News: Morrissey And Johnny Marr Have Worked On A New Rare Vinyl Released From The Smiths

 

Morrissey and Johnny Marr have both helped to create a rare new seven-inch release from The Smiths, as part of an upcoming Rough Trade boxset.

The legendary London independent label will release its second volume of newly printed classic singles, titled ‘Rough Trade 45s: Volume 2’, on October 30. It will comprise tracks from The Fall, Aztec Camera, Mazzy Star, Scritti Politti, Robert Wyatt and more, and the boxset will be limited to just 1000 copes, released on October 30. 

Among them is a new release from The Smiths, with "The Headmaster Ritual" on the A-side, and "I Want The One I Can't Have" on the flip side. Both songs originally appeared on the band’s second album "Meat Is Murder" in 1985, but they were never released as a single on Rough Trade.

Now, they will be available as a single for the first time, with Morrissey and Marr both requesting the two tracks. Morrissey has also overseen the creation of the new artwork, choosing a 1939 image of the American actor Billy Halop. It follows in the tradition of The Smiths' artwork throughout their career, with Morrissey having previously selected the likes of Truman Capote, Candy Darling, Alain Delon and Elvis Presley.

Both Morrissey and Marr have also both contributed sleeve notes for the release, and the booklet will also include writing from Elvis Costello, Stewart Lee, Green Gartside, Jonathan Richman and The Go-Betweens' Robert Forster.

You can pre-order here: Rough Trade 45s 

The Compilation/News: Rough Trade Announced 45s Volume 2 Boxset

 

Rough Trade Records announced the release of their Volume 2 of seven-inch singles boxset. The legendary London Label will release a second volume of their acclaimed boxset series tracing some of the key seven-inch singles in the independent label's history on 30 October.

Following the first set which came out last year and focused on the indie's first few years of existence, Volume 2 will feature nine seven-inch singles from the 1980s to the early 1990s, marking the period when Rough Trade came of age as a label.

Nine disc set includes repressings of handpicked 1980s and 1990s releases from The Fall, Scritti Politti, Robert Wyatt, Aztec Camera, The Go-Betweens, Jonathan Richman, The Sundays and Mazzy Star Additionally The Smiths' The Headmaster Ritual becomes a Rough Trade single especially for this release at Morrissey and Marr's request, with unique b-side plus new artwork from Morrissey

Sleeve notes feature new interviews with Rough Trade co-MDs Jeannette Lee and Geoff Travis, plus contributions from Elvis Costello, Harriet Wheeler, Anton Corbijn, Stewart Lee and more.

Handpicked by Rough Trade’s co-MDs, Jeannette Lee and Geoff Travis, the tracks represent a mix of key releases and personal favourites. Starting with The Fall's 1980 Totally Wired, Scritti Politti's The Sweetest Girl, Robert Wyatt's Shipbuilding, Aztec Camera’s Oblivious, The Go Betweens' Cattle and Cane, Jonathan Richman's That Summer Feeling and The Sundays' Can't Be Sure have all been repressed on seven-inch, including b-sides, as they were released by the label at the time.

Mazzy Star's cover of Love’s Five String Serenade, which appeared on Rough Trade's single's club in 1993, appears as the original release, but its b-side has been switched at Lee and Travis' request for David Roback and Hope Sandoval’s version of Slap Happy’s Blue Flower to create a unique “covers release”.

In addition to these original releases, Volume 2 also boasts a ninth,  "new" single which has been created at the request of members of The Smiths, and will only be available in this edition. Although it was released in Netherlands, The Headmaster Ritual had never been an official Rough Trade single until now. At Morrissey and Marr's request the track from Meat Is Murder is backed by I Want The One I Can’t Have as its b-side, while Morrissey has overseen the creation of brand new artwork for the seven-inch.

Both band members have contributed to the sleeve notes that accompany Volume 2, which also includes contributions from Elvis Costello, Stewart Lee, Roddy Frame, Green Gartside, Jonathan Richman, The Sundays’ Harriet Wheeler, David Gavurin and The Go-Betweens' Lindy Morrison and Robert Forster. Plus, there is a brand new, extensive interview with Travis and Lee, who discuss the label during the 80s and 90s, the music and their collaborations with the artists featured.

The sleeve notes also contain memorabilia and imagery from the Rough Trade archive, along with contributions from Anton Corbijn, Laura Levine, Paul Slattery, David Corio and more, who photographed the artists at the time.

