So Hard

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"So Hard"
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Template:Infobox song/link by Pet Shop Boys
from the album Behaviour
B-side"It Must Be Obvious"
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StudioRed Deer (Munich, West Germany)[1]
Genre
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LabelParlophone
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[[Record producer|ProducerTemplate:Pluralize from text]]
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"It's Alright"
(1989) 		"So Hard"
(589) 		"Being Boring"
(1990)
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"So Hard" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released in September 1990 as the lead single from their fourth studio album, Behaviour (1990). The song is about "two people living together; they are totally unfaithful to each other but they both pretend they are faithful and then catch each other out".[5] It peaked at No. 4 in the United Kingdom and reached the top three in at least seven European countries, including Finland, where it reached No. 1.

Background

Chris Lowe said the original version of "So Hard" was "harping back to Giorgio Moroder with loads of all these retro instruments. Then David Morales took the chord progression from the middle section and made this classic pumping house track. It's quite funny, because we did this gig in Los Angeles and Frankie Knuckles played this track at the party afterwards. Neil came over and said, 'Why don't we make records like this?' I said, 'Neil, it is us.' So that's how much we know about dance music!"[6][full citation needed]

Critical reception

Larry Flick from Billboard felt that "So Hard" "maintains the fun and frothy disco melodrama of past efforts, while striking enough of a modern pop stance to encourage alternative and top 40 radio airplay."[3] James Muretich from Calgary Herald said the song, "about a couple faithfully unfaithful to each other", "reflect a detached sadness set against a dreamy synthesizer background that barely sashays across the dancefloor."[7] Liverpool Echo stated, "It might be called "So Hard" but the Pet Shop Boys make it all sound so easy. That's probably why people think they're too clever for their own good. But they do make excellent pop records. This is typical Pet Shop Boys despite the change of producer: Brash disco backing, dry sophisticated singing and a great tune."[8]

Paul Lester from Melody Maker named it Single of the Week, writing, "Notwithstanding the radar signals, laser beams and acidic bleeps which squiggle at the start, "So Hard" is immediately, unmistakably Pet Shop Boys."[9] Pan-European magazine Music & Media commented, "All radio formats unite! This commercial pop single - featuring that typically inescapable chorus - is the logical choice for any sensible programmer."[10] Nick Robinson from Music Week said, "A welcome return, this time with Harold 'Axel F' Faltermeyer co-producing, and a typical semi-orchestral pop song with those familiar heavy dance beats and another catchy chorus."[4] Roger Morton from NME wrote that "So Hard" is "familiar Pet Shoppies territory", with its "superior hit factory pulse, boys town keyboard slashes and darkly tainted love-lyric."[11]

Music video

The accompanying music video for the song was directed by Eric Watson and filmed in Newcastle and North Tyneside. Filming locations included the Bigg Market, Newcastle Quayside, Railway Terrace in Wallsend, Byker, Whitley Bay and the Tyne and Wear Metro. The black and white video co-stars Paul Gascoigne's sister Anna Gascoigne and features Dainton Connell. The video also shows people dancing and having fun on the streets with Tennant and Lowe in the background.[5][12]

Track listing

The single's B-side is "It Must Be Obvious", with the US release also featuring the remix of "Paninaro", which was originally released on Disco. Remixes were done by Julian Mendelsohn, the KLF and David Morales. The KLF remixed "So Hard" and "It Must Be Obvious", available on the "So Hard (The KLF vs Pet Shop Boys)" single.

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Personnel

Credits are adapted from the liner notes of "So Hard"[17] and from Pet Shop Boys Catalogue.Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'Module:Footnotes/anchor_id_list' not found.

Pet Shop Boys

Additional personnel

Artwork

Charts

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Release history

Release dates and formats for "So Hard"
Region Date Format(s) Label(s) Ref(s).
United Kingdom 24 September 1990 Page Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content.
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • 12-inch vinyl
  • CD
  • cassette
 Parlophone [5][35]
8 October 1990 12-inch remix vinyl [36]
Japan 17 October 1990 Mini-CD EMI [37]
Australia 22 October 1990 Page Template:Hlist/styles.css has no content.
  • 7-inch vinyl
  • cassette
 Parlophone [38]
5 November 1990 12-inch vinyl [39]

Cover versions

A cover version by Scottish musician Momus was included on the 2001 compilation Very Introspective, Actually: A Tribute to the Pet Shop Boys.

