On August 19th, Neil and Chris meet by chance in an electronics shop on the Kings Road. Realizing they have a common interest in dance music, they begin to write together. Initially they call themselves West End; later they come up with the name Pet Shop Boys, a name derived from some friends who work in a pet shop in Ealing. “We thought it sounded like an English rap group”.
In New York, Neil and Chris have a photo session with famed photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. As they later observe, they were well aware at the time that he was ill with AIDS and ‘didn’t look terribly well.’
Dusty Springfield performs the PSB-penned ‘Nothing Has Been Proved’ on Top of the Pops.
The Boys continue work on ‘The Sodom and Gomorrah Show’ and then begin a new song, ‘Indefinite Leave to Remain.’
The Tennant-Lowe ballet The Most Incredible Thing had been scheduled to have its U.S. premiere this evening at the Knight Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina, performed by the Charlotte Ballet—the first of nine performances slated through March 18. But unfortunately this evening’s show (and that of the following afternoon) had to be canceled on account of what was described as ‘a critical mechanical failure.’ (Affected customers were offered replacement tickets for a subsequent performance.)