I went to a preview screening of "The Wedding Singer" tonight [Weds.], and "How Soon Is Now" was prominently played during one of the scenes. Most talk of depressing music revolved around the Cure, however. Oh, well...

And from David Tran:

On February 3, the original soundtrack for "The Wedding Singer" starring Adam Sandler comes out. The Smiths’ "How Soon Is Now?" is on it. Some of the other songs and their bands include "Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" - Culture Club, " Boys Don’t Cry" - The Cure, " It’s All I Can Do" - The Cars, "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic" - The Police, "Everyday I Write The Book" - Elvis Costello, "Blue Monday" - New Order, and "China Girl" - David Bowie. The movie comes out February 13 to most theaters.

Morrissey in sports

Here's a new sport: skiing. From Paula:

Ok, well, this is nothing tremendous, but, I flipped on the tv, and to my amazement, I heard "Alma Matters"! but it wasnt the video that I am so dying to see, it was just back up music for some skiing thing, like an interview of Picaboo Street, but still it was pretty cool!

Reaction to My Early Burglary Years track listing

... has been largely negative on the discussion board. John M. suggested e-mailing your views to Reprise at this address. One thing I'm not sure about that was mentioned in the original post -- an in-store in Costa Mesa, CA where he played "Cosmic Dancer"? I've never heard of it.

Morrissey-solo logo contest

Is there anyone willing to lend some of his or her graphic talent to this page? I would like to see (as I'm sure others also) a new graphic/logo (around 450x200 pixels, jpeg format) that would appear at the top of the page. Any new ideas would be welcome. I am afraid I don't have much to offer as a prize except for the display of your work and full credit, of course... Please e-mail your contribution soon, and let me know if you have any questions.

Okay, kids, we finally have it: the lineup for Morrissey’s "My Early Burglary Years"

Morrissey decided it would be nice to do a "rarities"-type release, and this tracklisting is largely his choice. EMI thought this lineup was pretty cool, so don’t be surprised if it turns up in the UK at some point.

This will be an enhanced CD—it will have the video for "Sunny" in the enhanced part.

Here’s the music:

SUNNY—EMI b side

AT AMBER—EMI b side

COSMIC DANCER (The T.Rex song; NOT the live version from Holland—this is a never before released version from his Costa Mesa, CA in-store. It’s much better, even Morrissey said so...)

NOBODY LOVES US—EMI b side

A SWALLOW ON MY NECK—EMI b side

SISTER I’M A POET—Sire b side

BLACK EYED SUSAN—EMI b side

MICHAEL’S BONES—Sire b side

I’D LOVE TO—Sire b side

READER MEET AUTHOR—album track

PASHERNATE LOVE—EMI b side

GIRL LEAST LIKELY TO—Sire b side

JACK THE RIPPER—album track

I’VE CHANGED MY PLEA TO GUILTY—Sire b side

THE BOY RACER—album track

BOXERS—album track

The CD is currently scheduled for release on 5/12.

Transmitted: 1/27/98 1:28 AM (moz_)

Australian Radio Tribute

Thursday night (tomorrow), 10 pm to 1 am - a Smiths/Morrissey special for a program called "The J-Files" will be broadcast on Triple J radio, a nationwide Youth Radio Network in Australia.  Thanks to Paul Brent for the info:

The special is essentially Smiths in focus, but the final hour of the three hour special will be predominantly Morrissey solo. We’re getting listeners to ring in and request their favourite Smiths tracks, we’re going to have a quiz, we will be playing some interview tapes of Morrissey during the Smiths times, plus, live tracks from the Smiths and Morrissey - including a BBC disc of live stuff that Moz performed when supporting David Bowie a couple of years ago... before he got sick.

The main thing is - it's a celebration of the group and of Moz!!

Try not to fall asleep because I've been asked to do a brief interview later in the show (at approximately 12:30).

More on the Harvard Smiths tribute

From Emily Donahue:

About the Smiths Tribute on WHRB: It rocked—not only were there rarities and live tapes played, but there was Smiths trivia (challenging, too!) and great prizes like rare 12"s and 7" sponsored by local record stores. I too, was impressed amd managed to record 3 hours of it... I fell asleep listening, and awoke to my alarm singing "Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before"... Only one misjudgment by the DJ’s: Terence Stamp more attractive than Moz? C’mon!

Cornelius Carr in ad for VH-1

The clip is probably taken from the "Boxers" video. From Jason:

Whilst watching VH-1 (UK) there was a clip advertising VH-1 which showed Cornelius Carr coming out of his corner and punching the screen which I am sure the still used for the cover of "Sweet and Tender" came from.

Morrissey did indeed work with Allen Toussaint in a recording studio on November 9, 1992 in New Orleans (Slidell to be exact). Unfortunately, Moz did not get much accomplished for at that time a radio station in New Orleans called the Zephyr, had a contest to meet Morrissey and "hang-out" with him at the studio. According to Morrissey, he was unaware of this "contest" and left the studio angry. He went across the street to Skinny’s Tavern met with some fans, took pictures and drank beer with a few. As for the winners of the contest, well they never got to meet Morrissey.

