A girl I used to know

[Quando quando quando]

What’s the story behind this once announced Morrissey single produced by Steve Lillywhite?
“A girl I used to know” as it’s called.
He sings about a girl named Melanie.

I can hear the Dutch radio dj announcing it.
Read somewhere it was a hoax.
But in what sense?
Was it officially retracted by the label? And why?

For some reason, don’t know why I quite liked it.
A thought crossed my mind that the guitars resembled a well known tune.
Could it be the reason it was retracted?

Maybe my ears are not functioning that good anymore as they used to but I defenitely hear Moz singing and not somebody else.
I really like the song.

 

[Peppermint]

What’s the story behind this once announced Morrissey single produced by Steve Lillywhite?
“A girl I used to know” as it’s called.
He sings about a girl named Melanie.

I can hear the Dutch radio dj announcing it.
Read somewhere it was a hoax.
But in what sense?
Was it officially retracted by the label? And why?

For some reason, don’t know why I quite liked it.
A thought crossed my mind that the guitars resembled a well known tune.
Could it be the reason it was retracted?

Maybe my ears are not functioning that good anymore as they used to but I defenitely hear Moz singing and not somebody else.
I really like the song.

Definitely not him. Voice doesn't have the depth and richness to it, and the words/letters/syllables are pronounced differently. The 'a' sound is a giveaway - Moz's Mancunian a's are very distinctive - flat, northern. Also there's something odd about how this guy pronounces his l's (in 'inject yourself') - like he's not a native English speaker. And that's before we even get to the lyrics... Was this a Dutch hoax, Q? I've never heard of it.

 

[Famous when dead]

What’s the story behind this once announced Morrissey single produced by Steve Lillywhite?
“A girl I used to know” as it’s called.
He sings about a girl named Melanie.

I can hear the Dutch radio dj announcing it.
Read somewhere it was a hoax.
But in what sense?
Was it officially retracted by the label? And why?

For some reason, don’t know why I quite liked it.
A thought crossed my mind that the guitars resembled a well known tune.
Could it be the reason it was retracted?

Maybe my ears are not functioning that good anymore as they used to but I defenitely hear Moz singing and not somebody else.
I really like the song.

Generally accepted as a hoax - surfacing on Dutch radio around the time of Sunny.
Large discussion here 17yrs ago:
https://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=01/01/26/093221
Regards,
FWD.

 

[Quando quando quando]

Generally accepted as a hoax - surfacing on Dutch radio around the time of Sunny.
Large discussion here 17yrs ago:
https://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=01/01/26/093221
Regards,
FWD.

Thanks very much for the info FWD!
I feel slightly embarrassed by not recognising immediately it wasn’t Moz singing. Must be my hearing is degrading and English is not my first language so I would not pick up the subtle differences and distinguishing them.
There is still something I like about the song and consider it to be one of the better falsifications.

 

[Quando quando quando]

Definitely not him. Voice doesn't have the depth and richness to it, and the words/letters/syllables are pronounced differently. The 'a' sound is a giveaway - Moz's Mancunian a's are very distinctive - flat, northern. Also there's something odd about how this guy pronounces his l's (in 'inject yourself') - like he's not a native English speaker. And that's before we even get to the lyrics... Was this a Dutch hoax, Q? I've never heard of it.

I don’t know if it was a Dutch hoax.
I think it was played on a Dutch official radio station at the time but they relied on the authenticity of it by hearing it at first played by BBC radio stations playlists, so they never, for a moment thought it was a falsification.

 

[Peppermint]

Thanks very much for the info FWD!
I feel slightly embarrassed by not recognising immediately it wasn’t Moz singing. Must be my hearing is degrading and English is not my first language so I would not pick up the subtle differences and distinguishing them.
There is still something I like about the song and consider it to be one of the better falsifications.

No need to feel embarrassed, Q! I'm guessing these things are much less obvious when it's not your first language.

 

[Harsh Truth]

Large discussion here 17yrs ago:
https://www.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=01/01/26/093221

I've had a read through this old thread and am now a bit nostalgic for 2001.

 

[SuedeMoz]

I remember this from way back then. At first, it sounds like just maybe it could be Morrissey but the longer you listen it's clear it isn't.

 

[Anonymous]

This hoax is better than most of the songs on Low In High School....
Funny old world !!

 

[joe frady]

If memory still serves its ailing master, this is the 'spoof' born of Andrew McGibbon {née Paresi, former Morrissey drummer}.
Following his stint as M.'s sticks man he descended even further in life to the status of radio comedy work for middle-class students in the mid-90s...
Around about the "Vauxhall and í" era he ended up on Radio 1 (writhing and drowning in it's Death of Pop era, sniffing desperately for 'Relevancy') as comedy sidekick to an odious little twonk named Kevin Greening, who clearly loathed pop music and pop kids. He quickly soared at NewRadio 1 and during various stand in sessions on the Nation's Now Not Actually Favourite Breakfast Show, Greening played this 'spoof' as 'perhaps' the new single from Miserable Mozzer. He played it every day for a week, í think.
It was also produced and mixed by Danton Supple, engineer on various Moz beauties {including "Vauxhall and í"}.
So as Moz 'spoofs' go its ceratinly got a fair pedigree, in terms of the people who created it knew his sound, style and working methods.
But it was shite then, and it's shite now.
Plus ~ it's still not 'funny'.

.

