| abstract
| - Peel wasn't really a fan of the Pet Shop Boys, but on his show on 03 October 2002 he mentioned why he'd invited the duo for a session, which was broadcast on 10 October 2002: In the 1987 Smash Hits Readers Poll Neil Tennant voted Peel as "Best DJ". [1]
- Pet Shop Boys are a British pop duo formed in 1981, when Blackpool native Chris Lowe and Newcastle native Neil Tennant met by chance in an electronics store. Singer Neil and keyboardist Chris rocketed to fame with their first international hit, "West End Girls", in 1986, and dominated the #1 spot in the pop charts in Britain for another two years. The two became famous for their unique sound, which they famously described as "Che Guevara and Debussy to a disco beat". Behind the intensely danceable beats lie Chris Lowe's subtly skilful compositions and Neil Tennant's poetic lyrics. Tennant, a former editor and a professed bibliophile, gives a lot of the songs a literary bent. Despite popular misconceptions due to Tennant's typical dry delivery, their music is not inherently ironic. While they have done a few ironic songs ("Opportunities"), a surprising proportion of their songs are honestly emotional. Another interesting bit about their music is that Neil often plays a character in their songs, and not necessarily a male character. "I Made My Excuses and Left", for example, is him playing Cynthia Lennon walking in on John and Yoko and realizing her marriage is over. They are also successful producers and collaborators, having produced Dusty Springfield's Reputation and Liza Minnelli's Results, and having co-written or produced songs for Tina Turner, David Bowie, Robbie Williams, Electronic, Girls Aloud, Kylie Minogue, and The Killers. Many other artists are fans and have publicly cited them as influences, including Madonna, The Killers, Coldplay, George Michael, Belle and Sebastian, and, curiously enough, Axl Rose and Trent Reznor. Since "West End Girls", the duo have released ten studio albums and in 2009 received the "Outstanding Contribution to Music" award at the BRIT Awards.
- 'Pet Shop Boys' was the title of the b-side for the original Bobby Orlando version of 'West End Girls'. It was loosely based on the chord progression from 'West End Girls' as well. There were no lyrics, except for a trio of voices (none of them Neil or Chris) singing 'Pet Shop Boys' a couple of times.
- Founded: 1983 Headquarters: London, UK
- Los Pet Shop Boys es un grupo de synthpop, procedente del Reino Unido. Sus integrantes son Neil Tennant (voz principal y, ocasionalmente, sintetizadores y guitarra) y Chris Lowe (sintetizadores).
- Pet Shop Boys, (The) formed as Ketchup Boys in 1021. After band frontman Heinz became allergic to tomatoes, the band renamed itself Pet Shop Boys(the) and the band members moved to London. Their influences include Bill and Ben, the Brandon Flowers Shop Boys and Shlock, Aching and Wateringcan, composers of post-modern classical music. After swinging together for several years and attending elocution lessons at the 'How to Speak Northern' school to get rid of their German accent, Beanz suggested to Heinz that they improvise thrash metal music using guitars fashioned entirely from the skin, hair and bones of ex-Coronation Street stars. A name change followed and Heinz Beanz became Neil Tennament-Building (after the Doctor Who actor of the same name) and Chris Lowe-Brow. So excited was Neil by his newly discovered Northern accent, another band name change was nearly to be. Fortunately Chris Lowe-Brow took away Neil's supply of Special K so the Pet Shop Boyos (the) were never to be. They shot to fame with their first single Thinly-veiled metaphor for the relationship between camp theatre luvvies and rough trade in London, performing the song in hot venues in New Bjork City, London and their former home city Berlin. Their first album is simply titled "Fundamental elysium bilingual release: the most incredible thing,Very introspective nightlife behaviour, concrete battleship, actually potemkin pop or is it art or is it Disco I, II, III and IV yes Christmas Together please?!". The album became a massive hit all over the world and included the hits "Boring beings", "Go II waste" and "Say I diva, eh?". Neil giggled 'We loved the idea of our fans walking into a gramophone record shop and saying can I have a copy of "Fundamental elysium, bilingual release: the most incredible thing,Very introspective nightlife behaviour, concrete battleship, actually potemkin pop or is it art or is it Disco I, II, III and IV yes Christmas Together please?!" ?!' Unfortunately their success nearly wasn't to be when a crazed lesbian Spanish stalker, and self-confessed necrophiliac, also known as Lydia Tetrabrik, bashed their heads in with a frozen pizza before blowing a pepper flavoured kiss on their putrid corpses during an album signing. She later complained that she did it because they couldn't understand her pigin Spanish. Nevertheless their cause was taken up by The Finnish Spectacle Movement, an inoffensive group of self-proclaimed intellectuals, who planned to release a tribute album entitled 'In Spite of Spite' a biting social satire about liberialism and sodomy. They have already been described in most European intellectual circles as 'probably worse than sonic paedophilia.' (Source: Nickname Speculation resource) Fortunately, it turned out the the duo at the signing were two 'look-a-likees' because Neil and Chris couldn't be bothered to turn up. 