West End Girls
Encyclopedia
"West End Girls" is a song by British pop duo Pet Shop Boys
. Written by Neil Tennant
and Chris Lowe
, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop
song, influenced by hip hop music
. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land
. It was generally well received by contemporary music critics and has been frequently cited as a highlight in the duo's career.
The first version of the song was produced by Bobby Orlando
and was released on Columbia Records
' Bobcat Records imprint in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States and some European countries. After the duo signed with EMI
, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague
, for their first studio album, Please. In October 1985, the song was re-released, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986. In 1987, the song won for Best Single at The BRIT Awards, and Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards
. In 2005, 20 years later after its release, the song was awarded Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994, by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
, an editor of the British pop magazine Smash Hits
, and Chris Lowe
, an architecture
student, met at an electronics shop in London in August 1981, they became friends, and started to write and record songs together. In 1983, Tennant met producer Bobby Orlando
, while on an assignment in New York interviewing Sting for Smash Hits. After listening to some demos
, Orlando offered to produce for the duo.
In 1984, the duo recorded three songs with Orlando, at Unique Studios in New York, "West End Girls", "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
", and "One More Chance
". Orlando played most of the instruments in the song, including the jazz riff at the end. Lowe played one chord
and the bassline
. It included a drum part lifted from Michael Jackson
's "Billie Jean
", and an arrangement involving what Tennant called "Barry White
chords". Orlando was thrilled by the song's production; his idea was to make a rap record in a British accent.
In April 1984, "West End Girls" was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles
and San Francisco, and a minor dance hit in Belgium, and France, but was only available in the United Kingdom as a 12"
import. In March 1985, after long negotiations, Pet Shop Boys cut their contractual ties with Orlando, and hired manager Tom Watkins, who signed them with EMI
. They re-recorded "West End Girls" with producer Stephen Hague
, and re-released the song in late 1985, topping the charts in both the UK and the U.S.
In an interview on BBC4's "Synth Britannia" programme (Youtube clip), Neil Tennant explains the role of the then new sampling technology on the track and how every single sound came from the newly introduced E-mu Emulator
keyboard.
song, influenced by hip hop music
. The song's socially conscious streak, as well as the propulsive bass line, derives from Grandmaster Flash
's protest rap song "The Message". Lowe and Hague created a "snaky, obsessive rhythm punch" for the music, replacing the song's previously sparse beats and minimal keyboard lines.
Tennant started to write the song when he was staying at his cousin's house in Nottingham
while watching a gangster film
. Just when he was going to sleep, he came up with the lines: "Sometimes you're better off dead, there's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head". The lyrics were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land
, particularly in the use of different narrative voices and arcane
references. The song's lyrics mainly focus on class and inner-city pressure, introducing existential anxiety, and urban neurosis to the melody. Tennant later said that the commonly accepted vision of the song being about rough trade was not intended.
from Allmusic in a review of the album Please called the song "hypnotic", adding that "it's not only a classic dance single, it's a classic pop single". In a review for the group's second studio album Actually
, Rob Hoerburger from Rolling Stone
magazine commented that "West End Girls" was "as catchy as anything on the radio in 1986", praising "its enticing bass line and foreboding synth riffs", but felt that it was almost "nullified by peevish spoken asides and the cryptic posturing of the duo's lyrics". In a review of the live album Concrete
, Michael Hubbard from musicOMH
said that "West End Girls" was one of the songs that "round out a collection that never feels too long or superfluous", adding that it "goes some way to installing Tennant and Lowe as national treasures".
Nitsuh Abebe from Pitchfork Media
, in a review of their compilation album Pop Art: Pet Shop Boys - The Hits
commented that in the song "we meet Tennant not as a singer, but as a speaker", adding that "he mumbles the verses to us not like a star, but like a stranger in a raincoat, slinking alongside you and pointing out the sights". LAUNCHcast's
Jamie Gill in a review of the same compilation album said that "West End Girls" is "still as sleek, smart and modern as it sounded in 1985".