Like its predecessor Volume 1 – which included singles from Augustus Pablo, Young Marble Giants, Cabaret Voltaire, The Raincoats and more – this second Rough Trade seven-inch boxset is strictly limited to 1000 copies worldwide.

Rough Trade 45s Volume 2 Box Ser Tracklisting:

 

7" -  RT056 - 1980

The Fall - "Totally Wired"
B-Side: "Putta Block"

7"   -  RT091 - 1981
Scritti Politti - "The Sweetest Girl"
B-side: "Lions After Slumber"
 
7"  RT115 - 1982
Robert Wyatt - "Shipbuilding"
B-Side "Memories of You"
 
7"  -  RT122 - 1983
Aztec Camera - "Oblivious"
B-Side "Orchid Girl"
 
7"  - RT124 - 1983
The Go Betweens - "Cattle and Cane"
B-Side: "Heaven Says"
 
7" -  RT152 - 1984
Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers - "That Summer Feeling"
B-Side: "This Kind of Music"
 
7" -  RT0507S - 2026
The Smiths - "The Headmaster Ritual"
B-Side "I Want the One I Can't Have"
(Originally released in the Netherlands 1985 with B-side Oscillate Wildly - new B-side for this release selected by the band)
 
7" - RT218 - 1989
The Sundays - "Can't Be Sure"
B-Side: "I Kicked a Boy"
 
7" -  45rev19x – 1983
Mazzy Star "Blue Flower"
B-Side: Mazzy Star  Five String Serenade
(the single was originally released with B-side Under My Car, but has been changed at Rough Trade’s request for this edition)

The Compilation: Rough Trade Announces 45s Volume 1 Boxset

Rough Trade Records is celebrating its early years with the release of a limited boxset, available on 20 June, 2025, including many important early seven-inch singles.

The collection contains eight classic 45s that followed the label's formation out the original Rough Trade shop in West London in 1978, Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1 features Augustus Pablo, The Raincoats and Young Marble Giants.

The eight singles, which have been recreated especially for this edition, were handpicked by Rough Trade Records co-MDs, Jeannette Lee and Geoff Travis, who were key players in the DIY nexus that formed around the first Rough Trade shop in the late 1970s. "There wasn't much commercial thinking behind starting a label out of the first Rough Trade shop, not much planning," recalls Geoff Travis of Rough Trade Records’ beginnings. "We were just doing things out of love really."

Reflecting this passion behind its foundation, rather than a dry definitive history of the label's early years, the boxset represents a personal and musical history, as inspired by Rough Trade's recent 45th anniversary, Geoff and Jeannette have selected tracks that represent moments of true creative spark from the time.

Accompanying the singles, a new long-form conversation between the pair serves as the sleeve notes for the release, which is illustrated with exclusive archive photography sourced in collaboration with many of the era's greatest photographers plus new quotes from the artists themselves and notable fans also feature.

"I used to shop at Rough Trade before I joined the label and everyone knew it was the place to go to find interesting music," explains Jeannette Lee of the memories that influenced their track selection, "Geoff and I just sat down and the tracks just came to us like that! We're celebrating 45-plus years of the label, and we could easily have picked 45 seven-inches. There have been so many good singles!"

The second volume of 45s will follow later this year on September 26, 2025, covering the years 1980 to 1993 and is set to include music from Mazzy Star, Scritti Politti, Jonathan Richman, The Sundays and more. 

Each copy of Rough Trade 45s: Volume 1 will be individually numbered, while the run is limited to just 1000 copies worldwide.

Rough Trade 45s:

Volume 1
Tracklisting

1. Augustus Pablo – Pablo Meets Mr Bassie
B-side Mr Bassie Special!
RT002 (1978)

2. Stiff Little Fingers – Alternative Ulster
B-side 78 Revolutions A Minute (78RPM)
RT004 (1978)

3. Subway Sect – Ambition
B-side Different Story
RT007 (1978)

4. Swell Maps – Read About Seymour
B-sides Ripped & Torn and Black Velvet
RT010 (1978)

5. The Raincoats – Fairytale In The Supermarket
B-sides In Love & Adventures Close To Home
RT013 (1979)

6.  Cabaret Voltaire Nag Nag Nag
B-side Is That Me (Finding Someone At The Door Again?)
RT018 (1979)

7. The Pop Group – We Are All Prostitutes
B-side Amnesty International Report On British Army Torture Of Irish Prisoners
RT023 (1979)

8. Young Marble Giants – Final Day
Second track on A side Radio Silents B-side Cakewalking
RT043 (1980)

La Recopilación: Rough Trade 40 Years 40 Covers

Con motivo de su 40º aniversario, las legendarias tiendas Rough Trade tiene el gusto de anunciar la publicación para finales de marzo de un recopilatorio con algunos de sus covers favoritos de todos los tiempos, empezando desde 1976 año en que comenzaron sus actividades en Londres. 

