The song is about London. Historically, the poor people live in the east-end and the rich people live in the west end. It's something that goes back to the industrial era where the rich people would build their houses upwind from the polluting factories (something that can be seen pretty much everywhere around the world).
It was framed more in terms of the 80s, industrial decay and unemployment in the East End and glamour, sex, money (old money was pretty staid and hidden, the new money from the Thatcherite/Reagan financial services boom certainly wasn't) in the West End.
this was a HUGE CLUB SONG omg in '84 you could not not dance the moment this started playing! the west end of london was a higher end area, - lots of expensive shops, restaurants etc. - and the east end was grittier and rougher. so LONDON not germany lol. the lead singer is neil tennant who used to be a music journalist (specifically for a UK music mag named SMASH HITS) before the pet shop boys took off.
It's kinda like Billy Joel's song "Uptown Girl" in being sort of a song about love (or lust) across the class divide. I love Pet Shop Boys and synth-pop music more generally.
A lot of people assume West End Girls is a reference to prostitutes - Soho, London's Red Light District, is in the West End. According to Neil Tennant, that's not what it's a reference to.
Oh yes, Amber, we danced to this! It's talking about boys from the working class East End of London going clubbing in the upmarket West End, hoping to attract a West End girl. Same sort of idea as Billy Joel's Uptown Girl but moodier.
C'est toute une époque les années 80....beaucoup de groupe comme tears for fears, simple minds, orchestral manœuvre in the dark, pet shop boys, the communards,dépêche mode,the stranglers.... Etc... Etc.... 💖
This was a huge, huge, pop hit, #1 on the pop charts AND was a huge club hit as well. Amber, this is PRE Vogue, so, if you get Vogue vibes that would be because Madonna would have been influenced by this song rather than the other way around. This is pop perfection and not a cliche, grabbing onto a trend like Madonna’s Vogue was. This song SET the trend.
I was a soldier in Germany from 1983 - 1986. For some reason, hearing this song reminds me of listening to the radio late at night. Definitely a good memory.
"What Have I Done to Deserve This", "Suburbia", and "It's a Sin" are very good songs you might want to check out. They're still active, recording, and touring today.
The only one that disappointed was when they reacted to the live version of Andy Gibb's "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything." The studio version is so much better. They still haven't heard the version I grew up with.
As a former club DJ in Boston 1982-1988 I can tell you that this song was released on a 12" club mix record (yes, back then DJs used actual vinyl records). It was extremely popular
I like to think I have a good grasp on each genre, as it’s come out. Also, one thing to remember is that when defining music by decade, it’s really hard to grasp exactly where the changes occur. Radio / LPs in the first six or so years of the 1960s were really still stuck in the 50s. What most people refer to as 60s music started happening around 1967 or so and spilled into the 70s. People equate Disco with the 70s; however, early 70s was R&B and a lot of the future supergroups was the early 70s, everything from Queen to Aerosmith was on the air. Punk is divided into a few categories. Early punning, like The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, etc started early. As Punk evolved, you got the beginnings of Goth, which was originally referred to as Post Punk. I’m not saying you’re incorrect; however, there are a ton of events that influenced Society and, IMHO, the musical reaction to those events is really where you saw changes in music. I’m now 62, so early Gen X; however, I’ve grown, over the years to still hold on to some favourites; however, I enjoy music as it keeps evolving, whether it be slight nuance, or an entire new sound. One of my favorite memories from 2004 was walking down Leicester Square at 4AM with this song playing on my iPod.
So true. For me, when the 70s ended I was more than ready, at the time my entire life was spent in the 70s all that I could remember anyway. One thing to add, at the time between radio and record stores and clubs, you heard alot more music out in the public than now. @@dcgoth520
Whats so cool is that the band revealed that they were hoghly influenced by hip hop of the late 80's and thats why they ended up with this sound and the way he raps
This song is the epitome of the '80s and is great 40 years later. The sound, man, it's the sound and the rhythm and the lyrics and the voice. Such an amazing piece of art. The first 45 seconds puts you right back in 1985. Time and place.
@@islgrl292 Yah great shout by AMber. I never realised that before! (Despite being a proper 1980s London boy. Props to Madge though - she always did celebrate a good vibe. Take nothing away from her for that :)
One of the best "melancholy late night walk through the city" songs of the past century. There's an ethereal quality to the sound that feels transcendental when listened to with closed eyes and an open mind.
There's a great, little-known band from Scotland called The Blue Nile that does the whole "melancholy late night walk through the city" oeuvre really well. Check it out.
East, West, North and South Ends are suburbs of London. Pet Shop Boys are British and they called the band this way because they worked in a pet shop. If you like to listen to more from them, I suggest you "What have I done to deserve this", "Opportunities (let's make lots of money)", "Heart", "Rent", "Suburbia", "Left to my own devices", "Being boring", etc..
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?", a duet with Dusty Springfield, is my favorite song of many great Pet Shop Boys songs. Thanks for the reaction to this one!
"Love comes quickly" is also a great tune from their debut album "Please". Neil Tennant (the singer) was previously a music journalist in one of the most popular music magazines in the 80`s in UK, the "Smash Hits". This song is from 1984 (original version) and the video version is the re-recording from 1986 (Madonna`s Vogue was a hit in 1990. The influence of Pet Shop Boys` sound is obvious as you pointed). Also Depeche = dé·pèsh
According to Songfacts: "West End Girls" is a journey through the club scene in London, where Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe spent many evenings. The glamorous West End is where the action was, contrasting with the rougher East End.
@@stumblepuppy606 seems unlikely. London has a west end (rich) and an east end (poor). West Berlin in the 1980s didn't have an East End. Though it had a club scene.
