Nightlife | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 8 October 1999 | |||
Recorded | 1996–1999 | |||
Studio |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 52:02 | |||
Label | Parlophone | |||
Producer |
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Pet Shop Boys chronology | ||||
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Singles from Nightlife | ||||
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Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [4] |
Exclaim! | Positive [5] |
NME | 4/10 [6] |
Pitchfork | 3.2/10 [7] |
Release Magazine | 8/10 [8] |
Rolling Stone | [9] |
Salon.com | Positive [10] |
The Village Voice | A− [11] |
Nightlife is the seventh studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 8 October 1999 by Parlophone. After the release and promotion of their previous album, Bilingual (1996), Pet Shop Boys started work with playwright Jonathan Harvey on the stage musical that eventually became Closer to Heaven (at one stage during the writing process, the musical was given the name of Nightlife). Pet Shop Boys soon had an album's worth of tracks and decided to release the album Nightlife as a concept album and in order to showcase some of the songs that would eventually make it into the musical.
The album incorporates a variety of musical influences, including hard trance on the Rollo-produced "For Your Own Good" and "Radiophonic"; dance-pop on "Closer to Heaven" and "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More"; disco pastiche on "New York City Boy"; and country music on "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk". The track "Happiness Is an Option" is based on Sergei Rachmaninoff's classical piece Vocalise, Op. 34, No. 14.
As of May 2001, the album had sold 1.2 million copies worldwide. [12] It reached number seven on the UK Albums Chart (their first studio album not to reach the top five) and spent three weeks on the chart at the time, but re-entered at number 29 in 2017 following the album's Further Listening 1996–2000 reissue. It also became the duo's lowest-charting studio album in the United States, reaching number 84 on the Billboard 200.
"In Denial" is a duet featuring Kylie Minogue. It was seen as a risk by critics [ citation needed ] because this project came at a time when Minogue was experiencing low record sales and did not have her own record contract. Pet Shop Boys had previously written a song titled "Falling" for Minogue's 1994 album Kylie Minogue . The same year as Nightlife's release, Minogue also signed to Parlophone and released her hugely successful Light Years album in 2000. Minogue would later sing "In Denial" on her Showgirl: The Greatest Hits Tour, with Neil Tennant's pre-recorded vocals being played as part of the duet while Minogue sang live.
For the promotion of the album, the band adopted a stark new appearance, designed in consultation with theatre designer Ian McNeil. [13] Now, the duo ubiquitously appeared wearing thick, dark eyebrows, inspired by Kabuki theatre; [14] yellow or orange wigs in a variety of hairstyles, inspired by the punk subculture (especially several spiked wigs); and black sunglasses. This was supported by a series of outfits in dark, muted colours, the most deviant of which incorporated culottes, [15] inspired by the attire of samurai, [14] instead of trousers. Photographs involving the costumes were often set in urban environments; the Midland Grand Hotel in Kings Cross, London was used as the setting to debut the look. [15] The costumes were used for promotional photographs, the album cover and liner notes, all the single covers, as well as the Nightlife Tour.
The music video for "I Don't Know What You Want But I Can't Give It Anymore" showed Tennant and Lowe being transformed into their new appearances, though in a fantastical manner: they are operated on by medical laboratory machines, then covered in talcum powder and dressed by monks in a ritual-like manner. Finally, they are given dogs on leashes and released into a "different world", where everyone else is also dressed in exactly the same way. [16] Conceptualised among the band members, McNeil, and director Pedro Romhanyi, the video was created to showcase the costumes. It was visually influenced by the films THX 1138 (1971) in the initial transformation sequence (copying many of its shots and props precisely); Ridicule (1996), in the ritualistic dressing-up scene; 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968), in the decor of the living room with an illuminated floor; and A Clockwork Orange (1971), in the outdoor urban setting. [17]
According to Tennant, the costumes helped him to distance himself from the songs, adding to the impersonal nature of Nightlife. [13] In other interviews, he explained that they played into his belief in the need for pop stars to have "bigger than life" public images, [18] and were a reaction against the "naturalistic" look of the 1990s. [18] [19]
Effort was also spent on designing the tour's visuals, with sets designed by deconstructivist architect Zaha Hadid. [20] The stage was modular, and could fit in differently-sized venues [19] and be rearranged by the backing singers throughout each concert. [16]
All tracks are written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "For Your Own Good" | 5:13 | ||
2. | "Closer to Heaven" |
| 4:06 | |
3. | "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More" |
| 5:09 | |
4. | "Happiness Is an Option" |
| Pet Shop Boys | 3:48 |
5. | "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk" |
| 3:11 | |
6. | "Vampires" |
| 4:43 | |
7. | "Radiophonic" |
| 3:31 | |
8. | "The Only One" |
| 4:21 | |
9. | "Boy Strange" |
| 5:09 | |
10. | "In Denial" (duet with Kylie Minogue) |
| 3:20 | |
11. | "New York City Boy" |
|
| 5:15 |
12. | "Footsteps" |
| 4:16 |
A limited-edition two-CD set of Nightlife was released in the United States. The bonus disc, titled Nightlife Extra, contained all the B-sides from the UK releases of the "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More" and "New York City Boy" singles, as well as remixes of these singles, some of which were only available in the US on promotional releases.
