Fundamental (Pet Shop Boys album)
Encyclopedia
Fundamental is the sixteenth album
, the ninth of entirely new music, by the British
band
Pet Shop Boys
. It was released in May 2006 in the United Kingdom, Europe
, Japan
, and Canada
, and was released in late June 2006 in the United States
. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
at number five on 28 May 2006 (see 2006 in British music
). In the US the album peaked at #150 selling 7500 copies in its first week. As of April 2009 it had sold 46,000 copies in the US and 66,000 copies in the UK. Fundamental earned three Grammy nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording with "I'm with Stupid" and 2008 for Best Dance Recording with "Minimal".
The album was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Trevor Horn
and it features eleven new Pet Shop Boys compositions, and "Numb", written by Diane Warren
(Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe originally planned to have "Numb" be one of two new tracks on PopArt, but opted instead for "Miracles" and "Flamboyant").
The liner notes
show that the album is dedicated to two executed Iran
ian gay teenagers, Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni
, who were hanged on 19 July 2005. Some reports have suggested the two may have been executed for engaging in homosexual behaviour, though the official Iranian report (which is by necessity suspect) was that they were hanged for raping a 13-year-old boy. The album was critically acclaimed and went on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide.
— portrayed here in a light, critical manner, which singer Neil Tennant
attributes to the relatively relaxed status of religious freedom in the United Kingdom
.
Specific contemporary issues discussed in the lyrics include tensions and fears in the United States caused by the War on Terrorism
, addressed in songs such as "Psychological" and "Luna Park" ("Luna Park
" being the name of various amusement park
s around the world). Other songs refer to the politics of the band's home country; "Indefinite leave to remain
" refers to an immigration status in the United Kingdom, while "Integral
" criticizes the Identity Cards Act 2006. (A statement from a band spokesman cites the issue as the reason that Tennant ceased his well-publicized support of Tony Blair
's Labour Party
.) "I'm with Stupid", meanwhile, touches upon both countries by satirizing Blair's alliance with George W. Bush
. (See also special relationship
.)
Other subject matters are dealt with as well. "Casanova in Hell" is about the 18th century historical figure Giacomo Casanova
, and how he immortalized himself by writing memoir
s about his history of sexual seduction
of numerous women. Tennant refers to, specifically, the book Casanova's Homecoming by Arthur Schnitzler
as his inspiration for the song. (It was sung by Rufus Wainwright
at its very first live performance, at a private concert recorded for BBC Radio 2
at the Mermaid Theatre
on 8 May 2006.) "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" references two of the biblical cities of sin, Sodom and Gomorrah
, in saying that to learn to 'go where angels fear to tread' (i.e. to sin) is to learn to live freely.
since the 1989 single "It's alright". Its sound bears the producer's heavily orchestra
l style (also present on that song), most frequently associated with the 1982 ABC
album The Lexicon of Love
as well as the 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood
single "Two Tribes
" and subsequent album Welcome to the Pleasuredome
. Horn was also musical director for the Radio 2 concert, which featured the BBC Concert Orchestra
.
The album's personnel included many of Horn's frequent musical collaborators, including Anne Dudley
, Tessa Niles
, Jamie Muhoberac
, Phil Palmer
, Steve Lipson, Lol Creme
, Tim Pierce, Earl Harvin
, Frank Ricotti
, Luis Jardim
, Lucinda Barry.
. "In Private", here presented as a duet with Elton John
, was originally a Dusty Springfield
song written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. First released as a single in 1989, it was later included on the 1991 album Reputation
.
Guest musicians
Guests on Fundamentalism
gave the first review of the album.
On 13 February 2006, it was announced that the release date of Fundamental had been pushed back to 22 May, because EMI
needed "more set-up time". At the same time "I'm with Stupid" was announced to be the revised lead single. This was followed on 4 April 2006, with news that there would be a limited edition of the new album that would include a bonus CD called Fundamentalism.
There is also a demo of a song called "Dancing in the Dusk" that Sondre Lerche
asked them to record.
