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The Smiths Singles Box
''The Smiths Singles Box'' is a limited edition box set compilation of 45 RPM 7-inch single releases by the English rock band the Smiths. It contains repressings of the Smiths' first ten 7-inch singles released in the United Kingdom between May 1983 through May 1986, as well as the Dutch-only single for "The Headmaster Ritual" and the DJ promotional single of "Still Ill", housed in reproductions of their original picture sleeves. The box also includes a 14×14 poster of the single sleeves, four collector's pins and a download code for the mp3 versions. It was released on 8 December 2008 in the UK. A compact disc version of the box set was issued on 22 June 2009 and featured a different track selection, largely reproducing the expanded track listings of the original 12-inch singles. The cover of the box features actor Joel Fabiani, taken from the TV series ''Department S (TV series), Department S'' and selected by Smiths frontman Morrissey.The image is included in the bonus materi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British independent music. The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983 and released their debut album, ''The Smiths (album), The Smiths'', in 1984. Their focus on a guitar, bass and drum sound, fusing 1960s rock and post-punk, was a rejection of the synth-pop sound predominant at the time. Several Smiths singles reached the top 20 of the UK singles chart, and all their studio albums reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart, including the number-one album ''Meat Is Murder'' (1985). The band achieved mainstream success in Europe with ''The Queen Is Dead'' (1986) and ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' (1987), which both ent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
What Difference Does It Make?
"What Difference Does It Make?" is a song by the English Rock music, rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was the band's third single and is featured on their debut album, ''The Smiths (album), The Smiths''. A different version, recorded for the John Peel Show on BBC Radio 1, is included in the compilation album ''Hatful of Hollow''. The song was one of the band's first significant chart hits, peaking at No. 12 in the UK Singles Chart. Background The character Ray Smith in the Jack Kerouac novel ''The Dharma Bums'' repeatedly says "What difference does it make?" as well as "Pretty girls make graves", the title of another track featured on ''The Smiths (album), The Smiths''. "What Difference Does It Make?" was released without an accompanying music video. Speaking to Tony Fletcher on ''The Tube (1982 TV series), The Tube'' in 1984, Morrissey remarked that he felt that the video market was something that was going to "die very quickly", ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2008 Compilation Albums
8 (eight) is the natural number following 7 and preceding 9. Etymology English ''eight'', from Old English '', æhta'', Proto-Germanic ''*ahto'' is a direct continuation of Proto-Indo-European '' *oḱtṓ(w)-'', and as such cognate with Greek and Latin , both of which stems are reflected by the English prefix oct(o)-, as in the ordinal adjective ''octaval'' or ''octavary'', the distributive adjective is ''octonary''. The adjective ''octuple'' (Latin ) may also be used as a noun, meaning "a set of eight items"; the diminutive '' octuplet'' is mostly used to refer to eight siblings delivered in one birth. The Semitic numeral is based on a root ''*θmn-'', whence Akkadian ''smn-'', Arabic ''ṯmn-'', Hebrew ''šmn-'' etc. The Chinese numeral, written (Mandarin: ''bā''; Cantonese: ''baat''), is from Old Chinese ''*priāt-'', ultimately from Sino-Tibetan ''b-r-gyat'' or ''b-g-ryat'' which also yielded Tibetan '' brgyat''. It has been argued that, as the cardinal nu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Smiths Compilation Albums
''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the most frequently used word in the English language; studies and analyses of texts have found it to account for seven percent of all printed English-language words. It is derived from gendered articles in Old English which combined in Middle English and now has a single form used with nouns of any gender. The word can be used with both singular and plural nouns, and with a noun that starts with any letter. This is different from many other languages, which have different forms of the definite article for different genders or numbers. Pronunciation In most dialects, "the" is pronounced as (with the voiced dental fricative followed by a schwa) when followed by a consonant sound, and as (homophone of the archaic pronoun ''thee'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bigmouth Strikes Again
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" is a 1986 song by the English rock band the Smiths from their third album ''The Queen Is Dead''. Written by Johnny Marr and Morrissey, the song features 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. Background "Bigmouth Strikes Again" 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 "R ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
"The Boy with the Thorn in His Side" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single in September 1985, reaching No. 23 in the UK Singles Chart. A remixed version appeared on their third studio album, ''The Queen Is Dead'', in June 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. In 2003, Morrissey named it his favourite Smiths song. Background Margi Clarke asked Morrissey if this song was inspired by Oscar Wilde, and Morrissey replied: "No, that's not true. The thorn is the music industry and all those people who never believed anything I said, tried to get rid of me and wouldn't play the records. So I think we've reached a stage where we feel: if the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