Back in the day I loved to dance in nightclubs. It was a huge hit both in the clubs and on the pop charts. Now I’m 54 with dodgy knees but I still get up to dance when I hear this song.
Synth-pop duo from the UK. This was their biggest hit in the USA. As with a lot of other British bands, the were much more popular in the UK P.S. It's pronounced (De pesh mode) As for location of the song meaning, I would assume it's London England.
Absolutely a 80's band that defined the sound in their music along with (Dee=pesh-mode), The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, The Cure. This was in my region of the country in Texas considered this as alternative music (pop, rock) pick your label. These were club standards. It was typically the people who dressed in black and heavy eye makeup who flocked to this music but the music broke through to pretty much anyone during that era. I was in 6-8th grade when this music first hit the scene and I was instantly enamored as the music grew into my high school years which grunge came to popularity.
My first long term girlfriend was, and did I get some serious disapproval from her parents for being a lowly mechanic and not having a private education or violin/piano lessons. The real west end girls, not just the girls from all of west London (which is a huge area, and west London also has many 'rougher' parts, but the west end itself, viz Chelsea and Kensington etc, is where the real 'west end girls' came from. By their 20s most caved in to their parents' demand they marry a doctor or worse still a stock broker type, or be cut out of the will. But we still had plenty of fun with them before that. The first time I went out for dinner with her and her parents to celebrate her being accepted into the LSE the first question her mum asked was 'tell me Darren, do you ski?'... Urr... and it went downhill from there : )
My favorite pet shop boys song is "what have I done to deserve this" a duet with the fabulous Dusty Springfield..........✌️ Oh yeah and Merry Christmas 🎄
So many of their songs have a cheeky twist : "Shopping", "It's a Sin", "Rent" (I love you, you pay my rent) etc. They have been a very inventive force in British pop culture.
The songwriter describes the song this way: "about rough boys getting a bit of posh." So basically the East End of London is the poor side or at least was when it was written. The West End of London is where the rich (posh) people live. In essence it's about poor guys hooking up with rich girls. Maybe at a club.
Amber, THIS is the pinnacle of THE "club" song, this is the big inner cities where you walk in the joint and everyone with the big hair, new wave look, guy liner, frilly shirts, flashing lights, fog smoke, we knew we were a part of something special, and this is playing. The Palladium is where I use to go, in San Francisco, now that was the time. So yes, the absolute club track next to blue monday.
For me this sums up the 80's brilliantly. If anyone asked me what the 80's was I would say this. I was born in 1975 so when this came out I was ripe for it. The feeling of nostalgia I get for this song is palpable, it hits a note that I cant even really explain.
"West End Girls" is a journey through the club scene in London, where Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe spent many evenings. The glamorous West End is where the action was, contrasting with the rougher East End.
This song was popular years before Madonna came out with Vogue. They're a UK group, thought the UK accent was obvious- I think there is a socio economic diferentce btw west end and east end
Yup, West End is the tourist area, theatre district etc. EastEnd is where the term cockney comes from. People from the East would talk about "going up West" for an expensive day out shopping or night out.
@@mcn6447 In the UK the west-end of anywhere tends to be the posher side. It's due to the prevailing winds blowing in from the west which means all the smoke/smells from the factories etc in the east-end is rarely blown up into their houses.
Pet shop boys were iconic in the 80s. My son born in 2000 loves them too. Their music is timeless. Go down the rabbit hole that is the pet shop boys. You wont be dissapointed.
THIS Song definitely filled the Dance Floors! and was a hit WAY before Vogue - Pet Shop Boys do a BRILLIANT cover of Willie Nelson's ALWAYS ON MY MIND def worth a Reaction! -- Also their song RENT!
Elvis recorded Always On My Mind in 1972, Willie Nelson in 1982 and the Pet Shop Boys in 1987. None of them wrote it though. All great versions of a great song
The song lyrics refer to the East End and West End of London. The East End is characterised as being tough and working class, whereas the West End (which is actually in central London) is characterised as wealthy and glamorous. There is an element of truth to these perceptions.
The Pet Shop Boys is one of my all-time favorite 80's bands. I've worn out more than one of their CDs! Some suggestions for more reactions: Opportunities, Suburbia, It's a Sin, What Have I Done to Deserve This, and Rent.
They are from the UK, and they are singing about the "bad boys/lower class"- boys in the East End of London, hooking up with the "upper class/good girls" in London's higher-class West End,
This was our getting ready to go out clubbing song in the mid 80s, absolute class. The video is set in London but the lyrics are about city nightlife anywhere.
Massive hit back in the day. You have to listen to their song "What Have I Done to Deserve This" it features the great Dusty Springfield (Son of a preacher man).
Neil is the singer and Chris (who stands quietly behind Neil) creates the music. PSB favorites include "It's A Sin", "Rent", "Opportunities", "Love Etc.", "Always on my mind", "All Over The World", "Flamboyant".. too many great songs to list. All of them are earworms that get stuck in my head. If I must pick just one song, "It's A Sin"
London East End vs high class West End. I seem to remember Neil saying it was simply about the cultural differences between the two at night in the clubs.
You should definitely check out their classic 80s synth cover of Elvis Presley's ALWAYS ON MY MIND - it was a huge hit and really took the song in a new direction. Also their hit IT'S A SIN is worth a spin. These guys were pioneers of 80s synth pop and continue to innovate. Oh and they are British and this song is about the East End of London (which is where I am from!) and the West End (which is the touristic part of central London, or Soho is there, and lots of bars and clubs and back in the 80s it was the centre of the red light district and gay scene too).
The PSB are the most successful duo in UK pop history, selling over 110 million records in the 80s and early 90s. Always on my Mind is another of their signature tunes. A duo of a singer and a keyboard player is rare, most of these being a female vocalist.
