Home | Songs By Year | Songs from 1990
So Hard
Buy So Hard now from AmazonFirst, read the Wikipedia article. Then, scroll down to see what other TopShelfReviews readers thought about the song. And once you've experienced the song, tell everyone what you thought about it.
Wikipedia article
{{Infobox song
| name = So Hard
| cover = Pet_Shop_Boys_-_So_hard.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Pet Shop Boys
| album = Behaviour
| B-side = It Must Be Obvious
| released =
| recorded = Munich, 1990
| studio =
| genre =
| length =
| label = Parlophone
| writer =
| producer =
| prev_title = It's Alright
| prev_year = 1989
| next_title = Being Boring
| next_year = 1990
| misc =
}}
"'So Hard'" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys, released 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". 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
"The original was harping back to Giorgio Moroder with loads of all these retro instruments", recalled Chris Lowe. "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!"'Q', May 2001
Critical reception
Larry Flick from 'Billboard' wrote that the "fine" first release from the upcoming 'Behaviour' album "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." A reviewer from '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."'Liverpool Echo'. 29 September 1990. p. 12. Retrieved 28 November 2020. 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." 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." Roger Morton from 'NME' stated that "So Hard" is "familiar Pet Shoppies territory", with its "superior hit factory pulse, boys town keyboard slashes and darkly tainted love-lyric."
Music video
The 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. The video also shows people dancing and having fun on the streets with Neil and Chris in the background.
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.
'7": Parlophone / R 6269 (UK)'
#"So Hard" 3:56
#*Produced by Pet Shop Boys, Harold Faltermeyer
#*Mixed by Julian Mendelsohn
#*Engineered by Brian Reeves
#*Additional programming by Dominic Clarke
#"It Must Be Obvious" 4:21
#*Produced by Pet Shop Boys
#*Mixed and engineered by Pete Schwier
#*Additional programming by Dominic Clarke
*Artwork by 3a, Mark Farrow, Pet Shop Boys
*Photography by Eric Watson
'12": Parlophone / 12R 6269 (UK)'
# "So Hard" (Extended Dance Mix) 6:30
# "It Must Be Obvious" 4:21
# "So Hard" (Dub Mix) 7:30
:*Mix by Julian Mendelsohn
'12": Parlophone / 12RX 6269 (UK)'
# "So Hard" (KLF vs. Pet Shop Boys) 5:27
# "It Must Be Obvious" (UFO mix) 9:22
* Release title: "So Hard (The KLF vs Pet Shop Boys)"
* Tracks 1 and 2 remixed by The KLF
'12": EMI USA / V-56194'
# "So Hard" (Extended Dance Mix) 6:30
# "So Hard" (single) 3:56
# "So Hard" (dub) 7:30
# "It Must Be Obvious" 4:21
'CD: Parlophone / CDR 6269 (UK)'
# "So Hard" 3:56
# "It Must Be Obvious" 4:21
# "So Hard" (Extended Dance Mix) 6:30
:*Produced by Pet Shop Boys, Harold Faltermeyer
:*Edited by Danton Supple
:*Engineered by Brian Reeves
:*Mixed by Julian Mendelsohn
'CD: EMI / 560 204177-2 (Germany)'
#"So Hard" (12" remix) 6:20
#"So Hard" (Radio mix) 3:25
#"So Hard" (Red Zone Mix) 7:42
#"So Hard" (Eclipse mix) 4:00
*Remixed by David Morales
'CD: EMI / E2-56195 (US)'
# "So Hard" (Extended Dance Mix) 6:30
# "So Hard" (single) 3:56
# "So Hard" (dub) 7:30
# "It Must Be Obvious" 4:21
# "Paninaro" (Italian Remix) ["12-inch remix"] 8:40
:*Remix David Jacob, Pet Shop Boys
Mixes
'Mixes by Julian Mendelsohn'
*Album/single version (3:56)
*Extended dance mix (6:30)
:*Available on the Further Listening bonus disc with the 'Behaviour' reissue
*Dub Mix (7:30)
*9" edit (4:59)
'Mixes by David Morales'
*Red Zone Mix (7:45)
:*An abbreviated (2:48) version of this mix appears on 'Disco 2'
*12" mix (6:26)
*Radio mix (3:37)
*Dub (7:37)
*Eclipse Mix (4:02)
'Mix by The KLF'
*The KLF Versus Pet Shop Boys (5:27)
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
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
Category:1990 singles
Category:1990 songs
Category:Number-one singles in Finland
Category:Parlophone singles
Category:Pet Shop Boys songs
Category:Song recordings produced by Harold Faltermeyer
Category:Songs written by Chris Lowe
Category:Songs written by Neil Tennant
Category:Black-and-white music videos
Buy So Hard now from Amazon
<-- Return to songs from 1990