release date: 16.10.2006 chart: UK #23; US -

Third single released from album "Fundamental". Composed by Los Angeles songwriter Diane Warren, known for many commercial radio-friendly hits, "Numb" was originally procured by the Pet Shop Boys to be one of the new singles on the 2003 compilation PopArt. The song was previously offered to rock band Aerosmith, whose hit "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing" was written by Warren; it was rejected. The reputations of the parties involved immediately suggested a stylistic clash; Warren's songs are often heavily emotive love songs (described by the band as the "Los Angeles ballad" style), while the Pet Shop Boys are characterized by largely synthetic sounds and Neil Tennant's restrained, dispassionate singing. This discontinuity was highlighted by Tennant's often-recounted anecdote of Warren offering the duo another song (still unrecorded to date) titled "Kisses on the Wind", which was flatly rejected due to its title. Tennant discussed Diane Warren's work in the BBC Radio 2 documentary "Real Song - The Diane Warren Story", which was produced by Malcolm Prince in 2003. The series included Warren's own demo of "Numb".
Heavily orchestrated, with strings arranged by Trevor Horn, the song describes the desire to sequester oneself from the world due to traumatic experiences it has brought about; within the context of Fundamental, it has been observed that the song can be interpreted as a reaction to terrorism and the state of the world brought about in its aftermath. The original demo is not orchestrated, relying instead on synthetic sounds. The newly remixed radio version edits out the orchestral opening and the entire second verse, and also repeats the dramatic bridge section, adding harmonized backing vocals the second time. (Despite this work, the music video plays to the original album version instead.)
The sleeve photography was taken by Sam Taylor-Wood in November 2003 when "Numb" was planned as a single. They show Pet Shop Boys wearing plague doctor masks that were bought in Venice, and were taken at the Jerusalem Tavern in Clerkenwell, London.
The Pet Shop Boys official website announced the release of a new radio edit of "Numb" as the third single from Fundamental, accompanied by new songs "Party Song" and "Bright Young Things" as B-sides and a new remix of "Psychological" by Ewan Pearson to be included on the limited edition 12-inch release. "Bright Young Things" was recorded and written in 2003 with co-production by Chris Zippel. It was originally intended for a film of the same title made by Stephen Fry but film producers turned down the track. Neil Tennant stated in June 2006 on the official Pet Shop Boys website that it would be a B-side sometime soon. The single package also includes a live version of "West End Girls", which was recorded by BBC Radio 2 at the Mermaid Theatre in May 2006. This live track is also featured on the Pet Shop Boys first live album, Concrete which was released the week following this single in October 2006.