From the British music industry journal, “Music Week”: Pet Shop Boys are facing a close battle with Ronan Keating as they look to score their first number one album in the UK in more than 15 years. The duo’s new Parlophone-issued album “Yes” is presently around 1,200 units ahead of Keating’s Polydor release “Songs For My Mother”, according to early retail reports, but the story is made more complicated by the PSB album having accidentally ended up on iTunes three days early last week. It is understood around 2,500 sales of the album achieved on the Apple site following its premature release there last Friday will not count towards this coming week’s chart as they will be recognised as sales from last week instead. Pet Shop Boys, who won the outstanding contribution award at this year’s Brits, have only topped the albums chart once before. “Very” reached number one in October 1993.
Pet Shop Boys are pleased to announce the forthcoming album release of “A man from the future”, along with a special listening and conversation event in Manchester to mark the occasion.
Recent Pet Texts
Thanks to Ian McKellen for introducing us at the Attitude Awards in London last night with a wonderful speech! We’ve known him since we made the “Heart” video in 1988 and it was lovely to see him again. x
In a new BBC Bitesize interview, PSB and Andrew Hodges discuss their new collaborative album, “A man from the future”, which is out this Friday, and share the advice they would give their younger selves. Neil and Chris also remember their first days at school and explain how the technology that Alan Turing pioneered is at the heart of the Pet Shop Boys sound. Available to watch in the UK and to read at the link below.
The original cast recording for “Closer to Heaven” by Jonathan Harvey and Pet Shop Boys was released 25 years ago this week, following several months of shows at the Arts Theatre in London throughout 2001. The musical features Frances Barber as Billie Trix and has since returned to London theatre stages several times, most recently at the Turbine Theatre in 2024.
Happy Birthday, Chris!
Photo by Eva Pentel
In advance of Sunday evening’s broadcasts of “A man from the future” on Radio 6 Music and Radio 3, BBC 4 TV in the UK tonight will be showing three PSB shows: “Pet Shop Boys at the BBC”, “Reel Stories” and “Radio 2 in the Park” (2024 PSB concert). And streaming on the BBC iPlayer is the 1997 film, “Breaking the Code”, a factual drama about Alan Turing. Links below.
Pet Shop Boys’ classic “Suburbia” was released on this day 40 years ago. The music video was directed by Eric Watson and filmed in the suburbs of San Bernardino and Duarte in Los Angeles and in Kingston-upon-Thames in Greater London.