Obituaries of Note: Anita Sarko, Joe Moss, Mark Murphy

Anita Sarko - RIP

Joe Moss - RIP

Mark Murphy - RIP

Movie of the Week: The Queen Is Dead by Derek Jarman (1986)

Here's a short film by Derek Jarman for the Smiths' new release at the time, The Queen Is Dead. There are three songs used ('The Queen is Dead', 'There is a Light that Never Goes Out' and 'Panic'),  and they are matched by some great imagery put together by Jarman. Apparently the "Panic" video was extracted from this film.

Morrissey Autobiography

Morrissey Autobiography: Never an obsessive Smiths (although I did love 'em for a while) or Morrissey fan, I'm tempted to read this. Tony Fletcher has written a lengthy review over at iJamming with no solid verdict - some of it he likes, some of it he doesn't.

Bonus: Comedian Peter Serafinowicz sings the first page of Autobiography in Morrissey fashion.

May & June 1983 at the Electric Ballroom

Trainspotting with the Smiths

Source

Daily Travels: Irving Plaza

Johnny Marr at Irving Plaza, 5.2.13, by Mick Lewis

Early Smiths rehearsal tape surfaces courtesy of Mike Joyce

Source

With the recent release of the Johnny Marr album, and all of Morrissey's health issues & touring travails, there's been a lot of Smiths in the news including drummer, Mike Joyce. Joyce has made this May 1983 recording of the band in rehearsal available just recently. It's fascinating to listen to these budding icons find their way preparing for the recording of their debut album...the first attempt at it, anyway, with producer Troy Tate.

01. You've Got Everything Now
02. Accept Yourself
03. What Difference Does It Make
04. Reel Around The Fountain
05. These Things Take Time

06. I Don't Owe You Anything
07. Hand In Glove
08. Handsome Devil

09. Miserable Lie 

Follow Joyce on Twitter here

New Johnny Marr video - The Messenger, and Smiths songs in paperback

Smiths song titles in paperback

The Messenger: New album from Johnny Marr in February

The Messenger will be released Feb. 26 on Sire/ADA

Johnny Marr Official

Before & After: Morrissey & The Ramones

Before:

The above image really made the rounds yesterday...thanks again to Alex for pointing me to it. This morning I just had to rerun what he posted over at Flaming Pablum. One of these days I'll have to dig up some more of the fan letters he wrote professing his adolescent love of the New York Dolls.

After:

Ramones Rubbish Says Morrissey

Thanks Alex!

Kyle's Cassettes: The Smiths - Louder Than Bombs

 

The Smiths
Louder Than Bombs
1987 Sire

Hands down this is probably the weirdest tape that I own. I came across someone’s entire collection of Smiths tapes a while back and bought them all because, even though I own them all on LP, it was like what the fuck? It’s a no brainer right, I mean it’s like a no duh situation because it’s THE SMITHS, you just got to have it.

Whatever though. I originally intended to use these as visual artifacts more than actual audio documents. However, when my girlfriend and I moved in together there were like two weeks when my records, still packed up, were un-playable. All we had was an old AM/FM stereo with a tape player. And presto: I was all, ”Wait a minute dear, let me just dig out my entire collection of Smiths tapes to get us through these challenging first few of weeks co-habitation.”

In retrospect The Smiths may have saved what has turned out to be the greatest relationship of my life. I should write Morrissey a letter, but I probably won’t because I’m not one of those fans that brings flowers to his shows and then cry all over the place when he starts playing “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.” I’m just not going out like that. But whatever, I’m not even to the point about how weird this tape is.

By the time I got around to putting Louder Than Bombs on I was pretty deep into the zone, as in like I didn’t want to listen to anything non-Smiths related at that point. So you could imagine my surprise when side two clicked on and I was all juiced to hear “Ask,” “Golden Lights,” etc. and Herb Alpert came on. Apparently whoever had owned this tape prior to me had jammed some little bits of paper into the little divots on top of the tape, thereby making it a recordable cassette. With this industriously won freedom they chose to record Herb Alpert’s 1979 jazz/instrumental pop/disco opus Rise. It was, given my circumstantial desolation, an unnerving moment for me, but I let it ride.

Rise is a pretty tight album on its own terms, a little soft here and there, but overall a pretty smooth affair. Biggy actually sampled the title cut for “Hypnotize.” So maybe you’re feeling me now. This is all kind of beside the point though. The point is that of all of the records in the world to put together why would you choose these two? I mean is this some sort of statement or is it just the mad rambling of some musical savant? The shit is post-modern. Whatever the case, this is the sort of thing that gives me hope. Of all the things in this world that there are to know you can never know them all and there is a certain beauty in that notion. This tape is somehow the realization of that very notion made physical. Many things in this world are more rare than you might realize.