References

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  1. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Zuberi, Nabeel (May 2001). Sounds English: Transnational Popular Music. University of Illinois Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780252026201.
  2. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Edwards, Luke; Elliott, Mark (16 June 2023). "Best Pet Shop Boys Songs: 30 Synth-Pop Hits Always On Our Mind". Dig!. Archived from the original on 30 May 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Flick, Larry (29 September 1990). "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. p. 85. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  4. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Robinson, Nick (29 September 1990). "Singles" (PDF). Music Week. p. 21. Retrieved 31 October 2020.
  5. ^ a b c Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."So Hard". petshopboys.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
  6. ^ Q, May 2001
  7. ^ Muretich, James (18 November 1990). "Recent Releases". Calgary Herald.
  8. ^ Liverpool Echo. 29 September 1990. p. 12.
  9. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Lester, Paul (22 September 1990). "Singles". Melody Maker. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  10. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Previews: Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. 6 October 1990. p. 18. Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  11. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Morton, Roger. "The Pet Shop Boys – Behaviour". NME. Archived from the original on 17 August 2000. Retrieved 24 November 2020.
  12. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Hoare, Philip; Heath, Chris (2006). Pet Shop Boys Catalogue. New York: Thames & Hudson. pp. 126–27. ISBN 9780500513071.
  13. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (UK 7-inch single vinyl disc). Parlophone. R6269, 2040627.
  14. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (UK cassette single sleeve). Parlophone. TCR6269, 2040624.
  15. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Parlophone. 12R6269, 2040626.
  16. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (UK 12-inch single vinyl disc). Parlophone. 12RX6269, 2040926.
  17. ^ a b Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (UK CD single liner notes). Parlophone. CDR 6269, 2040622.
  18. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (German maxi-CD single liner notes). Parlophone. CDP 560- 20 4177 2.
  19. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (US 12-inch single vinyl disc). EMI USA. V-56194.
  20. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (US maxi-cassette single sleeve). EMI USA. 4V-56194.
  21. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Pet Shop Boys (1990). So Hard (US maxi-CD single liner notes). EMI USA. E2-56195.
  22. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Hits of the World: Canada". Billboard. Vol. 102, no. 47. 24 November 1990. p. 71.
  23. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 45. 10 November 1990. p. IV. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  24. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Nyman, Jake (2005). Suomi soi 4: Suuri suomalainen listakirja (in suomi) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN 951-31-2503-3.
  25. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top 3 Singles in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 45. 10 November 1990. p. VII. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  26. ^ Radio Luxembourg Singles. 7 October 1990.
  27. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top 10 in Europe" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8, no. 2. 12 January 1991. p. 29. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  28. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content.Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (in español) (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor/SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
  29. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles – Week ending November 17, 1990". Cash Box. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  30. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jaaroverzichten 1990 – Singles" (in Nederlands). Ultratop. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  31. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Eurochart Hot 100 Singles – 1990" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 7, no. 51. 22 December 1990. p. 36. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
  32. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Top 100 Single-Jahrescharts – 1990" (in Deutsch). GfK Entertainment. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  33. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Jaaroverzichten – Single 1990" (in Nederlands). Dutch Charts. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
  34. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."Årstopplistan 1990, Singlar" (in svenska). Grammotex. Archived from the original on 16 February 2001. Retrieved 7 April 2025.
  35. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Singles". Music Week. 22 September 1990. p. 31.
  36. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Singles". Music Week. 6 October 1990. p. 39.
  37. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."ソー・ハード | ペット・ショップ・ボーイズ" [So Hard | Pet Shop Boys] (in 日本語). Oricon. Retrieved 22 January 2024.
  38. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Release Summary: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 41. 21 October 1990. p. 19.
  39. ^ Page Module:Citation/CS1/styles.css has no content."New Release Summary: Singles". The ARIA Report. No. 43. 4 November 1990. p. 18.

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