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Please (Pet Shop Boys album)

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"Two Divided by Zero" redirects here. For dividing by zero in mathematics, see Division by zero.

Please
Original CD cover
Cover art for the original CD release.
Studio album by
Pet Shop Boys
Released24 March 1986
Recorded
  • August 1985[a]
  • November 1985 – January 1986
StudioAdvision (London)
Genre
Length42:50
LabelParlophone
ProducerStephen Hague
Pet Shop Boys chronology
Please
(1986) 		Disco
(1986)
Singles from Please
  1. "West End Girls"
    Released: 28 October 1985
  2. "Love Comes Quickly"
    Released: 24 February 1986
  3. "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)"
    Released: 19 May 1986
  4. "Suburbia"
    Released: 22 September 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideA−[3]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Smash Hits9/10[6]
Spin Alternative Record Guide8/10[7]
Uncut8/10[8]

Please is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 24 March 1986 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI America Records in the United States. According to the duo, the album's title was chosen so that people had to go into a record shop and say "Can I have the Pet Shop Boys album, 'Please'?".[9] Please spawned four singles: "West End Girls", "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)", "Suburbia", and "Love Comes Quickly"; "West End Girls" reached number one in both the UK and the US.

Background and composition

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Most of the tracks on Please had been demoed with American producer Bobby Orlando in 1984, taking influences from Italian disco, Orlando's lo-fi electronic dance music and the bourgeoning American rap scene. A version of "West End Girls" produced by Orlando had been released as an unsuccessful single that year. For their debut album Pet Shop Boys re-worked the songs in a slightly slower tempo with producer Stephen Hague (after their record company initially had suggested that they should work with producers Stock Aitken Waterman). Lyrically, the songs were inspired by the duo's life in London at the time, with lyricist Neil Tennant assuming different characters and occasionally writing satirical lyrics, such as the song "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)".[10]

Releases

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Please was re-released on 4 June 2001 (as were most of the duo's studio albums up to that point) as Please: Further Listening 1984–1986. The re-released version was not only digitally remastered but came with a second disc of B-sides and previously unreleased material from around the time of the album's original release.[11] Yet another re-release followed on 9 February 2009, under the title of Please: Remastered.[citation needed] This version contains only the 11 tracks on the original. With the 2009 re-release, the 2001 two-disc re-release was discontinued.[citation needed] On 2 March 2018 a newly remastered edition of Please: Further Listening 1984–1986 was released, with the same contents as the 2001 edition.[11]

"Suburbia" was dramatically remixed for the single release.[12]

"Violence" was later re-recorded by the Pet Shop Boys for a charity concert at The Haçienda nightclub in 1992. This version, known as the 'Haçienda version', was released as one of the B-sides to "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" and was then made available on the B-sides album Alternative and on Very: Further Listening 1992-1994.[13]

The Pet Shop Boys later sampled the Please version of "Love Comes Quickly" for their song "Somebody Else's Business", which appeared on the Disco 3 album.[14]

"Tonight Is Forever" was later covered by Liza Minnelli on the Pet Shop Boys-produced album Results.[15]

Critical reception

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Please has received critical acclaim. Upon its release in March 1986, Smash Hits reviewer Chris Heath gave the album a 9 out of 10 rating describing the content as "ten thoroughly catchy songs".[6]

Writing in 1986 for Billboard's "Dance Trax" column, Brian Chin described the album as an "amusingly complete compendium of recent dance music styles. It should be a long-running hit for clubs if the remixes keep coming."[16]

Retrospectively, in a 2009 review for the BBC, Ian Wade wrote: "Please really hasn't dated at all and should be the textbook example of how brilliant a pop debut could be."[17]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, except where noted

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Two Divided by Zero"
3:35
2."West End Girls" 4:46
3."Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" 3:44
4."Love Comes Quickly"
4:19
5."Suburbia" 5:10
6."Opportunities" (reprise) 0:34
Total length:22:08
Side B
No.TitleLength
7."Tonight Is Forever"4:33
8."Violence"4:30
9."I Want a Lover"4:06
10."Later Tonight"2:49
11."Why Don't We Live Together?"4:45
Total length:20:42 (42:50)
Further Listening 1984–1986 (bonus disc)
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."A Man Could Get Arrested" (12-inch B-side;
previously unreleased)		 4:11
2."Opportunities" (full-length original 7-inch; previously unreleased) 4:36
3."In the Night" 4:51
4."Opportunities" (original 12-inch mix; previously unreleased on CD) 7:00
5."Why Don't We Live Together?" (original New York mix;
previously unreleased)		 5:14
6."West End Girls" (dance mix; previously unreleased on CD) 6:39
7."A Man Could Get Arrested" (7-inch B-side;
previously unreleased on CD)		 4:51
8."Love Comes Quickly" (dance mix)
  • Tennant
  • Lowe
  • Hague
6:50
9."That's My Impression" (disco mix) 5:19
10."Was That What It Was?" 5:17
11."Suburbia" (The Full Horror) 8:58
12."Jack the Lad" 4:32
13."Paninaro" (Italian remix) 8:38
Total length:76:56

Notes

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  • On LP and cassette copies, "Opportunities" (Reprise) is sequenced as a hidden track at the end of side A, acting as the outro to "Suburbia".[18]
  • Track 4 on the Further Listening 1984–1986 bonus disc is a previously unreleased mix, different from the actual 12" version released in 1985 (dance mix) and which reappeared in 1986 (original dance mix).

Personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Please.[19]

Pet Shop Boys

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  • Chris Lowe – sequencer, synthesizer, keyboards, samples, programmer, drum programmer (track 3, 4, 7–9, 11), piano (track 3), electric piano (track 6), lead vocals (track 13)
  • Neil Tennant – vocals, keyboards

Additional musicians

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Technical

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  • Stephen Hague – production
  • David Jacob – engineering
  • J. J. Jeczalik – production (original recording) (track 3)
  • Nicholas Froome – production (original recording) (track 3)
  • Ron Dean Miller – New York overdubs (track 3); production (original recording) (track 11)
  • Pet Shop Boys – production (original recording) (track 9)
  • Blue Weaver – production (original recording) (track 9)

Artwork

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  • Eric Watson – cover photograph, inner sleeve photographs
  • Paul Rider, John Stoddart, Brian Aris, Joe Shutter, Ian Hooton, Chris Burscough – inner sleeve photographs
  • Mark Farrow – sleeve design
  • Pet Shop Boys – sleeve design

Charts

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Certifications and sales

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Certifications and sales for Please
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil — 75,000[40]
Canada (Music Canada)[41] Platinum 100,000^
Hong Kong (IFPI Hong Kong)[42] Gold 10,000*
New Zealand (RMNZ)[43] Platinum 15,000^
United Kingdom (BPI)[44] Platinum 300,000^
United States (RIAA)[45] Platinum 1,000,000^
Summaries
Worldwide — 3,000,000[46]

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Notes

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  1. ^ "West End Girls"

References

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  1. ^ a b Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Please – Pet Shop Boys". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  2. ^ Hunt, Dennis (4 May 1986). "These Boys Aren't the Critics' Pets". Los Angeles Times. 4 May 1986. Retrieved 16 May 2022.
  3. ^ Christgau, Robert (1990). "Pet Shop Boys: Please". Christgau's Record Guide: The '80s. Pantheon Books. p. 313. ISBN 0-679-73015-X. Retrieved 26 September 2015.
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Pet Shop Boys". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  5. ^ Hull, Tom (2004). "Pet Shop Boys". In Brackett, Nathan; Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide (4th ed.). Simon & Schuster. pp. 630–31. ISBN 0-7432-0169-8.
  6. ^ a b Heath, Chris. "Albums". Smash Hits March 26-April 8 1986. p. 57.
  7. ^ Sheffield, Rob (1995). "Pet Shop Boys". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 294–95. ISBN 0-679-75574-8.
  8. ^ Dalton, Stephen (March 2018). "Pet Shop Boys: Please / Actually / Introspective". Uncut. No. 250. p. 43.
  9. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – History (1986)". PetShopBoys.co.uk. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  10. ^ A.D. Amorosi (8 July 2016). "The making of Pet Shop Boys' Please". Magnet Music.
  11. ^ a b "Pet Shop Boys Catalogue 1985-2012 Series Continues With Third Batch Of Releases Available March 2". Rhino. 2 March 2018. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  12. ^ Heath, Chris (2018). Please: Further Listening 1984-1986 (booklet). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone Records. 0190295831745.
  13. ^ Heath, Chris (2018). Very: Further Listening 1992-1994 (booklet). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone Records. 0190295809164.
  14. ^ Pet Shop Boys. (April 2003) "Disco 3". Literally, issue 26.
  15. ^ Soto, Alfred (31 August 2017). "Liza Minnelli: Results Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 28 October 2024.
  16. ^ Chin, Brian (19 April 1986). "Dance Trax". Billboard.
  17. ^ Wade, Ian (2009). "The textbook example of how brilliant a pop debut could be". BBC.
  18. ^ saborinja. "▶️ PET SHOP BOYS – Please (Vinyl Rip)". Retrieved 16 June 2024 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1986). Please (liner notes). Parlophone. CDP 7 46271 2.
  20. ^ Kent 1993, p. 232
  21. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0678". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  22. ^ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 21. 31 May 1986. p. 17. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  23. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  24. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Pet Shop Boys – Please" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  25. ^ "Ísland (LP-plötur)". DV (in Icelandic). 23 May 1986. p. 43. ISSN 1021-8254 – via Timarit.is.
  26. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 3 June 2022. Select "Album" in the "Tipo" field, type "Pet Shop Boys" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  27. ^ "Charts.nz – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Hung Medien. Retrieved 30 August 2019.
  28. ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  29. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  30. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Hung Medien. Retrieved 10 August 2011.
  31. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Hung Medien. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  32. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  33. ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  34. ^ Kent 1993, p. 438
  35. ^ "Top 100 Albums of '86". RPM. Vol. 45, no. 14. 27 December 1986. p. 9. ISSN 0033-7064 – via Library and Archives Canada.
  36. ^ "European Hot 100 Albums – Hot 100 of the Year 1986" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 3, no. 51/52. 27 December 1986. p. 35. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  37. ^ "Top Selling Albums of 1986". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  38. ^ "Top 100 Albums (January to December 1986)" (PDF). Music Week. 24 January 1987. p. 25. ISSN 0265-1548 – via World Radio History.
  39. ^ "Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1986". Billboard. Archived from the original on 2 July 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  40. ^ Fucuta, Brenda (9 December 1994). "Discografia marcada pela 'dance music'". Jornal do Brasil (in Portuguese). No. 245. p. 38 – via National Library of Brazil.
  41. ^ "Canadian album certifications – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Music Canada. 23 July 1986.
  42. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1988". IFPI Hong Kong.
  43. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 24 November 2019.[dead link]
  44. ^ "British album certifications – Pet Shop Boys – Please". British Phonographic Industry. 12 January 1987. Retrieved 20 January 2022.
  45. ^ "American album certifications – Pet Shop Boys – Please". Recording Industry Association of America. 29 September 1986. Retrieved 12 April 2012.
  46. ^ Freeman, Josh (19 May 2011). "A Lot of Opportunities: Pet Shop Boys' Please Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 24 November 2019.

Bibliography

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