What records by other people, you may have wondered, do the Pet Shop Boys actually like? Well, here you go Neil Tells us what he likes.

Here’s a guide to their favourite ten records of the last year or so. Please Remember this was taken from in early 80s so it might change now !

New Order: “Substance” (LP) “True Faith” (single) “‘True Faith’ is the best song New Order have ever done. It’s sort of New Order tamed by the producer Stephen Hague. I love the opening line: ‘I feel so extraordinary’. It’s brilliant. I wish I’d thought of that. I’m a bit narked I didn’t, actually. I’ve always liked New Order’s singles -when I reviewed their second LP for Smash Hits, I said that, like Madness, the best album they’d ever make would be their greatest hits LP. ‘Substance’ proves that’s the case.”

Various: “My Fair Lady”

“It’s the original West End cast, 1959, starring Julie Andrews as Liza Dolittle and Rex Harrison as Professor Higgins. I saw this musical first at a Saturday matinee in Newcastle’s Theatre Royal when I was about ten and we also had the record at home. One of my favourite songs ever is ‘I’ve Grown Accustomed to Her Face’; I’d like to record that. The lyrics are all fantastic. I like very good musicals. You don’t get a lot of them, just Andrew Lloyd Webber ones now.”

Stevie Wonder “Innervisions”
“This, ‘Hejira’ and ‘My Fair Lady’ aren’t exactly new but they’ve all come out on CD in the last year or so and I’ve been listening to them a lot This was originally released in 1973 and I remember I had a flat in Tottenham with some friends and we had this record. It contains one of my favorite Stevie Wonder songs ‘All In Love Is Fair’s The whole LP sounds like it was done in a hurry. It has a brilliant feel throughout and every song is really, really good. I think it’s his best album.”

Joni Mitchell: “Hejira”

“I bought the record of this in 1977 at Our Place Records in Charring Cross Road the same time as I bought ‘God Save the Queen’ by the Sex Pistols. I like the way she plays guitar – she uses very strange tunings – and her singing, especially when she wails. The whole album is about her travelling through America picking up people. ‘Coyote’, the first song, is my favorite Joni Mitchell song of all”

Sting: “Fragile”
“Funnily enough I quite like some of Sting’s songs. He comes across so big headed sometimes that I think it puts people off, but this has got a brilliant melody and I love the whole ‘fragile’ sound of it. It’s about the fragility of life. I think he wrote it after a friend of his died. It’s one of the best songs he’s ever written, if not the best.”

Guesch Patti: “Etienne”
“Claudia, our German press officer, sent me a video of this because she thought I’d like if. It’s quite hypnotic, sort of a French rock disco track. It’s the sort of song one think Tina Turner should sing. Apparently, the words are quite rude, but I don’t know what it’s all about as it’s all in French.”

Various: “The House Sound of Chicago Vol Ill Acid Tracks” “The track I especially like is ‘It’s All Right’ by Sterling Void. Recording ‘I Get Excited’ we got a bit bored, so I bought this album and we loved ‘It’s All Right’. The singer sounds like Boy George, the feel of it is incredibly joyful and it’s got really good words.”

Joyce Sims:
‘Come Into My Life” “This is such a beautiful song and it’s got a fantastic introduction before the song comes in with a completely different rhythm. Actually, I liked ‘AII’n’AII’ and ‘Lifetime Love’, the first two singles, as well.”

Dosireless:
“Voyage Voyage” “We kept hearing this record in Europe and we didn’t know what it was for ages It was number one in lots of countries, and I always thought it’d be number one in England, and it was eventually a hit. It’s a fantastic song; it’s almost like an ethereal disco record. When we made ‘I’m Not Scared’ with Patsy kensit we wanted to make the same sort of record.”

Dusty Springfield: “The Silver Collection”
“This is a compilation of all her best singles. I still wish they’d bring out ‘Dusty in Memphis’ on CD but this is a very good collection. My favourite song is ‘I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten’. Also, my copy of it is signed ‘to Neil, lots of love Dusty’ with about 20 kisses on so it’s one of my most prized possessions.”