Strangeways, Here We Come
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''Strangeways, Here We Come'' is the fourth and final studio album by the English
rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
band
the Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
. It was released on 28 September 1987, by
Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
, a few months after the band had broken up. All of the songs were composed by
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
, with lyrics written and sung by
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...
. The record marked a stylistic shift for the band, incorporating a broader range of instrumentation and a more experimental sound than their previous releases. It achieved commercial success and has since been regarded by all four band members as their finest work. Following the critical acclaim of their 1986 album '' The Queen Is Dead'', the Smiths experienced increasing public attention and media presence. Despite internal tensions and the departure of temporary rhythm guitarist
Craig Gannon Craig Gannon (born 30 July 1966) is an English guitarist, best known as the second guitarist in the Smiths (1986). He is now a composer for film and television. Career Born in Manchester, Gannon had played in bands with friends since he was 12 ...
, the band returned to the studio in early 1987 to fulfill their final contractual obligation to Rough Trade. During the recording sessions at the Wool Hall recording studio in
Bath, Somerset Bath (Received Pronunciation, RP: , ) is a city in Somerset, England, known for and named after its Roman Baths (Bath), Roman-built baths. At the 2021 census, the population was 94,092. Bath is in the valley of the River Avon, Bristol, River A ...
, relations within the band remained relatively stable. However, Johnny Marr left the band shortly after the sessions were completed, effectively breaking up the band before the album's release. The album reached number two on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
, staying on the chart for 17 weeks. It was also an international success, peaking at number 16 on the
European Albums Chart The European Top 100 Albums chart was the European adaptation of the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. It ran from March 1984 until December 2010. Also commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums, the chart showcased the sales of an act in 19 E ...
from sales covering 18 major European countries, staying on that chart for nine weeks. It rose to number 55 on the US ''Billboard'' 200. The album was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) on 1 October 1987 and also by the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on 19 September 1990.


Background

Following the release of '' The Queen Is Dead'' on 16 June 1986, the Smiths experienced a significant rise in public impact, peer recognition, and media attention. According to ''
NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming and culture website, bimonthly magazine, and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a "Rock music, rock inkie", the ''NME'' would be ...
'' journalist Danny Kelly, a legal dispute with
Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
delayed the album's release, and
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
described the touring and media attention as exhausting. Although ''The Queen Is Dead'' is often considered the band's strongest by critics, neither
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...
nor Marr viewed it as their definitive album. Bassist
Andy Rourke Andrew Michael Rourke (17 January 1964 – 19 May 2023) was an English musician best known as the bassist of the 1980s indie rock band the Smiths. Regarded as one of the greatest bassists of his generation, he was known for his melodic and funk- ...
was briefly dismissed from the band in early 1986 amid struggles with heroin addiction, but was soon reinstated. Guitarist
Craig Gannon Craig Gannon (born 30 July 1966) is an English guitarist, best known as the second guitarist in the Smiths (1986). He is now a composer for film and television. Career Born in Manchester, Gannon had played in bands with friends since he was 12 ...
had joined temporarily as a
rhythm guitar In music performances, rhythm guitar is a guitar technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse (music), pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., d ...
ist, expanding the band to a five-piece. In the months after ''The Queen Is Dead'', the Smiths returned to the UK singles chart with two Top 20 hits, "
Panic Panic is a sudden sensation of fear, which is so strong as to dominate or prevent reason and logical thinking, replacing it with overwhelming feelings of anxiety, uncertainty and frantic agitation consistent with a fight-or-flight reaction. ...
" and " Ask". Their accompanying tour provoked intense scenes of fan hysteria, particularly in North America and England. During this period, " I Know It's Over" emerged as a centerpiece of their live performances, often serving as the final song before the encore, as heard on the live album ''
Rank A rank is a position in a hierarchy. It can be formally recognized—for example, cardinal, chief executive officer, general, professor—or unofficial. People Formal ranks * Academic rank * Corporate title * Diplomatic rank * Hierarchy ...
''. Gannon left the band by the end of 1986, and the Smiths played their final concert at a benefit event at
Brixton Academy Brixton Academy (originally known as the Astoria Variety Cinema, previously known as Carling Academy Brixton, currently named O2 Academy Brixton as part of a sponsorship deal with the O2 brand) is a mid-sized concert venue located in South Lon ...
on 12 December. In early 1987, the band had grown frustrated with the " jingly-jangly" label that had followed them throughout their career. That autumn, they announced their departure from Rough Trade and signed with
EMI EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
, at which point, according to biographer Simon Goddard, "their position among the big league on the global pop stage seemed more feasible than ever". The deal required them to deliver one final album to Rough Trade before transitioning to EMI.


