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This Charming Man (single)
| THE SMITHS Single | |
|---|---|
| Name | This Charming Man |
| Release | 28 October 1983 3 August 1992 (UK CD1 reissue) |
| Total Length | 2:41 |
| Recorded | October, 1983 |
| Writer/composer | Morrissey/Marr |
| Producer | John Porter |
| Art work | Cover star: Jean Marais in "Orphée" (1950) |
| Vinyl Etching | SLAP ME ON THE PATIO (7" B-side) WILL NATURE MAKE A MAN OF ME YET (12" A-side) |
| Publisher | Rough Trade Records (UK) Sire Records (US) WEA |
| Format(s) | 7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD, Cassette |
| Chart position | UK #25 UK #8 (1992 reissue) |
| Single chronology | |
| Hand In Glove ← This Charming Man → What Difference Does It Make?
| |
| Single WEA reissue chronology | |
|
Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me ← This Charming Man → How Soon Is Now? (WEA reissue)
| |
Track list
7" Vinyl
UK - [Rough Trade RT 136]
- This Charming Man – 2:41 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Jeane – 3:02 (Morrissey/Marr)
12" Vinyl
UK - [Rough Trade RTT 136]
- This Charming Man (Manchester) – 2:42 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (London) – 2:45 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Accept Yourself – 3:55 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Wonderful Woman – 3:08 (Morrissey/Marr)
12" New York Mix Vinyl
UK - [Rough Trade RTT 136 NY]
Remixed by François Kevorkian
- This Charming Man (New York Vocal) – 5:33 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (New York Instrumental) – 4:19 (Morrissey/Marr)
CD Single 1
UK - [WEA YZ0001CD1]
- This Charming Man (Manchester) – 2:41 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (London) – 2:47 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Wonderful Woman – 3:08 (Morrissey/Marr)
- Accept Yourself – 3:55 (Morrissey/Marr)
CD Single 2
UK - [WEA YZ0001CD2]
- This Charming Man (Manchester) – 2:42 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (London) – 2:45 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (New York Vocal) – 5:33 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (New York Instrumental) – 4:19 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (Peel Session) – 2:42 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (Single Remix) – 2:44 (Morrissey/Marr)
- This Charming Man (Original Single Version) – 2:41 (Morrissey/Marr)
Lyrics
Punctured bicycle on a hillside desolate Will Nature make a man of me yet? When in this charming car This charming man
Why pamper life's complexity When the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?
I would go out tonight But I haven't got a stitch to wear This man said: "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"
A jumped-up pantry boy Who never knew his place He said - "Return the ring" He knows so much about these things He knows so much about these things
I would go out tonight But I haven't got a stitch to wear This man said: "It's gruesome that someone so handsome should care"
This charming man This charming man
A jumped-up pantry boy Who never knew his place He said - "Return the ring" He knows so much about these things He knows so much about these things He knows so much about these things
Sleeve Artwork
Cover art. (1983)
Reissue cover art. (1992)
Advertising Poster
Music Video
Credits
- Performed On Top Of The Pops, BBC, 24 November 1983
Live History
Play count (The Smiths concert): 94
The Smiths live history:
- Aberdeen, Scotland 1984-03-04 (The Smiths concert)
- Aberdeen, Scotland 1984-06-16 (The Smiths concert)
- Aberdeen, Scotland 1985-09-30 (The Smiths concert)
- Amsterdam, Netherlands 1984-04-21 (The Smiths concert)
- Barcelona, Spain 1985-05-16 (The Smiths concert)
- Belfast, Northern Ireland 1984-05-17 (The Smiths concert)
- Birmingham, England 1983-09-30 (The Smiths concert)
- Birmingham, England 1984-03-20 (The Smiths concert)
- Blackpool, England 1984-06-20 (The Smiths concert)
- Boston, Massachusetts 1985-06-14 (The Smiths concert)
The Smiths live history - played in concert twice:
- Derby, England 1983-12-06 (The Smiths concert)
- Hamburg, Germany 1984-05-04 (The Smiths concert)
- Leicester, England 1983-11-16 (The Smiths concert)
- London, England 1983-11-17 (The Smiths concert)
- London, England 1983-12-19 (The Smiths concert)
- Ormskirk, England 1983-11-18 (The Smiths concert)
Play count (Morrissey concert): 113
Morrissey live history:
- Albuquerque, New Mexico 2009-04-15 (Morrissey concert)
- Ann Arbor, Michigan 2009-03-31 (Morrissey concert)
- Antwerp, Belgium 2009-06-08 (Morrissey concert)
- Asunción, Paraguay 2015-12-06 (Morrissey concert)
- Austin, Texas 2009-04-12 (Morrissey concert)
- Belfast, Northern Ireland 2009-05-02 (Morrissey concert)
- Berlin, Germany 2009-06-12 (Morrissey concert)
- Berlin, Germany 2009-11-16 (Morrissey concert)
- Birmingham, England 2009-10-23 (Morrissey concert)
- Borås, Sweden 2009-06-18 (Morrissey concert)
Appears On
- Best...I
- Complete
- Hatful Of Hollow
- Singles
- Something Is Squeezing My Skull (single)
- The Complete Picture
- The Smiths (album)
- The Smiths Singles Box
- The Sound Of The Smiths
- The Very Best Of The Smiths
