Editing Neil Tennant (section)

===Early career===
In 1975, having completed a degree in history at [[North London Polytechnic]] (now part of [[London Metropolitan University]]), Tennant worked for two years as the production editor for [[Marvel UK]], the UK branch of [[Marvel Comics]]. He was responsible for anglicising the dialogue of Marvel's catalogue to suit British readers and for indicating where women needed to be redrawn for the British editions.<ref>{{cite book | title=Pet Shop Boys, Annually | year=1989| id= {{ASIN|0723568421|country=uk}} }}</ref><ref name="PSB1975">{{cite web |url=https://www.petshopboys.co.uk/history/1975|title=Pet Shop Boys Official Site, History Section 1975|website=petshopboys.co.uk|access-date=11 October 2024}}</ref> He also wrote occasional features for the comics, including interviews with pop stars [[Marc Bolan]] and [[Alex Harvey (musician)|Alex Harvey]].<ref name="wordpodcast">{{cite AV media |people=Ellen, Mark and Hepworth, David (hosts)|date=9 April 2024|title=Word in Your Ear ep. 621: Neil Tennant remembers the pop press and the last great era of forward-looking songs|type=podcast|url=https://shows.acast.com/word-in-your-ear-2/episodes/word-podcast-621-neil-tennant-part-one|time=}}</ref> In 1977, he moved to Macdonald Educational Publishing,<ref name="PSB1975"/> where he edited ''The Dairy Book of Home Management'' (1980)<ref>{{cite news|title=The Dairy Book of Home Management - Hardcover|url=https://www.abebooks.co.uk/9780356072968/Dairy-Book-Home-Management-Carol-0356072967/plp|work=ABE Books.co.uk|year=1980|access-date=8 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|last=Turner|first=Luke|date=20 May 2024|title=Playful yet Professional, Nevertheless: a Pet Shop Boys Interview|url=https://thequietus.com/interviews/pet-shop-boys-interview-neil-tennant-chris-lowe-nonetheless/|magazine=The Quietus|access-date=11 October 2024}}</ref> and various illustrated books about cookery, playing the guitar and other home interests. Then he moved to ITV Books, where he edited TV tie-in books. After having commissioned Steve Bush, then the designer of ''[[Smash Hits]]'' and ''[[The Face (magazine)|The Face]]'', to design a book about the group [[Madness (band)|Madness]], he was offered a job at ''Smash Hits'' as news editor of the British teen pop magazine in 1982.<ref>{{cite news |last=Perrone |first=Pierre |date=5 April 2012 |title=Eric Watson: Photographer who worked with the Pet Shop Boys and for pop bible Smash Hits|url=https://www.the-independent.com/news/obituaries/eric-watson-photographer-who-worked-with-the-pet-shop-boys-and-for-pop-bible-smash-hits-7622219.html|work=The Independent |location=London |access-date=11 October 2024}}</ref><ref name="wordpodcast"/> The following year, he became assistant editor. He also edited ''The Smash Hits Yearbook'' from 1982 to 1985.

At ''Smash Hits'', an opportunity arose for him to go to New York to interview [[The Police]]. While there, Tennant arranged to meet [[Bobby Orlando]], a producer whom he and Chris Lowe admired. Tennant mentioned he was writing songs in his spare time, and Orlando agreed to record some tracks with him and Lowe at a later date. Orlando produced the Pet Shop Boys' first single "[[West End Girls]]".<ref>{{Cite AV media notes |title=Please: Further Listening 1984-1986|title-link=Please (Pet Shop Boys album)|last=Heath|first=Chris|others=[[Pet Shop Boys]]|year=2018|page=1|type=booklet|publisher=Parlophone|id=0190295831745|ref=pleasefurther}}</ref>