Neil Tennant

{{Short description|English singer, songwriter and music journalist (born 1954)}}

{{About|the singer, songwriter and music journalist|the American philosopher|Neil Tennant (philosopher)}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Neil Tennant

| image = Neil Tennant Hyde Park 2019 (cropped).jpg

| caption = Tennant performing with Pet Shop Boys at Hyde Park in 2019

| background = solo_singer

| birth_name = Neil Francis Tennant

| alias =

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|7|10|df=y}}

| birth_place = North Shields, Northumberland, England

| origin = Newcastle upon Tyne, England

| instrument = {{hlist|Vocals|keyboards|synthesizer|guitar}}

| genre = {{hlist|Synth-pop|electropop|dance|disco|alternative dance}}

| occupation = {{hlist|Singer|songwriter|music journalist}}

| years_active = 1970–present

| label = {{hlist|Parlophone|Spaghetti}}

| current_member_of = Pet Shop Boys

| website = {{URL|https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/}}

}}

Neil Francis Tennant (born 10 July 1954) is an English singer, songwriter and music journalist, and co-founder of the synth-pop duo the Pet Shop Boys, which he formed with Chris Lowe in 1981. He was a journalist for Smash Hits, and assistant editor for the magazine in the mid-1980s.

Tennant coined the phrase imperial phase to describe the period in which a musical artist is regarded to be at their commercial and creative peak simultaneously. This observation was initially self-referential, made as the Pet Shop Boys had achieved commercial success with four British number one hits ("West End Girls", "It's a Sin", "Heart", and "Always on My Mind"), had received critical praise for their first three albums and had expanded their creative horizons through innovative collaborations in the visual and performing arts.{{cite web |url=https://pitchfork.com/features/poptimist/7811-poptimist-29/ |title=Imperial |last=Ewing |first=Tom |date=28 May 2010 |website=Pitchfork |access-date=21 October 2022 |quote=I felt at this time that we had the secret of contemporary pop music, that we knew what was required. We entered our imperial phase.}}

Biography

=Early life=

Neil Francis Tennant was born in the town of North Shields, approximately 8 miles east of Newcastle upon Tyne, to William W. Tennant (1923–2009), a sales representative, and Sheila M. (Watson) Tennant (1923–2008).{{cite web|url=http://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/information.pl?cite=bA50vdYN8eUeyzPu%2Fv7AWw&scan=1|title=Index entry|access-date=22 August 2014|work=FreeBMD|publisher=ONS}} He has an older sister, Susan, and two younger brothers, Simon and Philip.{{cite book |last=Heath |first=Chris |date=2020 |title=Pet Shop Boys, Literally |location=London |publisher=William Heinemann |page=278 |isbn=9781473575691}} The family moved to Greenfield Road (opposite the corner of South Bend), Brunton Park, Gosforth shortly after Neil was born.{{cite news |last=Graham |first=Hannah |date=25 November 2016 |title=Childhood homes of North's stars; Where Our Famous Sons and Daughters Grew Up|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Childhood+homes+of+North%27s+stars%3B+WHERE+OUR+FAMOUS+SONS+AND+DAUGHTERS...-a0471378822|work=Evening Chronicle |location=Newcastle, UK |access-date=11 October 2024}}

Tennant attended St Cuthbert's Grammar School, an all-boys' Catholic school in Newcastle upon Tyne. His songs "This Must Be the Place I Waited Years to Leave" and "It's a Sin" refer to his early life in Catholic school and the strict upbringing there.{{sfn|Tennant|2018|p=16-17, 96-97, 192-193}}{{Cite AV media notes |title=Behaviour: Further Listening 1990-1991 |title-link=Behaviour (Pet Shop Boys album) |last=Heath |first=Chris |author-link=Chris Heath |others=Pet Shop Boys |year=2018 |pages=6-7|type=booklet |publisher=Parlophone Records |id=0190295818852}}