Visit Kyle at Trustzine.

It clear to see, I love you more than you love me

DJ Greg Wilson recently shared this fantastic extended edit of Electronic's classic "Getting Away With It" on Soundcloud. Wow...what a great tune...Originally released in 1989, it incorporates perfectly almost everything I love about great dance music up to that time...a little seventies, a little eighties, and a dash of nineties futurism. Perfect, really. This version is sort of an extended version of the original extended version, and was the result of Greg's discussion with another DJ sometime over the last several years.

   Electronic 'Getting Away With It' (greg wilson edit) by gregwilson

Movie of the Week - The Smiths: 1992 Press Video

This week we have A 17-minute documentary-style promo film from 1992 recently dug up by Rhino UK. But first, a word from our sponsor:

The Smiths at the Hacienda, Feb 4, 1983

Hacienda schedule, early 1983

More than a couple of sites pointed out that yesterday, 28 years ago, the Smiths played their third ever gig (second with the classic line up), opening up for 52nd Street at the Hacienda. The set was eight songs long, and most of these songs would, in short order, become very well known to Smith's fans around the world:


- These Things Take Time
- What Difference Does It Make?
- The Hand That Rocks The Cradle
- Handsome Devil
- Jeane
- What Do You See In Him?
- Hand In Glove - Miserable Lie  

For a band playing only their second or third gig, they sound surprisingly well formed & tight. The arrangements aren't much different than what listeners would hear on singles & the group's debut album in less than one year's time. Below is "You've Got Everything Now". View a video playlist of the entire show here.





For more Smiths' info than you can shake a stick at, visit Passions Just Like Mine.

Ephemera Friday - UK post punk gigs Pt. 2

1981

Following last week's Ephemera Friday post, here are some more amazing images from Dave at Fruitier Than Thou. I especially love the Wah! poster, and the Teardrop Explodes tour booklet cover for which Dave has been kind enough to scan in it's entirety. I may need to run that sometime in the near future.


1981


1984


1983


1983


1980

Ephemera Friday - UK post punk gigs

Courtesy of our buddy Dave over at Fruitier Than Thou comes this wonderful collection of gig posters & ads for some special shows, circa early 80's. Above - AZTEC CAMERA, THE FARMERS BOYS, THE DAINTEES The Lyceum, London 15th March 1983.

Incredible triple bill - FELT, THE GO-BETWEENS, THE SMITHS The Venue, London 15th September 1983:



SWELL MAPS, PINK MILITARY The University Of London Union, 1st February 1980:



Inappropriate booking of the decade - AZTEC CAMERA supporting KILLING JOKE & UK DECAY Hammersmith Palais 23rd February 1982:



As Dave says - 5th August 1981...When £2 could buy you a whole new world:



U2 supporting the Bunnymen. Imagine that?:



Another amazing bill - THE TEARDROP EXPLODES w/Delta 5, Josef K, Fire Engines, and erm, the Thompson Twins - The Lyceum 16th November 1980

Some posters - most available #6

I've recently started putting together my lifelong collection of posters with the purpose of trying to sell most of them. I'm open to offers of cash or even a trade if I'm interested in what you have to offer. I don't want to put them on eBay just yet. I've sold posters on eBay before & they can be a pain in the ass. However, if it comes to that, I'll do it eventually.

If you're interested, you can download a close-to-complete list of what I have here. There are no measurements or descriptions, just a list. If you need more information, just ask.

Christie's Punk/Rock auction results

The results from Christie's Punk/Rock auction are in, and for the most part were underwhelming. Some items met or exceeded their estimated prices, but many fell below. It didn't surprise me as I thought a lot of their estimates were high when I received the catalog a few weeks ago. That's not to say it doesn't have me pondering the possibility of selling some of the crap I've accumulated over the years.

Here are a few observations after many years seeing this stuff around, or not, owning & selling some of it myself.

Underpriced - Buzzcocks single promo poster ($188):


Overpriced - Smiths first album promo poster ($563):


Probably about right - Clash Bond's poster ($2750, offered in lot with a few others. These originally sold for $5 at the Bond's concerts!):


Definitely overpriced - Clash Sandinista promo poster ($1063, offered in lot with a few others):


Underpriced - Clash second album (in US) promo poster ($875, offered in lot with others)


Here's a story from today's NY Times about it.