Manchester Music Memories - auction includes original Smiths shirt and 1983 Morrissey letter

A ticket for the legendary gig I left too early is among treasure trove of Manchester music memorabilia - Manchester Evening News
An astonishing collection of Manchester music memorabilia goes on sale this week - and one ticket reminds Neal Keeling of the night he walked out on Joy Division

Excerpt:

There is also a handwritten letter from Morrissey to Liz - who designed T-shirts and artwork for The Smiths - detailing the travails of fame.

Morrissey, wrote the note in 1983, as the band began their rise and began: "Naturally I contract some unnamed fatal illness seconds after we hit the road. I don't time my diseases very well do I."

He adds, sarcastically, "I can't thank you enough for sending me the begging letters, they are getting WORSE. One began 'Dear Morrissey please write me a song about losing someone you love'. "

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UPDATE Nov. 28:
Winning bid: £650

An original Smiths T-shirt - a similar one sold recently for just under £2,000. (Image: Omega Auctions)

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A letter from Morrissey about the trials of life on the road with The Smiths. (Image: Omega Auctions)

UPDATE Nov. 28:

Winning bid: £1,700
 
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He should have gone for "influenza" in the letter. But funny that he lined it out, and went for the less extreme, "illness." That is what is at the heart of Morrissey's sense of humor. The life and death stakes. Never just sick, but on his death bed... Basically, what makes his lyrics with The Smiths so remarkable, and hilarious. And then, with a fling, he tosses it away.

"Girlfriend in a coma, I know, I know, it's serious..."
 
'He adds, sarcastically, "I can't thank you enough for sending me the begging letters, they are getting WORSE. One began 'Dear Morrissey please write me a song about losing someone you love'. " :lbf:

83 ? this might be around the time he wrote the lyrics to 'I know very well how I got my name'.

To be fair, practically all Smiths songs are variations of that theme...
Did he put the lyrics in a drawer for five years? :guitar:
 
To be fair, practically all Smiths songs are variations of that theme...
Did he put the lyrics in a drawer for five years? :guitar:

yeah, some in the drawer, some in a boot, 5 year, six years, ten years old !. He's still writing variations on that theme, what's wrong with that?



After seeing this, inspired he wrote .. 'When thirteen years old
Who dyed his hair gold' Unfortunately when trying to dye his hair gold it turned green instead ! Or was it purple ?
 
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This shirt is so rare, I thought I'd never see another one , but in the U.K , I think you can find anything related to smiths or Morrissey. Sometimes I wished I lived in U.K, for that reason....but not very often.
 
A Bowie masterpiece.
I don’t get Bowie. Like a handful of the songs but the lyrics are appalling. The tunes are good so he mostly carries it off but was a clever charlatan. Liked young girls too. He also inspired a lot of duffers to pen even more rubbish lyrics. Black Star was diabolical.
 
Happy times! (contrary to popular opinion). Great to get an update on Liz. Just to jog her memory, I can testify she also made white T-shirts with the daffodil logo. They were advertised briefly in the NME for £4 when Liz was living in Portland Street. Mine was addressed to "The Very Handsome" ... and yes, I still have it intact! (the T-shirt, that is).
 
I don’t get Bowie. Like a handful of the songs but the lyrics are appalling. The tunes are good so he mostly carries it off but was a clever charlatan. Liked young girls too. He also inspired a lot of duffers to pen even more rubbish lyrics. Black Star was diabolical.

Some people don’t get Bowie,that’s alright. Maybe next time around.

:)
 
I wonder if Susan Jacobs is the high bidder of the letter?
 
I don’t get Bowie. Like a handful of the songs but the lyrics are appalling. The tunes are good so he mostly carries it off but was a clever charlatan. Liked young girls too. He also inspired a lot of duffers to pen even more rubbish lyrics. Black Star was diabolical.

Hi butley. Each to their own - I know a fair few people who never got the Bowie thing either, or got sick of hearing about him. Suffice to say, though, that I think you couldn't possibly be more wrong and I hope you recant later in life :lbf:
 

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