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Ghost of Myself" | 4:04 | |
2. | "Casting a Shadow" | 4:38 | |
3. | "Je t'aime... moi non plus" (with Sam Taylor-Wood) | Serge Gainsbourg | 4:11 |
4. | "Silver Age" | 3:33 | |
5. | "Screaming" |
| 4:55 |
6. | "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More" (The Morales Remix) | 7:46 | |
7. | "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any Moree" (Thee Maddkatt Courtship 80 Witness Mix) | 7:38 | |
8. | "New York City Boy" (The Superchumbo Uptown Mix) |
| 9:44 |
9. | "New York City Boy" (The Almighty Definitive Mix) |
| 6:31 |
10. | "New York City Boy" (The Thunderpuss 2000 Club Mix) |
| 10:55 |
11. | "New York City Boy" (The Lange Mix) |
| 7:06 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Vampires" (demo) | 4:02 | |
2. | "For All of Us" (demo) | 4:20 | |
3. | "Call Me Old-Fashioned" (demo) | 3:58 | |
4. | "Friendly Fire" | 3:23 | |
5. | "Believe/Song for Guy" (featuring Elton John) |
| 2:59 |
6. | "Sail Away" | Noël Coward | 4:33 |
7. | "It Doesn't Often Snow at Christmas" (fan club mix) | 3:56 | |
8. | "Nightlife" | 3:54 | |
9. | "Playing in the Streets" | 3:23 | |
10. | "Tall Thin Men" | 2:14 | |
11. | "Radiophonic" (demo) | 5:15 | |
Total length: | 41:57 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Somebody Else's Business" | 3:30 | |
2. | "Silver Age" | 3:32 | |
3. | "Screaming" | 4:54 | |
4. | "For All of Us" | 4:23 | |
5. | "The Ghost of Myself" | 4:03 | |
6. | "Casting a Shadow" | 4:37 | |
7. | "I Don't Know What You Want but I Can't Give It Any More" (The PSB Extension) | 8:39 | |
8. | "Was It Worth It?" (live) | 3:05 | |
9. | "Lies" | 4:42 | |
10. | "Paris City Boy" (Full French) |
| 5:17 |
11. | "Positive Role Model" |
| 4:03 |
12. | "Somebody Else's Business" (extended mix) | 5:33 | |
Total length: | 56:18 |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Nightlife. [21]
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
---|---|---|
Germany (BVMI) [44] | Gold | 150,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ) [45] | Gold | 100,000^ |
Spain (PROMUSICAE) [46] | Gold | 50,000^ |
United Kingdom (BPI) [47] | Gold | 100,000^ |
United States | — | 139,000 [48] |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
Region | Date | Edition | Label | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|
Germany | 8 October 1999 | EMI | Standard | [49] |
Japan | [50] | |||
United Kingdom | 11 October 1999 | Parlophone | [51] | |
United States | 2 November 1999 | Sire | [52] | |
16 November 1999 | Limited | [53] |
Light Years is the seventh studio album by Australian singer Kylie Minogue. Mushroom Records released it on 22 September 2000 in Australia; Parlophone released it on 25 September 2000 in the United Kingdom. Following the commercial failure of Impossible Princess (1997), Minogue left Deconstruction Records and took a hiatus from recording music. She signed with Parlophone in June 1999 and decided to return to her pop roots. She worked with various writers and producers, including Steve Anderson, Johnny Douglas, Robbie Williams, Guy Chambers, and Mark Picchiotti.
Release is the eighth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 1 April 2002 by Parlophone. It was recorded between 2000 and 2001 and produced by the duo with Chris Zippel. The album produced three singles: "Home and Dry", "I Get Along", and "London", the latter of which was only released in continental Europe. It reached number seven on the UK Albums Chart and received positive reviews from critics.
Very is the fifth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 27 September 1993 by Parlophone, nearly three years after the duo's previous studio album, Behaviour, and following the compilation album Discography: The Complete Singles Collection. Very exhibits one of many turning points the Pet Shop Boys would make to their music, shifting from the subdued electronic pop of Behaviour to richly instrumented dance arrangements. The content and lyrics led to Very being called their "coming-out" album, since it was during this time that Neil Tennant had publicly discussed his long-rumoured homosexuality.