It remains to be seen whether any of these songs will materialise as future B-sides.
This album has been released with the Copy Control
protection system in some regions.
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
, the ninth of entirely new music, by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys are an English electronic dance music duo, consisting of Neil Tennant, who provides main vocals, keyboards and occasional guitar, and Chris Lowe on keyboards....
. It was released in May 2006 in the United Kingdom, Europe
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, and was released in late June 2006 in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The album entered the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
at number five on 28 May 2006 (see 2006 in British music
2006 in British music
This is a summary of 2006 in music in the United Kingdom including the official single and album charts.-Summary:*At both ends of the year, the chart was dominated by acts from series 2 and series 3 of the television show The X Factor...
). In the US the album peaked at #150 selling 7500 copies in its first week. As of April 2009 it had sold 46,000 copies in the US and 66,000 copies in the UK. Fundamental earned three Grammy nominations at the 2007 Grammy Awards for Best Dance/Electronic Album and Best Dance Recording with "I'm with Stupid" and 2008 for Best Dance Recording with "Minimal".
The album was produced by the Pet Shop Boys and Trevor Horn
Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
and it features eleven new Pet Shop Boys compositions, and "Numb", written by Diane Warren
Diane Warren
Diane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
(Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe originally planned to have "Numb" be one of two new tracks on PopArt, but opted instead for "Miracles" and "Flamboyant").
The liner notes
Liner notes
Liner notes are the writings found in booklets which come inserted into the compact disc jewel case or the equivalent packaging for vinyl records and cassettes.-Origin:...
show that the album is dedicated to two executed Iran
Iran
Iran , officially the Islamic Republic of Iran , is a country in Southern and Western Asia. The name "Iran" has been in use natively since the Sassanian era and came into use internationally in 1935, before which the country was known to the Western world as Persia...
ian gay teenagers, Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni
Mahmoud Asgari and Ayaz Marhoni
Mahmoud Asgari, 16, and Ayaz Marhoni, 18, were Iranian teenagers from the province of Khorasan who were publicly hanged in Edalat Square in Mashhad, northeast Iran, on July 19, 2005. They were executed after being convicted by the court of having raped a 13-year old boy. The case attracted...
, who were hanged on 19 July 2005. Some reports have suggested the two may have been executed for engaging in homosexual behaviour, though the official Iranian report (which is by necessity suspect) was that they were hanged for raping a 13-year-old boy. The album was critically acclaimed and went on to sell over 1 million copies worldwide.
Subject matter
The album has been noted for being more political than any other of the duo's albums to date; even the title, in one sense, is a reference to religious fundamentalismFundamentalism
Fundamentalism is strict adherence to specific theological doctrines usually understood as a reaction against Modernist theology. The term "fundamentalism" was originally coined by its supporters to describe a specific package of theological beliefs that developed into a movement within the...
— portrayed here in a light, critical manner, which singer Neil Tennant
Neil Tennant
Neil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
attributes to the relatively relaxed status of religious freedom in the United Kingdom
Status of religious freedom in the United Kingdom
The right to Freedom of religion in the United Kingdom is provided for in all three constituent legal systems, by devolved, national, European, and international law and treaty. Four constituent nations compose the United Kingdom, resulting in an inconsistent religious character, and there is no...
.
Specific contemporary issues discussed in the lyrics include tensions and fears in the United States caused by the War on Terrorism
War on Terrorism
The War on Terror is a term commonly applied to an international military campaign led by the United States and the United Kingdom with the support of other North Atlantic Treaty Organisation as well as non-NATO countries...
, addressed in songs such as "Psychological" and "Luna Park" ("Luna Park
Luna Park (disambiguation)
Luna Park is a name shared by dozens of currently operating and defunct amusement parks that have opened on every continent except Antarctica since 1903.-History:...
" being the name of various amusement park
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
s around the world). Other songs refer to the politics of the band's home country; "Indefinite leave to remain
Indefinite leave to remain
Indefinite leave to remain is an immigration status granted to a person who does not hold right of abode in the United Kingdom , but who has been admitted to the UK without any time limit on his or her stay and who is free to take up employment or study, without restriction...
