From the NME.
The first-ever demo by The Smiths has surfaced online after the 1982 recording was placed on YouTube, apparently by their original bassist.
Snippets of ‘I Want A Boy For My Birthday’ had circulated among the band’s fan community for several years. But the version seemingly posted by early bassist Dale Hibbert is the first time the full three-minute version has been heard.
‘I Want A Boy For My Birthday’ is a cover of ’60s girl group The Cookies, who released their original version as a B-side in 1963.
Morrissey and Johnny Marr made their version in 1982 on Marr’s TEAC tape recorder so that Hibbert could learn it for the band’s first official demo recordings.
Hibbert left the band after The Smiths’ first gig as Morrissey and Marr were unhappy with his playing. He was replaced by Andy Rourke, who became the band’s permanent bassist.
The existence of the demo was only uncovered in 2013 in Simon Goddard’s Smiths biography Songs That Saved Your Life. Marr said in the book: “I’d never heard the song before, but I thought ‘Great, this will freak them out!’ I was really happy to encourage it.”
Hibbert left the music industry after The Smiths. He went on to run a bar in Manchester and now runs a vegetarian café, Kava, in Todmorden, West Yorkshire, with his wife Svet.
The leaking of the demo comes as Morrissey prepares to release his new album ‘I Am Not A Dog On A Chain’ in March. Marr recently released ‘Single Life’, a box set which compiles the ten 7″ singles he’s released as a solo artist.
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The Smiths - Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now - EX - UK - 7" vinyl - £15.00, $19.35, €17.55 (New Item) (arrived 17-Feb-2020 16:01)
on February 22, 2020 at 9:27 am
THE SMITHS Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now (1984 UK 7" vinyl single with an intact four prong centre, also including Suffer Little Children. The glossy card picture sleeve which displays the Viv Nicholson photograph [taken from her 'Spend SpendSpend' book] along with lyrics printed on the reverse, displays minimal wear while the vinyl remains excellent with some light surface scuffs to indicate play RT156)
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The Smiths - Strangeways, Here We Come + Shrink - UK - vinyl LP - £20.00, $25.80, €23.40 (New Item) (arrived 04-Feb-2020 14:55)
on February 22, 2020 at 9:27 am
THE SMITHS Strangeways, Here We Come (2012 UK limited edition remastered issue of the 1987 10-track vinyl LP, their fourth and final studio album including the singles Girlfriend In A Coma, Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me and Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before. The title embossed picture sleeve retains its opened original shrinkwrap and comes with the printed lyric inner while the vinyl remains in barely played condition)
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The Smiths - That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore - UK - 12" vinyl - £30.00, $38.70, €35.10 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jan-2020 15:03)
on February 22, 2020 at 9:27 am
THE SMITHS That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore (1985 UK 5-track 12" single, with 'Our Souls Our Souls Our Souls' in the A-side run-out groove. Includes live versions of Nowhere Fast, Stretch Out & Wait, Shakespeare's Sister & Meat Is Murder recordedat the Oxford Apollo on 18th March 1985, song hype stickered picture sleeve complate with die-cut inner. The sleeve shows minimal wear and the vinyl appears barely played RTT186)
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The Smiths - Meat Is Murder - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £25.00, $32.25, €29.25 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jan-2020 15:01)
on February 22, 2020 at 9:27 am
THE SMITHS Meat Is Murder (1985 UK 9-track vinyl LP with the bizarre messages in the run off groove area: 'Illness As Art' on side one & 'Doing The Wythenshaw Waltz' on side two, signifying the first pressing, complete with illustrated lyric inner, non-barcoded picture sleeve. The sleeve shows just a little light shelfwear & the vinyl remains in excellent condition with few signs of play ROUGH81)
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The Smiths - Hatful Of Hollow - Stickered Gatefold - EX - UK - vinyl LP - £35.00, $45.15, €40.95 (New Item) (arrived 30-Jan-2020 14:59)
on February 22, 2020 at 9:27 am
THE SMITHS Hatful Of Hollow (1984 UK first press 16-track LP featuring the 1983 John Peel & David Jensen Show sessions, plus the singles Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now & William It Was Really Nothing, hype stickered gatefold picture sleeve with lyric inner. The sleeve has some scuff marks with age & the vinyl is Excellent with just light spindle marks & minor signs of play ROUGH76)
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