On February 28 the Pet Shop Boys begin a short, four-concert Russian tour, visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg, inspired by their visit to St. Petersburg to see Brian Eno the previous summer. In Moscow they perform twice in one night, once in a large arena then later in the middle of an over-crowded nightclub. The local media ask them whether they speak Russian, “We’re very good at saying ‘nyet’,” they explain.
On April 13, Twentieth Century Blues: The Songs of Noel Coward is released. It is an album of Noel Coward songs covered by contemporary musicians, co-compiled by Neil, who has been working on it for the past eighteen months. He has loved Noel Coward’s music since he first heard it in about 1970. “I think as a songwriter he’s slightly underrated,” Neil says, “simply because his plays are so famous, and people forget.” The Pet Shop Boys do a version of “Sail Away”, and amongst the other interpreters are Elton John, Paul McCartney, Suede, Robbie Williams and the Divine Comedy. “We tried to choose artists,” Neil explains, “who somehow seem to be in the Noel Coward tradition of wit, theatrically and style.” To promote the album, Neil appeared along on TFI Friday where he sang along with a busker playing Pet Shop Boys songs on an acoustic guitar.
At the request of their former American record company, the Pet Shop Boys agreed to the release of ‘Essential Pet Shop Boys’, a compilation of early Pet Shop Boys songs recorded between 1985 — 1990, including a number of rare remixes, as part of a series of limited edition CDs by other artists.
At the behest of director Gus Van Sant, the Pet Shop Boys wrote a new song, with Tom Stephan, at extremely short notice for the soundtrack of Van Sant’s remake of ‘Psycho’. It is called “Screaming”. “It’s about an obsessive fan, written from the obsessive fan’s point of view,” Neil says. “Or actually just by someone obsessed with someone who doesn’t love them.”
The PSB medley of ‘Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can’t Take My Eyes Off You)’ debuts on the U.S. singles chart.
Neil is one of many celebrities who attend Ian McKellen’s 60th birthday party at London’s Royal Garden Hotel. There he meets Monica Lewinsky, who has become a friend and frequent guest of Sir Ian’s.
The Pet Shop Boys receive the Ivor Novello Award for Outstanding Contribution to British Music.
They appear on NBC’s Today show in New York City and then travel to Philadelphia for their evening concert there. After the show they meet with fans, signing autographs and responding to questions.
Working in Pete Gleadall’s studio, they edit the Potemkin track ‘Men and Maggots’ to reduce its length on the album. Meanwhile, Trevor Horn continues production work on Fundamental at Sarm West, during which he plays bass on ‘Luna Park.’
The Boys perform at the Wolverhampton (U.K.) Civic Hall.
Chris and Neil guest on BBC Radio 2 in a program titled Pet Shop Boys: Wired, in which they choose and play their favorite electro-pop music of the past decade.
They conclude the Latin American leg of their Electric Tour with a concert in Bogotá, Colombia.
Chris begins composing a track he calls ‘Avant Garde,’ which will soon evolve into ‘A New Bohemia.’
The Pet Shop Boys perform tonight in Bournemouth, U.K.