Entertainment For Lively Minds
Word Podcast 170: After 25 years Neil Tennant finally comes and asks for his old job back
Posted by David Hepworth on 5 May 2011 - 4:28pm.
In 1985 Neil Tennant left his job at Smash Hits to try his hand with Pet Shop Boys. Finally he's come crawling back to take part in the Word podcast where he reminisces about the days when he was "Doctor Bitz", talks about the most ridiculous things the Pet Shop Boys have been asked to do, discloses why they're going on tour with Take That, reveals the name of the best song ever written and answers some of your questions. The new Pet Shop Boys album of ballet music, "The Most Incredible Thing", is out now.
You can follow this link to get the podcast every week or stream this new episode below.
Neil -
Good move mate (the first time!).
Good move coming back. I look forward to hearing the podcast.
Listening to it now
with apologies if this correction comes later in the Podcast, the sleevenotes for "Beatles For Sale" were actually by Derek Taylor. Tony Barrow coined the phrase "The Lennon & McCartney Songbook" on an EP sleeve around the same time, however.
Yours pedantically...
P.S. Superb podcast so far, chaps.
Yes, the Beatles For Sale sleeve notes
were written by Derek Taylor. They have just a little more flair about them than the Fabs' usual liner note scribe Tony Barrow.
From 1964, here is just part of those Beatles For Sale sleeve notes:
"This is the fourth by the four. 'Please Please Me', 'With The Beatles', 'Hard Day's Night'. That's three. Now .... 'Beatles For Sale'.
The young men themselves aren't for sale. Money, noisy though it is, doesn't talk that loud. But you can buy this album - you probably have, unless you're just browsing, in which case don't leave any dirty thumbprints on the sleeve!
It isn't all currency or current though. There's priceless history between these covers. None of us is getting any younger. When in a generation or so, a radio-active, cigar-smoking child, picnicking on Saturn, asks you what the Beatle affair was all about - 'Did you actually know them?' - don't try to explain all about the long hair and the screams! Just play the child a few tracks from this album and he'll probably understand what it was all about. The kids of AD 2000 will draw from the music much the same sense of well being and warmth as we do today."
Fair play to him, he wasn't wrong.
Pop picking is a fast 'n' furious business these days...
That was the opening line of Tony Barrow's 1963 sleeve notes for the first Beatles' LP Please Please Me.
Quaint perhaps, but I always thought this was the telling paragraph:
"Producer George Martin has never had any headaches over choice of songs for The Beatles. Their own built-in tunesmith team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney has already tucked away enough self-penned numbers to sustain a steady output of all-original singles from now until 1975!"
Can I be the third to say
that this is a very good thing?
Poptastic Podcast
And I trust all three West End gents pictured above were sockless and wearing espadrilles for the duration of the podcast?
Looking at the baggy sleeves on DH's jumper I suspect during the podcast the garment had been draped over his shoulders and tied by the sleeves. I'm also rather confident in suggesting ME's jacket sleeves were rolled up to the elbows to display a rather natty paisley pattern lining.
This, and Danny Baker - In Confidence on Sky Arts.
It's been a good night.
The sun is up
the shirt is blue
there's no dull worthy songwriters to spoil the view
And irs radiant
Radiant in my heart
Top 'cast - back on track
BTW and in 1990 people were syaing about 'Beatles For Sale' - "bit weak isn't it? They even look shagged out on the cover"
Wasn't it taken at 6am on a Sunday or something?
Doubtless they WERE knackered & more cynical by then - I think Ian MacDonald went on about it in his book - but I am not at my best at 6.30 am either. Not actually sure when I AM at my best its harder to tell past 40...
Saturday
The Beatles For Sale cover shoot took place in the south east corner of Hyde Park, just off Rotten Row, on Saturday, October 24, 1964.
Nowhere does it say the time of the shoot, but it must have been later than 6am because the photos are clearly taken in daylight and sunrise at that time of year in London is around 7.40am.
Cilla Black recording Alfie....
....as Burt Bacharach conducts. And, boy, does he conduct.
Astounding
It's a long way from that to this...
And even further to this
That's
creeping me out!
A pedant writes...
While this version doesn't appear, the song is present in the film over the closing credits with vocals by Cher and produced by Sonny.
This is a scream
Can we have Neil Tennant for every podcast, plz?
A podcast 'any questions' featuring a panel of
Danny Baker
Nick Lowe
Neil Tennant
Mark Ellen
with DH as the host/chairman would be good value.
I think putting Baker on a podcast
Renders any other guest obsolete!
Not a bad thing.
