NewsPet Shop Boys respect the B-side with new single The Pop Kids
While contemporaries like Duran Duran and a-ha have long since abandoned the idea of the B-side (arguably even the single), the Pet Shop Boys continue to offer fans non-album tracks with their single releases, with three new songs being issued with The Pop Kids, the first 45 from their new album SUPER.
Update 6 Feb: PSBs have denied this report. More here.
The single will initially be offered in three digital bundles although a physical CD single (a format they’ve remained loyal to since 1987’s It’s A Sin) and twelve inch will follow. Each bundle offers a brand new non-album track (Lead A Normal Life, Secret Alphabet and It’s Up To You Now respectively) along with two remixes of The Pop Kids. Details below:
DIGITAL BUNDLE #1
1. The Pop Kids (Radio Mix)
2. Lead A Normal Life
3. The Pop Kids (Joakim Remix)
DIGITAL BUNDLE #2
1. The Pop Kids (Stuart Price Extended Mix)
2. Secret Alphabet
3. The Pop Kids (Anton Floria Blunt Mix)
DIGITAL BUNDLE #3
1. The Pop Kids (PSB Synth Trip Mix)
2. It’s Up To You Now
3. The Pop Kids (Agoria Remix)
That’s a lot of content, so it will be interesting to see what the band decide to include on the physical releases. Two of the CD singles from the last album (Vocal and Love is a Bourgeois Construct) were nine-track. The downside of such long CD singles is that they rule themselves out of eligibility for the UK singles chart. Although when Neil and Chris constrained the running time of 2013’s Thursday for that very reason, it still only peaked at number 61 so that may not be a concern at all.
The Pop Kids will be released on 26 February 2016. The album SUPER will follow on 1 April 2016.
CD Edition
- • UK Pre-order: SUPER
- • USA Pre-order: SUPER
- • CANADA Pre-order: SUPER
- • GERMANY Pre-order: SUPER
- • SPAIN: Pre-order: SUPER
- • FRANCE Pre-order: SUPER
- • ITALY Pre-order: SUPER
Vinyl LP
- • UK Pre-order SUPER
- • USA Pre-order SUPER
- • CANADA Pre-order SUPER
- • GERMANY Pre-order SUPER
- • SPAIN Pre-order SUPER
- • FRANCE Pre-order SUPER
- • ITALY Pre-order: SUPER
1. Happiness
2. The Pop Kids
3. Twenty-something
4. Groovy
5. The Dictator Decides
6. Pazzo!
7. Inner Sanctum
8. Undertow
9. Sad Robot World
10. Say It To Me
11. Burn
12. Into Thin Air
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46 thoughts on “Pet Shop Boys respect the B-side with new single The Pop Kids”
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Sorry to be bearer of bad news this is a hoax. Although obviously reported in good faith. I have an idea who may have sent this info, he’s pulled this fake tracklisting idiocy a few times in the past.
This information is all fake. See official PSB website. http://petshopboys.co.uk/pettexts/6661/201602
A single can feature many mixes of the same song, but if it features 2 or more different tracks the running time must be 20 mins maximum.
thanks gary, now I understand why some extended versions on cd singles were cut off (e.g. taylor dayne-prove your love ext. version is about 20 sec. shorter on cd single).
I like CDs that have hidden tracks as it gets round this nonsense!!!!
Will the physical releases be limited edition as per the Vocal CD? Anyone know?
All CDs are limited, so you’ll have to assume this is. After the initial print run it’s very likely this will be deleted. This is normal and happens all the time. The CD just won’t say ‘limited’ but by default it will be.
Yeah, that’s not what I meant and is a tiny bit patronising too. The Vocal CD vanished almost instantly whereas the other two hung around for longer. If it’s going to be as limited as Vocal then it’d be useful to know that upfront.
I think advice would be to get them immediately, to avoid disappointment.
As a matter of interest Paul, how many tracks are allowed on a CD single before its ruled out of chart consideration?
They keep changing the rules. It was something like a 20-minute running time… others may be able to chip in with more accurate info!
Fantastic. PSB B-Sides are often better than or at least as good as their A-Sides. Really hope the three new tracks are on CD too.
Not really true regarding the b-sides to “Love Is A Bourgeois Construct”. Very sub standard b-sides.
Is “Lead A Normal Life” a cover of the Gabriel song? That could be interesting
Hate digital, but will still buy all three bundles and of course all the physical. Thank you for still pressing them.
And in homes in 100 years there will still be physical music formats. We soon will have formats that will be 100 years old already.
We already have. The 78 record first appeared in 1902, whilst the cylinder (anyone got any of those!!) goes back to 1877.
