12” pressing of the title track from what is arguably The Smiths’ best album, released 31 years to the day before this release. “The Queen Is Dead” appears here for the first time on a single, and is a rare edit which omits the sing-along intro (a sample of “Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty” from 1962 film The L-Shaped Room). We don’t have much info on the extent to which Morrissey & Marr were involved in this, but it contains all the trappings of a typical Smiths release. Melodramatic portrait nicked from a film still on the front (in this case, Margherita Caruso portraying the Virgin Mary in 1964’s Il Vangelo Secondo Matteo), poly inner sleeve, cut nice and loud at 45rpm in classic Smiths 12” style. Even the font on the center label looks an awful lot like the original Rough Trade joints. The b-side contains The Smiths’ only three instrumental tracks ever recorded (did Morrissey hate them too much to write lyrics for them?), all of which have appeared as b-sides on original Smiths singles but never before on the same record, until now. Also available as a  7” picture disc with “I Keep Mine Hidden” on the b-side. Both are extremely limited (we don’t have numbers, so don’t ask) and essential for any Smiths completist. Which, if you’re reading this, is probably you.

• indie exclusive pressing
• first time on 45rpm 12" vinyl
• deluxe vinyl pressing
• limited edition
• music label: Warner Bros. Records 2017

reviewed by Salford Lad 07/2017