3:40 (Album/Peel version)
3:17 (Studio demo)
Produced by Roger Pusey.
The song being OK'd by him was to signal the end of the BBC caring about any furore surrounding The Smiths / Ferrari & The Sun allegations.
Ultimately leading to a BBC statement:
"The Sun got it wrong again".
Their support throughout this time & requesting further Peel sessions probably shouldn't be underestimated - probably not something that would happen today.
"At least 50 per cent of my reason for writing can be blamed on Shelagh Delaney who wrote ‘A Taste Of Honey’. And ‘This Night Has Opened My Eyes’ is a Taste Of Honey song – putting the entire play to words."
(Morrissey - NME).
Delaney's A Taste Of Honey influence:
"You can't just wrap it up in a bundle of newspaper."
"...and dump it on a doorstep."
"That river, it's the colour of lead."
"I'm not sorry and I'm not glad."
"Oh well, the dream's gone, but the baby's real enough."
(Note: more evidence of Morrissey reading, not watching: I had to source the play to check the quotes - not the screenplay).
Possible (book-cited) influences:
"Perhaps pretending
You never saw the eyes
Of grown men of twenty five
That followed as you walked
And asked for autographs
Or kissed you on the cheek
And you never could believe
They really loved you"
Janice Ian: "Stars", 1974.
Jamie Tyrone: "This night has opened my eyes to a great career in store for me, my boy!"
Eugene O'Neill's play via the 1962 film (Jamie Tyrone played by Jason Robards).
Played ~50 times by The Smiths.
Played once by Morrissey (Vegas, 2021).
Jo's life poignantly set to music or a go to the bar moment?
Regards,
FWD.