Aktuel magazine

We talked to Mr Tenant on the phone. He was at home in London.Tennant was very merry while he was answering our question.


‘PET SHOP BOYS’ IS A MARK


Question : You were working for Samash Hits magazine.What kind of music were you interested in?


Answer : I was working for publication sector,And Smash Hits magazine wanted me to be editor,Because i was interested

in music.In the same period, I met Chris and started making music together.It was a beautiful period.It was the the beginning

of 80`s and English pop culture was in a very bright time.Groups were on the stages like Culture Club,Everything

was very good because Dance music was appearing, Hip-Hop was borning in New York, Breakdance madness was spreading.

Smash Hits magazine was different magazine than serious English music magazines.It was an amusing magazine.And also

I wrote album criticism articles too.


Question : were you an merciless critic?

Answer : Sometimes, I was very merciless (Laugh), I wasn`t speaking ill of, I was prefering making fun.


Question :You were a music writer in Smash hits,And It was very important for your career.Because of that,

You met Boby O`Orlando…


Answer :Yes,Smash Hits Sent me To new York to interview with The Police.

There, As i am a journalist, I phoned the producer Boby O` `Shall we have lunch` i said. He accept.After Lunch,

I gave him the record of ‘Oppurtunities’.He liked it, and he wanted us to make an album.And Chris and I went to

New York ,we recorded our first Single West End Girls.


Question : Is it true that, You and Chris have different pleasures about music?


Answer: We have many common thing that we like, and also many opposite things.Chris is more curious dance music than me.

But I listen to music more than him.He always watches Tv,ha ha ha!


Question :You are together 20 years.How do you success this?


Answer : Both of us like our bussiness.We enjoy it.To make music,to create somethings, to write songs,to give concerts

are very different lifestyle,but as we are pet shop boys we always have a good time.





Question: Have you ever bored each other? Have you ver fighted(argue?


Answer : We fight(argue) rarely.We are not with together 24 hors of the day.As we are pet shop boys, we always

have a good time.


Question : How do you describe your and Chris` character?


Answer: I think, Another person must describe it, ha ha ha.Surely, we have a good joke(wit) intelligence.And also. we know

being funny and making fun. Sometimes You cant believe ha ha ha! in fact Everything is a comedy.


Question : In an interview, you said ‘As we are pet shop boys, Althoug we have good list success, we have never had

a good position in music world, People have always analysed us Out of music’ WHY?


Answer :in that time, It was really true.PSB have never become a member of a music sort.Yes, we have many connections

with many music sorts.But I think we only became pet shop boys and we have always existed in our style.Because

we are not only a dance music group or a pop music group.(Our style is not only a dance music or a pop group).

In our most succesful period, People said ‘You are a very strange group’ Because we were not a typical group.

Now, They dont put us to any category.Look, Pet shop boys are giving concerts in Rock festivals.Last year

we were the main group in Roskilde the one of the biggest rock festivals.For example, before us, Red Hot Chill

Papers was on the stage. It explains our position in music world. It is very comic.And the most interesting thing,

Rock festival listeners (watchers) know our all songs. They sing our songs all together.It is very strange.

I think we are in ABBA and Bee Gee`s position. They are not our listeners(rock listeners and watchers) but they

know our songs.We have never drawn any border for us, We have never been scared adding new thing from other music-styles

to our music..We have mixed them.But nowadays, Look at pop music, It is very ordinary and monotonous.


Question : I mean, You say ‘ ‘Pet shop boys’ is an mark’


Answer :I have alway seen pet shop boys as a mark.We are famous but not with our faces, WITH our names,music and style.

This is the most important thing.


Question : If Psb is a famous mark, what are the peculiarities of PSB?


Answer : with Strong melodies,interesting,mocking, and somethimes comic(funny) lyrics, dance music non-stop flowing

melodies, and our theatral show on the stage.

The most important thing that we did, we created a different world.If You like Psb, You enter that world.In that

world everything is possible.Because of that, you say many things that many people could not say.

