Pet Shop Boys With Strings, Frances, Rufus, & Robbie

For their next album Pet Shop Boys decided to go the Eels with Strings route and perform backed by an orchestra, in this case the BBC Concert Orchestra.

The double-disc Concrete includes a selection of the Boys' songs, and with its October 23 U.K. release date, manages to beat The String Quartet Tribute to the punch by releasing their own classical renditions of their songs first, albeit not purely instrumental versions.

The album features three guest vocalists. Rufus Wainwright lends vocals to "Casanova In Hell" and Robbie Williams sings "Jealousy". Frances Barber, who performed in the 2001 production of the Pet Shop Boys' musical Closer to Heaven, sings "Friendly Fire".

There's no word on whether the Mermaid Theatre concert will get a DVD release.

Concrete Track Listing: (from the Pet Shop Boys'website)

Disc One:

1. "Left To My Own Devices"
2. "Rent"
3. "You Only Tell Me You Love Me When You're Drunk"
4. "The Sodom And Gomorrah Show"
5. "Casanova In Hell" (Sung By Rufus Wainwright)
6. "After All"
7. "Friendly Fire" (Sung By Frances Barber)
8. "Integral"

Disc Two:

1. "Numb"
2. "It's Alright"
3."Luna Park"
4."Nothing Has Been Proved"
5."Jealousy" (Sung By Robbie Williams)
6. "Dreaming Of The Queen"
7. "It's A Sin"
8. "Indefinite Leave To Remain"
9. "West End Girls"

Pet Shop Boys - Jealousy (YSI link, available on Pop Art - The Hits. I think this will sound great backed by an orchestra.)

Robbie Williams - I Wouldn't Ordinarily Do This Kind Of Thing (right-click to download, available on the compilation Angels, an import in most countries)

East 17 - West End Girls (right-click to download, available on The Very Best Of East Seventeen)