Pet Shop Boys Community

Do you know if there exists any footage of Neil and Chris working on their music in the studio? It would be so terribly interesting to watch that.... or even just listen to it. I would like to see a glimpse of their creative work one day.

Yes, that would be very interesting.
I would like to see how they work in a studio.
How they looking for their right sounds, samples.

It much more interesting for me than to know what Neil thinks about Noel Coward or
smth. elese.

I would like this also...

A couple of weeks ago there was a pet text from Neil showing Chris at the computer desk in their studio, I don't think there is a whole lot of pictures of them in the studio?

Riikka wrote:Do you know if there exists any footage of Neil and Chris working on their music in the studio? It would be so terribly interesting to watch that.... or even just listen to it. I would like to see a glimpse of their creative work one day.

As far as I'm aware, no video footage, however there is an extensive audio recording of them working in the studio in the radio doco "About The Pet Shop Boys" - about 10 mins into part one. It's very funny, Chris saying something like "Do you think we can get this song finished before Coronation Street starts on the telly in 10 minutes?"

There IS one footage. On an old short documentary called That was then, this is now. There a clip where Neil sings Suburbia with headphones on.

There is some footage of Neil singing Suburbia that was in a BBC documentary called That Was Then, This Is Now that was shown around '87 I think? Have it transferred onto a dvd somewhere.

Edit: Damn you PSB-Freak!!!

Also, there was another BBC documentary with Andi Peters around the time of Bilingual that showed Neil in Russia recording the choir for Red Letter Day.

greenmile wrote:There is some footage of Neil singing Suburbia that was in a BBC documentary called That Was Then, This Is Now that was shown around '87 I think? Have it transferred onto a dvd somewhere.

Oh my God, how could I get that? Please tell me if you could send me that by any means.

I think the studio work is under-appreciated almost by any artist. I find it truly interesting, especially for those artists who do their own productions. Honestly, I would rather have such material on DVD than a concert, for example.

There was a documentary on cable TV here last year called Popsession (made in Germany I think) about the history of pop music, that featured PSB quite prominently in a couple of episodes. One was about the song writing process and Neil was interviewed in their studio while they were supposedly recording Battleship Potemkin. It also briefly showed them doing some recording. The oddest thing was that Kylie Minogue was standing around in the background with a group of people drinking a cup of tea (I kid you not!). No explanation of why she was there was offered. It's also odd that I've never read any mention of this documentary on the forum, considering the amount of coverage it gave to PSB. Has anyone else seen or heard of it?

The footage with Kylie (and Craig Armstrong) comes from the Nightlife promo box set, which has a VHS of the NYC Boy video, an interview and some other bits.

Native wrote:The footage with Kylie (and Craig Armstrong) comes from the Nightlife promo box set, which has a VHS of the NYC Boy video, an interview and some other bits.

That makes sense then, she was obviously recording In Denial. So this doco simply nicked the footage and pretended they were recording Potemkin. The voiceover definitely said they were in the studio recording it....something along the lines of "here are the Pet Shop Boys in the studio recording their latest project, a soundtrack for the old Russian film Battleship Potemkin" (or something to that effect).

You wont find pics or videos of Neil and Chris in the studio as its all done by Pete Gleadall!!

There was a brief clip of PSB being in the studio with Kylie in some interview where Neil and Chris were wearing outfits from the New York city boy video (except wigs). It was very short clip.

greenmile wrote:There is some footage of Neil singing Suburbia that was in a BBC documentary called That Was Then, This Is Now that was shown around '87 I think? Have it transferred onto a dvd somewhere.

Edit: Damn you PSB-Freak!!!

That was 1988. Not 87. I just watched it few days ago.

Wouldn't it be great for a fan meeting! You would get the chance to follow PSB into the studio and follow closely what they are doing...

Don't know if such could ever happen, but I just want to keep on dreaming. At least it is possible, in theory, as they are still working actively.

Yes I do believe that would be a great meeting! PSB in the studio with fans.