I grew up in the UK in the 80's and 90's, but had little contact with pop music until around '93 or '94... Then one day I heard the Pet Shop Boys version of "Always on my Mind" and I thought to myself "I have to find out more about this band." A couple of days later I was in my local "Virgin Records" store buying the best of... album called "Discography"... Never looked back... They have been a huge part of the soundtrack to my life. But "Always on my Mind" still holds a special place for me...
80's British techno vibes are strong with this one. Lyrics: Sometimes you're better off dead There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head You think you're mad, too unstable Kicking in chairs and knocking down tables In a restaurant in a West End town Call the police, there's a mad man around Running down underground to a dive bar In a West End town In a West End town, a dead-end world The East End boys and West End girls In a West End town, in a dead-end world The East End boys and West End girls West End girls Too many shadows, whispering voices Faces on posters, too many choices If, when, why, what? How much have you got? Have you got it, do you get it, if so, how often? Which do you choose, a hard or soft option In a West End town a dead-end world The East End boys and West End girls In a West End town in a dead-end world The East End boys and West End girls West End girls West End girls In a West End town, a dead-end world The East End boys and West End girls Ooh, a West End town, in a dead-end world East End boys and West End girls West End girls You got a heart of glass or a heart of stone Just you wait 'til I get you home We've got no future, we've got no past Here today, built to last In every city, in every nation From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station In a West End town, a dead-end world The East End boys and West End girls Oh, West End town, in a dead-end world East End boys and West End girls West End girls West End girls West End girls (How far have you been?) Girls East End boys West End girls
When this song came out, it blew my mind. I had never heard anything like it before. He's actually rapping. The vibe of this back then was "cool" & maybe even sophisticated
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that during the 80s we had SKATING RINKS! And they played this song a lot because the tempo is perfect to skate / dance to.
It's one of the great London songs, but can be applied to any city that has a divide between wealthy vs gritty. Pet Shop Boys were hugely successful (less so in the US) and are still going today. They have a heap of amazing songs for you to discover.
Pet Shop Boys have a massive portfolio of music. Nearly 20 albums now. It’s a Sin, Did You See Me Coming, Domino Dancing, Always on My Mind, Go West, etc…..
The Pet Shop Boys were huge in the 80s and this video was filmed in London, UK. Definitely agree with other members when it comes to their colaboration with Dusty Springfield! As far as great band names from back then, try Orchestral Manouvers in the Dark, they sound sooo 80s! My favourite is "If you leave". Happy holidays guys 😘!
This was definitely a track that became a hit via the club scenery during summer '84. I first heard it at a beach disco in Estartit Spain. The slow beat and mysterious mellow synths completely mesmerized the dancefloor.
No Pet Shop Boys are from England. They are talking about a specific population in England that's working class and the night life. I lived in England in the eighties and there was a very specific mood at that time addressing the working class and calling out the system. The art that came out was so original and inspiring. You guys should definitely check out more of their music. I also love their song Suburbia. The full horror version is great.
This song was absolutely played in clubs. Most songs from the 80's were club songs. Best era ever, and so glad you two youngsters are helping me re-live those times.
Depeche Mode is pronounced "De pesh mod". You should check out more of them! 💗 And yes, this song was played in clubs. This is in London, so the posh (well off) girls and the boys from the rougher part of town
@@Rosiepooh75 I don't think that was zork's point. It was that 'mode' is pronounced like 'mowed'. I've never heard it pronounced, as you would have it, as 'mod'.
This is just a great song. I'm 32 and have always loved music that actually has rhythm--- I totally love 70s 80s music over the mess out today. Lead singer looks killer in that long coat--- very cool.
this was Pet Shop boy s first hit , then where alot more maybe the most important band in pop tecno dance music of 80s , other great hits Suburbia , Domino dancing , its a Sin , the cover of Elvis song Allways on my mind and many more
Love the Petshop Boys!! Classic British alternative synth pop. You guys should check out New Order as well. Similar vibe and style as DM and Petshop Boys.
This was the PSB first hit. The song heavily featured during the 2012 Olympics, as it was once of the dance hits used to encourage the athletes coming into the stadium in a hi-tempo quick march in the Opening Ceremony....and the PSB made an appearance in the Closing Ceremony in their zany costumes...
To me, this is a perfect example of British style pop music. I like how most often, the Brit musicians will go for a clean drumming 🥁 sound, forgoing a lot of the use of their cymbals to cancel instrument competition. This delivers a much clearer sound that comes together nicely.
This song was so popular especially on the Fashion Runways for over a decade and watching the Models Strutting to this beat was awesome to see. They are English and incredibly talented. I would love to see them live.
In Brazil, it was the same. Every school would choose the pretty girl of the year, and the girls would catwalk with this song! Also, it would be played at nightclubs
I found my record collection, and in it I found Camoflage - The Great Commandment; basically the German Depeche Mode. They did not get as famous in the US but were huge in the UK and Europe. Very much fitting into this era.
Neil Tennant was an editor of 80s pop magazine Smash Hits and also the editor of the UK division of Marvel comics in the 1970s before Pet Shop Boys were a thing.
In London, East end boys tend to be working class, west end girls tend to be middle or upper class. So it's like the coming together of earthy guys fancying posh girls and posh girls fancying earthy guys and how London has all of this positive and negative energy swilling and overlapping and everyone's changing classes and statuses.
Pet Shop Boys is my all time favorite group. Their sound and synths inspired me to play piano and synths later when I was a little kid. They are ranked as the best synthpop duo ever and their music has influenced so many artists later (Lady Gaga, Madonna, Weeknd). I love them and you both need to listen to the rest of their discography
There is no comparison with post-2010 music, songs that will remain in history anyway, and in fact you can see the almost astonished reaction of you kids when you first hear songs from the 70s/80s/90s/00s
The song is about London. Historically, the poor people live in the east-end and the rich people live in the west end. It's something that goes back to the industrial era where the rich people would build their houses upwind from the polluting factories (something that can be seen pretty much everywhere around the world).
