Suedehead (single)

Cover art
Mael Mix 10" picture disc.
MORRISSEY Single
Name Suedehead
Release 27 February 1988
24 January 2006 (Mael Mix)
21 April 2012 (Mael Mix, 2012)
Total Length 3:54
6:37 (Mael Mix)
3:35 (Mael Mix, 2012)
Recorded Autumn-Winter 1987
Writer/composer Morrissey / Stephen Street
Producer Stephen Street
Art work Photo: Geri Caulfield (original cover)
Layout: Caryn Gough
Photo: Kevin Cummins (Mael Mix cover)
Vinyl Etching DREAMS...ARE JUST...DREAMS
Publisher HMV Records (UK)
Sire Records (US)
EMI Records (Mael Mix)
Format(s) 7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD, 10" Vinyl Picture Disc (Mael Mix), Digital download (Mael Mix)
Chart position UK #5
Single chronology
Suedehead
Everyday Is Like Sunday
Single (Mael Mix) chronology
Glamorous Glue
Suedehead
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (Reissue)

Information

"Suedehead" was Morrissey's debut single as a solo artist. Released on 27 February 1988 by HMV Records, the single came a mere nine weeks after The Smiths' single "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" from their final album, Strangeways, Here We Come. "Suedehead" was produced and co-wrote by Stephen Street, and was the first single released from Morrissey's debut album, Viva Hate.
The cover photograph was taken live at The Smiths concert at The Palladium, London (October 26, 1986).

Recording

Recording for Viva Hate commenced at The Wool Hall studios in Bath, England in early October and would last until late December. During one of the sessions, EMI executives stopped by the studio to check up on the recording progress, to which Street played them a rough mix of "Suedehead". The executives responded positively which, according to Street, gave he and Morrissey a better sense of freedom with the album and the confidence that they were heading in the right direction.

Release

Upon release, "Suedehead" reached the #5 slot in the UK charts. With the momentum of a hit single, two weeks later Viva Hate was released and debuted at #1 on the charts.

Track list

7" Vinyl

UK - [HMV POP1618]
US - [Sire/Reprise 9 27907-7]

  1. Suedehead – 3:54 (Morrissey/Street)
  2. I Know Very Well How I Got My Name – 2:01 (Morrissey/Street)

12" Vinyl

UK - [HMV 12POP1618]
US - [Sire/Reprise 9 20877-0]

  1. Suedehead – 3:54
  2. I Know Very Well How I Got My Name – 2:01
  3. Hairdresser On Fire – 3:51 (Morrissey/Street)

CD Single

UK - [HMV CDPOP1618]

Mael / Sparks Mix

"Suedehead", as remixed by Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks (6:37) was released on the Rhino Records UK compilation Future Retro (Jan. 24, 2006)[1].

From the Sparks mailing list (April, 2005)[2]:

THE MAELS MIX MOZ
Ron and Russell were invited to take part in a themed remix album called The 80’s Remixed on which various artists get to remix another compatible or comparative artist whom they admire. Warner Bros. gave the Maels the choice of remixing a Smiths song or a Morrissey song. They chose to do a unique and extreme 6-1/2 minute remix of “Suedehead”, and Moz happily gave them his blessing. The masterful Mael mix is heavy on vocals and set to a completely different chord progression. The label was gracious enough to let Ron and Russell do their own thing, sparing them the horror of doing a redundant club mix. The album will be released in the UK in April.

10" Picture Disc/Digital Download

On 21 April 2012, in celebration of Record Store Day, EMI released a limited edition 10" picture disc, and a subsequent digital download on 23 April, of "Suedehead" (Mael Mix), edited down from the original version released in 2006 from 6:37 to 3:35. The single also feature two previously unreleased BBC live versions of "We'll Let You Know" and "Now My Heart Is Full", recorded at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in February 1995.

UK - [Liberty 10LBF15461]

  1. Suedehead (Mael Mix) – 3:35
  2. We'll Let You Know [Live - 26 February 1995, BBC Theatre] – 4:13 (Morrissey/Whyte)
  3. Now My Heart Is Full [Live - 26 February 1995, BBC Theatre] – 4:55 (Morrissey/Boorer)

Lyrics

Why do you come here
And why, why do you hang around?
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry

Why do you come here
When you know it makes
Things hard for me?
When you know, oh
Why do you come?