In 1987, "West End Girls" won for Best Single at The BRIT Awards, and for Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards
. In 2005, the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters gave to "West End Girls" the Ivor Novello Award for Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994.
, and consists of shots of the duo around London
. At the beginning of the video, noises from the city can be heard, a camera passes Lowe on the street, and focus on two vintage dolls in a shop window. Then appears a sequence of quick cuts with shots of the city's different sub-cultures, the video freezes and cuts to Tennant and Lowe, who walk through an empty Wentworth Street in Petticoat Lane Market
. They stand in front of a red garage door, Tennant is in front dressed with a long coat addressing directly to the camera, Lowe stands behind him with a blank expression.
Then the video shows shots of people walking into the London Underground
metro system, and as the chorus starts the duo appears on the boarding platform. In slow motion, the camera passes through a shopping mall in central London, followed by the duo walking along the concourse at Waterloo Station
. It cuts to a brief shot of a red double-decker bus
, and black and white
shots of the Tower Bridge
, Westminster
and the Big Ben from the sky. The duo poses on the South Bank
of the River Thames
in a pastiche
of a postcard image, with the Houses of Parliament
as a background.
The camera shows shots of young women, and passes through arcades and movie theaters in Leicester Square
. The camera now passes the South Africa House, showing protestors in an anti-apartheid vigil. The video cuts to a closeup of Tennant singing the chorus, with a purple neon sign passing across his face. At the end the camera passes again through Leicester Square, where people queue to see Fletch
and Desperately Seeking Susan
. The video was nominated for Best New Artist in a Video
at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
, but lost to a-ha
's "Take on Me
".
's label. The song was a club hit in the United States, and in some European countries like Belgium, where it debuted at number 24 on the VRT Top 30
chart on 28 July 1984, peaking at 17 four weeks later. Having signed with EMI
the group released their first major label single "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
", but it failed to attract attention. The Pet Shop Boys then decided to release "West End Girls" for the second time. Producer Stephen Hague
then reworked the song and the single was re-released in late 1985.
"West End Girls" was released in the United Kingdom in October 1985, debuting on the UK Singles Chart
at number 80, and within eight weeks of its release, it had reached the top of the chart. It maintained the number one position for two weeks and received a gold
certification by the British Phonographic Industry
(BPI) in January 1986. Across Europe, "West End Girls" also topped the singles chart in Norway, as well as peaking in the top three in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In Canada, "West End Girls" first entered the RPM
singles chart in April 1985, reaching a peak position of 81 in June 1985. In March 1986, the song re-entered the chart, peaking at number one for one week on 17 May 1986. In the United States, "West End Girls" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
at number 71, reaching the number one position on 10 May 1986, and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. The song also peaked at number one on Billboards Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart for two weeks.
The titles "Nouvelle version" and "Original 7" version" do not appear on any releases. They are names created by fans in order to distinguish the different versions.
covered West End Girls for their album Walthamstow, with limited chart success.
and Mis-Teeq
. Madonna
has sampled "West End Girls" for her song "Jump
".
"West End Girls" is also parodied in the Flight of the Conchords
song "Inner City Pressure" from the episode "Bret Gives Up the Dream
"
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. Written by Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
and Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe is an English musician, who, with colleague Neil Tennant, makes up the pop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
, the song was released twice as a single. It is a synthpop
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
song, influenced by hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. The lyrics focus on class, and inner-city pressure, and were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land
The Waste Land
The Waste Land[A] is a 434-line[B] modernist poem by T. S. Eliot published in 1922. It has been called "one of the most important poems of the 20th century." Despite the poem's obscurity—its shifts between satire and prophecy, its abrupt and unannounced changes of speaker, location and time, its...
. It was generally well received by contemporary music critics and has been frequently cited as a highlight in the duo's career.
The first version of the song was produced by Bobby Orlando
Bobby Orlando
Robert Philip Orlando , also known as Bobby Orlando, is an American record producer, dance music artist, musician and songwriter.- Early life :...
and was released on Columbia Records
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
' Bobcat Records imprint in April 1984, becoming a club hit in the United States and some European countries. After the duo signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
, the song was re-recorded with producer Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement.-Early career:...