It was framed more in terms of the 80s, industrial decay and unemployment in the East End and glamour, sex, money (old money was pretty staid and hidden, the new money from the Thatcherite/Reagan financial services boom certainly wasn't) in the West End.
Pretty much upper class chicks contrast to blue collar down the street guys
@@Mrs.Deanna_Ember Couldn't have put it better ! Quite similar to left/right bank in Paris !
@@Mrs.Deanna_Ember But then every city has a divide !
@@suburbia2050 I think the west end is also a Theate as Musical area like broadway here in the usa
this was a HUGE CLUB SONG omg in '84 you could not not dance the moment this started playing!
the west end of london was a higher end area, - lots of expensive shops, restaurants etc. - and the east end was grittier and rougher. so LONDON not germany lol.
the lead singer is neil tennant who used to be a music journalist (specifically for a UK music mag named SMASH HITS) before the pet shop boys took off.
It's kinda like Billy Joel's song "Uptown Girl" in being sort of a song about love (or lust) across the class divide. I love Pet Shop Boys and synth-pop music more generally.
That's London alright. Double decker bus and Big Ben tower clock!
A lot of people assume West End Girls is a reference to prostitutes - Soho, London's Red Light District, is in the West End. According to Neil Tennant, that's not what it's a reference to.
Smash Hits was hilarious when he was in charge.
Also West End Girls came before Vogue. Madonna was a follower on this one
Oh yes, Amber, we danced to this! It's talking about boys from the working class East End of London going clubbing in the upmarket West End, hoping to attract a West End girl. Same sort of idea as Billy Joel's Uptown Girl but moodier.
You are wrong it about rent boys of London
@@billyboopbillyboop898 You just got shut down 🤣
Yea no it not. Trans thats what they talking about!!
This song always gave me a melancholy feeling. Like you are in one class, they are in another. Am I good enough for their world?
@@billyboopbillyboop898 no it's not so t be silly!
He was rapping, and this was in the mid-80's.
One thing I can say about British artist, they appreciated the culture.
@cxff33no
@cxff33 Once again in English?
This came out before vogue and is just one example of The Pet Shop Boys incredible talent.
Waaay before!
And rapping ala Blondie!
Way before Vogue
Years later they did a Mix for Madonnas "Sorry" and also the song "She's Madonna" with Robbie Williams, which is typically PSB style.
❤❤❤
Pet Shop Boys are legends not just for the 80's , they are musical geniuses
They were part of the 80s Bristish invasion with the likes of Billy Idol, Duran Duran and many others. So good. The nostalgia is heavy with this one!
C'est toute une époque les années 80....beaucoup de groupe comme tears for fears, simple minds, orchestral manœuvre in the dark, pet shop boys, the communards,dépêche mode,the stranglers.... Etc... Etc.... 💖
So true their recent stuff is awesome.
They are one of the few 80's snyth bands that sound so great live
I agree with you
This was a huge, huge, pop hit, #1 on the pop charts AND was a huge club hit as well. Amber, this is PRE Vogue, so, if you get Vogue vibes that would be because Madonna would have been influenced by this song rather than the other way around. This is pop perfection and not a cliche, grabbing onto a trend like Madonna’s Vogue was. This song SET the trend.
This song is about being gay in London. The West End girls are actually men/boys who have sex with east end boys/men.
Is there a word bigger than huge? Because they were bigger than huge! Way bigger!
@@CoteAndre Wow! Another Coté? What are the odds? 😆
@@jerrycote659 If you're from New England like me, I'd say the odds are good. There are a lot of us in the Northeast.
@@jerrycote659 I also have an uncle and a cousin named Jerry.
This song was soooo unique when it came out. Their cover of Elvis' "Always On My Mind" is amazing.
Yes, my favorite! :)
It's a Willie Nelson song Elvis also covered it
@@MrPboys1 yes
Especially the remixed version on Introspective.
@@MrPboys1Willie Nelson's version is also a cover. Look it up.
I've had this song stuck in my head practically all my life...
I was a soldier in Germany from 1983 - 1986. For some reason, hearing this song reminds me of listening to the radio late at night. Definitely a good memory.
"What Have I Done to Deserve This", "Suburbia", and "It's a Sin" are very good songs you might want to check out. They're still active, recording, and touring today.
All great PSB hits don't but forget Kings Cross, and I Want to Wake Up.
"What have I done to deserve this" and "Suburbia" are BANGERS!!!!
"Opportunities" is iconic
It's a Sin is my favorite...absolute banger!!
Go west, Let's make lots of money. You can not go through their catalogue and not find hits.
These videos never disappoint us, who agrees?❤
The only one that disappointed was when they reacted to the live version of Andy Gibb's "I Just Wanna Be Your Everything." The studio version is so much better. They still haven't heard the version I grew up with.
Blue don’t lie
The great days of when MTV was about actual music,I miss them.
@@BillGraper i agree I mention that in a comment.
I love The pet shop boy's love you guys
As a former club DJ in Boston 1982-1988 I can tell you that this song was released on a 12" club mix record (yes, back then DJs used actual vinyl records). It was extremely popular
yep the Shep Pettibone remix was the one for me
I’m sure it got to number 1 in the states too, but I’m not 100% on that!! 👍🇬🇧
i still have mine.
As a party and wedding DJ from late 70s to early 90s this tune filled the floor. Even did a 50th bday party and this was most popular on dance floor
let me ask you, was this song top 10 twice like 3 or 4 years apart?
