The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (single)

Cover art

Reissue cover art

Reissue cover art (Digital)

MORRISSEY Single
Name	The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
Release	11 February 1989 8 April 2013 (Reissue)
Total Length	3:40
Writer/composer	Morrissey/Street
Producer	Stephen Street
Art work	Photo of Morrissey, "aged seven, up a tree in a park in Chorlton-on-Medlock" - Peepholism. Photo with Rick Astley backstage at BBC's "Top Of The Pops" in 1989 (Reissue)
Vinyl Etching	ESCAPE FROM VALIUM (A-side) RETURN TO VALIUM (B-side)
Publisher	HMV Records (UK) Sire Records (US) Parlophone Records (Reissue)
Format(s)	7" Vinyl, 12" Vinyl, CD
Chart position	UK #6
Single chronology
Everyday Is Like Sunday ← The Last Of The Famous International Playboys → Interesting Drug
Single reissue chronology
Suedehead (Mael Mix) ← The Last Of The Famous International Playboys → Satellite Of Love (live)

Track list

7" Vinyl

UK - [HMV POP1620]

1. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys – 3:40 (Morrissey/Street)
2. Lucky Lisp – 2:51 (Morrissey/Street)

12" Vinyl

UK - [HMV 12POP1620]
US - [Sire/Reprise 9 21163-0]

1. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys – 3:40
2. Lucky Lisp – 2:51
3. Michael's Bones – 3:10 (Morrissey/Street)

CD

UK - [HMV CDPOP1620]

1. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys – 3:40
2. Lucky Lisp – 2:51
3. Michael's Bones – 3:10

7" Vinyl Picture Disc (Reissue)

1. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys – 3:40 (Morrissey/Street)
2. People Are The Same Everywhere – 2:50 (Morrissey/Tobias)

CD (Reissue)

1. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys – 3:40
2. Action Is My Middle Name – 2:45 (Morrissey/Boorer)

Digital Download (Reissue)

1. The Last Of The Famous International Playboys – 3:40
2. The Kid's A Looker – 3:09 (Morrissey/Boorer)

Lyrics

Dear hero imprisoned,
With all the new crimes that you are perfecting
Oh I can't help quoting you
Because everything that you said rings true

And now in my cell
(Well, I followed you)
And here's a list of who I slew
Reggie Kray - do you know my name?
Don't say you don't
Please say you do

I am:
The last of the famous
International playboys
The last of the famous
International playboys

And now in my cell
(Well, I loved you)
And every man with a job to do
Ronnie Kray - do you know my face?
Don't say you don't
Please say you do

I am:
The last of the famous
International playboys
The last of the famous
International playboys

In our lifetime those who kill
The newsworld hands them stardom
And these are the ways
On which I was raised
These are the ways
On which I was, which I was raised

I never wanted to kill
I'M NOT NATURALLY EVIL
Such things I do
Just to make myself
More attractive to you
HAVE I FAILED?

The last of the famous
International playboys

Sleeve Artwork

• 

  Cover art. (1989)

• 

  Reissue cover art. (2013)

Music Video

Credits

• Directed by Tim Broad

Live History

Play count (Morrissey concert): 128

Morrissey live history:

• Wolverhampton, England 1988-12-22 (Morrissey concert)
• Dublin, Ireland 1991-04-27 (Morrissey concert)
• Paris, France 1991-04-29 (Morrissey concert)
• Deinze, Belgium 1991-04-30 (Morrissey concert)
• Utrecht, Holland 1991-05-01 (Morrissey concert)
• Cologne, Germany 1991-05-04 (Morrissey concert)
• Berlin, Germany 1991-05-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Hamburg, Germany 1991-05-06 (Morrissey concert)
• Copenhagen, Denmark 1991-05-07 (Morrissey concert)
• Aberdeen, Scotland 1991-05-14 (Morrissey concert)

