I had to choose "That's Entertainment". We get a blistering live version with a rockabilly breakdown at the end, and a beautifully performed and produced softer studio version. It was a favourite from the "Live in Dallas" concert for me... So that's it .... for now.

- Man of Vision

Though I have never heard the original, I really like the way he sings this.

- Truer Poetry

Where in the world was this song? A great cover!!!

mozfatherfan

Nothing Rhymed for no other reason than that I was there to hear it the 2 nights he performed it in Dublin.

skin storm, naturally. silly that it shouldn't be listed as one of the choices on the poll...
excellent song with some of morrissey's best vocal work.

Cosmic Dancer is by far the greatest song here. Performed lovingly live with a nod to the genius of Bolan.

All those not yet converted check out LP "Electric Warrior" by T Rex (obviously).

I envy you that first listen.

Rusholme Ruffians (Marie's The Name)! Any Elvis fan would have known right away where The Smiths got the idea for Rusholme! Hey, if you are going to borrow a riff, borrow it from the best. Listen to: "Marie's the name, of his lastest flame" Then listen to "She said "how quickly would I die, if I jumped from the top of the parachute." Hmmmm?

excuse me, but....

what on earth is it?

where/when did he sing it?

Remember "East, West," which I believe was Herman's Hermits song. It's not his best cover but it deserves a listen.

but you would think that the poll options would at least include all of the covers that Morrissey has recorded in studio and officially released leaving the "other" option for more rare, unreleased and live material.

the poll is missing three official studio covers: "East West", "Skin Storm" and "Interlude". all are fine covers and deserve mention.

"East West" is often overlooked, mostly due, id say, to its limited availability with its inclusion as the b-side to "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" being its only ever official appearance. for those who are familiar with it im sure most would find it very enjoyable as well as poignant and fitting within the Morrissey cannon in the vain of "Paint A Vulgar Picture" and "You Know I Couldn't Last", if perhaps being a more light and casual affair.

"Skin Storm" iknow to be among the favourites of many (as has already been indicated by one poster already in this poll). another beautiful rendering, ialso find this song interesting in how it displays Morrissey begining to overcome his constant aversion to sex that was always implicit, and many times blatantly explicit, throughout his work up to that point. this of course led to his far more glamed up and sexed up image for 'Your Arsenal', though Morrissey is still one for whom sex does not come so naturally.

how "Interlude" could have been left off is beyond me- it was a bloody single! it was on 'Suedehead'! it was also Morrissey's most high-profile collaboration or duet up to that point and likely still is as idoubt many would see Nancy Sinatra unseating Siouxsie Sioux. ive found its a lov or hate determination for many Morrissey fans on this one, but ilov it.

also, if yure going to qualify the use of a fragment of The New York Dolls' "Subway Train" as an intro for "Everday Is Like Sunday" and "Munich Air Disaster, 1958" as a cover (and isuppose thats fair enough), then you should hav to include "[Marie's The Name] His Latest Flame" as well- especially since it was offically cannonized by the release of The Smiths' posthumous live album, 'Rank'.

Interesting that this is pulling out in front as I remember reading somewhere that Morrissey himself wasn't mad about his version.
He thought he could bring something new to it but he thought he'd failed to do so.

Anyone else recall this?

I think - with all respect to Paul Weller - the cover sounds even more beautiful than the original. My next choice would be Subway Train, i hope Moz records a complete studio version of the song someday. I miss East, West which i like a lot, but perhaps many people consider it as crap!?

I have a question in which I have never been able to find a definitive answer... A long time ago some, someone told me that The Smiths covered Needle In A Haystack by The Velvelettes at one of their early live shows? Does anyone know anything about this? A lot of the setlists from 83' are unknown according to internet sites, bio's, etc., so if it did happen, I assume it was at one of those gigs. And info would be greatly appreciated.

Wasn't "Work Is A Four-Letter Word" the final song recorded by the Smiths?

Legend has it that Johnny Marr walked out right after that session after Morrissey insisted they play that Cilla Black song...

So many great covers. But my vote went to Moon River. God... what a beautiful version. The "murky blue" music and Moz's crooning on this song still brings tears to my eyes.

"Candle" (despite its absense from the poll) is marvelous as well.

The Morrissey version is so much better than the Patti Smiths version. It's a fantastic song, but Morrissey's voice just suits it so much better.

