How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?
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"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" | ||||
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![]() US CD single cover | ||||
Single by Pet Shop Boys | ||||
from the album Behaviour | ||||
A-side | "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" | |||
B-side | "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend" | |||
Released | 11 March 1991[1] | |||
Genre | New jack swing[2] | |||
Length |
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Label | Parlophone | |||
Songwriter(s) |
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Producer(s) |
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Pet Shop Boys singles chronology | ||||
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"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" is a song by English synth-pop duo Pet Shop Boys from their fourth studio album, Behaviour (1990). It was released in the United Kingdom on 11 March 1991 as a double A-side with "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)", serving as the third single from Behaviour. It was subsequently released as a single in its own right in the United States and France. The single later peaked at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100. As "Being Boring" and "It's Alright" were not released in the US, tracks from these releases were used on a number of US releases.
Neil Tennant later said that the track "was inspired by a female pop star from 1989", it is strongly believed that the inspiration was in fact Transvision Vamp frontwoman Wendy James.[citation needed] Of interest to collectors, EMI USA commissioned dance DJ David Morales to create five remixes that were released to clubs and DJs on a limited promotion 12-inch. Morales would later work with the duo co-writing and co-producing the 1999 single "New York City Boy".
Track listings[]
Below is a listing of formats which featured "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" as the main song. Additional track listings can be found on the page about "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)".
"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" was heavily remixed for single release. The version used for the music video was also released on 7-inch vinyl and cassette-single. Due to its playing time of 4:10 minutes, it is often confused with the similar "Perfect Attitude mix",[3] which has an identical playing time, but a different introduction.
7-inch: EMI / 204291-7 (France)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Perfect Attitude mix) – 4:10
- "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" (7-inch edit) – 4:33
Cassette: EMI USA / 4JM-50343 (US)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (LP version) – 3:54
- "What Have I Done to Deserve This?" – 4:17
12-inch: EMI USA / V-56204 (US)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (12-inch mix) – 6:03
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (7-inch Perfect Attitude mix) – 4:10
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (classical reprise) – 3:05
- "Being Boring" (12-inch mix) – 9:03
- "We All Feel Better in the Dark" – 3:59
- Track 1 a.k.a. "Extended Mix"
12-inch: EMI USA / SPRO-4727 (US)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Momo mix) – 6:48
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Ragga Zone mix) – 6:24
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Def mix) – 3:57
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Eclipse mix) – 3:38
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (new 7-inch mix) – 4:10
- labelled "David Morales Mixes"
- extremely rare US promo 12-inch
12-inch: Parlophone / 204254-6 (France)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (extended mix) – 6:03
- "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" (extended mix) – 6:44
- "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend" – 4:26
CD: EMI USA / E2-56205 (US)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (LP version) – 3:54
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Perfect Attitude mix) – 4:10
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (classical reprise) – 3:05
- "It's Alright" (7-inch mix) – 4:18
- "We All Feel Better in the Dark" – 3:59
- "Being Boring" (12-inch mix) – 9:03
- track 4 mislabelled "5:07 Trevor Horn mix"
CD: EMI USA / DPRO-4698 (US)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (LP version) – 3:54
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Perfect Attitude mix) – 4:10
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (extended mix) – 6:03
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (classical reprise) – 3:06
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Perfect Mood mix) – 4:10
- US promo remix CD
CD: Parlophone / 204254-2 (France)
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (extended mix) – 6:03
- "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" (7-inch full length mix) – 5:45
- "Bet She's Not Your Girlfriend" – 4:26
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (classical reprise) – 3:06
Remixes[]
"How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?"[]
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (extended mix) – 6:03
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Perfect Attitude mix) – 4:10
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Perfect Mood mix) – 4:10
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (classical reprise) – 3:05
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Momo mix) – 6:48
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Ragga Zone mix) – 6:24
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Def mix) – 3:57
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (Eclipse mix) – 3:38
- "How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (new 7-inch mix) – 4:10
"Being Boring"[]
- "Being Boring" (12-inch mix) – 9:03
Charts[]
Chart (1991) | Peak position |
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Europe (European Hot 100 Singles)[4] with "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" |
7 |
France (SNEP)[5] | 40 |
Ireland (IRMA)[6] with "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" |
2 |
UK Singles (OCC)[7] with "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You)" |
4 |
US Billboard Hot 100[8] | 93 |
US Dance Club Songs (Billboard)[9] | 19 |
US Dance Singles Sales (Billboard)[10] with "Being Boring" |
10 |
References[]
- ^ "Where the Streets Have No Name (I Can't Take My Eyes Off You). How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?". petshopboys.co.uk. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Gerard, Chris (22 October 2015). "Pet Shop Boys' 'Behaviour' 25 Years Later". PopMatters. Retrieved 4 August 2016.
- ^ "The Introspective Pet Shop Boys FAQ". Archived from the original on 7 May 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2016.CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
- ^ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media. Vol. 8 no. 15. 13 April 1991. p. 31. OCLC 29800226 – via World Radio History.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Pet Shop Boys – How Can You Expect to Be Taken Seriously?" (in French). Les classement single. Retrieved 23 June 2012.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Where the Streets Have No Name". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Club Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2 May 2020.
- ^ "Pet Shop Boys Chart History (Dance Singles Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
External links[]
- 1990 songs
- 1991 singles
- Music videos directed by Liam Kan
- New jack swing songs
- Parlophone singles
- Pet Shop Boys songs
- Song recordings produced by Harold Faltermeyer
- Songs written by Chris Lowe
- Songs written by Neil Tennant