, for their first studio album, Please. In October 1985, the song was re-released, reaching number one in the United Kingdom and the United States in 1986. In 1987, the song won for Best Single at The BRIT Awards, and Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
. In 2005, 20 years later after its release, the song was awarded Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994, by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters.
Recording and production
Neil TennantNeil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
, an editor of the British pop magazine Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
, and Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe
Chris Lowe is an English musician, who, with colleague Neil Tennant, makes up the pop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
, an architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
student, met at an electronics shop in London in August 1981, they became friends, and started to write and record songs together. In 1983, Tennant met producer Bobby Orlando
Bobby Orlando
Robert Philip Orlando , also known as Bobby Orlando, is an American record producer, dance music artist, musician and songwriter.- Early life :...
, while on an assignment in New York interviewing Sting for Smash Hits. After listening to some demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
, Orlando offered to produce for the duo.
In 1984, the duo recorded three songs with Orlando, at Unique Studios in New York, "West End Girls", "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities " is a song by UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as a single in 1985 and then in 1986, gaining greater popularity in both the UK and U.S...
", and "One More Chance
One More Chance (Pet Shop Boys song)
"One More Chance" is a song by the English electronic music duo Pet Shop Boys, first released as their second single in 1984 and re-recorded for their second album Actually in 1987...
". Orlando played most of the instruments in the song, including the jazz riff at the end. Lowe played one chord
Chord (music)
A chord in music is any harmonic set of two–three or more notes that is heard as if sounding simultaneously. These need not actually be played together: arpeggios and broken chords may for many practical and theoretical purposes be understood as chords...
and the bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
. It included a drum part lifted from Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's "Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
", and an arrangement involving what Tennant called "Barry White
Barry White
Barry White, born Barry Eugene Carter , was an American composer and singer-songwriter.A five-time Grammy Award-winner known for his distinctive bass voice and romantic image, White's greatest success came in the 1970s as a solo singer and with the Love Unlimited Orchestra, crafting many enduring...
chords". Orlando was thrilled by the song's production; his idea was to make a rap record in a British accent.
In April 1984, "West End Girls" was released, becoming a club hit in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
and San Francisco, and a minor dance hit in Belgium, and France, but was only available in the United Kingdom as a 12"
12-inch single
The 12-inch single is a type of gramophone record that has wider groove spacing compared to other types of records. This allows for louder levels to be cut on the disc by the cutting engineer, which in turn gives a wider dynamic range, and thus better sound quality...
import. In March 1985, after long negotiations, Pet Shop Boys cut their contractual ties with Orlando, and hired manager Tom Watkins, who signed them with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
. They re-recorded "West End Girls" with producer Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement.-Early career:...
, and re-released the song in late 1985, topping the charts in both the UK and the U.S.
In an interview on BBC4's "Synth Britannia" programme (Youtube clip), Neil Tennant explains the role of the then new sampling technology on the track and how every single sound came from the newly introduced E-mu Emulator
E-mu Emulator
The Emulator is the name given to a series of disk-based digital sampling keyboards manufactured by E-mu Systems from 1982 until 1990. Though not the first commercial sampler, the Emulator was among the first to find wide use among ordinary musicians, due to its relatively low price and its size,...
keyboard.
Music and lyrics
"West End Girls" is a synthpopSynthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
song, influenced by hip hop music
Hip hop music
Hip hop music, also called hip-hop, rap music or hip-hop music, is a musical genre consisting of a stylized rhythmic music that commonly accompanies rapping, a rhythmic and rhyming speech that is chanted...
. The song's socially conscious streak, as well as the propulsive bass line, derives from Grandmaster Flash
Grandmaster Flash
Joseph Saddler better known as King Grandmaster Flash, is an American hip hop musician and DJ; one of the pioneers of hip-hop DJing, cutting, and mixing....
