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Being Boring

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"Being Boring"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Behaviour
B-side"We All Feel Better in the Dark"
Released12 November 1990 (1990-11-12)
Recorded1990
Studio
  • Red Deer Recording Studios (Munich)
  • Sarm West (London)
GenreSynth-pop[1]
Length
  • 6:48 (album version)
  • 4:50 (7-inch edit)
  • 10:40 (extended version)
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"So Hard"
(1990) 		"Being Boring"
(1990) 		"Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" / "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?"
(1991)
Music video
"Being Boring" on YouTube

"Being Boring" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in November 1990 by Parlophone as the second single from their fourth studio album, Behaviour (1990). The song was written by Chris Lowe and Neil Tennant, and produced by them with German producer Harold Faltermeyer. It reached number 20 on the UK Singles Chart, marking the duo's first single to miss the top 10 since "Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)" in 1986. Its music video was directed by fashion photographer Bruce Weber.

Background and composition

[edit]

The song is concerned with the idea of growing up and how people's perceptions and values change as they grow older. The title originated from a Japanese review that accused the duo of being boring, in reference to their "famously deadpan presentation".[2] The phrase reminded Neil Tennant of a 1922 quotation by Zelda Fitzgerald, "she refused to be bored chiefly because she wasn't boring",[3] which had been paraphrased on a party invitation from his friend Christopher Dowell in the 1970s.[4] As teenagers in Newcastle, they had agreed that they wouldn't settle for boring lives.[5][6]

In a 1993 interview, Tennant described "Being Boring" as "one of the best songs that we've written", and said that "For me it is a personal song because it's about a friend of mine who died of AIDS, and so it's about our lives when we were teenagers and how we moved to London, and I suppose me becoming successful and him becoming ill".[7]

"Being Boring" was written between 1989 and 1990.[2] The track was originally demoed in a studio in West Glasgow, where the music for "My October Symphony", "The End of the World" and the unreleased "Love and War" were also written.[5] Chris Lowe decided that the music should emulate Stock Aitken Waterman by going up a semitone into the chorus, to give it an uplifting feeling. The verse ends on G and goes up to A-flat instead of C for the chorus.[5][8]

The lyrics for the first verse, about the 1920s quote on the party invitation, and the second verse, about leaving Newcastle for London in the 1970s, had materialised by that point.[4] Tennant wrote the final verse in 1990, in a rented room in Munich, wishing that his friend was still there.[8] Tennant has called "Being Boring" an autobiographical elegy for his friend, Dowell, who died in 1989;[2][6] the songs "It Couldn't Happen Here" (1987) and "Your Funny Uncle" (1989) deal with his illness and his funeral.[9]

Recording

[edit]

The demo was presented to producer Harold Faltermeyer at Red Deer Studios, Munich, whose expertise in analog synthesizers came to the forefront in the song's production.[4] The basis of the song was laid with Roland TR-808 and Roland TR-909 drum machines, plus a Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer.[4] Synthesizers used included a Roland Jupiter-8 (which makes up the layered textures in the introduction and the melody line throughout), an Oberheim OB-8 (which was blended with the Jupiter-8 for the main melody) and a Synclavier (for the harp glissandos).[4]

Further work was done at Sarm West Studios in London with Julian Mendelsohn; the "wakka-wakka" guitar line by J.J. Belle (influenced by Isaac Hayes's Theme from Shaft (1971)) was recorded there, among a few other parts.[4]

Release

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"Being Boring" debuted at number 36 and peaked at number 20 the following week.[10] At the time, it was the least successful Pet Shop Boys single in the period since "West End Girls" had become their first hit.[11][12]

In 2024, Pet Shop Boys released a new recording of "Being Boring" on Furthermore, the bonus EP with the two-disc version of their fifteenth album, Nonetheless.[13] In the middle of the song, Tennant says the words that are written at the beginning of the music video (see Music video).

Artwork

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The single cover (pictured) was designed by Mark Farrow with photographs by the Douglas Brothers. The layout is essentially the same as the album cover of Behaviour.[14] The quote attributed to Zelda Fitzgerald was included on the back cover.[15]

Critical reception

[edit]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic called the song "wistful".[16] A reviewer from Music & Media commented, "Up-tempo, smooth and pushy pop from the Boys. The nervous groove is made out of a persistent rhythm guitar and a floating synth. A natural hit, produced by Pet Shop Boys and Harold Faltermeyer."[17] Selina Webb from Music Week wrote, "Hardly boring, but certainly one of their most gently-handled tracks. The Scandal-style productions puts the emphasis on the charming lyrics which deliver the Tennant muse in oblique phrases, not unlike those found in a New Order song. As usual its appeal is enhanced with each airing and, equally, it will enjoy a sustained chart performance."[18]

