Numb (Pet Shop Boys song)

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"Numb"
Single by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Fundamental
B-side(s)	"Party Song", "Bright Young Things", "Psychological"
Released	16 October 2006
Format	7", 12", CD, Maxi-CD
Recorded	May 6, 2003[citation needed]
Genre	Synthpop
Length	4:42 (album version) 3:27 (radio edit)
Label	Parlophone
Writer(s)	Diane Warren, Pet Shop Boys
Producer(s)	Trevor Horn, Pet Shop Boys
Chart positions
#23 (UK Singles Chart)
Pet Shop Boys singles chronology
"Minimal" (July 2006)	"Numb" (October 2006)	"She's Madonna" (March 2007)

"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 (see 2006 in British music). It is only their second single in 39 releases to miss the UK Top 20 (the other being "Was It Worth It" from 1991, which peaked at #24).

The ballad was widely used throughout the year, mainly in an edited version used in a montage for England's elimination from the 2006 FIFA World Cup on the BBC Match of the Day programme in early July 2006.

Contents 1 Overview 1.1 History 1.2 Song 1.3 Sleeve 1.4 Music video 2 Single release 3 Track listings 4 Notes 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Overview

[edit] History

Composed by Los Angeles songwriter Diane Warren, known for many commercial radio-friendly hits, "Numb" was originally procured by the Pet Shop Boys to be one of the new singles on the 2003 compilation PopArt. The song was previously offered to rock band Aerosmith, whose hit "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was written by Warren; it was rejected.

The reputations of the parties involved immediately suggested a stylistic clash; Warren's songs are often heavily emotive love songs (described by the band as the "Los Angeles ballad" style), while the Pet Shop Boys are characterized by largly synthetic sounds and Neil Tennant's restrained, dispassionate singing. This discontinuity was highlighted by Tennant's often-recounted anecdote of Warren offering the duo another song (still unrecorded to date) titled "Kisses on the Wind", which was flatly rejected due to its title.

[edit] Song

Heavily orchestrated, with strings arranged by Trevor Horn, the song describes the desire to sequester oneself from the world due to traumatic experiences it has brought about; within the context of Fundamental, it has been observed that the song can be interpreted as a reaction to terrorism and the state of the world brought about in its aftermath.^[1]

The original demo is not orchestrated, relying instead on synthetic sounds. The newly remixed radio version edits out the orchestral opening and the entire second verse, and also repeats the dramatic bridge section, adding harmonized backing vocals the second time. (Despite this work, the music video plays to the original album version instead.)

[edit] Sleeve

The sleeve photography was taken by Sam Taylor-Wood in November 2003 when "Numb" was planned as a single. They show Pet Shop Boys wearing plague doctor masks that were bought in Venice, and were taken at the Jerusalem Tavern in Clerkenwell, London.

[edit] Music video

The music video for "Numb" was directed by Julian Gibbs, Julian House, and Chris Sayer, who, as reported by the band's official site, describe it as inspired by "Russian constructivist cinema". Gibbs had previously directed a 2005 BBC television adaptation of The Snow Queen, which Sayer worked on as animation director.^[2] In addition, the Gibbs and House pair have previously directed music videos for Primal Scream, Luke Slater, and Doves.

[edit] Single release

The Pet Shop Boys official website announced the release of a new radio edit of "Numb" as the third single from Fundamental, accompanied by new songs "Party Song" and "Bright Young Things" as B-sides and a new remix of "Psychological" by Ewan Pearson to be included on the limited edition 12-inch release.

"Bright Young Things" was recorded and written in 2003 with co-production by Chris Zippel. It was originally intended for a film of the same title made by Stephen Fry but film producers turned down the track. Neil Tennant stated in June 2006 on the official Pet Shop Boys website that it would be a B-side sometime soon.

The single package also includes a live version of "West End Girls", which was recorded by BBC Radio 2 at the Mermaid Theatre in May 2006. This live track is also featured on the Pet Shop Boys first live album, Concrete which was released the week following this single in October 2006.

