Yesterday Pet Shop Boys gave media the chance to pre-listen to "Yes", their forthcoming new record, in London, for review purposes only and, after the album listening, Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys frontman) held a Q&A session with reporters.

One of the several questions they asked was about Pet Shop Boys latest (scrapped) collaborations and Neil shockingly stated that after remixing "Sorry" in 2006, they were contacted again by Warner, in 2007, and asked to write & produce some tracks for an album Madonna was planning at the time (which later became "Hard Candy")

Sadly, the same week Warner's changed mind and according to Neil own words "we got told to forget it as they decided to shove her down the r&b route" Neil stated Parlophone asked them to write for Kylie's "X" as well, before deciding to send Minogue out to other producers instead (one of the tracks featured on "Yes" (titled "Pandemonium") was actually written & demoed for her, along with other 5 cuts)

interseting!
[Edited 3/8/09 12:58pm]

At an early stage,Stuart Price was supposed to produce several tracks as well.I think it was a wise decision to let Pharrell and Timbabland do the album.I don't know if the Pet Shop Boys and Stuart Price tracks would have blended well with the harder dance/R&B sounds created by Tim and Pharrell.

But,it's not too late to work with Pet Shop Boys now.She could still do it.

I'm not a huge fan of the Pet Shop Boys. From their own records that I have heard all their songs sound exactly the same and they don't seem to have changed much over the years. Now maybe when they write with other artists they do different things. But from their records, I don't see them really creating anything that great for Madonna.

Glindathegood said:

I disagree. They have changed quite alot. Man, I hope they sound like in 1986 again.

Not all songs sound alike. Check out:

West End Girls
It's A Sin
It's Alright
Your Funny Uncle
Being Boring
Go West
Liberation
Cest A Vida E
Before
Love Is A Ctastrophe

I did not pick out their greatest songs (although they are), Just to prove not all their songs sound alike. One could certainly say that about Madonna too.

SoulAlive said:

Well, David, you got it wrong. They and Stuart were asked BEFORE PW or Timbo were in the game. So it's not a question of fitting with R'n'B.

Well, I would love to see that collaboration anyway.

They wrote Heart for her, it could have been cool!

graecophilos said:

How do you know that? Madonna was already recording songs with Pharrell in January 2007, she even confirmed that during a radio interview! It's possible that she started writing with him even before Warner knew about it. She only wanted to let them know when she wanted to submit the tracks?

I really don't believe that Warners had any control over who Madonna chose to work with.She has always picked her own producers.

LiveToTell86 said:

you're right. could be. But some PSB experts claim the boys talked about working with Madonna in 2006, after the tour. It was just a thought on everyone's side.

That talentless whore should be grateful that the Boys even acknowledge that bitch.

I love PSB, and kinda like Madonna. But this is just kind of unbelievable--not a good match, and I doubt she would consider them as producers in this day and age. She's always looking forward (and often embarrassing herself in the process), but they're timeless.

MendesCity said:

But they DID get picked to remix "Sorry".

Cinnie said:

That's true. But I feel like that was more of a remix thing, like she respects them as historical peers but is too worried about hits to leave multiple "radio singles" up to them.

Don't get me wrong tho, that's what I'd rather hear

MendesCity said:

Wasn't it "Jump" that sounded like "West End Girls" (not quite, but the idea of it).

Cinnie said:

If noone would have told me, I would not have noticed. West End Girls consists mainly of Em7-Am7 and Bm7
But at the end and at the beginning they play C-D-E

You can sing "Jump, I'm ready to jump, get ready to..." over the "West End Boys... East End Girls..." bit.

graecophilos said:

yeah i agree the Jump-West End Girls link is tenuous at best for me.....although Stuart Price is never shy in declaring his love for the PSBs.

I would have loved to hear PSB produce madonna - but i feel it may not have worked out as brilliantly as Id imagine. One part of me thinks for women to cover their material they need to be in the vein of Liza or Dusty, but then again i liked The Loving Kind that they did for Girls Aloud. They have a pop snesibility that should in theory combine excellently with madonna's.

Its interesting Neil suggests it was Warners who pushed her down the R&B route. I think PSBs and Stuart Price could have produced material that sat well with Pharell's stuff - it would have certainly brought more pop to the project. The kind of sounds Pharell was going for were quite retro, brought in elements of electro, and could have quite easily been moulded together. Im salivating at the thought now.

Ive been listening to Results the album they produced for Liza, and that is a great album. not the kind of thing that would suite madonna, but they pitched it perfectly for her.
[Edited 3/10/09 4:06am]

Indeed,which is why I think he was the perfect producer for Madonna.He really "studied" her 80s music when he came up with these songs.Songs like "Heartbeat","Give It 2 Me" and "Beat Goes On" capture the same feel as her best 80s singles,imo.I honestly wouldn't mind if she worked with him again.

Glindathegood said:

Although I really enjoyed the "Sorry" remix that they created,I have to agree with you.If they had produced her album,it would have sounded alot like "Confessions On A Dancefloor",with lots of synth-heavy Europop.She would be repeating herself.

SoulAlive said:

you know I'm with you on that. Heartbeat was my jam in 2008....

too bad SV2 is still not out yet or any other leaks...
[Edited 3/10/09 4:58am]

graecophilos said:

here's "Across The Sky" for you

If that is true, it would likely have been one of Madonna's finest moments in the last few years. Instead, we get another OK pop album that Madonna obviously only cares about in order to sell another tour and more tickets. Beyond that, if she gets one hit single she is happy.

Wonder how much of this is true, though. I can't imagine Madonna took only the advice of Warners....if that were true in the making of the album, shouldn't it be true in the promotion of it?

VinnyM27 said:

The promotion was not that bad. 4 Minutes was heavily promoted. Commercial spots, apperance in a movie. It's one of her biggest hits.
remember: Madonna did film the GI2M video a few days before the 4 Minutes one was released! I think it was Madonna who did a rush job and who started rehearsals for her tour in April!

Oh, and btw. I think the PSB and Madonna would work well together. As long as the PSB don't tgry to write happy songs for her. Madonna always claims she likes sad and melancholy music, soundtracks.
A lot of PSB songs have that feel. They added a certain sadness and depth to Sorry.

graecophilos said:

but talentless whore doesn't understand irony, which is a key element to all the PSB songs.

lazycrockett said:

not to all. Many songs are not ironic, and Neil himself said this. To Face The Truth, well most songs on Behaviour have nothing ironic.
King's Cross either. Violence wasn't ironic as well.

And even though M's brother claims she knows no irony she's very ironic. I find the SEX book is full of irony.

graecophilos said:

One single...than it's over. Doesn't really do talk shows either. She did make two movies (as a director!) but who cares....I tried watching that "I Am Because Who Cares"...It was Ma-lousy!"