The beat is indeed synthetic. These gentlemen are timeless and still have music coming out now. Just insanely good! This song is just as fresh today as it was 35 years ago. I couldn’t tell you anything they’ve done that I don’t have on a playlist. Give a listen to “Heart” ( my personal fave ), “Love Comes Quickly” and “Domino Dancing”.

That "rap thing" you mention is him singing like he's talking, like he's telling a story, narrating events, that makes see us the whole picture of the city and of those girls and boys. I love how articulate the singer is, I understand every word. This is my favorite Pet Shop Boys song. Love your channel.

@DereckReacts

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I see alot of people enjoy this song

@ppzav

3 жыл бұрын

@@DereckReacts I think you will enjoy "Being Boring" from PSB gorgeous video, great lyrics, great sound

@JohnGeorgeBauerBuis

3 жыл бұрын

It is true that he was inspired by the New York Rap scene, if I recall correctly.

@jaleenibear81

3 жыл бұрын

Yup they were originally inspired by the NY rap scene. The song The Message by Grandmaster Flash was a big inspiration. Even their name was suppose to be like rapping and their original name was suppose to be West End but eventually changed it to Pet Shop Boys. The original West End Girls sound more rap like but this one is more subtle compared to their original version. My history is a little off I used to know it by heart since I’m a fan but I haven’t listened to them in a long while. It’s cool to see music reactions to them though.

One of the best songs EVER! I remember the first time I heard it I was blown away and knew it was the start of something new and different. The PET SHOP BOYS have a very impressive discography.

'Love Comes Quickly' and 'Being Boring'.

Amazing synthesizer work. Love it...

West End Girls was Number 1 in UK and USA. According to The Guardian list of best Number Ones of UK's music history, it is the Number 1. It even appeared on many show like The Simpsons or in the original version in Moonlighting. A shows about boys and girls having sex with mistery feeling and social thoughts. I know Dereck will love many PSB songs like, for exmpla, Suburbia and Left to my own Devices when he could react to them.

Chris Lowe is just standing there in the background doing nothing but being eye candy 😆

" RENT " and " LEFT TO MY OWN DEVICES " are classic Pet Shop Boys

Love them, even Madonna’s Jump song its very inspirated by this song 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

It is a rap. He wanted to do a rap as done by a proper Englishman, since rap was breaking into the mainstream at that time.

A sort of sophisticated and “retro-futurístic” rap. Love this since the 80’s dance floors!

The background singer is the same lady that Culture Club used.

@joelscottarnold3262

3 жыл бұрын

Joseph Hart - Helen Terry!!

@TerminatorT-xn4ep

3 жыл бұрын

Sounds a bit like Grace Jones?

@bobthenerve

3 жыл бұрын

That's my friend Helena!

@CraftyMomof12

3 жыл бұрын

I thought that sounded like her

There are so many songs.....Hidden gems from PSB: Two divided by zero, why don’t we live together, I want a lover, Paninaro, can you forgive her (pers fav), vocal, Thursday, Burn, monkey business...

@curtmurray70

3 жыл бұрын

Two divided by zero is one of my favorite PSB songs.

Domino Dancing , Suburbia, and Always On My Mind are classic 80’s pop with some fantastic vids !

Other great songs by The Pet Shop Boys include "Rent" "What Have I Done To Deserve This" featuring Dusty Springfield, "Love Comes Quickly", "Heart", "Left To My Own Devices" (another "rap" type song). They also covered the Village People's "Go West" and a mashup of U2 and Frankie Valli's "Where The Streets Have No Name" with "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You".

The original version was released in 1984 remixed and produced by Bobby O. It failed as a single then they redid it and released it in 1985 from different producers and that is the version we all know.

@xoxxobob61

3 жыл бұрын

@gojira54...You are not going to believe this but I had the Original Bobby O record when it first came out and it was Horrible ! I was a member at the time of a Record Pool ( DJ service) in the 80's if you remember those.