The single peaked at #23 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming the duo's second most unsuccessful single in terms of chart placement after "Was it Worth It" back in 1991.

[edit] Track listings

• Promo CD Numb01

1. "Numb" (radio edit) - 3:27
2. "Numb" (album version) - 4:44

• Promo 12" REMIXES01

1. "Psychological" (Ewan Pearson vocal remix)
2. "Psychological" (Ewan Pearson dub)
3. "Minimal" (Radio Slave mix)

• 7" R6723

1. "Numb" (radio edit) - 3:27
2. "Party song" - 3:44
   • Includes elements of "That's the Way (I Like It)" by KC and the Sunshine Band.

• 2 track CD CDR6723

1. "Numb" (radio edit) - 3:27
2. "West End girls" (live at the Mermaid Theatre)
   • Taken from the live album Concrete.

• Maxi-CD CDRS6723

1. "Numb" (demo) - 3:40
2. "Party song" - 3:44
3. "Bright young things" - 4:57
   • Tracks 2 and 3 on this disc are reversed, making the printed track listing in the CD case incorrect.
4. "Numb" (video)

• 12" 12R6723

1. "Numb" (album version) - 4:44
2. "Numb" (accapella)
3. "Psychological" (Ewan Pearson vocal remix)

[edit] Notes

1. ^ Marshall, Anton. Pet Shop Boys - Fundamental. 24.com. Retrieved on September 6, 2006.
2. ^ The Snow Queen (2005) (TV). Internet Movie Database. Retrieved on September 7, 2006.

[edit] References

• Fundamental. Literally (Pet Shop Boys fanclub magazine) (July 2006). Retrieved on September 6, 2006.
• Adams, Cameron (June 15, 2006). Pet Shop Boys back in business. The Courier-Mail. Retrieved on September 6, 2006.
• Cairns, Dan (May 14, 2006). A little bit of politics. The Sunday Times. Retrieved on September 6, 2006.
• Harrison, Andrew (April 2006), "Pet Shop Boys", The Word (no. 38): 98-106
• Swift, Jacqui. The Boys are back. Something for the Weekend. The Sun. Retrieved on September 6, 2006.

[edit] External links

• Official artist site
• At Dead Of Night - fan site

Pet Shop Boys

Neil Tennant | Chris Lowe

Discography

Albums: Please | Actually | Introspective | Behaviour | Very | Bilingual | Nightlife | Release | Fundamental

Soundtracks and scores: Closer to Heaven (Original Cast Recording) | Battleship Potemkin

Remix albums: Disco | Disco 2 | Disco 3

Compilations: Discography: The Complete Singles Collection | Alternative | PopArt: The Hits | Back to Mine: Pet Shop Boys

Live: Concrete

Singles: "West End girls" | "Love comes quickly" | "Opportunities (Let's make lots of money)" | "Suburbia" | "It's a Sin" | "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" | "Rent" | "Always On My Mind" | "Heart" | "Domino dancing" | "Left to my own devices" | "It's alright" | "So Hard" | "Being Boring" | "Where the streets have no name (I can't take my eyes off you)" | "How can you expect to be taken seriously?" | "Jealousy" | "DJ Culture" | "Was it worth it?" | "Can you forgive her?" | "Go West" | "I wouldn't normally do this kind of thing" | "Liberation" | "Yesterday, when I was mad" | "Paninaro '95" | "Before" | "Se a vida é (That’s the way life is)" | "Single-Bilingual" | "Somewhere" | "I don't know what you want but I can't give it any more" | "New York City boy" | "You only tell me you love me when you're drunk" | "Home and dry" | "I get along" | "London" | "Miracles" | "Flamboyant" | "I'm with Stupid" | "Minimal" | "Numb" | "She's Madonna"

Related Articles

Other projects: It Couldn't Happen Here | Reputation | Results | Spaghetti Records | Closer to Heaven

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