On March 19 two books by Chris Heath – Literally from 1990, and Pet Shop Boys versus America from 1993 – were reissued by the Penguin imprint Cornerstone, completely redesigned by Farrow design, and new introductions and afterwords written by the Pet Shop Boys and Chris Heath.
On April 21, Discovery, the film of the Pet Shop Boys 1994 South American tour – “the tour I enjoyed the most,” Chris notes – is released on DVD, accompanied by the release for the first time of a CD of their performance.
On May 7, a new Pet Shop Boys song, the ten-minute “Cricket wife”, is released on CD (accompanied by “West End girls (New lockdown version)”) with the periodical Annually 2021. “Cricket wife”, written during lockdown, began as an extended piece of music created by Chris. “My mum asked me if I would write a piece of classical music for her,” he explains. “I thought, ‘Well, I’ve got nothing else better to do.’ ‘Classical’ in inverted commas, obviously – I’m no classical composer. In the style of classical music.” When Neil received it, it struck him that it might fit a poem he had written some years before. “It’s really about my parents,” he says. “My father played cricket for many years.”
On December 26, the Pet Shop Boys host a three-hour radio show, Pet Shop Boys, Takeover, on BBC Radio 2 between 9pm and midnight, playing a selection of favourite songs; a broadcast also billed by Radio 2 as “Neil and Chris’s Unpredictable Party Playlist”. (The show has been pre-recorded on the afternoon of December 13.) The Pet Shop Boys have recorded five new jingles for the show, titled “Takeover”, “Strings”, “Beautiful”, “Boxing Day” and “Electric”, and introduce a joyously eclectic selection of music, including records by Matt Monro, Alcazar, Paul Weller (their recent remix of his song “Cosmic Fringes”), Gloria Ann Taylor, Eric Prydz, Françoise Hardy and The 1975. “We’ve only ever done radio when we can play records that we want,” says Chris. “I love doing radio. There’s something very satisfying about broadcasting to the nation.”
Derek Jarman records in his diary, ‘Neil Tennant and his friend Jay arrive for tea.’
Chris and Neil take part in shooting the video for ‘Paninaro ’95.’
‘Somewhere’ is released as a single.
The Boys perform in Leipzig, Germany.
They begin work on two brand new songs, ‘Shouting in the Evening’ and ‘Give It a Go.’
Despite an earlier attempt to persuade them to cancel the show in protest of Israel’s policies with regard to Palestinians, the Pet Shop Boys bring their Electric Tour show to Tel Aviv this evening.
They work on a new song titled ‘Will You Love Me?’
They complete work on their wedding-present track, ‘Wedding in Berlin.’
Neil is among an estimated 50,000 people from across the U.K. political spectrum who march in London today to protest ‘Brexit’ – Britain’s pending exit from the European Union. This same evening, Dusty, a new ‘jukebox musical’ based on the life of Dusty Springfield, makes its world debut at Theatre Royal in the city of Bath. Written by Jonathan Harvey (who had previously collaborated with PSB on their own musical Closer to Heaven) and starring Katherine Kingsley, it includes a climactic rendition of ‘What Have I Done to Deserve This?’
Neil, playwright Jonathan Harvey, and singer-actress Frances Barber tape their appearance as guests on Graham Norton’s BBC Radio 2 show to talk about the Boys’ new cabaret stage show Musik starring Ms. Barber. (It will air the following Saturday.)
Neil visits the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool. When evening comes, he and Chris perform their Dreamworld Tour show at that city’s M&S Bank Arena.