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.”
Mini is released in Japan.
The Boys fly to Moscow to attend a Marilyn Manson concert.
Neil is one of a number of celebrities attending Bananarama’s 20th anniversary show at London’s G‑A-Y nightclub, during which ex-member Siobhan Fahey reunites onstage with her former bandmates for several songs.
They work in the studio on several songs in progress, and then write a brand new one, ‘The Resurrectionist.’
Chris has a cold. Nevertheless, he and Neil continue working in the studio on ‘Your Early Stuff.’
Adam Tressler records guitar parts for ‘Breathing Space,’ after which the Boys discuss, as they put it, the ‘direction to take’ on the song.
Neil appears today on Stuart Maconie’s ‘First, Last and Everything’ segment on BBC Radio 6.
The official PSB website announces that Chris and Neil have recorded a ‘dramatic’ new song, ‘Cricket Wife,’ which will soon be released on a bonus CD single accompanying the next edition of their Annually publication.
Neil joins Jake Shears this morning on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room for a live performance of ‘Rent.’
Exactly one year after their previous appearance on the show, Neil and Chris guest on BBC Radio 2’s Piano Room to perform ‘Left to My Own Devices,’ their new single ‘Loneliness,’ and a cover of David Bowie’s ‘All the Young Dudes,’ accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra conducted by Anne Dudley. During a question-and-answer session, the Boys are surprised and delighted that one of the questions comes from fellow rock/pop star Rod Stewart, who asks them which football teams they support. Chris responds ‘Arsenal… and Blackpool, obviously’ (being a Blackpool native), whereas Neil admits to not really being a fan but nevertheless taking an interest in his hometown team of Newcastle.