Ive been a fan for 39 years. I’ve seen them live about 20 times. ❤❤

it seems that any sound from the 80's had a more futuristic feel than today's music. This clip has a Matrix atmosphere

The thing that everyone misses about WEG is that it was inspired by rap music, hence the spoken verses. They did it again with a much later song called Metamorphosis, from their Bilingual album.

West End Girls by the Pet Shop Boys went to number one in the UK in 1985 and it was the first of four number one hit singles which also includes It's a Sin, Always on my mind and and Heart. In total they had 22 top 10 hits.

One of my favourite tunes from the 80s, back then and still now.

Please do "Domino Dancing", "It's Alright" and "Heart" next. You will LOVE those. ;)

@NorthSea_1981

3 жыл бұрын

OMG...the video for "Heart" is hilarious. It was filmed in Yugoslavia back then (somewhere in Slovenia, I think).

@theKarstenR

3 жыл бұрын

True. I actually think he should do a reaction to the audio first and then watch the video as it distracts from the song quite a bit. ;)

@tinkler4

3 жыл бұрын

Yep I agree Domino Dancing!!!’

@tinkler4

3 жыл бұрын

Or ‘Love Comes Quickly’ 👍🏼👍🏼

Always On My Mind

Seeing that you appreciate sound, bass lines and instrumentation and that stuff, i think your next PSB track should be Left to my own devices. It's an amazing song i'm pretty sure you're gonna love it.

Hi Derek. I love your reactions. I'm 43, so as I was born in 1977 I grew up listening to all this fantastic 80's music. Pet Shop Boys are my favourite band of all-time, with Erasure a close 2nd. I love seeing you hear these songs for the first time, as it reminds me of the first time I heard them. The 80's often gets dismissed by music snobs, but it's my favourite decade, not just for nostalgic reasons, but so much great music was made. I can see many people here in the comments have suggested Domino Dancing. I agree, it is a fantastic song and one of their best, please react to it!

that new "Lockdown" version by them is SWEET!

This song, for me at least, has a very distinct London vibe - it's evocative of 80s Friday/Saturday nights in London's West End where there a lot of the clubs, restaurants and bars in a concentrated area . The lads from the East End (traditionally a lower socioeconomic area) going into the West End (a higher class area) at the weekend to pick up this posh women.

Hi Derek.glad I found your Chanel! Awesome reactions and I really enjoy how you talk about the history of the song after you listen to it.

Your reaction videos are so perceptive and sensitive compared to others so it's a big 👏 from me. You do the background and other details. Anyway, being from England and having lived a long time in London, I would say that there was definitely an idea of the West meaning a posher side of London and the East being more rough and ready and the attraction between the two sides.

One of greatest electro pop tracks ever written

West End Girls has been my favorite song from the day I was born back in 1994 it's still my top number 1 song of all time

New sub I adore the pet shop boys!!! Legend still making music today.🔥❤️ great reaction.

It was also a Billboard No. 1.

1:55 the lyrics there are ENTICINGLY REAL AND DAMN GOOD

This was PSB's breakthrough hit.

PSB are a mixed bag but there are so many singles I think you’d like! I recommend Opportunities, Always On My Mind, So Hard, Jealously and Can You Forgive Her! X

@landscapes5720

3 жыл бұрын

The mix in the bag is either fucking brilliant or fucking fantastic. What's in your bag?

Dead end town in a dead end world refers to recession hit London during the early 80's. East end boys is a reference to the 'eastenders' going out 'up west' (London's West End) on a Saturday night. Where they would try and 'pull' a West End girl. All of the imagery is that of London. It's back streets, it's train stations, the red bus advertising the west end show Evita on the front of it. The only time the two completely opposite communities would mix. Ahhhh. 1980's London. Eastend boys and West End girls. Them were the days!

I'm getting a high school vibe, lol, specifically my senior year. Thank You 💗💗

Classic & 1st Big USA hit that put them on the USA radar! When I fell in love with Electronic music! Thanks Dereck! Thanks for reacting to my top 2 favorites of ALL TIME. Pet Shop Boys & Madonna. Both are the most remixed artists of all time!! Thousands of versions of all their songs over 35+ years!

