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The boys looked at Johnny
The Observer, Sunday 15 March 2009

The Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr and Pet Shop Boys may seem to come from opposite ends of pop: one laddish with guitars, the other disco-synth and ironic. But their sensibilities merge, and since Marr quit the Smiths, they have collaborated consistently and fruitfully. They first met by chance in an elevator at the Mondrian Hotel in Los Angeles in 1987, when Marr said how much he liked the song Hit Music on the latest PSB album Actually. Two years later, they were working at Marr's house in Manchester on his Electronic project with Bernard Sumner. Marr then played guitar on a couple of tracks on the Behaviour album, and in 2001, on Release, recorded at Neil's house in County Durham, he appeared on almost every song. On Yes, he plays on five tracks, each possessing what Neil Tennant calls "that beautiful light acoustic style with a swing to it. It is very distinguishable: you can also hear him on the Modest Mouse record and you think, 'Here's Johnny...'"

Tennant and Chris Lowe sat for Marr's questions at Home House members' club in early March. They said that one day they would get him back.

JM: Who are the greatest British men and women?

NT: Yes, your influence is primarily the street. I get everything from books really - what's on the telly, what's on the radio. I'm probably meant to say Noël Coward, aren't I? But I don't really feel that personally influenced by Noël Coward. I've always liked kitchen-sink dramas. My favourite film is The Servant by Joseph Losey. Like Morrissey, I find the legends of British working-class culture fascinating. Maybe unlike Morrissey, I also find the legend of British middle-class culture very attractive too. They are all about resilience, and making do, and not making do, rebelling against it or settling for it. I prefer black and white films to colour films, for some reason.