I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing


"I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" is the third single from Pet Shop Boys' fifth album Very. The song describes a person normally hesitant to unwind and show his feelings, who—because of some event in his life—suddenly becomes willing to loosen up. It was released in the UK by Parlophone Records on 29 November 1993, where it eventually reached number 13 on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, where it was released in January 1994, it reached number two on the Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart. It is the 20th best-selling Pet Shop Boys single.

Remixes and b-sides

The song was extensively remixed by the Beatmasters for its release as a single, with a new intro replacing the house piano of the album version. Tennant and Lowe came to prefer aspects of this remix and particularly the new intro, playing it on their Electric tour and including a version of the song with it on their greatest hits compilation.
The single release was bolstered by a large amount of bonus material available across a wide range of formats, on top of the nine remixes commissioned. The main B-side is "Too Many People", but the single also featured remixes of Please tracks "Violence" and "West End Girls".

Packaging

In the UK, the first CD single came in a rubber sleeve, that held both CD one and two. This was very similar to the packaging for Very Relentless.
As with the previous singles from Very, the duo donned new outfits for the single's promotional campaign. Chris featured in a blonde wig with a pink and white costume, while Neil was adorned in a brunette wig and darker clothing.

Robbie Williams version

A cover version of "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" by Robbie Williams appeared as the B-side to his single "Let Me Entertain You" in 1998. His version of the song can also be heard in the US sitcom Friends in the episode entitled "The One with the Routine".

Track listing

7": Parlophone / R 6370
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 4:45
  2. "Too Many People" – 4:19
12": Parlophone / 12R 6370
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:49
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:32
  3. "West End Girls" – 7:45
  4. "West End Girls" – 8:16
12": Parlophone / 12RX 6370
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 8:22
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 3:49
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:10
  4. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:45
12": EMI / Y-58122
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:10
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:30
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 3:04
  4. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:48
  5. "West End Girls" – 7:45
CD: Parlophone / CDRS 6370
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 3:04
  2. "Too Many People" – 4:19
  3. "Violence" – 4:58
  4. "West End Girls" – 7:45
CD: Parlophone / CDR 6370
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 4:45
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:49
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 8:22
  4. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:39
  5. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:45
CD: EMI / 8 81270 2
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 4:45
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:49
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 8:22
  4. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:25
CD: EMI / E2-58122
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 3:04
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:10
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 8:22
  4. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:48
  5. "West End Girls" – 7:45
  6. "Violence" – 4:58
  7. "Too Many People" – 4:19

    Remixers

Beatmasters
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 4:45
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:49
Another remix of the song, using the structure of the Beatmasters 7" but also incorporating elements from the album version was released on the PopArt compilation in 2003.
Terence Parker
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:39
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:39
DJ Pierre
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:10
  2. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 3:49
  3. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 8:22
  4. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 7:45
Coconut 1
  1. "I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing" – 6:25
Pete Gleadall
  1. "Violence" – 4:58
  2. "Violence" – 7:02
Sasha
  1. "West End Girls" – 7:45
  2. "West End Girls" – 8:16

    Charts

Weekly charts

Year-end charts