I remember this being Christmas number 2 whilst Whitney Houston Saving all my love was number one x

Glad you're doing 80's songs. They are awesome.

Luv this😍🥰

Dereck, this is the definitive version released at the end of 1985 which become their first number one hit in many countries, USA included! The original from an early 1985, produced with Bobby O, wasn’t that big at all. Like you said, San Francisco and LA clubs if we’re talking USA. This one should grow on u if u only listened to it once which is an amazing fact on its own right!😉

So many great songs over their 35 year (and counting) career. Aside from the songs you’ve already listened to I’d recommend: Singles - Opportunities Suburbia Rent So Hard Jealousy Can You Forgive Her? You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You’re Drunk Miracles I’m With Stupid Love etc Leaving The Pop Kids Dreamland Other tracks - Left to my Own Devices (album version) Being Boring (album version) It Always Comes as a Surprise Birthday Boy Integral (album version) Luna Park The Way it Used to Be Vocal (album version)

These guy's were the soundtrack to my youth and beyond , have a listen to love comes quickly its awesome

My favorite song🎼 from the 80's. My 2nd favorite song🎼 was Self Control- Laura Branigan, follow by Send me an Angel- by Real Life.💖💖💖

UK NRO1/ US BILLBOARD NRO 1 of debut single.WOW!

Check out Go West "Call Me" "King of wishful thinking" "Faithful" "We close our eyes" and ABC "Be Near Me" "The look of love" "When smokey sings" "Poison Arrow"

This Song is so elegant

I remember seeing this for the first time on Top of the Pops, after which I walked to the pub in a 'Neil' stride and got the haircut the next day.

You should really do Domino Dancing, you're gonna love the latin flavor they brought to the song.

you should listen to the new 'Lock down' version of this song Pet Shop Boys released recently. Love the new reworked updated sound of that version! even more bass and killer dance beats!

Finally you managed to get this through, shame you couldn’t share the first time hearing this😊

Derek your knowledge hold no bounds. I was in my 20’s (;I think maths was never my strong point might have knocked 10 years off). Love this sound . Check out some high nrg music and Sparks too ! Byeeeeeee

Love your reactions love this song from eighties epic

Saw them live

Welcome to London !

If you think about, West End Girls was the first rap to achieve #1 in the US and UK.

Every loved the petshop boys back then!

I always found this song to be very melancholic and slightly depressing, even though i love it. It reflected the time, where lots of jobs were being lost and everything was running down because of the de-industrialisation of the UK in that period.

"Left to my own devices" please my favourite.❤❤❤❤❤❤

You will love pet shop boys Petshop Boys Paninaro 95 and also So Hard.

So so so many pet shop boys songs my favorites are from behavior and very Love you

Tops de tops a nivel mundial I💖80. Saludos desde 🇦🇷😎👍

It was a huge hit here in the states... i remember it was in the black dance clubs and all over the radio... to this day i still don't know ifthis is classified as rap or ??

KylieMinogue, shocked! Haha..please react xxx

Really enjoy watching your reviews Dereck. Pet Shop Boys have made some great tracks over the years. Would love you to listen to Sophie Ellis-Bexter by the way. Bittersweet or Heartbreak Make Me A Dancer are great pop tunes. And shes stunning...almost enough to turn me straight (but not quite!) 😂

Please don't tell me this is the first time you've heard this.

@DereckReacts

3 жыл бұрын

First time

@mindaugaskliukas8667

3 жыл бұрын

Dereck Reacts That’s unbelievably amazing!😉

@willswomble7274

3 жыл бұрын

@@DereckReacts You need to get OUT more.....

@JenX_1973

3 жыл бұрын

It amazes me when people say that they have heard a very popular song that has been out for years, or decades, for the first time! I'm like, "Have you been living under a rock?" This song is also on the video game, "Grand Theft Auto 5," and apparently, Derek isn't a gamer! Lol!

