As someone said to me today, “The British just do pop music differently.” So true.
There are plenty of acts that are huge stars, sometimes with long careers, in the U.K., but nobody in America knows who they are.
Another key difference is style. The British embrace a lot of crap, but they also aren’t afraid of eccentrics, dandies and dilettantes.
This brings to mind Robbie Williams and Pet Shop Boys. His career started in 1990 with the boy band Take That. He’s a big start internationally, but has never made a dent in the U.S. He’s the very model of brashness; for example, see his “Rock DJ” music video.
Pet Shop Boys debuted in 1984 with “West End Girls” and have been plugging along ever since. They’ve had dozens of UK hits, and I believe a handful of songs, such as “Always on My Mind” and “What Have I Done to Deserve This,” did very well in the U.S. I would describe lead singer Neil Tennant’s style as being much more low key, but Pet Shop Buys certainly have more than enough panache.
Williams and Pet Shop Boys have worked together on several occasions, such as on Williams’ song “No Regrets” and on his album Rudebox.
Here is a track from Pet Shop Boys’ new Christmas EP, which also appears on their album Yes, from earlier this year. “All Over the World” is not specifically a Christmas song, but it does include a sample from Tchaikovsky’s score for The Nutcracker, so it’ll do.
Pet Shop Boys – All Over the World
Then back to Robbie Williams, for a B-side track from his monster hit “Angels,” from back in 1997. “Walk This Sleigh” seems to represent the ultimate in insincerity in holiday tunes. Listen to the lyrics and judge for yourselves.
Robbie Williams – Walk This Sleigh