Episode 201: Pet Shop Boys – Please (1986) – Part 2

Welcome to Part 2 of Brian and Sarah's discussion of Please, the debut album from the Pet Shop Boys. In Part 1, our hosts set the stage by talking about the formation of the band, Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe's work with Bobby Orlando, the recording of the album with producer Stephen Hague, and the release and reception of the album. Along with special guest Andrew Dineley, our hosts also shared their personal histories of becoming familiar with Pet Shop Boys' music and their memories of the album Please.

In this episode, it's time for Brian and Sarah to start talking about the actual album tracks. However, Brian decides that instead of hosting a music podcast, he instead wants to start a math podcast! This seems to have been triggered by the title of the album's opening song, "Two Divided By Zero."

Thankfully, this math podcast idea seems to be short-lived, and the two hosts get back to discussing the music on the album. But it's not without some additional detours into academic subjects such as history and literature. There are references to pop culture as well, such as the 1986 Sprite soft drink commercial featuring Kurtis Blow, and a mention of Brian's dearly departed Apple IIe computer.

The second track on Please is one of the biggest songs of the 1980s. "West End Girls" has an interesting history, as two different versions of the single were recorded and released. Brian and Sarah talk about both versions, and then go on to discuss reviews, chart positions, the video, and much more. Because there's so much to say about this iconic song, our hosts decide that Part 2 is more than long enough discussing just the first two songs on the album.

So settle in on the late train—or wherever you like to listen to podcasts—and check out this epic-length episode!

West End Girls – 1986 Video https://youtu.be/p3j2NYZ8FKs?si=Txk0BUtNL9y8y9M4

West End Girls (Lockdown Version) https://youtu.be/YRNJ9GbNULM?si=kqtbL1ixaQbLIxDD

Flight of the Conchords - Inner City Pressure https://youtu.be/cNfV1dTTMLU?si=odXhYPIzsjdjW1Mm

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

PRP 007 Mini-Broadcast: Episode 10 – The Man with the Golden Gun (With Robbie Sims)

This is a rarity as far as Permanent Record Podcast episodes go. Yes, it's an episode with show notes penned by Brian and not Sarah. Sarah has one job once the episode has been recorded: to write the show notes. But this time, she was nowhere to be found and everyone's second-favorite host, who already does so much, was left holding the bag!

I guess I'll start with the stuff that is ALWAYS part of these 007 episodes.....

Since the beginning of the show, Brian has done his best to strong-arm discussion of Agent 007 into as many podcasts as he could. Finally he convinced Sarah to embark on a new mission: the Permanent Record Podcast 007 Mini-Broadcast!

This occasional series from your friends Brian & Sarah started with "Dr. No" and will work its way up to the most recent Bond adventure, and on the way, it will discuss and critique all of the 007 theme songs and other relevant recordings. It's a dream come true for one of the hosts - and for Bond fans everywhere!

Speaking of Bond fans everywhere, they will no doubt be delighted to learn that Robbie Sims, author of the delightful book Quantum of Silliness: The Peculiar World of Bond, James Bond, can once again be found co-hosting this installment with Brian and Sarah.

So, with this ninth 007 movie, John Barry returns to the fold and provides one of his most controversial title tracks! The PRP crew is going to break it down, give you the full story of how the score and the theme came to pass, and let you know what critics the world over think about it. They will also discuss the actual film, to see if any of them will claim to love/enjoy/like it. And somehow we get through the entire 90-minute show WITHOUT MENTIONING NICK-NACK!!! That seems almost impossible, I know!

Along with all of the MWTGG content, Robbie, Brian, and Sarah also talk about the new Lana Del Ray Bond theme, "First Light", co-written with legendary 007 composer David Arnold. And of course, the three hosts also spill all the details on Robbie's recent vacation to Thailand, where he visited a few movie locations, including Khao Phing Kan AKA James Bond Island! It sounds like a blast!!

And finally, before it all ends, Robbie is put to the test again with a series of Bond trivia questions, but not before he makes plans to update his will and Brian makes the most shameful plea for free/discounted stuff in the history of the podcast.

As Sarah usually states: It's an episode full of excitement, fun, and laughs that you won't want to miss!

Find Robbie Sims at

https://www.instagram.com/quantumofsilliness

https://www.threads.net/@quantumofsilliness

https://bsky.app/profile/quantumofsilliness.bsky.social

You can purchase Quantum of Silliness at https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/quantum-of-silliness/ or other reputable booksellers.

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/

Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast

You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast

Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/

Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social

Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod

- we're ready to believe you!