" refers to an immigration status in the United Kingdom, while "Integral
Integral (song)
"Integral" is a 2007 single by British synth pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in an electronic download-only format on 8th October. It was the only single and to promote the band's remix album Disco 4 in 2007....
" criticizes the Identity Cards Act 2006. (A statement from a band spokesman cites the issue as the reason that Tennant ceased his well-publicized support of Tony Blair
Tony Blair
Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...
's Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
.) "I'm with Stupid", meanwhile, touches upon both countries by satirizing Blair's alliance with George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. (See also special relationship
Special relationship
The Special Relationship is a phrase used to describe the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, following its use in a 1946 speech by British statesman Winston Churchill...
.)
Other subject matters are dealt with as well. "Casanova in Hell" is about the 18th century historical figure Giacomo Casanova
Giacomo Casanova
Giacomo Girolamo Casanova de Seingalt was an Italian adventurer and author from the Republic of Venice. His autobiography, Histoire de ma vie , is regarded as one of the most authentic sources of the customs and norms of European social life during the 18th century...
, and how he immortalized himself by writing memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
s about his history of sexual seduction
Seduction
In social science, seduction is the process of deliberately enticing a person to engage. The word seduction stems from Latin and means literally "to lead astray". As a result, the term may have a positive or negative connotation...
of numerous women. Tennant refers to, specifically, the book Casanova's Homecoming by Arthur Schnitzler
Arthur Schnitzler
Dr. Arthur Schnitzler was an Austrian author and dramatist.- Biography :Arthur Schnitzler, son of a prominent Hungarian-Jewish laryngologist Johann Schnitzler and Luise Markbreiter , was born in Praterstraße 16, Leopoldstadt, Vienna, in the Austro-Hungarian...
as his inspiration for the song. (It was sung by Rufus Wainwright
Rufus Wainwright
Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright is an American-Canadian singer-songwriter. He has recorded six albums of original music, EPs, and tracks on compilations and film soundtracks.-Early years:...
at its very first live performance, at a private concert recorded for BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is one of the BBC's national radio stations and the most popular station in the United Kingdom. Much of its daytime playlist-based programming is best described as Adult Contemporary or AOR, although the station is also noted for its specialist broadcasting of other musical genres...
at the Mermaid Theatre
Mermaid Theatre
The Mermaid Theatre was a theatre at Puddle Dock, in Blackfriars, in the City of London and the first built there since the time of Shakespeare...
on 8 May 2006.) "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" references two of the biblical cities of sin, Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah
Sodom and Gomorrah were cities mentioned in the Book of Genesis and later expounded upon throughout the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament and Deuterocanonical sources....
, in saying that to learn to 'go where angels fear to tread' (i.e. to sin) is to learn to live freely.
Music
The album is Pet Shop Boys' first collaboration with Trevor HornTrevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
since the 1989 single "It's alright". Its sound bears the producer's heavily orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
l style (also present on that song), most frequently associated with the 1982 ABC
ABC (band)
ABC are an English band, that charted ten UK and five US Top 40 singles between 1981 and 1990. The band continues to tour and released a new album, Traffic, in 2008.-Formation:...
album The Lexicon of Love
The Lexicon of Love
The Lexicon of Love is the critically acclaimed chart-topping debut album by British pop band ABC, released in 1982. It is a concept album in which the singer experiences heartache as he tries and fails to have a meaningful relationship....
as well as the 1984 Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Frankie Goes to Hollywood were a British dance-pop band popular in the mid-1980s. The group was fronted by Holly Johnson , with Paul Rutherford , Peter Gill , Mark O'Toole , and Brian Nash .The group's debut single "Relax" was banned by the BBC in 1984 while at number six in the charts and...
single "Two Tribes
Two Tribes
"Two Tribes" is the second single by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, released in the UK by ZTT Records in May 1984 . The song was later included on the album Welcome to the Pleasuredome....