Nobody will ever understand the 80s but the ones from the 80s will never understand any other era that’s just how generations work ❤️
I like to think I have a good grasp on each genre, as it’s come out. Also, one thing to remember is that when defining music by decade, it’s really hard to grasp exactly where the changes occur.
Radio / LPs in the first six or so years of the 1960s were really still stuck in the 50s. What most people refer to as 60s music started happening around 1967 or so and spilled into the 70s.
People equate Disco with the 70s; however, early 70s was R&B and a lot of the future supergroups was the early 70s, everything from Queen to Aerosmith was on the air.
Punk is divided into a few categories. Early punning, like The Sex Pistols, Patti Smith, etc started early. As Punk evolved, you got the beginnings of Goth, which was originally referred to as Post Punk. I’m not saying you’re incorrect; however, there are a ton of events that influenced Society and, IMHO, the musical reaction to those events is really where you saw changes in music.
I’m now 62, so early Gen X; however, I’ve grown, over the years to still hold on to some favourites; however, I enjoy music as it keeps evolving, whether it be slight nuance, or an entire new sound.
One of my favorite memories from 2004 was walking down Leicester Square at 4AM with this song playing on my iPod.
Very very true
True.
No not really I understand perfectly
So true. For me, when the 70s ended I was more than ready, at the time my entire life was spent in the 70s all that I could remember anyway. One thing to add, at the time between radio and record stores and clubs, you heard alot more music out in the public than now. @@dcgoth520
This song was a Hip Hop record without trying be. We Hip Hop heads loved this and used to break dance to this.
100%
Whats so cool is that the band revealed that they were hoghly influenced by hip hop of the late 80's and thats why they ended up with this sound and the way he raps
Another must listen to by them is "It's a Sin" which the musical production is astounding.
Oh hell yeah!
Yeah and "What have I done to deserve this" with Dusty another classic.
Omg!!!! Yes!!!!
Paninaro'95 )))
YES! Do this one. "It's A Sin" got me into PSB.
Nice! This song is an 80's masterpiece.
I had forgotten just how much I loved this song.
the bassline is sick. they have a lot of great songs, very underrated.
In '85, I was 6 years old, and remember already knowing that Pet Shop Boys was one of my fave bands ( used to record them onto tapes )
This song is the epitome of the '80s and is great 40 years later. The sound, man, it's the sound and the rhythm and the lyrics and the voice. Such an amazing piece of art. The first 45 seconds puts you right back in 1985. Time and place.
West End Girls is about the class system........ The West End of London is posh & The East End is rough
I never realised this and Vogue sounded so similar, but Amber is right...again! This came out 6 years before Vogue so props to Pet Shop Boys!
Exactly! THEY set it and Madonna, as usual, cashed in on somebody else’s ground work.
...and not so much to Madonna, LOL!
@@islgrl292 Yah great shout by AMber. I never realised that before! (Despite being a proper 1980s London boy. Props to Madge though - she always did celebrate a good vibe. Take nothing away from her for that :)
Great insight from Amber! She's absolutely right.
Honestly, I don't hear any similarities between this song and Vogue.
This is an absolute banger. I’m a metal/ rock guy from the 80’s but this is great. The English new wave stuff has some awesome tunes.
Metalhead here and I agree , I loved this song , it was on shuffle with my Metallica, AndPantera😊🤘🏻
I love the video of this with Neil Tennant sweeping about in that greatcoat as if he's bloody fabulous. Which he IS. Classic.
One of the best "melancholy late night walk through the city" songs of the past century. There's an ethereal quality to the sound that feels transcendental when listened to with closed eyes and an open mind.
Precisely
Great description!
There's a great, little-known band from Scotland called The Blue Nile that does the whole "melancholy late night walk through the city" oeuvre really well. Check it out.
You nailed it! A great description of this song.
It's been suggested because it's an iconic 80s tune.
Yes, they were huge in the club scene, especially the gay clubs. Huge 80s hit here, great job as always kids. ☮️🌲🤘
East, West, North and South Ends are suburbs of London. Pet Shop Boys are British and they called the band this way because they worked in a pet shop. If you like to listen to more from them, I suggest you "What have I done to deserve this", "Opportunities (let's make lots of money)", "Heart", "Rent", "Suburbia", "Left to my own devices", "Being boring", etc..
was their friends that worked in a pet shop :P
@@viper1431 Yes, you're right. I was a kid when I heard that thing and my memory fooled me. 😁😁😁
MY coming-out song and video in 1985. Thanks so much for bringing this memory back 👍 👍 👍 👍
"What Have I Done to Deserve This?", a duet with Dusty Springfield, is my favorite song of many great Pet Shop Boys songs. Thanks for the reaction to this one!
Most definitely my favorite!
Dude, didn't know she was the female vocals on this song. Awesome!
"I'm a bilingual illiterate, I only speak in two languages....."
"Love comes quickly" is also a great tune from their debut album "Please". Neil Tennant (the singer) was previously a music journalist in one of the most popular music magazines in the 80`s in UK, the "Smash Hits". This song is from 1984 (original version) and the video version is the re-recording from 1986 (Madonna`s Vogue was a hit in 1990. The influence of Pet Shop Boys` sound is obvious as you pointed). Also Depeche = dé·pèsh
According to Songfacts: "West End Girls" is a journey through the club scene in London, where Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe spent many evenings. The glamorous West End is where the action was, contrasting with the rougher East End.
according to the band though, it's about West Berlin in the 80's
@@stumblepuppy606 interesting... any links to articles about it?
@@stumblepuppy606 Lol anyone born and raised in London, will know exactly what this song is about 😂
@@stumblepuppy606 seems unlikely. London has a west end (rich) and an east end (poor). West Berlin in the 1980s didn't have an East End. Though it had a club scene.
It’s London in the 80s - I WAS a West End girl 😁 the video is shot in London
It was heavily played on MTV. British techno pop was huge
Back in the day I loved to dance in nightclubs. It was a huge hit both in the clubs and on the pop charts. Now I’m 54 with dodgy knees but I still get up to dance when I hear this song.
Synth-pop duo from the UK. This was their biggest hit in the USA.
As with a lot of other British bands, the were much more popular in the UK
P.S. It's pronounced (De pesh mode)
As for location of the song meaning, I would assume it's London England.
Very much my home town of London,England, the most vibrant city in the world in my first 67 years since 1954 :)
You're correct. The West End is the the Theatre district in London compared to London's east end cockney / "Shop boys"
@@jaa6041 Thank You. Now that you say that, I think I have heard something like that before.
@@jaa6041 Nearly 300 Theatres in Central London mainly round Shaftesbury Avenue and The Strand areas..:)
Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) was HUGE in the US as well. I think it was the first Pet Shop Boys song I ever heard.
Absolutely a 80's band that defined the sound in their music along with (Dee=pesh-mode), The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, The Cure. This was in my region of the country in Texas considered this as alternative music (pop, rock) pick your label. These were club standards. It was typically the people who dressed in black and heavy eye makeup who flocked to this music but the music broke through to pretty much anyone during that era. I was in 6-8th grade when this music first hit the scene and I was instantly enamored as the music grew into my high school years which grunge came to popularity.
Joy Division a lot darker, deeper than all mentioned.
@@scottfrench4139
Joy Division ~ Transmission
could maybe be an accessible Reaction ?
.
@@trevordoolan5011 if they are going to joy division the need to to love will tear us apart
Dressed in black in second hand clothes with a lot of eyemake up. dancing to this yeah .. that would have been me. (woman from Netherlands)
The innocent mispronunciation of Depeche Mode as “Depe-che literally made me laugh out loud!
In London the West end is the more upper class side of the city and East end would be considered the more working class side.
I could send you two so far down the 80s "New Wave" rabbit hole you would never find your way out. Absolutely the greatest music in the world!
I had a friend from England, and he said that his mom was a West End girl. 👍🌞♥️
My first long term girlfriend was, and did I get some serious disapproval from her parents for being a lowly mechanic and not having a private education or violin/piano lessons. The real west end girls, not just the girls from all of west London (which is a huge area, and west London also has many 'rougher' parts, but the west end itself, viz Chelsea and Kensington etc, is where the real 'west end girls' came from. By their 20s most caved in to their parents' demand they marry a doctor or worse still a stock broker type, or be cut out of the will. But we still had plenty of fun with them before that. The first time I went out for dinner with her and her parents to celebrate her being accepted into the LSE the first question her mum asked was 'tell me Darren, do you ski?'... Urr... and it went downhill from there : )
My favorite pet shop boys song is "what have I done to deserve this" a duet with the fabulous Dusty Springfield..........✌️ Oh yeah and Merry Christmas 🎄
Yess 👍
Definitely loved seeing them pay homage to a 60's icon and giving her career new life.
Amen to that!
Yes! Definitely needs a reaction.
Soooo good
So many of their songs have a cheeky twist : "Shopping", "It's a Sin", "Rent" (I love you, you pay my rent) etc. They have been a very inventive force in British pop culture.
The songwriter describes the song this way: "about rough boys getting a bit of posh." So basically the East End of London is the poor side or at least was when it was written. The West End of London is where the rich (posh) people live. In essence it's about poor guys hooking up with rich girls. Maybe at a club.
Yup still that way today. Hence the Brit soap Eastenders.
@@timclark607 the East End has been working class since before Jack the Ripper.
That is the story which I am sure is true yuppy girls getting pulled by working class guys
@@jeanfrancis8121 Not so much now really.
Amber, THIS is the pinnacle of THE "club" song, this is the big inner cities where you walk in the joint and everyone with the big hair, new wave look, guy liner, frilly shirts, flashing lights, fog smoke, we knew we were a part of something special, and this is playing. The Palladium is where I use to go, in San Francisco, now that was the time. So yes, the absolute club track next to blue monday.
One of the greatest pop songs ever ever ever...end of!!! 6 stars!!
The Pet Shop Boys were HUGE back in the 80s & 90s. They could definitely fill dance floor, that's for sure. 🎶🎤❤
They're still pretty huge.
Nearly 40 years old this has aged SO well! Please check out their back catalogue you can’t go wrong 😊
This is the absolute embodiment of 80's pop music and makes any top five list I've ever put together of 80's songs.
For me this sums up the 80's brilliantly. If anyone asked me what the 80's was I would say this. I was born in 1975 so when this came out I was ripe for it. The feeling of nostalgia I get for this song is palpable, it hits a note that I cant even really explain.
Same here....glad I'm not the only one.....
Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode have so many great songs. Keep listening to them.
"West End Girls" is a journey through the club scene in London, where Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe spent many evenings. The glamorous West End is where the action was, contrasting with the rougher East End.
Such a cool band. I've always really loved the singer's voice. Very cool and original sounding.
This song was popular years before Madonna came out with Vogue. They're a UK group, thought the UK accent was obvious- I think there is a socio economic diferentce btw west end and east end
Yup, West End is the tourist area, theatre district etc.
EastEnd is where the term cockney comes from.
People from the East would talk about "going up West" for an expensive day out shopping or night out.
West End Girls 1984 - Vogue 1990
@@mcn6447 In the UK the west-end of anywhere tends to be the posher side. It's due to the prevailing winds blowing in from the west which means all the smoke/smells from the factories etc in the east-end is rarely blown up into their houses.
@@Derry_Aire Interesting point.
I guess getting a bit of "posh" can count for any city, even if it's Northern.
Only ...joking.
