THE HOLIDAY SERIES (Part 4)

Off for a quick break in the warmth and hopefully the sun on the island of Madeira. It's only for 7 nights, and rather than let TVV slide off your radars altogether, I'm pre-recording some postings looking back at singles that could have made it in the 45 45s at 45 series.

Those of you who followed that hugely self-indulgent exercise will know that with a rule of one song per act, it was sometimes a very close call which particular 45 went forward from a singer or band. And this short series will look at some of those that hit the crossbar....

The #7 song in the rundown was Hand In Glove. But it could just as easily have been this:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Bigmouth Strikes Again
mp3 : The Smiths - Money Changes Everything

I don't think about it every day, but when i do, I reckon I change my mind about what my favourite single by The Smiths actually is. The main reason Hand In Glove won out for the rundown is that it was the first and also the opening song of the first Smiths gig I ever went to.

And its been a near impossible task to plump for my second favourite 45 by Morrissey, Marr, Rourke and Joyce. But ultimately, I've gone for the one that was their last hurrah as a cult band....for it was the release of the LP The Queen Is Dead that really propelled the band out of the student bedsits.

I base that statement on the fact that after an early initial burst of singles success, Bigmouth Strikes Again was the fourth successive 45 that peaked around the #30 mark (the others had been Shakespeare's Sister, That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore and The Boy With The Thorn In His Side). But the critical acclaim heaped upon The Queen is Dead transformed things, and the band's next five singles (Panic, Ask, Shoplifters of The World Unite, Sheila Take A Bow and Girlfriend In A Coma) all went Top 20.

And don't anyone dare argue that any of those particular singles are better than Bigmouth with its distinctive acoustic opening, one of Mozza's funniest and best lyrics, great drumming and guitar work, and let's not forget the near flawless production.

Happy Memories.

Happy Listening.