Pet Shop Boys - Alternative

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Poll Closing Date: Wednesday, 26 November 2025 00:00 (in 1 day)

After some discussion about the upcoming run of shows where they’ll play b-sides and other deep cuts I thought I’d see what we’d said about. I could be wrong, but looks like we’ve never discussed it.

Is it the best b-sides compilation? The Smiths and Suede may disagree, but I think so.

1. "In the Night"
2. "A Man Could Get Arrested"
3. "That's My Impression" (disco mix)
4. "Was That What It Was?
5. "Paninaro”
6. "Jack the Lad"
7. "You Know Where You Went Wrong"
8. "A New Life"
9. "I Want a Dog”
10. "Do I Have To?"
11. "I Get Excited (You Get Excited Too)"
12. "Don Juan"
13. "The Sound of the Atom Splitting" (extended)"
14. "One of the Crowd"
15. "Your Funny Uncle"
16. "It Must Be Obvious"
17. "We All Feel Better in the Dark"
18. "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend"
19. "Losing My Mind"
20. "Music for Boys"
21. "Miserablism"
22. "Hey, Headmaster"
23. "What Keeps Mankind Alive?"
24. "Shameless"
25. "Too Many People"
26. "Violence" (Haçienda version)
27. "Decadence"
28. "If Love Were All"
29. "Euroboy"
30. "Some Speculation"


Dan Worsley, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 21:35 (one week ago)

I think we nominated it as four sides?

The Luda of Suburbia (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 21:36 (one week ago)

Ah, maybe that’s why nothing came up on the search.

Dan Worsley, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 21:37 (one week ago)

Tracks 1 to 21 = incredible, the rest not so much for me

nashwan, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 21:49 (one week ago)

'Do I Have To?' Yes

nashwan, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 21:51 (one week ago)

Extraordinarily tough, and can’t believe we never did this, but Do I Have To?

piscesx, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 22:10 (one week ago)

Gawd, probably one of "A Man Could Get Arrested", "I Want a Dog” (I attract ridicule when I mention that I prefer the Introspective version so won't mention it this time, oh too late), "Your Funny Uncle" (I wasn't joking in the other thread), "It Must Be Obvious" or "Miserablism".

Fed up with your constant and uniform motion (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 22:12 (one week ago)

A New Life would be in my Top 3 also, here’s Helena Springs’ version (different words, etc). She co-wrote it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=njjdHfeereM

piscesx, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 22:15 (one week ago)

I so love the b-side version of 'A Man...." not included here. The only time they went 1985 on the production.

The Luda of Suburbia (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 22:30 (one week ago)

^ Yes!

That "A New Life" rendition is groovy. I heart that I'm still discovering such things. (The unused Morricone soundtrack cue that was recycled for "It Couldn't Happen Here" was another relatively recent case.)

Fed up with your constant and uniform motion (Nag! Nag! Nag!), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 22:41 (one week ago)

Yeah thanks for sharing piscesx, was not familiar with that version. The PSB version was probably my favorite b-side for years, but now I could go for any of: that, "Was That What It Was?", "Miserablism", "Too Many People", "Violence", "Some Speculation"...

May need some time to think

Vinnie, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 23:05 (one week ago)

I adore “Some Speculation”

our beloved RIFF LORD (DJP), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 23:06 (one week ago)

Stop this caprice
You’ve got to cease
this fin-de-si’cle pretence

Vinnie, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 23:18 (one week ago)

That was my OKCupid handle back in the day, DJP

The Luda of Suburbia (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 11 November 2025 23:19 (one week ago)

Disc one is so perfect it's unreal. Sort of pains me that as a kid I don't remember spinning Was That What It Was or It Must Be Obvious more than maybe once or twice when I happened to own them

PaulTMA, Tuesday, 11 November 2025 23:44 (one week ago)

"A New Life", "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend", "Your Funny Uncle", "Some Speculation", "One Of The Crowd" ... even the Sondheim/Brecht covers are great. That said, will always vote for the Latin Rascals-esque "The Sound of the Atom Splitting".

etc, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 00:08 (one week ago)

Miserablism, Shameless Do I Have To? and It Must Be Obvious are the contenders here. Going to have to revisit this compilation this week. So many wonderful songs here.

kitchen person, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 01:04 (one week ago)

Am I too cliched or old-head by voting "Paninaro”?

the way out of (Eazy), Wednesday, 12 November 2025 01:13 (one week ago)

I know it was originally a b-side but I think of it as a hit (and love it).

djh, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 18:38 (one week ago)

This was intended as a sort of different perspective on Pet Shops Boys (although it ended up containing hits):

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/205aTQBpnwJEwUZzQMMS6W

And Nashwan's version from around the same time:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5ksHIsa9UOMtH3pXOqSQ3I

Then this was a sort of follow-up:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0Vo5riagO7TOdB92H8fvuJ

djh, Wednesday, 12 November 2025 19:24 (one week ago)

Lol somehow in my first pass I missed the song I just voted for: the exquisite "Jack the Lad"

Vinnie, Thursday, 13 November 2025 01:37 (one week ago)

This whole thing is wonderful

our beloved RIFF LORD (DJP), Thursday, 13 November 2025 13:34 (one week ago)

thanks djh but think that link is wrong (or has too much recent stuff in it I don't particularly endorse ;) - here's my 'Scenic Route'/no A-sides PSBs playlist fwiw: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/225NqFz14N8017EeCQmUWW?si=njgL2XLmQYmaZ9ApDvrj4g

nashwan, Thursday, 13 November 2025 13:51 (one week ago)

How curious ... I've been giving you credit for that for an age ... Looking forward to your proper playlist later.

djh, Thursday, 13 November 2025 16:10 (one week ago)

Mine doesn't go beyond 'Electric' but I could add 'Entschuldigung!', 'I Don't Wanna' and 'Wedding In Berlin' to it. Need to relisten to the last few albums again perhaps but hard not to think of 'Electric' as the last hurrah.

nashwan, Thursday, 13 November 2025 16:34 (one week ago)

Hotspot is sad. Last year's album was at least okay but hardly necessary.

The Luda of Suburbia (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 13 November 2025 16:36 (one week ago)

£110 for those london shows :-(

. (jamiesummerz), Tuesday, 18 November 2025 15:06 (six days ago)

Ouch. I was unlikely to attend due to work commitments but that makes it even less likely.

Dan Worsley, Tuesday, 18 November 2025 16:35 (six days ago)

i would mind less if it was a decent venue but Electric Ballroom can be pretty awful when it's sold out; bad sightlines unless you get in ultra early and don't move, and sold out in there always feels oversold.

. (jamiesummerz), Tuesday, 18 November 2025 17:08 (six days ago)


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