Episode 200: Pet Shop Boys – Please (1986) (Featuring Andrew Dineley of "Art on Your Sleeve") – Part 1 and Colours of Ever announcement

The 200th "regular" episode of Permanent Record Podcast is here! ("Regular" excludes special episodes and the PRP 007 Mini-Broadcasts, which don't follow the same numbering scheme.) Brian and Sarah wanted to do something big and special for episode 200, so they chose to cover an album which recently celebrated its 40th anniversary: Please, the debut album from the Pet Shop Boys. And to make the episode even bigger and more special, they invited the charming and talented Andrew Dineley to join in on the conversation. Andrew, as you probably already know, is host of the excellent "Art on Your Sleeve" podcast, as well as proprietor of the fabulous Soft Octopus Design Studio and contributor to Classic Pop magazine.

This first episode in the Please series sets the stage for what's to come. Brian and Sarah look back to the pre-Pet Shop Boys days of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe and recount the story Neil and Chris's first meeting. Our hosts then follow the journey of the Boys' musical collaboration, which takes us from Chelsea, to Camden Town, to New York City, and back to London, and introduces us to characters such as Ray Roberts, Bobby Orlando, Tom Watkins, and Stephen Hague.

Andrew Dineley joins the conversation to provide insight on the design aspects of Please such as the original album cover concept, the final cover design done by Mark Farrow, as well as a few of the single covers. He also shares stories about and from Pet Shop Boys' first manager, Tom Watkins, and Andrew recalls his first exposure to Pet Shop Boys music-- on a children's show with eerily-animated pound notes! And, we even get to hear about a chance encounter recently Andrew Dineley had with OMD's Andy McCluskey!

As is usual with PRP album discussions, the release history, chart positions, and reviews of Please are covered in this episode, as well as Brian and Sarah's personal history with the album, which Brian feels slightly embarrassed to share.

And because it's the big 200th episode, several listeners sent in voicemails to mark the occasion, and our hosts happily share those messages as well.

Finally, as if that's not enough, Brian has exciting musical news of his own to share, about yet another synthpop duo. This duo, called Colours of Ever, consists of Brian and his longtime friend Jason, and they've released their first single on Bandcamp! Check them out at https://coloursofever.bandcamp.com/ .

There's so much good stuff in this episode, so don't delay-- Please download and listen to it today!

Video discussed in this episode: Pet Shop Boys performing "Opportunities" on Poparound, July 1985 https://youtu.be/rVxqEWt4Inc?si=XY6kZ9MHay9IwUUj

Listen to Andrew on his "Art of Your Sleeve" podcast: https://softoctopus.co.uk/podcast/ Get all the details on Andrew's design studio: https://softoctopus.co.uk/

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

PRP 007 Mini-Broadcast: Episode 9– Live and Let Die (With Robbie Sims)

Since the beginning of the show, Brian has done his best to strong-arm discussion of Agent 007 into as many podcasts as he could. Finally he convinced Sarah to embark on a new mission: the Permanent Record Podcast 007 Mini-Broadcast!

This occasional series from your friends Brian & Sarah started with "Dr. No" and will work its way up to the most recent Bond adventure, and on the way, it will discuss and critique all of the 007 theme songs and other relevant recordings. It's a dream come true for one of the hosts - and for Bond fans everywhere!

Speaking of Bond fans everywhere, they will no doubt be delighted to learn that Robbie Sims, author of the delightful book Quantum of Silliness: The Peculiar World of Bond, James Bond, can once again be found co-hosting this installment with Brian and Sarah.

Episode 9 in the series brings us up to the 1973 film Live and Let Die. It's Roger Moore's first appearance as the MI6 agent, and it's also the first Bond movie to feature a rock song for the theme. The song was written by Paul and Linda McCartney, performed by Paul and his band Wings, and produced by George Martin. George Martin also ended up providing the score for the film.

Our three hosts discuss how Paul McCartney and George Martin became a part of the 007 universe as well as what led erstwhile Bond composer John Barry to be uninvolved with the franchise's eighth film. The trio talk about the chart success of the theme song as well as the other awards and accolades it received. George Martin's score is discussed, with some speculation over how John Barry would have done with the score for this film that covers some different thematic territory than other Bond movies.

While discussing the movie, Robbie, Brian, and Sarah also talk about the fact that the theme song is performed in the film, and Brian has an impromptu trivia session with Robbie and Sarah about Bond theme songs being heard during other Bond movies. And of course, each host reveals where "Live and Let Dies" falls in their personal ranking of Bond themes.

