PSB in new Liza memoir

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OakeyDokey
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#16 Post by OakeyDokey »

It seems very factual/professionally savvy, the style of writing. At her current age, I'd be surprised if Liza was that sharp or detailed so if it's been ghost-written, it makes sense.

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Sandy Shaw
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#17 Post by Sandy Shaw »

TallThinMan wrote: Tue 10 Mar 2026, 5:07 pm “I met with Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the two leaders of the Pet Shop Boys”.

What a curious turn of phrase!
Will this inspire a new song I wonder?
"We're the leaders of the Pet Shop Boys"...
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PSB-90
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#18 Post by PSB-90 »

Great piece from Neil in today's Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/ ... a-minnelli

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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#19 Post by g_m »

PSB-90 wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 8:30 am Great piece from Neil in today's Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/ ... a-minnelli
Interesting info regarding If There Was Love. Not sure if that's been mentioned before.

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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#20 Post by telys »

g_m wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 10:23 am
PSB-90 wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 8:30 am Great piece from Neil in today's Guardian:

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/ ... a-minnelli
Interesting info regarding If There Was Love. Not sure if that's been mentioned before.
If there was love is the older sibling to It always comes as a surprise
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OakeyDokey
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#21 Post by OakeyDokey »

Reading that makes me want to read Neil's memoir!

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Shopper
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#22 Post by Shopper »

I was just reading this on Liza

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2026/ ... a-minnelli

I think its cool, they managed to give her a "HIT"
Left to my own devices, I probably would...

https://www.instagram.com/chit2clix/

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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#23 Post by Sandy Shaw »

TallThinMan wrote: Tue 10 Mar 2026, 5:07 pm “I met with Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, the two leaders of the Pet Shop Boys”.

What a curious turn of phrase!
Yes, another sad thing that skipped the proof reader's eye is that the Frank, Liza and Sammy shows billed as "The Ultimate Event" were performed at the Royal Albert Hall, not the London Palladium! I was lucky enough to attend one of them from way up in the gods.
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#24 Post by petshopgrrl »

Sandy Shaw wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 7:39 am Will this inspire a new song I wonder?
"We're the leaders of the Pet Shop Boys"...
I just sung this in my head to the tune of "The Model" by Kraftwerk. :lol:

"...I sing and dance and he makes lots of noise."
OakeyDokey wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 3:42 pm Reading that makes me want to read Neil's memoir!
Don't we all! Mind (and diary) like a steel trap! There's so many nuggets scattered across so many interviews and articles now - it's time they were rounded up. Mind you, the book would probably end up thicker than Volume!
g_m wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 10:23 am Interesting info regarding If There Was Love. Not sure if that's been mentioned before.
And this is one of those nuggets:
For example, the song If There Was Love, which is a bit acid house-y, has a really moving moment. We were recording strings with Anne Dudley, and during the course of the sessions my best friend died of Aids. I was asked to read a piece by Shakespeare at the funeral, so I had the sonnets with me in the studio, and we were going through them with Liza to choose one for me to read. Then we thought, “Why doesn’t Liza read a Shakespeare sonnet on If There Was Love?” She read Sonnet 94 in one take and it’s so beautiful.
I don't remember seeing this anywhere else either but it does now make me read this article on Absolutely Pet Shop Boys in a totally different light: https://petshopboys.net/literally/liter ... -1-page-1/

This is Chris Heath's report of the Liza recording session held on March 29,1989. (Their page has the date wrong and says March 2 instead of 29 - I'm looking at the paper copy of Literally issue 1 here now.) If Neil seems a little distracted at times, it might be because March 29 was the day that Chris Dowell passed away. The show must go on, eh? :cry:

Liza does do a beautiful job of that sonnet. I don't think I've ever really listened to that song before. I really need to get the whole album.
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#25 Post by Sandy Shaw »

My signed copy was waiting for me when I got home last night. I'll definitely hunker down and read this cover to cover.
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#26 Post by Skybluearmy87 »

Results is a beautiful Lp you have to listen to it all
In one go , sounds amazing on good earphones, had it on repeat for the last week ,

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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#27 Post by Sandy Shaw »

Skybluearmy87 wrote: Mon 16 Mar 2026, 6:25 pm Results is a beautiful Lp you have to listen to it all
In one go , sounds amazing on good earphones, had it on repeat for the last week ,
Indeed, again the sad thing about Liza's recollection is she doesn't really seem to appreciate how good the album is - it just she wanted the hit...
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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#28 Post by dbaseboy »

“Before I knew it, a popular English group called the Pet Shop Boys reached out and said they wanted to work with me” 🤔. Neil seems to recall it differently at the time;
https://youtu.be/PG7j_ZPgYyU?si=oj3PgzdC31ByFsC9

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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#29 Post by Morse »

OakeyDokey wrote: Wed 11 Mar 2026, 1:06 am It seems very factual/professionally savvy, the style of writing. At her current age, I'd be surprised if Liza was that sharp or detailed so if it's been ghost-written, it makes sense.
I'd be very surprised if Liza hadn't kept a diary, like Neil does.

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Re: PSB in new Liza memoir

#30 Post by Trevor Tremor »

dbaseboy wrote: Tue 17 Mar 2026, 8:23 am “Before I knew it, a popular English group called the Pet Shop Boys reached out and said they wanted to work with me” 🤔. Neil seems to recall it differently at the time;
https://youtu.be/PG7j_ZPgYyU?si=oj3PgzdC31ByFsC9
That bit at 5:40 - it's difficult to hear if Chris is saying he "would" or "wouldn't" write for Sinatra?

https://youtu.be/PG7j_ZPgYyU?t=336

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