Alternative
Compilation album by Pet Shop Boys
Released	7 August 1995
Recorded	1985–1994
Length	134:12
Label	Parlophone
Producer	Pet Shop Boys
Pet Shop Boys chronology
Disco 2 (1994) Alternative (1995) Bilingual (1996)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[1]
Robert Christgau	[2]
Melody Maker	(favorable)[3]
NME	6/10[4]

Alternative is a compilation album by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys. It was released on 7 August 1995 by Parlophone.

Alternative is a two-disc set, consisting of 30 B-sides in chronological order. The title Alternative was a last-minute change from the title that had been long saved for such an album, Besides, but that title was taken by American rock band Sugar, who released their own B-sides compilation two months prior.^{[citation needed]}

A remake of the original 7-inch "Paninaro", titled "Paninaro '95", was released as a single (which was included on the later PopArt: The Hits set) to promote the two-disc compilation which reached number two in the UK Albums Chart.^[5]

The cover of Alternative features photographs of Tennant and Lowe in fencing masks. The first copies of the CD have a lenticular image on the cover which shifts between the two photographs.

Neil Tennant revealed in a radio interview with Absolute Radio that a second B-side album may be released in 2010. On 11 November 2011, the duo announced through Varsity that they would release another B-sides album in February 2012, titled Format.

Track listing

Personnel

• Neil Tennant
• Chris Lowe

Producers

• Pet Shop Boys – all tracks except disc 1: track 13
• Phil Harding – disc 1: track 1
• Bobby O – disc 1: track 2
• Shep Pettibone – disc 1: track 7, additional production on disc 1: track 4
• David Jacob – disc 1: track 8
• Trevor Horn and Stephen Lipson – disc 1: track 13
• Harold Faltermeyer – disc 2: track 6
• Stephen Hague – additional production on disc 2: tracks 7 and 9
• Jonathon Ruffle – disc 2: track 8
• Richard Niles – disc 2: track 13

Guest musicians

• Blue Weaver – Fairlight programming on disc 1: tracks 1 and 11, Hammond organ on disc 1: track 11
• Adrien Cook – Fairlight programming on disc 1: tracks 5, 6 and 7
• Helena Springs – additional vocals on disc 1: track 7
• Stephen Lipson – guitar on disc 1: track 11
• Shirley Lewis and Dee Lewis – additional vocals on disc 1: track 11
• Chris Newman – assistant Fairlight programming on disc 1: track 12, additional programming on disc 2: track 4
• Juliet Roberts – additional vocals on disc 2: track 2
• Dominic Clarke – programming on disc 2: tracks 2 and 3
• Gary Maughan – additional keyboards on disc 2: track 3
• Scott Davidson – programming on disc 2: track 5
• Harold Faltermeyer – programming on disc 2: track 6
• Pete Gleadall – programming on disc 2: tracks 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 and 15
• Richard Coles – additional keyboards on disc 2: track 8
• Carol Kenyon, Katie Kissoon and Tessa Niles – additional vocals on disc 2: track 9
• Bruce Woolley – additional vocals on disc 2: track 10
• J.J. Belle – guitar on disc 2: track 11
• Sylvia Mason-James – additional vocals on disc 2: track 11
• Johnny Marr – guitar on disc 2: track 12
• Frank Ricotti – percussion and vibraphone on disc 2: track 12
• Richard Niles – string arrangement and conduction on disc 2: track 12, arrangement and conduction on disc 2: track 13
• Tony Walthers, Daniel Gaha & Lance Ellington – backing vocals on disc 2: track 13
• Gerard Presencer – trumpet solo on disc 2: track 13

Charts

Certifications and sales