Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant has contributed lyrics and vocals to a new track by Michael Berkeley. The song also features distinctive guitar work by Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour.
Zero Hour sees the two music legends teaming up with classical composer Berkeley, who is also a life peer and member of the UK’s House of Lords, giving him the title of Baron Berkely of Knighton.
The track is taken from a new album that showcases collaborations from throughout the composer’s career. Zero Hour is about the war in Ukraine.
Pet Shop Boys share video for A new bohemia
Tennant’s just also just put out a new Pet Shop Boys single. A New Bohemia is the third single from their most recent album Nonetheless – which has been getting rave reviews.
The single comes with some new mixes of the song including one by Alex Metric, alongside a demo version of the song and two previously unreleased songs, It’s not a crime and I’ve got plans (involving you).
The video for A new bohemia was filmed in the British seaside town of Margate.
It was filmed by Andrew Haigh, the director of Weekend, Looking, and All of Us Strangers. Artist Tracy Emin and actor Russell Tovey appear in the clip.
The video is also peppered with references to previous clips and fashions used by the duo throughout their long career.
Neil Tennant shares his favourite classical music
On Saturday Tennant appeared on the BBC3 This Classical Life sharing with host Jess Gillam his favourite classical pieces, and commenting on the effect classical music has had on compositions by Pet Shop Boys.
Tennant said one of his favourite records growing up was a recording of Alexander Borodin’s Dance of the Polovtsian Maidens from the ballet Prince Igor. While Johann Strauss II’s The Blue Danube was another early favourite.
The composer said his love of classical music gave him a love of complex chords and dense harmonies that comes through in the Pet Shop Boys tunes.
He cites Elgar and Vivaldi as composers he had musical compadre Chris Lowe have taken inspiration from.
Bach’s Ich habe genug (Cantata No 82), Dimitry Shostakovich’s Symphony no.10 in E minor, O.93 (2nd mvt), and Sergey Prokofiev’s Violin Concerto No.2 in G minor were among his sections for the radio show.
Tennant also shared that he and Chris Lowe has mountains of songs that they’ve never released because they don’t sound like Pet Shops Boys tracks.
