“Priceless” Pet Shop Boys letter to Janice Long found in record shop
A letter Pet Shop Boys‘ Neil Tennant wrote and sent to the late Janice Long in the ’80s has been discovered at a record shop in Altrincham, Trafford.
As BBC News reports, the frontman thanked the Radio 1 DJ for playing the synth-pop duo’s debut single ‘West End Girls’ in the note, which was found in a 12-inch vinyl edition of the track.
The letter is dated “12 April, 1984” – three days after the song was released.
Tennant, who worked as a journalist at Smash Hits at the time, provided some information on how he and bandmate Chris Lowe had recorded ‘West End Girls’ with producer Bobby Orlando after meeting him in New York.
“We’ve now recorded over half an album and are due to go back to New York quite soon to finish it,” he continued in the unearthed letter.
“Anyway, hope you like the 12″ I’ve enclosed and thanks for playing ‘West End Girls’ on Thursday. As far as I’m concerned, you’re now an honorary Pet Shop Girl!”
A letter written by Pet Shop Boys star Neil Tennant, thanking Radio 1's Janice Long for playing the band's debut single (“West End Girls”) in 1984. Discovered recently in a record shop. I went to see them a few years back. They’re still writing and performing. Respect. pic.twitter.com/NlAfKsHQx0
— Ian Gibson (@IanGibsonMusic) February 25, 2023
Per Manchester Evening News, local journalist David Prior discovered the note when he went to the opening of Dead Cloud Records in Altrincham to interview the store’s owner Trevor Morris.
“I’ve been a fan for literally decades, so I thought it was interesting from that perspective,” Prior told the outlet.
“Inside the sleeve, there was this letter, which looked original, indisputably original, because you could literally see the ink from the signature and there was no chance it was a photocopy.”
Prior said he is “not interested in selling [the record] at all”, despite having received “a couple of offers” for “several hundred pounds”.
“I always wanted a proper bit of pop memorabilia and this is where my collection ends and I’m quite happy,” he explained.
Morris, meanwhile, told the BBC that he bought the vinyl at an auction. “They mustn’t have checked it to see what was inside,” he said. “My guess is they thought it was a bog-standard Pet Shop Boys record.”
The owner later reached out to auction house to ask whether they had sold off the 12-inch by mistake, but they said he could keep it. “They were just like, ‘What a great find for you!'” he recalled.
Trevor sold his historic copy to Prior for just £40. “I’m not so sure it’s a priceless collector’s item,” he said. “I think it’s probably priceless to somebody that loves the Pet Shop Boys, but worth tuppence ha’penny to somebody else.
Upon its initial release, ‘West End Girls’ peaked at Number 133 on the UK Singles Chart.
However, it later achieved success on the European club scene and was rerecorded with new lyrics and production by Stephen Hague. That version came out in 1985, and topped the chart in both the UK and US.
Meanwhile, Pet Shop Boys have announced a Greatest Hits show as part of this year’s Eden Sessions series in Cornwall.
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Tom Skinner
NME