I still get chills when I hear this song start up
Me too
Pet shop boys were iconic in the 80s. My son born in 2000 loves them too. Their music is timeless. Go down the rabbit hole that is the pet shop boys. You wont be dissapointed.
THIS Song definitely filled the Dance Floors! and was a hit WAY before Vogue - Pet Shop Boys do a BRILLIANT cover of Willie Nelson's ALWAYS ON MY MIND def worth a Reaction! -- Also their song RENT!
Elvis recorded Always On My Mind in 1972, Willie Nelson in 1982 and the Pet Shop Boys in 1987. None of them wrote it though. All great versions of a great song
The song lyrics refer to the East End and West End of London. The East End is characterised as being tough and working class, whereas the West End (which is actually in central London) is characterised as wealthy and glamorous. There is an element of truth to these perceptions.
Exactly
The Pet Shop Boys is one of my all-time favorite 80's bands. I've worn out more than one of their CDs! Some suggestions for more reactions: Opportunities, Suburbia, It's a Sin, What Have I Done to Deserve This, and Rent.
Do you remember the Fixx?
And King’s Cross!
They are from the UK, and they are singing about the "bad boys/lower class"- boys in the East End of London, hooking up with the "upper class/good girls" in London's higher-class West End,
I feel like the guy immediately connects with the bass line and the gal takes a while to get into it and it's everything else is what lures her in.
This was our getting ready to go out clubbing song in the mid 80s, absolute class. The video is set in London but the lyrics are about city nightlife anywhere.
☺️
This used to be my jam at the club back in the day! I could really bust a move now a days I’d probably bust a hip! Much love Robsquad Family. 💋🤗
Massive hit back in the day. You have to listen to their song "What Have I Done to Deserve This" it features the great Dusty Springfield (Son of a preacher man).
Neil is the singer and Chris (who stands quietly behind Neil) creates the music. PSB favorites include "It's A Sin", "Rent", "Opportunities", "Love Etc.", "Always on my mind", "All Over The World", "Flamboyant".. too many great songs to list. All of them are earworms that get stuck in my head. If I must pick just one song, "It's A Sin"
There was so much variety in the 80s. SO MUCH variety.
London East End vs high class West End. I seem to remember Neil saying it was simply about the cultural differences between the two at night in the clubs.
Pet Shop Boys have a huge following especially here in the UK....
In my opinion, It's a Sin is their best. You must check it out 👍
Also enjoyed Absolutely Fabulous! Love the show as well.
Yes!! It’s a Sin is a great song 👍
You should definitely check out their classic 80s synth cover of Elvis Presley's ALWAYS ON MY MIND - it was a huge hit and really took the song in a new direction. Also their hit IT'S A SIN is worth a spin. These guys were pioneers of 80s synth pop and continue to innovate. Oh and they are British and this song is about the East End of London (which is where I am from!) and the West End (which is the touristic part of central London, or Soho is there, and lots of bars and clubs and back in the 80s it was the centre of the red light district and gay scene too).
YES
The PSB are the most successful duo in UK pop history, selling over 110 million records in the 80s and early 90s. Always on my Mind is another of their signature tunes. A duo of a singer and a keyboard player is rare, most of these being a female vocalist.
I grew up in the UK in the 80's and 90's, but had little contact with pop music until around '93 or '94...
Then one day I heard the Pet Shop Boys version of "Always on my Mind" and I thought to myself "I have to find out more about this band." A couple of days later I was in my local "Virgin Records" store buying the best of... album called "Discography"...
Never looked back...
They have been a huge part of the soundtrack to my life. But "Always on my Mind" still holds a special place for me...
I Love this Song... 💕💕 i grew up in a textile mill village and this is the way it was in our community in Greenville SC east and west part of town
80's British techno vibes are strong with this one.
Lyrics:
Sometimes you're better off dead
There's a gun in your hand and it's pointing at your head
You think you're mad, too unstable
Kicking in chairs and knocking down tables
In a restaurant in a West End town
Call the police, there's a mad man around
Running down underground to a dive bar
In a West End town
In a West End town, a dead-end world
The East End boys and West End girls
In a West End town, in a dead-end world
The East End boys and West End girls
West End girls
Too many shadows, whispering voices
Faces on posters, too many choices
If, when, why, what?
How much have you got?
Have you got it, do you get it, if so, how often?
Which do you choose, a hard or soft option
In a West End town a dead-end world
The East End boys and West End girls
In a West End town in a dead-end world
The East End boys and West End girls
West End girls
West End girls
In a West End town, a dead-end world
The East End boys and West End girls
Ooh, a West End town, in a dead-end world
East End boys and West End girls
West End girls
You got a heart of glass or a heart of stone
Just you wait 'til I get you home
We've got no future, we've got no past
Here today, built to last
In every city, in every nation
From Lake Geneva to the Finland Station
In a West End town, a dead-end world
The East End boys and West End girls
Oh, West End town, in a dead-end world
East End boys and West End girls
West End girls
West End girls
West End girls
(How far have you been?)
Girls
East End boys
West End girls
Should also try some Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Relax, Two Tibes, Welcome to the Pleasuredome. Great 80s band, and huge here in the UK.
Think we would see Amber's Shocked face if they react to "Relax" 🤣, but Yes all 3 are excellent choices :P
@@Sportsref13 Yes, that one is rated R. 🙄
I totaly agree!!!
Yes Frankie goes to Hollywood… relax song!!! Love that song!
Lol 'Two Tibes'
When this song came out, it blew my mind. I had never heard anything like it before. He's actually rapping. The vibe of this back then was "cool" & maybe even sophisticated
Well before rapping became a 'thing'.
@@willswomble7274 but 4 years after Blondie had a rap section in "Rapture", and even more years since rap had originated in NYC.
@@willswomble7274 Rapping was always a thing where it began... Well before this...
