Smiths Rarities Surface Online
A new compilation of unreleased Smiths demos and instrumentals has surfaced online and in some record shops. The original vinyl bootleg, The Smiths – Unreleased Demos & Instrumentals, has been ripped to high quality mp3s and can be found in a forum thread on a Morrissey fan site.
Though the demo recordings mostly sound nearly identical to the finished versions, there are some interesting differences. The original arrangement for “Ask” is more jangly in tone; Morrissey’s phrasing is subtly different at the end of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out.”
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More exciting for hardcore fans? The unfinished instrumentals, which showcase guitarist Johnny Marr in his prime. Both tracks, which sound complete (lack of vocals aside), hint at what could have become a fifth Smiths album if the group had not imploded in 1987.
“The Smiths—Unreleased Demos & Instrumentals” — new bootleg released [Morrissey-solo]