Pet Shop Boys

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe famously met in a hi-fi shop in Chelsea in 1981 and decided to work together after discovering a mutual interest in dance music. Tennant, who had previously played in band called Dust, was then a journalist on pop magazine Smash Hits, while Lowe had been studying architecture at the University of Liverpool. Initially they called themselves West End but became Pet Shop Boys after meeting New York dance music guru Bobby Orlando, who produced first single West End Girls. Initially it flopped but a re-recording produced by Stephen Hague took it to Number 1 and their distinctive mix of techno, hypnotic melodies and Tennant's slightly fey vocals launched a glittering career hailed by the dance music world as well as traditional pop fans and the gay community. They've recorded with Dusty Springfield and Liza Minnelli and their biggest hits have included covers of Village People's Go West and Elvis Presley's Always On My Mind.