spotlight
songs with them.
BB: For me, the Pet Shop Boys have their own Warholian sense of design in your production
values for your live performances and the artwork for your music. How would you describe
this artistic expression?
NT: We try to do something that is simple or minimal but with a certain glamour.
That’s why it’s a bit Warholian actually. It’s a bit like Andy Warhol; we think that
anything can be art.
BB: I saw the Brits performance and that was amazingly well done. MADONNA
NT: That did take a lot of work. We spend a lot of time on the presentation
AND THE “BOYS”
actually. The same woman, called Es Devlin, designs the show we are about to
bring to the United States. She designed the Brits performance. We worked on
Madonna and Pet Shop Boys go back to 1988
that with her. We want to do something that people think, “Wow! That’s great.”
when they wrote the song “Heart” for her, but
That’s what you really aspire to is to do something that entertains people and
never submitted the song to Madonna.
they think, “Wow. I’ve not seen a show like this before. The new show, believe it
or not, is based around 300 cardboard boxes. They look amazing because there
Pet Shop Boys collaborated with Robbie Wil-
are projection screens and media and all sorts of things. It’s a clever show and also
liams in 2007 for the song “She’s Madonna.”
very multi-media with all this film. It’s very exciting.
BB: You’ve worked with three of my all-time favorite entertainers, Liza Minnelli, Jennifer
“DJ Culture” references a tongue-in-cheek lyric
Saunders and Joanna Lumley. First, a question about Liza Minnelli, I had the privilege of
referring to the re-invention that Madonna
speaking with her a few years ago. She told me about the time that you and her were doing
was going through after her divorce from Sean
Results and you and Chris had dinner with Frank (Sinatra) and Sammy (Davis Jr.).
Penn.
NT: With Frank and Sammy? Yes!
BB: What do you remember most about producing Results?
“Jump” off Madonna’s Confessions on the Dance
NT: Results was a very interesting project. The reason we did it is because Liza
Floor utilizes techno music as a tribute to Pet
hadn’t done a lot of pop music. She hadn’t done electronic pop music. So, it was a
Shop Boys.
challenge. Also, Pet Shop Boys… we’ve always liked stars. We like star quality and
Liza’s got it in bucketfuls. While she was recording this, she was touring with Frank
The album Disco 4 by Pet Shops includes a
Sinatra and Sammy Davis Jr. We were very thrilled to meet them both.
maxi-mix single of Madonna’s song “Sorry.”
Actually, we tried to get Liza to do a duet with Frank Sinatra for the album. There
is a song on that called “So Sorry I Said.” It was written originally as a duet and Liza
Australian wine brand, [yellow tail], is launch-
wanted to do it as a duet with me. We said, “No. Frank Sinatra, it will be amazing!”
ing a music and wine platform over the next
Anyway… she wasn’t that keen on that idea. One of my few regrets in life profes-
three months in the U.K. One paring is called
sionally.
Bubbles and Pop. They have stated that this
BB: That’s a beautifully done album. I also really love “If There is Love.”
combination of music and wine will have you
NT: That’s my favorite track on the album. It’s great when she reads the Shake-
thinking of Madonna and Pet Shop Boys.
speare and the sax is playing. That and “So Sorry I Said.” Another great track that
my iPod shuffled onto is “Twist in My Sobriety,” where we got that guy to rap “Liza
with a Z” at the beginning. Also, the issue of sobriety, which is always such an issue
with Liza. She really went for it on this album. It’s funny… it has this little audience,
this album. People often talk to us about it. to have dinner with her and Joanna Lumley (laughter).
You know, we’ve just written a song for Shirley Bassey. I was always disappointed, they were going to put it on the show, you know and
BB: Oh! Excellent. they didn’t in the end. A lot of people criticized us for that cause they thought it
NT: She’s doing this album with David Arnold who does all the James Bond was just stupid.
soundtracks. Anyway, he phoned me up the other day and played it on the phone BB: Oh no! That’s such a fun song to listen to.
to us and it sounded great. NT: I think it’s fun. A lot of people don’t want you to be fun. We actually like doing
BB: What’s the name of the song? things because… they’re just fun.
NT: I’m not allowed to say, I’m afraid. It’s top secret. BB: Another thing that struck me as so cool was seeing Brandon from The Killers and Lady
BB: (laughter) Also, will you tell the story of creating the song “Absolutely Fabulous?” GaGa perform with the Pet Shop Boys at the Brits.
NT: The back-story on that was Chris and I loved the show when it first came out. NT: Lady GaGa was great and very professional. Very into it, she came as a China
We decided to make a record. I don’t know why we even did it really. We did it in teapot. She had this amazing outfit made that was fantastic. The combination of
the studio over a couple of days. We just thought it was hilarious. So, we phoned her and Brandon who is like a rock singer was a very unusual combination. They
up Jennifer Saunders and we sent it to her and she really, really liked it! And she were so great, the pair of them doing it.
came in the studio and did some adlibs for it. Most of it comes from the first couple BB: Well. I know it sounds corny, but your music makes up the fabric of my life. Thanks for
of shows of the first series. Then we got someone to do a little video of it. I don’t talking with me.
know. It was just fun and something to do. In a way, we did it because we wanted NT: No problem. My pleasure.
36 RAGE monthly | september 2009
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