As a child, Tennant taught himself to play guitar and piano and started writing songs.{{sfn|Tennant|2018|p=9}} He also played cello in school.{{cite magazine|last=Harrison|first=Ian|date=August 2013|title=Pet Shop Boys Interviewed: We prefer not to be fake |url=https://www.mojo4music.com/articles/stories/pet-shop-boys-interviewed/|magazine=Mojo|access-date=8 October 2024}} During his teenage years, he played in a folk music group named Dust, who were heavily influenced by The Incredible String Band.{{cite news |last=Tapper |first=James |date=10 April 2022 |title=From Pet Shop Boy to nostalgic folkie: Neil Tennant plays guitar |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/apr/10/neil-tennant-plays-guitar-from-pet-shop-boy-to-nostalgic-folkie |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=8 October 2024}} Tennant wrote several of their songs including "Can You Hear the Dawn Break?", which he regards as his first 'proper' song.{{sfn|Tennant|2018|p=10}} He was also a member of the youth theatre at the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne.{{sfn|Tennant|2018|p=10}}

=Early career=

In 1975, having completed a degree in history at North London Polytechnic (now part of London Metropolitan University), Tennant worked for two years as the production editor for Marvel UK, the UK branch of Marvel Comics. He was responsible for anglicising the dialogue of Marvel's catalogue to suit British readers and for indicating where women needed to be redrawn for the British editions.{{cite book | title=Pet Shop Boys, Annually | year=1989| id= {{ASIN|0723568421|country=uk}} }}{{cite web |url=https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/history/1975|title=Pet Shop Boys Official Site, History Section 1975|website=petshopboys.co.uk|access-date=11 October 2024}} He also wrote occasional features for the comics, including interviews with pop stars Marc Bolan and Alex Harvey.{{cite AV media |people=Ellen, Mark and Hepworth, David (hosts)|date=9 April 2024|title=Word in Your Ear ep. 621: Neil Tennant remembers the pop press and the last great era of forward-looking songs|type=podcast|url=https://shows.acast.com/word-in-your-ear-2/episodes/word-podcast-621-neil-tennant-part-one|time=}} In 1977, he moved to Macdonald Educational Publishing, where he edited The Dairy Book of Home Management (1980){{cite news|title=The Dairy Book of Home Management - Hardcover|url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780356072968/Dairy-Book-Home-Management-Carol-0356072967/plp|work=ABE Books.co.uk|year=1980|access-date=8 October 2024}}{{cite magazine|last=Turner|first=Luke|date=20 May 2024|title=Playful yet Professional, Nevertheless: a Pet Shop Boys Interview|url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/pet-shop-boys-interview-neil-tennant-chris-lowe-nonetheless/|magazine=The Quietus|access-date=11 October 2024}} and various illustrated books about cookery, playing the guitar and other home interests. Then he moved to ITV Books, where he edited TV tie-in books. After having commissioned Steve Bush, then the designer of Smash Hits and The Face, to design a book about the group Madness, he was offered a job at Smash Hits as news editor of the British teen pop magazine in 1982.{{cite news |last=Perrone |first=Pierre |date=5 April 2012 |title=Eric Watson: Photographer who worked with the Pet Shop Boys and for pop bible Smash Hits|url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/eric-watson-photographer-who-worked-with-the-pet-shop-boys-and-for-pop-bible-smash-hits-7622219.html|work=The Independent |location=London |access-date=11 October 2024}} The following year, he became assistant editor. He also edited The Smash Hits Yearbook from 1982 to 1985.

At Smash Hits, an opportunity arose for him to go to New York to interview The Police. While there, Tennant arranged to meet Bobby Orlando, a producer whom he and Chris Lowe admired. Tennant mentioned he was writing songs in his spare time, and Orlando agreed to record some tracks with him and Lowe at a later date. Orlando produced the Pet Shop Boys' first single "West End Girls".{{Cite AV media notes |title=Please: Further Listening 1984-1986|title-link=Please (Pet Shop Boys album)|last=Heath|first=Chris|others=Pet Shop Boys|year=2018|page=1|type=booklet|publisher=Parlophone|id=0190295831745|ref=pleasefurther}}

=Pet Shop Boys=

File:Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys) at Pori Jazz 2014.jpg 2014 in Pori, Finland]]

=Solo appearances=

Alongside his work with Chris Lowe as Pet Shop Boys, Tennant has worked on several side projects including:

In August 2024, he recited spoken-word lyrics of the song "Why?" by Bronski Beat on a remix by Superchumbo for the 40th anniversary edition of The Age of Consent.{{cite web |url=https://djmag.com/news/bronski-beats-why-remixed-pet-shop-boys-neil-tennant-and-superchumbo-listen|title=Bronski Beat's 'Why' remixed by Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Superchumbo: Listen|last=LeJarde|first=Arielle Lana|date=7 August 2024|website=DJ Mag|access-date=3 November 2024}}
In June 2024, he appeared on the Michael Berkeley album Collaborations, singing "Zero Hour", a song about Ukraine for which Tennant also wrote the lyrics.{{cite news |last=Fairman|first=Richard|date=26 June 2024|title=Composer Michael Berkeley is joined by famous friends on 'Collaborations' — review|url=https://www.ft.com/content/3481abad-27c7-4402-ab2d-b1ae8f14e7c3|url-access=subscription|work=Financial Times|location=London|access-date=3 November 2024}}{{cite magazine|last=Achenbach|first=Andrew|title=M Berkeley Collaborations|url=https://www.gramophone.co.uk/review/m-berkeley-collaborations|magazine=Grammophone|access-date=3 November 2024}}
In 2023, Tennant provided vocals on "Skydive" by UK rapper Casisdead.{{cite magazine|last=Davies|first=Sam|date=26 October 2023|title=An extremely rare interview with Casisdead|url=https://theface.com/music/casisdead-interview-album-deadcorp-famous-last-words|magazine=The Face|access-date=11 October 2024}}
In 2017, Tennant sang a duet with Chrissie Hynde on "Let's Get Lost", which originally appeared on the 2016 album Alone by The Pretenders.{{cite web |url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/pretenders-lets-get-lost-neil-tennant/|title=Pretenders Release New Version of "Let's Get Lost" Featuring Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant|last=Giles |first=Jeff |date=6 February 2017|website=Ultimate Classic Rock|access-date=10 October 2024}}
In 2014, Tennant provided vocals on "Were You There" by Diamond Version.{{cite web |url=https://www.releasemagazine.net/neil-tennant-sings-on-new-song-by-diamond-version/|title=Neil Tennant sings on new song by Diamond Version |last=Carlsson |first=Johan |date=24 April 2014 |website=Release Music Magazine|access-date=10 October 2024}}
In 2008, Tennant's vocals featured in The Killers' Christmas song "Joseph, Better You Than Me".{{cite magazine|last=Vozick-Levinson|first=Simon|date=4 August 2020|title= U2, Elton John, and the Killers record Xmas songs for charity|url=https://ew.com/article/2008/12/23/killers-elton-x/|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|access-date=12 October 2024}}
In 2007, Tennant co-produced Rufus Wainwright's album Release the Stars.{{cite magazine|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|date=12 February 2007|title=Rufus Wainwright Seeing 'Stars' On Next Album|url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/rufus-wainwright-seeing-stars-on-next-album-1055063/|magazine=Billboard|access-date=11 October 2024}}
In June 2006, Tennant provided backing vocals on "Throw" by DJ Fresh.{{cite news |last1=Spencer|first1=Roy|date=1 May 2020 |title=Classic Album: DJ Fresh|url=https://www.pressreader.com/australia/future-music-9629/20200501/283648237046947

|url-access=limited|work=Future Music|access-date=12 October 2024|via=PressReader}}

In 2005, Tennant provided lyrics and sang on the track "Tranquilizer" by DJ Tom Stephan (a.k.a. Superchumbo).{{cite web |url=https://ra.co/reviews/3033?comments=1|title=Superchumbo - Wowie Zowie|last=Hogwood|first=Ben |date=19 June 2005|website=Resident Advisor|access-date=12 October 2024}} Under numerous guises and aliases, Stephan had previously remixed Pet Shop Boys tracks such as "Paninaro '95", "Minimal", "New York City boy" and "Sexy Northerner".
In 1998, along with Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy, Tennant sang backing vocals on the Robbie Williams' single "No Regrets".{{cite web |url=https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/product/collaboration/robbie-williams-no-regrets

|title=No Regrets - Robbie Williams |website=petshopboys.co.uk |date=23 November 1998 |access-date=12 October 2024}}

