Pseudonyms adopted by the Pet Shop Boys
There's a long, hallowed tradition of popular music artists adopting pseudonyms for one reason or another, including attempts to circumvent contractual restrictions, simple humor, and, of course, a genuine desire for anonymity. Two of my all-time favorite examples, in fact, are for John Lennon and George Harrison, who respectively used the aliases "Dr. Winston O'Boogie" and "L'Angelo Mysterioso" ("The Mysterious Angel") on various occasions.
The Pet Shop Boys are no exception. Here are the pseudonyms that, to the best of my knowledge, they have used to date.
And, oh, by the way, I do realize that "Pet Shop Boys" is itself a pseudonym for Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant.
- Merlin Zoot
Used collectively as the name of the producer of the "1971" version of "Run, Girl, Run" as performed by "Billie Trix" (Frances Barber). A "Hank Quarshie" is also credited with playing tambourine; whether this is one of the Boys, an alias for someone else, or a complete fabrication done simply for humorous effect is anyone's guess.
- Lenny Snatch
Another collective pseudonym, this time for the producer of the "1981 post-apocalyptic nightmare remix" of Billie Trix's "Run, Girl, Run"
- Conrad Darke
The liner notes for "Run, Girl, Run"—which provide a fictional background for the song within the context of the Boys' Closer to Heaven musical—are credited to one "Conrad Darke." This is almost certainly yet another pseudonym for Neil and/or Chris for this anomalous release.
Incidentally, since those liner notes list Billie Trix herself as the songwriter, it's tempting to say that Billie Trix is one more alias for Tennant and Lowe, the "real-world" songwriters. But since Billie Trix is a character portrayed by actress Frances Barber, I think it's more accurate to say that Chris and Neil simply credit that character with writing the song as part of the elaborate fiction surrounding it. That is, Billie Trix isn't their pseudonym, but rather someone else's pseudonym to whom they happen to be giving the credit. I hope that makes sense.
- Blockhead
The alias assumed by Chris for his identically named 2003 "solo" recording with vocalist Nicole Moudaber.
- Absolutely Fabulous
The moniker used by the Pet Shop Boys for their 1994 charity single of the same name. This might, however, be viewed as a questionable inclusion if you consider Absolutely Fabulous a four-member "supergroup" that also included Ab Fab stars Jennifer Saunders and Joanna Lumley. (If that's the case, then it's no more a "pseudonym" than Electronic.)
- Paid Show Boys
An even more questionable entry considering that it originated with a 2004 Italian 12-inch bootleg remix of "West End Girls." But Neil once described it as a "semi-official" release on their official website, and their record company made no attempt either to suppress it or go after those connected with it. So, in effect, the Boys "accepted" this pseudonym—in the grand tradition of bootlegs, a rather awkward and terribly obvious one—despite it being bestowed on them by someone else.
… and just to clarify matters—
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NOT Steve Rocket and Johnny Nitrate
These are the mysterious and otherwise unheard-of figures responsible for a PSB-ish extended remix of Alison Moyet's 1994 single "Whispering Your Name." Rumor long held that Rocket and Nitrate were actually a disguised Tennant and Lowe, who had used false names possibly on account of contractual restrictions. But in early 2012 both Alison and Neil separately and unequivocally denied any Tennant-Lowe involvement. So Steve Rocket and Johnny Nitrate are definitely not pseudonyms for Neil and Chris.
NOT the "Bizet Boys"
Although the "Bizet Boys," the act credited with the 1989 flop single "Ride 'Em Carmen," were rumored to be the Pet Shop Boys in disguise (possibly collaborating with another band, Bros), they were not. They were actually the essentially imaginary one-off creation of Tom Watkins—at that time the manager of both the Boys and Bros—and Tony James of Sigue Sigue Sputnik.
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