New York City Boy

"New York City Boy"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Nightlife
B-side	"The Ghost of Myself" "Casting a Shadow"
Released	22 September 1999 (1999-9-22)
Studio	Quad (New York City)
Genre	Nu-disco
Length	5:16
Label	Parlophone
Songwriter(s)	Neil Tennant Chris Lowe David Morales
Producer(s)	David Morales Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More" (1999) "New York City Boy" (1999) "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" (2000)
Music video
"New York City Boy" on YouTube

"New York City Boy" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 22 September 1999 as the second single from their seventh studio album, Nightlife (1999). In the UK, the single peaked at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached the charts in numerous European countries, peaking at number three in Spain, and number four in Finland and Hungary. In the US, the song hit number one on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart and number 53 on the Billboard Hot Singles Sales chart.

One of the single's B-sides, "Casting a Shadow", was written for BBC Radio 1 during the 11 August 1999 solar eclipse, and CD2 included a video of the song with footage of the eclipse in the UK.

The song's string arrangements, by Vincent Montana Jr., interpolate "It's Good for the Soul" by Montana's Salsoul Orchestra. The song also samples "MacArthur Park" as recorded by Donna Summer.^{[ citation needed ]}

Critical reception

Pop Rescue commented, "Disco comes unashamedly bursting in, with second single 'New York City Boy', a kind of early 'Your Disco Needs You', complete with camp video and men's choruses throughout." ^[1]

Music video

The music video for the song features the New York nightspot Studio 54 and was directed by British director Howard Greenhalgh. ^[2]

Track listings

• UK CD1 and Australian CD single ^{[3] [4]}

1. "New York City Boy" (radio edit)
2. "The Ghost of Myself"
3. "New York City Boy" (the Almighty Definitive mix)
4. "New York City Boy" (music video)

• UK CD2 ^[5]

1. "New York City Boy" (album version)
2. "Casting a Shadow"
3. "New York City Boy" (Superchumbo's Uptown mix)
4. "Casting a Shadow" (live video from the solar eclipse of 11 August 1999)

• UK cassette single ^[6]

1. "New York City Boy" (radio edit)
2. "The Ghost of Myself"
3. "New York City Boy" (The Almighty Definitive mix)

• UK 2×12-inch single ^[7]

A1. "New York City Boy" (the Morales club mix)

B1. "New York City Boy" (the Almighty Man on a Mission mix)

B2. "New York City Boy" (the Lange mix)

C1. "New York City Boy" (the Thunderpuss 2000 club mix)

D1. "New York City Boy" (the Superchumbo Downtown dub)

• European CD single ^[8]

1. "New York City Boy"
2. "The Ghost of Myself"

• US maxi-CD single ^[9]

1. "New York City Boy" (radio edit)
2. "New York City Boy" (the Superchumbo Uptown mix)
3. "New York City Boy" (the Superchumbo Downtown dub)
4. "New York City Boy" (the Almighty Definitive mix)
5. "New York City Boy" (the Almighty Man on a Mission mix)
6. "New York City Boy" (the Thunderpuss 2000 club mix)
7. "New York City Boy" (the Thunderdub)
8. "New York City Boy" (the Morales club mix)
9. "New York City Boy" (the Lange mix)

• US 12-inch single ^[10]

A1. "New York City Boy" (the Superchumbo Uptown mix)

A2. "New York City Boy" (the Almighty Definitive mix)

B1. "New York City Boy" (the Thunderpuss 2000 club mix)

B2. "New York City Boy" (the Lange mix)

• US cassette single ^[11]

1. "New York City Boy" (US radio edit) – 3:31
2. "Lies" – 4:41

Personnel

Credits adapted from Nightlife / Further Listening 1997–2000 liner notes.

