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 first-ever live public performance by the Pet Shop Boys takes place in Ostende, Belgium. They mime to ‘West End Girls,’ with Chris using a keyboard borrowed from another band.
Suddenly inspired by an offhand comment made by their friend Janet Street-Porter, Chris and Neil decide on the title Results for the album they’ve just produced for Liza Minnelli.
The Boys perform at London’s Gay Pride Festival.
The Release Tour comes to Paris.
In anticipation of their performance the following Sunday at the ‘T in the Park’ festival at Balado Airfield, a particularly delightful, light-hearted interview with the Boys by journalist Aiden Smith appears in the Scotland on Sunday newspaper. Neil and Chris subsequently take issue with a couple of apparent misquotes, but they’re still pleased enough to link to it on their official website.
After having recording equipment set up in Neil’s London house, they work on ‘Give It a Go,’ with Neil supplying new vocals.
The Pet Shop Boys perform in Tallinn, Estonia. (Earlier in the day, Chris had gotten a haircut at the city’s popular ‘FashionHair’ salon.)
Neil works at London’s Metropolis Studios with Pete Gleadall and Andy Baldwin to master the tracks for Musik. Later this evening he attends a new production of Closer to Heaven.
The CD single of ‘A New Bohemia’ is released today.