's protest rap song "The Message". Lowe and Hague created a "snaky, obsessive rhythm punch" for the music, replacing the song's previously sparse beats and minimal keyboard lines.
Tennant started to write the song when he was staying at his cousin's house in Nottingham
Nottingham
Nottingham is a city and unitary authority in the East Midlands of England. It is located in the ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire and represents one of eight members of the English Core Cities Group...
while watching a gangster film
Crime film
Crime films are films which focus on the lives of criminals. The stylistic approach to a crime film varies from realistic portrayals of real-life criminal figures, to the far-fetched evil doings of imaginary arch-villains. Criminal acts are almost always glorified in these movies.- Plays and films...
. Just when he was going to sleep, he came up with the lines: "Sometimes you're better off dead, there's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head". The lyrics were inspired by T.S. Eliot's poem The Waste Land
The Waste Land
The Waste Land[A] is a 434-line[B] modernist poem by T. S. Eliot published in 1922. It has been called "one of the most important poems of the 20th century." Despite the poem's obscurity—its shifts between satire and prophecy, its abrupt and unannounced changes of speaker, location and time, its...
, particularly in the use of different narrative voices and arcane
Esotericism
Esotericism or Esoterism signifies the holding of esoteric opinions or beliefs, that is, ideas preserved or understood by a small group or those specially initiated, or of rare or unusual interest. The term derives from the Greek , a compound of : "within", thus "pertaining to the more inward",...
references. The song's lyrics mainly focus on class and inner-city pressure, introducing existential anxiety, and urban neurosis to the melody. Tennant later said that the commonly accepted vision of the song being about rough trade was not intended.
Critical reception
"West End Girls" has been generally well received by music critics. Stephen Thomas ErlewineStephen Thomas Erlewine
Stephen Thomas Erlewine is a senior editor for Allmusic. He is the author of many artist biographies and record reviews for Allmusic, as well as a freelance writer, occasionally contributing liner notes. He is also frontman and guitarist for the Ann Arbor-based band Who Dat?Erlewine is the nephew...
from Allmusic in a review of the album Please called the song "hypnotic", adding that "it's not only a classic dance single, it's a classic pop single". In a review for the group's second studio album Actually
Actually (album)
In 2006, Q magazine placed the album at #22 in its list of "40 Best Albums of the '80s".-Track listing:# "One More Chance" – 5:30...
, Rob Hoerburger from Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine commented that "West End Girls" was "as catchy as anything on the radio in 1986", praising "its enticing bass line and foreboding synth riffs", but felt that it was almost "nullified by peevish spoken asides and the cryptic posturing of the duo's lyrics". In a review of the live album Concrete
Concrete (Pet Shop Boys album)
Concrete is the seventeenth album by the British band Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 23 October 2006.Due to be called Concert, on 20 September 2006, Pet Shop Boys announced that the album was going to be called Concrete, which was the title that they originally wanted for the album...
, Michael Hubbard from musicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
said that "West End Girls" was one of the songs that "round out a collection that never feels too long or superfluous", adding that it "goes some way to installing Tennant and Lowe as national treasures".
Nitsuh Abebe from Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media
Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork or P4k, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication established in 1995 that is devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. Its focus is on underground and independent music, especially indie rock...
, in a review of their compilation album Pop Art: Pet Shop Boys - The Hits
Pop Art: Pet Shop Boys - The Hits
PopArt: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits is the fourteenth album by the UK electronic music duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released in 2003. PopArt is a compilation of Pet Shop Boys' top-20 UK singles along with two new tracks, "Miracles" and "Flamboyant" which have subsequently also been...
commented that in the song "we meet Tennant not as a singer, but as a speaker", adding that "he mumbles the verses to us not like a star, but like a stranger in a raincoat, slinking alongside you and pointing out the sights". LAUNCHcast's
LAUNCHcast
Yahoo! Music Radio is an Internet radio service offered by CBS Radio through Yahoo! Music. The service, formerly offered by LAUNCH Media, and originally developed by Todd Beaupré and Jeff Boulter, debuted on November 11, 1999, and was purchased by Yahoo! in October, 2001...
