Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 83 - Pet Shop Boys - I'm With Stupid

I've always liked this great track by the Pet Shop Boys.  It was released as a single from their ninth studio album, Fundamental back in 2006, and it peaked at number 8 in the UK charts.

The accompanying music video features Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas pretending to be the Pet Shop Boys, with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe bound to their seats and forced to watch.

A great tune.

Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 46 - Pet Shop Boys (Integral)

Today's song is a fantastic track by the Pet Shop Boys from their 2006 'Fundamental' album.  To be honest, I only found out about this song a few years ago, which makes it unsurprising that it only reached 197 in the UK Singles Chart of that year.  

Obviously not one of their more popular tracks, but that doesn't mean it's not any good.  Far from it.

I love blaring this one out.

Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 32 - Pet Shop Boys (Always On My Mind)

Yes, I will start by saying THIS is the best version of this song.  Forget Brenda Lee...  Forget Gwen McCrae...  Forget Elvis Presley.

Following on from my last blog post, I'm keeping with the Pet Shop Boys because Always on my Mind stands out as not only being one of the best cover songs ever made but possibly one of the greatest pop songs of the 1980s (perhaps all time?)  It's also a massive favourite of mine since I was a wee lad.

The song was released in November 1987 and spent an impressive 14 weeks in the UK singles charts.  Even more impressive is that it reached number 1 and stayed there for 4 weeks, making it Christmas number one of that year, and beating Fairytale of New York by The Pogues.  

Why can't modern groups produce belters like this anymore, instead of the usual Crap Factor wannabe turds?

Also, you've got to love the video, featuring clips from their rather bizarre movie "It Couldn't Happen Here", starring De Nomolos himself (from Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey) Joss Ackland, and even Biggles (Neil Dickson).

"Where are you going?"

 "I'm going there....  But I like it here wherever it is".

Now That's What I Call Stuart's Favourite Music 31 - Pet Shop Boys (Heart)

The Pet Shop Boys were a band I was never particularly into back in their heyday, which is surprising when you consider the similarities between them and my favourite synth group Erasure.  Sure, I loved West End Girls, It's a Sin, Always On My Mind and pretty much every track on their "Please" and "Actually" albums, but I never paid much attention to what they produced after that until only a few years ago.  Boy, was I missing out!

Having said that, I always had a fondness for Heart.  Released in 1988, it entered the charts in March at number 30 before rightfully reaching the number one spot the following month where it stayed for a few weeks.  

Pop Quiz - When not being Gandalf, what famous actor played Nosferatu in the Heart music video? 

The answer....  Well, I didn't realise until only recently that it was none other than Sir Ian McKellen. 

Ahhhhhh...  I was just 11 years old at the time.  Life was so much easier (and less stressful) back then.