Books: It's Time The Tale Were Told "A People's History Of The Smiths"

 

It's Time The Tale Were Told – A People’s History of The Smiths is the story of the UK’s most influential indie band. This book collects together 500 first-hand memories from fans, support acts, promoters, fanzine writers, record store owners and the band's lighting designer of the band in action. From the earliest club shows through to the final gig at London's Brixton Academy, and including memories of more than 20 North American dates, this is a portrait of The Smiths painted by those who were there. With personal photographs, memorabilia, anecdotes and first-hand accounts of over 150 gigs in total, readers get a front row view of Manchester’s indie music legends in action.

The Smiths were indeed a moment in time marking a point in the early 80s when "Indie" moved from being "small audience material on minor record labels" to a crossover into the mainstream.
This is not intended to be a definitive history but a history across 300 pages told by those who were involved, were there, bear the scars, and still hold the highest esteem for an outspoken (some would say odd-ball) singer, musical partner in crime and tune, plus backing from a solid if un-noticed (until the court case) rhythm section.

The stories range from their fist gig at The Hacienda when Morrissey got annoyed with the crowd and the poster stating “We are THE Smiths, not just Smiths”, to first appearances on The Tube and Top Of The Pops (not as many stories of people going home, buying a deaf aid and waving gladioli about as I though there may have been), to the last recording sessions in Streatham, before Johnny Marr quits and the NME publish the “Smiths To Split” headline.

The band's time was brief (effectively 1983 to 1987 as a recording unit), but in the same time it took Yes to go from 90125 to Big Generator, The Smiths had formed, released 4 albums, 2 compilations and 20 singles, and disbanded. Indeed, they started something that they couldn’t finish. Didn’t hang about to actually finish it, and have spent years fighting each other to make sure they don’t actually finish it.

 

Title: It's Time The Tale Were Told "A Poeple's History Of The Smiths"

Author: Iain Key & RIchard Houghton

Pages: 300

Publisher: Spenwood Books

Language: English

Format: Paperback 

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 

Rocktrospectiva: The Outstanding "Panic" Turns 40

Released on 21 July 1986, "Panic" was a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was the band's first recording as a five-piece featuring new member Craig Gannon, "Panic" bemoans the state of contemporary pop music, exhorting listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ" in retaliation. 

The song was released by Rough Trade as a single and reached No. 7 on the Irish Singles Chart and No. 11 in the UK Chart. Morrissey considered the song's appearance on daytime British radio a "tiny revolution" in its own way, as it aired amongst the very music it criticised. It was later included in the compilation albums The World Won't Listen and Louder Than Bombs both from 1987.

"Panic" was recorded at London's Livingston Studios in May 1986. It was the group's first recording sessions since they completed work on their third album The Queen Is Dead six months earlier. During the interim period, bassist Andy Rourke had been fired due to his heroin addiction, which had interfered with his playing. The band hired Craig Gannon to replace him, but after they rehired Rourke, guitarist Johnny Marr offered Gannon a position as second guitarist.

The then five-piece band worked with producer John Porter; this was his first work with the group in two years. He was concerned that the song was too short, so he copied the band's first take from 5 May and spliced a repetition of the first verse at the end to increase its length. The group was unimpressed and opted to leave the song as they originally structured it.

A story circulated as the basis for the song holds that Marr and Morrissey were listening to BBC Radio 1 when a news report announced the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Straight afterwards, BBC disc jockey Steve Wright played the song "I'm Your Man" by pop duo Wham! "I remember actually saying, 'What the fuck has this got to do with people's lives?'" Marr recalled. "We hear about Chernobyl, then, seconds later, we're expected to jump around to 'I'm Your Man'". While Marr subsequently stated that the account was exaggerated, he commented that it was a likely influence on Morrissey's lyrics. The band later commissioned a T-shirt featuring Wright's portrait and the phrase "Hang the DJ!"

Now "the anecdote might well be true," writes Tony Fletcher in A Light That Never Goes Out, his biography of the Smiths, but he states that "I'm Your Man" had been off the UK pop charts for several months by the time of the Chernobyl disaster and that "Morrissey hardly needed further provocation to attack Wright, whose highly ranked afternoon show treated all popular music as secondary to his madcap party format". The antagonism was apparently mutual; former Smiths manager Scott Piering says that at a 1985 meeting, Wright and his producer both made clear that they disliked the band's music. Moreover, the song itself makes no mention of the radio.

The song began with Morrissey mentioning chaos unravelling throughout Britain and Ireland (specifically mentioning London, Birmingham, Leeds, Grasmere, Carlisle, Dublin, Dundee, and Humberside). In the second part of the song, he revealed that the source of this chaos is pop music, which "says nothing to [him] about [his] life". In reaction, he implores listeners to "burn down the disco" and "hang the DJ", the latter lyrics repeated with the addition of a chorus of schoolchildren. Journalist Nick Kent described "Panic" as a mandate for "rock terrorism". John Luerssen calls it a "commentary on the tepid state of pop music in 1986" and a "chiming guitar song," based around a rotation between the G major and E minor chords.

"Panic" drew negative reaction from some critics who construed Morrissey's lyrics to have a racist connotation. Paolo Hewitt in the NME wrote, "If Morrissey wants to have a go at Radio 1 and Steve Wright, then fine [but] when he starts using words like disco and DJ, with all the attendant imagery that brings up for what is a predominantly white audience, he is being imprecise and offensive". Fletcher says that the lack of any explicit indication the song was about radio meant "Panic" "could be construed as reviving the racist and homophobic 'Disco Sucks' campaign of late 1970s America".

