The final ever single to be released by The Smiths. There's an argument to be made that it is their finest.....not one I'm going to be make here.....but it must up there in the Top5. And that means it is something truly special.Most of the great ballads that the band recorded were kept hidden away on the albums. I reckon that if the band hadn't disintegrated by this time the Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me would also have shared that fate.
Johnny Marr has said some wonderful things about this song
"It has drama, poetry and an almost gothic intensity. The emotions it gives off, and that went into writing it, pretty much personified what it was like being in The Smiths and forming The Smiths. It seems to have come from the heart of all of us without having any influences or agenda. Its an outpouring. Like a little movie. Its beyond four people playing rock'n'roll, which sounds grandiose, but I do feel that it has a certain classicism to it. Almost opeartic."
Hell, even Morrissey couldn't sum up any better than than. Nor of course, can I.
I once thought the tragedy of being lonely was best summed up by I Know It's Over. It only took a couple of years for my mind to change.
mp3 : The Smiths - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
It's an act of atrocity that the opening section to be removed from the 7" and so the mp3 on offer is the full length version. The one available on Strangeways Here We Come and the 12" single. The one where Marr, Joyce and Rourke have rarely sounded better as a unit. Rumour also has it that the vocal was recorded in one take - and its a rumour that producer Stephen Street says is true. That makes it all the more astonishing.
One thing this series has I think shown is how difficult it is to perform a cover version of a Smiths songs and do it justice. There's really no other way to cover Last Night other than a reasonably faithful interpretation - I font think a death metal version or hip-hop style would work. A couple that I quite like are these:-
mp3 : Grant Lee Philips - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
mp3 : The Thrills - Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me
And apologies for it being the Saturday series being a day late this weekend, but hopefully the significance of yesterday's posting makes it clear the reasons why. Normal service will be resumed next week (assuming that one of the Sunday Correspondents hands something in on time).
5 comments:
I still think "I Know It's Over" is the most gut wrenching song the Smiths ever did. But This is a CLOSE ssecond. And I totally agree with the use of the word "atrocity" regarding the editing out of the beginning of the track for the single. Just wrong.
Low also covered this song at one time, and I still get chills every time I hear there version...
I can still recall hearing this in Miami Vice once, soundtracking a "sleazy" club scene, & doing a huge comedy double-take. It was quite, quite horrible.
WTF I was doing watching the Vice in the first place now escapes me.
yrs aye
DMcA
Speaking of the Vice... I remember watching an episode, back in the day, where they played 'Blood Money' by The Church during one scene where Crockett was busting some moves, or whatever. I also did that double-take, WTF, 'thing'. A band I liked on a show I, erm, liked!
It gets worse. I'm sure the Vice with the Smiths in was one of the Sheena Easton episodes. I surely couldn't have been watching for... Nah, perish the thought. *shudders*
Incidentally, whilst on stuff Smithsian...
http://smithsrecycle.blogspot.com/
It's really poor form to reply to one blog by linking to another - I hope you can forgive me, Mr V - but their New Order / Joy Div Recycle project was a punch-the-air delight, & this promises to be at least its equal. That Tate version of RATF simply *sparkles*.
yrs aye & guiltily
DMcA
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