The revenge of Bobby "O" - Mixed Up World

[Nickname]

Probably many of you know that but I didn't know it. Even being a hardcore fan of PSB.

I didn't know Bobby created this song in 1985 for his album: Bobby "O" and his Banana Republic. The song is "Mixed Up World". When you listen to this song you can hear how much it sounds like West End Girls. In fact, Bobby "O" was angry with PSB because Neil and Chris had used his style, Hi-NRG, to create West End Girls. Few months later, they were reworking it for a big label (EMI-Parlophone) with new producers like Stephen Hague, using his particular sound and getting success.

So this song was a kind of revenge. In some way, I understand the feeling of Bobby "O".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgJVF18f27w

PSB wanted to change the producer because they haven't any kind of success with this label. Anyway, there was no lawsuit between PSB and Bobby "O". He didn't want to let them his part of the rights from the songs. So they made their own new versions.

Maybe you knew that, I didn't.

[NotInvisible]

There is nothing Hi-NRG about West End Girls.

[raggatwin]

TBH Bobby O was a one trick pony, they would have left him at some point or another...

[leesmapman]

Bobby O has done some blatant plagiarism in the past. I bought a Divine album a few weeks ago and there's the I Feel Love ripoff Shoot Your Shot, but I didn't know about Love Reaction which is just Blue Monday. When I heard it, I just had to laugh. It's great stuff, mind you. Anyway, in that light it makes sense that this song resembles something he produced before.

[tottenhammattspurs]

Sounds more like Inner City Pressure.

[DJAMIX]

Interesting! Never heard that beore! It's definitely a statement.

[daveid]

Can definitely hear lyrics that sound similar in spirit to West End girls. I think it's OK but a bit on the nose in its social critique.

[greenmile]

LOL, that's hilarious!

[Oznerol]

Interesting!...as weird as I may sound..I don´t remember if I heard this before!
Released in 1985...a very quick revenge!! The Hague version was released in October of that same year...

[Spittingcat]

Ha! Enjoyed that. Agreed about the Flight Of The Conchords feel to it. There’s also a track on the album that, er, plays homage to New Order’s Confusion… called… Confusion.

Always worth going further back though… check out the 81&82 albums by German band, “The Twins”, if you want to hear some originators.

[Eleven]

Probably did to get some "hit" after the Boys left him for Parlophone and to have some revenue apart from the contract release being paid of 1mill

[markrobertnolan]

Bobby O has done some blatant plagiarism in the past. I bought a Divine album a few weeks ago and there's the I Feel Love ripoff Shoot Your Shot, but I didn't know about Love Reaction which is just Blue Monday. When I heard it, I just had to laugh. It's great stuff, mind you. Anyway, in that light it makes sense that this song resembles something he produced before.

It's not so much "Shoot your Shot" plagiarises "I Feel love", its more so that "Love Reaction" plagiarises "Blue Monday."

[Sandy Shaw]

I'm intrigued by the Divine song ''Shout It Out''. I know Bobby O used riffs across different songs, but is it this one that was hanging around as an instrumental when the Boys wrote ''One More Chance'' I wonder (provisionally entitled Rock me)?

[Sandy Shaw]

Probably many of you know that but I didn't know it. Even being a hardcore fan of PSB.

I didn't know Bobby created this song in 1985 for his album: Bobby "O" and his Banana Republic. The song is "Mixed Up World". When you listen to this song you can hear how much it sounds like West End Girls. In fact, Bobby "O" was angry with PSB because Neil and Chris had used his style, Hi-NRG, to create West End Girls. Few months later, they were reworking it for a big label (EMI-Parlophone) with new producers like Stephen Hague, using his particular sound and getting success.

So this song was a kind of revenge. In some way, I understand the feeling of Bobby "O".
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgJVF18f27w

PSB wanted to change the producer because they haven't any kind of success with this label. Anyway, there was no lawsuit between PSB and Bobby "O". He didn't want to let them his part of the rights from the songs. So they made their own new versions.

Maybe you knew that, I didn't.

Thanks for this. Some interesting lyrical connections

Sometimes you're better off dead
There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head''

''Suicide Hotline, pick up the phone
Too many people are all alone''


''Call the police, there's a madman around''

''No use to call the police
There's mad men loose and killers in the streets''


''From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station''

''From New York City to the Berlin Wall''

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

All he achieved with this song is the confession that Pet Shop Boys had already outgrown him and his sound, before they even hit the charts.

Retro.