'We don't do public' Neil was heard to say at the opening of 'Crap, crap and more farty arty crap' at the White Square Saatchi Athena Gallery. The Finnish Spectacle Movement is now planning to pay tribute to the long defunct and little known boy band 'Erasure Head'. For years, speculation raged over the sexuality of the 'Boys'. Neil said 'We didn't want people to know we are straight. It would have been seen as a bad career move, so we put people off the scent by working with gay icons. Liza Minelli, Kylie Minogue, Ian McKellan, Dusty Springfield really helped deflect any ideas that we are straight. All the outfits we wore at the live shows were designed to keep people guessing and working with Derek Jarman was sheer genius! Chris wearing full black leather outfit including a cap just continued with the fake gay macho persona' 'The defining moment for fooling the public that we are straight was working with Spruce Webber for the video Boring Beings. A nude man jumping up and down on a trampoline really put them off the scent' states Neil in the now infamous interview for 'Look In' magazine. 'I wish a naked man would jump up and down on my trampoline' Chris was heard saying just before leaving the interview in a huff. 'I know, I'll write a tune about it and one day release it as a b-side to a single. Up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down' 'Wow, these lyrics write themselves said Chris. 'Don't be silly' Neil is rumoured to have replied. 'I do the lyrics and you do the music. Up and down and up and down and up and down and up and down and up up up and down down down'. To this day, Chris remains tight lipped about his lifestyle choice, though he is known to hang out at the "Blackpool Home for Dyslexic Keyboard Players". A spokesman for the home said 'Chris is always popping in and showing us his organ. Some of our older residents love to get to grips with it and have a good play'. Chris and Neil (the) also love the internet, contributing to the many fan sites that celebrate their lives, though Neil finds it hard to stop boasting about his own collection of PSB collectables. 'I can't help myself. I'm always boasting about the latest cd's. I've even got an unopened CD-R of our 2017 release 'More bleedin'Techno' which we haven't even recorded yet!' Chris also finds the internet a useful outlet for his overwhelming bubbling persona. 'I've got so much to say, time rarely allows me to saying everything in all the interviews I do' Future projects include a musical about Dale Winton titled 'Trollied', which on the surface appears to be a lightweight cheesy show about life as a supermarket quiz show host but is actually a biting satire about a crack-head's life and her obesssion with the A-list celebrity. 'We saw Les Miserables and thought it was the greatest show ever written'. Neil adds, 'But we knew we could do better, what do the French know about musicals?! You know Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice met in a pet shop (the) so all the signs are there!' The musical that followed "Further from Hell" was a world-wide smash garnering raves from critics. The show, which followed the lives of druggies and clubbers (of which PSB have little knowledge of) entertained and wooed audiences with a scene re-creating a psychedelic 'Special K' trip. Chris said 'I had to eat forty boxes of Kellogs 'Special K' to get any effect before I could get a feel for the what the effect might be. The strongest drug I've ever tried was a Junior Disprin when I was 3, so it was quite a stretch to imagine what is was like' Jack Stinker from the Daily Wail said 'It's the best thing to hit the West End stage since "Mousetrap the Musical" starring Tom and Jerry' and the show has been running (in the minds of Neil and Chris) ever since. At the opening night, Sir Pauline McCartney of McIntrye and West London was quoted as saying 'If only the Beatles had a psychedelic theme in some our songs we may still together now innit' The Boys(the) turned down the chance to write a musical farce about a much loved and adored PSB (the) fan named Drico. 'Sadly his ego is bigger than mine' said Neil at the first workshop 'so there won't be a musical about him for some time' waffled Chris. 'Twat', 'I'm a total Twat' and 'Yes, I am a Twat actually' were all working titles said be considered by the Boys (the the the). 'Now we're not doing a musical about the twat, we're hoping he'll write something on the Erasurehead forums for while' said Neil. 'Or just jump off a cliff' said Chris in a rare show of emotion. PSB (the) are often called in to save the careers of fading megastars. Neil came to Madonna's (for it is she) rescue by producing, writing, sampling, singing and designing the artwork for the multi-platinum hit 'Confessions of a Prance Whore'. Her Madgesty was said to be delighted by the results and thanked all her fans who bought the album by touring world-wide and only charging £1 a ticket. The tour sold out (in so many ways) in just over 14 months, beating the record set by Madonna's sister Kylie Minogue who sold out her tour (and career) in just over 15 months. In 2009, Neil and Chris (the they) saved yet another former megastar's career. Sir Shirley Bassey (for it is he) had not been seen in public since D-Day after singing 'White Cliff Richards of Dover' at the gates of Buckingham Palace. Neil convinced the Scottish legend to record 'The performance of my wife' at the famous Abbey National studios in North West London and after eleven years of getting the levels right the final mix was performed at the Squarehouse near Ramadam High Street. Sadly Sir Bassey's voice was, as ever, exceptionally quiet and no-one noticed. PSB (the) also rescued the career of the former superstar podgster Robot Williams. 