Books About the Pet Shop Boys

Pet Shop Boys Special (1988) - 62 pages
Author: Robin Mackintosh
Publisher: Grandreams Ltd
ISBN 0-86227-597-0

I'm not sure which came first—this book or the next one—but this one "feels" like the first. It's very much an unofficial "pop-star cash-in" targeted to the Boys' legions of fans during their "imperial phase." In particular, it seems aimed primarily at teenage girls who might have harbored romantic fantasies about one Boy or the other, if not both. For instance, there are horoscope pages that provide Neil's and Chris's astrological signs and reveal how compatible they would be with every other sign. (Did you know that Libras can be "a little flirtatious, just to prove to themselves that they can still attract the opposite sex"?) Filled with lots of early photos of the Boys and bits of fun Smash Hits-style trivia, it's a facile yet delightful period piece.

Pet Shop Boys, annually (1988) - 62 pages
Editor: Chris Heath
Publisher: World International Publishing Ltd.
ISBN 7235-6842-1

The Pet Shop Boys had originally envisioned publishing a book such as this every year, hence its title. But whether on account of insufficient sales or insufficient interest (or both), those plans came to naught, leaving this book the unique testament to those plans—well, at least for nearly three decades (see below). Completely under their control (unlike the preceding publication), it succinctly covers a wide range of the Boys' activities and interests during 1987 and '88, including the album Actually, the singles "It's a Sin," "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" "Rent," "Always on My Mind," and "Heart" (along with their respective videos), the establishment of their official fan club, "candid" photos, fashions, and favorite records by other artists. It even has a crossword puzzle, but you'll wreck its value as a collectible if you were actually to do it. Speaking of which, this book has indeed become highly collectible; copies in mint or even just good condition can fetch prices in excess of $1,000. No joke.

Pet Sounds: Pet Shop Boys - The Mega-Mix Annual (1988) - 35 pages
Author: Huw Collingbourne
Publisher: COMAG
ISBN n/a (not available or not applicable)

This extremely rare and quite slim U.K. paperback—actually, little more than a one-off magazine—also appeared at the height of the Pet Shop Boys' popularity. I don't own a copy and know virtually nothing about it, although it apparently contains a great many photos, quotes by and about the Boys, a discography, chart positions, a trivia quiz, astrological information, an "A-Z" section, and the like. Clearly another cash-in, but that's understandable: as the aphorism goes, one should strike while the iron is hot, and in 1988 there weren't many hotter irons in the pop-music fire than the Pet Shop Boys. Of course, despite its title, it proved no more an "annual" than the preceding publication.

Pet Shop Boys, Literally (1990) - 342 pages (2nd ed.)
Author: Chris Heath
Publisher: Viking Penguin/Da Capo Press
ISBN 0-670-83616-8 (first edition)
ISBN 0-306-80494-8 (second edition)

The first truly "essential" PSB book. Journalist Heath—who through the years has become the Boswell to the Pet Shop Boys' Johnson—accompanied Chris and Neil on their first concert tour (MCMLXXXIX) in Asia and Britain. As a result he produced this combination travelogue, interview compendium, and textual documentary. Ranging from June 1989 to August 1990, we get a quasi-intimate peek into the daily lives of the Boys that's both remarkably candid in what it includes—our heroes can seem downright petty at times, but you have to admire them for allowing that apparent pettiness to be recorded for posterity—and just as remarkably discreet in what it leaves out. First published in 1990, the second edition (1992) proved a bit lengthier with the addition of some new material. A third edition was published March 2020 with new cover artwork, a new introduction by Neil, and a new afterword by author Chris Heath.

Pet Shop Boys: Introspective (1991) - 192 pages
Author: Michael Cowton
Publisher: Sidgwick & Jackson
ISBN 0-283-99825-3

A completely unauthorized but informative "band biography" that is, as stated in its own sleevenotes, "based on interviews the Boys have given to the media and with their friends, colleagues and other members of the entertainment industry who have watched their surreal rise to stardom." (Surreal?) There's little if anything original here, but it very neatly compiles other sources into an extremely convenient package. By turns fascinating and frustrating, it makes for interesting though hardly essential reading.

