Pet Shop Boys Rate. Part 1: 1985-1991. Winner.
- Thread starter Ray
- Start date
I'd say Rent or Heart. Both songs are classics, but perhaps more likely to get a 7 or 8 here and there.
I just hope that the Top 3 won't be Domino Dancing, What Have I Done To Deserve This? and Heart.
Obviously I know what the top three is. But for me the worst would be 'Being Boring', 'It's A Sin' and 'West End Girls' (in this order)* because it couldn't be more, eh, boring. One of the reasons, apart from 'King's Cross' being my 11 that I was so excited about the idea of it winning was that it's an album track. A bit like the Saint Etienne singles rate being won by a promo single released only in Spain.
At least I can be pretty sure @Eric Generic will do his best NOT to allow 'Go West' to win part two...
* it MIGHT be the actual top three. Who knows? (Me.)
At least I can be pretty sure @Eric Generic will do his best NOT to allow 'Go West' to win part two...
* it MIGHT be the actual top three. Who knows? (Me.)
D
Deleted member 304
Its alright >>>> devices
I know what I would like to leave next but won’t say anything as it’s the only remaining zero left
8.
I get the impression that I’m in the minority of fans who adore this
a bit by the numbers
This song used to get on my tits, but then I came to my senses
So what is the difference between Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and your 'Heart'?
Neil: Actually there's very little difference, but 'Heart' is a one-off for us.
But they're both brilliant pop records.
Neil: Actually I think 'Never Gonna Give You Up' is better than 'Heart'.
So does 'Heart' also presuppose this Thatcherite, Sun-loving 'nothing else to life' world view?
Neil: Well, all our records aren't like 'Heart'. It's a one-off cheerful love song. But there's also a difference. To me 'Heart' is like a Madonna record. I think that 'Heart' sounds sincere. Rick Astley sounds sincere too, I agree. If the person who sings it is interesting the record can be interesting but otherwise it's just a brainless fantasy of the way life is.
8. Heart
9.0458333333
UK #1 AUS #18 AUT #3 BEL #6 CAN Dance #1 EUR #1 FIN #1 FRA #36 GER #1 IRL #1 ITA #26 NZ #1 NOR #6 POL Radio Three #2 ZA #6 SPA #2 NLD #11 SWE #9 SWI #1
Highest score: 11x1 (@chris4862), 10x17 (@Epic Chocolat, @tylerc904, @Sally_Harper, @ohnoitisnathan, @Scoundrel_Days, @etcetera, @slurmjunkie, @idratherjack, @funkyg, @SmashHitter, @etienne, @Sweet Music, @RaggedTiger, @Farnaby, @Mikey1701 aaaaaaand @Ray who now has only one 10 left)
Lowest score: 6 (@JakeMagnus, @Filler)
Neil: This is inspired by Phyllis Nelson's 'I Like You', which Shep Pettibone produced, and is wy we worked with Shep in the first place. We decided to record 'Heart' for Actually with Shep. Before that, we'd sent Narada Michael Walden [WHAT – Ray] a tape of this and 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?' and he said he was interested in working with us but he couldn't hear the song. [Praised be Gods – he's AWFUL – Ray] With Shep we just remade our demo – at the time, as well as for the album we were doing it for a movie Steven Spielberg was producing called Inner Space – but we didn't think that version was glossy enough, so it was never used. We then asked Andy Richards if he wanted to do a song with us. The first version we did with him, with the syn drum on it, ended up being the seven-inch single the following year, in 1988, and J.J. Belle playing guitar on it, but for some reason we went off that and so then we asked Julian Mendelsohn to mix the song for the album. He took out the guitar because he said it was too complicated, and he actually accidentally wiped a bit off the track – that's why it comes in going 'beat...beat...heartbeat'. He was slightly embarrassed about it.
This was the song we wanted to give to Madonna, but we never even tried. [So that's settled – Ray] And at one stage we were going to give it to Hazell Dean. But then we decided we liked it too much. I think it's got one of the best middle bits we've ever written. Of course, the words are just ordinary. [No Russian revolutions – Ray] We started writing it in Advision – Chris was just vamping at the piano one day for hours and it sounded really brilliant. Chris forgot it but I remembered it.
Chris: I'm classic at forgetting things.
Neil: The song was originally going to be called 'Heartbeat', but just before the album came out Jon Moss from Culture Club had started a group called Heartbeat UK and they had posters all over London, so we decided to change the title. We were very surprised when the single version got to number one. By this time Bros were around, and at Massive Management, Tom Watkins' company, they were saying they thought this would get to number 15. But it went to number one and stayed there for three weeks.