Just one thing, Neil
It's Tamla Motown, not Tamela (as in Pamela)
Really enjoyed that
Thanks to all concerned.
That Smash Hits Cover...
Calm yourselves ladies...
Vapors LPs huh?
Whoo-eeee.
The Single
The Professionals put out a single on Virgin called One Two Three (written by Steve Jones) c/w White Light White Heat (by Mr Sunshine and Good Will) & Baby I Don't Care (the Lieber & Stoller song).
The bassist is called Andy Allen.
Just Another Dream
My word, I'd forgotten all about that dreadful WLWH cover! That was their second single, I believe. That Smash Hits cover would have been at the time of their first single, which was Just Another Dream.
Just like any other dream...
I remember it well - better than most of the Pistols' output to be sure.
Interesting to hear
Andy Alan on the podcast. I played guitar with Andy Alans Future throughout 1981. Playing Reading, The Stonehenge Festival and most of the London gig circuit.
Thought I'd share a couple of pics -
While I'm here
If anyone could get their hands on any pics of us at Reading 81 I would be forever gratefull as I've never seen any! Such were the days when everyone didn't take pics/vids!
I remember coming off stage and meeting my friend Pete who was working on the backstage bar. I hadn't seen him since we were at college a couple of years earlier. He 'said' "What are you doing here?". In front of him was a large TV with a direct feed from the main stage. I just thought "Oh give us a pint and I'll tell you"!
Brilliant
One of my favourites (along with the Danny Baker and Nick Lowe ones).
a wonderful Podcast
and not only because of the subject matter but because it contains my favourite random background podcast noise so far.
Someone programming a microwave at 53.13
...and then hearing the 'ready' beep at 53.56
30 seconds on high power?
Not sure what one of them new-fangled michaelwaves can do in 30 seconds.
Boiling a cup of water for an instant coffee? Can't imagine there wouldn't be a professional Espresso machine next to Fraser's desk somehow :-)
softening butter
for a round of crumpets.
"Alfie" AND "Heroes and Villains"!
Wow, they'd be in my top 5.
The structure of "Alfie" unique as far as I know. There are three sections, each one of which starts with the phrase "what's it all about Alfie", and each one of which then goes to a completely different place lyrically, melodically and harmonically. This is NOT in Songwriting 101. I can't off the top of my head thing of any other song that does this.
I always thought the PSB were one of those stupid English 80s haircut bands. Where do I start with them?
Behaviour
Listen to their Behaviour album. A masterpiece.
Agreed
on 'Behaviour' - also worth getting is 'Very' which contains the gorgeous 'Liberation' and their stomping cover of "Go West'.
Funny thing about Neil enthusing about....
...."Heroes and Villains" is that we hope to have Van Dyke Parks, who wrote the lyrics, as our guest in the pod next week.
Since I don't have Twitter
any chance you can ask him about working with Ry Cooder please?
Neil Tenant worked with Ry
Neil Tenant worked with Ry Cooder?
Now
that I'd like to see.
Americana meets Suburbia
West End Girls From Texas
& etc
Presumably...
...if they worked together, the supergroup name would be Wry Cooder.
Looking forward to VDP
For what it's worth, please tell him that I think Smile (I'm going on its only official release thus far) is superior to Pet Sounds.
Van Dyke Parks
Ask him what the f*ck he meant by "Two-step to lamp lights cellar tune" in Surf's Up? :-)
He'd probably wonder
whether you were Mike Love...
Mildly interesting VDP-related fact which has stuck with me for no discernable reason - his brother wrote 'Somethin' Stupid'...
Bloody Hell!
And there was me thinking the podcast couldn't get any better.
Tremendous stuff
Here is Neil's startling interview with Marilyn. Apparently at this ill-fated launch party were Christopher Reeve, Joan Rivers and..er..Steve from Bronski Beat.
Brilliant stuff
Sunday morning, sun shining , walking the dog, listening to the Podcast. What more could you want?
loves this podcast
I was worried that after a recent interview that NT had disappeared into pop star land and had got abit grand and bit use to his stories being listened to unchallanged but I needn't have worried this is a joy.
The shared history of those involved helps would make an excellent edition of "the reunion" on radio 4
excellent pod
up there with the best. good to hear scoffer get a mention too
As it's not been said enough
can I add that this is a vintage podcast in which all excel themselves. I for one got a lot of enjoyment from the fact that Neil can interrupt as good as Ellen or Hepworth, what's more can ignore their interruptions and keep the subject. It was as intricate as Just A Minute and the shared memories among the three was very, y'know, touching.