Biographic - Sunday September 3, 2006 Comic Strip Licensing and Permissions

Transcript

Pet Shop Boys formed in 1981, after music journalist Neil Tennant, a former editor of the U.K editions of such comic books as Spider-Man and The Fantastic Four, met keyboard player Chris Lowe in a London electronic store. They named themselves after friends who worked in a local pet store. On assignment for a music mag in New York, Neil met disco producer Bobby "O" Orlando, who agreed to produce the duo Their debut single "West End Girls" released in 1984, became a cult success in Europe. Following contractual disputes, the track was re-recorded with the producer Stephan Hague at the helm. By the early 1986, "West End Girls" had climbed to the top of the British charts, going on to repeat the feat in a host of countries around the world, including the U.S the group's debut album, "Please" was a top-10 smash. By the time they undertook their first world tour in 1990, they were one of the most successful bands on the planet. Their career has been Hallmarked by the duo's eagerness to collaborate with other artists, from dusty Springfield to Liza Minnelli, and from Boy George and Kylie Minogue to the stars of the BBC sitcom "Absolutely Fabulous" they teamed up with New ORder's Bernard Sumner and Johnny Marr of The Smiths to form the indie supergroup Electronic in 1990. They are also renowned for issuing extended and remixed versions of their songs, and they have worked with more than 80 different remixers and producers to date. This sense of adventure has not been confined to their musical output. They have worked with some of the world's most innovative and avant-garde artists, stylists, choreographers and set designers, have launched their own record labels, created a stage musical, starred in a full-length movie and written movie soundtracks. In 2006, they released their ninth studio album, "Fundamental" and they scheduled their first North American tour since 2002.

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