Roger Morton from NME described "Being Boring" as "a scrapbook flick through his journey from expectant Northern youth in the '70s to a doubting '90s adulthood, burdened by unease and a sense of loss (of close friends)."[19] In their single review, a reviewer from the magazine wrote, "The only heart-thumping moment on "Being Boring" is when some synthetic harp sound appears from nowhere to add a bit of colour to the otherwise grey monotony of the song."[20] Miranda Sawyer from Smash Hits said, "Title of the Fortnight without a doubt, but although "Being Boring" is fairly fabulous in an understated way, with Neil being all wistful over nice violins and a discreet tickety beat, it just doesn't have that swooshy drama or singalong chorus that great Pet Shop Boys singles are made of. An "album track" I believe it's called."[21]

In 2023, The Guardian named "Being Boring" as the best Pet Shop Boys song: "Not just one of the greatest songs about the Aids epidemic, but one of the greatest songs written about mortality and memory".[22]

Music video

[edit]

The accompanying music video for "Being Boring", the first by fashion photographer Bruce Weber, was filmed in black and white, showing a house party on Long Island.[23] It begins with a nude swimmer and a written message: "I came from Newcastle in the North of England. We used to have lots of parties where everyone got dressed up. And on one party invitation was the quote 'she was never bored because she was never boring'. The song is about growing up—the ideals that you have when you're young and how they turn out". Due to some brief shots of full male nudity throughout the clip, the video was banned from MTV and relegated to airing on the Playboy Channel.[24]

Live performances

[edit]

"Being Boring" was not initially played on the 1991 Peformance tour,[25] leading many fans, including Axl Rose of Guns N' Roses, to complain about its omission.[26] As a result, it was added as an encore late in the tour, with the band commenting that it "invariably got the best reception of the night".[25] Pet Shop Boys played a set that included "Being Boring" and "Go West" at the Stonewall Equality Show, supporting LGBTQ rights, at the Royal Albert Hall on 26 October 1997.[27] "Being Boring" has been performed as an encore on other tours, including the 1994 Discovery Tour, released on CD and DVD as Discovery: Live in Rio 1994;[28] the Pandemonium Tour in 2009–2010, featured on the live album and concert film Pandemonium;[29][30] and on the Dreamworld: The Greatest Hits Live tour in 2022–2024.[31]

B-side

[edit]

The B-side, "We All Feel Better in the Dark" was written around a piece of music Chris Lowe had composed and features him as the lead vocalist. He said that "The idea came from a tape I bought from a health food shop round the corner from the studio: The Secrets of Sexual Attraction. The words are terrible. Awful. Embarrassing."[32] Lowe performed the song during their Performance tour in 1991.[33] The remix 12-inch includes two mixes of the track by Brothers in Rhythm.

Track listings

[edit]
  1. "Being Boring" – 4:50
  2. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" – 4:00
A. "Being Boring" (extended mix) – 10:40
B. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" (extended mix) – 6:45
  • 12-inch remix single[37]
A1. "Being Boring" (Marshall Jefferson remix) – 9:01
B1. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" (After Hours Climax) – 5:29
B2. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" (Ambient) – 5:20
  1. "Being Boring" – 4:50
  2. "We All Feel Better in the Dark" – 4:00
  3. "Being Boring" (extended mix) – 10:40

Personnel

[edit]

Credits adapted from the liner notes for Behaviour: Further Listening 1990–1991[39] and "Being Boring".[15]

Pet Shop Boys

Additional musicians

  • J.J. Belle – guitar
  • Dominic Clarke – plastic tube

Technical personnel

Artwork

Charts

[edit]
Weekly chart performance for "Being Boring"
Chart (1990–1991) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[40] 82
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[41] 30
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[42] 27
Canada Top Singles (RPM)[43] 90
Europe (Eurochart Hot 100 Singles)[44] 27
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista)[45] 5
Germany (GfK)[46] 13
Ireland (IRMA)[47] 17
Italy (Musica e dischi)[48] 5
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[49] 66
Spain (AFYVE)[50] 13
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[51] 16
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[52] 16
UK Singles (OCC)[53] 20
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[54]
with "Seriously" 		10

Release history

[edit]
Release dates and formats for "Being Boring"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United Kingdom 12 November 1990
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
 Parlophone [55][56]
19 November 1990
  • CD
  • cassette
 [57]
Japan 11 January 1991 Mini-CD EMI [58]
[edit]

