Diary

23 May 2009

Neil Tennant opens his diary

We released a new album called Yes in April. In China it is about to be released but first there’s the issue of censorship to deal with. EMI Global Marketing emailed us: ‘the track “Legacy” has failed the censorship of the General Admission of Press and Publication department! Would you be happy for them to release Yes without this track?’

No, we wouldn’t. We’re very proud of ‘Legacy’, which is the album’s final track and has a beautiful orchestral arrangement by the young Canadian composer Owen Pallett. We ask EMI: what is the problem?

‘The Chinese had issue with the below: “Governments fall/Glaciers melt/Hurricanes bawl.../Resentment remains/both east and west/Police expect/an arrest./They’re raising an army/in the North/from York Minster/to the Firth of Forth/A pilgrimage of grace/you won’t believe it/Such a human face...”’

The album is now being released with the song ‘Legacy’ still at the end of the album but only as an instrumental. ‘Governments fall...’ Does the Chinese government really fear the power of a song to bring about change?

In 2003 we were asked by the ICA to write a new soundtrack for Eisenstein’s film The Battleship Potemkin, and perform it with the film in Trafalgar Square as a free concert. We wrote the soundtrack for a combination of electronic music and strings. In The Spectator I read a review of a new song cycle by a young German composer, Torsten Rasch, called Mein Herz Brennt, based on the music of the rock band Rammstein. I bought a copy of the CD and discovered that it was a very powerful and original work indeed: violent and tender, dissonant and romantic. We asked Torsten Rasch to write the string arrangements for Potemkin and he did a brilliant job. We’ve now performed our music with the film three times in Britain with three different orchestras, while Mein Herz Brennt has yet to be performed here. However, at long last the work is to get its British premiere. On Sunday 31 May, the London Philharmonic with the German opera singer René Pape will perform the work at the Royal Festival Hall. Robin Holloway wrote this in his original review: ‘This extraordinary work has disturbed and excited me more than any new music I’ve encountered for some years.’ I’m excited at the prospect of hearing it in concert.

I was delighted to read that in this year’s Sony Radio Awards the winner of the UK Station of the Year award was BBC Radio 3 for its ‘particularly strong schedule of appealing breadth, with a subtle combination of challenging and accessible material that is presented in a thoroughly entertaining manner’. Most days for me begin with Rob Cowan (the John Peel of classical music) and his breakfast show and end with the eclectic Late Junction. The station has been an inspiration and a musical education for me since the 1970s. I wonder if they’re is planning to broadcast Mein Hertz Brennt?

Neil Tennant is the singer of Pet Shop Boys.

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AL

May 27th, 2009 11:37pm Report this comment

“Legacy” is a great song with meaningful lyric. I think PSB, especially Neil, do not have to worry about it in China. Mainland Chinese who buy the “Yes” album will know. Thanks for internet, I am sure they will be able to listen, and will love this song. This is a great publicity of the album, actually. Unfortunately, there are many people, business, press, and government in Hong Kong now self-censor many things. I appreciate that I can have the freedom to listen to PSB songs. Freedom of speech is priceless. Hope to have PSB come to the United States for a tour soon.

angelcyborg

January 2nd, 2011 11:24am Report this comment

I love the generosity in promote the Rasch's work... Is not normal in the "stars system".

Bgg

January 4th, 2011 1:32pm Report this comment

Oh my! is our dear Oscar NOT YET happy? Not even now, wherever he is? How can he? Being one of the most brilliant personalities of all times? Thanks for sharing the expierence with all of us, Neil and....letting us know, however disturbing this was!