Neil Tennant
Birthday: July 10, 1954 in North Shields, Tyne-and-Wear, England, UK
Birth Name: Neil Francis Tennant
Height: 179 cm
Neil Francis Tennant was born on July 10th in North Shields, Northumberland. In 1975, Neil plays in a group in Newcastle called Dust: Their most popular song is a preposterous affair he has written ca ...Show More
When I was I younger I didn't want to be gay. Not because I was scared of the sexual thing; I didn't Show more
When I was I younger I didn't want to be gay. Not because I was scared of the sexual thing; I didn't want to be a clone. Now this was in the late '70s. Hide
I think the world should be one community.
I think the world should be one community.
Because some people have sex with people of the same sex, an entire culture has been created, broadl Show more
Because some people have sex with people of the same sex, an entire culture has been created, broadly speaking, out of oppression. Which in a rational world would not be an issue. Hide
On my own lyrics, John Betjeman and T.S. Eliot are always quite a strong influence.
On my own lyrics, John Betjeman and T.S. Eliot are always quite a strong influence.
I think we've come a long way since then. The big thing that changed was when ecstasy came along in Show more
I think we've come a long way since then. The big thing that changed was when ecstasy came along in Britain. Hide
It was most exciting when people first came up on the stage and then when they came back for the enc Show more
It was most exciting when people first came up on the stage and then when they came back for the encore. We wanted to make a show that kept on developing, that was interesting, so we tried to do that with our live shows. Hide
There's also a subplot about a guy who manages pop groups. Dave is a very ambitious boy, and he gets Show more
There's also a subplot about a guy who manages pop groups. Dave is a very ambitious boy, and he gets offered an audition but only wants to do it on his terms and conditions. He wants to maintain his integrity. Hide
At one time musical theater, particularly in the '40s and '50s, was a big source of pop songs. That' Show more
At one time musical theater, particularly in the '40s and '50s, was a big source of pop songs. That's how musical theater started, really - it was just a way of linking several pop songs for the stage. Hide
They've pursued their own agendas, and they've done what they've wanted to do and not pursued tradit Show more
They've pursued their own agendas, and they've done what they've wanted to do and not pursued traditional careers in the music industry. They've followed their own instincts, and they are in many ways maverick performers. Hide
We do politics through satire. I think when you get activist pop, that's the problem. I think there' Show more
We do politics through satire. I think when you get activist pop, that's the problem. I think there's only been one successful activist pop song, which is Free Nelson Mandela, because I think it did a great pop thing - it made Nelson Mandela famous. Hide
I didn't want to wear a checked shirt and grow a mustache - that's what you had to do, and everyone Show more
I didn't want to wear a checked shirt and grow a mustache - that's what you had to do, and everyone did. Hide
I think there's an element where people get very comfortable in their ghetto. Which is fair enough.
I think there's an element where people get very comfortable in their ghetto. Which is fair enough.
I'm always uneasy with messages. I think if there is a message, it's about taking control of your li Show more
I'm always uneasy with messages. I think if there is a message, it's about taking control of your life. Not becoming a victim. Be true to yourself. In essence it's about love in the drug culture. Hide
We decided we didn't want to do a musical for TV because the idea of writing a musical that would be Show more
We decided we didn't want to do a musical for TV because the idea of writing a musical that would be seen on television once seems insane. Hide
When we did concerts, we wanted them to be theatrical events - collaborations with designers, choreo Show more
When we did concerts, we wanted them to be theatrical events - collaborations with designers, choreographers, and directors - because we thought traditional rock concerts were boring. Hide
The first song is called 'London.' It's about two Russian soldiers who desert the Russian army and e Show more
The first song is called 'London.' It's about two Russian soldiers who desert the Russian army and escape to London, where they indulge in a life of crime. Hide
I remember as a boy hearing ''Strawberry Fields Forever'' and also reading John Lennon's explanation Show more
I remember as a boy hearing ''Strawberry Fields Forever'' and also reading John Lennon's explanation that he wanted it to be like a conversation, and that had a very powerful impact on me. And I remember reading an interview with Frank Sinatra where he said you should phrase lyrics like a conversation. I've always tried to do that. Someone who you might not think of as the world's best lyricist is Madonna, but she always gets the emphasis on the right syllable. Hide
She's been a smack addict, she's had big success in Europe in the '70s, and she's lost everything. S Show more
She's been a smack addict, she's had big success in Europe in the '70s, and she's lost everything. She's been rediscovered in the '80s, and as we meet her she's just about to sign a new recording contract. Hide
[in 2009] In the '70s I used to like punk and new wave and I used to hate Fleetwood Mac - and over t Show more
[in 2009] In the '70s I used to like punk and new wave and I used to hate Fleetwood Mac - and over the years recently I've got to like Stevie Nicks's voice. I didn't appreciate her at the time. I still like the punk but I also like Fleetwood Mac. We like women with a lot of star quality. Hide
Since we started, Chris (Chris Lowe) and I had theatrical ambitions.
Since we started, Chris (Chris Lowe) and I had theatrical ambitions.
We hope we are moving toward a world where sexual orientation is not an issue, because we hate the i Show more
We hope we are moving toward a world where sexual orientation is not an issue, because we hate the idea of a gay ghetto. I think that it's a real shame that people become restricted by their sexuality or define their whole lives by their sexuality. Hide
We've been working on a new album, which is going to come out next spring, which is very different, Show more
We've been working on a new album, which is going to come out next spring, which is very different, a change of style for us - it's going to be almost like rock music. Hide
A lot of what used to be known as gay culture - broadly speaking, homoeroticism and being camp - has Show more
A lot of what used to be known as gay culture - broadly speaking, homoeroticism and being camp - has been brought into mainstream culture. I think we should be moving to an era where it's just sex. Hide
I always thought banality was a particular talent
I always thought banality was a particular talent
He comes to London and gets a job in a nightclub, a gay club, where he's known as Straight Dave by t Show more
He comes to London and gets a job in a nightclub, a gay club, where he's known as Straight Dave by the bar staff - and no one believes he's as straight as he claims to be. He meets the daughter of the club manager, and he has an affair with her. Hide
We shouldn't feel restricted by our sexuality, and our sexuality doesn't have to be a cultural choic Show more
We shouldn't feel restricted by our sexuality, and our sexuality doesn't have to be a cultural choice. That's an amazing variety of music within those five main performers. Hide
For a while we were chasing a book by Graham Greene to do Le gang des tueurs (1948) as a musical. We Show more
For a while we were chasing a book by Graham Greene to do Le gang des tueurs (1948) as a musical. We didn't get the rights, so we decided to create something from scratch, with Jonathan. By that time we were big fans of his work. Hide
We thought it would be great to see if you could put pop music back into musical theater.
We thought it would be great to see if you could put pop music back into musical theater.
An issue I've had is: is it possible to be a pop star without selling sex? And ultimately I think to Show more
An issue I've had is: is it possible to be a pop star without selling sex? And ultimately I think to have mass selling pop music it is not possible to do it without selling sex. That's why I think we're not as successful as I think our music could be. Hide
The big gay clubs like Heaven started having mixed nights in the late '80s.
The big gay clubs like Heaven started having mixed nights in the late '80s.
To a certain extent, this tour is a celebration of individuality and that you can invent and reinven Show more
To a certain extent, this tour is a celebration of individuality and that you can invent and reinvent yourself. You should have the power to be able to do that. Sexuality is a part of that. It should release you. It doesn't have to be an issue. It shouldn't box you in. Hide
Neil Tennant's FILMOGRAPHY
as Actor (26)
