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History

August 1983

Neil is sent to New York by Smash Hits to interview The Police. By this time the Pet Shop Boys are obsessed by a stream of hi energy records made by New York producer Bobby Orlando, known as Bobby O’. “I thought well, if I’ve got to go and see The Police play then I’m also going to have lunch with Bobby O’ ”. Neil and Bobby O share a cheeseburger and carrot cake at a restaurant called The Apple Jack on August 19th (two years to the day since Neil and Chris met) and Bobby O’, flatered by Neil’s compliments, suggests making a record with the Pet Shop Boys.

History

On this day

1990

The Pet Shop Boys perform ‘Being Boring’ live on Top of the Pops.

1995

Neil records the lead vocal for ‘To Step Aside.’

2006

The Boys conclude their Mexican vacation and fly back to London.

2010

Chris and Neil videotape an appearance on an upcoming episode of The Alan Titchmarsh Show.

2011

In the morning, at Chris’s home in London, they meet with their manager Angela Becker to continue their discussions about a possible producer for their next album. They tentatively settle upon Andrew Dawson, who had mixed the previous two albums by Kanye West, so Angela then sends him an email about it. After lunch, the Boys work on the new song ‘Public Disgrace,’ which soon evolves into ‘No More Ballads.’

2012

In a second day in a row of working on ‘Love Is a Bourgeois Construct,’ Neil re-sings some lyrics he has recently changed.

2014

The Pet Shop Boys appear in concert at the Conrad Resort and Casino in Punta Del Este, Uruguay—their first live performance ever in that nation.

2017

After working further on ‘Only the Dark,’ Chris and Neil begin work on a new track called ‘Any Longer.’