John Peel follow-up

Thanks to Rachel Mckeon:

This account of the meeting is taken from Peel’s introduction to the Bigmouth book, but he’s also mentioned it a few times elsewhere:

"I bumped into him [Morrissey] again when I was driving down from Edinburgh having annoyed some students by playing records they didn’t like. I stopped at the sevices just south of Newcastle and was sitting there having a cup of tea when he came over, said hello and then to my astonishment announced that this was his favourite motorway service station! I think that was taking pickiness a bit too far because never in all my life - and I’m a man who likes to make lists - have I felt a need to make a list of my favourite motorway service stations. Doubtless, after reading this the next Morrissey Fanclub convention will be held in that very same service station."

"Elsie Matters"

Also from Rachel:

Granada are currently making a TV film about the life of actress Pat Phoenix, best known as Coronation Street’s Elsie Tanner - or, to Morrissey and Smiths fans, as the cover star of Shakespeare’s Sister, who was interviewed by Morrissey in 1985, the year before her death. According to the Daily Mail, the film is called The Things We Do For Love and is to be broadcast later this year.

Report on the Harvard Smiths tribute

From Daniel Cox:

That 12 hour marathon "Smiths orgy" was terrific. I caught most of the first half. The deejays must have done a hell of a lot of research. It’s the first time I’ve listened to the station, but they all seemed competent and enthusiastic. I wish I had a blank tape to catch some of the rarities they played, but Oh Well... I didn’t see any coverage of the event in the local media, but everyone was awash in the Clinton scandal that day to bother with radio show announcements, I guess.

Just thought i’d pass along my compliments to those Harvard guys for a good, entertaining job.

No more Smiths in sports!

Thanks to T.J for the word that "The Headmaster Ritual" was used yet again on CBS, this time during the Duke-Virginia college basketball game in a flashback to 1984, and also to Brian Koski for noting the same during the Illinois-Michigan game.

Thanks to Mike Rice for the word that on "Blitz" (UK), Channel 4's American Football round up "...they did a recall of Barry Switzer’s career at the Dallas Cowboys. One of the musical items played in the background during this tribute was, aptly, "Bigmouth Strikes Again".

Thanks to Troy James for remembering that "...in the late 80's, ABC Sports used "Oscillate Wildly" as the background for their golf course fly-overs every week, while describing the course below."

And finally, thanks to Michael Dunn for the note that "The Boy Racer" was heard "clearly blasting over the PA system at Nassau Coliseum" during a recent New York Islanders hockey game.

Alright, even though I find these things interesting, I realize that many people probably don't so for now I'm putting a drop on "Smiths in Sports" - I'll post if I hear anything significant, or if something is used in an interesting context though.

I was watching the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame Inductee Awards on VH-1 last night.They were inducting legendary New Orleans R & B Soul producer/songwriter Allen Toussaint. During his induction they mentioned that he’d actually worked with Morrissey!!! Is this true?

I believe so, but Lord knows what happened to the recording. Quoting from the Sing Your Life fanzine (iss. 3, part 2) 1992 tour diary for New Orleans (Nov. 10, 1992):

The day before the show Morrissey and the band recorded two versions of "Jack The Ripper" at the SeaSaint Studio, produced by local blues legend Allen Toussaint.

Another "Top 100 of all time" survey

From Rachel Mckeon:

The Smiths made three of the Top 100 greatest albums of all time, according to a survey conducted by Channel Four and HMV. The results were announced tonight (Saturday) on Channel Four in a 90 minute programme entitled "Music Of The Millenium - The Final Countdown". The debut album was at 83 in the chart, Hatful Of Hollow at 80 and The Queen Is Dead at 15. A clip of There Is A Light... was played (accompanied by the Moz-and-look-a-likes-cycling-around-Salford video) and presenter John Peel took the opportunity to regale us yet again with his Morrissey/motorway services story.

I haven't heard this story, can anyone recount?

80's Band Reunion Poll at MTV

Unsurprisingly, The Smiths are among a large list of 80's bands people would like to see reunited. Thanks to Lisa Murer for the results of this "thoroughly unscientific" online poll from MTV.com:

Guns n’ Roses & Jane’s Addiction (tie)
The Police
Men at Work
The Bangles
The Smiths
Culture Club
The Pixies
Prince and the Revolution
Talking Heads
...
(for full list check this link at MTV.com)

"We Hate It..." used on "Newsnight"

From Lawrence Renee:

On the BBC current affairs programme 'Newsnight', Moz's 'We Hate It When When Our Friends Become Successful' got played in the background to a report on the feud between Tony Blair (the British P.M.) and Gordon Brown (his Chancellor Of The Exchequor) and how other famous people in the past have fallen out when one does better than the other. It was quite funny to hear used in the context that it was.