Alternative (album)



Alternative is a compilation album by English synthpop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was first released in 1995.

Alternative is a 2-disc set, consisting of 30 B-sides in chronological order. The title Alternative was a last-minute change from the title that had been long saved for such an album, Besides, but that title was taken by American rock band Sugar, who released their own B-sides compilation two months prior.

Alternative only really gained popularity among devoted fans of Pet Shop Boys with the exception of the UK, where it entered the charts at #2. A remake of the original 7-inch "Paninaro", titled "Paninaro '95", was released as a single (which was featured in the later PopArt set) to promote the 2-disc compilation.

The cover of Alternative features photographs of Tennant and Lowe in fencing masks. The first copies of the CD have a lenticular image on the cover which shifts between the two photographs.

Neil Tennant admitted in a radio interview with Absolute Radio that a second B-side album may be released in 2010. This materialised on 11 November 2011 when the duo announced through Varsity that they would release another B-sides album in February 2012 titled Format.

Personnel

 * Neil Tennant
 * Chris Lowe


 * Producers
 * Pet Shop Boys – all tracks except disc 1: track 13
 * Phil Harding – disc 1: track 1
 * Bobby O – disc 1: track 2
 * Shep Pettibone – disc 1: track 7, additional production on disc 1: track 4
 * David Jacob – disc 1: track 8
 * Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson – disc 1: track 13
 * Harold Faltermeyer – disc 2: track 6
 * Stephen Hague – additional production on disc 2: tracks 7 and 9
 * Jonathon Ruffle – disc 2: track 8
 * Richard Niles – disc 2: track 13


 * Guest musicians
 * Blue Weaver – Fairlight programming on disc 1: tracks 1 and 11, Hammond organ on disc 1: track 11
 * Adrien Cook – Fairlight programming on disc 1: tracks 5, 6 and 7
 * Helena Springs – additional vocals on disc 1: track 7
 * Stephen Lipson – guitar on disc 1: track 11
 * Shirley Lewis and Dee Lewis – additional vocals on disc 1: track 11
 * Chris Newman – assistant Fairlight programming on disc 1: track 12, additional programming on disc 2: track 4
 * Juliet Roberts – additional vocals on disc 2: track 2
 * Dominic Clarke – programming on disc 2: tracks 2 and 3
 * Gary Maughan – additional keyboards on disc 2: track 3
 * Scott Davidson – programming on disc 2: track 5
 * Harold Faltermeyer – programming on disc 2: track 6
 * Pete Gleadall – programming on disc 2: tracks 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15
 * Richard Coles – additional keyboards on disc 2: track 8
 * Carol Kenyon, Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles – additional vocals on disc 2: track 9
 * Bruce Woolley – additional vocals on disc 2: track 10
 * J.J. Belle – guitar on disc 2: track 11
 * Sylvia Mason-James – additional vocals on disc 2: track 11
 * Johnny Marr – guitar on disc 2: track 12
 * Frank Ricotti – percussion and vibraphone on disc 2: track 12
 * Richard Niles – string arrangement and conduction on disc 2: track 12, arrangement and conduction on disc 2: track 13
 * Tony Walthers, Daniel Gaha & Lance Ellington – backing vocals on disc 2: track 13
 * Gerard Presencer – trumpet solo on disc 2: track 13