" and subsequent album Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Welcome to the Pleasuredome
Welcome to the Pleasuredome was the debut album by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, first released in the UK in October 1984 by ZTT/Island Records. Originally issued as a vinyl double album, it was assured of a UK chart entry at number one due to reported advance sales of over one million...
. Horn was also musical director for the Radio 2 concert, which featured the BBC Concert Orchestra
BBC Concert Orchestra
The BBC Concert Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London, one of the British Broadcasting Corporation's five radio orchestras. With around fifty players, it is the only one of the five which is not a full-scale symphony orchestra....
.
The album's personnel included many of Horn's frequent musical collaborators, including Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley
Anne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
, Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles
Tessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
, Jamie Muhoberac
Jamie Muhoberac
Jamie Muhoberac is a session keyboardist with numerous credits, including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones , Backstreet Boys, Aly & AJ, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Cornell , My Chemical Romance, Paradise Lost, Girlfriend, Carmen Rizzo and Pet Shop Boys...
, Phil Palmer
Phil Palmer
Philip 'Phil' John Palmer is a sideman and session guitarist in jazz and rock who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous famous artists...
, Steve Lipson, Lol Creme
Lol Crème
Lol Creme is an English musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings, plays guitar and keyboards.-Biography:...
, Tim Pierce, Earl Harvin
Earl Harvin
Earl Harvin is a drummer, percussionist and multi-instrumentalist from the New York area who has lived in Dallas, Texas and Los Angeles and is now residing in Berlin, Germany....
, Frank Ricotti
Frank Ricotti
Frank Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.Ricotti played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra while a teenager, then attended Trinity College of Music...
, Luis Jardim
Luís Jardim
Luís Alberto Figueira Gonçalves Jardim is a Portuguese percussionist, born in the Madeira Island, best known for his work with producer Trevor Horn.-Family:Jardim is a cousin of Alberto João Jardim...
, Lucinda Barry.
Fundamentalism
Special limited editions of the album include a second bonus CD called Fundamentalism. The disc includes remixed tracks with contributions by artists such as Alter EgoAlter Ego (band)
Alter Ego is a German acid house music group, comprising Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke. They achieved notability in 2004 with their track "Rocker", which became one of the year's defining dance anthems, especially in Europe, and getting played on rotation amongst the most popular electroclash...
. "In Private", here presented as a duet with Elton John
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
, was originally a Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
Mary Isobel Catherine Bernadette O'BrienSources use both Isabel and Isobel as the spelling of her second name. OBE , known professionally as Dusty Springfield and dubbed The White Queen of Soul, was a British pop singer whose career extended from the late 1950s to the 1990s...
song written and produced by the Pet Shop Boys. First released as a single in 1989, it was later included on the 1991 album Reputation
Reputation (album)
Reputation is the thirteenth studio album by British singer Dusty Springfield, and twelfth released. Issued on the Parlophone Records label in the UK and the rest of Europe in June 1990, Reputation was not only Springfield's first studio album in eight years at the time but in fact also the first...
.
Fundamental
- "Psychological" – 4:10
- "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" – 5:19
- "I made my excuses and left" – 4:53
- "MinimalMinimal (song)"Minimal" is a song by British synthpop band Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their 2006 album Fundamental. It was released 24 July 2006 as the second single from that album in the UK, entering the UK Singles Chart at #19 in the first week of its release . It was their 37th Top 20 hit in the UK...
" – 4:21 - "NumbNumb (Pet Shop Boys song)"Numb" is a song recorded by Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their album Fundamental. It was released on 16 October 2006 as the third single from that album, peaking at #23 in the UK Singles Chart...
" – 4:43 (Diane WarrenDiane WarrenDiane Eve Warren , is a US songwriter. Her songs have received six Academy Award nominations, five Golden Globe nominations, including one win and seven Grammy Award nominations, including one win. She was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2001...
) - "God willing" – 1:17
- "Luna Park" – 5:31
- "I'm with Stupid" – 3:24
- "Casanova in Hell" – 3:13
- "Twentieth Century" – 4:39
- "Indefinite leave to remain" – 3:08
- "IntegralIntegral (song)"Integral" is a 2007 single by British synth pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in an electronic download-only format on 8th October. It was the only single and to promote the band's remix album Disco 4 in 2007....
