Catalogue: 1985-2012 / Pet Shop Boys reissues with ‘Further Listening’ discs

Three of the long anticipated Pet Shop Boys reissues will finally emerge next month as Parlophone reissue multi-disc ‘Further Listening’ editions of the albums Nightlife, Release and Fundamental. These effectively kick off a year of reissues under the ‘Catalogue: 1985-2012’ banner.

All audio is newly re/mastered and both 1999’s Nightlife and 2002’s Release are three-CD sets, with two ‘Further Listening’ discs apiece. Fundamental (from 2006) is a two-disc package, consistent with the original reissues which were put out sixteen long years ago, in 2001.

The approach is broadly consistent with what’s come before. For example, there were over 20 third-party remixes (in total) on the three Nightlife singles that were issued on CD and 12-inch vinyl back in the day, but none of them are included here. Rather the bonus discs seek to mop up unreleased tracks, B-sides, demos, curiosities and remixes created by Neil and Chris themselves (e.g. ‘The PSB Extension’). The occasional live track also gets a look in.



You need to keep an eye on the timelines too, since sometimes it appears that bonus material is in the ‘wrong’ place. For example the demo of Fundamental’s Numb, is on the second of Release’s Further Listening discs. That’s because it dates from the period 2001 – 2004, at least two years before the album came out.

The bonus discs included with Release are quite interesting. They feature four previously unreleased tracks (Motoring; The Night is a Time to Explore Who You Are; Run, Girl, Run and Reunion). Also, not only do they contain all A and B-sides from the non-album singles included with 2003’s PopArt compilation (Miracles and Flamboyant) but they also features the demos of Flamboyant and Jack And Jill Party – the latter being a song that Neil and Chris gave to Pete Burns, who issued it as a single in 2004.

The same disc also features two collaborations with Elton John: In Private and the previously unreleased Alone Again, Naturally. The ‘Barfly’ version of It’s A Sin completes the third disc in the set. That was recorded for a 2004 appearance on Parkinson and previously appeared on the Popjustice: 100% Solid Pop Music compilation (issued in 2006).

Pet Shop Boys perform the ‘Barfly’ version of ‘It’s A Sin’ on Parkinson in 2004.

Back in 2006, early versions of Fundamental came with a bonus disc, Fundamentalism. Only one track from this is repeated on the new Further Listening disc and that’s a remastered version of  the Richard X Extended Mix of Fugitive. However, the ‘PSB maxi-mix’ of I’m With Stupid appeared on the Japanese Fundamentalism and that is also included on the new reissue. As is the demo of  The Sodom and Gomorrah Show, which was (and still is) an iTunes-only bonus track. A second iTunes exclusive, the demo of I’m With Stupid, hasn’t been included on the Further Listening 2005-2007 bonus disc. As far as I’m aware, that remains unreleased on CD.

Three unreleased tracks – Ring Road, One-way Street and Dancing in the Dusk – appear on the Fundamental bonus disc in demo form.

As before, the reissues will be packaged with an “extensive booklet” in which Neil Tennant
and Chris Lowe discuss each song. The entire project is designed by Farrow.

All three multi-disc CD reissues are due on 28 July 2017 (although Amazon currently has 7 July as the release date). Expect the prices below to drop significantly between now and when these are issued. The remastered original single albums of Nightlife, Release and Fundamental will also be reissued on 180gm heavyweight vinyl.

The ‘Catalogue’ reissues will continue over the next year until all PSB Parlophone albums have been released with ‘Further listening’ albums. The good news is that the reissues of Please, Actually, Introspective, Behaviour, Very and Bilingual will all be newly remastered (fans didn’t rate the original remastering). Original track listings remain.

Nightlife / Further Listening 1996 – 2000 (3CD deluxe)

CD1
1. For your own good
2. Closer to Heaven
3. I don’t know what you want but I can’t give it any more
4. Happiness is an option
5. You only tell me you love me when you’re drunk
6. Vampires
7. Radiophonic
8. The only one
9. Boy Strange
10. In denial
11. New York City boy
12. Footsteps

CD2
1. Vampires (demo)*
2. For all of us (demo)*
3. Call me old-fashioned (demo)*
4. Friendly fire
5. Believe/Song For Guy (featuring Elton John)*
6. Sail Away
7. It doesn’t often snow at Christmas (Fan club mix)
8. Nightlife
9. Playing in the streets*
10. Tall thin men*
11. Radiophonic (demo)*

CD3
1. Somebody else’s business
2. Silver age
3. Screaming
4. For all of us**
5. The ghost of myself
6. Casting a shadow
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)**
9. Lies
10. Paris city boy (Full French)*
11. Positive role model
12. Somebody else’s business (extended mix)**

* Previously unreleased
**Previously unreleased on CD

 

Release / Further Listening 2001 – 2004 (3CD edition)

 

CD1
1. Home and dry
2. I get along
3. Birthday Boy
4. London
5. E-mail
6. The samurai in autumn
7. Love is a catastrophe
8. Here
9. The night I fell in love
10. You choose

CD2
1. Between two islands
2. Searching for the face of Jesus
3. Time on my hands
4. Motoring (demo)*
5. Love life**
6. Transparent
7. Sexy Northerner
8. The night is a time to explore who you are (demo)*
9. Closer to Heaven (slow version)
10. Run, girl, run (demo)*
11. I didn’t get where I am today
12. Always
13. Home and dry (ambient mix)
14. Bright young things (demo)*
15. Kazak*
16. A powerful friend (John Peel version)*
17. If looks could kill (John Peel version)*

CD3
1. Try it (I’m in love with a married man)
2. Here (PSB new extended mix)
3. If looks could kill
4. A powerful friend**
5. Party song
6. No excuse (demo)*
7. Blue on blue
8. Jack and Jill party (demo)*
9. Baby (demo)
10. Flamboyant (original demo)
11. Miracles
12. Flamboyant (7” mix)
13. Numb (demo)
14. In private (featuring Elton John)
15. Alone again, naturally (featuring Elton John)*
16. Reunion (Electro mix)*
17. Bright young things
18. We’re the Pet Shop Boys
19. It’s a sin (Barfly version)

* Previously unreleased
** Previously unreleased on CD



Fundamental / Further Listening 2005 – 2007

CD1
1. Psychological
2. The Sodom and Gomorrah Show
3. I made my excuses and left
4. Minimal
5. Numb
6. God willing
7. Luna Park
8. I’m with Stupid
9. Casanova in Hell
10. Twentieth century
11. Indefinite leave to remain
12. Integral

CD2
1. Fugitive (Richard X extended mix)
2. Ring road (demo)*
3. The performance of my life (demo)*
4. One-way street (demo)*
5. Girls don’t cry
6. The Resurrectionist
7. The Sodom and Gomorrah Show (original demo)**
8. Dancing in the dusk (demo)*
9. After the event
10. The former enfant terrible
11. No time for tears (orchestral mix)*
12. God willing (original full-length mix)*
13. I’m with Stupid (PSB maxi-mix)
14. Answer the phone! (ringtone)**
15. Where are you? (ringtone)**
16. Water (ringtone)**
17. Numb (single edit)
18. One night
19. A certain “Je ne sais quoi”
20. Transfer (Visionaire mix)*
21. Integral (PSB Perfect Immaculate 7” mix)**
22. Integral (PSB Perfect Immaculate mix)

* Previously unreleased
** Previously unreleased on CD

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