• Conductor and vocal arranger: Danny Madden
• Arranger and conductor strings and horns: Vincent Montana, Jr.
• Backing vocals: Billy Cliff, John James, Keith Fluitt and Steve Abram
• Bass guitar: Gene Perez
• Engineers: Steve Barkan, Bill Importico, Jr., Jon Smelz
• Mixing engineer: Goetz Botzenhardt
• Percussion: Carlos Gomez
• Keyboards, vocals: Chris Lowe
• Producer: David Morales
• Keyboards and programming: Joey Mosk
• Vocals: Neil Tennant
• Mixing engineers: Pet Shop Boys
• Remastering engineer: Tim Young

Charts

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for "New York City Boy" Chart (1999–2000) Peak position Australia (ARIA) [12] 174 Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [13] 40 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [14] 20 Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [15] 23 Denmark (Tracklisten) [16] 6 Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles) [17] 22 Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [18] 4 France (SNEP) [19] 47 Germany (GfK) [20] 16 Greece (IFPI) [16] 8 Hungary (MAHASZ) [21] 4 Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40) [22] 26 Italy (FIMI) [23] 20 Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [24] 34 Netherlands (Single Top 100) [25] 40 Scotland (OCC) [26] 15 Spain (PROMUSICAE) [27] 3 Sweden (Sverigetopplistan) [28] 9 Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade) [29] 20 UK Singles (OCC) [30] 14 US Dance Club Songs ( Billboard ) [31] 1 US Dance Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [32] 4 US Hot Singles Sales ( Billboard ) [33] 53

Year-end charts Year-end chart performance for "New York City Boy" Chart (2000) Position US Maxi-Singles Sales (Billboard) [34] 31

Release history

Release dates and formats for "New York City Boy"

Region	Date	Format(s)	Label(s)	Ref.
Japan	22 September 1999	CD	Parlophone EMI	[35]
United Kingdom	29 September 1999	CD cassette	Parlophone	[36]
	4 October 1999	2×12-inch vinyl		[37]
Australia	21 February 2000	CD		[38]

References

1. "REVIEW: "NIGHTLIFE" BY THE PET SHOP BOYS (CD, 1999)". Pop Rescue. 23 March 2015. Retrieved 4 December 2020.
2. "Pet Shop Boys - New York City Boy (1999)".
3. New York City Boy (UK CD1 liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1999. CDRS 6525, 7243 8 87733 0 0.
4. New York City Boy (Australian CD single liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1999. 7243 887723 0 3.
5. New York City Boy (UK CD2 liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1999. CDR 6525, 7243 8 87732 0 1.
6. New York City Boy (UK cassette single sleeve). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1999. TCR6525.
7. New York City Boy (UK 2×12-inch single sleeve). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1999. 12R 6525, 0 7243 887733 6 2.
8. New York City Boy (European CD single liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone. 1999. 7243 8 87725 2 5.
9. New York City Boy (US maxi-CD single liner notes). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone, Sire Records. 1999. 35013-2.
10. New York City Boy (US 12-inch single sleeve). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone, Sire Records. 1999. 35014-0.
11. New York City Boy (US cassette single sleeve). Pet Shop Boys. Sire Records. 1999. 35017-4.
12. "Response from ARIA re: chart inquiry, received 17 February 2016" . Retrieved 17 February 2016– via Imgur.
13. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
14. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
15. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" (in French). Ultratop 50.
16. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 16, no. 46. 13 November 1999. p. 11. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
17. "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 44. 30 October 1999. p. 25. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
18. "Pet Shop Boys: New York City Boy" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat.
19. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" (in French). Les classement single.
20. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
21. "Top National Sellers" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 16, no. 42. 16 October 1999. p. 13. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
22. "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 – Vikuna 4.11-11.11 1999". DV (in Icelandic). 5 November 1999. p. 10. ISSN   1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
23. "History - FIMI" (in Italian). Retrieved 24 September 2022.
24. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Pet Shop Boys" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40.
25. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 27 June 2018.
26. "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
27. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy" Canciones Top 50.
28. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
29. "Pet Shop Boys – New York City Boy". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
30. "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
31. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
32. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 3 May 2020.
33. "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Hot Singles Sales)". Billboard . Archived from the original on 17 January 2021. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
34. "The Year in Music 2000 – Hot Dance Maxi-Singles Singles". Billboard. Vol. 112, no. 53. 30 December 2000. p. YE-60. ISSN   0006-2510 – via Google Books.
35. "ニューヨーク・シティ・ボーイ | ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ" [New York City Boy | Pet Shop Boys] (in Japanese). Oricon . Retrieved 29 August 2023.
36. "New Releases – Week Starting 27 September, 1999: Singles" (PDF). Music Week . 25 September 1999. p. 25. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
37. "New Releases – Week Starting 4 October, 1999: Singles". Music Week. 2 October 1999. p. 27.
38. "Pet Shop Boys". EMI Music Australia. Archived from the original on 19 April 2001. Retrieved 4 August 2023.