Jamie Gill in a review of the same compilation album said that "West End Girls" is "still as sleek, smart and modern as it sounded in 1985".
In 1987, "West End Girls" won for Best Single at The BRIT Awards, and for Best International Hit at the Ivor Novello Awards
Ivor Novello Awards
The Ivor Novello Awards, named after the Cardiff born entertainer Ivor Novello, are awards for songwriting and composing. They are presented annually in London by the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors and were first introduced in 1955.Nicknamed The Ivors, the awards take place...
. In 2005, the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters gave to "West End Girls" the Ivor Novello Award for Song of The Decade between the years 1985 and 1994.
Music video
The video was directed by Andy Morahan and Eric WatsonEric Watson (photographer)
Eric Watson is an English photographer.Watson moved to London in 1974 to study fine art at Hornsey Art College, where his contemporaries included Adam Ant and became an assistant to the photographer Red Saunders in 1980 and soon branched out as a photographer in his own right, primarily in the pop...
, and consists of shots of the duo around London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. At the beginning of the video, noises from the city can be heard, a camera passes Lowe on the street, and focus on two vintage dolls in a shop window. Then appears a sequence of quick cuts with shots of the city's different sub-cultures, the video freezes and cuts to Tennant and Lowe, who walk through an empty Wentworth Street in Petticoat Lane Market
Petticoat Lane Market
Petticoat Lane Market is a fashion and clothing market located on Wentworth Street and Middlesex Street in East London.-The Modern Market:It is one of a number of traditional markets located to the east of the City of London. A few hundred yards to the north is Old Spitalfields market, which has...
. They stand in front of a red garage door, Tennant is in front dressed with a long coat addressing directly to the camera, Lowe stands behind him with a blank expression.
Then the video shows shots of people walking into the London Underground
London Underground
The London Underground is a rapid transit system serving a large part of Greater London and some parts of Buckinghamshire, Hertfordshire and Essex in England...
metro system, and as the chorus starts the duo appears on the boarding platform. In slow motion, the camera passes through a shopping mall in central London, followed by the duo walking along the concourse at Waterloo Station
Waterloo station
Waterloo station, also known as London Waterloo, is a central London railway terminus and London Underground complex. The station is owned and operated by Network Rail and is close to the South Bank of the River Thames, and in Travelcard Zone 1....
. It cuts to a brief shot of a red double-decker bus
Double-decker bus
A double-decker bus is a bus that has two storeys or 'decks'. Global usage of this type of bus is more common in outer touring than in its intra-urban transportion role. Double-decker buses are also commonly found in certain parts of Europe, Asia, and former British colonies and protectorates...
, and black and white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
shots of the Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge is a combined bascule and suspension bridge in London, England, over the River Thames. It is close to the Tower of London, from which it takes its name...
, Westminster
Westminster
Westminster is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster, England. It lies on the north bank of the River Thames, southwest of the City of London and southwest of Charing Cross...
and the Big Ben from the sky. The duo poses on the South Bank
South Bank
South Bank is an area of London, England located immediately adjacent to the south side of the River Thames. It forms a long and narrow section of riverside development that is within the London Borough of Lambeth to the border with the London Borough of Southwark and was formerly simply known as...
of the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
in a pastiche
Pastiche
A pastiche is a literary or other artistic genre or technique that is a "hodge-podge" or imitation. The word is also a linguistic term used to describe an early stage in the development of a pidgin language.-Hodge-podge:...
of a postcard image, with the Houses of Parliament
Palace of Westminster
The Palace of Westminster, also known as the Houses of Parliament or Westminster Palace, is the meeting place of the two houses of the Parliament of the United Kingdom—the House of Lords and the House of Commons...
as a background.
