Beautiful People

Album: Yes (2009)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • One-time Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr not only plays the guitar on this track, but also the harmonica. Marr and Neil Tennant (for a short while) were both members of the super group Electronic who had an international hit in 1989 with "Getting Away With It."
  • Final Fantasy's Owen Pallett contributed the orchestral arrangement to this track, which features the London Metropolitan Orchestra.
  • The song was originally written for a television series called Beautiful People. This version sounded more "folky," but producers Xenomania subsequently put a 60s beat on it. Tennant recalled to The Big Issue: "Our friend, playwright Jonathan Harvey, said he was doing a new TV series, a comedy series called Beautiful People, and would we consider writing a song for it. So we started writing a song with that title and it came together very quickly."
  • The song features backing vocals by upcoming Xenomania talents Alex Gardner and Jessie Malakouti.
  • This song was released on September 25, 2009 as the second single from the Pet Shop Boys tenth studio album Yes in Germany, peaking at #65 in the singles chart there. In November it was released in the USA as a download.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney Princesses

Part of Their World: The Stories and Songs of 13 Disney PrincessesSong Writing

From "Some Day My Prince Will Come" to "Let It Go" - how Disney princess songs (and the women who sing them) have evolved.

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"

Marc Campbell - "88 Lines About 44 Women"They're Playing My Song

The Nails lead singer Marc Campbell talks about those 44 women he sings about over a stock Casio keyboard track. He's married to one of them now - you might be surprised which.

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")

Director Nick Morris ("The Final Countdown")Song Writing

Nick made some of the biggest videos on MTV, including "The Final Countdown," "Heaven" and "Don't Know What You Got (Till It's Gone)."

Grateful Dead Characters

Grateful Dead CharactersMusic Quiz

Many unusual folks appear in Grateful Dead songs. Can you identify them?

The Real Nick Drake

The Real Nick DrakeSong Writing

The head of Drake's estate shares his insights on the late folk singer's life and music.

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")

Holly Knight ("The Best," "Love Is A Battlefield")Songwriter Interviews

Holly Knight talks about some of the hit songs she wrote, including "The Warrior," "Never" and "The Best," and explains some songwriting philosophy, including how to think of a bridge.