How a 'priceless' Pet Shop Boys letter ended up in an Altrincham record shop

A missive written by Pet Shop Boys prima Neil Tennant, thanking Radio 1's Janice Long for playing the band's debut azygous successful 1984, has been discovered successful a grounds store successful Altrincham.

The enactment was tucked into the sleeve of a 12-inch transcript of West End Girls that store proprietor Trevor Morris bought successful a occupation batch of vinyl astatine an auction.

"They mustn't person checked it to spot what was inside," helium tells the BBC.

"My conjecture is they thought it was a bog-standard Pet Shop Boys record."

When helium contacted the auction location to inquire whether they had sold the memorabilia successful error, they insisted helium support it.

"They were conscionable like, 'What a large find for you!" helium laughs.

The type-written missive is dated 12 April, 1984 - 3 days aft West End Girls was released.

Tennant, who was inactive moving arsenic a writer astatine Smash Hits magazine, acknowledgment Long for her enactment and provides immoderate inheritance to the band, which helium formed with instrumentalist Chris Lowe.

"I met the disco shaper Bobby 'O' successful New York past summertime erstwhile I was implicit determination doing a diagnostic connected The Police," writes the then-29-year-old,

"I played Bobby a cassette of the songs myself and Chris Lowe had written and helium instantly suggested we recorded with him. We've present recorded fractional an medium and are owed to spell backmost to New York rather soon to decorativeness it.

"Anyway, anticipation you similar the 12" I've enclosed and acknowledgment for playing West End Girls connected Thursday. As acold arsenic I'm concerned, you're present an honorary Pet Shop Girl!"

The find is important due to the fact that this aboriginal mentation of West End Girls was a important mendacious commencement for the Pet Shop Boys.

After it stalled astatine fig 133 successful the UK charts, the duo were dropped by their grounds label, Epic.

But erstwhile the opus started to execute occurrence successful European clubs, they were snapped up by Parlophone and re-recoded the opus with caller lyrics and accumulation by Stephen Hague.

The revised mentation deed fig 1 successful the US and UK successful 1986, mounting successful question an impeccable tally of hits, including Rent, Left To My Own Devices, It's A Sin and Being Boring.

In 2020, the Guardian called West End Girls the top fig 1 of the 1980s.

Tennant says helium remembers penning to respective DJs - including David "Kid" Jensen, Gary Crowley and Janice Long, who sadly died 2 years ago - thanking them for supporting the archetypal mix.

"They each played it connected their vigor shows which was precise breathtaking for us, successful spite of the grounds not entering adjacent the Top 100. It was a start," helium tells the BBC.

"The Bobby 'O' medium was ne'er finished but songs we recorded with him included It's A Sin, Rent and Opportunities.

"Janice remained a affable protagonist of PSB and Chris and I ever enjoyed seeing her. She interviewed america for her BBC Wales amusement successful 2020 and sadly that was the past clip we saw her.

"I'm precise blessed to retrieve her arsenic an honorary Pet Shop Girl!"

Pristine copies of West End Girls' archetypal pressing tin merchantability for up to £200 - but Trevor Morris sold his copy, implicit with Tennant's letter, for conscionable £40 past week.

"I'm not truthful definite it's a priceless collector's item," helium says. "I deliberation it's astir apt priceless to idiosyncratic that loves the Pet Shop Boys, but worthy tuppence ha'penny to idiosyncratic else.

"You know, the full constituent of this store is not for it to beryllium a monolithic wealth spinner. It's truly astir sharing euphony with people."

Morris lone opened his store, called Dead Cloud Records, 3 weeks ago, utilizing wealth helium made by selling his erstwhile business, which specialised successful aged care.

"Looking aft radical is incredibly rewarding," helium said, "but I've ever wanted to enactment successful euphony - and the casual way to that is done a grounds shop."

Local writer David Prior was covering the store's opening for the Altrincham Today website erstwhile helium spotted the record, and made Morris an offer.

"I've ever been a Pet Shop Boys fan, truthful I instantly realised what a spot of popular memorabilia this was," helium says.

"At the bosom of it is this communicative of a euphony writer embarking connected a popular career, and hustling to get his his caller chopped retired into the world.

"I instantly thought to myself, 'I've got to person this'.

"I couldn't judge it was truthful cheap. I was prepared to wage respective times that price!"

Prior says the missive volition present beryllium displayed, "in arsenic salient a spot successful my location arsenic I tin find".