Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

For general discussion of Pet Shop Boys topics.
Message
Author
OakeyDokey
Posts: 370
Joined: Sun 04 Oct 2020, 10:05 pm
Contact:

Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#1 Post by OakeyDokey »

Apologies if this that been discussed before but can anyone confirm if these two singles, DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?, were recorded as part of the Behaviour sessions in 1990 or especially for the Discography compilation the following year?

They would both have been fantastic additions to Behaviour. Add both, remove Nervously and you've got by far their strongest album in my humble opinion.

It's also such a shame that DJ Culture hasn't been performed live since its initial outing at the Heaven show in 1991. Maybe the experience of the backing tapes/tech failing that night put them off playing it again (although I don't think it happened during that particular song so perhaps there's another reason!).

User avatar
leesmapman
Posts: 2804
Joined: Wed 03 May 2006, 11:51 am
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#2 Post by leesmapman »

Personally, I think DJ Culture is one of their weakest singles, but I'm odd like that.
To answer your question: both tracks have been composed for the compilation. I think the genesis of DJ Culture is mentioned in the PSB vs. America book, but I'm not sure about that.

User avatar
Drico One
Posts: 5882
Joined: Tue 16 Sep 2003, 8:56 pm
Has thanked: 29 times
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#3 Post by Drico One »

Elements of Was it worth it? were composed years earlier. DJ Culture, if I recall correctly, was composed on their US tour in 1991. It was an attempted rewrite of West End girls.

Drico.
The pale kid that hides in the attic behind his PC...

Tom Angel
Posts: 3402
Joined: Sat 04 Feb 2006, 2:09 pm
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#4 Post by Tom Angel »

DJ Culture is easily one of their weakest singles.

great title and cover and ace remix by the Grid, but it' just a bit too busy for, it's muddy and sounds a bit bored with itself. And the lyrics are pretty pretentious, too much so on this occasion.
in suits or sequins/or twin sets and pearls

nervousboy
Posts: 69
Joined: Wed 14 Jan 2015, 5:35 pm
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#5 Post by nervousboy »

A good song, more suited to a b side. 12" is better.
Was it worth it? should have been the lead single with a montage of all their songs up to that point. May have been a bigger hit.

User avatar
Gabby
Posts: 1104
Joined: Sun 17 Jan 2016, 5:31 pm
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#6 Post by Gabby »

I'm actually a big fan of "DJ Culture" - I know what you mean about it being rather pretentious, but the music is what carries it for me for the most part.

"Was It Worth It?" was not an instant hit for me - it's grown on me over time, but always seemed like a pretty straightforward song, (and as Neil himself stated) an unusually upbeat lyric for them at the time too. It belongs in a musical - I could almost see it in a revised version of Closer to Heaven.

User avatar
boyjohn
Posts: 1672
Joined: Wed 18 Jan 2006, 4:24 pm
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#7 Post by boyjohn »

The bridge elevates DJ Culture from a so-so song to greatness.
“Unless you consciously include, you will unconsciously exclude”
-Stephen Frost

User avatar
Dog
Posts: 3086
Joined: Thu 30 Oct 2003, 10:41 pm
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#8 Post by Dog »

Both great tracks for me.
Woof.

User avatar
S-sense
Posts: 366
Joined: Thu 08 Jun 2006, 3:10 pm
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#9 Post by S-sense »

When i heard Was it worth it for the first time, I laughed out loud. It sounded like a Stock Aitken Waterman parody to me.
They they were in full SAW-Mode.

User avatar
Gabby
Posts: 1104
Joined: Sun 17 Jan 2016, 5:31 pm
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#10 Post by Gabby »

S-sense wrote: Thu 25 Feb 2021, 8:35 pm When i heard Was it worth it for the first time, I laughed out loud. It sounded like a Stock Aitken Waterman parody to me.
They they were in full SAW-Mode.
Yes, I think my initial reaction to it was similar. I felt they could do better than emulate SAW.

And yes, the bridge in DJ Culture is top notch.

Eleven
Posts: 143
Joined: Sun 27 Oct 2019, 2:58 pm
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#11 Post by Eleven »

I love DJ Culture but If you exchange Nervously for Dj Culture on Behaviour it would have been worse IMO , I usually tend to think about their b sides on that era and try to imagine them in sustitution for some songs on the album, I always fail, but I love the idea of having 14/16 tracks and only being able to keep 10...
I think depending on the day some song would have made it
Many people know about Chris saying So Hard didnt fit the mood and spoiled it, so who knows...
They also needed a huge single to promote their first tour and How can you expect to be taken seriously? wasnt strong enough so they made the Where The Streets cover

User avatar
londonnoise
Posts: 28
Joined: Wed 12 Jul 2017, 10:59 pm
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#12 Post by londonnoise »

boyjohn wrote: Thu 25 Feb 2021, 8:19 pm The bridge elevates DJ Culture from a so-so song to greatness.
1000% agree!

User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 3692
Joined: Mon 08 May 2006, 12:31 am
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#13 Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings,

(Since the questions on the timing of the recording of these tracks has already been addressed...)

I love DJ Culture and its unique sound... I cannot think of anything else like it - PSB, Brothers In Rhythm, or otherwise. It will forever be in my PSB Top 10.

I do like Was It Worth It? and unlike DJ Culture, it's very "immediate". The unabashed pop vibrancy was a precursor to their upcoming works.

Retro. :)
"Politics are too emotional now. Contemporary culture generally is too emotional, really... I'd rather people looked to the truth." (Neil Tennant)

User avatar
Dog
Posts: 3086
Joined: Thu 30 Oct 2003, 10:41 pm
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#14 Post by Dog »

Miracles, Flamboyant and Together are all excellent as well.
Woof.

User avatar
leesmapman
Posts: 2804
Joined: Wed 03 May 2006, 11:51 am
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:

Re: Recording of DJ Culture and Was It Worth It?

#15 Post by leesmapman »

I'm very fond of Miracles.

Sent from my SM-J410F using Tapatalk


Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Neilatrone, Wish, zukunft and 66 guests