" – 3:55
Fundamentalism
- "Fugitive" (Richard XRichard XRichard Philips, best known by his stage name Richard X, is a British songwriter and music producer. Gaining attention as a pioneer of the bootleg craze, Richard X has earned success as a producer and remixer. He has helmed hit singles for artists including Annie, Kelis, Liberty X, Rachel Stevens...
extended mix) – 6:06 - "Sodom" (TrentemøllerTrentemøllerAnders Trentemøller is a Danish electronic music producer and multi-instrumentalist based in Copenhagen, Denmark.-History:...
remix) – 7:24 - "Psychological" (Alter EgoAlter Ego (band)Alter Ego is a German acid house music group, comprising Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling Wuttke. They achieved notability in 2004 with their track "Rocker", which became one of the year's defining dance anthems, especially in Europe, and getting played on rotation amongst the most popular electroclash...
remix) – 7:13 - "FlamboyantFlamboyant (song)"Flamboyant" is a single by Pet Shop Boys, released in 2004. It was the second single and one of two new songs from their 2003 singles compilation, PopArt.It peaked at #12 in UK....
" (Michael MayerMichael Mayer (musician)Michael Mayer is one of the key figures of Cologne, Germany's electronic music scene. Mayer is a remixer, DJ, and producer, and has released a small handful of his own singles on the Kompakt music label that he helps run with founder Wolfgang Voigt...
KompaktKompaktKompakt is a Cologne-based electronic music record label and vinyl/CD distributor, owned by Wolfgang Voigt, Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape. They specialize in microhouse and minimal techno, and are known for their Total compilation series which reached its eleventh installment in 2010.Kompakt...
mix) – 7:58 - "I'm with Stupid" (Melnyk Heavy Petting mix) – 6:07
- "In PrivateIn Private"In Private" was the third single in a row to be a charting success for British singer Dusty Springfield, after nearly two decades of little chart success. Both "In Private" and Springfield's previous single, "Nothing Has Been Proved" were produced by Pet Shop Boys, who helped return Springfield to...
" (Stuart Crichton club mix) (featuring Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
) – 5:07 - "MinimalMinimal (song)"Minimal" is a song by British synthpop band Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their 2006 album Fundamental. It was released 24 July 2006 as the second single from that album in the UK, entering the UK Singles Chart at #19 in the first week of its release . It was their 37th Top 20 hit in the UK...
" (Lobe remix) – 4:47 - "Gomorrah" (DettingerDettingerDettinger is a German record producer signed to Cologne, Germany's based Kompakt label.His releases include 1998's Blond 12", 1999's album Intershop , Puma 12" and Totentanz 12", and 2000's album Oasis.Dettingers tracks have appeared on a range on compilations, including Kompakt's Total and Pop...
remix) – 5:39 - "I'm with Stupid" (PSB maxi-mix) (Japan bonus track) – 8:12
- "MinimalMinimal (song)"Minimal" is a song by British synthpop band Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their 2006 album Fundamental. It was released 24 July 2006 as the second single from that album in the UK, entering the UK Singles Chart at #19 in the first week of its release . It was their 37th Top 20 hit in the UK...
" (TigaTiga (musician)Tiga is the stage name of Montreal-born DJ/producer Tiga James Sontag . His album Sexor won the 2007 Juno Award for Dance Recording of the Year.-Career:He graduated from Selwyn House School, a prestigious school in Westmount...
's M-I-N-I-M-A-L remix) (Japan bonus track) – 5:40 - "The Sodom and Gomorrah Show" (demo version) (iTunes StoreITunes StoreThe iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
bonus track) – 5:02 - "I'm with Stupid" (demo version) (iTunes Store bonus track) – 3:38
Personnel
- Neil TennantNeil TennantNeil Francis Tennant is an English musician, singer and songwriter, who, with bandmate Chris Lowe, makes up the successful electronic dance music duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
- Chris LoweChris LoweChris Lowe is an English musician, who, with colleague Neil Tennant, makes up the pop duo Pet Shop Boys.-Childhood:...
