"Beautiful People" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 2 October 2009 as the third and final single from their tenth studio album, Yes (2009).[1] Initially, the single was released in Germany only, at the request of EMI.[2] On 10 November, it was released digitally in the United States.[3]
Pet Shop Boys originally wrote the track as a theme song for the television programme Beautiful People (2008) at the request of series writer Jonathan Harvey, with whom the duo had collaborated on the musical Closer to Heaven (2001). The song was rejected because the producers wanted something more uptempo.[4][5]
Neil Tennant wrote the lyrics from the point of view of a woman waiting for a bus in the rain, looking at celebrity magazines at a newsstand and aspiring to that lifestyle. He described it as a different perspective on the same theme as their earlier single, "Love Etc.", which also deals with celebrity and materialism.[5]
During the recording sessions for Yes, the Xenomania production team helped give the song a 1960s sound, adding drums and guitars. The backing vocals were intended to be reminiscent of The Mamas & the Papas.[6] Guest musicians on the track included former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, who also played harmonica, and singers Carla Marie Williams, Jessie Malakouti, and Alex Gardner. Owen Pallett wrote an orchestral arrangement for the song, performed by the London Metropolitan Orchestra and recorded at Abbey Road Studios.[7]
Release
The single package of "Beautiful People" included three bonus tracks that had been previously released in some form. The seven-inch mix of "Fugitive", produced by Richard X, had been published in an extended version on the limited edition of their 2006 album Fundamental.[8] The demo version of "Beautiful People" had been made available to stream from the official Pet Shop Boys website in July 2009.[9] The remix of "Up and Down" by Tom Stephan was also available as a free download during the release campaign of "Did You See Me Coming?"; the original version was a B-side of that single.[10]
Remixes by Vinny Vero were commissioned but not used due to delays in their completion. They were later released unofficially as a free download on Vero's website.[citation needed]
Pet Shop Boys' original demo of "Beautiful People" was also included on the 2017 expanded reissue Yes: Further Listening 2008–2010.[7]
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