Pet Shop Boys versus America (1993) - 250 pages
Author: Chris Heath
Publisher: Viking/Penguin Books
ISBN 0-14-024261-9

Very much a sequel to the preceding Heath volume Pet Shop Boys, Literally, this book follows a similar format, covering the period of March-April 1991 (with an April 1993 epilogue) as it documents the Boys' first North American tour. It's particularly valuable for its behind-the-scenes, play-by-play account of their ill-fated appearance on The Tonight Show. Although it has the same basic strengths and weaknesses as the preceding book, the former definitely outweigh the latter, again making this essential reading for anyone greatly interested in the Pet Shop Boys. A second edition appeared in March 2020 with new cover artwork, a new introduction by Chris Lowe, and a new afterword by Chris Heath.

first edition

second edition

Pet Shop Boys (1996) - 48 pages
Author: Jordi Bianciotto
Publisher: La Máscara
ISBN 978-8479741402

I know very little about this slender Spanish-language publication, although it appears to be part of a series about popular music stars, "Idolos del pop" ("Pop Idols"). It has also apparently proved successful enough to warrant a second printing in 2000. If I were more proficient in Spanish (which I studied in high school and college but have practiced very little since then), I would probably order a copy for myself.

Pet Shop Boys de A à Z (2003) - 126 pages
Author: Vincent Laufer
Publisher: L'Express Editions
ISBN 978-2843431616

I don't own a copy of this French text, either. (My French is no better than my Spanish, probably sufficient for me to get the gist of any given passage, but every seventh word would surely have me scrambling for my Petit Larousse.) As its title (translated "Pet Shop Boys from A to Z") indicates, it's a PSB mini-encyclopedia, covering their work and career via alphabetically organized entries. But I can't attest to its accuracy or completeness. I might have been willing to work around my inadequacies with the language if the cover art hadn't been so appallingly cheesy.* And while it's true that you can't judge a book by its cover, a bad cover does nothing to enhance one's faith in the contents, especially when there are other obstacles to overcome as well.

*Cheese notwithstanding, I find it immensely interesting that both of these non-English-language books (and, by coincidence, page 165 of my own 1994 book Rock on the Wild Side) employ the "Can You Forgive Her?" striped cone-capped getups to depict the Boys. It appears that these costumes rival the "tuxes and yawning" cover of Actually, Chris's "Boy" cap, and his infamous Issey Miyake blowup jacket in terms of their sheer iconographic power.

Pet Shop Boys Catalogue (2006) - 336 pages
Authors: Philip Hoare and Chris Heath
Publisher: Thames & Hudson
ISBN 0-500-51307-4

A great big glossy tome documenting nearly all (note: nearly all) of the visual output associated with the Pet Shop Boys' career up through 2005, this high-quality prestige piece is clearly designed to affirm the Boys' status both as artists and as patrons of the arts. The real drawing cards here, however, aren't the copious illustrations themselves but rather the accompanying textual commentaries. Your guests will pick it up from your coffeetable—where it belongs, mind you, right there on prominent display, rather than tucked away on a shelf—and skim through, glancing at the pictures. You, on the other hand, will actually read it. An exquisite work, only the occasional intentional omissions (such as items that were deemed "unofficial," uninteresting, or too similar to other illustrated examples) and very minor errors render it less than perfect—and even that is a somewhat debatable assessment.

The Boys mentioned in 2023 that a newly revised, updated edition of this book was in the works, originally scheduled for 2024 release. It appears that this new edition may be retitled Pet Shop Boys Volume, but that remains to be seen. Unfortunately, the publisher has also now listed a March 2026 release date. The new edition will apparently be smaller in size (no longer a "coffee-table book") but will boast no fewer than 560 pages.