Recording and production

The Smiths recorded what was to be their final studio album at the Wool Hall studios in
Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...
, Somerset, England, in March 1987. The sessions began with some friction; on the first night, Marr, after drinking, confronted producer
Stephen Street Stephen Brian Street (born 29 March 1960 in Hackney, London) is an English record producer best known for his work with the Smiths, the Cranberries and Blur. Street collaborated with Morrissey on his debut album '' Viva Hate'' following the ...
with grievances about the band's perceived sonic expectations. Marr approached the sessions with a deliberate intention to reduce the use of overdubs and to avoid filling all available sonic space. He described entering the studio with a "new confidence" and a desire to explore different textures and arrangements. Between the album's recording in March and its release in September 1987, Marr left the Smiths, leading to disbandment. Despite underlying tensions, the recording sessions were notably cohesive. Although the band would dissolve before the album's release, internal relations during the sessions were relatively stable, with the principal source of stress stemming from their situation with Rough Trade. Recording at the Wool Hall provided a more relaxed atmosphere, with a fully stocked
wine cellar A wine cellar is a storage room for wine in bottles or barrels, or more rarely in carboys, amphorae, or plastic containers. In an ''active'' wine cellar, important factors such as temperature and humidity are maintained by a climate control s ...
often emptied after long sessions by the band and Street. While Morrissey typically retired early, Street recalled that overdubs would continue late into the night, often followed by partying. The sessions were marked by a shift in musical approach and ongoing communication about the band's evolving sound. Ed Power wrote in ''
The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' that "everyone else was more than willing to join arrin this new love affair. Parties at Wool House became a nightly event. With Morrissey tucked up in bed with his favourite
Sylvia Plath Sylvia Plath (; October 27, 1932 – February 11, 1963) was an American poet and author. She is credited with advancing the genre of confessional poetry and is best known for '' The Colossus and Other Poems'' (1960), '' Ariel'' (1965), a ...
anthology, the musicians would cover their favourite Spinal Tap songs into the wee hours". Two final songs—"I Keep Mine Hidden" and "Work Is a Four-Letter Word"—were recorded in May 1987 as
B-sides The A-side and B-side are the two sides of vinyl records and cassettes, and the terms have often been printed on the labels of two-sided music recordings. The A-side of a single usually features a recording that its artist, producer, or ...
for the album's lead single, " Girlfriend in a Coma", and marked the Smiths' last recordings together. Three further singles were released from ''Strangeways, Here We Come'', with their B-sides drawn from earlier sessions or archival material. Morrissey and Marr have stated that the album is the band's best, with Morrissey adding, "we say it quite often. At the same time. In our sleep. But in different beds". Drummer Mike Joyce also named the album as the band's best. Shortly after the album's completion, Marr left the band, effectively ending the Smiths before they recorded any material for EMI.


Musical style

Music critics have categorised ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' as a
pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...
recording. The album features a more experimental and sonically varied approach compared to the band's previous albums. During its production, Marr felt the band was ready to enter a new musical phase, and was determined to avoid a formula and move away from their previous "jingly jangly indie" sound. He started to look for different influences, finding an interest in
the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...
' self-titled 1968 album. Marr further stated that he intended ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' as an homage to early records by
the Walker Brothers The Walker Brothers were an American pop group formed in Los Angeles in 1964 by John Walker (musician), John Walker (real name John Maus) and Scott Walker (singer), Scott Walker (real name Noel Scott Engel), with Gary Walker (musician), Gary Wal ...
. The band's instrumentation branched out as well, including synthesised saxophone,
string String or strings may refer to: *String (structure), a long flexible structure made from threads twisted together, which is used to tie, bind, or hang other objects Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Strings'' (1991 film), a Canadian anim ...
arrangements on keyboards, and
drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
additions. ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' is the only Smiths album to feature Morrissey playing a piano, featured on the song "Death of a Disco Dancer". The aforementioned track's lyrics reflect a sense of
fatalism Fatalism is a belief and philosophical doctrine which considers the entire universe as a deterministic system and stresses the subjugation of all events, actions, and behaviors to fate or destiny, which is commonly associated with the cons ...
and disillusionment, with Morrissey expressing skepticism about ideals such as peace and love. " I Started Something I Couldn't Finish" is propelled by Marr's serrated,
glam rock Glam rock is a style of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom in the early 1970s and was primarily defined by the flamboyant clothing, makeup, and hairstyles of its musicians, particularly platform shoes and glitter. Glam artists d ...
-inspired
riff A riff is a short, repeated motif or figure in the melody or accompaniment of a musical composition. Riffs are most often found in rock music, punk, heavy metal music, Latin, funk, and jazz, although classical music is also sometimes based ...
s, while on the rousing " Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before", he added to his sonic arsenal by dropping a metal-handled knife onto his
Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele (), is an electric guitar produced by Fender (company), Fender. Together with its sister model the Fender Esquire, Esquire, it was the world's first mass-produced, commercially successfulLes ...
for a distinctive percussive effect. The album's more accessible tracks also display unconventional elements, such as the aforementioned "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" which includes a distinctive percussive effect created by dropping a knife on a guitar, adding tension to a narrative of regret and intoxication. Marr referred to " Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" as something that went "beyond
rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock-n-roll, and rock 'n' roll) is a Genre (music), genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It Origins of rock and roll, originated from African ...
, beyond pop, it's also beyond everything else The Smiths ever recorded". The atmosphere of the song is described by Marr as having a "perceptible darkness ..a tremor of foreboding, of imminent danger, of bad times just around the corner", suggesting themes of melancholy and apprehension.
Douglas Wolk Douglas Wolk (born 1970) is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including ''The New York Times'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Nation'', ''The New Republi ...
observed that Morrissey had begun to lean into "deliberate self-parody", describing "Death at One's Elbow" as "a camped-up burlesque of ' That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore. He singled out the
autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of t ...
on "I Won't Share You" as "thrilling", even as he noted that the orchestral flourishes elsewhere sometimes felt excessive.