Morrissey denied the accusation, and in a September 1986 Melody Maker interview with Frank Owen decried Owen's suggestion that he was leading a "black pop conspiracy". Additional criticism was sparked by the same interview, wherein Morrissey was quoted naming reggae as "the most racist music in the entire world". Marr, in particular, was incensed by the article and in a 1987 NME interview threatened to "kick the living shit" out of the writer if he met him, such was his anger at the article's slant. He also countered that "disco music" could not be simply equated with "black music", saying, "To those who took offence at the 'burn down the disco' line [...] I'd say please show me the black members of New Order!"

The single cover had an image of a young Richard Bradford, known for his lead role as private eye McGill in the 1960s British TV adventure series Man in a Suitcase, features on the sleeve cover. Etching in the runout on the British 7" single reads "I DREAMT ABOUT STEW LAST NIGHT", a pun on a lyric from "Reel Around the Fountain" ("I dreamt about you last night"), while the 12" version did not have a matrix message. The German 12" runout reads "HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA/HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA

Two music videos were released for "Panic", both of which were directed by Derek Jarman. The first, which the band does not appear in, saw the song used in medley with "The Queen is Dead" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" in promotion of the band's then-recent studio album of the former's same name (although "Panic" does not appear on the aforementioned album), which Jarman created as a short film for the 1986 Edinburgh Festival. The second, better-known video for "Panic", in promotion of its release as a single, sees footage of the band performing the song at a gig overlayed with footage from its segment in Jarman's film.

 

Panic Track List

 

7-inch Vinyl record

 

1. Panic

2. Vicar In A Tutu

 

12-inch vinyl record and CD

 

1. Panic

2. Vicar In A Tutu

3. The Draize Train (Instrumental) 

Rocktrospectiva: The Acclaimed Masterpiece "The Queen Is Dead" Turns 40

Released on 16 June 1986 "The Queen Is Dead" was the 3rd., studio album by the English rock band The Smiths, the album was produced by Morrissey and Marr, with engineering by Stephen Street; its music blends indie rock and post-punk. Recording for the album took place between July 1985 and December of that year, with sessions held at RAK Studios in London, Jacobs Studios in Farnham and Drone Studios in Manchester. The album spanwed three singles "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", "Bigmouth Strikes Again", & "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out."

The Queen Is Dead spent 22 weeks on the UK Albums Chart, peaking at number two. It reached number 70 on the US Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. The album received widespread critical acclaim, praised for Marr's guitar work and Morrissey's witty and emotional lyricism. It has been included in multiple lists of the greatest albums of all time.

Following the completion of Meat Is Murder in December 1984, guitarist Johnny Marr began developing new ideas for the Smiths' next album. In early 1985, the band returned to Greater Manchester, with Morrissey settling in Hale and Marr purchasing a home in Bowdon; the latter served as a writing base for the band. Marr described this period as an attempt to "shut out the outside world" and focus creatively, distancing themselves from the pressures of London and their record label. 

The Queen Is Dead was developed over a period of more than eighteen months, from its earliest musical sketches to its release. The album was produced by Morrissey and Marr, working predominantly with engineer Stephen Street, who had engineered the band's 1985 album Meat Is Murder. The three shared a strong bond in the studio, helped by their similar ages and interests, which created a relaxed atmosphere. At the time the band was having difficulty with its record label Rough Trade Records. However, according to Street, "this didn't get in the way of recording because the atmosphere in the studio was very, very constructive". The first song from the album to be completed, "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", was recorded at Drone Studios in Manchester in July 1985. Marr later recalled composing the song's melody while riding a bus during the Meat Is Murder tour. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly", "I Know It's Over" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" were written by Morrissey and Marr in a "marathon" writing session in the late summer of 1985 at Marr's home in Bowdon.

In August 1985, "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" were recorded at RAK Studios in London, along with the B-sides to "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side"; "Asleep" and "Rubber Ring". Kirsty MacColl sang a backing vocal for "Bigmouth Strikes Again" but her take was deemed to be "really weird" by Marr, and was replaced with a sped-up vocal by Morrissey in the final mix, processed by Street who ran his voice through a harmoniser. The same vocal manipulation was performed for "The Queen Is Dead", and both were attributed to "Ann Coates" on the record sleeve (Ancoats is a district in Manchester, just north-east of the city centre). Morrissey liked to experiment with effects on his voice, but he rarely used backing vocals or harmonies aside from the harmoniser, though he enjoyed experimenting during sessions. "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" has an opening which fades in, out, and back again. This effect was devised by Street, who aimed to create a mix that sounded similar to a door closing and opening again.

During the same session, a first version of "Never Had No One Ever" was recorded. The said track, completed in August 1985, was based on an instrumental demo which Marr had recorded in December 1984. Marr described the track's atmosphere as representative of the album's overall mood and recording experience. According to Marr, "Cemetry Gates" originated during an informal writing session in his kitchen with Morrissey. Marr recalled that he was uncertain about the song and had considered discarding it, but Morrissey responded enthusiastically. Marr described the creative process as coming together "effortlessly and easy". "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side", "Bigmouth Strikes Again" and "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" were debuted live during a tour of Scotland in September and October 1985, while "The Queen Is Dead" and "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" were played during a soundcheck. 

