March 1985
They sign to Parlophone Records after long negotiations with Bobby O’, who relinquished his contractual rights over them in return for a substantial royalty on future record sales.
History
April 1985
On April 5th, Neil leaves Smash Hits. In the next issue an ‘obituary’ is written, bidding him a sad adieu and predicting that in a matter of weeks Neil’s pop duo, the Pet Shop Boys “will be down the dumper and he’ll come crawling back on bended knees, ha ha ha”. “I spoke to my mum on the telephone and said how we’d signed with EMI and she said “But you’re not going to give up your job, are you?” and I said, actually I did last week”.
July 1985
On July 1st, the first version of ‘Opportunities’ is released. It reached #116 in the UK.
August 1985
They play a short set as part of the ICA Rock Week in London, Chris showing off his skills on the trombone. Neil and Chris are interviewed on stage by Max Headroom. They re-record ‘West End girls’ with producer Stephen Hague the same month.
October 1985
‘West End girls’ is released on October 28th and goes to #1 in the UK in January. It is subsequently #1 in USA, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and Norway, selling 1.5 million copies. “People endlessly ask us what it’s like having a #1” says Neil at the time. “But what it feels like is vaguely nothing. It feels like having a cup of tea”.
On this day
1985
Although it’s not their first live appearance on the show, which won’t come for another week, the Pet Shop Boys receive their first mention on Top of the Pops as they enter the U.K. Top 40 for the first time: ‘West End Girls’ at position #40 on the nose during its gradual climb to #1.
1990
The Pet Shop Boys appear on BBC2’s Rapido to talk about their latest album, Behaviour.
1999
The Boys perform in Berlin, Germany.
2000
They meet in Los Angeles with Dr. Dre’s programmer, Camara Korman, about possibly working with him.
2003
BPI awards a U.K. gold record to PopArt.
2013
Neil Tennant is among thirty celebrities (also including Tracey Ullman and Holly Johnson) who, in an open letter to the Evening Standard, protest the pending demolition of London’s Earls Court arena by real estate developers. They argue that the famed Art Deco structure should instead be preserved and restored. (Unfortunately, it’s nevertheless subsequently demolished.)
2016
The Boys perform this evening at the ‘Poppodium’ in the Dutch city of Tilburg.
2017
Neil and Chris reportedly attend this evening’s performance of American composer Nico Muhly’s new opera Marnie by the English National Opera in London.
- Facts collated by geowayne.com