In 1998, he coordinated a charity album Twentieth-Century Blues: The Songs of Noël Coward raising money for Red Hot Organization. The album featured cover versions of songs composed by Noël Coward. In addition to the track "Sail Away" contributed by Pet Shop Boys, Tennant co-produced "There Are Bad Times Just Around the Corner" contributed by Robbie Williams and sang backing vocals on "Twentieth Century Blues" contributed by Elton John.{{Cite web|url=https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/product/collaboration/twentieth-century-blues-the-songs-of-noel-coward|title=Noel Coward — Twentieth Century Blues|website=petshopboys.co.uk|date=6 September 1998}}{{cite magazine|last=Dalton|first=Stephen|date=12 March 2012|title=

From Rock's Backpages: Neil Tennant & Brett Anderson on Noel Coward|url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/rocks-backpages/neil-tennant-brett-anderson-vic-reeves-noel-coward/|magazine=The Quietus|access-date=12 October 2024}}

In April 1996, Tennant's vocals were featured on two live recordings by the British group Suede that were released as b-sides to their single "Filmstar". One track was a cover of the Pet Shop Boys track "Rent", and the second was a duet with Suede singer Brett Anderson on the Suede song "Saturday Night".{{cite web|url=https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/product/collaboration/suede-film-star|title=Film Star|website=petshopboys.co.uk|date=1 August 1997|access-date=7 October 2024}}
In 1992, his backing vocals featured prominently on the Boy George single "The Crying Game"{{cite news |last=Kenny|first=Glenn|date=1 March 1993|title='Crying' Time for Boy George, Pet Shop Boys|work=Rolling Stone}} and on the Cicero single "Love Is Everywhere".{{cite magazine|last=Earls|first=John|date=29 August 2023|title=Cicero - Future Boy|magazine=Classic Pop|page=95}} Both reached the UK Top 40 singles chart.{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/24000/boy-george/|title=Boy George Songs and Albums: Full Official Chart History|website=Official Charts|access-date=12 October 2024}}{{cite web |url=https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/27339/cicero/|title=Cicero Songs and Albums: Full Official Chart History|website=Official Charts|access-date=12 October 2024}}
In 1989, he worked with Electronic, singing backing vocals on their first single "Getting Away with It" and taking lead vocals on the 1992 single "Disappointed". Along with Lowe, he wrote and appeared on the Electronic album track "The Patience of a Saint", on which he shared lead vocals with Bernard Sumner.{{cite web |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/interview-johnny-marr-looks-back-on-electronics-debut-album-30-years-on|title=Interview: Johnny Marr looks back on Electronic's debut album 30 years on|last=Draper|first=Jason|date=31 May 2021|website=Music Radar|access-date=11 October 2024}}

=Books=

One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem (2018) – a collection of Pet Shop Boys' lyrics and song-by-song commentaries.{{cite book |last=Tennant |first=Neil |date=2018 |title=One Hundred Lyrics and a Poem: 1979–2016 |location=London |publisher=Faber & Faber |isbn=9780571348909 |oclc=1085375005}}

Personal life

Tennant came out as gay in a 1994 interview in Attitude magazine.{{Cite web |last=Burston |first=Paul |date=13 March 2016 |title=Attitude Archive: Neil Tennant's 1994 Coming Out Interview |url=http://attitude.co.uk/attitude-archive-neil-tennants-1994-coming-out-interview/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160314161846/https://www.attitude.co.uk/attitude-archive-neil-tennants-1994-coming-out-interview/ |archive-date=14 March 2016 |access-date=29 August 2016 |magazine=Attitude}}{{cite web|title=For Hard-Core Petheads: The Tennant Interview in Full|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/daily-dish/archive/2009/06/for-hard-core-petheads-the-tennant-interview-in-full/200905/|magazine=The Atlantic|date=5 June 2009|access-date=29 August 2016}} Otherwise he remains quiet about his personal and romantic life, preferring to be a "man of mystery", as he states it.{{Cite news|url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/life_style/arts_ents/18184913.prefer-neil-tennant-man-mystery/|title=I prefer to be Neil Tennant, man of mystery|date=25 January 2020|newspaper=The Herald}} He maintains a house in London. He owned a house in County Durham{{cite web|title=I refuse to be restricted by background - or fear|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2004/sep/05/popandrock|website=The Guardian|date=4 September 2004|access-date=14 February 2016}} in the countryside of North East England,Desert Island Discs, BBC Radio 4, Kirsty Young but has since sold it.{{cite AV media |people=Diament, Robert and Tovey, Russell (hosts)|date=25 April 2024|title=Talk Art, season 21, ep. 5: Pet Shop Boys|type=podcast|url=https://shows.acast.com/talkart/episodes/pet-shop-boys|time=1:13|ref="talkart"}} He and Lowe also have an apartment in Berlin.{{cite web|url=https://www.morgenpost.de/vermischtes/stars-und-promis/article228199225/Neil-Tennant-mag-fast-alles-an-Berlin.html |title=Pet Shop Boys: Neil Tennant mag fast alles an Berlin |website=morgenpost.de |date=21 January 2020 |access-date=4 October 2020}}