Guest musicians
- Pete Gleadall – Original programming
- Nick Ingman – Orchestral arrangement and conduction on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9 & 12
- Alanna Tavernier and Laura Edwards – Backing vocals on track 1
- Pete Murray – Additional keyboards on track 1, 4, 5, 10 & 11
- Jamie MuhoberacJamie MuhoberacJamie Muhoberac is a session keyboardist with numerous credits, including The All-American Rejects, Fleetwood Mac, The Rolling Stones , Backstreet Boys, Aly & AJ, Bob Dylan, Goo Goo Dolls, Chris Cornell , My Chemical Romance, Paradise Lost, Girlfriend, Carmen Rizzo and Pet Shop Boys...
– Additional keyboards on tracks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11 & 12, Bass on track 4 - Patrick Lannigan – Bass on track 1, 3 & 4
- Earl Harwin – Vibraphone on tracks 1 & 2, Acoustic drums on track 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11 & 12, Electronic drums on track 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 & 12, Marimba on track 2 & 4, Bass on track 3
- Skaila Kanga – Harp on tracks 1, 3, 4, 6, 7 & 9
- Anne DudleyAnne DudleyAnne Dudley is an English composer and pop musician, and was the first BBC Concert Orchestra's Composer in Association in 2001. She has worked in both the classical and pop genres. She is perhaps best known, however, as one of the core members of the synthpop band Art of Noise and also as a film...
– Orchestral and brass arrangement and conducting on tracks 2 & 11 - Helene Parker, Sarah Eyden, Emma Brain Gabbot and Julia Doyle – Backing vocals on track 2
- Tessa NilesTessa NilesTessa Niles is an English singer, best known as a backing singer for a wide variety of artists.-Early life and career:Born in Kent, Niles began her professional singing career, as both a lead and a backing vocalist, in 1979...
– Backing vocals on tracks 2, 8, 9 & 12 - Jenny O'Grady – Choir master on track 2
- Fred Appelgate – Narration on track 2
- Oliver Pouliot – Additional voice on track 2
- Dave Clayton – Additional keyboards and programming on tracks 2, 7 & 9, Keyboards and programming on track 6
- Luca Baldini – Additional keyboards on tracks 2 & 11, Additional programming on track 2
- Phil PalmerPhil PalmerPhilip 'Phil' John Palmer is a sideman and session guitarist in jazz and rock who has toured, recorded, and worked with numerous famous artists...
– Guitar on tracks 2, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 & 11 - Steve Lipson – Guitar on tracks 2 & 12
- Lol CremeLol CrèmeLol Creme is an English musician and music video director, best known for his work in 10cc. He sings, plays guitar and keyboards.-Biography:...
– Guitar on tracks 2, 8, 10 & 12 - Trevor HornTrevor HornTrevor Charles Horn CBE is an English pop music record producer, songwriter, musician and singer. He was born in Houghton-le-Spring in north-east England....
– Guitar on tracks 2, 6, 9, 11 & 12, Bass guitar on tracks 2, 4, 6 & 7, Additional keyboards on track 3 & 7, Additional vocals on track 4, Additional programming on track 7 - Virgil HoweVirgil Howe-Biography:Virgil is the second son of guitarist Steve Howe . Alongside his brother, drummer Dylan Howe, he has played keyboards for a number of his father's projects, including the Steve Howe solo albums The Grand Scheme of Things and Spectrum , as well as in Steve Howe's Remedy...
– Acoustic drums on track 2, Percussion on track 7 - Cliff Hewitt – Electronic drums on tracks 2, 7, 8, Acoustic drums on track 9, Percussion on track 12
- Frank RicottiFrank RicottiFrank Ricotti is an English jazz vibraphonist and percussionist.Ricotti played in the National Youth Jazz Orchestra while a teenager, then attended Trinity College of Music...