To be a mocker is our biggest characteristic.We say many things that many people could not say.in the beggining

of 80`s it`s a sin that became hit on the lists was a song like that.I grew up as a catholic person, but i wrote a song

about religion like that.I never heard that somebody made a song about religion.After us, Nobody has made. We are not

scared naking songs about real people and reality,


Question :in your last album ‘Release’ You described homophobic Emimem as a gay rap singer, You offended Oasis and Blair, and

you write something about Mandelson who resigned from government…



Answer: the song that we described Eminem is about meeting a famous rap singer and his gay fan on the stage,understanding

of his gay fan ‘Rap singer is gay’ and to become together in the night.I thought that,Adding homposexual view to

rap world will be very interesting.Oasis and Mandeslon were little referances.


Question : What were their reaction ?


Answer : Dr Dre who works together with Eminem laughed too much.Eminem has not given any reaction yet.We know

he has a mocking-style.Mandelson asked some questions to us.And I answered them in GQ magazine.But These are funny men

they understand joking (mocking). We havent seen any problems with them.No problem!


Question : When you wrote (covered) the song ‘Go West’ It became an important event in Russia.It seemed a politic song

And also, You started a new fashion wearing CCCP t-shirts.What is the relation between you and Russia?


Answer : We are not Politic.But In ‘Go West’ song , an another thing happened.People saw that song as a politic songs.

(people loaded politic meaning to that song)I have always a relation to Russia.Since my childhood,I am always curious

about Russia ,This curiosity started to like russian composers and listening Classic music.Then,Russian history,revolutions

Soviet direction,changings there, impressed me.We did not write (cover) ‘Go West’ for Russians.The song was Chris` idea.

We started making clip,in that time we were invited the openning MTV-Russia.And we decided making the clip there..

We thought that in the east making of video-clip of A song that says ‘Go west’ is a goo idea.But the The main subject

of the cideo-clip became Lenin`s screen who shows the West.We sang this song after the Soviet destroyed.The song

was like a Russia national anthem. It was a chance.In the song we used classic music elements.I think, because of that

it resembled like russia national anthem.And suddenly People loaded a politic meaning to the song.In fact everything

happened by chance.We did not give a politic and economic message.I think people who listen to different music-style,

started listening to us with Go West.


Question : You have made electro-pop songs for 20 years.But In 2001, in ‘release’ we listen Rock-style songs.

What was the reason of this change?


Answer :In Fact, in the basic of this album, there is electro-pop too.But we used guitar in songs.We like trying

different things. Even, We thought making an hip-hop album.


Question : You are a good song writer!!


Answer :I think that, many people have not seen us while we write songs.Many people think the same things for madonna

and George Michael.But, Madonna is a very good musician.


People see famous people who make show, have a good image,making good performance, as a puppet.

People think that ‘This song was witten by another person.The singer only sings the song’…But

For years we sing the songs that we have written.


Question : ‘In the past,Rock and Grunge were our enemies, Now, stupid pop movement is’ you said …


Answer : Pop music is in a monotonus and ordinary position now,Songs are not creative,Songs are being prepared to be using

the same formula.They are the same.But in the music, Passion,power,beauty,spark should be. (Music should have passion,power,

beauty,spark) . It should be different and people show reaction to the song.EMINEM is very succesfull about it.


Question : Do you have any singer(s) that you like?


Answer: I liked justin Timberlake`s new single.his style is like Michael Jackson`s.Kraftwerk`s last album is very good.


Question: Recently, you gave concerts at universities.And also you have many fans who listen to you since 80`s…


Answer :I dont think, there is an age limit.We have fans who are 20 or 50 .Describing our fans is difficult.

I cant put our listeners to any category because We are not in any category.



Question : You are famous at your minimalist decorts abd theatral shows.But your last album is like a rock album

i think it impressed you.How will happen your Istanbul concert?


Answer : Yes, The stage will be very different.Guitarists and Pet shop Boys! in our last concert Step dancers were

with us on the stage. But, travelling with many personnels is very difficult for this kind of festivals.I can say that,

You will see many shows. AND YOU WILL LISTEN TO NEW VERISONS OF OUR SONGS. YOU WILL BE THE FIRST.

i have no doubt pet shop boys will sparkle in the festival.
Taken from: Aimoo
Interviewer: Mine Akverdi