There's talk about the current state of affairs in the Bond universe, and Robbie is put to the test again with a series of Bond trivia questions. And Brian and Sarah talk about their encounter with Solitaire! It's an episode full of excitement, fun, and laughs that you won't want to miss!

Find Robbie Sims at

https://www.instagram.com/quantumofsilliness

https://www.threads.net/@quantumofsilliness

https://bsky.app/profile/quantumofsilliness.bsky.social

You can purchase Quantum of Silliness at https://thehistorypress.co.uk/publication/quantum-of-silliness/ or other reputable booksellers.

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/

Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast

You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast

Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/

Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social

Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod

- we're ready to believe you!

Bonus Episode: In Conversation with Rob Rowe: WHITEWAITS/VHXRR/Cause and Effect (2026)

Brian and Sarah are delighted to welcome back a previous and much-beloved guest of the Permanent Record Podcast, Rob Rowe. In past episodes, Rob has been here with Von Hertzog, who together make up the excellent duo VHxRR. However, this time Rob is here to represent his solo project, WHITEWAITS.

After a hiatus of more than a dozen years, WHITEWAITS is releasing a new album, called Dusk Becomes Dawn. It's a collection of nine stellar tracks which explore familiar topics like darkness, despair, loss, and love, all with incredibly catchy melodies, intelligent lyrics, and impeccable vocals.

Brian and Sarah sit down with Rob and do a deep-dive into Dusk Becomes Dawn, learning details about the creative process as well as inspirations and meanings behind the songs. But the questions don't all come from our hosts; Brian and Sarah asked a few other folks, most of them associated with Rob in some form or fashion, to provide questions for their guest. They range in depth from 'favorite snack while writing' to 'what has changed in Synthpop since 1991,' with many falling in between.

It's a warm, friendly, and enlightening conversation, but you won't want to listen for just those reasons. You'll want to listen so you can get the details on how you can win your own copy of Dusk Before Dawn on compact disc! And trust us; you'll want to do whatever you can (legally, of course!) to get a copy of this fantastic album!

Learn more at https://www.whitewaits.com/

Get the music at https://whitewaits.bandcamp.com/

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

Bonus Episode: In Conversation with Blaklight (Adam Collier, Brian Belknap, and Omar Quiñones) 2026

In this episode, Brian and Sarah have the great pleasure of talking with Brian Belknap, Adam Collier, and Omar Quiñones of the band BlakLight. BlakLight was formed as a duo back in 2020, and our hosts chatted with Brian and Adam back in March 2021. A lot has changed with the band since then, so it was definitely time to do some catching up.

In the conversation, our hosts find out how Omar came to join the band, as well as learning more about Omar and his other musical endeavors. They also check in on Adam's side projects as well.

BlakLight has been downright prolific with releasing new music over the past six years; their latest album is called The Haunting of Us and was released late last year. Brian and Sarah talk with the band members about the new album, as well as many of the other projects the band has released. And of course, all of these releases can be found on their website or their Bandcamp pages.

And, if they weren't busy enough with making and promoting their new music, BlakLight is set to go on tour in several different countries this year. Brian and Sarah talk with the band about their chart success overseas and the prospects of performing for fans in Germany, the UK, and Mexico.

Blaklight's music has even been featured prominently in a recent movie, so Brian and Sarah ask Brian, Adam, and Omar about that experience of hearing their music in such a different context.

It's an entertaining and enlightening conversation with some truly talented musicians and performers, so you won't want to miss it—and make sure you check out the links below to pick up their music and keep up to date with all their goings-on!

Learn more at https://www.blaklightband.com/

Get the music at https://blaklight.bandcamp.com/music

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

Episode 199: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 5)

Brian and Sarah are back and ready to discuss the next home concert video release from Depeche Mode.

Part 5 in this series brings us up to the 2013 album Delta Machine, which was once again supported with a worldwide tour. The city of Berlin was chosen for the filming location, and it was familiar territory for the band, as they spent several years there in the mid-80s.

Depeche Mode also returned to familiar territory with their choice of director for this concert film. After a several-year stretch of working with directors who had very different ideas on how a concert video should look, the band once again enlisted their longtime friend and collaborator, Anton Corbijn, to helm this project.

The result of Anton's return to the director's chair, in the opinions of both Brian and Sarah, is a much more pleasurable viewing experience. Both hosts expressed relief at being treated to more traditional filming and editing techniques for Depeche Mode: Live in Berlin.

Anton Corbijn didn't just film the concert, though; he also recorded interviews with the band members, the members of the band's management staff, and several fans. Corbijn interspersed these interview segments between songs in the concert and called this version of the film Depeche Mode: Alive in Berlin.

