We are very sad to hear that the legendary Frankie Knuckles has died. The word “legendary” is rather overused these days, but Frankie Knuckles was a true dance legend and a pioneer of house music. We were honoured to work with him in 1988 when he did his brilliant dark mix of “I want a dog”. It was so exciting to drive out to Jersey City to hear this mix for the first time in his studio and then drive back to New York with the mix on repeat. We were thrilled with it and included it on our album, Introspective. In 1990 Frankie came over to London to play at Chris’s birthday party at Brixton Academy and enthralled the crowd with his brilliant set. In the early days, House music was referred to as “Chicago House” after the city where it was invented — it was great to visit the city last year and see that a street had been named after the music’s inventor: Frankie Knuckles Way. Love and respect forever. xx
Pet Shop Boys are happy to announce some new 2025 gigs for their acclaimed tour, “Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live”.
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Just over a year ago the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, died in prison in Russia. We wrote and demoed this song in the last few days and dedicate it to his memory and his cause. Neil and Chris x
UK and Europe summer 2025 dates will be announced soon.
The London Soundtrack Festival have revealed further details of their “Great Movie Songs with Anne Dudley & Friends” concert in which Neil will appear as a guest vocalist with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra on March 25th at The Roundhouse in London.
Neil will appear as a solo guest vocalist for “Everybody’s Talkin’” (from the film “Midnight Cowboy”) and “Nothing Has Been Proved” (from the film “Scandal”) and, following their 2024 Radio 2 Piano Room duet, Neil and Jake Shears will again perform “Rent” by PSB (a karaoke version of the song recently appeared in the film “Saltburn”). Tickets are now available at the link below.
In 1989 we produced (with Julian Mendelsohn) half of Dusty Springfield’s album “Reputation” and it was released the following year. Dusty had hit singles with “Nothing has been proved” and “In private” but we also wrote some more experimental tracks like “Occupy your mind” and “Daydreaming”. Dusty was always keen to try something new! The album has just been remastered and will be re-released on limited edition pink vinyl on Record Store Day2025. Neil and Chris xx
It’s just been announced that Johnny Marr is releasing a live album recorded last year at Hammersmith Apollo. The record includes his two live duets with Neil Tennant, “Rebel Rebel” and “Getting Away With It”, and will be released on Record Store Day, April 12.
Thanks to Private Eye magazine for drawing our attention to this disgraceful fact.
Today is the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi death camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau. This evening BBC TV in the UK will broadcast The Last Musician of Auschwitz, a film telling the story of cellist Anita Lasker-Wallfisch who, along with other victims of the camp — Jews, Poles and Roma — played and created music amidst the terrors of the Holocaust. Together they show how, amid the most brutal and dehumanising situations, music could be a lifeline, a way to give testimony and even a means of resistance.
Pet Shop Boys have recently passed 2 million followers on Spotify and 1 million followers on YouTube! Thanks to everyone who’s been listening to our music. xx
Photo: Eva Pentel