ONE SONG BY THE SMITHS....A SATURDAY SERIES (Part 35)

It is deliberate that today's photo only include two members of The Smiths.

The track I'm featuring today was officially released as yet another stunning b-side:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Back To The Old House

But, to those of us who knew so many of the songs from taping them from sessions recorded for the John Peel Show, the band version made available as the b-side of What Difference Does It Make? was not as good as that previously broadcast. Thankfully, the subsequent release of Hatful of Hollow meant we could all get our hands on a decent copy of the superior product:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Back To The Old House (Peel Session)


Until the release of the compilation LP, I had to rely on a poor quality mono version with a lot of hiss and a fair bit of interference on the tape. This was due , in the main to Radio 1 broadcasting only on the Medium Wave, and while we didn't know any better at the time and thought the sound was fine, listening nowadays to anything from the radio put onto tape in the early 80s shows just how much technology has improved.

In a sense the Peel Session version is The Smiths - Unplugged and Live, as Johnny picks his way through the track like a gnarled veteran rather than the teenager he was, while Moz surely shuts up those who said he couldn't hold a tune. OK, it isn't a track that would make you jump out of your seat and throw your best shapes on the dance-floor, but I'm guessing most fans will have it very high up on lists of all-time favourite tracks.

Oh and here's an early live rendition from their first ever gig in Scotland:-

mp3 : The Smiths - Back To The Old House (live, Glasgow QMU, 1984)


Some of you may be interested to know that the Bard of Barking has recorded a version of this great song. I'm sure others of you are horrified.

mp3 : Billy Bragg - Back To The Old House

Billy's take on it is quite straightforward and rather tender, but I accept that it might not be everyone's cup of tea. However......give me his effort anytime than most of the butcherings imposed on the band stuff by the solo Moz.

Happy Listening.