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)
Length	3:40
Recorded
Writer/composer	Morrissey/Street
Producer	Stephen Street
Art work	Morrissey
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:

• Aberdeen, Scotland 1991-05-14 (Morrissey concert)
• Atlanta, Georgia 2007-07-20 (Morrissey concert)
• Atlanta, Georgia 2007-11-05 (Morrissey concert)
• Atlantic City, New Jersey 2007-07-24 (Morrissey concert)
• Auckland, New Zealand 1991-09-08 (Morrissey concert)
• Austin, Texas 2007-05-26 (Morrissey concert)
• Bakersfield, California 2007-06-10 (Morrissey concert)
• Baltimore, Maryland 1991-07-08 (Morrissey concert)
• Baltimore, Maryland 2007-10-31 (Morrissey concert)
• Berkeley, California 1991-06-08 (Morrissey concert)

... further results

Appears On

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

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" was the third single released by Morrissey. It reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was not featured on one of Morrissey's main studio albums but can be found on the compilation album Bona Drag along with the B-side "Lucky Lisp". The artwork for the single features Morrissey, aged 7, up a tree in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester—literally a boy at play. "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" is notable for featuring three of Morrissey's former colleagues in The Smiths—Andy Rourke, Mike Joyce and one-time Smiths rhythm guitarist Craig Gannon—all of whom also appear on the B-side, "Lucky Lisp". The song mythologizes the notorious pair of vicious London gangsters known as the Kray twins (Ronnie and Reggie Kray), who held a tight rein on the East End of London during the 1960s.

• 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)