The bulk of the album was recorded in the winter of 1985 at Jacobs Studios in Farnham, under the working title "Margaret on the Guillotine", which was later used for Morrissey's song about Margaret Thatcher from his 1988 album Viva Hate. "Frankly, Mr. Shankly" was an attempt to recreate the "vibe" of Sandie Shaw's "Puppet on a String", although "it didn't quite work out that way", according to Marr. Linda McCartney was asked to play piano on the track, but declined, and a first take featuring a trumpeter was scrapped.

The album title is taken from American writer Hubert Selby Jr.'s 1964 novel, Last Exit to Brooklyn. The cover of The Queen Is Dead features a still of French actor Alain Delon from the 1964 film The Unvanquished. Delon granted permission for the image's use, though according to Morrissey's Autobiography, the actor mentioned that his parents were dismayed by the album's title.

Music critics have categorised The Queen Is Dead as an indie rock, jangle pop and post-punk recording. Marr was heavily influenced by the Stooges and the Rolling Stones while crafting the album. A central thematic tension in the album is the interplay between melancholy and other emotions. Humour, anger and joy are also notable concepts throughout the album. Morrissey's lyrics were praised for their wit and sensitivity, noting his ability to craft both humorous and genuinely moving lines. The album has been considered an acclaimed masterpiece and one of the best and finest albums in music history. 

 

The Queen Is Dead Track List: 

 

1. The Queen Is Dead (includes Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty (medley)

2. Frankly, Mr. Shankly

3. I Know It's Over

4. Never Had No One Ever

5. Cemetry Gates

6. Bigmouth Strikes Again

7. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

8. Vicar In A Tutu

9. There Is A Lifht That Never Goes Out

10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others 

Books: "The Smiths: A Novella"

Intense and wildly inventive and magnificently surreal, The Smiths: A Novella recounts the impact of an unconventional pop group from Manchester on one man's life. Taking the form of a flâneuring journey through the landscape of memory, our anonymous protagonist is accompanied by the iconic French actress Carole Bouquet, who becomes his guide and interlocutor, asking about his life during the years The Smiths were together and the profound effect of their music upon him.

As the unlikely couple perambulate from the old Selfridge Hotel to West Hollywood by way of a park bench in Cavendish Square, their conversation interrogates and celebrates the joys of outlandish pop genius, the zealous dedication of fans and the cult of outsider disaffection given uproarious voice. As such, this is not a book about The Smiths but one that emerges from their music, their emotional register and their literary resonance.

Michael Bracewell's novella-cum-fairy tale is at once deeply romantic and laced with comedy - not unlike the band themselves - and perhaps (in fictional form) the most astute and celebratory portrait of The Smiths to date. 

 

Title: The Smiths: A Novella

Author: Michael Bracewell 

Pages: 128

Publisher: White Rabbit

Language: English 

Format: Hardcover 

Rocktrospectiva: The Comic Masterpiece "Bigmouth Strikes Again" Turns 40

Released on 19 May 1986 "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was a song by the English rock band the Smiths from their third album The Queen Is Dead. Written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey, the song featured self-deprecating lyrics that reflected Morrissey's frustrations with the music industry at the time. Musically, the song was inspired by the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and centres around a guitar riff that Marr wrote during a 1985 soundcheck.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" was released as the lead single from the album, bypassing Rough Trade's preferred choice, "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out". The single reached number 26 in the UK Singles Chart and has since seen critical acclaim along with several versions recorded by other artists.

The song began as a lyric written by Morrissey in the summer of 1985. The lyric was the final one of three written about Morrissey's frustration with the music industry, the previous two being "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" and "Rubber Ring". "Bigmouth Strikes Again" specifically reflected Morrissey's negative experiences with the music press at the time. When asked by the NME about the song, Morrissey replied, "I can't think of one sentence [I regret saying]. We're still at that stage where if I rescued a kitten from drowning, they'd say: 'Morrissey Mauls Kitten's Body'. So what can you do?"

Morrissey intended the lyrics of the song to be humorous; he explained, "I would call it a parody if that sounded less like self-celebration, which it definitely wasn't. It was just a really funny song". Drummer Mike Joyce commented, "What a fantastic title – one of Mozzer's better ones. And with this song, you can see why he made journalists cream their pants. Listen to the lyrical content. He was a one-off." Johnny Marr based the song's music on a guitar riff he had written during a soundcheck of the band's 1985 tour. He described the song as being "as close as getting to the sound of my heroes as we came".

Initially the band had asked Kirsty MacColl to contribute backing vocals, but Marr found her harmonies "really weird" and they were left off the final recording. Instead, the backing vocals were recorded by Morrissey and altered to a higher pitch. This is credited to "Ann Coates", a reference to the Manchester district of Ancoats.

Though "Bigmouth Strikes Again" was initially planned to be released as the debut single from The Queen Is Dead in autumn 1985, by spring 1986, Rough Trade head Geoff Travis pushed for the band to release "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" instead.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" was released as a single in May 1986, with the non-album instrumental song "Money Changes Everything" as the B-side. Marr later reused the music from "Money Changes Everything" for Bryan Ferry's 1987 hit single "The Right Stuff", which featured new lyrics from Ferry.

The single version's sleeve cover contains a photograph of James Dean by Nelva Jean Thomas. On the 12″ single, the band quoted Oscar Wilde's famous line "Talent borrows, genius steals" on the runout groove.

