Pet Shop Boys Community

Coming this Saturday

This month 40 years ago, Pet Shop Boys made their UK chart debut with the iconic ‘West End Girls’. We celebrate on this Saturday’s Sounds Of The 80s BBC Radio 2 dedicating the entire second hour to the legendary duo - and we want to hear from you…your Pet Shop Boys memories, favourite 80s PSB tracks (hits and obscure!), PSB gig stories and all about your fandom! Email gary@bbc.co.uk

Ooooh, Gary Davies.

TallThinMan wrote: Wed 12 Nov 2025, 9:21 pm Ooooh, Gary Davies.

'Pet Shop Boys at Fordy'

Tracks played in full:

West end girls
Suburbia
Paninaro
It's a sin
What have I done to deserve this?
Don't drop bombs (Liza Minelli)
I'm not scared (Eighth Wonder)
That's my impression
I get excited
Left to my own devices

Well that was pretty good. As well as a few obvious tracks we had don’t drop bombs by Liza, I’m not scared by Eighth wonder and also some b sides: I get excited (you get excited too), that my impression & paninaro.


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39 years later and it still amazes me that Paninaro was "just" a b-side. A phenomenal record that virtually defines their style and sound of the entire 80s and it's "just" a b-side.

Several good Petheads I know had their emails read out. Come in Agent Doris!

I thought it was great. I’ll always owe Gary a massive amount of gratitude for all the support he gave to making West End Girls a hit and getting it to number one. Without him, it’s arguable whether we would he here on this forum now as they really were in the last chance saloon at the time.

Only oddity for me, he said that It’s a sin was their first top 10 hit in the states. Could have sworn West End Girls made it to number one over there ?

joe stalin wrote: Sun 16 Nov 2025, 5:09 pm I thought it was great. I’ll always owe Gary a massive amount of gratitude for all the support he gave to making West End Girls a hit and getting it to number one. Without him, it’s arguable whether we would he here on this forum now as they really were in the last chance saloon at the time.

Only oddity for me, he said that It’s a sin was their first top 10 hit in the states. Could have sworn West End Girls made it to number one over there ?

Both west end girls and Opportunities were both top ten hits before it’s a sin

And West End girls was a #1 in the U.S.

And Please was a top ten (number seven) album in the USA.

Was a really nice show, with excellent shout-outs!

Vintage Youth wrote: Sun 16 Nov 2025, 8:38 pm Was a really nice show, with excellent shout-outs!

Yes indeed, thanks for drawing this to our attention.

For me it followed a book signing in Oxford (Hannah French signing her book on Vivaldi and the Four Seasons), and a superb Indian classical music concert at the Royal Academy of Music back in London. I listened to Ooo Gary in the Wetherspoon at Baker St with three pints and chicken wings (the food donated by the lovely couple on the next table who had over ordered!).

It was hard to come down to the ground after all that wonderful and varied culture.