ONE SONG BY THE SMITHS....A SERIES FOR SATURDAYS (Part 50)

How is it possible for someone with such appalling taste in sunglasses to write such an amazing piece of music??

mp3 : The Smiths - How Soon Is Now?

The 50th Saturday that has featured a song by The Smiths and I'm happy to admit that it is my favourite ever song of theirs.  It is still astonishing to recall that it was only first made available as the extra track on the 12" release of William, It Was Really Nothing in August 1984 and then again on the compilation LP Hatful of Hollow in November 1985.  But such was the fan demand for it to be brought to the attention of a wider public that it was released then released as a single where it reached #24.  Oh and when WEA went for a cash-in a few years later  in January 1985 it still sold in enough quantities to reach #16.

Nobody on earth was ready for this.  It was incredibly different from anything else the band had released up to that point.  And somehow its being so different turned it into an immediate stand-out track.  I honestly cannot recall a single fan of the band having anything bad to say about How Soon Is Now? despite it being as far removed from the fey indie-pop sound with which the band had made their name.  No-one had ever recorded a song quite like it before 1984.  I don't think anyone has ever made a song quite like it since 1984....

And here's the little heard edited version with about three minutes shaved off to make it acceptable for daytime play on radio....

mp3 : The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? (edit)

It was a track that Johnny Marr has admitted he never quite mastered in the live setting such was the difficulty to replicate the distinctive guitar sound.  Morrissey's solution in recent years in the solo shows has been to turn the guitars up to 11 and rock out....often to very poor effect.  Here's a band effort from almost exactly 25 years to the day:-

mp3 : The Smiths - How Soon Is Now? (live, Laguna Hills, California, 28 August 1986)

Happy Listening

PS

It also seems apt today to reveal the winner of the caption contest from a while back.

"That little doll make one of these things look like an enormous pussy, the other looks like a giant cat."

The winner is......STEPHANIE KOCH of LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, USA

The prize of a copy of the 12" version of Girlfriend In A Coma is winging its way to Stephanie.

Thanks to all who entered. Another TVV competition coming your way on Monday.....