the PET SHOP'S OPEN THE BOYS WILL BE WITH YOU IN A MINUTE
What’s your pick for Best New Band Of 1986? It may be too soon to tell, but at this point in time, ROCK-SHOTS is betting that England’s wonderful Pet Shop Boys are the choice of most. Who are the Pet Shop Boys? Two young men, actually. One’s named Neil Tennant, the other is Chris Lowe.
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the PET SHOP'S OPEN THE BOYS WILL BE WITH YOU IN A MINUTE
What’s your pick for Best New Band Of 1986? It may be too soon to tell, but at this point in time, ROCK-SHOTS is betting that England’s wonderful Pet Shop Boys are the choice of most.
Who are the Pet Shop Boys? Two young men, actually. One’s named Neil Tennant, the other is Chris Lowe. Together, this fast-rising British duo have put together a spectacular debut album, Please, that’s been setting turntables and tape decks afire internationally, due to massive playing everywhere!
By now you’ve heard “West End Girls,” of course. What a song! But did you know that it was out, and a minor hit, a few years ago? We thought not! See, the Pet Shop Boys may be a “new” band to most of us, but those who really know their stuff can tell you that an earlier version of the song—produced by New York producer Bobby Orlando—was making the rounds some time ago. Though it was big in Europe (and the hipper-than-hip discos in the States), it generally remained unheard by a large portion of Americans. You can be certain, though, that more than a few major record companies were listening! Not to mention spending vast quantities of money, trying to track down the perpetrators of the tune!
Well, if you own a copy of Please, you can pull it off the shelf and check for yourself: EMI-America was the lucky label that won Pet Shop Boy honors! But even if you already know that, you’ve got to admit you might not know much else about the Pet Shop Boys! And that's where ROCK-SHOTS comes in. Info’s a-comin’!
Let’s talk about Neil Tennant. Did you know that, of all things, he used to be a rock journalist! It’s true! Neil was assistant editor at the very popular British pop magazine Smash Hits—sort of England’s ROCK-SHOTS if you ask us, but of course we’re much better, right? Neil’s stint as a rock journalist certainly sharpened his writing talents, so is it any wonder that he’s the lyricist of the Pet Shop Boys?
Anyway, writer Neil met up with partner Chris about five years ago; Neil was working as a book editor and Chris, believe it or not, was studying to be an architect. Neil liked new wave rock and Chris liked dance music. They started writing songs together that merged aspects of both musics and...voilal...success was soon to come.
How did the Pet Shop Boys get their somewhat wacky name? For a while it was a mystery, but then Chris Cashbox magazine the truth:
“When we first came to New record for Bobby Orlando, we a name. So we just took the Shop Boys. It sounded kind of because at the time there were all hip-hop groups—like the Peech the Beat Box Boys. And, also, Shop bit sounded very English, and sort of, eccentric. So we thought# quite a good name, really. It’s sort ferent.”
We at ROCK-SHOTS agree! just one of many reasons we’re you’ll be hearing a lot more about—the Pet Shop Boys in the to come!
