Smiths


 * (See also The South Bank Show: The Smiths)



The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey (vocals) and Johnny Marr (guitar), the band also included Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums). Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s ... (read more at Wikipedia)

Links to Peel
The Smiths were first brought to the attention of Peel by producer John Walters, who saw them at a gig at London University in 1983. A first session was quickly booked and proved hugely popular with listeners, the first sign of the massive impact the band would have on the show in the middle part of the decade.

After the Smiths broke up, 11 of the 14 tracks on their final LP appeared in the 1987 Festive Fifty. Although Peel seemed to think this was perhaps going a little too far, the DJ later selected debut LP 'The Smiths' as one of his Top 20 Albums and 'Reel Around The Fountain' as one of his four choices for the 1984 Peelenium.

In 1987, Peel and Walters discussed the band in the fifth programme of the documentary series Peeling Back The Years:

"JW: You had them on very early on, May 1983, before they had a record out, after I think they first came from Manchester and appeared in London. Again, looking back to that Manchester gloom, the weather in Manchester – there’s always been that melancholy solitude feeling. JP: Yes. JW: A whimsical and rather ironic, witty approach to solitude in Morrissey’s stuff. Would you say, well, “Morrissey, I suppose he is my sort of chap”? JP: Well, I would like to think he was, yes. Obviously I’ve only met him a couple of times. And I think you actually deserve some credit, because it was you that went out and heard the Smiths. It was one of the very few times that you’ve come back very enthusiastic about a band and said, “We really must get these people in at the earliest opportunity.” So I always try and give you credit for that to people for that. That’s the kind of open-hearted and open-minded chap I am. JW: But still, get on. What did you make of them? JP: I just liked the fact that I was hearing words being used in popular songs that I wasn’t used to hearing. Just the use of language really pleased me as much as anything else. And his voice again was not a voice that you could immediately trace back to somebody else. I mean, he wasn’t trying to be Marc Bolan or he wasn’t trying to be Jim Morrison again. And they were as Manchester bands – so many of these bands do seem to be from Manchester – just another band that arrived from nowhere with a very clear and strong identity, you know. And that is always attractive."

Festive Fifty Entries
From an active Festive Fifty career that lasted just five years but boasted two number ones, the Smiths are the third most successful act in the history of the annual chart voted on by Peel's listeners, according to Mark Whitby in The Festive Fifty (Nevin Publishing, pg 151), using David Gedge's formula of one point for a 50th placing and 50 points for a chart-topper, additionally weighted to discount the effect of multiple entries of the same song in all-time lists. This puts the band behind only the Wedding Present (2nd) and Fall (1st).

The Smiths' 11 entries in the 1987 Festive Fifty is a record for a single year, while their final album, 'Strangeways Here We Come' from the same year is the highest-scoring LP ever in terms of "Gedge points" (Whitby, p174). The band's self-titled 1984 debut is second in the same list.


 * 1983 Festive Fifty: This Charming Man #2
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Reel Around The Fountain #6
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Hand In Glove #9
 * 1983 Festive Fifty: Handsome Devil #33


 * 1984 Festive Fifty: How Soon Is Now #1
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Nowhere Fast #14
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: What Difference Does It Make? #17
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: William It Was Really Nothing #23
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now #24
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want #26
 * 1984 Festive Fifty: Reel Around The Fountain #36


 * 1985 Festive Fifty: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side #8
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: The Headmaster Ritual #29
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore #31
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Meat Is Murder #32
 * 1985 Festive Fifty: Well I Wonder #41


 * 1986 Festive Fifty: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out #1
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Panic #5
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: I Know It's Over #6
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: The Queen Is Dead #7
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Ask #11
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Bigmouth Strikes Again #12
 * 1986 Festive Fifty: Cemetery Gates #35


 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me #5
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before #12
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Girlfriend In A Coma #15
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Paint A Vulgar Picture #21
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Sweet And Tender Hooligan #24
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Half A Person #24
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Death Of A Disco Dancer #25
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: I Won't Share You #29
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Sheila Take A Bow #34
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish #40
 * 1987 Festive Fifty: Shoplifters Of The World Unite #45


 * 2000 Festive Fifty: How Soon Is Now? AT#7
 * 2000 Festive Fifty: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out AT#9
 * 2000 Festive Fifty: This Charming Man AT#22

Sessions
Four sessions. The first was later picked as one of the Best 125 Peel Sessions. Tracks from #1 and #2 were released on Hatful Of Hollow (LP, Rough Trade, 1984), while the complete first session was released as The Peel Sessions (EP, Strange Fruit, 1988). Individual tracks appeared on the various artists sessions compilations Manchester - So Much to Answer For (CD, Strange Fruit, 1990) and New Season: The Peel Sessions (CD, Strange Fruit, 1991).