Tennant is a patron of the Elton John AIDS Foundation.{{cite web|url=http://ejaf.com/about/our-patrons/|title=Elton John AIDS Foundation patrons|website=ejaf.com|access-date=29 September 2014}} In 1998, Tennant was named in a list of the biggest private financial donors to the Labour Party.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/161057.stm |title='Luvvies' for Labour |work=BBC News | date=30 August 1998}} However, in the 2005 general election he voted for the Liberal Democrats, citing disillusionment with Labour's ID card scheme.{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/4763874.stm |title=Pet Shop Boys protest at ID cards |work=BBC News |date=1 March 2006}} The Pet Shop Boys agreed to personal appeals by then-Mayor of London Boris Johnson and then-Prime Minister David Cameron, both prominent Conservative Party politicians, for the group to play at the "winners' parade" taking place shortly after the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony. Enjoying the event's atmosphere and how their stage presence turned into a well-received performance, Tennant subsequently texted Cameron's staff pushing Cameron to use gay scientist Alan Turing's centenary year as impetus for the UK Government to formally pardon Turing.{{cite web|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/09/beyond-suburbs-utopia|title=The Pet Shop Boys on texting Cameron and Russian homophobia|website=New Statesman|date=10 June 2021}} The formal pardon did go through on 24 December 2013, with the related official paperwork signed by Queen Elizabeth II.

Tennant has praised the group The Specials and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello, highlighting "Ghost Town" and "Shipbuilding" as protest songs successfully putting politics into pop music.

He has criticised ageism in the music industry, stating in 2013 that radio professionals would tell him that they want to play Pet Shop Boys songs on the air, but will not because the duo, then in their 50s, were considered to be "too old".

Legacy

Actor David Tennant adopted his stage name from Tennant when joining Equity, as another actor was already registered with his birth name, David McDonald.Tim Walker [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-tennant-the-good-doctor-802404.html "David Tennant: The good doctor"], The Independent, 29 March 2008{{Cite news |last=Shannon |first=Sarah |date=7 December 2005 |title=David Tennant: His days of blissful anonymity are numbered |work=The Independent |location=UK |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/profiles/david-tennant-his-days-of-blissful-anonymity-are-numbered-518503.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060421054706/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/profiles/article331665.ece |archive-date=21 April 2006}}{{cite news |date=19 March 2015 |title=David Tennant reveals Pet Shop Boys inspiration |website=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport/31944492#:~:text=David%20Tennant%20revealed%20to%20School,McDonald%2C%20his%20name%20at%20birth. |access-date=1 August 2022}}

References

External links

[http://www.petshopboys.co.uk Pet Shop Boys official website]
[http://www.discogs.com/artist/Neil+Tennant Neil Tennant] discography at Discogs
{{IMDb name|id=0855057|name=Neil Tennant}}

Category:1954 births

Category:20th-century English LGBTQ people

Category:20th-century English male singers

Category:21st-century English LGBTQ people

Category:21st-century English male singers

Category:Alumni of the University of North London

Category:British disco musicians

Category:British synth-pop musicians

Category:Disco singers

Category:Electronic (band) members

Category:English dance musicians

Category:English gay musicians