@Ray: What's not to love? Other than ordinary words that don't talk about Aids, Russian history or even violence breeding violence. Pffft. Shit song. Which I love. The single version is of course a bit better, but really, every mix of this song gets a 10 from me. I haven't seen the video until I got Videography and I loved every bit of it. Sir Ian McKellen as a vampire? Neil marrying a female woman of opposite sex? Chris as the most laissez-faire driver/er... person unpacking luggage ever? The ah-ah-ah-ahah sample? It's pop at its finest. Years later they would do an entire album trying to emulate this cheap pop thing with lyrics about not much really (I am talking about Very obviously) (yes, I am aware it also has songs about Aids and homelessness on it) and somehow that was fine, but 'Heart' was not played live until Stuart Price came to them with a cattle prod and some handcuffs. Coincidentally, that was filmed for the 'I'm With Stupid' video, of course...
The 11 came from @chris4862: “Actually” was the first of their older albums that I experienced and when this song came on it shook me to the core! This is the song that solidified my love for this band. I have seen a lot of hate for this song by tasteless fools -- They can suck it. The single mix is garbage, but the album version is a masterpiece. Fight me.
Interesting how many comments feature some sort of 'fight me' or 'come for me' or 'I expect to be crucified for this' sort of remarks. We're all a nice bunch here, it's the Goldfrapp fans who are prone to violence!
@Future Lover: One of my least favorite PSB singles. Has none of the wit or musical quirks I like about them. Their attempt at a "basic bop", I guess. [Hi Neil]
@One Stop Candy Shop: PSB seem to hate this, but it's just such a wonderful pure pop song. And its got one of my favourite videos. You don't really see a lot of "vampire crashes the wedding" themed videos these days. [YAAASSS exactly!]
@TrendyMüller: I might be the lowest scorer on this, but I can´t help it. [That was a 7 – try harder] As a song it´s just flimsy and rather weak. I remember that it actually sounded a bit dated when it came out.
@Mikey1701: I get the impression that I’m in the minority of fans who adore this. The original version released on the parent album is insanely catchy and the 7’ Mix is a straightforward 1980s pop frenzy (the stuttering intro and the “doo-doo” effects get my thrashing about in seconds). For me, however, the ‘go to’ mix is the Shep Pettibone Version from the Actually: Further Listening release. The synth-steel-drums give me all the life I will ever need. Strangely, I can’t imagine Madonna ever recording this- it seems so quintessentially PSB! Definitely in my Top 10 PSB bops.
@Jóga: Madonna wouldn't have sung this, I don't think? [We're talking about the 'Girl Gone Wild' artiste.] But it worked wonders for them. It's a good little pop gem. But, as I have said before, throwaway.
@GhettoPrincess: Another bop! Killing it again with the production.
@etienne: I used to hate this song. It’s another one that took the Pandemonium tour (yes it took that long) to really make me love it). [I remember Cubism in Amsterdam. DANCERS seemed bored. It took the audience 30 minutes to start slowly trickling towards the stage. At Pandemonium the first 'ah' came out of the speakers and poor security got CRASHED when everybody RAN to dance in front of the stage. It was brilliant.]
@DominoDancing: The lyrics might be simple, but the "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" vocal hook works so incredibly well. I might be one of three people on earth who prefer the album version over the single mix simply because of the way it presents that hook during the intro, drenched in cold and sterile reverb.
@Bleu Noir: a bit by the numbers but deserves 7
@ohnoitisnathan: Rating the single version. Loved the vocal sample, and of course the video.
@Sally_Harper: This song used to get on my tits, but then I came to my senses and realised that it’s excellent. Past me had crap taste!
@Peer_Gynt10: have always loved this one, despite its slightly dated production
@Heaven on Earth: It’s unhealthy to dwell on sadness, so when this heavy album progresses to this pure, unadulterated shot of joy, it’s a pleasure and a much-needed antidote. Not one of my favorite songs, per se, but I can’t help but smile at love. It’s the eagerness and willingness to move on that gets me. And, again, it’s as emotional as the rest of the album. It’s the joyous Levin subplot to the tragic Anna Karenina plot.
1989 tour:
Shep Pettibone dance mix:
Studio demo of Stuart Price Pandemonium mix:
And live version of it:
I also recommend the dance mix (it is 'Heart' that made me produce remixes for other artists and call them 'Ray Grant disco mix' and 'Ray Grant dance mix'), obviously. And everything else.
I get the impression that I’m in the minority of fans who adore this
a bit by the numbers
This song used to get on my tits, but then I came to my senses
So what is the difference between Rick Astley's 'Never Gonna Give You Up' and your 'Heart'?