The camera shows shots of young women, and passes through arcades and movie theaters in Leicester Square
Leicester Square
Leicester Square is a pedestrianised square in the West End of London, England. The Square lies within an area bound by Lisle Street, to the north; Charing Cross Road, to the east; Orange Street, to the south; and Whitcomb Street, to the west...
. The camera now passes the South Africa House, showing protestors in an anti-apartheid vigil. The video cuts to a closeup of Tennant singing the chorus, with a purple neon sign passing across his face. At the end the camera passes again through Leicester Square, where people queue to see Fletch
Fletch (film)
Fletch is a 1985 comedy film about a wisecracking investigative newspaper reporter, Irwin M. Fletcher , who writes under the name of Jane Doe...
and Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan
Desperately Seeking Susan is a 1985 American comedy-drama film directed by Susan Seidelman and starring Rosanna Arquette and Madonna.-Plot:...
. The video was nominated for Best New Artist in a Video
MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist
The MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist is one of the four original general categories that have been given out since the first annual MTV Video Music Awards in 1984...
at the 1986 MTV Video Music Awards
1986 MTV Video Music Awards
The 1986 MTV Video Music Awards aired live on September 5, 1986, honoring the best music videos from May 2, 1985, to May 1, 1986. The show was hosted by MTV VJs Downtown Julie Brown, Mark Goodman, Alan Hunter, Martha Quinn, and Dweezil Zappa, and it emanated primarily from both The Palladium in New...
, but lost to a-ha
A-ha
A-ha were a Norwegian pop band formed in Oslo in 1982. The band was founded by Morten Harket , Magne Furuholmen , and Pål Waaktaar...
's "Take on Me
Take on Me
"Take on Me" is a song by the Norwegian pop band A-ha. Written by the band members, the song was produced by Alan Tarney for the group's first studio album Hunting High and Low, released in 1985...
".
Chart performance
"West End Girls" was first released in April 1984 through writer and producer Bobby OrlandoBobby Orlando
Robert Philip Orlando , also known as Bobby Orlando, is an American record producer, dance music artist, musician and songwriter.- Early life :...
's label. The song was a club hit in the United States, and in some European countries like Belgium, where it debuted at number 24 on the VRT Top 30
VRT Top 30
The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992....
chart on 28 July 1984, peaking at 17 four weeks later. Having signed with EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
the group released their first major label single "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
"Opportunities " is a song by UK synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys, released as a single in 1985 and then in 1986, gaining greater popularity in both the UK and U.S...
", but it failed to attract attention. The Pet Shop Boys then decided to release "West End Girls" for the second time. Producer Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague
Stephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement.-Early career:...
then reworked the song and the single was re-released in late 1985.
"West End Girls" was released in the United Kingdom in October 1985, debuting on the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at number 80, and within eight weeks of its release, it had reached the top of the chart. It maintained the number one position for two weeks and received a gold
Music recording sales certification
Music recording sales certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped or sold a certain number of copies, where the threshold quantity varies by type and by nation or territory .Almost all countries follow variations of the RIAA certification categories,...
certification by the British Phonographic Industry
British Phonographic Industry
The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies...
(BPI) in January 1986. Across Europe, "West End Girls" also topped the singles chart in Norway, as well as peaking in the top three in Belgium, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Switzerland.
In Canada, "West End Girls" first entered the RPM
RPM (magazine)
RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,...
singles chart in April 1985, reaching a peak position of 81 in June 1985. In March 1986, the song re-entered the chart, peaking at number one for one week on 17 May 1986. In the United States, "West End Girls" debuted on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
at number 71, reaching the number one position on 10 May 1986, and remained on the chart for 20 weeks. The song also peaked at number one on Billboards Hot Dance Music/Club Play chart for two weeks.