It blew me away live when I heard it performed live, and it continues to be incredible, either in the version on WPTMIM as intro to Everyday Is Like Sunday, or in Live at Earls Court just blows me away - it's one of the few covers that's 100X better than the original, which is a good song in its own right. Moz's voice just lends such controlled passion and feeling to the lines:

I can't
Ever understand
Why My Life
Has been cursed, poisoned and condemmed.
But I've been trying
Every night
To hold you near me.

I'm telling YOU,
It isn't easy.
Oh, believe me!

The earliest stuff by James was BY FAR thier best.

-The Treading Lemming

"most things are better not written or heard, when you open your mouth out drops a turd"

Why are Skin Storm, East West and 'No one can hold a candle to you' not included when obscure songs he has played live just once, are? I bet there are more, but that's three strange omissions...

Generally I think he should stick to his own songs, though...none of his covers are really among his best works.

Shame on him for not including Moz favorite cover song. Skin Storm.
Skin Storm way passes any other moz cover song.

Moz's unbridled vibrato makes this my favorite.

about lack of options. You've got to pick a few when you do multiple choice. Those are the breaks

It's certainly not 'Work Is A Four Letter Word', no wonder Marr got sick of The Smiths when alls Morrissey wanted to do is cover washed up 60's pop songs. I don't blame Johnny for wanting to go in a new musical direction - because it seems that it was a case of 'whatever Morrissey says goes'.

As usual I like far too many to pick just one, if pressed I would have to say Skin Storm even though it isn't listed. The daydreams that song inspires just can't be topped!!!

I picked "My Insatiable One" because he sings the word 'retard'. I always thought that was one of the great rhymes in music history- "On the high wire/dressed in a leotard/there wobbles one hell of a retard". Strange, strange, strange. Charles

that song where he sings "Melanie" --I think the actual song is called "A Girl I used to know." Is that a cover or an original? It sounds like it would be a cover.

Do those include Smith songs he does solo??? Bwahaha!

He also did 'Harry Rag' by The Kinks.

I wish I could hear it. I love The Kinks.

No one has a copy do they? No, it's lost.

mine is ''skin storm''.

It's Subway Train for me even though it's only an intro closely followed by Cosmic Dancer. I'm not particularly fond of any other cover I've heard him do. Must go and have another listen to Skin Storm though now so many people are banging on about it...

...only because I was there. Caught the Westham Boys Club t-shirt he threw into the audience, which made the experience all the more memorable. Please, don't line up to be my friend all at once.

That 26 (or so) second clip of that song that I've found on soulseek (I think!) is as close as I'll ever get to heaven.

But, out of the options, I'm going to have to say Moon River.

I have to say "Drive in Saturday" is one of the best songs...

wonder why is not an option for this crappy poll

Just utterly gorgeous with the sadness in his voice and the longing in his lyrics. The short version though, the extended version goes on way too long to sustain interest.

...of his latest flame. Thankyaverymuch.

I adore that.

best: golden lights, easily
worst: redondo beach, shockingly bad

Mine anyway. I never pick the obvious ones,

1 - My Insatiable One
2 - Drive In Saturday
3 - East West
4 - That's Entertainment
5 - Skin Storm

Marie's the name, of his latest flame..
Perfect.

Who is voting for this piece of crap??

thats a nice cover.

I had to vote other.I really love Morrissey`s cover of Skin Storm.It`s just so sexy to hear Morrissey singing those words.I also like Redondo Beach and My insatiable one.

"Regrets.... I've had a few.... And one of them.... was Drive In Saturday...."

I really like his cover of that 10,000 maniacs song Everyday is Like Sunday. I actually think Morrissey's version is better! And that Placebo song "Big Mouth Strikes Again" Brilliant. I heard him do them at the Earls Court concert, And he did that Patti Smith tune. Gosh a lot of covers last night, You would think he would have enough of his own stuff... never mind. It was still great. xxx

My vote is for Skinstorm also ....

is my favourite cover - possibly followed by Cosmic Dancer and Redondo Beach.

broken

I love Sinead O'Connor's cover of Hand That Rocks The Cradle. If you haven't heard it look for it. I only wish my copy wasn't so distored sounding - the quality is bad. But it really is an amazing cover and Sinead sounds great on it.

As much as i like moon river his voice on Cosmic Dancer is beatiful..........

In the original arrangement of Moonriver, the lyrics have "My huckleberry friend" in the chorus. I have a pretty good grasp of the english language but, what is a huckleberry? And why would Morrissey leave those words out of his remake of the song? Is this one of the fruits that he does not like to put in his Cheerios?

His name was Richard and a bit of a Brute and this is why Trash gets my vote.
The best reason really to have an attatchment to a song like this.