TV Times

TV Times

'Release' with Pet Shop Boys
By Sanath Weerasuriya
Popular duo 'Pet Shop Boys' comes as the star of this week's 'Original Music Competition', which is organised by M- Entertainment in collaboration with TV Times.

Pet Shop Boys formed in London in August, 1981 when vocalist Neil Tennant (a former editor at Marvel Comics who later gained some notoriety as a journalist for Smash Hits magazine) first met keyboardist Chris Lowe (a onetime architecture student) at an electronics shop; discovering a shared passion for dance music and synthesizers, they immediately decided to start a band. Dubbing themselves the Pet Shop Boys in honour of friends who worked in such an establishment - while also obliquely nodding to the sort of names prevalent among the New York City hip-hop culture of the early 1980s - the duo's career first took flight in 1983, when Tennant met producer Bobby "o" Orlando while on a writing assignment. Orlando produced their first single, 1984's "West End Girls"; the song was a minor hit in the U.S. but went nowhere in Britain, and its follow- up. "One More Chance"was also unsuccessful.

Upon signing up with EMI, the Pet Shop Boys issued 1985's biting "Opportunities (Let's Make lots of Money)"; When it too failed to attract attention, the duo's future appeared grim, but they then released an evocative new Stephen Hague production of "West End Girls," which became an international chart-topper. Its massive success propelled the Pet Shop Boys' 1986 debut LP Please into the Top Ten, and when "Opportunities" was subsequently reissued, it too became a hit. Disco, a collection of dance remixes, was quickly rushed into stores, and in 1987 the duo resurfaced with the superb Actually, which launched three more Top ten smashes -"It's a Sin," a lovely cover of the perennial "Always on My Mind," and "What Have I Done to Deserve This?, "a duet between tennant and the great Dusty Springfield. A documentary film titled It Couldn't Happen Here was released the following year.

Also in 1988, Pet Shop Boys issued their third studio LP, the eclectic Introspective; the single "Domino Dancing" was their final Top 40 hit in the U.S.

After a three-year absence, the Pet Shop Boys resurfaced with Bilingual, a fluid expansion into Latin rhythms. Nightlife followed in 1999 and sparked the dance club hit "New York City Boy."

On the success of that, they also toured the U.S. for the first time in eight years. While on tour, Tennant and Lowe were also collaborating with playwright Jonathan Harvey. Since 1997 the three had been crafting a musical surrounding gay life and societal criticisms. Closer to Heaven made its West End debut in 2001 and had a successful run for most of the year. The Pet Shop Boys' score of the original cast recording Closer to Heaven, was also a hit in the UK. They still had time to make a record for themselves, too. In April 2002 Tennant, and Lowe issued their follow-up to 1999's Nightlife the vibrant album entitled Release.

Get the very best of 'Pet Shop Boys' on one original CD available from all M Entertainment preferred dealers.

All the winners of previous contests can collect their prizes from Maharaja Entertainment (Pvt) Ltd., at 330, T.B. Jayah Mw., Colombo 10.

To enter this contest, all you have to do is answer the question on the coupon No.83 and send it to the address given below.

The address is "Listen to Original Music Contest, No. 83, C/o Maharaja Entertainments (Pvt.) Ltd., 330, T. B. Jayah Mawatha, Colombo 10.

Tell: + 941672425-8, Fax + 941699070. E Mail: me@lgo.lk

All the entries must be originals from the TV Times and no photocopies or faxes will be entertained. All correct entries will be drawn by a panel of judges.

The entries should reach the above address by Decmber 3, the latest. The decision of the judges will be final and the names of the winners will be announced in The Sunday TV Times accordingly.

Here are the winners of contest no. 79 . The winners of two Sony original CDs are Nuwan Jayasuriya of Gampaha and Sudara Ranaweerasingheof Malabe

Two audio cassette winners are Gayantha Gunasinghe of Galagedara and Audrey Holmes of Nawala.

10% off gift Vouchers go to Sunetra de Croos of Negambo, Aqram Preena of Dehiwela, Chamira Dulanjan of Badulla, Malinga Peries of Matale, S.A. Ravinda Dissanayake of Gampaha and Mahesh Sampath of Rugghawila.

Posters winners are F.N. Marikkar of Chilaw, Gunoja Jayaweera of Nugegoda, Chathuri Maheshika Sirisena of Kadawata, Janaka Abeysundere of Colombo 06 and Ronald Ferdinando of Kandana.

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