There was a live version of the song appeared as the closing song on the band's only live album, Rank. Another live version, recorded at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, California, in August 1986, was released in 2017 to promote a collector's edition of The Queen Is Dead.

"Bigmouth Strikes Again" has seen critical acclaim since its release. Several publications have ranked the song as one of the band's best songs. Others called as their most iconic song. A comic masterpiece and one of the most outstandind song ever recorded by the iconical band. 

Track List: 

 

7" RT192 

1. Bigmouth Strikes Again

2. Money Changes Everything

 

12" RTT192

1. Bigmouth Strikes Again

2. Money Changes Everything

3. Unloveable 

Books: The Drums

 

The Smiths need no introduction. Formed in 1982 and disbanded in 1987, all four of their studio albums reached the top five in the UK charts. They are widely lauded as one of the most influential groups of all time.

Mike Joyce is the last member of the iconical band to release their autobiography and this is his no-holds-barred story of what it was like to play the drums in the Smiths. Throughout his honest and witty reflections, Mike answers the question he and bassist Andy Rourke used to often ask each other: 'Where did it all go right?'

A lot of the Smiths' past is already canonised. Rather than retelling those well-documented iconic moments, in The Drums, Mike conveys 'the feeling' of his time in the band. His off-piste, frank and witty perspective allows him to re-contextualise fan favourite moments through a beautifully vulnerable, human insight into his life.

The written history of the Smiths is not missing an encyclopedic account of everything that happened over the years; but Mike's honest, entertaining and deeply human memoir is what Smiths fans have been waiting for. This book truly conveys what it felt like to be a member of the Smiths.

In The Drums, Mike Joyce finally gives us the perspective of the self-confessed biggest Smiths fan in the world who from the start was just some lad from the suburbs of Fallowfield who played the drums.

Title: The Drums

Author: Mike Joyce

Language: English

Publisher: New Modern 

Pages: 272

Rocktrospectiva: The Smiths Epic Single "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" Turns 40

Released as a single on 16 September 1985, "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" was a song by the Smiths, included on the band's third studio album "The Queen Is Dead" released in 1986. 

This was the first single by the Smiths to be accompanied by a promotional music video, something the band had previously resisted. They also performed the song on an episode of Top of the Pops. The main difference between the single version and the album version is in the use of synthesised strings, which are absent from the single version. Morrissey named it his favourite Smiths song

But this classic Smiths single from 1985 has a rather obscure lyric: “The boy with the thorn in his side, behind the hatred there lies / A murderous desire for love…”

The Boy With The Thorn In His Side was the tenth single to be released by The Smiths. It followed the release of Meat Is Murder and arrived long before its inclusion on the classic album The Queen Is Dead the following year.

Thanks to the band’s huge fanbase - and a memorable appearance on Top Of The Pops - the single charted at Number 23 in the UK and No. 15 in Ireland, but who was the "boy" of the title?

Back in 1985 around the time the single appeared in the shops, Morrissey was interviewed by actress Margi Clarke for the Channel 4 music show The Tube. The pair were old friends from the post-punk scene and Clarke thought she had the inspiration for the song nailed.

Clarke thought that The Boy With The Thorn In His Side was inspired by the Oscar Wilde story, The Nightingale And The Rose, in which a bird sacrifices its life to give a young man a rose to woo his sweetheart with: “The thorn must pierce your heart, and your life-blood must flow into my veins, and become mine.”

But Mozza told Clarke: "No, that's not true". The thorn is the music industry and all these people who never believe anything I said, tried to get rid of me, wouldn't play the records. So I think we've reached a stage where we feel… if they don't believe me now, will they ever believe me? You know, what more can a poor boy do?

Despite having a hit single in the charts, Morrissey and his songwriting partner Johnny Marr felt that they were not being served well by their label Rough Trade. But on top of this was the burden of stardom that the singer was struggling with. He told Clarke: "I wanted fame for so long and now I've got it. Isn't that odd? The strangest thing in the world is when you get what you really pray for. 

The NME were not impressed by the new Smiths single. Reviewer Richard Cook noted: "Seems like Morrissey himself gives up on the song half-way through when he stops the words and uses up the rest of the needletime with yodelling.", I wonder what he thinks about this impressive, celestial and influential single 40 years later after its original released.

News: Morrissey Is Seeking To Sell His Rights To The Smith's Songs

Morrissey is selling the rights to the Smiths’ name, likeness, and intellectual property to "any interested party/investor,"  the band's former frontman announced on his blog today. 

Morrissey has no choice but to offer for sale all of his business interests in The Smiths to any interested party/investor reads the announcement that includes:  

• The name ‘The Smiths’, as created by Morrissey.
• All Smiths artwork, as created by Morrissey.
• All Smiths merchandising rights.
• All Smiths songs lyrically / musically.
• All synchronisation rights.
• All Smiths recordings.
• All contractual rights for Smiths publishing.”

Morrissey adds: 

    I am burnt out by any and all connections to Marr, Rourke, Joyce. I have had enough of malicious associations. With my entire life I have paid my rightful dues to these songs and these images. I would now like to live disassociated from those who wish me nothing but ill-will and destruction, and this is the only resolution. The songs are me — they are no one else — but they bring with them business communications that go to excessive lengths to create as much dread and spite year after year. I must now protect myself, especially my health.

