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History

July 1975

After completing a degree in history at the Polytechnic of North London, Neil takes a job at Marvel Comics, anglicizing spellings and indicating where over-risque woman needed to be redrawn decently. While there he interviews comic fan Marc Bolan, who politely points out that his tape recorder wasn’t working. In 1977 he works at Macdonald Educational Publishing, later moving to ITV Books. In June 1982, he joins Smash Hits.

On this day

1979

The Village People’s ‘Go West’—which of course will later be covered by the Pet Shop Boys—debuts on the U.S. singles chart.

2002

The Boys perform in Toronto, Canada.

2015

Chris and Neil are working in Germany on new music. They begin composing a song for the upcoming wedding of their friend artist Thilo Heinzmann. (This will eventually become ‘Wedding in Berlin.’) This afternoon, however, they take time to play tourist in the former ‘model socialist city’ of Eisenhüttenstadt in eastern Germany, guided by their friend and collaborator, composer/orchestrator Sven Helbig.

2016

Chris posts a short message and photo on the official PSB website: ‘Nice to be back in Ibiza.’ He and Neil are there for the International Music Summit, where they are slated to appear as guest speakers.