To Neil Tennant of The Pet Shop Boys
Their sound is unmistakable in the world and We collaborated with a German composer and have
history of pop music. Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe performed that with an orchestra several times
have a formidable 25-year career and still create around Europe. We have quite a symphonic thing
magical vibes with their music and lyrics. Both men going actually.
were recently the recipients of the Outstanding BB: Two songs on Yes that I thought were warm, romantic
Achievement in Music Award at the Brit Awards. and real are “Did You See Me Coming” and “Vunerable.” Both
They also broke a Billboard record in August as their songs showcase the softer and less cynical side of The Pet
first single “Love Etc.” off of their newest work called Shop Boys.
Yes hit number one. This sets a new record for most NT: Well. The Pet Shop Boys have a very strong
number one singles on Billboard Magazine’s Dance/ romantic, warm side. Going right back to “West End
Club chart. It’s an impressive total of nine songs that Girls” even. Right back to the first album, songs like
have reached that height in Pet Shop Boy’s career. “Love Comes Quickly.”
As the dynamic duo embarked on a North American BB: Definitely, though some of the songs talk about tough
tour on August 29, The Rage Monthly had the great love and broken relationships.
honor to speak with Neil Tennant about the drive and NT: “Vunerable” is like that really. What we try to do
vision of The Pet Shop Boys, what’s in store for those with our songs is to take real life and put it to music
who catch them at The Greek Theatre in Los Angeles and real life isn’t always pretty and gorgeous. But
on September 24 and capture a few thoughts and what counts is the feeling and the truth. That’s what
memories of their remarkable career as music and we try to put to music even if it’s ugly or not.
gay icons. BB: The song, “All Over the World” is amazingly interesting
to listen to and for me, screams high fashion. Have any major
Bill Biss: You both (him and Chris Lowe) are so chic! designers requested to use that song on the runway?
Neil Tennant: (laughter) You wouldn’t think I was NT: No, they haven’t. The only people who have
chic if you saw what I was wearing now! done is UNICEF. They are doing an advert and they
BB: Congratulations on Yes. It’s a joy to listen to. sent us a rough version of it. I think that’s all happen-
NT: Thank you. ing and it works very well. You know, fashion design-
BB: On the song, “King of Rome” the orchestrations on that ers don’t ask permission. They just use it if they want
are so pretty. to. I agree though. It would be great on a catwalk with
NT: The arrangement was actually done by a young that Tchaikovsky riff.
Canadian composer called Owen Pallett who is very, BB: I read that you are an admirer of Noel Coward. Is it pos-
very talented. He also operates under the name of sible that his wit and bon vivant is part of your lyrical style?
“Final Fantasy.” He’s a very talented performer and NT: Yeah, I grew up with it to a certain extent and
composer. We’d heard his work on other albums even before Noel Coward; do you know Gilbert and
so we got him to do it. I think he’s done an amazing Sullivan?
arrangement. BB: Uh-huh.
BB: Please tell me about The London Metropolitan Orchestra NT: In school we use to sing these songs with these
and working with them on this. very witty lyrics and I think it just gets into your way
NT: They just call themselves that, they are actually of thinking. One of the unusual things about the Pet
a collection of session musicians and we’ve worked Shop Boys is we write songs that are kind of witty or
with them before. They are all excellent musicians. try to be funny. That comes a little bit from me from
It’s very exciting when you go into a studio and do the Noel Coward, and Cole Porter for that matter and
orchestral overdubs because it’s so big and we work Stephen Sondheim, these are amazing lyricists. I can
at Abbey Road where The Beatles used to work. only aspire to be as good as them. They are definitely
BB: Have you and Chris ever thought to put together a sym- a very strong influence on me.
phonic illustration of your music with no vocals that would BB: How did the collaboration with Xenomania come to be
cover your body of work? on Yes?
NT: No. We are writing at the moment a ballet NT: Well… we phoned them up. (laughter). The
for the Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, which is a reason we phoned them up is they made a long series
famous ballet theatre. We are going to read it next of singles and albums with this girl group called Girls
year. Aloud in Britain, like The Spice Girls. What is interest-
BB: Oh nice. ing is they experiment with pop music. Every record
NT: It’s going to tour as well. So, that’s a big thing. is different and also they are very electronic. When
It’s not quite symphonic but a mix of electronic and we’d written the songs we’d written, we thought that
strings. Also, five years ago we wrote a soundtrack they’d make it fresh and they’d make us sound better
for the classic silent film, The Battleship Potemkin. and they’d make us work hard and we wrote three
september 2009 | RAGE monthly 35
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