Biographic - Sunday October 16, 2016 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 electronics 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 pre-recorded with producer Stephen Hague at the helm. By 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 top-10 smash. By the time they undertook their first world tour in 1989, 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 indie supergroup Electronic in 1990. They are renowned for issuing extended and remixed versions of their songs and have worked with legions of different remixers and producers. His sense of adventure has also led them to work with some of the worlds most innovative, avant-garde artists choreographers, stylists, and set designers, they've launched their own record labels, created a stage musical, starred in a full-length movie and written movie soundtracks. In 2009, Pet Shop Boys received the British record industry's most prestigious accolade, the BPI award for outstanding contribution to British music, at the 2009 Brit Awards Ceremony in London. To date, they have released 13 solo albums- including this year's "Super" and topped the U.K. Singles chart four times. They have sold more than 50 million records and are listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful British dup of all time. They have continued to tour worldwide and his month will embark on an extensive series of North American dates.

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