In 1988, at the age of 20, Wolfgang Tillmans removed a large A0 poster from a construction site and affixed it to a wall in his Hamburg apartment. The poster promoted the Pet Shop Boys’ upcoming album, “Introspective,” featuring striking vertical bars in various colors. “It was incredibly cool for its time,” Tillmans reflects, noting the band’s abstract approach to pop music.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Doncaster, a young Alasdair McLellan, who has since become a prominent fashion photographer, found inspiration in the style of Pet Shop Boys’ keyboardist Chris Lowe. He admired Lowe’s outfit on the cover of the single “Suburbia,” which included a cap, striped T-shirt, and Issey Miyake glasses. “I thought he was the best-dressed man of the 80s,” McLellan recalls, highlighting how he always paid attention to Lowe’s fashion choices, particularly his sportswear. Living in a village with limited access to style magazines, McLellan’s visual education was primarily shaped by pop culture and music publications. “I got into photography through album covers and magazines like Smash Hits and NME,” he explains.<\/p>\n
Both artists eventually collaborated with the Pet Shop Boys on various projects; Tillmans directed a video for “Home and Dry” in 2002, while McLellan helmed one for “Loneliness” 22 years later. Their contributions, along with the early visual influences that inspired them, are compiled in a new comprehensive book titled “Pet Shop Boys: Volume.” This 600-page publication serves as a visual chronicle, encompassing over four decades of record covers, music videos, and concert imagery that have been essential to the Pet Shop Boys’ identity, alongside their music.<\/p>\n
During a conversation at the London restaurant Toklas, Lowe and lead singer Neil Tennant discuss their substantial new release. Interestingly, they sit underneath a Tillmans photograph featuring fruit and vegetables by a swimming pool. “We’ve always taken pleasure in our packaging, believing it contributes to the overall creative expression,” Tennant remarks while ordering a carafe of white wine. “I won’t use the term Gesamtkunstwerk, but…”<\/p>\n
“Go on, Neil, say it,” Lowe playfully interjects. “I know you enjoy saying it.”<\/p>\n
Gesamtkunstwerk, a concept popularized by Wagner, refers to a “total work of art” where sound and visual elements merge into a unified experience. The Pet Shop Boys were well-positioned to elevate pop culture in this manner. When they began producing music in the mid-80s, the industry was thriving due to the advent of CDs, which encouraged many fans to repurchase their favorite albums in this new high-fidelity format. “Record companies were incredibly profitable and had substantial budgets to work with,” recalls Mark Farrow, who has crafted the majority of the Pet Shop Boys\u2019 visual content. “It was a fantastic time!”<\/p>\n
During that era, the group’s singles were released in multiple formats, including CD, cassette, and various vinyl versions. “Mark enjoyed this because it allowed for thematic variations,” Tennant explains. For example, the cover of the 12-inch remix of “It’s a Sin” features a close-up of the chains worn by Lowe, who plays a jailer in the Derek Jarman-directed video. Meanwhile, the 12-inch remix of “It’s Alright” from 1989 showcases vibrant pink on one side and green on the other. “It’s minimalism in color,” Farrow comments.<\/p>\n
“I have a fondness for fluorescent colors,” Lowe adds. “i-D magazine in the 80s was all about that vibrant aesthetic. I really appreciated that era and its street fashion.”<\/p>\n
“I still possess issue two from when it was more like a fanzine,” Tennant mentions. Having previously served as an assistant editor for Smash Hits before his rise to stardom, he shares a theory that magazines experiencing a surge in circulation amid the print decline are those with staples instead of spines. “The New Yorker, The Spectator, The Atlantic\u2014stapled magazines open invitingly, whereas perfectly bound ones tend to close,” he theorizes.<\/p>\n
“So it has nothing to do with the content?” Lowe inquires.<\/p>\n
The Pet Shop Boys first met Farrow at the beginning of their career when they were managed by Tom Watkins. “He came in from Manchester,” Tennant recounts, noting that he and Lowe, hailing from Newcastle and Blackpool respectively, immediately connected with him amid a predominantly southern crowd. Farrow’s first sleeve design was for “West End Girls,” their initial number one hit, followed by “Love Comes Quickly,” which featured no text on the front, only a close-up of Lowe in a cap branded with ‘Boy.’ While this approach might seem risky from a commercial standpoint, the Pet Shop Boys had a significant advantage. “We included a clause in our contract for complete artistic control,” Lowe states. “This allowed us to pursue our creative vision freely.”<\/p>\n
The original design for their debut album, “Please,” was conceived by Watkins, which Tennant remembers as “a complex piece of paper engineering featuring 64 individual flaps. It was absurd\u2014it took me ages to extract the record.” In contrast, Farrow’s design featured a minimalist style with ample white space, small typography, and a tiny image of Tennant and Lowe\u2019s faces at the center. “It was groundbreaking in 1986,” Tennant says, both agreeing that many album covers from that period were either overly flashy or poorly designed, with even Watkins conceding that Farrow’s work was exceptional.<\/p>\n
This minimalist approach also influenced their performance style. Despite the energetic nature of their music, the Pet Shop Boys were often criticized for their lack of movement during performances on shows like “Top of the Pops.” “I think Tom remarked something along the lines of, ‘Oh God, they don\u2019t do anything,'” Lowe recalls, having read his late manager’s autobiography titled “Let\u2019s Make Lots of Money,” which is based on a line from their song “Opportunities.”<\/p>\n
“There was widespread concern,” Tennant agrees. “But we had no prior performance experience and were trying to avoid looking overly theatrical. We didn\u2019t conform to conventional expectations.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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