Well, it looks like I got my wish. As previously reported, a few days ago rare Smiths and Morrissey demos circulated to the surface of the Internet and were publicized on Morrissey-solo. As a disclaimer, I was aware some of these demos had existed in the collections of certain diehards but were not available on any major published bootlegs. As bootlegs collectors like myself know, a plethora of selfish collectors of certain music exist – and if they come all along something rare, they will oftentimes not share with a community of people who might be interested in it. Why else did Martin Shkreli raise the price of Pyrimethamine (trade name Daraprim) from $13 a pill to $833? But I digress…
The good news is that, right before 2016, even more demos, rare, uncommon, uncirculated or unheard, were publicized to the larger community of Morrissey fans on Morrissey-solo. While the site has a disputable reputation with Morrissey, many of their members can be quite resourceful.
Some of these unreleased tracks were to be included on Kill Uncle and Your Arsenal reissues planned by Warner/Sire in 2004, but the idea was eventually tossed aside. They are available as follows (previously unavailable bolded) :
1. “My Love Life” (Full Length at 4:50)
2. “Striptease with a Difference” (Available on the Revelation and Reader Meet Author bootlegs)
3. “Pregnant for the Last Time”
4. Trash (Live in Irvine, b-side to Everyday is Like Sunday 2010 reissue)
5. That’s Entertainment (Live in Irvine)
1. Fantastic Bird (Demo, available on the remastered Southpaw Grammar)
2. Pashernate Love (Long Version)
3. Let the Right One Slip In (Long alternate mix, available on the remastered Bona Drag)
4. Jack the Ripper (b-side to “Certain People I Know”)
The real treasures here though have been shared by Anonymous user going as “Michael Bone” (though the pseudonym’s origin is not as ambiguous as the mystery of the person’s identity). There are both Smiths and Morrissey demos that are previously unsurfaced as long as that term carries its torch. There are in descending order demos of: “Why Don’t You Find Out for Yourself,” “Dagenham Dave,” “You Must Please Remember,” “Bigmouth Strikes Again,” “Unloveable,” “Best Friend on the Payroll” and “I Know Very Well How I Got My Name”.
“Unloveable”, a Smiths b-side, is not just a different mix but exists as a different arrangement of the song entirely and “Bigmouth Strikes Again” has a much a stronger percussion presence, with slightly different articulation and lyrics. All these solo Morrissey demos with the exception of “I Know Very Well How I Got My Name” and “Why Don’t You Find Out for Yourself” originate from the Southpaw Grammar sessions, the other two from the Viva Hate and Vauxhall and I sessions respectively. “I Know Very Well How I Got My Name” is exceptionally beautiful in its acoustic majesty, and what I believe to be a higher quality mix of the long version available from the extensive bootleg series, The Never Heard Symphonies. The rest of these demos from Southpaw are not strictly acoustic but have a stronger acoustic presence than their studio versions, in a similar manner to the last leak from a couple days ago. Enjoy listening and keep collecting.
