London‘s electro-pop royalty PET SHOP BOYS scored their only No. 1 hit
in the US with WEST END GIRLS, today 40 years ago, on 10 May 1986.
The first version of the song was released on Columbia Records’ Bobcat
imprint in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States and some European countries.
It went to #1 in the UK in Jan 1986.
“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
“
Half of London‘s synth-pop giants Pet Shop Boys and their crystal clear voice NEIL TENNANT was born on 10 July 1954 in North Shields, Northumberland,
England.
Happy 70!
PSB have released 15 albums so far, with Nonetheless as their
most recent one. It came out last April. Here’s single Loneliness.
Sad news came in a couple of weeks ago. L.A.’s blues rock tandem Deap Vally – Lindsay Troy andJulie Edwards – one of the most exciting
and dynamite acts, of the past 10 years call it a day.
But not without a big bang. They say farewell with an extensive North America tour.
They’ll release a new vinyl edition of their superb debut LP Sistrionix, out Spring 2024.
The song fits Deap Vally like a glove. The sultry beat, the mid-tempo
blues swagger, the steamy drive, the awesome vocals. Feels like it was
written for them.
British famous singer-songwriter-producer Trevor Horn (now 74), who scored a No 1 UK hit in 1979 with his one-time project Buggles and their pop tune Video Killed The Radio Star (more than 323 million streams on Spotify) released an album of 11 covers yesterday. It’s called Echoes: Ancient & Modern. The record features several celebrities on vocals.
One of the covered songs is PERSONAL JESUS, the 24-Carat Depeche Mode classic
from 1990. Horn invited eternal punk IGGY POP to do the singing. An inch-perfect
decision. At the age of 76 he still sounds like he wants to be your dog. His performance here is bone-chilling.
British rap-punk duo SLEAFORD MODS released their
12th LP UK Grim last March, followed by an extensive
tour that will continue into 2024.
The mods will have a new limited-edition 7″ single out next month – pre-order infohere – with all profits going to Shelter, an organization that helps people with housing issues and homelessness.
Last week mega country star her 49th (!) LP. It’s called Rockstar.
Yep, Parton‘s first rock longplayer. It features mostly covers with big
name collaborations.
The supreme standout track is her cover of Purple Rain,
the 1984 blockbuster hit from late musical genius Prince.
British rap-punk duo SLEAFORD MODS released their
12th LP UK Grim last March, followed by an extensive
tour that will continue into 2024.
The mods will have a new limited-edition 7″ single out next month – pre-order infohere – with all profits going to Shelter, an organization that helps people with housing issues and homelessness.
Jason Williamson (SM’s voice/songwriter): “I’ve been listening to the Pet Shop Boys’ albums Please and Actually a lot, the music still fits this landscape so well. When Andrew suggested we cover ‘West End Girls,’ it was important to honour the track’s brilliance. So, when Neil and Chris gave the track their blessing our tiny minds were blown, and when we received their remix, it was almost too much. It was brilliant!”
You can now stream and/or watch the SM’s lively cover.
“A dramatic new song – almost 10 minutes long – features orchestral sounds and was
written by Chris as a classical-style instrumental piece. The lyrics, meanwhile, are taken
from a poem Neil Tennant had written. Pete Gleadall mixed the final track. The second
track is a lockdown version of Pet Shop Boys classic ‘West End girls’, a completely new
version of the classic song which debuted online in June 2020. Both tracks were recorded
during the first lockdown last year, with Chris and Neil recording their parts in their
respective homes.”
Enjoy here…
Along with this new one comes
a lockdown version of 1984 hit West End Girls…
