The Pet Shop Boys' first twenty singles...

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I love the Colourbox track too! I also like the way the Opportunities intro is sort of separate from the rest of the tune, like massive swing doors opening into this equally wonderful but entirely unexpected room.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:17 (twenty years ago) link

I adore "Red Letter Day." And "Somewhere." And, believe it or not, Robbie Williams' incredible cover of "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing."

― Douglas (Douglas), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:28 (twenty years ago) link

Yeah those singles are great Douglas, even after this 'golden age' they produced a bunch of fine singles - "I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore" is very good too. The Motiv8 remix of "Red Letter Day" is particularly good, they were kind of the handbag Chemical Brothers in terms of remixing pop/rock acts.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:31 (twenty years ago) link

'try It' is indeed great stuff, i also liked 'Time On My Hands' from Disco3, not heard it all and can't remember anything else from it

the Basement jaxx mix of 'red letter day' > original version (not hard, i think its their worst single ever)

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 14 August 2003 14:55 (twenty years ago) link

Nothing could be worse than "Domino Dancing".

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:33 (twenty years ago) link

Blasphemy!

― Larcole (Nicole), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:39 (twenty years ago) link

Yes, "Domino Dancing" epitomizes the blasphemy of the _Introspective_ era ("It's Alright" excepted as that's actually a great song).

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:43 (twenty years ago) link

("Jealousy" was one of the first songs they ever wrote and was supposed to be the title track for _Actually_.)

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:46 (twenty years ago) link

I don't know why, I don't know how
I used to love Dan Perry but I'm not sure now

― Larcole (Nicole), Thursday, 14 August 2003 15:55 (twenty years ago) link

he's just a bad loser!

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:01 (twenty years ago) link

Larcole, Dan's been saying this for years!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:10 (twenty years ago) link

I have! Since 1989!

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:14 (twenty years ago) link

The next singles album is coming out soon, no? Nightlife and Bilingual were ok, but if you combine their singles, along with basically any tracks from Very I imagine you'd have an excellent album.

And I already said it upthread, but "Domino Dancing" roolz.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:17 (twenty years ago) link

PSB singles since Discography (in order I think)

Can You Forgive Her?
Go West
Liberation
I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind Of Thing
Yesterday When I Was Mad
Absolutely Fabulous
Before
Se A Vida E
A Red Letter Day
Bilingual
Somewhere
I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore
New York City Boy
You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk
[another one from Nightlife?]
Home And Dry
[next one off Release]
[third one off Release]

Unedited it looks patchy Vic - edited it might be as much of a botch job as GHV2.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:21 (twenty years ago) link

Haha I actually forgot they had released an album since Nightlife. "Home and Dry" has singlehandedly prevented me from getting Release. It does look pretty bad in that order - the end doesn't seem like it's much fun to listen to. I also wonder if there are new tracks planned.

― Vinnie (vprabhu), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:29 (twenty years ago) link

"Home and Dry" is fantastic, you screaming pack of mentalists.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:33 (twenty years ago) link

this thread really is magic. i think one of my favorite parts might be the fact that tom thought it was "okay to waste this one on ilm" when it's obviously worthy of being a "real article" in it's own right.

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:36 (twenty years ago) link

I love about two thirds of 'Release'. It's the first album of theirs I have bought since 'Actually' though so what do I know? It was just a holiday record and I had to have it. It's still a regular iTunes random play fave with me. Who else is tackling Eminem and Peter Mandelson fanfic in song?

― N. (nickdastoor), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:51 (twenty years ago) link

Strongo is once again otm.

― Larcole (Nicole), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:51 (twenty years ago) link

Very OTM.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 14 August 2003 16:58 (twenty years ago) link

a) read this thread about four times & loveittobits
b) d/l-ed "Try It..." due to Tom putting it in his top 12 & it's great & hypnotic & this long under water . . .
c) strongo otm
d) "Domino Dancing" is superb (& so is "Bruce Lee" & uh I once had another two-three examples of stuff Dan=loathe/I=LUV)

― etc, Friday, 15 August 2003 03:06 (twenty years ago) link

I might like 'Domino Dancing' a little less if someone can remind me of another better example of the PSB disco treatment given to "genuinely" sad, moving lyrics. Probably wouldn't, though.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 15 August 2003 04:00 (twenty years ago) link

yay Kim subtly alluding to the video for "Heart" - listening to it now, I never quite realized how much it colors my impressions of the song itself. anybody remember the vampire vid, fangs etc?

― Dave M. (rotten03), Friday, 15 August 2003 05:09 (twenty years ago) link

YES!

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 15 August 2003 05:12 (twenty years ago) link

I was 8 or so and presumed it really was about vampires.

― Andrew Thames (Andrew Thames), Friday, 15 August 2003 05:20 (twenty years ago) link

Love, love, love this thread. Whoever said 'Rent' is one of the greatest songs ever written is so otm it hurts.

PSB = greatest pop band EVAH.

― The Lex (The Lex), Friday, 15 August 2003 15:58 (twenty years ago) link

tom has been so on the money throughout this thread that i fear the Queen's head has been erased through wearage forever

one of the great bits in 'Always On My Mind' is the repetition of the chorus line backed by the huge ascending string crescendo - really gives the sense of the whole audacity and epic scale of the sentiment and the importance of the message.

― stevem (blueski), Friday, 15 August 2003 16:10 (twenty years ago) link

Love this thread. Don't know why I hadn't spotted it before. I have nothing to add, but I could repeat what I've said elsewhere, that PSB's "West End Girls" on TOTP was the start of me liking specific bands and liking something my Mum didn't.

