As part of the promotion for this fall’s expanded reissue of The Smiths’ landmark third album The Queen is Dead, previously unreleased live versions of each track on the record will be released each Monday for the next 10 weeks — starting today with the title track.
The live tracks are being released to streaming services such as Spotify — not to mention YouTube, too — and can be purchased via Amazon and iTunes. They are not, however, versions that will appear on the 3CD/1DVD reissue, which includes a live album recorded in Boston. The new “The Queen is Dead” live release was recorded at Irvine Meadows Amphitheatre in Irvine, Calif., on Aug. 28, 1986.
The Queen is Dead reissue is due out Oct. 20 (head over here to see the full tracklist).
Below, hear the new live version of “The Queen is Dead.”
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- The Smiths’ ‘The Queen is Dead’ 3CD/1DVD reissue to include unreleased 1986 live album
- Listen: The Smiths debut unreleased ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ (Take 1)
- The Smiths’ ‘The Queen is Dead’ expected to receive expanded 2CD/1DVD reissue this fall
- Watch: Jack Lowden is Morrissey in first trailer for upcoming ‘England is Mine’ biopic
- The absolute best of The Smiths: All 70 songs ranked by Slicing Up Eyeballs’ readers
The last thing this gorgeous that broke my heart this massively was wearing a hippie skirt.
This track has made its way to bootlegs before, and Moz saying “Life is long when you’re a bouncer” is significant. The bouncers were beating up on people on the floor. “I Know It’s Over” was also on that bootleg, and Morissey stops singing in the middle of it to say “Jesus Christ” and yell at the bouncers. I’m guessing we won’t see that track legally.