"That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. The full-length version of the song appears on the album ''Meat Is Murder''. It was the sole track from the album to be released, in edited form, as a UK single. The song was composed by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Marr has cited it as one of his favourite Smiths songs. Music and lyric The song's narrative refers to mockery of the lonely or suicidal, whom the narrator identifies with and champions in an exchange with another individual in a parked car. Disparity between literal and figurative meanings in parts of the lyric discourage a precise reading of the song. In 1985, Morrissey disclosed to ''Melody Maker'' that the song was a response to journalistic mockery of his songwriting that dwelt "on the unhappy side of life" and to persistent attempts to expose him as a "fake". In 1998, '' Uncut'' reported rumours that the song's inspiration was an intimate friendship' with a journalist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Headmaster Ritual
"The Headmaster Ritual" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths that appeared as the first song on their second studio album, '' Meat Is Murder'' (1985). It was released as a single in the Netherlands. The music was written by Johnny Marr and the lyrics by Morrissey. Written as a critique of British education and corporal punishment, "The Headmaster Ritual" features a jangling guitar line with inspirations as diverse as the Beatles, Joni Mitchell, and MC5. The song attracted attention and controversy in the UK for its lyrics. The song has drawn critical acclaim for Morrissey's vocals and lyricism as well as for Marr's guitar. Background "The Headmaster Ritual" was written as a criticism of the English education system, citing the ''belligerent ghouls'' who ran Manchester schools. The song was the only one in which Marr made a suggestion to Morrissey on the lyrics, specifically to change the line ''bruises bigger than dinner plates'' to ''bruises big as dinner plates''. As Mar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shakespeare's Sister (song)
"Shakespeare's Sister" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. Released in March 1985, it reached No. 26 in the UK Singles Chart. It is also featured on the compilation albums ''Louder Than Bombs'' and '' The World Won't Listen''. The front cover to the single features former ''Coronation Street'' star Pat Phoenix, dressed up as her character Elsie Tanner. Background The title refers to a section of Virginia Woolf's feminist essay ''A Room of One's Own'' in which she argues that if William Shakespeare had had a sister of equal genius, as a woman she would not have had the opportunity to make use of it. Sean O'Hagan says that the essay was "one of the many feminist texts Morrissey embraced as a sexually confused, politically-awakened adolescent". According to Simon Goddard, the lyrics also draw on Elizabeth Smart's novella ''By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept'' and the Billy Fury song "Don't Jump". The song's narrative has been compared to ''The Glass Menagerie ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
How Soon Is Now?
"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by English rock band the Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. Originally a B-side of the 1984 single " William, It Was Really Nothing", "How Soon Is Now?" was subsequently featured on the compilation album '' Hatful of Hollow'' and on US, Canadian, Australian, and Warner UK editions of '' Meat Is Murder''. Belatedly released as a single in the UK in 1985, it reached 24 on the UK Singles Chart. When re-released in 1992, it reached No. 16. The 1973 book '' Popcorn Venus'', written by Marjorie Rosen, and a favourite of Morrissey's, was the inspiration for the title of the track. In 2007, Marr said "How Soon Is Now?" is "possibly he Smiths'most enduring record. It's most people's favourite, I think."'' Uncut'', March 2007: p.48 Despite its prominent place in the Smiths' repertoire, it is not generally considered to be representative of the band's style. Although a club favourite, it did not chart as well as expected. Most ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want
"Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released on the B-side of the single "William, It Was Really Nothing" in 1984 and later featured on the compilation albums ''Hatful of Hollow'' and ''Louder Than Bombs''. The song was also included on the soundtrack album of the 1986 film ''Pretty in Pink'' and featured in the 1999 film ''Never Been Kissed''. An instrumental cut of the cover from the Dream Academy was featured in the 1986 film ''Ferris Bueller's Day Off''. Background Johnny Marr wrote the music to "Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want" shortly after its eventual A-side, "William, It Was Really Nothing". Marr commented, "Because that was such a fast, short, upbeat song, I wanted the B-side to be different, so I wrote 'Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want' on Saturday in a different time signature—in a waltz time as a contrast". Marr has also noted that the music was an attempt to "capture the ... sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William, It Was Really Nothing
"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single in August 1984, featuring the B-sides " Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" and " How Soon Is Now?", and reached No. 17 in the UK Singles Chart. The song is featured on the compilation albums '' Hatful of Hollow'' and '' Louder Than Bombs'', as well as other best of and singles collections. In 2004, the song was ranked No. 425 on ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time. When the band performed the song on ''Top of the Pops'', Morrissey ripped open his shirt to reveal the words "MARRY ME" written on his chest ("Would you like to marry me?" is one line of the song). Lyrics and background Morrissey has said of the song: "It occurred to me that within popular music if ever there were any records that discussed marriage they were always from the female's standpoint, female singers singing to women. There were never any songs sayin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
