Neil Tennant has reflected on the success of Channel 4 drama series ‘It’s A Sin’ and its impact in changing attitudes towards HIV/AIDS.
The show – which shares its name with Pet Shop Boys’ 1987 single and stars Years & Years frontman Olly Alexander – depicts the lives of a group of gay men and their friends during the HIV/AIDS crisis in the United Kingdom.
Appearing on Dermot O’Leary’s Reel Stories on BBC2, which will air on May 20, Neil explains: “When we wrote the song in 1983, who would have thought it would be suitable to put on the BBC’s New Year’s Eve show 40 years later?
“In the eighties and nineties I had friends who were dying of AIDS. There was a contrast to being a pop star and visiting your friends in hospital.”
On the miniseries, he adds: “With ‘It’s A Sin’ I think the heterosexual community caught up and thought, ‘I never appreciated what went on there’.
“I found the show difficult to watch. It is great to have Olly Alexander come up. I am practically old enough to be his grandfather. I love it when generations come together like that.”
Pet Shop Boys collaborated with Olly on their 2019 single Dreamland, lifted from the duo’s most-recent album, ‘Hotspot’ (2020).
Pet Shop Boys recently announced ‘SMASH – The Singles 1985-2020’, an epic, career-spanning box set that celebrates the duo’s 35+-year career with 55 of their biggest hits presented across formats.
Available as a 3CD box set, 6LP vinyl box set and digitally, the collection is also offered as two limited edition formats via Pet Shop Boys’ store: 6LP white vinyl box set and 3-cassette box set. Additionally, a 3CD+2Blu-Ray edition will also be released and features the complete video collection of the singles.
“As we start work on a new album, and later this year continue our ‘Dreamworld’ Greatest Hits Tour, it seems like a good time to take stock and bring together every single we’ve released,” said Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe.
‘SMASH – The Singles 1985-2020’ is out June 16 via Parlophone and available to pre-order now.
Buy ‘SMASH – The Singles 1985-2020’ on CD
Buy ‘SMASH – The Singles 1985-2020’ on Vinyl
News of the box set comes after Pet Shop Boys announced they’d have started work on the follow-up to their 2020 album ‘Hotspot’, this time enlisting producer James Ford for their latest project.
“First day of recording the new album with producer @jamesellisford! #PetText,” they penned, alongside a snap of various synthesisers and recording equipment.
Before then, Pet Shop Boys will embark on the 2023 leg of their ‘Dreamworld’ greatest hits tour, with new shows kicking off in Rome on June 13, ahead of stops in Dublin, Brighton, Paris, Helsinki, Copenhagen and Gothenburg.
They sit alongside previously-announced dates in London, Aberdeen, Liverpool and Leeds.
Tickets are on general sale now.
