January 1988
‘I’m Not Scared’, a song the Pet Shop Boys have written and produced for Patsy Kensit, is released as a single by her group Eighth Wonder, and is their first hit.
History
February 1988
At the BPI Awards, the Pet Shop Boys win the Best Group award. They also mime to ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ on stage with Dusty Springfield. Afterwards Neil comments, “It’s kind of macho nowadays to prove you can cut it live, I quite like proving that we can’t cut it live. We’re a pop group, not a rock ’n’ roll group”.
March 1988
A different mix of ‘Heart’ is released as a single on March 21st and reaches #1 in the UK. “It’s a real disco song — the idea of ‘heartbeat’ the beat of the record and the beat of your heart. It’s actually pretty corny, to be honest, but I think the words are quite sweet and sincere”. The video, shot in Yugoslavia, is a resetting of the Dracula story with Ian McKellen in the title role.
May 1988
For the second year running, the Pet Shop Boys win the Best International Hit award at the Ivor Novello Awards, this time for ‘It’s a sin’.
June 1988
Ian McKellen persuades the Pet Shop Boys to play live at an anti-Clause 28 benefit, Before The Act, at London’s Piccadilly Theatre, performing ‘It’s a sin’ and ‘One more chance’. “A brilliant event”, they say afterwards.
July 1988
‘It couldn’t happen here’ is released on July 8th to mixed reviews: it wins an award at the Houston film festival.
August 1988
The Pet Shop Boys win the Berolina award in Germany for ‘Group of the Year’. The award is presented to them by Miss Venezuela.
September 1988
On September 12th, ‘Domino dancing’ is released, a song they recorded that February in Miami with Expose producer, Lewis Martinee. They shoot a video in Puerto Rico and appeared with a full Latin band on Wogan and Top Of The Pops.
October 1988
On October 10th, their new album ‘Introspective’ is released. It is so called because “all the songs, although it’s a dance album, are introspective”. The title was chosen after considering and dismissing ‘f’, ‘Dogmatic’, ‘Bounce’ and ‘Hello’. They explain that ‘Introspective’ sounds serious, like an art exhibition: “Nick Rhodes”, says Chris at the time, “will be so jealous”.
November 1988
On November 14th, ‘Left to my own devices’ is released: “an exaggerated autobiography”. The second verse refers to a time when Neil’s mother would worry about him because he’d wait in a corner of the back garden pretending to be a Roundhead soldier.
On this day
1990
Electronic’s ‘Getting Away with It,’ co-written by Neil and with him on background vocals, debuts on the U.S. singles chart. This same afternoon, an ill Derek Jarman is visited at home by Neil and several other friends. Jarman records in his diary, ‘We had a wild half an hour with Neil at his best.’ Neil notes that he and Chris are about to head off to Germany to work on their next album.
1998
The limited-edition Essential CD is released in the U.S. and Japan.
2007
The Pet Shop Boys arrive in Sydney for their first visit to Australia since 1994. Their first day there, they perform at Sydney’s V Festival along with Beck, Gnarls Barkley, the reformed Pixies, and various other artists. Unfortunately, someone enters Neil’s dressing room just before the show and steals his custom-made black long-tailed Dior coat, valued at more than £1,500, which he would otherwise have worn during their performance.
2011
In addition to completing their remix of the Hidden Cameras’ ‘Colour of a Man,’ started the day before, they begin work on a brand new song, ‘Night and the City.’
2022
In a ceremony in Durham Cathedral, Neil receives an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from Durham University.
- Facts collated by geowayne.com