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”.
The third collection of PSB videos, Promotion, is released.
Neil records what he describes as ‘Arabic flamenco nonsense vocals’ for the track ‘The Day Before Tomorrow,’ which ultimately evolves into ‘God Willing.’
The first of no fewer than eight performances over the course of the next week-and-a-half by the Pet Shop Boys and Take That at the Manchester Stadium.
The Pet Shop Boys perform this evening in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In Berlin, they begin work on ‘Omar’s Theme’ for My Beautiful Laundrette.
Neil works on a track that will soon evolve into ‘The Secret of Happiness.’