Bilingual is the sixth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in the United Kingdom on 2 September 1996 by Parlophone and in the United States on 10 September 1996 by Atlantic Records. The album reached number four on the UK Albums Chart, lower than their previous five studio albums which had all reached the top three. It yielded five successful singles, with three of them—"Before", "Se a vida é " and "A Red Letter Day"—reaching the UK top 10; the fourth one, the English/Spanish-language composition "Single-Bilingual", peaked within the top 20.
Alternative is a compilation album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 7 August 1995 by Parlophone.
Please is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 24 March 1986 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI America Records in the United States. According to the duo, the album's title was chosen so that people had to go into a record shop and say "Can I have the Pet Shop Boys album, 'Please'?". Please spawned four singles: "West End Girls", "Opportunities ", "Suburbia", and "Love Comes Quickly"; "West End Girls" reached number one in both the UK and the US.
Actually is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 7 September 1987 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI Manhattan in North America. According to Neil Tennant and music historian Wayne Studer, Actually loosely critiques Thatcherism, the political zeitgeist of the 1980s, and was recorded in anticipation of Margaret Thatcher's re-election.
Introspective is the third studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 10 October 1988 by Parlophone. It received generally positive reviews from critics.
Behaviour is the fourth studio album by the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 22 October 1990 by Parlophone. A Japanese special edition included a bonus mini CD, exclusive artwork and printed lyrics in a white velvet-like box.
Disco 3 is the third remix album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 3 February 2003 by Parlophone. The album consists of five remixes of songs and B-sides from their previous album, Release, three new tracks, a new recording of "Positive Role Model" from their 2001 musical Closer to Heaven, and a cover version of "Try It ", originally by Oh Romeo, the band of former Pet Shop Boys producer Bobby Orlando. "Positive Role Model" also appeared on the Germany-only single "London" in 2002 as a B-side.
PopArt: The Hits is a greatest hits album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 24 November 2003 by Parlophone. The album consists of Pet Shop Boys' top 20 UK singles along with two new tracks, "Miracles" and "Flamboyant", which were also released as singles.
Results is the ninth studio album by Liza Minnelli, released in 1989. It was produced by Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn.
Fundamental is the ninth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released in May 2006 in the United Kingdom, Europe, Japan and Canada. It was released in late June 2006 in the United States. The album entered the UK Albums Chart at number five on 28 May 2006. In the US the album peaked at number 150 selling 7,500 copies in its first week. As of April 2009 it had sold 46,000 copies in the US and 66,000 copies in the UK. Fundamental earned two Grammy nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording with "I'm with Stupid".
Wildest Dreams is the ninth solo studio album by Tina Turner, released on April 22, 1996, by Parlophone internationally and Virgin Records in the US. Six singles were released from the album: the theme for the 1995 James Bond film GoldenEye, "GoldenEye"; "Whatever You Want"; "On Silent Wings" featuring Sting; "Missing You"; "Something Beautiful Remains"; and "In Your Wildest Dreams", a duet with Barry White. It has earned double platinum certifications in the United Kingdom and in Europe.
Reputation is the thirteenth studio album by British singer Dusty Springfield, and twelfth released. Issued on the Parlophone Records label in the UK and the rest of Europe in June 1990, Reputation was not only Springfield's first studio album in eight years at the time but also her first album to be released in her native UK since 1979's Living Without Your Love. After a string of commercially overlooked albums through the late 1970s and early 1980s Reputation finally managed to resurrect Springfield's career and belatedly resulted in her being re-evaluated and recognised by both music critics and the general public as the UK's foremost 'blue-eyed soul' singer. Mainly produced by Pet Shop Boys and Julian Mendelsohn and recorded in the UK over a period of some eighteen months, Reputation became her highest charting and best-selling album in the UK since 1970's From Dusty with Love, peaking at No. 18 and selling 60,000 copies within two weeks of its release.
Yes is the tenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 18 March 2009 by Parlophone. The album was recorded throughout 2008 and was produced by Brian Higgins and his production team Xenomania. Xenomania also co-wrote three of the tracks. Guitarist Johnny Marr and string arranger Owen Pallett appear as well. "Love Etc." was released on 16 March 2009 as the album's lead single.
Format is a double-disc compilation album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. The album consists of B-sides from various singles released from 1996 to 2009. It is their second B-sides album after Alternative (1995), which collected B-sides from the time of their first version of "Opportunities " (1985) to "Yesterday, When I Was Mad" (1994).
Elysium is the eleventh studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. Released on 5 September 2012, it is the duo's final album with Parlophone. The album was recorded in 2012 in Los Angeles and produced by Andrew Dawson and Pet Shop Boys.
Electric is the twelfth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 14 July 2013 on the duo's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It is the duo's first album since their departure from Parlophone.
Super is the thirteenth studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 1 April 2016 on the band's own label, x2, through Kobalt Label Services. It was released digitally and on physical formats including vinyl and compact disc. The album debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart. Lead single "The Pop Kids" reached number one on the UK Physical Singles Chart and narrowly missed out on the top 100 of the main chart.
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