Pet Shop Boys (S'il Vous Plait?) (2014) - 118 pages
Author: Anthony Coucke
Publisher: Books on Demand
ISBN 978-2322035298

A French-language purported biography (the title of which is essentially that of their first album Please, only of course in French as well, more literally translated as "If it please you") that covers their entire career up through the Electric album. I'm afraid I know very little about this book, although its table of contents (which I've examined on Amazon) seems to indicate that its first half is devoted to an album-by-album retrospective of their work and the second half consists of assorted lists and profiles of various artists and producers who have worked with them through the years. I'd surely buy it myself if (1) it weren't in French, (2) it weren't so pricey for a comparatively slim paperback, and (3) I honestly thought I'd learn anything from it that I didn't already know. One of my French-fluent site visitors has read it, however, and shared with me his own succinct review. He has very little—in fact, absolutely nothing—good to say about it, and considers it of such poor quality that it "doesn't deserve to be bought."

Pet Shop Boys: Plural (2016) - 528 pages
Author: Francisco J. Barbero
Publisher: Milenio Publicaciones
ISBN 978-8497437271

This hefty Spanish-language tome, five years in the making and described on Amazon as a "comprehensive" biography of the Pet Shop Boys, is reportedly "peppered with numerous anecdotes and details, many unknown to the general public." I don't own it and haven't read it, so I must rely on second-hand information to provide further details of my own (of which I don't yet have any).

Smile If You Dare: Politics and Pointy Hats with the Pet Shop Boys (2016) - 119 pages
Author: Ramzy Alwakeel
Publisher: Repeater
ISBN 978-1910924228

Speaking for myself—but surely for many others as well—if any PSB album deserves the book-length analytical treatment, it's their brilliant fifth studio collection, Very (which also happens to be my all-time favorite PSB album). And this book does it justice. It's an imaginatively, at times even beautifully written, deeply insightful extended love letter to the album. The author's exegetical treatments of the associated videos are a particular treat. My only complaint (a small one) is that it all but ignores a few of the songs. Nevertheless, I think it's safe to say that if you love Very, you'll love this book. And if you don't love Very, this book may help persuade you otherwise.

Annually 2017 (2017) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

Twenty-nine years after the first edition of Annually (see above), Neil and Chris resurrected the annual-publication concept in the wake of the cessation of their official Fan Club and the irregular appearances of its associated magazine Literally. In essence, it's very much like any one of those issues of Literally, only larger and hardbound. It presents detailed "behind-the-scenes" information about their most recent releases and activities, responses to fan questions, lyrics of recent single bonus songs, and lots of photos. And the striking fuchsia coloration of its front and back covers will help ensure that it never gets lost on your bookshelf. It was accompanied by a special bonus CD of what seems in effect to be a single of the Super song "Undertow," with an added remix of "Burn" and a new studio recording of Stuart Price's new Super Tour arrangement of "Left to My Own Devices." Offered in a limited edition from the official PSB website, Annually 2017 very quickly sold out, which resulted in some fan frustration as well as copies appearing in short order on third-party sites at tremendously inflated prices.

Annually 2018 (2018) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

In addition to the more or less typical summation of recent releases, descriptions of recent activities, and answers to fan questions, the third (and second consecutive) Annually is highlighted by a "tour" with Chris and Neil of central London spots of special significance to PSB history, a discussion of "the Pet Shop Boys' enduring relationship with and influence on fashion," a lengthy interview with longtime programmer Pete Gleadall, and observations from their June 2017 show in Israel as part of the Super Tour. Its vibrant yellow cover, contrasting with the previous year's fuchsia, signals a likely ongoing pattern of similar bold covers for future editions.

Classic Pop Presents Pet Shop Boys - Special Edition (2018) - 130 pages
Editor: Rik Flynn
Publisher: Anthem Publishing Ltd.
ISBN N/A

I confess that I'm stretching the definition of "books" by including this special issue of the U.K. magazine Classic Pop, which was published with two different covers representing, more or less, "Early PSB" and "Late PSB," thereby allowing fans to pick their preference or (undoubtedly as the publishers were hoping) purchase both. But considering its length—which, judged purely by pagination, makes it longer than more than half of the other publications listed here—I believe it qualifies. An understandably heavily illustrated melange of old/new and fact/opinion, it has irritated some fans who have lodged complaints about its errors and typos. But it's a delightful thing nonetheless, fully giving the Boys their due (if limiting them a tad in the process) as the "synth pop icons" touted on the covers. For my money its highlights are the interview with Neil—an old one from 2009, but a good one—those aforementioned copious illustrations, and spot-on (IMHO) callouts of their "classic" albums: Actually, Very, Yes, and Electric. All right, Behaviour should have been in that list as well, but I suppose you can't have it all.

