My huge thanks to those of you who gave such warm welcomes to this new series. Just to clarify on the Bobby Orlando releases that I mentioned last week but didn’t feature, the 45s will consist only of those had UK releases AND are mentioned on the PSB official website.
Part Two covers October 1985 – September 1986 and the four singles lifted from debut album Please, itself released in March 1986.
West End Girls was released on 28th October 1985 and went to #1 in the UK in January. It was subsequently #1 in USA, Canada, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and Norway.
7″
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – West End Girls
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – A Man Could Get Arrested
Strangely enough, the 12″ contained a shorter version of A Man Could Get Arrested alongside a near 7-minute dance mix of West End Girls. I’ve long thought this particular b-side is decent enough but has more than a few similarities to Opportunities, which suggests the duo were still trying to find their feet, musically.
Love Comes Quickly was released on 24th February 1986. After the success of West End Girls, hopes here high of achieving something similar. It only reached #19 while New Zealand and Spain were the only countries where it went Top 10.
7″
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – Love Comes Quickly
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – That’s My Impression
This b-side was, as it turned out, ahead of the curve as it offered up a sign of Pet Shop Boys as a club/dance act. It’s certainly the first time you could link their sound with that of New Order. The song was certainly more than good enough to be included on the debut album, but didn’t make the cut, which I think was a mistake.
A month later, debut album Please entered the chart at #3. It was the highest new entry that week, and the only two albums above it were Brothers In Arms by Dire Straits (which had been kicking around the top of the album charts for almost a year) and Hits 4, one of those compilation albums that sold in the millions back in the 80s.
Fun fact 1. West End Girls was included on Hits 4, which meant the song was on records sitting at #1 and #3 on the album chart.
Fun fact 2. Please would spend 37 weeks on the album chart. But it never got higher than its first week position of #3.
A new version of Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money) was released on 19th May 1986. It was a slightly edited version of that included on Please. It reached #11 in the UK.
7″
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – Opportunities (Let’s Make Lots Of Money)
mp3: Pet Shop Boys – Was That What It Was
Another quality b-side, if perhaps a bit PSB by numbers, but far superior to what many others were offering as a-sides.
On 22nd September 1986, a re-recorded version of Suburbia was released. It reached #8 in the UK. I won’t say any more as the single was feature on the blog just two weeks ago. If you want to read more about the release, as well as listening to/downloading the tracks, just click here.
THE NEW VINYL VILLAIN 
What a speeding train that was! There’s a lot more to pack in too.
Love Comes Quickly is a brilliant tune and possibly my favourite single of theirs. Still amazes me that it only scraped into the top 20. I bet a lot of people (maybe even themselves) imagined they were going to be one hit wonders
I remember friends saying the West End Girls was just a OHW, especially when Love… got such to a low number in the charts.
A Man Could Get Arrested is my least favourite PSB b-side and Was That What It Was is one of the best (you’ve got a long way to go before you get to my favourite).
Although I have all of these tracks (most in 7″ & 12″ vinyl), it’s lovely to hear someone else’s opinions on songs I love.
I think West End Girls may just about be the greatest Number One single that the UK has ever had.
Also the 12″ versions if WEG is just immense.
Thank you! What treats!! I can remember the impact WEG had…
Saw them live last year at the O2 and those early singles sounded amazing . A long way to go to my fav b side as well
Superb stuff
SC
I am loving this series! Fantastic.
West End Girls is one of the great pop records of the 80s, of any decade for that matter. The rolling thunder of the bass, the drama of the synths, the lyrics and Neil’s delivery. I saw them at the arena last year and it hasn’t lost any of its power over time.
My love started off with the West End Girls Single. The one right at the top of this post. But it wasn’t West End Girls that got me all excited, it was the b-side – A Man Could Get Arrested! In the almost 40 years of their career, AMCGA remains my favorite PSB song.
The slamming electro beats, the high energy shimmer, the stabbing vocals (Neil and Chris actually knew how to shout!) all lay the bed for a template they they would explore for the rest of their career – improving, modifying, building on from…
I never tire of listening (and singing along very badly) to PSBs. Thankfully for those in my vicinity at Manchester Arena last year, my warblings were drowned out. Their songs have aged better than those of many of their contemporaries.
Love this series! For me Opportunities was the moment when it became clear these guys were no flash in the pan. Here in the US WEG was treated as a sorta new wave /Mtv novelty. But with Opportunities, they became a modern rock radio staple.