ashfod & Simpson - Solid - 01-1985 Philip Bailey & Phil Collins - Easy Lover - 03-1985 Baltimora - Tarzan Boy - 08-1985 Band Aid - Do They Know It's Christmas - 12-1985 (re-entry) David Bowie & Mick Jagger - Dancing In The Street - 09-1985 Sarah Brightman & Paul Miles-Kingston - Pie Jes

u - 03-1985 Bronski Beat - Hit That Perfect Beat - 11-1985 Bronski Beat & Marc Almond - I Feel Love - 04-1985 Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill - 08-1985 Kate Bush - Cloudbusting - 10-1985 The Cars - Drive - 08-1985 (re-entry) David Cassidy - The Last Kiss - 02-1985 Cherelle with Alexander O'Neal - Sturday Love - 12-1985 Phil Collins - Sussudio - 01-1985 Phil Collins - One More Night - 04-1985 Phil Collins - Take Me Home - 07-1985 Phil Collins & Marilyn Martin - Separate Lives - 11-1985 Colonel Abrams - Trapped - 08-1985 The Colourfield - Thinking Of You - 01-1985 The Commodores - Night Shift - 01-1985 The Conway Brothers - Turn It Up - 06-1985 Cool

 Notes - Spend The Night - 03-1985 Cool Notes - In Your Car - 07-1985 The Crowd - You'll Never Walk Alone - 01-1985 DeBarge - Rhythm Of The Night - 04-1985 Dead Or Alive - You Spin Me Round (Like A Recod) - 03-1985 Dead Or Alive - Lover Come Back To Me - 04-1985 Dead Or Alive - In Too Deep - 06-1985 Dire Straits - So Far Away - 04-1985 Dire Straits - Money For Nothing - 07-1985 Dire Straits - Brothers In Arms - 10-1985 Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy - Kiss Me - 03-1985 Stephen 'Tin Tin' Duffy - Icing On The Cake - 05-1985 Duran Duran - A View To A Kill - 05-1985 The Eurythmics - Would I Lie To You - 04-1985 The Eurythmics

 - There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) - 07-1985 The Eurythmics & Aretha Franklin - Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves - 11-1985 Harold Faltermeyer - Axel F - 06-1985 Far Corporation - Stairway To Heaven - 10-1985 Bryan Ferry - Slave To Love - 05-1985 The Fine Young Cannibals - Johnny Come Home - 06-1985 Frankie Goes To Hollywood - Welcome To The Pleasure Dome - 03-1985 Aretha Franklin - Who's Zoomin' Who - 11-1985 Doug E.

Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew - The Show - 11-1985 Glenn Frey - The Heat Is On - 03-1985 Full Force - Alice I Want You Just For Me - 12-1985 Sophia George - Girlie Girlie - 12-1985 Go West - We Close Our Eyes - 02-1985 Go West - Call Me - 05-1985 Go West - Don't Look Down - The Sequel - 11-1985 Jaki Graham - Round And Round - 06-1985 David Grant & Jaki Graham - Could It Be I'm Falling In Love - 03-1985 David Grant & Jaki Graham - Mated - 11-1985 Curtis Hairston - I Want Your Lovin' (Just A Little Bit) - 04-1985 Jan Hammer - Miami Vice Theme - 10-1985 Paul Hardcastle - 19 - 05-1985 Paul Hardcastle - Just For Money - 11-1985 Dan Hartman - I Can

 Dream About You - 08-1985 Don Henley - The Boys Of Summer - 02-1985 Whitney Houston - Saving All My Love For You - 11-1985 Billy Idol - White Wedding - 07-1985 Billy Idol - Rebel Yell - 09-1985 James Ingram & Michael McDonald - Yah Mo B There - 01-1985 Jermaine Jackson - Do What You Do - 02-1985 Elton John - Nikita - 10-1985 Elton John - Wrap Her Up - 12-1985 Aled Jones - Walking In The Air - 11-1985 Grace Jones - Slave To The Rhythm - 10-1985 Howard Jones - Things Can Only Get Better - 02-1985 Howard Jones - Look Mama - 04-1985 Howard Jones - Life In One Day - 06-1985 Katrina & The Waves - Walking On Sunshine - 11-1985 Nik Kershaw - Wide Boy - 03-19

85 Nik Kershaw - Don Quixote - 08-1985 King - Love And Pride - 01-1985 King - Alone Without You - 08-1985 King - The Taste Of Your Tears - 10-1985 Kool & The Gang - Cherish - 05-1985 Denise La Salle - My Toot Toot - 06-1985 Dee C.

