Tag Archives: The Smiths

The Smiths: Rank

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On September 5, 1988, “Rough Trade” label released “Rank”, the only official Smiths (The) live album. It was recorded in October 1986, and was produced by Pete Dauncey and Grant Showbiz.

Personnel:

  • Morrissey – vocals
  • Johnny Marr – lead guitar
  • Andy Rourke – bass guitar
  • Mike Joyce – drums
  • Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar
  • Paul Nickson – engineer

Track listing:

All tracks written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey except where noted.

  1. The Queen is Dead
  2. Panic
  3. Vicar in aTutu
  4. Ask
  5. His Latest Flame – Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / Rusholme Ruffians (Medley)
  6. The Boy with the Thorn in His Side
  7. Rubber Ring / What She Said (Medley)
  8. Is It Really So Strange?
  9. Cemetery Gates
  10. London
  11. I Know It’s Over
  12. The Draize Train
  13. Still III
  14. Bigmouth Strikes Again

Andy Rourke

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On May 19, 2023, Andrew Michael Rourke died aged 59. He was musician (bass) member of the bands Freebass and D.A.R.K., but was best known as the bassist of the Smiths. Rourke recorded and performed with Morrissey, Sinéad O’Connor, the Pretenders and Ian Brown.

The Smiths: Strangeways, Here We Come

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strangeways_here_we_come

On September 28, 1987, “Rough Trade” label released “Strangeways, Here We Come” the fourth and final Smiths studio album. It was recorded in 1987, at “The Wool Hall” in Beckington, Somerset, and was produced by Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Stephen Street.

Personnel:

  • Morrissey– vocals, piano, design
  • Johnny Marr– guitar, keyboards, harmonica, autoharp, synthesised strings and saxophone arrangements, additional vocals
  • Andy Rourke– bass guitar
  • Mike Joyce– drums, percussion
  • Stephen Street– additional drum machine programming, strings arrangements
  • Steve Williams – engineer assistant

Track listing:

All tracks by Morrissey and Johnny Marr.

  1. A Rush and a Push and the Land is Ours
  2. I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish
  3. Death of a Disco Dancer
  4. Girlfriend in a Coma
  5. Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before
  6. Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
  7. Unhappy Birthday
  8. Paint a Vulgar Picture
  9. Death at One’s Elbow
  10. I Won’t Share You

 

 

The Smiths: The Queen Is Dead

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The Smiths - The Queen-is-dead

On June 16, 1986, “Rough Trade” label released “The Queen Is Dead”, the third Smiths (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1985, and was produced by Morrissey and Johnny Marr. The album cover was designed by Morrissey and features Alain Delon photograph from the 1964 film “L’Insoumis”. “The Queen Is Dead” has received unanimous critical acclaim worldwide. “NME” magazine voted “The Queen Is Dead” the “Greatest Album of All Time’. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked the album at number 216 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel

  • Morrissey– vocals, art concept
  • Johnny Marr– guitars, harmonium, synthesised strings instruments and flute arrangements
  • Andy Rourke– bass
  • Mike Joyce– drums
  • Stephen Street – engineer
  • John Porter – engineer
  • Caryn Gough – layout
  • Steve Wright – photography

Track listing

All tracks by Morrissey and Johnny Marr, except “Take Me Back to Dear Old Blighty” (used as an intro to “The Queen Is Dead”), by A.J. Mills, Fred Godfrey and Bennett Scott.

  1. The Queen Is Dead
  2. Frankly, Mr.Shankly
  3. I Know It’s Over
  4. Never Had No One Ever
  5. Cemetery Gates
  6. Bigmouth Strikes Again
  7. The Boy With The Thorn in His Side
  8. Vicar in a Tutu
  9. There is a Light That Never Goes Out
  10. Some Girls are Bigger Than Others

The Smiths: Same

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The_Smiths_The_Smiths

On February 20, 1984, “Rough Trade” label released the self-titled, debut Smiths (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1983 at “Pluto Studios” in Manchester, “Strawberry Studios” in Stockport, “Eden Studios” and “Matrix Studios” in London, and was produced by John Porter, Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and  Mike Joyce. Magazine ”Slant” ranked the album at number 51 on its list of “Best Albums of the 1980s”; in 1989, magazine “Rolling Stone” ranked “The Smiths” at number 22 on its list of the “100 Greatest Albums of the 1980s”, and in 2012, the album was ranked at number 472 on  magazine’s list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. The album was ranked at number 51 on “Rolling Stone’s” list of the “100 Best Debut Albums of All Time”. In 1997, ”The Smiths” was ranked at number 73 in The Guardian’s list “100 Best Albums Ever”.

Personnel:

  • Morrissey – vocals
  • Johnny Marr– guitars, harmonica
  • Andy Rourke– bass guitar
  • Mike Joyce– drums
  • Paul Carrack– keyboards
  • Annalisa Jablonska – vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Morrissey and Johnny Marr.

  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. This Charming Man
  7. Still Ill
  8. Hand in Glove
  9. What Difference Does It Make?
  10. I Don’t Owe You Anything
  11. Suffer Little Children

The Smiths: Meat Is Murder

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Meat is Murder

On February 11, 1985, “Rough Trade” label released “Meat Is Murder”, the second Smiths (The) studio album. It was recorded in 1984, at the “Amazon Studios” in Liverpool and “Ridge Farm” in Surrey, and was produced by Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce. The album’s sleeve uses a 1967 photograph of Marine Cpl. Michael Wynn in the Vietnam War. In 2003, ”Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Meat Is Murder”  at number 296 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

Personnel:

  • Morrissey– vocals
  • Johnny Marr– guitars, piano
  • Andy Rourke– bass guitar
  • Mike Joyce– drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Morrissey and Johnny Marr.

  1. The Headmaster 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

James Hannett

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On April 9, 1991, James Martin Hannett died aged 43. Initially credited as Martin Zero, he was a record producer and an original partner and director at “Factory Records” (together with Tony Wilson).  Zero worked with The Smiths, New Order, Joy Division, Happy Mondays, Magazine, U2 and The Psychedelic Furs.