Pet Shop Boys Say 'West End Girls’ Used Drake Without Permission – Rolling Stone

Mike Prior/Getty Images; Prince Williams/WireImage

On Drake’s “All The Parties,” his voice emerges from an ambient fever dream. „East End boys and West End girls, yes,” autotunes her voice. He repeats that last line, just like the pet shop boys did when they recorded „West End Girls” 40 years ago.

„West End Girls” was the British synth-pop group’s first single, released in April 1984 and became a number one hit in the US and UK in 1986 when they included it on their debut album. please. Now the group claims Drake interpolated the music without their permission For all dogs Track, and he doesn’t credit them.

„It’s amazing to hear Drake sing 'West End Girls’ on the track 'All The Parties’ off his new album,” the band said. wrote in a tweet. „No credit given or permission requested.”

Reps for Drake and Pet Shop Boys did not respond It’s Rolling Stone Requests for comment at the time of publication.

Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe recorded „West End Girls” with disco producer Bobby „O” Orlando in 1983 after playing some of the boys’ demos in Orlando; Tennant was working as a music journalist at the time and met Orlando during an interview for Sting Smash hits.

Both were inspired by TS Eliot’s „The Message,” Grandmaster Flash and Furious Bye. waste land, and James Cagney gangster films for meditations on London clubbing. The original single was a minor hit when it came out. The team found it’s second wind after hooking up with producer Stephen Hack please, and recorded it over and over again. The song peaked at number 65 It’s Rolling Stone List of the 200 Greatest Dance Songs of All Time and 433 on the magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.