Un total de 40 canciones, una por cada año desde que abrieron su priemra tienda que después también fue sello discográfico, las canciones son interprestadas por los más celebrados músicos de la cultura pop, quienes hacen un cover en su propio estilo de artistas que más se le asemejan y que tienen que ver con la historia de Rough Trade en sí. Canciones que van de artistas de la talla de The Beatles, The Kinks, David Bowie, Neil Young, Elvis Presley, The Smiths, Gary Numan, Queen, The Cure y Madonna siendo versionados por Bruce Springsteen, Bjork, Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds, Pixies, The White Stripes, Minor Threat, The Fall, Warpaint, Royal Trux, Mac DeMarco y muchos más.

Hits populares como el de Bjork "Its Oh So Quiet", New England de Billy Bragg, "Just Like Heaven" de The Cure que recibieron su versión de la mano de otros artistas como Minor Threat, The Vaselines, o Dinosaur Jr.

El recopilatorio viene acompañado de un texto de Kramer, fundador del influyente sello "Shimmy Disc y de la banda Bongwater en donde describe su pasión por las versiones.

Más información y pre-order del mismo aquí: Rough Trade Albums

Various Artists - Rough Trade Shops COVERS VOL. 1 tracklist: 

Disc 1
1.   1976 The Damned play The Beatles - Help
2.   1977 The Count Bishops play The Kinks - I Need You
3.   1978 Pure Hell play Nancy Sinatra - These Boots Are Made For Walking
4.   1979 The Raincoats play The Kinks - Lola
5.   1980 Silicon Teens play Heinz - Just Like Eddie
6.   1981 New Age Steppers play Junior Byles - Fade Away
7.   1982 Bauhaus play Brian Eno - Third Uncle
8.   1983 The Residents play Elvis Presley - Jailhouse Rock
9.   1984 Kirsty MacColl plays Billy Bragg - New England
10. 1985 Minor Threat play The Standells - Good Guys
11. 1986 Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds play The Seekers - The Carnival Is Over
12. 1987 The Vaselines play Divine - You Think You're A Man
13. 1988 The Fall play The Kinks - Victoria
14. 1989 Dinosaur Jr play The Cure - Just Like Heaven
15. 1990 The Breeders play The Beatles - Happiness Is A Warm Gun
16. 1991 Pixies play The Jesus and Mary Chain - Head On
17. 1992 Bongwater play Fred Neil - Everybody's Talking
18. 1993 Flying Saucer Attack play Suede - The Drowners
19. 1994 Lush play The Gist - Love at First Sight
20. 1995 Björk plays Betty Hutton - Its Oh So Quiet
21. 1996 Thee Headcoatees play The Ramones - Swallow My Pride
22. 1997 Armitage Shanks play Tubeway Army - Are Friends Electric?

Disc 2
1.   1998 Royal Trux play Dire Straits - Money For Nothing
2.   1999 The Meat Purveyors play Madonna - Like A Virgin
3.   2000 The White Stripes play Dolly Parton - Jolene
4.   2001 Beachwood Sparks play Sade - By Your Side
5.   2002 Melt Banana play Queen - We Will Rock You
6.   2003 Schneider TM Kpt.Michi.gan play The Smiths - The Light 3000
7.   2004 Low play The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
8.   2005 The Rogers Sisters play Captain Beefheart - Zig Zag Wanderer
9.   2006 Alva Noto + Ryuichi Sakamoto play Ryuichi Sakamoto - Ax Mr. L
10. 2007 Jeffrey Lewis plays Crass - Big A, Little A
11. 2008 Bruce Springsteen plays Suicide - Dream Baby Dream
12. 2009 The xx play Womack & Womack - Teardrops
13. 2010 Warpaint play David Bowie - Ashes to Ashes
14. 2011 The Dirtbombs play Inner City - Good Life
15. 2012 Chromatics play Neil Young & Crazy Horse - Into The Black
16. 2013 Iceage play Sinéad O'Connor - Jackie
17. 2014 Mac DeMarco plays Herb Alpert - This Guy's in Love With You
18. 2015 Wand play Gary Numan - M.E.