– Percussion on tracks 2, 7, 9, 10 & 12 - Lucinda Barry – Harp on tracks 2, 4, 7, 9 & 12
- Steve Sidwell – Orchestral arrangement and conducting on track 5
- Gavyn WrightGavyn WrightGavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London Session Orchestra and Penguin Cafe Orchestra, best known for his orchestral arrangements on pop productions as well as numerous TV and movie soundtracks Gavyn Wright is a British violinist and orchestra leader with the London...
– Orchestra leader on track 5 - Tim Pierce – Acoustic and electric guitars on track 5
- Luis JardimLuís JardimLuís Alberto Figueira Gonçalves Jardim is a Portuguese percussionist, born in the Madeira Island, best known for his work with producer Trevor Horn.-Family:Jardim is a cousin of Alberto João Jardim...
– Percussion on track 5 - Simon Chamberlain – Additional keyboards on track 7
- Robert Orton – Shaker on track 7
- Lucinda Barry and Debi Doss – Backing vocals on tracks 9 & 12
- Andy Caine and Bruce WoolleyBruce WoolleyBruce Woolley is an English writer, performer, record producer and composer.- Early years :Bruce Woolley was born in Loughborough, England on 11 November 1953 and was educated at Loughborough Grammar School where he learned electric guitar, began to write songs and where he met his future wife,...
– Backing vocals on track 12
Guests on Fundamentalism
- Pete Gleadall – Original programming
- Richard X – Production on track 1
- Pete Hoffman – Mix on track 1
- Anders Trentemøller – Additional production, instrumentation and remixing on track 2
- Mikael Simpson – Additional bass on track 2
- Roman Flügel and Jörn Elling – Remix and additional production on track 3
- Michael Mayer and Superpitcher – Remix production on track 4
- Melnyk – Remix and additional production on track 5
- Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
– Duet vocals on track 6 - Stuart Chrichton – Production and mix on track 6
- Lobe – Remix and additional production on track 7
- Olof Dettinger – Remix production on track 8
Fundamental (original track listing)
On 22 December 2005, the official Pet Shop Boys website announced an early track listing for the album and gave a release date of 17 April 2006 with new single "Minimal" arriving a few weeks beforehand. This was quickly followed up on 23 December, when pop music fansite PopjusticePopjustice
Popjustice is a music website founded in 2000 and is the work of UK freelance music journalist Peter Robinson, who has worked for NME, The Guardian, Attitude and many others....
gave the first review of the album.
On 13 February 2006, it was announced that the release date of Fundamental had been pushed back to 22 May, because EMI
EMI
The EMI Group, also known as EMI Music or simply EMI, is a multinational music company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the fourth-largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry and one of the "big four" record companies. EMI Group also has a major...
needed "more set-up time". At the same time "I'm with Stupid" was announced to be the revised lead single. This was followed on 4 April 2006, with news that there would be a limited edition of the new album that would include a bonus CD called Fundamentalism.
Singles
- "Psychological" — In December 2005, a limited 12-inch white labelWhite labelWhite label records are vinyl records with adhesive plain white labels affixed. Test pressings, usually with Test Pressing written on the label, with catalogue number, artist and recording time or date, are produced in small quantities to evaluate the quality of the disc production...
of "Psychological" was released. This one-track promo single featured an instrumental mix of the track, clocking in at 4:05. - "I'm with Stupid" — the first commercially available single from Fundamental released 8 May 2006 in the UK.
- "MinimalMinimal (song)"Minimal" is a song by British synthpop band Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their 2006 album Fundamental. It was released 24 July 2006 as the second single from that album in the UK, entering the UK Singles Chart at #19 in the first week of its release . It was their 37th Top 20 hit in the UK...
" — released 24 July 2006, "Minimal" was announced by the Pet Shop Boys on 6 May as the second commercially available single from Fundamental in the UK. - "NumbNumb (Pet Shop Boys song)"Numb" is a song recorded by Pet Shop Boys and is featured on their album Fundamental. It was released on 16 October 2006 as the third single from that album, peaking at #23 in the UK Singles Chart...