1. Recorded: 1983-05-18. First broadcast: 01 June 1983. Repeated: 21 June 1983, 24 August 1983, 28 May 1984, 27 May 1985
 * What Difference Does It Make / Handsome Devil / Miserable Lie / Reel Around The Fountain

2. Recorded: 1983-09-14. First broadcast: 21 September 1983. Repeated: 10 October 1983, 09 November 1983, 08 December 1983, 28 May 1984
 * This Charming Man / Back To The Old House / Still Ill / The Night Has Opened My Eyes

3. Recorded: 1984-08-01. First broadcast: 09 August 1984. Repeated: 27 September 1984, 26 December 1984, 12 August 1985.
 * Nowhere Fast / How Soon Is Now / William Is Was Really Nothing / Rusholme Ruffians

4. Recorded: 1986-12-02. First broadcast: 17 December 1986. Repeated: 20 January 1987
 * Is It Really So Strange / London / Half A Person / Sweet And Tender Hooligan

Other Shows Played
(The list below is compiled only from the database of this site and is far from complete, due to the relative lack of tracklistings from the period the band were active. Please add further information if known.) 1983
 * 06 June 1983: Hand In Glove (7") Rough Trade
 * Stewart Tape Oct 1983: This Charming Man
 * 28 November 1983: This Charming Man (extended version)
 * 12 December 1983: This Charming Man (12")
 * 22 December 1983: Handsome Devil (7 inch-B side of Hand In Glove) Rough Trade FF#33
 * 29 December 1983: Hand In Glove (7 inch) Rough Trade FF#9
 * 29 December 1983: Reel Around The Fountain' (Peel Session) FF#6
 * (JP: “Definitely should have been a single.”)


 * 29 December 1983: This Charming Man (12 inch-New York Vocal) Rough Trade FF#2
 * (JP: “Played you the 12 inch because I thought you'd like it, and also one or two, well quite a few people specified it, in fact.”)


 * The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? (Official Music Video)
 * 29 February 1984: Suffer Little Children (album - The Smiths) Rough Trade
 * 15 May 1984: Girl Afraid (12” single – Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now b-side) Rough Trade
 * 22 May 1984: Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
 * 30 August 1984: How Soon Is Now?
 * 03 September 1984: William, It Was Really Nothing
 * 05 September 1984: Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want This Time (date unconfirmed)
 * 10 September 1984: Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want This Time (date unconfirmed)
 * 29 October 1984: You’ve Got Everything Now (Kid Jensen Evening Session Version) (LP – Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade
 * 19 December 1984: Reel Around The Fountain (LP-Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade FF#36
 * 25 December 1984: Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want (LP-Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade FF#28
 * 25 December 1984: Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (LP-Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade FF#24
 * 25 December 1984: William It Was Really Nothing (LP-Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade FF#23
 * 26 December 1984: What Difference Does It Make? (LP-The Smiths) Rough Trade FF#17
 * 26 December 1984: Nowhere Fast (Peel Session) FF#14


 * The Smiths - The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (Official Music Video)
 * 01 January 1985: How Soon Is Now (LP-Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade FF#1
 * (JP: “And that's the seventh record by the Smiths in the Festive Fifty as well...That's it, thanks for listening, goodnight.”)


 * 22 January 1985: The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (LP - The Smiths) Rough Trade
 * (JP: "Caused a big scandal when that first came out, cos one of the popular papers said it was about spitting upstairs on the bus. There was a lot of trouble.")


 * 05 February 1985: The Headmaster Ritual (LP – Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 05 February 1985: Rusholme Ruffians (LP – Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 05 February 1985: I Want The One I Can't Have (LP – Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 05 February 1985: What She Said (LP – Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 05 February 1985: That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore (LP – Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 20 February 1985: Barbarism Begins At Home (album - Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade ROUGH 81
 * 04 March 1985: I Want The One I Can't Have
 * 06 March 1985: The Headmaster Ritual
 * 11 March 1985:Shakespeare's Sister (single) Rough Trade
 * 26 March 1985: Shakespeare's Sister
 * 03 April 1985 (Muriel Gray): 'The Headmaster Ritual (LP-Meat Is Murder)' (Rough Trade)
 * 20 May 1985: Oscillate Wildly
 * 24 June 1985: That Joke Isn't Funny Any More (7") Rough Trade
 * 27 November 1985: Well I Wonder (LP - Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 16 December 1985: Well I Wonder (LP – Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade FF#41
 * 17 December 1985: Meat Is Murder (LP- Meat Is Murder) FF#32
 * 17 December 1985: That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (LP- Meat Is Murder) FF#31
 * 18 December 1985: The Headmaster Ritual FF#29
 * 25 December 1985: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side FF#8