Formats and track listing
- 7" UK (1984 release)
- "West End Girls" (Nouvelle Version) – 4:10
- "Pet Shop Boys" – 5:10
- 12" UK (1984 release)
- "West End Girls" (Extended Mix) – 7:50
- "Pet Shop Boys" – 5:10
- 7" Belgium (1984 release)
- "West End Girls" (Nouvelle Version) – 4:10
- "Pet Shop Boys" – 5:10
- 7" Germany (1984 release)
- "West End Girls" (Nouvelle Version Edit) – 3:21
- "Pet Shop Boys" (Edit) – 3:26
- 7" Canada (1984 release)
- "West End Girls" (Original 7" Version) – 4:14
- "West End Girls" (Original 7" Version) – 4:14
The titles "Nouvelle version" and "Original 7" version" do not appear on any releases. They are names created by fans in order to distinguish the different versions.
- 7" UK (1985 release)
- "West End Girls" – 3:55
- "A Man Could Get Arrested" (7" version) – 4:50
- 10" Limited Edition – UK (1985 release)
- "West End Girls" (10" Mix) – 7:05
- "A Man Could Get Arrested" (Bobby Orlando Version) – 4:18
- 12" UK (1985 release)
- "West End Girls" (Dance Mix) – 6:31
- "A Man Could Get Arrested" (12" version) – 4:09
- "West End Girls" – 3:55
- 12" The Shep Pettibone Mastermix – UK (1985 release)
- "West End Girls" (The Shep Pettibone Mastermix) – 8:09
- "West End Dub" – 9:31
- "A Man Could Get Arrested" (12" version) – 4:09
Credits and personnel
- Neil TennantNeil TennantNeil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
– vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, lyricsLyricsLyrics are a set of words that make up a song. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist or lyrist. The meaning of lyrics can either be explicit or implicit. Some lyrics are abstract, almost unintelligible, and, in such cases, their explication emphasizes form, articulation, meter, and symmetry of... - Chris LoweChris LoweChris Lowe is an English musician, who, with colleague Neil Tennant, makes up the pop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
– keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, artwork designCover artCover art is the illustration or photograph on the outside of a published product such as a book , magazine, comic book, video game , DVD, CD, videotape, or music album. The art has a primarily commercial function, i.e... - Helena Springs – additional vocals
- Bobby OrlandoBobby OrlandoRobert Philip Orlando , also known as Bobby Orlando, is an American record producer, dance music artist, musician and songwriter.- Early life :...
– producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
(1984 release) - Stephen HagueStephen HagueStephen Hague is an American music producer most active with various British acts in the 1980s. He was an influential figure in the synthpop movement.-Early career:...
– producer (1985 release) - Steve Jerome - engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
- 1984 release - David Jacob – engineerEngineerAn engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
- Frank Roszak – remixRemixA remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ing - Eric WatsonEric Watson (photographer)Eric Watson is an English photographer.Watson moved to London in 1974 to study fine art at Hornsey Art College, where his contemporaries included Adam Ant and became an assistant to the photographer Red Saunders in 1980 and soon branched out as a photographer in his own right, primarily in the pop...