Neil: Actually there's very little difference, but 'Heart' is a one-off for us.
But they're both brilliant pop records.
Neil: Actually I think 'Never Gonna Give You Up' is better than 'Heart'.
So does 'Heart' also presuppose this Thatcherite, Sun-loving 'nothing else to life' world view?
Neil: Well, all our records aren't like 'Heart'. It's a one-off cheerful love song. But there's also a difference. To me 'Heart' is like a Madonna record. I think that 'Heart' sounds sincere. Rick Astley sounds sincere too, I agree. If the person who sings it is interesting the record can be interesting but otherwise it's just a brainless fantasy of the way life is.
8. Heart
9.0458333333
UK #1 AUS #18 AUT #3 BEL #6 CAN Dance #1 EUR #1 FIN #1 FRA #36 GER #1 IRL #1 ITA #26 NZ #1 NOR #6 POL Radio Three #2 ZA #6 SPA #2 NLD #11 SWE #9 SWI #1
Highest score: 11x1 (@chris4862), 10x17 (@Epic Chocolat, @tylerc904, @Sally_Harper, @ohnoitisnathan, @Scoundrel_Days, @etcetera, @slurmjunkie, @idratherjack, @funkyg, @SmashHitter, @etienne, @Sweet Music, @RaggedTiger, @Farnaby, @Mikey1701 aaaaaaand @Ray who now has only one 10 left)
Lowest score: 6 (@JakeMagnus, @Filler)
Neil: This is inspired by Phyllis Nelson's 'I Like You', which Shep Pettibone produced, and is wy we worked with Shep in the first place. We decided to record 'Heart' for Actually with Shep. Before that, we'd sent Narada Michael Walden [WHAT – Ray] a tape of this and 'What Have I Done To Deserve This?' and he said he was interested in working with us but he couldn't hear the song. [Praised be Gods – he's AWFUL – Ray] With Shep we just remade our demo – at the time, as well as for the album we were doing it for a movie Steven Spielberg was producing called Inner Space – but we didn't think that version was glossy enough, so it was never used. We then asked Andy Richards if he wanted to do a song with us. The first version we did with him, with the syn drum on it, ended up being the seven-inch single the following year, in 1988, and J.J. Belle playing guitar on it, but for some reason we went off that and so then we asked Julian Mendelsohn to mix the song for the album. He took out the guitar because he said it was too complicated, and he actually accidentally wiped a bit off the track – that's why it comes in going 'beat...beat...heartbeat'. He was slightly embarrassed about it.
This was the song we wanted to give to Madonna, but we never even tried. [So that's settled – Ray] And at one stage we were going to give it to Hazell Dean. But then we decided we liked it too much. I think it's got one of the best middle bits we've ever written. Of course, the words are just ordinary. [No Russian revolutions – Ray] We started writing it in Advision – Chris was just vamping at the piano one day for hours and it sounded really brilliant. Chris forgot it but I remembered it.
Chris: I'm classic at forgetting things.
Neil: The song was originally going to be called 'Heartbeat', but just before the album came out Jon Moss from Culture Club had started a group called Heartbeat UK and they had posters all over London, so we decided to change the title. We were very surprised when the single version got to number one. By this time Bros were around, and at Massive Management, Tom Watkins' company, they were saying they thought this would get to number 15. But it went to number one and stayed there for three weeks.
@Ray: What's not to love? Other than ordinary words that don't talk about Aids, Russian history or even violence breeding violence. Pffft. Shit song. Which I love. The single version is of course a bit better, but really, every mix of this song gets a 10 from me. I haven't seen the video until I got Videography and I loved every bit of it. Sir Ian McKellen as a vampire? Neil marrying a female woman of opposite sex? Chris as the most laissez-faire driver/er... person unpacking luggage ever? The ah-ah-ah-ahah sample? It's pop at its finest. Years later they would do an entire album trying to emulate this cheap pop thing with lyrics about not much really (I am talking about Very obviously) (yes, I am aware it also has songs about Aids and homelessness on it) and somehow that was fine, but 'Heart' was not played live until Stuart Price came to them with a cattle prod and some handcuffs. Coincidentally, that was filmed for the 'I'm With Stupid' video, of course...
The 11 came from @chris4862: “Actually” was the first of their older albums that I experienced and when this song came on it shook me to the core! This is the song that solidified my love for this band. I have seen a lot of hate for this song by tasteless fools -- They can suck it. The single mix is garbage, but the album version is a masterpiece. Fight me.
Interesting how many comments feature some sort of 'fight me' or 'come for me' or 'I expect to be crucified for this' sort of remarks. We're all a nice bunch here, it's the Goldfrapp fans who are prone to violence!