" – released on 16 October 2006, announced on the official website on 4 September. - "Integral" – a new version of this song was released to promote the album Disco 4Disco 4Disco 4 also known as Disco Four is the eighteenth album by the UK electronic music duo Pet Shop Boys and the fourth in the band's "Disco" series. It was released on October 8, 2007, on compact disc and vinyl...
.
B-sides and other released songs
- "Fugitive" (Fundamentalism)
- "In private" (featuring Elton JohnElton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE, Hon DMus is an English rock singer-songwriter, composer, pianist and occasional actor...
) (Fundamentalism remix and "Minimal" original B-side) - "The Resurrectionist" ("I'm with Stupid" B-side)
- "Girls don't cry" ("I'm with Stupid" B-side)
- "Blue on blue" ("Minimal" B-side)
- "No time for tears" (Battleship PotemkinBattleship Potemkin (album)Battleship Potemkin is a 2005 album of electronic and orchestral music written by Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe from Pet Shop Boys. The music on the album is performed by Pet Shop Boys and the Dresdner Sinfoniker...
original, "Minimal" B-side) - "Party song" ("Numb" B-side)
- "Bright young things" ("Numb" B-side)
- "Psychological" (Ewan Pearson remix) (Fundamental original, "Numb" remix)
Unreleased songs
These were written/recorded during the writing for Fundamental in 2005 and are yet to be released:- "For every moment"
- "Ring road"
- "China"
- "Dirty tricks"
- "One way street"
There is also a demo of a song called "Dancing in the Dusk" that Sondre Lerche
Sondre Lerche
-Career:Sondre Lerche was born in Bergen, Norway. Growing up, Lerche was heavily influenced by the '80s pop that emanated from his older siblings' rooms. Compelled by a defining fascination for bands such as The Beatles, A-ha, the Beach Boys, and Prefab Sprout, Lerche began formal guitar...
asked them to record.
It remains to be seen whether any of these songs will materialise as future B-sides.
Release details
The album was released in various countries:| Country | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan Japan Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south... |
17 May 2006 | Toshiba-EMI Toshiba-EMI (formerly , is one of Japan's leading music companies. It became a wholly owned subsidiary of British music company EMI Group Ltd. in June 30, 2007 after Toshiba sold off its previous 45% stake. The current CEO and president is San-e Ichii. When EMI Music Japan was trading as Toshiba-EMI, it was... |
CD | TOCP-66524 |
| 2CD (Fundamentalism) | TOCP-66581 | |||
| United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... |
22 May 2006 | Parlophone | LP | 362 8591 / 0946 3 62859 1 7 |
| CD | 362 8592 / 0946 3 62859 2 4 | |||
| 2CD (Fundamentalism) | 362 8602 / 0946 3 62860 2 0 | |||
| Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
23 May 2006 | Parlophone | CD | |
| Thailand Thailand Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the... |
24 May 2006 | Parlophone | CD | 0 0946 3 62859 2 4 |
| United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
27 June 2006 | Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes... |
CD | R2 79525 / 0 8122 79525 2 5 |
| 2CD (Fundamentalism) | R2 79532 / 0 8122 79532 2 5 |
Chart information
| Chart (2006) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Germany iTunes ITunes iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.... |
1 |
| European Top 100 Albums | 2 |
| Argentina | 3 |
| Germany | 4 |
| UK | 5 |
| Sweden | 6 |
| Switzerland | 7 |
| Czech Republic | 7 |
| Denmark | 7 |
| Estonia | 9 |
| Finland | 9 |
| Italy | 19 |
| Norway | 23 |
| Malta | 23 |
| Ireland | 24 |
| Australia | 25 |
| Austria | 25 |
| Belgium | 26 |
| New Zealand | 42 |
| Canada | 63 |
| France | 74 |
| Hungary | 94 |
| USA | 150 |
| US Top Electronic Albums | 4 |
External links
This album has been released with the Copy Control
Copy Control
Copy Control was the generic name of a copy prevention system, used from 2001 until 2006 on several digital audio disc releases by EMI Group and Sony BMG Music Entertainment in several regions...
protection system in some regions.