 * The Smiths - There is A Light That Never Goes out
 * 04 June 1986: Bigmouth Strikes Again (7") Rough Trade
 * 15 July 1986: Panic (7") Rough Trade
 * 01 September 1986: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
 * 14 October 1986: Ask (single) Rough Trade
 * 02 December 1986: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (LP - The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade
 * 08 December 1986: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (LP - The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade
 * 23 December 1986: Cemetery Gates (LP-The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade FF#35 (JP's obviously much-played copy jumps at the start)
 * 29 December 1986: Bigmouth Strikes Again (LP-The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade FF#12
 * 30 December 1986: The Queen Is Dead (LP-The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade FF#7
 * 30 December 1986: I Know It's Over (LP-The Queen Is Dead)' (Rough Trade) FF#6
 * 30 December 1986: Panic (7")' (Rough Trade) #FF5
 * 30 December 1986: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (LP-The Queen Is Dead)' Rough Trade FF#1


 * The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
 * 05 February 1987 (TOTP): Shoplifters Of The World Unite
 * 05 March 1987 (BBC World Service): You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby (LP - The World Won't Listen) Rough Trade
 * 09 June 1987: Still Ill (LP-The Smiths) Rough Trade
 * 27 July 1987: Sheila Take A Bow
 * 29 July 1987: Girlfriend In A Coma (single) Rough Trade (Peel announces during show that Johnny Marr has left The Smiths)
 * 03 August 1987: Girlfriend In A Coma (single) Rough Trade
 * 03 August 1987: Work Is A Four Letter Word (single - Girlfriend In A Coma b-side) Rough Trade
 * 11 August 1987: I Keep Mine Hidden (12" single)
 * 17 August 1987: Rusholme Ruffians (LP-Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * 01 September 1987: Girl Afraid
 * 22 December 1987: Shoplifters Of The World Unite (7 inch) Rough Trade FF#45
 * 23 December 1987: I Started Something I Couldn't Finish (LP-Strangeways, Here We Come) Rough Trade FF#40
 * 23 December 1987: Sheila Take A Bow (7 inch)' (Rough Trade) FF#34
 * 28 December 1987: I Won't Share You (LP-Strangeways, Here We Come) Rough Trade FF#29
 * 28 December 1987: I Death Of A Disco Dancer (LP-Strangeways, Here We Come) Rough Trade FF#25
 * 28 December 1987: I Half A Person (7 inch-B side of Shoplifters Of The World Unite) Rough Trade FF#24
 * 28 December 1987: I Sweet And Tender Hooligan (7 inch-B side of Sheila Take A Bow, but originally from Peel Session) Rough Trade FF#23
 * 28 December 1987: Paint A Vulgar Picture (LP-Strangeways, Here We Come) Rough Trade FF#21
 * 29 December 1987: 'Girlfriend In A Coma (LP-Strangeways Here We Come)' (Rough Trade) FF#15
 * (JP: “Well, I like the Smiths meself, I mean obviously I do, but this is getting a bit daft, I think.”)


 * 29 December 1987: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before (LP-Strangeways Here We Come) Rough Trade FF#12
 * 30 December 1987: Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me (LP-Strangeways, Here We Come Rough Trade) FF#5
 * (JP: “I must admit, I thought this was a most unusual Festive Fifty this year, Quite clearly, not just because of the presence of eleven Smiths tracks in there, which, if we survive until next year, there quite clearly won't be, although if Morrissey brings out records, I don't doubt they'll get in there in profusion.”)


 * From 1988
 * 30 May 1988: What She Said (live) (EP) NME
 * 27 August 1988 (Rockradio): What Difference Does It Make? - (album - The Smiths)
 * (JP: Our William is playing a solo tonight. This doesn't mean a great deal to you but it means a lot to him, he does a regular monthly gig near us in a restaurant and just usually does ensemble playing and tonight he's playing his first alto solo and he's a bit nervous about it and I'm trying to find an appropriate record to play him, should he be listening on his way to the do, and couldn't come up with anything really beyond this, which isn't appropriate but at least says William in the title.”)


 * 27 September 1988: Reel Around The Fountain (12" - The Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * 12 October 1988: Handsome Devil
 * 19 October 1989: Ask
 * 06 March 1989: Jeane
 * 11 September 1989: Sheila Take A Bow
 * 12 June 1990: Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before (album - Strangeways, Here We Come) Rough Trade ROUGH 106
 * 11 July 1990: William, It Was Really Nothing [7"/12"/CD) Rough Trade
 * (JP: "And I wish I was going to be there to see you, William.")