Around this time last year, a representative for Morrissey said that his ex-bandmate Johnny Marr — with whom he has a deeply-rooted beef — had successfully applied for the trademark rights of the Smiths name. 

The Guardian, however, reports that right now, Morrissey and Marr each share 50% of the band rights. So it's a bit unclear how this transfer of ownership will play out, but if anyone reading is interested, Morrissey has instructed investors to email eaves7760@gmail.com.

The Chronic: Behind The Smiths Cover Sleeves "Terence Stamp"

The English film star Terence Stamp had passed away at the age of 87, and although the headlines all mentioned his most popular role as the villain General Zod in the first two Superman films...from my point of view I will always remember him as the cover star sleeve of The Smiths' "What Difference Does It Make?" single. 

 

Originally released on January 16, 1984, 'What Difference Does It Make?' was the Smiths’ third single. The song was also featured on the Smiths'  eponymous debut album, which was released little more than a month later.  Peaking at No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart, the song was the Smiths' first significant hit.  

 

The song was released without an accompanying promotional music video at a time when a music video matters. At the time, Morrissey explained that he felt that the music video market was something that was going to "die very quickly" (yeah right), and that he wanted to "herald the death" of it. Morrissey’s usual prescience seems to have taken leave with respect to the continued popularity of music videos at this stage of the Smiths’ career. The video presents Morrissey and group performing the song in front on a small stage with a very colored background and in front of a great audience I assumed are from the Top Of The Pops show.

 

What Difference Does It Make?' was amongst the very first songs written by Morrissey and Johnny Marr (around late autumn 1982). The Smiths introduced the song to the world in a gig at Manhattan Sound, a gay club in Manchester, on January 25, 1983. Aside from being the Smiths’ second concert to date, it was the very first time they performed with their classic line up that included Andy Rourke (at their debut gig in October 1982 at the Hacienda in Manchester, Dale Hibbert played bass).

 

The song was initially recorded during the Smiths' second session at Drone Studios in Manchester in December 1982.  Along with  'Miserable Lie' and 'Handsome Devil', it was sent to EMI in the hopes of securing a record contract. The song was recorded again on May 18, 1983 for the Smiths' very first appearance on John Peel's BBC program, which was broadcast on May 31, 1983, with producer Roger Pusey.  This version of the song is included on the compilation album Hatful of Hollow. 

 

The single's cover art consisted of a photo-still of English actor Terence Stamp, taken on the set of the film The Collector from 1965, Repressed extremist Freddie Clegg holds a pad soaked in chloroform with which to overpower his prey.  Having acquired reproduction rights from the copyright holders of the film, Rough Trade discovered that Terence Stamp objected to his photograph being used. 

 

Stamp's formal permission to use his image had yet to be obtained when the initial pressings of the single were released. As it turned out, Stamp denied permission for his image to be used, which resulted in the use of a near-identical image of Morrissey re-enacting Stamp’s photo-still for a limited number of pressings. The Morrissey version of the cover art sees him holding a glass of milk, as opposed to a chloroform pad in the original. Stamp soon changed his mind and provided his authorisation to use his image, and the original cover art was reinstated for all future pressings.

 

About the incident Morrissey discussesd the cover art in his book, Autobiography: "I use a photograph of Terence Stamp as the sleeve image partly because I am assured that clearance can be gained from Stamp through Geoff's mutual friendship with Sandie Shaw. Once the single is issued, Terence Stamp objects and will say (years later) that 'Morrissey did not ask for approval.' A new shot is panicked together, wherein I imitate the Stamp shot, although I choose to hold a glass of milk in place of Stamp's strychnine-soaked muslin cloth. I am ugly against Stamp's glamor-handsomeness, but it will have to do, since the single has already risen to number 12. Evidently Rough Trade are quite pleased about the sudden censoring of the original sleeve, because it might mean that collectors buy the single with the new sleeve also, thus bumping up sales."

 

The first printings of the 12” sleeve front did not bear the group’s name, which was added later. 

Rocktrospectiva: The Experimental And Political "Meat Is Murder" Turns 40

Released on 11 February 1985, "Meat Is Murder" was the second studio album by iconical English rock band, The Smiths, the album became the band's only studio album to reach number one on the UK Albums Chart, and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks, aslo the album was an international success: it spent 11 weeks in the European Top 100 Albums chart, peaking at number 29. It also reached number 110 on the US Billboard 200 in the United States. The album spawned three singles "Barbarism Begins At Home", "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" & "How Soon Is Now?".

After the band's 1984 debut studio album, lead vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr produced the album themselves, assisted only by engineer Stephen Street. They had first met Stephen Street on the session for "Heaven knows I'm Miserable Now" and requested his contact number, but never made to work on the album, so officially, the record's production is credited to "The Smiths".

To build the album's soundscape, Morrissey provided Marr and Street with his personal copies of BBC sound effects records from which to source samples. Morrissey would continue this practice on future Smiths singles and albums. Meat Is Murder was more strident and political than its predecessor, including the pro-vegetarian title track, which Morrissey forbade the rest of the band from being photographed eating meat),  and the anti-corporal punishment "The Headmaster Ritual". Musically, the band had grown more adventurous, with Marr and Rourke channelling rockabilly and funk influences in "Rusholme Ruffians" and "Barbarism Begins at Home", respectively. "Rusholme Ruffians" interpolates the Victoria Wood song "Fourteen Again".  

