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.”
‘It’s Alright’ is released as a single.
Chris and Neil are among the celebrity guests attending a lavish private party in Hertfordshire celebrating George Michael’s 30th birthday.
The Boys work with Danny Tenaglia on a new song, ‘Before.’
They bring their Release Tour to Brussels, Belgium.
Chris and Neil take a break from the European leg of the Fundamental Tour to do some sightseeing in Bilbao, Spain, including the Guggenheim Museum there.
They perform in Leipzig.
Ten years (plus two days) after their first appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, the Pet Shop Boys perform there once again. Their set is broadcast live on BBC3 TV.
While Neil is out taking a morning walk, Chris begins working on a track that will eventually become ‘Pazzo!’
The Super Tour comes to Baden-Baden, Germany.
Neil records vocals for ‘The Schlager Hit Parade.’
Exactly twelve years to the day since their previous appearance at the Glastonbury Festival, the Pet Shop Boys perform there an abbreviated version of their Dreamworld Tour setlist. A technical glitch, however, results in Chris not appearing at the beginning of their performance, leaving Neil at first the only Pet Shop Boy onstage and causing many fans to wonder ‘Where’s Chris?’ Chris soon makes his appearance, however. Later, special guest Olly Alexander joins them for the song ‘Dreamland,’ and the Boys dedicate their closing song, ‘Being Boring,’ to the victims of the preceding day’s terrorist attack on a gay club in Oslo, Norway.
The PSB Dreamworld Tour comes to Brighton.
Pet Shop Boys perform in Amsterdam.