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
1998
A various-artists book-with-CD compilation titled We Love You is released. The CD consists mostly of somewhat techno-oriented collaborations, including the first appearance of the Pet Shop Boys’ pairing with Sam Taylor-Wood on ‘Je T’Aime… Moi Non Plus.’
2000
Neil records vocals for the song ‘Motoring,’ after which the Boys go out to celebrate Neil’s sister’s birthday.
2005
They play their newly completed album Fundamental to their management and various friends, including Janet Street-Porter and Mark Farrow. The initial order of tracks, however, will later be scrapped for a new running order.
2006
The Pet Shop Boys conclude their North American Fundamental Tour with a show in Monterrey, Mexico.
2015
This evening Chris attends a performance of the one-woman show An Audience with Princess Julia at the London bar/cabaret/theatre The Glory. On the Boys’ official website, Chris writes, ‘So many great memories. An absolute legend of the London fashion and club scene!’
2016
Tonight the Pet Shop Boys end the U.S. leg of their Super Tour with a show at the Jackie Gleason Center in Miami Beach.
2018
They work with Stuart Price on the tracks ‘Monkey Business’ and ‘Collector’s Item.’ Mid-day they walk to the Christmas market at Potsdamer Platz for lunch.
2021
Neil and Chris attend the Soft Cell concert this evening at London’s Hammersmith Apollo (now formally the Eventim Apollo, but still popularly referred to by its older name). Afterward they post on their website how much they loved the show and note that Chris and Soft Cell’s David Ball had attended the same school in Blackpool.
2023
Neil’s performance singing ‘Cricket Wife’ and ‘Legacy’ with orchestral accompaniment, recorded six days earlier in Berlin, is broadcast this evening on Sven Helbig’s radio show.
2024
The Boys are in Chris’s hometown of Blackpool, where they perform on this evening’s edition of the TV show Strictly Come Dancing.
- Facts collated by geowayne.com