On the heels of The Heroic Enthusiasts’ two critically and commercially-celebrated EPs released this past year on Meridian/ECR Music Group, the synth-pop duo has embarked on a new-and-historic collaboration with legendary producer Stephen Hague: a fresh version of the iconic Pet Shop Boys single, “It’s A Sin”.
The story of this collaboration is one of both coincidence, and fate. Hague is one of the indelible producers of the past half century, helming records for a list of iconic artists including New Order, Erasure, Peter Gabriel, Orchestral Maneuvers in the Dark, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Blur, Robert Palmer, Pretenders, and of course, Pet Shop Boys. The Heroic Enthusiasts’ now well-established musical partnership with Hague (he produced both of the duo’s aforementioned EPs) has been taken to a new level with “It’s A Sin,” the chart-topping hit Hague originally produced and mixed for Pet Shop Boys in 1987.
Hague dusted off his old Oberheim OB-Xa polysynth (the very one he’d used on the Pet Shop Boys’ record), and performed the same, unmistakable chorus riff he’d performed on the original, doubling it with guitar. “I’ve always thought the best covers put a spin on an existing song while showing respect to the source,” says Hague. “This is one of those.”
“It’s A Sin” builds on The Heroic Enthusiasts’ recent history with Hague. That history began with an auspicious introduction. “So much of what I'm sent these days is basically beats with hooks, but the Heroic's stuff was a breath of fresh air," says Hague. "When I first heard their demos, I was taken by their song-craft and musicality. After a couple of introductory phone conversations with Thomas and James, I knew and said, 'Buckle up boys, I'm joining the team.” Hague did, in fact, join the team––comprised of James Tabbi and Thomas Ferrara––to forge the collection of tracks they’ve collaborated on together.
Listen below: