When two music lovers bonded a synthesiser in a London HiFi shop 38 years ago, no one could have guessed where they would be today. Walking out in front of an explosion of bubbling fans, Neil Tennant, 59, and Chris Lowe, 64, are special guests at the climax of a legendary Glastonbury headline show. Performing Pet Shop Boy’s ‘Always On My Mind’ with Las Vegas’ The Killers, as well as the headliner’s own, ‘Human’. Here is their story
It is clear that the music world, surprisingly, still has loving room for 80’s synth pop. Pet Shop Boys are a prime example. With 6 successful LPs after the turn of the milenium, the Pet Shop Boys are not stopping soon.
As we turn back time, we uncover the duo’s incredible story.
The tale of the Pet Shop Boys is a tale of destiny. When the two met in a local HiFi store, they were yet to realise there lives had been perfectly leading up to this moment, and just a mere 5 minute stoppage in their day would have changed the course of pop music forever. Chris and Neil, both in their 20s, discovered a shared love of dance music, and synthesisers. Taking their name from some friends’ old band name, the pair started to build up their stunning discography.l
It wasn’t until 1983 that the first major spark lit in their career. In a lunchtime meeting with prouducer Bobby Orlando, vocalist Neil Tennant gave the American record producer a demo tape. Flattered by Neil’s comments, Bobby “O” decided to make a record with the boys.
Despite the first two Bobby O tracks not taking off, and Pet Shop Boys almost coming to a close, the pop duo entered the studio again to re release ‘West End Girls’ with producer Stephen Hague. Finally. ‘West End Girls’, after a short spell low down in the charts, rises to become an international hit.
Pet Shop Boys begin their long reign as electric pop kings, releasing a whopping 13 studio albums. Even in 2019, the london born duo hold a priceless position in the music industry, the kings, the big daddys of electric pop. Pet Shop Boys went mainstream, and stayed there.
None of this would have happened if it wasn’t for a Korg MS-10 synthesiser and an unbelievably lucky chain of events.
