Songs That Should Have Been Singles

D

Dirk McNasty

Guest
I'm a little bored today, so I thought I'd canvas some opinions on which Morrissey songs people feel should have been singles, but oddly weren't. Certainly, I feel Jack The Ripper, Nobody Loves Us, and Lost should all obviously have been a-sides, but if I had to pick one alone, I'd probably go for Billy Budd. Would have made a great follow-up to The More You Ignore Me... in the two-minute vein of The Smiths finest moments.
 
> I'm a little bored today, so I thought I'd canvas some opinions on which
> Morrissey songs people feel should have been singles, but oddly weren't.
> Certainly, I feel Jack The Ripper, Nobody Loves Us, and Lost should all
> obviously have been a-sides, but if I had to pick one alone, I'd probably
> go for Billy Budd. Would have made a great follow-up to The More You
> Ignore Me... in the two-minute vein of The Smiths finest moments.

Without a shadow of a doubt, WDYFOFY would have made a superb single. Far better in my opinion than Hold On To Your Friends or even The More You Ignore Me...

Running it a close second in the non-singles stakes is, and I agree, Lost. Criminally relegated to a b-side to the whimsical Roy's Keen.

By the way, it's all gone quiet on the PIMP front, hasn't it? How odd!

UncleSk.
 
> Without a shadow of a doubt, WDYFOFY would have made a superb single. Far
> better in my opinion than Hold On To Your Friends or even The More You
> Ignore Me...

> Running it a close second in the non-singles stakes is, and I agree, Lost.
> Criminally relegated to a b-side to the whimsical Roy's Keen.

> By the way, it's all gone quiet on the PIMP front, hasn't it? How odd!

> UncleSk.

From the 1st Smiths album I thought "Still Ill" was and is a better track than "H.I.G".

"Lost" without a doubt should have been a single and at the tail end of The Smiths the final single should have been the majestic " I Keep Mine Hidden" instead of "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"

Further back in The Smiths career "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore" was a bizarre choice for a single.It is one of my favourire Smiths songs but it was never going to get radio play and ended up with a criminally low chart posistion.

Janice Long played it but other than that it sank. I think "Nowhere Fast" was in The Smiths cannon at that time and would have made a more logical choice although the anti royalist sentiments may have accounted for it not being used.

Nice post Dirk

J
 
> "Lost" without a doubt should have been a single and at the tail
> end of The Smiths the final single should have been the majestic " I
> Keep Mine Hidden" instead of "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody
> Loved Me"

You're right about I Keep Mine Hidden - why do so many people hate it?

> Janice Long played it but other than that it sank. I think "Nowhere
> Fast" was in The Smiths cannon at that time and would have made a
> more logical choice although the anti royalist sentiments may have
> accounted for it not being used.

It was meant to be a single, in fact in the foreword to the sheet music book of Meat Is Murder, it actually says that Nowhere Fast will be the next single.
Of course it never was, but it would have been nice.

UncleSk.
 
> You're right about I Keep Mine Hidden - why do so many people hate it?

> It was meant to be a single, in fact in the foreword to the sheet music
> book of Meat Is Murder, it actually says that Nowhere Fast will be the
> next single.
> Of course it never was, but it would have been nice.

> UncleSk.

Thanks Unc. You live and learn. Smiths fans are very individualistic in their tastes.

Personally I don't like "LNIDTSLM" yet almost all Smiths fans hail it a classic.

For me though," I Keep Mine Hidden" sums up everything that is unique and brilliant about The Smiths.
 
Yes, I like I Keep Mine Hidden too, although find the production a little muggy. As for That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, I always felt that from the Meat Is Murder period perhaps I Want The One I Can't Have could have been a good single. Then there's the whole There Is A Light... debate. Was Bigmouth the right choice in retrospect? Apparently, Morrissey wanted Frankly, Mr Shankly to be a single which would have been quite interesting!
 
> Yes, I like I Keep Mine Hidden too, although find the production a little
> muggy. As for That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore, I always felt that from the
> Meat Is Murder period perhaps I Want The One I Can't Have could have been
> a good single. Then there's the whole There Is A Light... debate. Was
> Bigmouth the right choice in retrospect? Apparently, Morrissey wanted
> Frankly, Mr Shankly to be a single which would have been quite
> interesting!

Oh absolutely "Bigmouth" should have been a single. The record buying public was just not ready for it:)It is so powerful and features some of Marr's most explosive work with The Smiths....also a great cover of J.D
 
People Who Should Remain Single

The Smiths the final single should have been the majestic "I Keep Mine Hidden" instead of "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me."

TOSH! BOLLOCKS!

THIS IS YOUR BRAIN
THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS...

A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE.

YOU ARE DEAF & STUPID.
 
Should Have Been Singles, Okay

Frankly, Mr. Shankly (oh, yes!).

Bigmouth Strikes Again (was this not a single, I mean there is an entire sleeve, and promo poster for it featuring cover star JAMES DEAN on a motorbike?).

While maybe not a single, Sister I'm A Poet, was worthy of being on an album and not relegated to a B-Side.

Jack The Ripper (that this was not a single is criminal).

Now My Heart is Full (nearly as catchy as The More You Ignore, they should have released this as a single and made a video for it).

