An Accident With A Three Bar Fire

Sweet And Tender Hooligan, a 12" B-side from 1986, sees The Smiths go into attack mode- blistering guitar introduction and whipcrack pace throughout, with an early showing for Morrissey's fascination with gangsters, thugs and smugglers. If memory serves this was recorded for a Peel Session. A good session's work I'd say. Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera...

04 Sweet and Tender Hooligan.wma#2#2

I Left My Bag In Newport Pagnell

The Freemans Catalogue in the mid-80s featured a little known indie boys section. Our models-Craig, Johnny, Andy, Steve and Mike- show off the summer range. Shoes and sunglasses models own.

This version of Is It Really So Strange came to light on the Unreleased Demos album, recently leaked on the net. It's not so much a demo, more a full but unreleased version. Recorded during the 1986 sessions for the Ask single, it was shelved and when the band needed a B-side for Sheila Takes A Bow they used the Peel Session version of this song instead. The guitar playing on this track shimmers and shines, truly brilliant, and Morrissey delivers his lines about the north, the south, lost luggage and killing a horse. Then you think, 'they rejected this, it wasn't good enough'.

10 Is It Really So Strange_ [Demo].mp3

The Queen Is Deader

Stumbling around the internet a week or so ago I came across an album of demos and unreleased instrumentals by The Smiths. In the past I've listened to The Smiths so much that I can't really hear them anymore so I was intrigued by this album. It contains demo versions (presumably early takes) of various songs- Is it Really So Strange?, Death Of A Disco Dancer, Sheila Take A Bow, Girlfriend In A Coma, Frankly, Mr. Shankly, and There is A Light That Never Goes Out among them- that sound like what they are, which is demos. The arrangements are slightly different, they lack the finished gloss of the album track, different vocal melody, slight lyrical change, and so on. Interesting enough but still, unreleased demos are unreleased for a reason usually. Hearing Frankly, Mr. Shankly with a trumpet part makes you realise they were right to take the trumpet off. There are two unfinished instrumentals, Johnny Marr and the rhythm section trying out tunes that for whatever reason didn't become Smiths songs. Again, interesting enough . A seven minute rough version of Rusholme Ruffians, an instrumental Shoplifters, a few other things that I can't remember right now.

The one that got me hooked though was this one, The Queen Is Dead- monarchy baiting, cheerless marshes, heads in slings, bad piano playing, sponges and rusty spanners, rain and hair, apron strings, castration, drugs, the church, the pub and the band's awe inducing guitar, drums and bass attack. The Queen Is Dead may well be their finest moment- Johnny, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce's swaggering, feedback-ridden music and Morrissey's funniest and most scything lyrics. This version is The Queen Is Dead before they decided it needed to be shorter, so you get everything you'd normally get but Marr, Rourke and Joyce playing out of their skins for an extra two minutes. If that doesn't get you excited I don't know what will. Or you don't like The Smiths, in which case, fair enough. Always a personal favourite in the Bagging Area bunker, ever since I read years ago that they thought it 'went on a bit' I've wondered what the full version sounded like. Now I know.

04 The Queen Is Dead [Demo].mp3#2#2