References

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  1. ^ Edwards, Luke; Elliott, Mark (16 June 2023). "Best Pet Shop Boys Songs: 30 Synth-Pop Hits Always On Our Mind". Dig!. Retrieved 4 January 2025.
  2. ^ a b c Tennant, Neil (2018). One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem: 1979–2016. London: Faber & Faber. pp. 32–33. ISBN 9780571348916.
  3. ^ Fitzgerald, Zelda (2013) [1922]. "Eulogy on the Flapper". In Bruccoli, Matthew J. (ed.). The Collected Writings of Zelda Fitzgerald. New York: Scribner. pp. 391–94. ISBN 9781476758923.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Myers, Mark (27 February 2018). "'Being Boring': the Path to a Pop Elegy". The Wall Street Journal. New York. Retrieved 19 May 2021.
  5. ^ a b c Heath, Chris (2018). Behaviour: Further Listening 1990–1991 (booklet). Pet Shop Boys. Parlophone Records. pp. 4–6. 0190295818852.
  6. ^ a b "Being Boring (1990): Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant in conversation with James Righton". A Magazine curated by Erdem. Interviewed by Righton, James. KD Presse. 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2025.
  7. ^ Peters, Andi (presenter); Pet Shop Boys (guests) (1 October 1993). The O Zone (television production). BBC Two – via 10 Years of Being Boring.
  8. ^ a b Deevoy, Adrian (January 1992). "Oh Mister Songwriters!". Q – via 10 Years of Being Boring.
  9. ^ Tennant 2018, pp. 94–95, 222–23.
  10. ^ "Being Boring by Pet Shop Boys". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  11. ^ "Pet Shop Boys Songs and Albums: Full Official Chart History". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  12. ^ Heath 2020, p. 17–18.
  13. ^ "Furthermore - Pet Shop Boys". petshopboys.co.uk. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2025.
  14. ^ Hoare, Philip; Heath, Chris (2006). Pet Shop Boys, Catalogue. New York: Thames & Hudson. p. 130. ISBN 9780500513071.
  15. ^ a b c Pet Shop Boys (1990). Being Boring (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Parlophone. R 6275, 2041257.
  16. ^ Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". AllMusic. Retrieved 4 November 2020.
  17. ^ "Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 1 December 1990. p. 18. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  18. ^ Webb, Selina (17 November 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 23. Retrieved 1 November 2020.
  19. ^ Morton, Roger. "The Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  20. ^ "Singles". NME. 17 November 1990. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  21. ^ Sawyer, Miranda (14 November 1990). "Singles". Smash Hits. p. 69. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
  22. ^ "Pet Shop Boys' 30 greatest songs – ranked!". The Guardian. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 4 December 2023.
  23. ^ Hoare & Heath 2006, p. 133–35.
  24. ^ Heath 2020, pp. 187, 198.
  25. ^ a b Pet Shop Boys (1991). Discography: The Complete Singles Collection (liner notes). Parlophone. CDPMTV 3.
  26. ^ Heath, Chris (2020). Pet Shop Boys versus America. London: William Heinemann. pp. 108–109. ISBN 9781473575684.
  27. ^ "Royal Albert Hall Catalogue". Royal Albert Hall. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  28. ^ "Pet Shop Boys Announce Discovery: Live In Rio 1994 Available April 30". Rhino. 30 April 2021. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  29. ^ Patashnik, Ben (12 July 2009). "Pet Shop Boys Make T in The Park Debut". NME. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  30. ^ Diver, Mike (2010). "Pet Shop Boys Pandemonium Review". BBC. Retrieved 16 January 2025.
  31. ^ Richards, Will (23 May 2022). "Pet Shop Boys at The O2 gig review: an ecstatic presentation of 40 years of brilliance". Evening Standard. London. Retrieved 20 January 2025.
  32. ^ Heath 2018, p. 22.
  33. ^ Heath 2020, pp. 44–45.
  34. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1990). Being Boring (UK cassette single sleeve). Parlophone. TCR 6275, 2041254.
  35. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1990). Being Boring (Japanese mini-CD single liner notes). EMI Music Japan. TODP-2224.
  36. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1990). Being Boring (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Parlophone. 12R 6275, 2041256.
  37. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1990). Being Boring (UK 12-inch remix single vinyl disc). Parlophone. 12RX 6275, 2041266.
  38. ^ Pet Shop Boys (1990). Being Boring (UK CD single liner notes). Parlophone. CDR 6275, 2041252.
  39. ^ Pet Shop Boys (2018). Behaviour: Further Listening 1990–1991 (liner notes). Parlophone. 0190295818852.
  40. ^ "Response from ARIA re: Pet Shop Boys ARIA chart history, received 29 May 2018". Retrieved 30 March 2020 – via Imgur. N.B. The "NAT" column displays the release's peak position on the national chart.
  41. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  42. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  43. ^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 1474." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  44. ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 2. 21 January 1991. p. 31. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  45. ^ Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin – levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Kustannusosakeyhtiö Otava. p. 233. ISBN 978-951-1-21053-5.
  46. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  47. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Being Bored". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  48. ^ "Classifiche". Musica e dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 30 May 2022. Select "Singoli" in the "Tipo" field, type "Pet Shop Boys" in the "Artista" field and press "cerca".
  49. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  50. ^ Salaverrie, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in Spanish) (1st ed.). Madrid: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  51. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring". Singles Top 100. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
  52. ^ "Pet Shop Boys – Being Boring". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  53. ^ "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  54. ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  55. ^ "Being Boring". petshopboys.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  56. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 10 November 1990. p. 45.
  57. ^ "New Singles". Music Week. 17 November 1990. p. 35.
  58. ^ "ビーイング・ボアリング | ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ" [Being Boring | Pet Shop Boys] (in Japanese). Oricon. Retrieved 22 January 2024.


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