 * 09 August 1990: Hand In Glove (7") Rough Trade (Fall In August)
 * 13 August 1990: Back To The Old House (Fall In August)
 * 06 April 1993 (John Peel Is Jakki Brambles): Reel Around The Fountain (EP – Peel Sessions) Strange Fruit
 * (JP: “In the current issue of Melody Maker, in their Rebellious Jukebox feature, Steve out of Gene picks the Peel Sessions version of the Smiths' 'This Charming Man' as one of his selections, and, well, why not.”)


 * 13 January 1995: This Charming Man (LP-Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade) (JP: “Do you hear the sound of trumpets being blown?”)
 * 24 June 1996: Reel Around The Fountain (session 18/5/83) (John Peel's Classic Sessions)
 * 01 October 1997: How Soon Is Now (session version) (30 years on Radio One special)
 * 31 August 1999: How Soon Is Now? (60th birthday special)
 * 05 September 1999 (BFBS): Bigmouth Strikes Again (LP-The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade
 * 09 September 1999: Bigmouth Strikes Again (single, 1986) Rough Trade
 * 14 December 1999: Reel Around The Fountain Peelenium 1984
 * 18 January 2000: This Charming Man (7 inch) Rough Trade ATFF#22
 * 25 January 2000: There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (LP-The Queen Is Dead) Rough Trade ATFF#9
 * 25 January 2000: 'How Soon Is Now? (12 inch) Rough Trade ATFF#7
 * 29 December 2004 (Rob Da Bank): (RDB: 'So I was slightly lying when I said that was the last track before the festive fifty continues. We have got one more. This is probably one of the most requested tracks of the last couple of months.') 'There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (LP-The Queen Is Dead)' (Rough Trade)


 * Other


 * Peeling Back The Years: Reel Around The Fountain


 * Peel Early Dec 1983: This Night Has Opened My Eyes (session) (08 December 1983)
 * Peel Early Dec 1983: This Charming Man (session) (08 December 1983)
 * Peel Mid Jan 1984: What Difference Does It Make? (single - What Difference Does It Make) Rough Trade
 * Peel Mid Jan 1984: Back to the Old House (single - What Difference Does It Make) Rough Trade
 * Peel Late Jan 1984: Back to the Old House (single - What Difference Does It Make) Rough Trade (23 January 1984)
 * Peel Mid Feb 1984: Suffer Little Children (album - The Smiths) Rough Trade
 * Peel Late Feb Early Mar 1984: Miserable Lie (album - The Smiths) Rough Trade
 * Peel Late Feb Early Mar 1984: Still Ill (album - The Smiths) Rough Trade
 * Peel Aug-Sep 1984: How Soon Is Now? (30 August 1984)
 * Peel Aug-Sep 1984: Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want This Time
 * Peel Late Sep Early Nov 1984: How Soon Is Now (session) (27 September 1984)
 * Peel Late Sep Early Nov 1984: William It Was Really Nothing (session) (27 September 1984)
 * Peel Late Oct 1984: You’ve Got Everything Now (Kid Jensen Evening Session Version) (LP – Hatful Of Hollow) Rough Trade (29 October 1984)
 * Kilburn 85: The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (7 inch)' (Rough Trade)
 * Peel February 1985: Barbarism Begins At Home (album - Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade (06 February 1985)
 * Peel February 1985: Meat Is Murder (album - Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade (06 February 1985)
 * Peel April 1985: Stretch Out And Wait (12" - Shakespeares's Sister) Rough Trade (16 April 1985)
 * Peel Early 1985: Nowhere Fast (album - Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * Peel Early 1985: Shakespeare's Sister (album - Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * Peel July 1986: Panic (7") Rough Trade (15 July 1986)
 * Peel Early 1987: Sweet And Tender Hooligan (session)
 * Peel Early 1987: Half A Person (session)
 * Peel Early 1987: Is It Really So Strange? (session)
 * Peel Early 1987: London (session)
 * Late April 1987 (BBC World Service): Sweet And Tender Hooligan (12" Sheila Take A Bow) Rough Trade
 * December 1987 (BBC World Service): Rushholme Ruffians (7" single - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me, b-side) Rough Trade
 * Peel Summer 1989: Jeane (b/w 7" - Reel Around The Fountain) Rough Trade


 * Peel 005 (BFBS): Rusholme Ruffians (LP-Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * Peel 006 (BFBS): Barbarism Begins At Home (LP-Meat Is Murder) Rough Trade
 * Peel 007 (BFBS): Shakespeare's Sister (12") Rough Trade
 * Peel 091 (BFBS): 'What Difference Does It Make? (12"-The Peel Sessions)' (Strange Fruit)
 * Peel 100 (BFBS): 'Jeane (7"-This Charming Man)' (Rough Trade)