My grandmother (now in her 90s) has a box of cylinders and has a player for them as well. When she married my grandfather had the collection along with some 78s.
Cds probably won’t last 100 years.
Will be buying all physical formats as usual
I think PSB will always offer physical content. They know what their fans want, and collect. Got all three of the last album (Electric) cd singles, and they have really jumped up in price.
Wonderful news – I knew PSB would not let their fans/collectors down in the physical formats department. I have never (and will never) buy a download but I will pre-order the physical formats as soon as they are available.
Digital Files are a music collector’s nightmare. There will probably be no physical music formats in homes in 100 years from now or less (how sad).
CD releases “PLEASE” as not interested in crappy digital downloads.
that’s easy to answer to the question : As digital sucks, I hope EVERYTHING will get its physical release !!!
Great news that they are planning CD/12″ releases for this release (and presumably the subsequent singles from the new album). I bought all of the CD singles and 12″s (if unique tracks on vinyl) off their last album and will continue to do so. Remember them being in the top 10 of collectible artists in an edition of Record Collector magazine back in the 90s. It’s great that they stick with the physical single releases and I agree with the above comment that they are probably losing money on them. They aren’t cheap to order from the US but with the last album the CDs seemed to go out of print rather quickly and are already collectible. Nice that DM, Erasure, New Order and OMD are also still releasing physical singles as well. Saw an extended mix of New Order’s Singularity online so assume that is the next single off their latest.
Yes Singularity is the next New Order single
Thanks Boys for not ignoring us physical collectors.
Personally, I think that keeping the physical formats of their releases goes a long way to explaining why PSB generate so much interest in their new releases and are still collectable (not to mention the music itself).
It’s very easy to rapidly loose interest in artistes when only the album arrives in a physical format and the rest are only available as downloads.
As this “Absolutely Fabulous” (pun intended) site proves – tangible releases are so much more treasured and downloading is boring.
Great news! Can’t wait to get the CD single. Fantastic that they are doing the classic extended mix for this. I hate the modern remixes that show no resemblance to the original song . I have high expectations for this album. While some dislike Stuart Price’s production style I love what he did for Madonna’s Confessions and PSB’s Electric.
Paper Gods would have been improved by making it a shorter album and saving some of those many tracks as actual b-sides of physical singles. The same goes for Cast In Steel ( the vinyl track listing is better than the CD for leaving off two tracks). I’m glad the Pet Shop Boys still respect pop tradition in this way. New Order are also doing a good job with physical singles even though they don’t do b-sides any more. OMD at least released a CD single with all the b-sides from their last album, but I sure would have appreciated CD singles with all of the remixes that were released digitally.
They may no longer be in their peak period, but I’m in the camp that has firmly enjoyed Yes and Electric (ignoring Elysium is for the best). The second disc of Format was also great, so the b-sides aren’t total write-offs yet (although some from the last album were real tankers).
I wish a -ha would go this “Depeche Mode” style way of releasing singles
oh this is going to be fun. love them for doing this.
As has been the way since 1985 – I will buy all digital and physical versions. My life has been better with the Pet Shop Boys in it!
PSB is known for great B Sides, especially in 1985-1990 period. Even in later phase there are some great tracks that is even better than album tracks. For example: Some Speculation, Decadence, Euroboy, No Time For Tears, One Night…
I always enjoy them, but they peaked with Introspective, which still gets regular play round these parts.
I think you have a scoop here. Not even the official site has announced this.
Indeed!
Pleased to hear that the PSB will continue the 12″/CD Single formats for their latest single. Nearly 30 years since their first UK CD Single (It’s a sin) long may it continue …..
As a big PSB fan since the 80s, I really appreciate their fond devotion to releases, design, cover artwork and formats. Not only do they continue to record b-side songs and produce remixes, they also stay loyal to 12″ and CD single releases which hardly pay off from a commercial point of view.
As said before, so many bands and artists from the 80s and 90s have stopped doing all this and you really have to give them credit and respect for not only giving their die-hard fans all this stuff but at the same time continue their career-long focus on quality.
100% agree Michael. Great to see at least one artist showing that there’s more to releasing multi-formats and b-sides than simply commercial gain.
So EPs are not dead then. It’s great to know you can actually buy the tracks, if HMV are stocking it.
Aren’t the BBC doing some special documentaries on the PSBs? Not sure if it’s Radio 2 or BBC Four, anyone know…
Rob-Four part PSB documentary series starting on BBC Radio 2 next month….
http://www.petshopboys.co.uk/news/6656
this is great great news! hopefully all b-sides and remixes will be on cd.