Lee - See The Day - 11-1985 Level 42 - Something About You - 09-1985 Level 42 - Leaving Me Now - 12-1985 Huey Lewis & The News - The Power Of Love - 08-1985 Kirsty MacColl - A New England - 01-1985 Madonna - Material Girl - 03-1985 Madonna - Crazy For You - 06-1985 Madonna - Into The Groove - 07-1985 Madonna - Holiday - 08-1985 (re-entry) Madonna - Dress You Up - 12-1985 Mai Tai - History - 05-1985 Mai Tai - Body And Soul - 08-1985 Marillion - Kayleigh - 05-1985 Paul McCartney - Spies Like Us - 11-1985 Freddie Mercury - I Was Born To Love You - 04-1985 Midge Ure - If I Was - 09-1985 Gary Moore & Phil Lynott

 - Out In The Fields - 05-1985 Alison Moyet - That Ole Devil Called Love - 03-1985 Mr Mister - Broken Wings - 12-1985 Jimmy Nail - Love Don't Live Here Anymore - 07-1985 Phyllis Nelson - Move Closer - 02-1985 Billy Ocean - Lover Boy - 01-1985 Billy Ocean - Suddenly - 05-1985 Opus - Life Is Life - 06-1985 Elain Page & Barbara Dickson - I Know Him So Well - 01-1985 John Parr - St.

Elmo's Fire (Man In Motion) - 09-1985 The Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls - 11-1985 Prince & The Revolution - 1999 / Little Red Corvette - 01-1985 Prince & The Revolution - Let's Go Crazy / Take Me With You - 02-1985 Princess - Say I'm Your No. 1 - 08-1985 Queen - One Vision - 11-1985 The Rah Band - Clouds Across The Moon - 03-1985 Red Box - Lean On Me (Ah-Li-Ayo) - 08-1985 Lionel Richie -Say You, Say Me - 11-1985 Jennifer Rush - The Power Of Love - 06-1985 Jennifer Rush - Ring Of Ice - 12-1985 Scritti Politti Feat.

Ranking Ann - The Word Girl - 05-1985 Shakin' Stevens - Breaking Up My Heart - 03-1985 Shakin' Stevens - Lipstick Powder And Paint - 10-1985 Shakin' Stevens - Merry Christmas Everyone - 12-1985 Feargal Sharkey - A Good Heart - 10-1985 Simple Minds - Don't You (Forget About Me) - 04-1985 Simple Minds - Alive And Kicking - 10-1985 Simply Red - Money's Too Tight (To Mention) - 06-1985 Sister Sledge - Frankie - 06-1985 Bruce Springsteen - Dancing In The Dark - 01-1985 (re-entry) Bruce Springsteen - Cover Me - 03-1985 (re-entry) Bruce Springsteen - I'm On Fire/Born In The U.S.A.

- 06-1985 Bruce Springsteen - Glory Days - 10-1985 Bruce Springsteen - Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town/My Home Town - 12-1985 Starship - We Built This City - 11-1985 Amii Stewart - Knock On Wood/Light My Fire - 10-1985 (remix) Sting - Russians - 12-1985 The Style Council - Walls Come Tumbling Down!

- 12-1985 The Style Council - The Lodgers - 09-1985 The Talking Heads - Road To Nowhere - 10-1985 Tears For Fears - Everybody Wants To Rule The World - 03-1985 Tears For Fears - Head Over Heels - 06-1985 Trans-X - Living On Video - 07-1985 Tina Turner - We Don't Need Another Hero (Thunderdome) - 07-1985 Bonnie Tyler - Holding Out For A Hero - 08-1985 USA For Africa - We Are The World - 04-1985 UB40 - Don't Break My Heart - 10-1985 UB40 Feat Chrissie Hynde - I Got You Babe - 08-1985 U2 - The Unforgettable Fire - 05-1985 Maria Vidal - Body Rock - 08-1985 Marti Webb - Ben - 06-1985 Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls (Vinyl) at Discogs West End Girls

 Published by Cage Music Ltd © 1984 (Side A) Published by Cage Music Ltd © 1985 (Side B) ℗ 1985 Original sound recording made by EMI Records Ltd.

© 1985 EMI Records Ltd. Marketed, manufactured and distributed by EMI. Printed in Germany by 4P Nicolaus GmbH, Köln. Spine Title: Pet Shop Boys · West End Girls (Dance Mix) Spine Catalog#: 060 20 0923 6 Later pressings (1986-7) include a boxed logo and message on the front sleeve stating "Number 1 in England - Original Top Hit as seen on 'Formel Eins'" (a German pop TV show). Barcode and Other Identifiers Matrix / Runout (Runout Groove Side A): 2009236-A1-C Matrix / Runout (Runout Groove Side B): 2009236-B1-C Label Code: LC 0299 Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls - YouTube Pet Shop Boys - West End Girls Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later.

Uploaded on Feb 10, 2010 Category

Question: Who had a 1985 UK hit with West End Girls?
Answer: Pet Shop Boys