Jimmy Somerville's criticism of PSB

[Ramzy]

Evening, everyone.

Now acrylicmoon's helpfully pointed me towards the famous '94 Attitude interview - thanks again! - I'm curious to know whether anyone can direct me to Jimmy Somerville's comments in the '80s about the Pet Shop Boys' refusal to be explicit about their sexuality. They're referenced in Attitude, and I recall the topic being mentioned on a radio documentary some years ago - but I'll be blowed if I can track down now what JS actually said.

Can anyone help? I'd be intrigued to know more about the background to Neil's decision to 'go public', as it were.

Ta,
Ramzy

[Sandy Shaw]

It was quite an early interview with JS, I think during the Boys' "imperial phase". He said something like "They should say that they are gay".

[alig]

Maybe JS should tell us if he is more sado than maso. I mean it's nobody's business. Why should they have said anything? He's a weirdo with a weirdo voice.

[Ramzy]

If the Attitude writer has it correct JS was implying the Pet Shop Boys had made a lot of money out of 'gay culture' but given little back. And even if Neil disagrees with that it's an argument he does at least take the time to rebut properly rather than brushing aside - so perhaps it had left something of a mark even all those years later.

And while I don't agree with JS, I can understand why he might have said what he did. The sad truth is that coming out isn't comparable with discussing the intricacies of your bedroom habits because there isn't a history of people who are more sado than maso, or vice versa, being imprisoned, killed and casually oppressed stretching back through time. The fight for equality is far from over, even 30 years later. JS felt others who could have helped in that fight weren't pulling their weight.

All this with the proviso that not having actually seen the original comments anywhere I might have totally misunderstood them!

[East End Bhoy]

It was quite an early interview with JS, I think during the Boys' "imperial phase". He said something like "They should say that they are gay".

I remember being appalled that the Boys were being dictated to like that through the media. Weren't the Boys doing, as they do now, maintaining an air above all that sort of stuff. Really why should anyone need to 'come out' & be pidgeon-holed by stereotype for ever more?

As the Boys have said they wanted their music to be able to be enjoyed from different points of view. If they don't view the world through a gay prism, why should anyone else?

If anything by NOT coming out back then, PSB should have been seen as trail blazers, an example to look up to, all persuasions loved them, bringing people together. JS obviously didn't understand that

[MikeyC]

It's a rather fascinating subject and I, too, understand why JS said what he said. However, the 80s were not 2015. Jimmy was the rare exception of a pop star/public figure who was not only out, but so political and outspoken (and THANK YOU, Jimmy, for that!) But not everyone could've or should've followed the same path in those tough times...

[Sandy Shaw]

The funny thing is that my own gaydar wasn't great back in those days. I had already decided Pet Shop Boys were the band for me, but hadn't put a label on them myself. When I read Jimmy's comments It felt like he had unwrapped a beautiful Creme Egg and unceremoniously banged it down on the table in front of me! By the way I was a huge fan of Bronski Beat and later The Communards myself. The Age of Consent album was released during my own "coming out" days at University.

[Nickname]

I think JS wanted make more visible the homosexuality. In the 80's, there were so many groups and artists were gay and they didn't say a word about it. So I think JS thought it was necessary a step foward and I understand it but it's also understandable PSB didn't want to do it at that time. It was their "Imperial Phase" and PSB gave many signals about homosexuality in their songs and the double sense make the songs more interesting. When "Very" came along Neil talked about his homosexuality because he was in love and it was related to the topic of that album.

In my opinion, it's a personal option but I also understand the JS point of view.

Many years ago, one journalist suggested the possibility of JS being a new member from PSB. You know it was the 80's.

I LOVE this:


Isn't anything that reminds you to PSB here?:

[Boring90]

Jimmy, stop telling people how to live their own life.

[Patrick Bateman]

There's nothing hypocritical about being in the closet, as long as you are not persecuting gay people (which I may have missed). Somerville is just a single issue bore; quite funny that his partner in The Communards lied about being HIV+ and ended up becoming an Anglican priest.....but as he was upfront about who he was shagging, that's alright I suppose.

[Dipso]

Jimmy Somerville's comments were in the NME, Christmas 1986. Neil and Chris were on the cover under the headline "Queen's Award For Industry". There were interviews with Neil and Jimmy on consecutive pages. (I have a weird brain like that.) It was all rather manipulative on the NME's part, it has to be said.

I don't recall exactly what Jimmy said, but it was basically along the lines of "They should come out, but they're scared". Let's also not forget that Chris and Jimmy were acquainted before both PSB and Bronski Beat became successful; they knew each other. (Did they share a house briefly? I think they might have done.)

[Andie]

Let's also not forget that Chris and Jimmy were acquainted before both PSB and Bronski Beat became successful; they knew each other. (Did they share a house briefly? I think they might have done.)

Yes they did, according to Steve Bronski, who said (in the link below) "Yes, It was 1983 - Jimmy and Connie previously had been squatting in an apartment in the west end of London (Coptic Street) but were evicted and then invited to share a room at Jills place, where Larry had his own room and home studio. Before this, Jimmy had stayed in a house in west London shared with the, later to be, keyboard player from "Pet Shop Boys", Chris Lowe!"

http://www.jimmysomerville.de/history/s ... ing_en.htm

[billjermaine]

It was in here - their first NME cover story, December 86. I remember previous issues had scrutinised PSB for their gay subtext, so the fact that editors ran with the Communards interview immediately after PSB made it feel like a part of some outing campaign. It wasn't all that scathing .. just a swipe for not being more forthcoming about their sexuality; remembering that this was during the peak of AIDS fear and gay stigmatising.