Behaviour (1990)

Behaviour (spelled Behavior in the United States) is the fourth studio album by the English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released on 22 October 1990 by Parlophone. A Japanese special edition included a bonus mini CD, exclusive artwork and printed lyrics in a white velvet-like box.

Background

Harold Faltermeyer produced Behaviour at his Red Deer studio in Munich, Germany (West Germany at the time of recording). Because they were dissatisfied with the available digital synthesisers and samples, Pet Shop Boys wanted to use analogue synthesisers. Faltermeyer was chosen as a producer as he happened to be an expert on analogue equipment. Recording began in April 1990 and took ten weeks, with a break in the middle.

The result was a Pet Shop Boys album that differed from both the previous album, Introspective, and the 1993 follow-up, Very. In places, the album expands upon the synth-pop genre with flavours of guitar pop ballads, as with "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" and "My October Symphony" (a song about the decline of the Soviet Union), featuring guitarist Johnny Marr with whom Neil Tennant had worked on the 1989 Electronic song "Getting Away with It". Later, the duo reflected on the different style of Behaviour: "It was more reflective and more musical-sounding, and also it probably didn't have irritatingly crass ideas in it, like our songs often do." They were inspired by fellow synth-pop group Depeche Mode's album Violator, released earlier that same year, which had "raised the stakes", according to Chris Lowe.

In a 1993 interview with NME, Lowe recalled of Behaviour, "The funny thing was that album was written at a time when the whole rave scene was fantastically exciting and good, the music was really up. I can't understand what happened; we set out to write an uplifting album and we ended up with something which was the complete opposite." Tennant added, "There was an element of sadness to it, it's one of these things that sad songs are more interesting to write."

Singles

"So Hard" (R 6269 – 24 September 1990)

The video was directed by Eric Watson. The B-side was "It Must Be Obvious", with the USA release also having the Italian Mix of "Paninaro", which was originally released on Disco. Remixes were by the Pet Shop Boys themselves, The KLF and David Morales. The KLF also remixed "It Must Be Obvious", which was only available on The KLF versus Pet Shop Boys CD and 12-inch of the single.

"Being Boring" (R 6275 – 12 November 1990)

The video was directed by Bruce Weber. The B-side was "We All Feel Better in the Dark". There were Pet Shop Boys Extended Mixes of both A-side and B-side, and there was a remix of "Being Boring" by Marshall Jefferson and two remixes of the B-side by Brothers in Rhythm on a limited edition 12-inch and CD of the single.

"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (E2-56205 – 1991)

The video was directed by Liam Kan. The single was radically remixed from the album version by Brothers in Rhythm, and this become the version on the double A-side released in the UK with "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)". This US release had the Techno Funk mix of "I Want a Dog", the Marshall Jefferson remix of "Being Boring" and the Trevor Horn 7-inch mix of "It's Alright". There were also remixes by David Morales, which were released on a limited edition 12-inch and CD. The single mix was not on any of the Pet Shop Boys' greatest hits or singles compilations (Discography: The Complete Singles Collection, Pop Art: Pet Shop Boys – The Hits and Smash: The Singles 1985–2020), although the video was on the Pop Art DVD, Videography and the Smash Blu-ray.

"Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" / "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (R 6285 – 11 March 1991)

The videos for both songs were directed by Liam Kan, which drew on iconography from the Pet Shop Boys' then current tour with Tennant spoofing several 'rock' stars including U2, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Presley and George Michael. There was an additional B-side, "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend", and, in addition to some extended mixes of both singles, there were additional remixes of both songs by David Morales.

"Jealousy" (R 6283 – 28 May 1991)