Why do you telephone
And why send me silly notes?
I'm so sorry
I'm so sorry

Why do you come here
When you know it makes
Things hard for me?
When you know, oh
Why do you come?

You had to sneak into my room
'Just' to read my diary
It was just to see, just to see
All the things you knew
I'd written about you
Oh so many illustrations

Oh but I'm so very sickened
Oh, I am so sickened NOW
It was a good lay, good lay
It was a good lay, good lay
It was a good lay, good lay
It was a good lay, good lay
It was a good lay, good lay
It was a good lay, good lay
It was a good lay, it was a good lay
It was a good lay, good lay, good lay
It was a good lay...

Music Video

Credits

Image Gallery

Live History

Play count (Morrissey concert): 380

Morrissey live history:

... further results

Appears On

Appears On Covers Compilation

Cover Versions

Related Items

References

  1. presley1. (2005-04-11). Future Retro (out Jan. 24) includes "Suedehead" (Sparks mix,) listening party stream. Morrissey-solo. Retrieved from morrissey-solo.com.
  2. Sven68. (2005-04-11). "Suedehead" - remix by Sparks to be released on "The 80's Remixed" (April). Morrissey-solo. Retrieved from morrissey-solo.com.

Mentioned In

Discogs Information

Credits

  • Bass Guitar, Guitar [Guitars] - Stephen Street
  • Coordinator [Art Co-Ordination] - Jo Slee
  • Drums [The Drums] - Andrew Paresi
  • Engineer [Engineered By] - Steve Williams (6)
  • Guitar [Guitars], Keyboards [Keyboard] - Vini Reilly
  • Hair [Hair By] - Robert Stanley (5)
  • Lacquer Cut By - Tim Young
  • Layout - Caryn Gough
  • Management - Gail Colson
  • Music By - Stephen Street
  • Photography By [Picture By] - Geri Caulfield
  • Producer [Produced By] - Stephen Street
  • Sleeve - Morrissey
  • Voice - Morrissey
  • Words By - Morrissey

Notes

Recorded at the Wool Hall in Bath.

℗ 1988 Original sound recordings made by EMI Records Ltd © 1988 EMI Records Ltd

Runouts are stamped except for "DREAMS...ARE JUST...DREAMS", which is etched.

Images

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Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Versions were released with and without the "Morrissey" sticker on the cover.


Images

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Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Record Store Day 2012 release, limited to 1000 copies Issued in a PVC sleeve with a wraparound sticker.

B1, B2: previously unreleased

A: Warner Chappell Music Ltd./EMI Virgin Music Ltd. Mixed at Sparks Studio, Los Angeles. P 2005 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by EMI Records Ltd.

B: 1. Warner Chappell Music Ltd./Sony Music Publishing Ltd. B: 2. Warner Chappell Music Ltd. Recorded live in concert at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane for BBC Radio 1. First Broadcast on 26th February 1995. P 1995 The copyright in this sound recording is owned by the BBC. Licensed courtesy of BBC Worldwide.

© 2012 EMI Records Ltd. Made in the EU.

Images

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Wikipedia Information

MorrisseySuedehead.jpg

"Suedehead" is the debut solo single by English singer Morrissey, released on 15 February 1988. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's first solo release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by the suedehead subculture, recalling an individual from his teenage years in the context of the movement. Street, who had originally sought to contribute his musical ideas to Morrissey to use for Smiths B-sides, also contributed bass guitar, while Vini Reilly and Andrew Paresi rounded out his new solo band. "Suedehead" was featured on Morrissey's debut album, Viva Hate, and the compilation album Bona Drag, the latter of which also featured the B-side "Hairdresser on Fire". Upon release, the song saw commercial success, reaching number five in the UK, as well as rave reviews for its Smiths-esque musicianship and the new Morrissey-Street writing team. Encouraged by the success of the single, Morrissey would continue working with Street for subsequent singles and the rest of Viva Hate. Since its release, "Suedehead" has become one of Morrissey's most successful songs and remains critically acclaimed by modern writers.

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