 

[Quando quando quando]

If memory still serves its ailing master, this is the 'spoof' born of Andrew McGibbon {née Paresi, former Morrissey drummer}.
Following his stint as M.'s sticks man he descended even further in life to the status of radio comedy work for middle-class students in the mid-90s...
Around about the "Vauxhall and í" era he ended up on Radio 1 (writhing and drowning in it's Death of Pop era, sniffing desperately for 'Relevancy') as comedy sidekick to an odious little twonk named Kevin Greening, who clearly loathed pop music and pop kids. He quickly soared at NewRadio 1 and during various stand in sessions on the Nation's Now Not Actually Favourite Breakfast Show, Greening played this 'spoof' as 'perhaps' the new single from Miserable Mozzer. He played it every day for a week, í think.
It was also produced and mixed by Danton Supple, engineer on various Moz beauties {including "Vauxhall and í"}.
So as Moz 'spoofs' go its ceratinly got a fair pedigree, in terms of the people who created it knew his sound, style and working methods.
But it was shite then, and it's shite now.
Plus ~ it's still not 'funny'.

.

Thanks very much Joe for your knowledge and insight on this and sharing it here.

One thing that strikes me as being a bit funny NOW is the criticism about the song lyrics THEN.

As Moz would never sing a line like “Inject yourself, inject yourself”..

I guess he has sung much more direct and blunt lines in recent years.
Not that I have anything against that.

 

[destiny]

It is a bit better than the fake version of Bowie covering Joy Division.

 

[joe frady]

Thanks very much Joe for your knowledge and insight on this and sharing it here.

One thing that strikes me as being a bit funny NOW is the criticism about the song lyrics THEN.

As Moz would never sing a line like “Inject yourself, inject yourself”..

I guess he has sung much more direct and blunt lines in recent years.
Not that I have anything against that.

You're very welcome triple Quando.

It's also quite funny that about a year after "Melanie" appeared (which ironically was the most airplay he'd (not) gotten on the Radio 1 Breakfast Show in years. Or ever) Moz released "Sunny" in only a slightly-less-vague lyrical vein, as it were...

.

 

[Famous when dead]

It even got acknacknowled by NME in their list: 14 Of The Best Morrissey Rarities:

Regards,
FWD.

 

[joe frady]

So, who, or what, are The Boys...?

Or is it best not to ask?

.

 

[Truth]

What’s the story behind this once announced Morrissey single produced by Steve Lillywhite?
“A girl I used to know” as it’s called.
He sings about a girl named Melanie.

I can hear the Dutch radio dj announcing it.
Read somewhere it was a hoax.
But in what sense?
Was it officially retracted by the label? And why?

For some reason, don’t know why I quite liked it.
A thought crossed my mind that the guitars resembled a well known tune.
Could it be the reason it was retracted?

Maybe my ears are not functioning that good anymore as they used to but I defenitely hear Moz singing and not somebody else.
I really like the song.

Quando, have you turned into a troll? I just don't have anything to believe in anymore!

 

[Quando quando quando]

Quando, have you turned into a troll? I just don't have anything to believe in anymore!

Me? Me?
A troll? Haven’t been banned yet and I surely wouldn’t know why. But of course, they could say to me: “You know why”.

I guess the word itself lost some of it’s dangerous aspects and there are of course a lot of very different trolls.

I would never want to stalk someone here and saying derogatory, insulting and hurtful things and disclosing private information, just because I have a different opinion.

Considering the hoax I truly thought for a moment it was Moz singing.
But even when I knew he wasn’t it would not be trolling Moz.

And even if it was he doesn’t care
I am just a fan on a website he despises.

If you don’t have anything to believe in anymore, you could accept it or search harder.

 

[Truth]

Me? Me?
A troll? Haven’t been banned yet and I surely wouldn’t know why. But of course, they could say to me: “You know why”.

I guess the word itself lost some of it’s dangerous aspects and there are of course a lot of very different trolls.

I would never want to stalk someone here and saying derogatory, insulting and hurtful things and disclosing private information, just because I have a different opinion.

Considering the hoax I truly thought for a moment it was Moz singing.
But even when I knew he wasn’t it would not be trolling Moz.

And even if it was he doesn’t care
I am just a fan on a website he despises.

If you don’t have anything to believe in anymore, you could accept it or search harder.

That band has another one that was passed off as Morrissey that I think is okay. It even quotes "this world is full of crashing bores."


She seems unfocused and introvert Her lines foul and absurd
They shared a liking for Elvis And hate for the rest of the world
Now sitting on the sofa busy twisting her ring
Oh dear, she misses him so
With him around she always seemed
So hungry for life
An appetite that's gone
Will she ever be happy again?
Oh, I know she will
Will she ever call her lost love her friend?
Oh, I know she won't
Her broken heart
Has opened her eyes
A new girl born
The old one has died
She built a life round the boy she loved
Well, now, did she do wrong?
He left, and he took with him
Her live spirits diamonds and pearls
The world is full of crashing bores and boys without style
She quoted all along
She says, Walk the streets of this despicable town
And say if I'm wrong
Will she ever be happy again?
Oh, I know she will
Will she ever call her lost love her friend?
Oh, I know she won't
Her broken heart
Has opened her eyes
A new girl born
The old one has died
Will she ever be happy again?
Oh, I know she will
Will she ever call her lost love her friend?
Oh, I know she won't
Her broken heart
Has opened her eyes
A new girl born
The old one has died