The Meat Is Murder" universe contains the animal defense and protection, feminism, school punishment, also is remarkable for the several sound patterns and rhythm sections. The different influences are notable, like the rockabilly on "Rusholme Ruffians", or the strange but charming "NOwhere Fast" and "I Want The One I Can't Have", the disco sound on "Barbarism Begin At Home", in which Andy Rourke bassline is notable and clever, the feminism is noticeable on "Shakespeare's Sister" inspired on a Virginia Woolf composition essay "A Room Of One's Own",

Morrissey's lyrics are another example on how this album reached different sound summits, Mozza decided to get rid of self compassion and uncharmed topics and chose stories even more critical. Even thought Marr considered this album as the least succesful of the band, is still one of the most succesful worldwide and recognisable by the band, and one of the albums you should listen before you die. 

Meat Is Murder Track List:  

 

1. The Headmaste Ritual

2. Rusholme Ruffians

3. I Want The One I Can't Have

4. What She Said

5. That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore

6. Nowhere Fast

7. Well I Wonder

8. Barbarism Begins At Home

9. Meat Is Murder

10. How Soon Is Now?* 

 

*US LP

Rocktrospectiva: The Compilation "Hatful Of Hollow" Turns 40

 

Released on 2 November 1984 in the UK and on 9-12 November in the United States, "Hatful Of Hollow" the compilation album by indie rock band The Smiths, the album features tracks from BBC Radio 1 sessions, their first single "Hand in Glove" which was a different mix of which had been included on their first album, and two new singles and their B-sides. The album peaked at No. 7 on the UK album chart and spawned three singles "Hand In Glove", "William, It Was Really Nothing" & "How Soon Is Now".

Hatful of Hollow also features their respective B-sides, "Girl Afraid", "How Soon Is Now?" and "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want".

"How Soon Is Now?" would receive a separate single release in 1985 in both the UK and the US. It reached No. 24 in the British charts, but failed to chart in the US. Morrissey and Johnny Marr lamented the lack of chart success of what they considered their strongest song thus far.

This series of complexities reflected in 1984’s Hatful Of Hollow, a collection of BBC 1 studio recordings and B-sides. Half of the album is made up of alternate takes of previously released singles. "This Charming Man" is a sweeter, softer version, less frantic than the version that appeared on the group’s eponymous 1984 debut album The Smiths. It is the romantic comedy version of Oscar-bait drama. "Hand In Glove" is the original single version, with the guitar fade-in and Andy Rourke’s bass taking center stage, while "Still Ill" and "You've Got Everything Now" each get a slight makeover. Your preference will likely depend on which album you held in your hands first, like a first crush you never quite get over.

The Smiths' best-known song also made its debut here, the classic "How Soon Is Now". The album is full of brilliant moments such as "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now." It encapsulates all that is dark and witty about him, dry as unsalted crisps. It’s good to remind yourself, every so often, why give more of yourself to people who don’t care if you live or die?., Or the mother who drowns her infant daughter in "This Night Has Opened My Eyes," the lustful schoolteacher of "Handsome Devil," the girl who has come between the longing love affair of "William, It Was Really Nothing." One could make the argument that everyone is an antagonist, in some way, to Morrissey, but while the men of "Hand In Glove" and "What Difference Does It Make" break his heart, the women cause damage far greater.

The enduring power of The Smiths is such that nothing Morrissey can ever do can wreck their legacy, only his own. The singles gathered on Hatful Of Hollow illustrate this in a far better way than any other album, the perfect balance between loneliness and love. 

Featuring a cropped photograph of the otherwise unknown Fabrice Colette taken by Gilles Decroix. The original sleeve, pictured above, included a tattoo of a Jean Cocteau drawing on Colette's left shoulder, which Colette commissioned in June 1983 because he idolised Cocteau. The photograph is taken from a July 1983 special edition of the French newspaper Libération.

 

Hatful Of Hollow Track List: 

 

1. William, It Was Really Nothing

2. What Difference Does It Make?

3. These Thins Take TIme

4. This Charming Man

5. How Soon Is Now?

6. Handsome Devil

7. Hand In Glove

8. Still Ill

9. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now

10. This Night Has Opened My Eyes

11. You've Got Everything Now

12. Accept Yourself

13. Girl Afraid

14. Back To The Old House

15. Reel Around The Fountain

16. Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Rocktrospectiva: El Legendario Álbum Debut De The Smiths Cumple 40 Años

 

Lanzado el 20 de Febrero de 1984, el álbum debut de la legendaria banda Inglesa The Smiths auto-titulado llegó como torbellino a cambiar la historia del indie rock, tras el lanzamiento original de la producción de Troy Tate el cual no gusto mucho a la banda, este volvió a ser grabado entre Londres, Manchester y Stockport durante las etapas libres durante la gira de la banda en 1983, del disco se lanzo un solo single "What Difference Does It Make" pero hubieron otros temas que se convertirían en clásicos dentro del repertorio de la banda como "Hand In Glove" y la mítica "This Charming Man" cuyo single no aparecería en el LP Británico original. 