- This Charming Man (single)
Appears On Covers Compilation
- Rockabye Baby! (Lullaby Renditions Of The Smiths)
- Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before: A Tribute To The Smiths
- The String Quartet: Tribute To The Smiths
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star: Lullaby Versions of The Smiths & Morrissey
Cover Versions
- 10,000 Maniacs
- Blossoms
- David Glass
- Rick Astley
- Stars
- Steven Charles Boone
- The Killers
- The Vitamin String Quartet
- Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star
Related Items
- "This Charming Man" Wikipedia page - Wikipedia
- "This Charming Man" 1983 release info/scans - Vulgar Picture
Discogs Information
Credits
- Bass Guitar - Andy Rourke
- Drums - Mike Joyce
- Executive-Producer - Geoff Travis
- Guitar, Piano - Johnny Marr
- Lacquer Cut By - Tim Young
- Music By - Johnny Marr
- Other [Cover Star] - Jean Marais
- Sleeve - The Smiths
- Voice - Morrissey
- Words By - Steven Morrissey
- Written-By - Johnny Marr
- Written-By - Steven Morrissey
Notes
Labels: 1983 Glad Hips Music
Back cover: Cover Star: Jean Marais
Images
- This Charming Man - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/6882
- This Charming Man (7" Single 45 RPM Push-Out Centre) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/452928-The-Smiths-This-Charming-Man
Discogs information (additional release)
Notes
Remixed at Right Track Studios New York. 1983 Glad Hips Music. Distributed by The Cartel. Durations do not appear on release.
Typo on Kevorkian name on both labels ('Kervorkian' instead of 'Kevorkian')
This is very similar to This Charming Man (New York), however note the lack of "MVS" in the matrix information of this release. In addition, the Rough Trade logo on the labels is also different.
Images
- This Charming Man (New York) (12" 45 RPM) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/12784118-The-Smiths-This-Charming-Man-New-York
Discogs information (additional release)
Notes
[Sticker, all upper-case] The Smiths ‘This Charming Man’ CD1 - Limited Edition This double CD box contains part 1 of a 2 CD set YZ0001 CD1
[Inlay] This limited edition CD features the original single version of "This Charming Man" together with "Jeane" (the original 7" B side) and "Accept Yourself" & "Wonderful Woman" (the original 12" B sides) The [url=/release/381543]second CD[/url] (available separately) features every version of "This Charming Man".
[Case backside] Photograph © 1990 Visionlights ℗ 1983 Warner Music UK Ltd. © 1992 Warner Music UK Ltd. The copyright in this sound recording and artwork is owned by Warner Music Ltd. A Time Warner Company.
Notes: All producer/recording credits on the inlay refer (misleadingly) to [url=/release/381543]CD 2[/url] of the CD-set; on the CD itself they are correct.
CD comes in a Double-CD case. Instead of the 2nd CD the media tray holds a CD-shaped cardboard reading: "The Smiths The Second THIS CHARMING MAN CD-Single fits in this space. Containing every version of the song ever released (and one previously unreleased version) it is available FOR ONE WEEK ONLY. To Order your copy ask for YZ0001CD2"
Images
- This Charming Man (Single Limited Edition Numbered CD1) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/381533-The-Smiths-This-Charming-Man
Discogs information (additional release)
Notes
Tracks 3 and 4 remixed at Right Track Studios, New York. Track 5 taken from the BBC Radio One John Peel Show […] broadcast date 21.9.83 released by arragement with BBC Enterprises Ltd.
Photograph © 1990 Visionlights ℗ 1983 Warner Music UK Ltd. 5. ℗ 1990 BBC © 1992 Warner Music UK Ltd.
This special CD is available for one week only, and contains every version of "This Charming Man". [url=/release/381533]Another CD single[/url] is also available in limited quantities featuring all the original single A & B sides.
Images
- This Charming Man (Single CD2) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/381543-The-Smiths-This-Charming-Man
Discogs information (additional release)
Notes
Re-release of the 1983 hit
℗ 1983 Warner Music UK Ltd. © 1992 Warner Music UK Ltd.
Images
- This Charming Man (Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/942904-The-Smiths-This-Charming-Man
Wikipedia Information
 |
"This Charming Man" is a song by the English rock band the Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer Morrissey. Released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade, it is defined by Marr's jangle pop guitar riff and Morrissey's characteristically morose lyrics, which revolve around the recurrent Smiths themes of sexual ambiguity and lust.Although only moderately successful on first release—the single peaked at number 25 on the UK Singles Chart—"This Charming Man" has been widely praised in both the music and mainstream press. Re-issued in 1992, it reached number 8 on the UK Singles Chart (making it the Smiths' biggest UK hit by chart position). In 2004, BBC Radio 2 listeners voted it number 97 on the station's "Sold on Song Top 100" poll. Mojo magazine journalists placed the track at number 1 on their 2008 "50 Greatest UK Indie Records of All Time" feature. It was certified Platinum by the British Phonographic Industry in 2019.