Saturday, June 9, 2012

The Smiths - Last Of The English Roses

A rare live concert recording of a Smiths concert from 1984 (though some sources indicate it was recorded in 1985)  has found its way online. The concert was recorded in March 1984 at the Hammersmith Palais in London and was later released in Italy in 1993 as the live disc Last Of The English Roses.  The recording has been out of print for years and as one might imagine, used copies command big bucks (pricy, pricier, priciest). 

The Smiths played 16 songs during the show, including the band's new single at the time, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" and also featured 60's British pop star Sandie Shaw singing "I Don't Owe You Anything" for the first song of the encore*.  After Shaw's performance of the encore Morrissey quipped, "I knew I'd get dethroned eventually," then playfully introduced the next song ("Reel Around The Fountain") as "Always Something There To Remind Me," a song Shaw covered and made famous in 1964.  

Stream the full recording of Last Of The English Roses below:



01. Miserable Lie
02. Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
03. This Charming Man
04. I'll Never Make That Mistake Again
05. Pretty Girls Make Graves
06. Still Ill
07. This Night Has Opened My Eyes
08. Barbarism Begins At Home
09. Back To The Old House
10. What Difference Does It Make
11. I Don't Owe You Anything (with Sandie Shaw on vocals*)
12. Reel Around The Fountain
13. Hand In Glove
14. You've Got Everything Now
15. Handsome Devil
16. These Things Take Time

*Morrissey and Johnny Marr wrote "I Don't Owe You Anything" with Shaw in mind, and asked her to record it.  Though she was hesitant at first, she eventually recorded the song as well as a version of "Hand In Glove," and released both ("Hand In Glove" was the A-side) as a single on Rough Trade in April 1984.  The Smiths joined Shaw to perform "Hand In Glove" for a couple of promotional television appearances in 1984 and also played an acoustic version of "I Don't Owe You Anything" together for Radio One

"Hand In Glove" Sandie Shaw + The Smiths



"I Don't Owe You Anything" (acoustic)