 

Previo a las grabaciones, la banda había compuesto y grabado catorce canciones, a pesar que a Marr le había gustado el enfoque de Troy Tate, quién quiso capturar la manera en que la banda sonaba en vivo lo cual representaba la manera en que sonaban en clubs haciéndole un documento auténtico de aquellos intensos días, claro que hubieron dificultades cuando grabaron en Londres en un sótano caluroso lo cual hacía difícil la convivencia y además impedía que los instrumentos se mantuvieran afinados. Pero durante una grabación para las sesiones de la BBC para Dave Jensen, la banda conoció a John Porter que trabajaba en los estudios, estos le dieron una cinta con la grabación de Tate y este dijo que la sesión sonaba a destiempo y desafinada, y que no se podían presentar así, por lo que se ofreció a re-grabar el disco, Morrissey aceptó pero Marr dudó, y es que cuando la banda escuchó el disco a Morrissey no le gustó pero Marr pensaba que no era necesario grabarlo de nuevo tan solo corregir algunas cosas durante las mezclas, aunque si necesitaban hacerlo algo mucho mejor para presentarlo al mundo.

 

La sesiones con Porter rápidamente dieron resultados y desarrolló una gran relación entre Marr y Porter a nivel laboral, ya que inspiró a todo la banda, se metieron en los Matrix Studios de Londres, y finalizaron los detalles en Manchester, para terminar una última sesión en los Eden Studios en Noviembre de 1983, pero cuando Morrissey escuchó el disco en diciembre, le dijo a Porter y Travis que el disco no estaba todavía del todo bueno, pero como había costado 6,000 libras, no quedaba otra que lanzarlo. Por lo menos en la portada, Morrissey estaba de acuerdo ya que fue diseñada por el mismo y que consistía en una imagen recortada del actor Estadounidense Joe D'Allesandro en el filme "Flesh" de Andy Warhol de 1968.

 

Pese a la molestia de Morrissey, el álbum fue bien recibido por la crítica y el público en el Reino Unido y estuvo en los charts Británicos por 33 semanas, preparando el camino que establecería a la banda como una de las mejores de la escena del Reino Unido y del mundo. Aunque en el Reino Unido, el single de promoción sería "What Difference Does It Make?" en enero de 1984 y llegaría al 12 en el listados de singles, el disco alcanzaría el No. 2 en el Reino Unido por supuesto, del otro lado del charco, sería lanzado bajó el sello Sire, e incluiría la mítica "This Charming Man" como el 6to., track. 

 

El disco llegó a ser considerado un clásico en ambos lados del charco, y a pesar de no ser la grabación que Morrissey pretendía, resulto convirtiéndose en la mejor carta de presentación de una de las mejores bandas de la historia del rock, y que daría inicio a una breve pero intensa carrera como pocas en la historia del indie Británico.

 

The Smiths Track Listing:

 

1. Reel Around The Fountain

2. You've Got Everything Now

3. Miserable Lie

4. Pretty Girls Make Graves

5. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle

6. Still Ill

7. Hand In Glove

8. What Difference Does It make?

9. I Don't Owe You Anyhting

10. Suffer Little Children

Rocktrospectiva: El Incendiario Álbum En Directo "Rank" Cumple 35 Años

 

Lanzado el 5 de Septiembre de 1988, "Rank" fue el único álbum en directo oficial en la carrera de la banda Inglesa The Smiths, lanzado un año después de su desafortunada separación y a dos años después de haber sido grabado en el National Ballroom en Kilburn, Londres un 23 de Octubre de 1986, logrando alcanzar el No. 2 en el Reino Unido mientras que en los Estados Unidos llegó al No. 77.

 

"Rank" fue lanzado como acuerdo contractual, y contiene un total de 14 tracks de las 21 que se tocaron en esa ocasión, el disco apela a la nostalgia de la banda en los albores del éxito en la carrera de Morrissey cuando su disco "Viva Hate" sonaba por todo lo alto, y por esa razón no fue tomado tan en serio por la crítica, aunque con el pasar de los años la opinión fue cambiando ganando interés hasta considerarlo como un documento sonoro fascinante del porque la banda era tan icónica además de la vibra que la audiencia proyecto logrando una atmósfera incombustible.  

 

Sin duda la banda proyectaba una vibra sísmica, era la época en la que habían lanzado "The Queen Is Dead" y esa vibra esta en lo mejor de su momento cuando se grabó el show, en ese entonces tenían al guitarrista Craig Gannon para darles más poder sonoro, la banda fue introducida por la pieza clásica de Sergei Prokofiev "Los Montesco Y Capuleto" y a partir de ese momento Morrissey y compañía impusieron su estilo con el tema "The Queen Is Dead" seguido de "Panic", "Ask" para luego coquetear con el público con un tema de Elvis Presley (Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame", para entrar con "Rusholme Ruffians", entonces la energía estaba en lo más lato con el tema "The Boy With The Thorn" In His Side", "Vicar In A Tutu", "Cemetry Gates", y versión poderosas de "London" y "Is It Really So Strange?", pasando por "I Know It's Over" para pasar a un tema instrumental "The Draize Train", la repetición de "Still Ill" y la tumultuosa "Bigmouth Strikes Again", hubieron dos temas que quedaron fue del listado final "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", & "How Soon Is Now?".

La banda más importante de su generación sin duda alguna y ese espiritú quedó plasmado en ese show que hoy en día considerado obra de culto infravalorada en su momento, por el hecho de que las personas que asistieron a ese show fueron muy afortunadas de haber vivido un momento único para la posteridad. 

 

De acuerdo a los biógrafos de la banda, Johnny Rogan y David Bret, Morrissey quería que el disco se llamara "The Smiths In Heat" pero el sello Rough Trade objetó el título por lo que propuso "Rank" como J. Arthur Rank, en la portada estaba la imagen de la actriz Alexandra Bastedo de un libro de 1967 "Birds Of Britain".