@Future Lover: One of my least favorite PSB singles. Has none of the wit or musical quirks I like about them. Their attempt at a "basic bop", I guess. [Hi Neil]
@One Stop Candy Shop: PSB seem to hate this, but it's just such a wonderful pure pop song. And its got one of my favourite videos. You don't really see a lot of "vampire crashes the wedding" themed videos these days. [YAAASSS exactly!]
@TrendyMüller: I might be the lowest scorer on this, but I can´t help it. [That was a 7 – try harder] As a song it´s just flimsy and rather weak. I remember that it actually sounded a bit dated when it came out.
@Mikey1701: I get the impression that I’m in the minority of fans who adore this. The original version released on the parent album is insanely catchy and the 7’ Mix is a straightforward 1980s pop frenzy (the stuttering intro and the “doo-doo” effects get my thrashing about in seconds). For me, however, the ‘go to’ mix is the Shep Pettibone Version from the Actually: Further Listening release. The synth-steel-drums give me all the life I will ever need. Strangely, I can’t imagine Madonna ever recording this- it seems so quintessentially PSB! Definitely in my Top 10 PSB bops.
@Jóga: Madonna wouldn't have sung this, I don't think? [We're talking about the 'Girl Gone Wild' artiste.] But it worked wonders for them. It's a good little pop gem. But, as I have said before, throwaway.
@GhettoPrincess: Another bop! Killing it again with the production.
@etienne: I used to hate this song. It’s another one that took the Pandemonium tour (yes it took that long) to really make me love it). [I remember Cubism in Amsterdam. DANCERS seemed bored. It took the audience 30 minutes to start slowly trickling towards the stage. At Pandemonium the first 'ah' came out of the speakers and poor security got CRASHED when everybody RAN to dance in front of the stage. It was brilliant.]
@DominoDancing: The lyrics might be simple, but the "oh-oh-oh-oh-oh" vocal hook works so incredibly well. I might be one of three people on earth who prefer the album version over the single mix simply because of the way it presents that hook during the intro, drenched in cold and sterile reverb.
@Bleu Noir: a bit by the numbers but deserves 7
@ohnoitisnathan: Rating the single version. Loved the vocal sample, and of course the video.
@Sally_Harper: This song used to get on my tits, but then I came to my senses and realised that it’s excellent. Past me had crap taste!
@Peer_Gynt10: have always loved this one, despite its slightly dated production
@Heaven on Earth: It’s unhealthy to dwell on sadness, so when this heavy album progresses to this pure, unadulterated shot of joy, it’s a pleasure and a much-needed antidote. Not one of my favorite songs, per se, but I can’t help but smile at love. It’s the eagerness and willingness to move on that gets me. And, again, it’s as emotional as the rest of the album. It’s the joyous Levin subplot to the tragic Anna Karenina plot.
1989 tour:
Shep Pettibone dance mix:
Studio demo of Stuart Price Pandemonium mix:
And live version of it:
I also recommend the dance mix (it is 'Heart' that made me produce remixes for other artists and call them 'Ray Grant disco mix' and 'Ray Grant dance mix'), obviously. And everything else.
It was clever of them to turn a Madonna pastiche from inoffensive album filler into a #1 pop banger. It fitted right in with the mood of the charts here in early 88.
I adore Heart and very glad it made the Top 10 as I know it can be quite divisive among their fans. The 7" remix is where it's at it for me, what a banger. The vocal stuttering routinely drives me into a frenzy. It's my favourite PSB video to boot. I remember Smash Hits claiming the redheaded woman was Tiffany and I believed them for 5 seconds.
I would have loved to have heard the Hazell Dean version! I've never heard that before and she would have been a better fit for it than Madonna...
I would have loved to have heard the Hazell Dean version! I've never heard that before and she would have been a better fit for it than Madonna...
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Actually how about a Bananarama version @idratherjack?
Heart was the other contender for my 11 and it was right up until 2 minute before sending the votes in. My favourite 80’s Pet Shop Boys single and probably in my all time top 10 Pet Shop Boys. Am disappointed that it is out so soon.
Heart is in my Pet Shop Boys holy trinity along with Always On My Mind and one which is still in. It's a band right in the prime of their imperial phase.
I am sorry for your loss!
I'm glad Heart got an 11. It was 2nd or 3rd in line for mine...
D
Deleted member 47
Besides all its sublime qualities (the chorus, the hook etc.), what’s incredible and quite unique with Heart is this soft and envelopping sound that feels almost like a substance, a soft, friendly and moving substance.
(They tried to do something similar on some remix of Leaving, I think.)
(They tried to do something similar on some remix of Leaving, I think.)