The Guardian newspaper has been counting down The greatest UK No 1 singles of all time and Pet Shop Boys’ West End Girl has come out at the top of the list.
The song has been described as a “lens on to a glamorous demimonde” with Neil Tennant’s raps about London nightlife filled with a variety of characters and situations.
First recorded in 1983 the song was the first single from the duo who have gone on to release fourteen albums of material. Plus they’ve created symphonic soundtracks, a musical, the music for a ballet nad countless b-sides. Their collaborations have seen them team up with everyone from Elton John, to Dusty Springfield, Liza Minnelli and Kylie Minogue.
In an interview with the newspaper Neil Tenant has outlined how the song was written, recorded, and re-recorded before it became a hit. The duo recorded the track with producer Bobby Orlando in New York, and while it found success in gay clubs it didn’t become a mainstream hit. Only after the band got a manager and signed to EMI, re-recording the track with producer Stephen Hague did it become a hit.
The duo have just released a new version of the song which they recorded in lock down. The new ‘lock down version’ is a little more laid back than their original hit version.
Take a listen.
OIP Staff
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