– photographyPhotographyPhotography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
Chart positions
| Chart (1984) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian VRT Top 30 VRT Top 30 The VRT Top 30 or Radio 2 Top 30 is a Belgian record chart that runs on the VRT, more specifically on Radio 2. The list is the new version of the old BRT Top 30, that changed along with the media group's name in 1992.... |
3 |
| Chart (1985) | Peak position |
| Canadian RPM Singles Chart RPM (magazine) RPM was a Canadian music industry publication that featured song and album charts for Canada. The publication was founded by Walt Grealis in February 1964, supported through its existence by record label owner Stan Klees. RPM ceased publication in November 2000.RPM stood for "Records, Promotion,... |
1 |
| German Singles Chart Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... |
2 |
| Irish Singles Chart Irish Singles Chart The Irish Singles Chart is Ireland's music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on behalf of the IRMA by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured... |
2 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
1 |
| Chart (1986) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Kent Music Report Kent Music Report The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to 1998... |
5 |
| Austrian Singles Chart Ö3 Austria Top 40 Ö3 Austria Top 40 is the name of the official Austrian singles chart, as well as the radio show which presents it, aired Fridays on Hitradio Ö3. The show presents the Austrian singles, ringtones and downloads chart. It premiered on 26 November 1968 as Disc Parade and was presented by Ernst Grissemann... |
5 |
| Dutch Top 40 Dutch Top 40 The Dutch Top 40 is a weekly music chart, which started as the "Veronica Top 40", because the offshore radio station Radio Veronica was the first to introduce it. It remained "The Veronica Top 40" until 1974, when the station was forced to stop broadcasting... |
3 |
| French Singles Chart | 75 |
| New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart Recording Industry Association of New Zealand The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand is a non-profit trade association of record producers, distributors and recording artists who sell music in New Zealand... |
1 |
| Norwegian Singles Chart VG-lista VG-listen is a Norwegian record chart. It is weekly presented in the newspaper VG and the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation program Topp 20. It is considered the primary Norwegian record chart, charting albums and singles from countries and continent around the world. The data is collected by... |
1 |
| Swedish Singles Chart Sverigetopplistan Sverigetopplistan, earlier known as Topplistan and Hitlistan and other names, is since October 2007 the Swedish national record chart, based on sales data from Swedish Recording Industry Association .... |
2 |
| Swiss Singles Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
2 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
1 |
Certifications
| Country | Provider | Certification | Sales/shipments |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | CRIA Canadian Recording Industry Association Music Canada is a Toronto-based, non-profit trade organization that was founded 9 April 1963 to represent the interests of companies that record, artists, manufacture, production, promotion and distribution of music in Canada... |
Gold | 50,000+ |
| United Kingdom | BPI British Phonographic Industry The British Phonographic Industry is the British record industry's trade association.-Structure:Its membership comprises hundreds of music companies including all four "major" record companies , associate members such as manufacturers and distributors, and hundreds of independent music companies... |
Gold | 500,000+ |
East 17 version
In 1993 East 17East 17
East 17 are a pop boy band comprising Tony Mortimer, John Hendy and Terry Coldwell. Tony Mortimer is the group's frontman and primary songwriter. Formed in Walthamstow, London in 1991, the group have achieved eighteen Top 20 singles and four Top 10 albums, and were one of the UK's most popular boy...
covered West End Girls for their album Walthamstow, with limited chart success.
Track listings
7"- . West End Girls (Faces On Posters Mix)
- . West End Girls (Kicking In Chairs)
Charts
| Chart (1993) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart | 11 |
| Irish Singles Chart | 14 |
| German Singles Chart | 40 |
| French Singles Chart | 48 |
| Dutch Top 40 | 48 |
| Australian Singles Charts | 4 |
Other cover version
"West End Girls" was also covered by Ed StarinkEd Starink
Ed Starink , also known as Star Inc., is a Dutch composer, arranger, session musician and record producer. Since his childhood he was fascinated by music and taught himself to play many musical instruments....
and Mis-Teeq
Mis-Teeq
Mis-Teeq are a British R&B girl group, comprising singers Alesha Dixon, Su-Elise Nash and Sabrina Washington. Originally a quartet which included Zena McNally, the group was formed in 1999 and released three major studio albums and seven consecutive UK top ten singles, including international hits...
. Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
has sampled "West End Girls" for her song "Jump
Jump (Madonna song)
"Jump" is a song by American singer-songwriter Madonna from her tenth studio album Confessions on a Dance Floor. Written by Madonna, Stuart Price and Joe Henry, the song was supposed to be released as the third single of the album...
".
"West End Girls" is also parodied in the Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords
Flight of the Conchords are a New Zealand-based comedy duo composed of Bret McKenzie and Jemaine Clement. The duo's comedy and music became the basis of a BBC radio series and then an American television series, which premiered in 2007 on HBO, also called Flight of the Conchords.They were named...
song "Inner City Pressure" from the episode "Bret Gives Up the Dream
Bret Gives Up the Dream
"Bret Gives Up the Dream" is the second episode of the HBO comedy series Flight of the Conchords. This episode first aired in the United States on Sunday, June 24, 2007....
"