Hey, why don’t you Reel Around The Fountain you Wonderful Woman? - Bootleg News – Originally posted on 28th April 1995

Hey, why don’t you Reel Around The Fountain you Wonderful Woman?

Bootleg News – Originally posted on 28^th April 1995

Back in 1995 when the World Wide Web was in its infancy and I was supposed to be completing my dissertation for my Business degree at the University of Bolton, I had instead found myself helplessly and hopelessly absorbed in the numerous online forums dedicated to The Smiths and Morrissey that had already sprung up!  If the whole system hadn’t crashed not long after I posted the bootleg reviews below, I’m certain I would have failed my final year!  That would have been a right pain!  But luckily I managed to scrape by so happy days!

The Graduation that nearly never was! Naughty online forums distracting me!

I actually lost both of the CDs (together with some others, sob!) in a house move a few years later down the line, but thanks to the internet having improved considerably during that time I was able to replace them with relative ease!  Phew!

So then, here are my thoughts from many moons ago!

 Reel Around The Fountain Front

REEL AROUND THE FOUNTAIN

The Cover Star is none other than TERENCE STAMP, and the photo used is a shot from the film “Billy Budd”, no less.  The photo is blue in colour, and the lettering is black with a red outline.  Very nice indeed!

The Catalogue Number is CFC 018, and the CD is released by Chelsea Records.  The tracklisting is as follows:

1)    How Soon is Now?

(Unreleased John Peel Session, Radio One, Broadcast 9^th August 1984).

2)    What Do You See in Him?

(Early version of “Wonderful Woman”, Live from Manchester Hacienda 4^th February 1983).

3)    Reel Around the Fountain

4)    Miserable Lie

5)    The Hand that Rocks the Cradle

(Abandoned Troy Tate Mixes, 1983, radically different from others available).

6)    You’ve Got Everything Now

7)    Handsome Devil

8)    Accept Yourself

9)    What Difference Does it Make?

10)  Reel Around the Fountain

11)  Wonderful Woman

12)  These Things Take Time

13)  I Don’t Owe You Anything

14)  Hand in Glove

(Mixing Desk cut of Concert from Birmingham Fighting Cocks, 3^rd June 1983 – First Gig outside Manchester or London).

15)  I Don’t Owe You Anything

16)  Jeane

(Sandie Shaw and The Smiths (minus Morrissey) in session, Radio One 14^th April 1984)

Approximately 67 Minutes Playing Time.

Reel Around The Fountain Rear

This is an extremely good choice of material, and the quality is excellent.  The Birmingham concert was especially amusing, as Morrissey’s Northern accent was a lot more apparent than it is nowadays!  He was also very talkative, and produced such gems as “Four Very Sad Words” (These Things Take Time), and “It’s at Number 70, so next week, HIGHER!” (Hand in Glove).  The lyrics to Wonderful Woman are VERY clear, unlike the studio version, and there’s a nice falsetto in the middle of Accept Yourself!!

The Sandie Shaw Radio Session is absolutely gorgeous, and sounds so clear and different.  Jeane in particular is very lovely, although sadly Morrissey doesn’t provide any backing vocals!  All in all, REEL AROUND THE FOUNTAIN is a very good buy, and I’d highly recommend it!  Okay then, next is…

Wonderful Woman Front

WONDERFUL WOMAN

This time, the Cover Star is the wondrous DIANA DORS (NOT the same shot as for “Singles”!).  I’m not sure what film (if any) the shot comes from, but I think it’s the same as was used for a backdrop during the “Your Arsenal” Tours.  The photo is a burgundy colour, and the lettering is blue and yellow respectively.  Gorgeous!!

The Catalogue Number is CFC 019, and the CD is once again released by Chelsea Records.  The tracklisting is:

1)    What’s The World?

(Live from Glasgow Barrowlands, 25^th September 1985.  This track is exclusive to the UK Cassette Single release of “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish”).

2)    Half a Person

3)    Sweet and Tender Hooligan

4)    Is it Really So Strange?

5)    London

(The final John Peel Session, Radio One, Broadcast 17^th December 1986).

6)    What Difference Does it Make?

7)    Accept Yourself

8)    Wonderful Woman

(Abandoned Troy Tate Mixes 1983, again vastly different from others available – especially “What Difference…”).

9)    Reel Around the Fountain

10)  What Difference Does it Make?

11)  Wonderful Woman

12)  These Things Take Time

13)  I Don’t Owe You Anything

14)  Hand in Glove

15)  Miserable Lie

16)  Accept Yourself

17)  Hand in Glove (Encore)

(Concert from the Rockgarden, London 7^th July 1983).

18)  You’ve Got Everything Now

(Unreleased Cut from Radio Broadcast at Amsterdam De Meervaart Hall, 21^st April 1984).

Approximately 64 Minutes Playing Time.

Wonderful Woman Rear

This is also a bloody good collaboration of rare material, and again the quality is faultless.  The Troy Tate version of What Difference Does it Make? is probably the best thing on the entire album, as it is TOTALLY different not only from the other Tate recordings doing the rounds, but also from the 12”/Album version that eventually surfaced.  An absolute must!  The guitars at the end are amazing, as they have the effect of a sitar!  Brilliant stuff!

The London concert is really great, and Morrissey is still very animated and chatty.  After What Difference…, there is trouble with the sound and Mozzer keeps saying that nobody can hear him!  He asks the audience whether Andy Rourke’s bass should be turned down or not, and there is a rapid debate before the next song is played!  The encore is also quite funny, as Morrissey says to the crowd “Too bad, You’re Gonna have “Hand in Glove” again!”!

Obviously, What’s the World is INCREDIBLY difficult to get hold of, so this is another reason for trying to get hold of this album.  Oh, and the Peel Session is a corker!...

Original Bootleg News Post from 1995, Part 1

Original Bootleg News Post from 1995, Part 2

Original Bootleg News Post from 1995, Part 3.  Ruddy state of it!