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Tracks for a prospective third PSB b-sides album

Twice before the Pet Shop Boys have compiled their single b-sides into album releases: Alternative in 1995 and Format in 2012. Given the number of tracks that appeared on those albums (30 and 38 respectively), it won't be long before they should be ready to put out a third b-sides collection; the number currently stands at 31 or 32 (depending on one "gray area" noted below). That assumes, of course, that they can work around the possible difficulties that may arise from these tracks having been spread across two different record labels (EMI/Parlophone up through 2013, their own x2 Recordings from 2014 up through 2023, and EMI/Parlophone again starting in 2024), which the previous two compilations didn't have to deal with. But, then again, that didn't pose a problem with the singles on Smash, so it shouldn't be a problem for the next b-sides collection, either.

Using Alternative and Format as models, the following songs are those—pending the release of any future singles with additional b-sides that might be released in the meantime—that may appear on a prospective third PSB b-sides album. Please note that this prospective collection very intentionally does not include non-album releases that did not appear as the b-sides (or "bonus tracks") of singles. Nor does it include the great many remixes of previously released songs, including the a-side single itself. Considering, however, that the previous collections included brand new versions (as opposed to mere remixes) of older songs—the Haçienda Version of "Violence" on Alternative and both the 1996 version of "In the Night" and the New Version of "Discoteca" on Format—it does tentatively include the Super Tour Version of "Left to My Own Devices" included with the quasi-single "Undertow."

Of course, I will add to this list in the event any additional b-sides are released before a new compilation appears.

Incidentally, I don't know why the Boys decided to exclude a few earlier b-sides that seemed to "qualify" for their previous b-sides collections, such as "Girls and Boys" (which appeared on the Japanese edition of Alternative but not on any other), "Je T'Aime… Moi Non Plus," and "Sail Away." Maybe there just wasn't enough room for them. But since they did indeed leave them off, I figure they don't belong here, either. Then again—who knows?—maybe they would wish to rectify those apparent oversights on a third such compilation.

Song b-side/bonus track of…
  1. Fugitive
 Beautiful People
  1. Glad All Over
  2. I Cried for Us
 Together
  1. A Certain Je Ne Sais Quoi
  2. The Way Through the Woods
  3. I Started a Joke
 Winner
  1. Hell
  2. In His Imagination
  3. Baby
 Leaving
  1. Listening
  2. One Night
  3. Inside
 Memory of the Future

Note: Most unusually, there were no b-sides aside from remixes for the "Vocal" single.
  1. Entschuldigung!
  2. Get It Online
 Love Is a Bourgeois Construct
  1. No More Ballads
  2. Odd Man Out
 Thursday
  1. In Bits
  2. One-Hit Wonder
 The Pop Kids
  1. The White Dress
  2. Wiedersehen
 Twenty-something
  1. A Cloud in a Box
  2. The Dead Can Dance
 Say It to Me
  1. Left to My Own Devices (Super Tour Version)
 Undertow  (but does this really count as a "single"?)
  1. An Open Mind
  2. No Boundaries
 Dreamland
  1. Decide
 Burning the Heather
  1. At Rock Bottom
 Monkey Business
  1. New Boy
 I Don't Wanna
  1. Party in the Blitz
  2. Through You
Loneliness
  1. Sense of Time
  2. If Jesus Had a Sister
Dancing Star

 

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