Certain People I Know (was it a single or not?).

Glamourous Glue (should have been a single - "first day with the Jar you find"
- what did he mean?).

The National Front Disco (the controversy and press could have been no worse than that Union Jack B.S., and I actually think it would have been like Madonna's Justify My Love, MTV banned the video, so thousands of people went out and purchased it).

p.s. How much did the Glastonbury fiasco hurt Moz's career in the long run, really?
 
Interesting post!

I'd say Moz has had kinda bad taste in his single-choices, overall, since he went solo ("Certain people I Know" is NOT a good choice for a single, and neither are "Pregnant for the Last Time", "Ouija Board" or "My Love Life").
But the ones I feel the strongest for are "Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself" "Jack the Ripper" and "Now My heart Is Full (that one's an ANTHEM, damnit!).

> I'm a little bored today, so I thought I'd canvas some opinions on which
> Morrissey songs people feel should have been singles, but oddly weren't.
> Certainly, I feel Jack The Ripper, Nobody Loves Us, and Lost should all
> obviously have been a-sides, but if I had to pick one alone, I'd probably
> go for Billy Budd. Would have made a great follow-up to The More You
> Ignore Me... in the two-minute vein of The Smiths finest moments.
 
Re: Should Have Been Singles, Okay

> Frankly, Mr. Shankly (oh, yes!).

> Bigmouth Strikes Again (was this not a single, I mean there is an entire
> sleeve, and promo poster for it featuring cover star JAMES DEAN on a
> motorbike?).

yes.It was a single.

> While maybe not a single, Sister I'm A Poet, was worthy of being on an
> album and not relegated to a B-Side.

Yes.It should have been a double A-side with Hairdresser On Fire, two of my favoutrites

> Jack The Ripper (that this was not a single is criminal).

> Now My Heart is Full (nearly as catchy as The More You Ignore, they should
> have released this as a single and made a video for it).

> Certain People I Know (was it a single or not?).

yes,it was (I think).

> Glamourous Glue (should have been a single - "first day with the Jar
> you find"
> - what did he mean?).

> The National Front Disco (the controversy and press could have been no
> worse than that Union Jack B.S., and I actually think it would have been
> like Madonna's Justify My Love, MTV banned the video, so thousands of
> people went out and purchased it).

> p.s. How much did the Glastonbury fiasco hurt Moz's career in the long
> run, really?
 
Re: Should Have Been Singles, Okay

> Glamourous Glue (should have been a single - "first day with the Jar
> you find"
> - what did he mean?).

these are the answers I got:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/discuss/index.cgi?read=119609
 
> I'm a little bored today, so I thought I'd canvas some opinions on which
> Morrissey songs people feel should have been singles, but oddly weren't.
> Certainly, I feel Jack The Ripper, Nobody Loves Us, and Lost should all
> obviously have been a-sides, but if I had to pick one alone, I'd probably
> go for Billy Budd. Would have made a great follow-up to The More You
> Ignore Me... in the two-minute vein of The Smiths finest moments.

well, There Is A Light that Never Goes Out, I Want The One I Can't Have, Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before, Sister I'm A poet, reader Meet Author, Jack the Ripper, How Soon is Now instead of originally being a B-side.
 
These should have been singles...

- I Want the One I Can't Have
- Half a Person
- Stop Me if you think you've Heard this one Before

And 'There is a Light..' SHOULD have been a single the first time around. Instant #1 if you ask me.

I'm also tempted to list 'Rubber Ring' but as excellent as i think it is, it would have done crap on the charts.

- Alsatian Cousin
- We'll Let You Know
- Why Don't You Find Out For Yourself
- He Cried

'He Cried' would have fit in perfectly with all the other pop songs charting..... except it doesn't suck like those did.
 
I have to agree, of course. But I feel There Is A Light... should have been put out there too, maybe as a killer double A-side with Panic. Now that would have been up there with Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane, surely.

> Oh absolutely "Bigmouth" should have been a single. The record
> buying public was just not ready for it:)It is so powerful and features
> some of Marr's most explosive work with The Smiths....also a great cover
> of J.D
 
> I have to agree, of course. But I feel There Is A Light... should have
> been put out there too, maybe as a killer double A-side with Panic. Now
> that would have been up there with Strawberry Fields/Penny Lane, surely.

How about an extended version of - Please, Please,Please , let me get what I want. It would surely have made the top ten , possibly even NO 1 . I agree with all the other suggestions , but Iam quite surprised no-one mentioned this wonderful song .
 
He is neither deaf nor stupid...

...so shut the f*** up.

> TOSH! BOLLOCKS!

> THIS IS YOUR BRAIN
> THIS IS YOUR BRAIN ON DRUGS...

> A MIND IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE.

> YOU ARE DEAF & STUPID.
 
perhaps, but your friend is dead wrong

Peace.
 
As you mentioned, 'Stop Me If You Think...' should have been a single. It was up for release as the follow-up to 'Girlfriend In A Coma' but the powers that be thought a song with the line "plan a mass murder" was a little insensitive to release shortly after the Hungerford Massacre.

'Tomorrow'. Although this was a single in the U.S., I think it's criminal, it was never released over here.
 
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