On May 2 the Pet Shop Boys appear at Heaven nightclub in London, playing a four song set as part of Can You Bear It?, a benefit for Dainton Connell’s family. For the final song they are joined by Suggs and Carl from Madness, in rambunctious high spirits, to perform a dance version of Madness’s “My Girl”: “It was a very emotional night”.
On October 27 a Pet Shop Boys-produced single by the British artist Sam Taylor-Wood, “I’m in love with a German film star”, is released on the cult German dance label Kompakt. It is the Pet Shop Boys’ third collaboration with Sam Taylor-Wood though the previous one was released under the pseudonym Kiki Kokova. The song is an electronic reinterpretation of the 1981 single by the Passions, a suggestion of Neil’s.
This year’s annual Christmas single from the Killers — “Joseph (Better You Than Me)” — is originally planned as a collaboration between The Killers and Elton John. Neil gets involved after Brandon Flowers asks for help with the lyric; in the end Neil’s short section of guide vocal for the lyric he contributes will remain in the final song when it is made available for download.
Liza Minnelli begins recording the vocals for her album Results, produced and largely written by the Pet Shop Boys. This will be the first of five consecutive nights of session work.
Chris and Neil begin work on a new version of ‘Paninaro,’ which will eventually become ‘Paninaro ’95.’
Chris and Neil write a new song, ‘China.’ Afterwards (‘rather appropriately,’ as Neil puts it), they have dinner with singer Gary Barlow at the London Chinese restaurant Mr. Chow’s.
They work in the studio on ‘Breathing Space’ and ‘Night and the City.’
The Boys perform tonight in Phoenix, Arizona.