Brian and Sarah cover all the same topics and questions for this release as they've done for the other movies in this series. They also share social media comments from listeners about this film and the Delta Machine tour, and they even have a voicemail to share as well, regarding the previous installment in the mini-series.

So for talk about dogs, fire, steak sauce, and—oh yeah, Depeche Mode too—take a listen to this episode!

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

Episode 198: Depeche Mode: Home Video Concert Releases (Part 4)

It's a new year, and Brian and Sarah are kicking off their 2026 episodes with the next installment in their look at Depeche Mode home video concert releases.

Up for viewing and discussion this time is Tour of the Universe: Barcelona 20/21.11.09, the concert film documenting Depeche Mode's tour for 2009's Sounds of the Universe album. As the title indicates, the movie was filmed in Barcelona over two nights, and it was directed by Russell Thomas. Prior to working with Depeche Mode, Thomas directed concert videos for artists such as Kylie Minogue, Robbie Williams, and Coldplay, so he was no stranger to such projects. However, Brian and Sarah got the impression he was a stranger to using more traditional filming and editing techniques, providing examples of scenes, shots, and editing choices they disliked.

The filming and editing style of Russell Thomas made it more difficult than usual for Brian and Sarah to come up with answers to some of the standard questions they ask for each home video concert release, such as "Favorite Dave dance move" and "Favorite Fletch move." Fortunately, some questions were easy to answer, like, "Who wore it best? Favorite onstage garb." They then shared their rankings of all the home concert videos they've watched so far, and there were a couple of changes to the rankings.

Since this is the first episode of the year, Brian and Sarah also took some time to recap their goings-on over the past few weeks, including their appearance on the podcast "I've Got That On Vinyl," where they each picked five essential albums from their vinyl collection. They also have news about their podcast studio!

Let Brian and Sarah "take you on a trip" back to November 2009 in this episode, and let them know what you think of this concert video too.

"I've Got That On Vinyl" episode with Brian and Sarah's 5 Essential Albums https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/essential-5-records-with-brian-and-sarah-linnen/id1733663094?i=1000742902305

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

2025 Xmas Special 2: PRP Xmas Radio Reissue and Meeting Brandon Routh and Rachael Leigh Cook for Xmas

Sarah and Brian are back for one last episode in 2025!

This is mainly a reissue of the very festive 2023 Holiday music episode, but it also includes the wrap-up of the hosts' trip to the Hallmark Christmas Con in Edison, New Jersey last weekend. Brian and Sarah talk about meeting Rachael Leigh Cook from the delightful "Josie and the Pussycats" and Brandon Routh from awesome DC projects like "Superman Returns" and "Legends of Tomorrow." The trip was a ton of fun so hopefully you will enjoy the story of meeting these stars!

Then before moving into the 2023 Xmas Music special, they share two songs by two of our friends here at PRP: "Tiffany's Christmas Tree" by Venus Hum's Tony Miracle and "One Bright Star" by Chris Trapper.

Merry Christmas to all of our listeners and friends and best wishes for a wonderful holiday! We'll see you again in 2026!'

Treat yourself to Tony Miracle's new Xmas EP, "Tiffany's Christmas Tree" at https://venushum.bandcamp.com/album/tiffanys-christmas-tree-ep

Pick Up "One Bright Star" by Chris Trapper at https://christrapper.bandcamp.com/track/one-bright-star

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!

2025 Xmas Special 1: Paul McCartney Deluxe Reissue and Meeting Jane Seymour for Xmas

Well, Sir Paul has reissued his classic Christmas song on yellow vinyl, so it's only fair that we reissue our 2019 discussion of "Wonderful Christmas" as well! The audio has been improved, so hopefully it will almost be like listening to a brand new episode!!

We also spend some time talking about our recent trip to the 2025 Hallmark Christmas Con and meeting a number of stars, including the legendary Jane Seymour, with whom we had a surprising conversation! It was a thrill for us, and we are very happy to give you most of the details here in this episode's exclusive bonus content!

Read more at http://www.permanentrecordpodcast.com/ Visit us at https://www.facebook.com/permrecordpodcast You can also find us on Threads: https://www.threads.net/@permanentrecordpodcast Check out some pictures at https://www.instagram.com/permanentrecordpodcast/ Join the ever-growing crowd on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/permrecordpod.bsky.social Leave a voicemail for Brian & Sarah at (724) 490-8324 or https://www.speakpipe.com/PermRecordPod - we're ready to believe you!