 

Rank Track List:

 

1. The Queen Is Dead

2. Panic

3. Vicar In A Tutu

4. Ask

5. His Latest Flame/Rushholme Ruffians

6. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side

7. Rubber Ring/What She Said (Medley)

8. Is It Really So Strange?

9. Cemetry Gates

10. London

11. I Know It's Over

12. The Draize Train

13. Still Ill

14. Bigmouth Strikes Again

In Memoriam: Ha Muerto "Andy Rourke" El Brillante Bajista De La Mítica Banda The Smiths

El legendario bajista de la mítica banda Inglesa The Smiths, ha muerto a los 59 años, segpun se dio a conocer por medio de varios mensajes de sus viejos colegas de banda, Johnny Marr comentó con mucha tristeza la muerte de su gran amigo tras padecer cáncer de páncreas, Andy será siempre recordado como una persona amable, un alma hermosa para todos aquellos que lo conocieron, y uno de los más talentosos y apreciados por los fanáticos de la banda.

 

Morrissey comentó: Rourke jamas morirá mientras su música sea escuchada, entre las más populares canciones que interpretó estuvieron "This Charming Man", "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, o la más hermosa "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side", y era una parte fundamente dentro del engranaje de la banda, de igual manera apareció aportando su talento para Morrissey una vez la banda desapareció en 1987. 

 

Con una capacidad única e indescriptible, su sonido era único y raro ya que casi nadie podía igualarlo, Rourke estuvo en los cuatro álbumes de estudio de la banda "The Smiths", "Meat Is Murder", "The Queen Is Dead", y "Strangeways, Here We Come", incluso para Mike Joyce el baterista de la banda, Andy fue uno de los bajistas más poderosos y talentoso con el cual tuvo privilegio de tocar, siempre será recordado, un bajista con un sonido único comentó Mat Osman de Suede, era increíble como lo podías reconocer a gran distancia.  

 

Ya en los últimos años, Rourke toco para un grupo llamado Freebass con otros bajista de Manchester famosos, Gary "Mani" Mounfiled de Stone Roses y Peter Hook de New Order, además de prestar sus servicios para grupos como Pretenders, Killing Joke, Sinead O'Connor, Aziz Ibrahim, y Moondog One que incluia miembros como Bonehead, y Craig Gannon. estuvo de gira con Badly Drawn Boy durante dos años,  

Se conocieron con Johnny Marr en 1975, fueron buenos amigos desde entonces y juntos aprendieron música y tocaron en varias bandas hasta que llegaron con The Smiths donde estuvieron de 1982 a 1987 y en todos esos discos se reinventó como bajista, mantuvo su amista con Johnny siempre no importando nada y hasta tocó en el Madison Square Garden con él en Septiembre del 2022.

 

Siempre será recordado por lo amable, brillante y talentoso que era, descansa en paz Hermano y muchas gracias por todo. 

Rocktrospectiva: El Single Debut De The Smiths "Hand In Glove" Cumple 40 Años

Hoy hace 40 años, la mítica banda Inglesa The Smiths, publicaba su primer single oficial "Hand In Glove", que venía incluido en lo que sería su primer álbum oficial llamado "The Smiths" y que saldría al mercado al año siguiente. El tema fue compuesto por Morrissey y Johnny Marr, la banda que apenas se había formado un año antes se complementaba con Andy Rourke y Mike Joyce.

 

El tema alcanzó el No. 3 en el UK Indie Chart pero no pudo llegar al Top 75 del UK Singles Chart, apenas llegó al No. 124, pero le iría mejor al año siguiente cuando Sandie Shaw le hizo un cover y como músicos utilizó a miembros del grupo como Marr, Joyce y Rourke, y aquí el tema si llegó al No. 27 del UK Singles Chart. 

 

La maqueta original costó unas 250 libras de la época, y había sido financiada totalmente por el manager de la banda, Joe Moss y grabada en la localidad de Stockport, luego fue presentada al jefe de la Rough Trade, Geoff Travis quien decidió editarlo como single, luego capto la atención de la BBC de la mano de John Peel.

El tema fue una especie de éxito de culto cuya cara B era "Handsome Devil" y que causo cierto estupor ya que los diarios sensacionalistas decian que en la letra se toleraba la pedofilia. A pesar de todo el single caló profundo, y tuvo criticas favorables como la de Barney Hoskyns quien dijo para el semanario NME, que era una de las pocas obras maestras del año, Bill Black dijo para Sounds que era un interesante debut, y Ned Raggett la llamó impresionante, y sorprendente para ser un debut, destacando la calidad en las guitarras acústicas y eléctricas de Marr reconociendo el buen trabajo de Joyce en la batería y eficaz bajó de Rourke.

Con respecto a la curiosa portada, estuvo supervisada por el mismo Morrissey, quien había dado sus especificaciones al respecto, esta solo debia tener un centro la etiqueta de papel con cuatro orificios que rodearan el centro, la cual mostraba la fotografía de un hombre desnudo de espaldas a la cámara, el autor fue Jim Frech, y la hizo en un hotel en San Francisco, sobre el modelo se dice que es George O'Mara aunque por otras fuentes se dice que es un actor porno llamado Leo Ford, la imagen esta datada entre 1966 y 1972 y aparecería en el libro de Margaret Walters "The Nude Male" publicado en 1978.