One thing I haven't seen mentioned is that during the 80s we had SKATING RINKS! And they played this song a lot because the tempo is perfect to skate / dance to.
Pet Shop Boys terrific creative group in the 80s
It's one of the great London songs, but can be applied to any city that has a divide between wealthy vs gritty. Pet Shop Boys were hugely successful (less so in the US) and are still going today. They have a heap of amazing songs for you to discover.
Pet Shop Boys have a massive portfolio of music. Nearly 20 albums now. It’s a Sin, Did You See Me Coming, Domino Dancing, Always on My Mind, Go West, etc…..
The Pet Shop Boys were huge in the 80s and this video was filmed in London, UK. Definitely agree with other members when it comes to their colaboration with Dusty Springfield! As far as great band names from back then, try Orchestral Manouvers in the Dark, they sound sooo 80s! My favourite is "If you leave". Happy holidays guys 😘!
Both those songs are good.
Why is it hardley any You tubers react to OMD?
This was definitely a track that became a hit via the club scenery during summer '84. I first heard it at a beach disco in Estartit Spain. The slow beat and mysterious mellow synths completely mesmerized the dancefloor.
No Pet Shop Boys are from England. They are talking about a specific population in England that's working class and the night life. I lived in England in the eighties and there was a very specific mood at that time addressing the working class and calling out the system. The art that came out was so original and inspiring.
You guys should definitely check out more of their music. I also love their song Suburbia. The full horror version is great.
This song was absolutely played in clubs. Most songs from the 80's were club songs. Best era ever, and so glad you two youngsters are helping me re-live those times.
For another song that I think you would definitely enjoy is the song "Holding Back The Years" by Simply Red. An amazing voice.
I think he was just a teenager when he did Holding Back. Sounds way more mature
If You Don't Know Me By Now and Holding Back The Years were my old man's favourites.
❤️
@@RosesTeaAndASD That little Red haired man with SO much soul
Depeche Mode is pronounced "De pesh mod". You should check out more of them! 💗
And yes, this song was played in clubs.
This is in London, so the posh (well off) girls and the boys from the rougher part of town
I think you're pronouncing it the way it should be in French but the band definitely pronounced it Depesh Mode
@@garmit61 the separation was to clarify pronunciation...
Depeche Mode is legendary just like PSB! 🙂
@@Rosiepooh75 I don't think that was zork's point. It was that 'mode' is pronounced like 'mowed'. I've never heard it pronounced, as you would have it, as 'mod'.
This is just a great song. I'm 32 and have always loved music that actually has rhythm--- I totally love 70s 80s music over the mess out today. Lead singer looks killer in that long coat--- very cool.
Pet shop boys are English and have been around for over 40 years. The video was shot in London.
I danced a lot to Pet Shop Boys songs in gay clubs. I love this duo. They produced an album for Liza Minelli which is very good.
this was Pet Shop boy s first hit , then where alot more maybe the most important band in pop tecno dance music of 80s , other great hits Suburbia , Domino dancing , its a Sin , the cover of Elvis song Allways on my mind and many more
Love the Petshop Boys!! Classic British alternative synth pop. You guys should check out New Order as well. Similar vibe and style as DM and Petshop Boys.
New Order and by extension Joy Division are my favorite bands and I grew up on the Beatles. Love PSB too, all the UK bands.
This was the PSB first hit. The song heavily featured during the 2012 Olympics, as it was once of the dance hits used to encourage the athletes coming into the stadium in a hi-tempo quick march in the Opening Ceremony....and the PSB made an appearance in the Closing Ceremony in their zany costumes...
To me, this is a perfect example of British style pop music. I like how most often, the Brit musicians will go for a clean drumming 🥁 sound, forgoing a lot of the use of their cymbals to cancel instrument competition. This delivers a much clearer sound that comes together nicely.
Pet shop boys were my sound track to the eighties. Every time I hear one of their songs I'm right back there.
This song was so popular especially on the Fashion Runways for over a decade and watching the Models Strutting to this beat was awesome to see. They are English and incredibly talented. I would love to see them live.
In Brazil, it was the same. Every school would choose the pretty girl of the year, and the girls would catwalk with this song! Also, it would be played at nightclubs
If you like this song, check out The Promise by When in Rome, another big 80’s dance hit.
Great suggestion!
How about "Pure Energy" and "Running" by Information Society; same era
I found my record collection, and in it I found Camoflage - The Great Commandment; basically the German Depeche Mode. They did not get as famous in the US but were huge in the UK and Europe. Very much fitting into this era.
Neil Tennant was an editor of 80s pop magazine Smash Hits and also the editor of the UK division of Marvel comics in the 1970s before Pet Shop Boys were a thing.
In London, East end boys tend to be working class, west end girls tend to be middle or upper class.
So it's like the coming together of earthy guys fancying posh girls and posh girls fancying earthy guys and how London has all of this positive and negative energy swilling and overlapping and everyone's changing classes and statuses.
"What have I done to deserve this?" by Pet Shop Boys....Excellent!
Pet Shop Boys is my all time favorite group. Their sound and synths inspired me to play piano and synths later when I was a little kid. They are ranked as the best synthpop duo ever and their music has influenced so many artists later (Lady Gaga, Madonna, Weeknd). I love them and you both need to listen to the rest of their discography
If only they could half understand it!
A timeless classic. Also love their songs "Love comes quickly" and "Opportunities"
"Love comes quickly" has a message for the ages! It's one of the best synth pop songs in history.
No one ever mentions "Love Comes Quickly" but it might be my all time favorite.
@@dmn23 agreed 👍
I met my wife on the dance floor as we danced this song. It's our song.
There is no comparison with post-2010 music, songs that will remain in history anyway, and in fact you can see the almost astonished reaction of you kids when you first hear songs from the 70s/80s/90s/00s