Back in 1993 (I think) KROQ in Los Angeles had a contest to design the cover for the yet to be released "Interlude" single. The winner would be chosen by Morrissey and also received a cash prize from his record label at the time (I think it was $500). I heard they received a lot of entries (thousands?) but after the contest ended, I don't recall hearing any sort of annoucement and the single was never released in the U.S. The release in the U.K. used a vintage Roger Mayne photograph. The winner of the contest, Joseph Magic Namsinh, recently sent in a scan of his winning artwork:

"Interlude" KROQ design contest winner (1993)

Mark Deveney, Charlton, SE7. writes:

Peterborough Column, Daily Telegraph 25/9/01
In a book review at the weekend, the polemicist and sometime rock critic Julie Burchill, revealed that she was once bearded in her own home by the patron saint of 1980's student self absorption.

"When I finally submitted to myself that I loved the Smiths", she wrote, "they'd been defunct for five years - something that didn't stop Morrissey, on hearing of my girlish swoon, from knocking on my door unbidden one morning and putting me through three hours of the most boring hours of my life."

Surely not. "It was social death!" Julie squealed when asked about it yesterday.

"It was a Saturday morning, I was off my face after three days on drugs and he just turned up on my doorstep. He came in and sat there slagging everything I'd ever said about all these other bands. It totally changed everything I'd ever thought about him."

But, she adds in a spirit of fairness:

"He was suprisingly butch, with big shoulders and actually really fit."

Talk about backhanded compliments!! The above had 2 face pictures of Moz and the fat old charliehead Burchill. He gets slated all the time, even in this period of 'retirement'.

Bizarre.
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UPDATE (Sep. 27): Scan of article from James Greenall

Chris Lark writes:

Here's what Lou from Chumbawamba has been listening to recently:

The Smiths "The Very Best Of"
The Smiths got me through the mid 80's. I'm not ashamed to admit it. Where many saw raincoat miserablism and a whingeing, faux-fey, drama queen I saw only joy, a razor sharp wickedly, caustic sense of humour and fine songwriting. Admittedly this compilation falls into the "reissue, repackage" strategic marketing bracket so reviled by Morrisey but it still hits all the right buttons. And Charles Hawtrey on the cover!