Amazon
Amazon are bizarrely crediting the “Discovery” DVD/CD release to James Taylor and with artwork showing a German singer… We’re still waiting for them to correct it and apologise.
Bigmouth
Neil Tennant is a guest on the fifth anniversary episode of the podcast “Bigmouth”. Link below.
Covers album
A Berlin-based independent label is releasing an album of PSB covers this Friday on digital download and limited-edition cassette. Full details at the link below.
Beyond the hits
Contributors to the online magazine, The Quietus, have chosen their favourite PSB songs that were not released as singles. Link below.
Taxi-driver
Classic question from a taxi-driver in London today! “So are you still making music and is the other one still a vicar?” Neil x
Dust
A recently published book,”The Closest Thing to Heaven”, focuses on the Newcastle music scene in the 70s and 80s and includes this 1971 image of Neil in his first group, Dust. More book details at the links below.
Happy Birthday, Liza!
Happy 75th Birthday, Liza Minnelli! A true star. Love, Neil and Chris xx (Photo: by Terry O'Neill)
Number one
“Opportunities” has this week risen to number one on the Billboard Dance/Electronic Digital Song Sales chart in the USA. “West End girls” is now number 9 on the same chart.
Winner
Congratulations to Frances Barber for winning Best Lead Performance in a Musical at the Off West End Theatre Awards (the “Offies”) tonight for “Musik” at the Leicester Square Theatre!
Opportunities
Following its use in a TV commercial broadcast after the Super Bowl in the USA, “Opportunities” has charted in the Billboard Dance/Electronic chart at number 5. Full story below.
It’s a sin
The ground-breaking TV drama series “It’s a Sin” has apparently led to a big increase in streaming of the PSB classic song it takes its title from. Link to the full story below.
Firebird
Peeter Rebane directed the video for our single “Together” in Estonia in 2010. Now he has directed a feature film called “Firebird”. Read about it at the links below. Neil x
YouTube videos
Two official Pet Shop Boys music videos, the HD version of “Paninaro” and the extended version of “Domino dancing”, including three and a half minutes of additional audio and video, are now available to watch on the PSB YouTube channel. Links below.
"It's a sin"
Olly Alexander of Years & Years has recorded a beautiful version of “It’s a sin” to coincide with the new TV drama series of the same name in which he stars and which starts on Channel 4 in the UK tonight. Links below. Neil x
Pointless
PSB questions are answered in this popular British TV show. Link below.
Off West End Awards
Finalists for this year’s Off West End Awards have been announced, ahead of a ceremony in February. Nicknamed The Offies, the awards look to celebrate small-scale theatre productions in London. Congratulations to Frances Barber who has been nominated for Best Lead Performance in “Musik” at the Leicester Square Theatre last year. Full list of nominees below.
Film locations
If you’ve watched the reissue of “It Couldn’t Happen Here”, you might be interested in this short film of the seaside locations then and now. Link below.
Bruce Springsteen
“I love the Pet Shop Boys!” Bruce Springsteen plays two PSB songs on his latest Sirius radio show. Full story at the link below.