Can You Forgive Her, What Have I Done To Deserve This, Rent. Bloody hell. At the time Heart felt like such a let down, it was a weak album track, it felt like a weaker single. In retrospect I still think it was weak for the PSBs, but still pretty good. DJ Culture still baffles me.

Should I go back and get Bilingual? I've got Release now and it's, well, OK.

― Alan (Alan), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:31 (twenty years ago) link

I picked up a copy of Bilingual in a shop the other day and I'd forgotten about 60% of the songs - there really were some anonymous tracks on these, it's not a very good record, Nightlife is better.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 10:36 (twenty years ago) link

Tom, your list neglects "Somewhere"--!

― Douglas (Douglas), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:02 (twenty years ago) link

??? what list?

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:11 (twenty years ago) link

Who could possibly challenge this run?

ABBA?
S.O.S
Mamma Mia
Fernando
Dancing Queen
Money, Money, Money
Knowing Me Knowing You
The Name of The Game
Take A Chance On me
Summer Night City
Chiquitita
Does Your Mother Know
Angel Eyes/ Voulez Vous
Gimme Gimme Gimme ( A man after midnight)
I Have a Dream
The Winner Takes It All
Super Trouper
Lay All Your Love On Me
One of Us
Head Over Heels
The Day Before Your Came

Or The Beatles?
Please Please Me/Ask Me Why
From Me To You/Thank You Girl
She Loves You/I'll Get You
I Want To Hold Your Hand/This Boy
Can't Buy Me Love/You Can't Do That
A Hard Day's Night/Things We Said Today
I Feel Fine/She's A Woman
Ticket To Ride/Yes It Is
Help!/I'm Down
We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper
Paperback Writer/Rain
Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby
Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever
All You Need Is Love/Baby You're A Rich Man
Hello Goodbye/I Am The Walrus
Lady Madonna/The Inner Light
Hey Jude/Revolution
Get Back/Don't Let Me Down
The Ballad Of John And Yoko/Old Brown Shoe
Something/Come Together
Let It Be/You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)

― Jerry the Nipper (Jerrynipper), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:17 (twenty years ago) link

ABBA's comes close (and throw in Waterloo too!), The Beatles start well but tail off horridly after Hello Goodbye.

Kate Bush comes close too but her 19th and 20th singles aren't great.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:33 (twenty years ago) link

prince is realistically the only challenger aside from the fabs,
abba dont quite cut it much as i love them.
fernando ? i have a dream ? one of us ? meh.

― piscesboy, Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:41 (twenty years ago) link

This thread makes me want to be a proper PSB fan (as opposed to one who likes all the singles he can remember, esp. 'Heart', 'West End Girls', 'Se A Vida E' and 'What Have I Done To Deserve This' and passed up a vinyl copy of Disco 3 last week).

― Barima (Barima), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 12:53 (twenty years ago) link

I love the Beatles but they had quite a few so-so A-sides. At least 'Let it Be' is off the hook as it's the 21st.

― N. (nickdastoor), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:01 (twenty years ago) link

For B-Side consistency the Beatles are very good. That said I think it's time I admitted to myself I will probably never like the early Beatles sound.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:07 (twenty years ago) link

HOORAY TOM! Now all we have to do is get you to change your mind about The Cure and Ned and I can welcome you into the gestalt.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:16 (twenty years ago) link

early beatles and white alb confused experimentalism are the best things they did.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:21 (twenty years ago) link

i think Madness's first 14 singles are great, but 'Tomorrow's Just Another Day' was a bit poor by the standards set

― stevem (blueski), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:22 (twenty years ago) link

I don't think they released a bad single pre split Stevem but their first dozen or so are a bit inflexible stylistically.

Julio I really like the early Beatles = great!!! idea, I just don't like the sound of Merseybeat, it's so organic.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:26 (twenty years ago) link

hmm...organic. I think I see what you mean but i'm nto quite sure.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:30 (twenty years ago) link

You know Julio, instruments and things.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:32 (twenty years ago) link

early beatles: guitar, bass and drums. so anything with that is 'organic'?

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:43 (twenty years ago) link

Yes, no, I don't know Julio, there's no logic to it. Maybe it's the combination of rawness and jollity that annoys me, or just the rawness, everything I like from before about 66 (Motown, crooning, doo-wop) is really crafted and arranged.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:52 (twenty years ago) link

HOORAY TOM! Now all we have to do is get you to change your mind about The Cure and Ned and I can welcome you into the gestalt.

One. Of. US.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:53 (twenty years ago) link

it IS the best thread ever - lots of misty-eyed nostalgia, of which I approve.

Great as the PSB's run of singles is, THIS BEATS IT!! Don't give me any crap about it 'tailing off after 1983'!!

1. Being Boiled
2. The Dignity Of Labour
3. I Don't Depend On You
4. Empire State Human
5. Rock and Roll/Marianne double 7"
6. Boys and Girls
7. Sound Of The Crowd
8. Love Action
9. Open Your Heart
10. Don't You Want Me
11. Mirror Man
12.(Keep Feeling) Fascination
13. The Lebanon
14. Life On Your Own
15. Louise
16. Human
17. I Need your Loving
18. Love Is All That Matters
19. Heart Like A Wheel
20. Tell Me When

― Dr. C (Dr. C), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 13:58 (twenty years ago) link

doc do you really think the league's 13-20 beats the psb's 13-20??

(i admit between 1-12 it's a tough call.)

― strongo hulkington (dubplatestyle), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 14:00 (twenty years ago) link

I hate to say it Dr C but it tails off after 1983. I don't think the Pet Shop Boys made a record as good as "Tell Me When" after my list ended though.

― Tom (Groke), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 14:00 (twenty years ago) link

If you don't like "Human" you may already be an evil robot intent on destroying the world.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Tuesday, 19 August 2003 14:01 (twenty years ago) link

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