Released digitally nine years ago today (7 November 2017), “Jacky’s Only Happy When She’s Up on the Stage” was Morrissey’s 51st single and the second from his eleventh studio album, Low in High School.
25 Years Ago Today: Morrissey, ¡The Best Of! (6 November 2001)
Released in North America by Rhino/Warner Bros., ¡The Best Of! brought together 21 tracks spanning Morrissey's solo career from 1988 to 1997.
Guy Fawkes and the Smiths
“GUY FAWKES WAS A GENIUS” is etched into the runout groove of side 1 of Strangeways, Here We Come. On this day in 1605, Fawkes was caught plotting to blow up Parliament. 421 years later, Morrissey’s coy tribute lives on.
Happy Guy Fawkes Night!
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A petty thief, a cross-dressing clergyman, and a disapproving monsignor. Beneath the rollicking absurdity of the Smiths’ “Vicar in a Tutu” lies a characteristically Morrisseyan meditation on individuality and conformity. Read my latest essay only at morrisseyringleader.substack…
42 Years of Hatful of Hollow
Released on November 2, 1984, Hatful of Hollow is a collection of BBC sessions, singles, and B-sides.
Forty-two years later, it remains not merely a compilation, but one of the finest records the Smiths ever released.
Happy 63rd birthday to Johnny "f***ing" Marr, whose extraordinary guitar work helped give the Smiths their unmistakable sound. Cheers, mate!
Bigmouth Strikes Again
Morrissey, Joan of Arc, the Rolling Stones, and a mysterious Hollywood connection from 1948. A closer look at the wit, controversy, and hidden curiosities of the Smiths’ “Bigmouth Strikes Again.” Available now at morrisseyringleader.substack…
Has Nature Made A Man Of Him Yet?
Forty-three years ago today, on 28 October 1983, the Smiths released their second single, “This Charming Man”. The single reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart.
Nine years ago today, Morrissey released his 50th single, “Spent the Day in Bed”. Its B-side featured the Ramones’ “Judy Is a Punk”, recorded live at a Morrissey concert in Tokyo in 2016. The sleeve featured a 1949 Stanley Kubrick photo of boxer Rocky Graziano.
Released 17 years ago today, 26 October 2009, Swords gathered 18 Morrissey recordings, largely B-sides from the You Are the Quarry, Ringleader of the Tormentors and Years of Refusal eras, giving these often-overlooked songs a welcome moment in the spotlight.
From Cleopatra and a crate of ale to one of Johnny Marr’s most exquisite compositions, “Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others” is a triumph of musical beauty and lyrical absurdity. Exploring the Smiths’ most unlikely album closer here: morrisseyringleader.substack…
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NO RADIO PLAY AS USUAL ... AND YET !!! - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL morrisseycentral.com/message…
40 years ago today, The Smiths released “Ask” (20 October 1986). Beneath its infectious, exuberant melody lies a meditation on shyness, desire and our irrepressible need for human connection.
Celebrating this remarkable single with my essay: morrisseyringleader.substack…
Johnny Marr: A Lifetime in the Shadow of Five Years
***NO PAYWALL***
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36 years ago today, Morrissey released Bona Drag (15 October 1990), a remarkable collection of early solo singles and B-sides. From “Suedehead” to “Piccadilly Palare”, it remains an enduring testament to one of his most fertile creative periods.
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“Girlfriend in a Coma”: a deceptively beautiful song released as the Smiths were falling apart. An accidental elegy?
Available now at morrisseyringleader.substack…
On this day in 1992, The Smiths belatedly released “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” as a UK single, six years after The Queen Is Dead. Featuring Sandie Shaw on the sleeve, it reached No. 25, the band’s final UK Top 40 hit. Thirty-four years on, the light still burns.
The Smiths longed for greater success, yet occasionally seemed determined to avoid it. The curious tale of “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby,” the single that never was.
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