... further results

Appears On

• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (single)
• Hulmerist
• Bona Drag
• Live In Dallas
• Your Arsenal
• World Of Morrissey
• Suedehead: The Best Of Morrissey
• The CD Singles '88–91'
• ¡Oye Esteban!
• ¡The Best Of! Morrissey
• That's How People Grow Up (single)
• Greatest Hits
• The HMV/Parlophone Singles '88–'95
• Very Best Of Morrissey
• This Is Morrissey

Appears On Covers Compilation

• The World Still Won't Listen (A Tribute To The Smiths)

Cover Versions

• J Church
• Leeway

Mentioned In

• Additional Morrissey news - release information (January 31, 2013)
• Press release: The Last Of The Famous International Playboys: Special Edition single; Kill Uncle: Album remastered - release information (February 5, 2013)
• Artwork for The Last Of The Famous International Playboys and Kill Uncle - release information (March 5, 2013)
• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys and Kill Uncle: Remastered single and album can now be pre-ordered - release information (March 27, 2013)
• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys and Kill Uncle: Remastered single and album released today in the UK - release information (April 8, 2013)

Discogs Information

Credits

• Bass Guitar - Andy Rourke
• Drums - Mike Joyce
• Engineer [Assistant] - Steve Williams (6)
• Guitar - Craig Gannon
• Guitar - Neil Taylor
• Keyboards - Stephen Street
• Producer - Stephen Street
• Sleeve - Caryn Gough
• Sleeve - Jo Slee
• Sleeve - Morrissey
• Voice - Morrissey
• Written-By - Morrissey
• Written-By - Stephen Street

Notes

Released in printed cardboard & paper jackets. Paper jacket has small circular sticker in upper right corner of jacket(see pictures), "VICTOR COMPANY OF JAPAN, LIMITED". No record of Japanese pressing, so possibly a UK pressing exported to Japan for sale. All other jacket printing & record matrix/runout identical to UK pressing. ℗ © 1989 EMI Records Ltd.

Images

• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys - Discogs master release: https://www.discogs.com/master/4752
• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (7" 45 RPM Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/409748-Morrissey-The-Last-Of-The-Famous-International-Playboys

Discogs information (additional release)

Images

• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (12" Promo) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/678420-Morrissey-The-Last-Of-The-Famous-International-Playboys

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Track 1 remastered by Bill Inglot at Digiprep. Track 2 recorded 10th June, 2011 for the Janice Long Show on Radio 2 and broadcast 15th June, 2011. Mastered at the Lodge.

Recording First Published in 1989

Comes in cardboard sleeve.

Images

• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (Single) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/4458702-Morrissey-The-Last-Of-The-Famous-International-Playboys

Discogs information (additional release)

Notes

Track 1 remastered. ℗ 2010 Track 2 recorded 10th June, 2011 for the Janice Long Show on Radio 2 and broadcast 15th June, 2011. Released by arrangement with BBC Music. ℗ 2011

Made in the EU. ℗ 2013 © 2013

Picture disc vinyl issued in 18,50 cm x 18,50 cm transparent PVC bag with sticker.

Images

• The Last Of The Famous International Playboys (7" 45 RPM Single Picture Disc Remastered) - Discogs release: https://www.discogs.com/release/4458308-Morrissey-The-Last-Of-The-Famous-International-Playboys

Wikipedia Information

"The Last of the Famous International Playboys" is a song by British solo artist Morrissey. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's third release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by the East End gangster brothers the Kray Twins, whom he believed to be an example of the media glamourizing violent criminals. Street took influence from the Fall for the song's music, with the intro also resembling that of "The Man Who Sold the World" by David Bowie. The single was the first Morrissey solo single to feature his former Smiths bandmates Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce, and Craig Gannon. "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" was recorded and released following Morrissey's debut album, Viva Hate. Upon release, the single became yet another commercial hit for Morrissey, reaching number six in the UK in spite of initially mixed reviews. The song would later appear on the 1990 compilation album, Bona Drag. In the years since its release, "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" has become one of Morrissey's most remembered songs and remains critically acclaimed by modern writers.

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Last_of_the_Famous_International_Playboys

Related Forum Threads

• Morrissey A-Z: "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" - Morrissey-solo (May 19, 2021)