'Robot's performance at our BBC Radio 2 show was fantastic!' said Neil. 'He even even changed the lyrics to Jealousy and made it an even better song. I'm a bit annoyed though. Radio 2 edited the song and made it sound like Robot knew all the words' he continued. Robot said "I love the The (the) Pet Shop Boys. I've bought both their albums. My favourite songs are 'Tainted Love' and 'Oh L'amour'". PSB (the) and Robot are said to be producing a classic dance floor, ballad, r'n'b epic. Robot said 'Neil and Andy defined the hip hop era and I can't wait to work with them.' The album was finally released in October 2006 and contained just three tracks. 'We're the Pet Shop Boys', 'We're Pet Shop Boys the' and 'I'm not a Pet Shop Boy, just an lounge singer with a few issues checking into re-hab'. The Boys (for it is they) also remixed the single "Read My Behind" by the little known rubber band "The Drillers" and the band has enjoyed international success ever since appearing on top rated tv shows including 'This Afternoon' with Janet and John, 'The Hair Bear Bunch' on ITV2 + 1 - 3 and BBC Radio Bore's famous "Starter Island Discettes". Represented by the frontperbody Brandon Flowerpot Head, he chose the following records: "Being Boring", "Boring Beings", "Being Boring - Ian Ravine Disco Mix" and "Boring Beings, the Being Bored Megamix". Brandon said on air "When I was four, I only had enough money to buy "Fundamental elysium bilingual release: the most incredible thing,Very introspective nightlife behaviour, concrete battleship, actually potemkin pop or is it art or is it Disco I, II, III and IV yes Christmas Together please?!"?!" or "The Best of Smyths" a one track CD featuring the song "Murder is Meaty". Fortunately I picked The Smyths album which I listened too in mummy's car all the way home. The following week, "Fundamental elysium bilingual release: the most incredible thing,Very introspective nightlife behaviour, concrete battleship, actually potemkin pop or is it art or is it Disco I, II, III and IV yes Christmas Together please?!"was in the $1 discount bin so I bought that then" waffled Brandon wondering where he was. In a shock announcement, The Boys(the) retired when they released a bonus their album in March 2009. Titled 'No: Boys Aloud meets The Drillers', Neil stated 'I've been a fan of Brandon Flower Pothead since I was a child, so I thought it was about time we did a tribute to him. Boys Aloud are almost as good as us at miming on television and I love being drilled'. In retirement, Neil also hopes to replace Cheryl Coalface on the X Factory next year. 'I would love to judge the great unwashed on ITV and tell them that they can't sing as well as me or Daniel Minogue. My accent is nearly as annnoying as Cheryl's so Sir Lady Cowell CBE of 'Take the money and Run before anyone realising that this really is shite LTD' should give me a chance'. 'Ooooeee' said Chris. 'Can I press the button and make the big X flash on during the auditions?' 'You've been pushing buttons all your life' jibed Neil, 'so I think it's my turn to sit there pushing buttons while you get on the stage and work your fucking arse off miming to second rate cover versions of Village People tracks'. (Someone pass the valium.....ed). Retirement was brief however when they realised that putting a few loops together in Garageband and releasing them as a new album every three years was a piece of piss, so Pet Shop Boys (the The THE) continue to entertain themselves as a double act. In 2011, Pet Shop Boys (The The The The), decided to create a ballet dance prance piece. Called 'An Inedible Thing' it opened to raving reviews on the 22nd March. 'I really wanted to create something inedible for most audiences' stated Neil during an interview on the wireless radio station Jurassic FM. 'Chris learnt to read last year and his first book he managed to read every page of was by Hans Christian Gerry Sylvia Anderson creator of Thunderbirds and the Ugly Ducky Wucky. His second book was called 'The Inedible Thing' and we thought we could make it more inedible by working with a world class choreographer. Unfortunately he wasn't available so we used Javier Tooty Frooty who helped make it the most inedible ballet, prance dance extravaganza ever!' Fortunately ever ticket was sold before the previews so no-one could get their money back when they realised that 'The Most Inedible Thing' really was an inedible as Neil hoped. The next prance piece planned by PSB (Thhhhhhe) 'The Emperors New Clothes' is not, as originally thought written by Hans Christian Gerry Sylvia Anderson' but an biography about the work of the 'Boys'. In 2013, The The the the the Pet Shop Boys (the) announced they had signed a new contract with Parlogroan, EMI Inc. Unfortunately, it turned out to be a contract for Chris Lowe's broadband service with Virgin Mediocre, so the Boys decided to leave Parlyfarlygroan anyway and watch lots of Sky Sports HD. "I love watching sport" said Chris 'especially when they interview those big strong guys in the dressing room taking off their tight shorts" A few weeks later Sir Lord and Lady Chris and Neil announced that they had formed a new record label called 2 ÷ 0. Chris said "It's so easy to run a record label! All you do it write a song in GarageBand on my iPad, and email it to them when they buy it. It's cool! I've sold two copies of our new single so far!! We should have done this years ago....'
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