Have I ever mentioned how much I like the Pet Shop Boys music? I can’t really remember when I first heard them, or what the first song was that I liked, but now, when I’m writing I usually have them playing in the background. I’m probably telling you what you already know, that they are two guys – one who’s the singer, the other on keyboard, and they write their own numbers which I guarantee you will recognise, even if you don’t remember their name.
Neil Tennant, the singer has the most distinctive and recognisable voice which for some reason really resonates with me – as if I know him, but of course I don’t. Chris Lowe the keyboard player is recognisable in videos and pictures for always wearing a peaked cap and dark glasses. Their genre is synth-pop, and i know many people actively dislike the sound – even though I bet they sing along with their songs (maybe subconsciously!) whenever they hear them! The Pet Shop Boys continue to be popular, and any concerts and gigs are complete sell-outs
Neil and Chris came across each other in a music and record shop –
They “met in a hi-fi shop, Chelsea Record Centre, at 203 King’s Road, in Chelsea, London, on 19 August 1981. Tennant needed a connector for a Korg MS-10 synthesiser he had purchased,which sparked a conversation with Lowe. Discovering their mutual interest in disco and electronic music, they became friends. Both musicians had an affinity for the synth-pop duos Soft Cell and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark.“
Wikipedia
I’d regularly gone to discos through the seventies, and was a fan of disco music, but this was before the Pet Shop Boys existed. No doubt I heard their music in the 1980’s on the radio, long after I still went to discos but I never bought any of their albums. I still don’t possess any of their music, but now I see them perform on YouTube, and often have it playing in the background as I’m writing. Intriguing and meaningful lyrics most with a story behind them, compelling music – if you like that style, and intriguing stage personas and performance. I also recommend their videos, the 1993 version of “Go West” is gloriously surreal, and their version of “Always on my Mind”, also featuring Joss Ackland as a very baleful and disturbing character, which is equally sinister and disquieting.
I don’t suppose I’m ever going to see them live, they gig much less now, and I’m sure every event is very expensive and a complete sell-out. At least I’ve got YouTube!
Lois Elsden 