Actually (1987)

Actually (stylised as Pet Shop Boys, actually.) is the second studio album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 7 September 1987 by Parlophone in the United Kingdom and by EMI Manhattan in North America. The album features two number one singles, "It's a Sin" and "Heart", and a duet with Dusty Springfield, "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" Actually is the Pet Shop Boys' top-selling album in the UK, certified triple platinum with over one million sales; worldwide it has sold over four million copies.

Background and recording

For their second album, Pet Shop Boys still had material from their early songwriting days, including "It's a Sin" (1982), "Rent" (1984), and "One More Chance" which they had recorded with Bobby Orlando and released as an unsuccessful single outside the UK in 1984. "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" was a collaboration with songwriter Allee Willis, suggested by their manager Tom Watkins; they had hoped to include it on Please (1986) but had to wait for a response from Dusty Springfield.

The duo also wrote new material. "Hit Music" was inspired by the Henry Mancini theme song "Peter Gunn" covered by Art of Noise. The music for "I Want to Wake Up" was written by Chris Lowe; the lyrics added by Neil Tennant compare unrequited love to a bad dream, mentioning the songs "Tainted Love" and "Love Is Strange". The chart-topper "Heart" was a song they considered giving to Madonna as well as Hazell Dean, but ultimately the duo decided to keep for themselves.

"Shopping" began as a joke about spelling out the word as they were shopping, but the lyrics took a turn about the privatisation of national industries under Margaret Thatcher. The "Tell Sid" advertisements for British Gas, encouraging people to buy shares in the company, were a particular source of inspiration.

Composer Ennio Morricone shares a songwriting credit on "It Couldn't Happen Here". Pet Shop Boys had contacted Morricone about writing a string arrangement for their song "Jealousy", but instead he sent them an Italian song to work with. Pet Shop Boys used the music from the chorus of Morricone's song and wrote a new verse, with Lowe adding chord changes. Angelo Badalamenti contributed an arrangement which was programmed into a Fairlight by Blue Weaver in lieu of an orchestra. The title "It Couldn't Happen Here" refers to an early belief, discussed by Tennant and his friend Christopher Dowell, that AIDS would not greatly impact the UK. By the time Tennant wrote the lyrics, Dowell had been diagnosed with the disease; he died two years later.

The last track on the album, "King's Cross", depicts the area around King's Cross station in London, which at the time was a destination for drug addicts, prostitutes, and the homeless, as well as people coming by train from northern England and Scotland seeking opportunities. According to Tennant, "It's an angry song about Thatcherism. Mrs Thatcher came in on the promise of firm government and I'm interpreting 'the smack of firm government' literally as hitting someone. That's what firm government tends to mean—you hit the weakest person, the man at the back of the queue". With this and songs like "Shopping" and "It Couldn't Happen Here", Tennant noted that Actually can be taken loosely as a critique of Thatcherism.

Actually was recorded at Sarm Studios and Advision Studios. On the album Pet Shop Boys worked with several producers, including Julian Mendelsohn and Stephen Hague. Mendelsohn produced and engineered half of the album's ten tracks, including the lead single and UK number one "It's a Sin", while Hague, who had produced the duo's previous album Please, this time only produced a few tracks, including "What Have I Done to Deserve This?", and mixed "It's a Sin". "Heart", which went on to became a UK number one single, was produced by Andy Richards and mixed by Mendelsohn. Wanting to keep everything fresh and not lose perspective, the production method was usually to work only a few hours at the time on each track and then switch to another.

Music

Actually is considered a synth-pop album. According to Matt Mitchell of Paste Magazine, Pet Shop Boys "went absolutely bonkers mad" on the album.

Album cover

The album cover was originally going to feature a painting by Scottish artist Alison Watt, who had just won the National Portrait Gallery-supported John Player Portrait Award. The group travelled to Glasgow, along with photographer Eric Watson and designer Mark Farrow, to meet her. Sittings for the painting would have taken three weeks, so instead photos were taken of the duo in different poses. After a few weeks, Watt submitted the painting, but Lowe was unhappy with how he looked in it. The painting was reworked and although Tennant was pleased with it, Lowe still had reservations. It was decided that the painting was not right for the album and it was shelved. The painting was bought by Tennant.