Waw I must have dance a million time to this song.......was very popular here in Norway 😉

Good tune here.

Just a great great song I was 19 wow

I remember this Had a big Impact on that time because it was different in Sound and vokal singing...

Most of the instrumentation was done with a Fairlight CMI, which at the time was a cutting edge synthesizer.

@markusandergard6925

3 жыл бұрын

Almost the entire song was made on an EMU Emulator II.

Pet Shop Boys and Kylie Minogue In Denial. Such a great unique song.

You should have heard the 10 minute remix at Area, NYC (do your homework) in 1984.

The music I listened while painting! The 80s

The great Shep Pettibone did some fantastic remixes of the song.

I love Pet Shop Boys, please Derek, the Verve " bitter sweet symphony"

Yes the original version of West End Girls is a much faster tempo and more clubby in a sense lol (it's on Spotify and here on KZread - it's the 1984 Bobby Orlando version). The original has the trademarks of this version (synthy dark choir, the bassline, Neil's lyrics) but the 1985 version took all of those elements and just transformed them for the better and the biggest change is with Neil's voice and delivery imo. For this version you listened to they worked with producer Stephen Hague and slowed down the pace and gave it a more filmic, noir quality (fade in at the beginning with the sounds of people on the street they recorded, etc.) They released Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) before this 1985 version of WEG but it wasn't a hit so this was really their chance to take the earlier version that they liked and had potential and redo it. Also, Neil IS rapping on here but he deliberately tried to rap in a British accent, hence why it does sound a bit odd and like he isn't rapping (I think of it more as the usual speak-singing he does in other songs). As for the video, this really did kick off their public image as a duo, with Neil singing and Chris standing off to the side looking bored tho he absolutely does a great deal in the group and you can't have one without the other. I'm glad you're liking their music! It seems you're more interested in their work that's more big and theatrical, so I'd recommend Left To My Own Devices for a song that those elements! But I also have to recommend Being Boring which I consider their best song.

its def a synth bass line. :)

I had to run out and buy it when it came out.

Listen to "Being Boring". From their behaviour album. Brilliant

PSB recommendations: Left To My Own Devices, Vocal, Opportunities, Suburbia, Rent, Bolshy, Burn, Love Etc., Thursday, Minimal, Too Many People, Some Speculation, One Thing Leads To Another.

It’s interesting to see London from 35 years ago.

It was a big song everywhere. Btw, the West End is the high end central core of London while the East End is poor and working class. The song is specifically referencing the dynamic between those 2 London areas.

Listen to "Disappointed" PSB + Sumner + marr

Music el tío ese para el mejor ese álbum es buenisimo

Just to also note the version you watched is the 1895 version that became massive in 1986 the 1984 version is a bit different and the 1984 was the one that was a club hit in San Francisco, Long Island and Belgium but the Pet Shop Boys weren't happy with the success of it so they reworked it etc.....

@DereckReacts

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the info!!

@alistairrodgerfairbrother2479

3 жыл бұрын

@@DereckReacts no worries that is just the sort version of it I didn't feel like writing out an essay lol

Madonna sampled this song for her single Jump.

The bass is a synth bass with a saw effect to it

Great song 💖💫🎤🎧and reaction. 💃🕺🏻💯👩🏼‍🦳

Check out "Monkey Business", their latest video. I think you'll dig it.

@NorthSea_1981

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah, that video is fantastic!

Please do the Pet shop boys "2009 BRIT Awards performance" Lady Gaga appears in the end 💕

East End Boys West End Boys it should have been, working class east London, blue collar more affluent west London, big attraction between the two

Cool hit though some doubts there.

Left To My Own Devices please!!

Please react to the ultimate 80s summer anthem Boys Boys Boys by Sabrina 💜❤️💜❤️

😛😛😛

Check out Left to My Own Devices! It’s a pop orgasm!

Bobby Orlando