One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem (2018) - 236 pages (plus front matter)
Author: Neil Tennant
Publisher: Faber & Faber
ISBN 978-0571348909

This book offers, as described on the Pet Shop Boys' website, "Neil’s choice of one hundred of his song lyrics plus a short poem" with "an introduction written by Neil detailing his personal history as a songwriter and his creative processes." It has been released in two versions: a standard edition and a special, extra-high-quality edition personally signed by Neil and limited to a print run of only 500 copies—the latter of which sold out via online pre-order in just two days. Each song's lyrics, which are presented in alphabetical order by title (though employing the common modern habit of counting the initial articles "A" and "The" so that the former are listed along with the "A-titles" and the latter with the "T-titles"), are accompanied by Neil's short notes stating something of the song's origin or inspiration and/or providing background information, such as relatively obscure references. It's those notes that truly make this book worth owning considering that the lyrics themselves are readily available elsewhere, such as on the aforementioned PSB website.

Factually: Pet Shop Boys in Theorie und Praxis (2019) - 160 pages
Author: Jan-Niklas Jäger
Publisher: Ventil Verlag (Valve Publishing)
ISBN 978-3-95575-099-2

An apparently rather academic volume written in German (the subtitle of which dryly translates as Pet Shop Boys in Theory and Practice) betrays at least a hint of whimsy with its cover art's now-clichéd but nonetheless affectionate takeoff on Actually. What's not clichéd about it, however, is the fact that it's Che Guevara and Claude Debussy on the cover, thus cleverly harkening back to "Left to My Own Devices." Being illiterate in German, I must rely on others for succinct and presumably accurate descriptions. For instance, its publisher states that it focuses on "the subversiveness of a pop phenomenon," adding (again, in translation), "Like the songs of the band itself, Factually deals with social history, sexual identity, club culture in particular, and pop culture in general. Jäger's book also reads as a passionate commitment to the principles of pop and as a deep analysis of the same." As a former academic myself, I have to say that it sounds fascinating, though I'm not holding my breath for an English translation anytime soon, if ever. But I'm very pleased to note that this book cites my website as a source and quotes me on several occasions.

Annually 2019 (2019) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

The fourth (third consecutive) Annually followed the now-established pattern of summarizing the Boys' activities since the previous edition. Promoted with the added incentive of an exclusive copy of their recent EP Agenda, it also featured (among other things) a "behind-the-scenes report" on the launch of Neil's book One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem, an inteview with comedian and PSB friend/fan David Walliams, a transcript of Chris Heath's 1986 Smash Hits interview with Chris and Neil (with new commentary), photographs from their recent recording sessions with Stuart Price in Berlin, and the usual responses to fan letters.

Annually 2020 (2020) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

The 2020 edition of Annually features details about the making of Hotspot, a "behind-the-scenes report" with photos from the "Monkey Business” music video shoot, information about the PSB-related theatrical events of the preceding year (Musik, My Beautiful Laundrette, and the Closer to Heaven revival), and more, including the by now standard fan-letter responses. As a bonus/incentive it's accompanied by an exclusive seven-track CD of the Boys' new music from the aforementioned My Beautiful Laundrette.

Annually 2021 (2021) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

Annually 2021, perhaps reflecting the fact that not a whole lot happened in the "PSB Universe" on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, reaches all the way back to 1986 and provides a chronicle of that year—the first of the Boys' global success—derived from Neil's diary, accompanied by corresponding reflective commentary. It also includes info on how Neil and Chris spent the past year in "lockdown," photos, the usual answers to selected fan questions and, most notably, an exclusive new two-track CD single, "Cricket Wife" along with the lockdown version of "West End Girls" they had previously debuted online.

Retrospective - Pet Shop Boys 1986/92 (2021) - 36 pages
Author: Andre Csillag and David Wainwright
Publisher: Hanging Around Books
ISBN N/A

I was a bit reluctant to include this book because, aside from a brief foreword, it contains no text, otherwise consisting entirely of black-and-white photographs taken by Andre Csillag and David Wainwright of several PSB appearances from 1986 through 1992, including their MCMLXXXIX Tour. But it is a book about the Pet Shop Boys. Speaking only for myself, it's not the sort of thing I would spend money on, but it is what it is for those fans who would find this sort of thing of particular interest.

Kristof Magnusson über Pet Shop Boys, queere Vorbilder und musikalischen Mainstream (2021) - 160 pages
Author: Kristof Magnusson
Publisher: Kiepenheuer & Witsch
ISBN N/A

The title of this German-language book translates to "Kristof Magnusson on Pet Shop Boys, Queer Role Models and Musical Mainstream." It's apparently something of combination autobiography of the author himself and an assessment of the career and work of our (and his) musical heroes. As the publisher has put it in a press release, "The Pet Shop Boys' function as queer role models may have changed over the past decades, but time and again Magnusson has been impressed by how the band managed to produce catchy chart hits while remaining clever and subversive." (It would appear that this is the latest in a series of books by this publisher in which various authors take a highly "personalized" approach to specific artists in the field of popular music.)

Annually 2022 (2022) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

Unlike their three immediately preceding Annually publications, Annually 2022 isn't bolstered by a bonus CD. But it's packed with a wealth of information, including an interview with Chris and Neil about their dance music influences throughout their career, "recently discovered" 1987 Polaroids from the filming of It Couldn’t Happen Here, and illustrations of Farrow/PSB visuals created for charity. Of course, it also offers the usual recap of the past year (highlighted by several PSB remixes for other artists) and responses to fan letters.

Ein Tribut an die Pet Shop Boys: Eine Biografie in Bildern (2022) - 80 pages
Author: Lea Kirch
Publisher: 27 Amigos
ISBN 978-3750527362

I don't own a copy myself, but this fairly slim German-language paperback is, in the translated words of its title, "A Tribute to the Pet Shop Boys: A Biography in Pictures." Thus it's essentially a book of photographs taken throughout their career, including at least some quite recently from their 2022 Dreamworld Tour. The photos are accompanied by brief explanatory/elaborating text. Its publisher describes it as "the perfect gift and a wonderful souvenir for anyone wanting to see the most important moments in their stars' lives." I suppose one can take that for what it's worth.

Annually 2023 (2023) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

Accompanied by Lost, a four-track bonus CD, Annually 2023 includes (among other things) a diary and "behind-the-scenes" photos from their Dreamworld Tour, a discussion by Neil and Chris of their North American Unity Tour with New Order (also with photos), an archival feature from a 1993 issue of The Face covering their their first visit to Russia (accompanied by the Boys' personal recollections), news from the past year and future plans, and the usual fan letter responses.

The Pet Shop Boys and the Political: Queerness, Culture, Identity and Society (2024) - 288 pages
Anthology Editor: Bodie A. Ashton
Publisher: Bloomsbury
ISBN 978-1350331563

This academically inclined anthology of twelve essays (all of its contributors teach at various colleges and universities) covers how the work of the Pet Shop Boys is, in the words of its press release, "suffused with political commentary on the past and present covering themes as broad as queer identity, the HIV/AIDs epidemic, globalization and Brexit. It also places them within the context of their times and considers them as activists, authors, social commentators, political actors and personalities to better understand what influenced them."

Annually 2024 (2024) - 64 pages
Author: Chris Heath and Pet Shop Boys
Publisher: Pet Shop Boys Partnership
ISBN N/A

The 2024 edition of the Boys' Annually series ties in closely with the scheduled release of their new studio album that spring. It will offer (as described in its advance annoucement) "an in-depth look at the new album, including artwork, lyrics, and a diary of the creative process with commentary from PSB" as well as an article about the photo session for the album cover, an interview with album producer James Ford, recent photos, and other features.