Artwork and packaging

The album takes its title from Manchester's Strangeways Prison (now called HM Prison Manchester), whilst the line "
Borstal A borstal is a type of youth detention centre. Such a detention centre is more commonly known as a borstal school in India, where they remain in use today. Until the late 20th century, borstals were present in the United Kingdom, several mem ...
, here we come" is taken from the novel ''
Billy Liar ''Billy Liar'' is a 1959 novel by Keith Waterhouse that was later adapted into a play, a Billy Liar (film), film, a Billy (musical), musical and a Billy Liar (TV series), TV series. The work has inspired and been featured in a number of popul ...
''. "Strangeways, of course, is that hideous Victorian monstrosity of a prison operating 88 to a cell", Morrissey has said. Marr has said "I've learned to love the title ... it was a bit overstating things somewhat. A little bit obvious. But it's OK. I was always intrigued by the word ''strangeways''. I remember as a kid, when I first heard that the prison was really called that, I wondered had it not occurred to anybody to change the name? It's still befuddling, really". Morrissey has also stated, "Really it's me throwing both arms to the skies and yelling 'Whatever next? The sleeve for ''Strangeways, Here We Come'', which was designed by Morrissey, features a murky shot of actor
Richard Davalos Richard Davalos (November 5, 1930 – March 8, 2016) was an American stage, film, and television actor. Early life Davalos was born in The Bronx, New York City of Spanish and Finnish descent. At age six, he acted in a school performance of ' ...
, best known for appearing in the 1955 film '' East of Eden''. In the photo, Davalos is looking at his costar in that film,
James Dean James Byron Dean (February 8, 1931September 30, 1955) was an American actor. He became one of the most influential figures in Hollywood in the 1950s, despite a career that lasted only five years. His impact on cinema and popular culture was p ...
, who is cropped from the image. Dean was a hero of Morrissey's, about whom the singer wrote a book called ''James Dean Is Not Dead''. Five years later, when designing the sleeves for the U.S. release of
WEA The Wea were a Miami–Illinois-speaking Native American tribe originally located in western Indiana. Historically, they were described as being either closely related to the Miami tribe or a sub-tribe of Miami. Today, the descendants of th ...
's '' Best... I'' compilation, Morrissey again chose Davalos as a cover star, and Davalos is looking at Dean, who is once again cropped. As revealed in Jo Slee's collection of the Smiths and Morrissey sleeve artwork, ''Peepholism'', Davalos was not the original choice for cover star. Morrissey wanted to use a still of
Harvey Keitel Harvey Keitel ( ; born May 13, 1939) is an American actor and film producer, known for his portrayal of morally ambiguous and "tough guy" characters. He rose to prominence during the New Hollywood movement, and has held a long-running associatio ...
in
Martin Scorsese Martin Charles Scorsese ( , ; born November17, 1942) is an American filmmaker. One of the major figures of the New Hollywood era, he has received List of awards and nominations received by Martin Scorsese, many accolades, including an Academ ...
's 1967 film ''
Who's That Knocking at My Door ''Who's That Knocking at My Door'', originally titled ''I Call First'', is a 1967 American independent drama film written and directed by Martin Scorsese which stars Harvey Keitel and Zina Bethune. It was Scorsese's feature film directorial de ...
'', but Keitel declined to allow him to use the image. In 1991, Keitel relented, and the image was used on T-shirts and stage backdrops for Morrissey's 1991 Kill Uncle Tour.


Release

''Strangeways, Here We Come'' was released on 28 September 1987 via
Rough Trade Records Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis, who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and ...
in LP, cassette and CD formats. The album was supported by three singles: "Girlfriend in a Coma", released on 10 August 1987; "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", on 2 November; and "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me", issued on 7 December. "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before" was originally intended for single release in November 1987. However, following the Hungerford massacre—where 16 people were killed—the
BBC The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is a British public service broadcaster headquartered at Broadcasting House in London, England. Originally established in 1922 as the British Broadcasting Company, it evolved into its current sta ...
declined to play the track due to concerns over the lyric planning "a mass murder". As a result, the song was not released as a single in the United Kingdom but was issued in other territories, including the United States, Australia, and Germany. Upon release, the album achieved commercial success. In the United Kingdom, it peaked at number two on the
UK Albums Chart The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and remained there for 17 weeks.David Roberts ''British Hit Singles and Albums'', Guinness World Records Limited Internationally, it reached number 16 on the
European Albums Chart The European Top 100 Albums chart was the European adaptation of the ''Billboard'' 200 albums chart. It ran from March 1984 until December 2010. Also commonly referred to as Eurochart Top 100 Albums, the chart showcased the sales of an act in 19 E ...
—compiled from sales across 18 major European markets—and stayed on that chart for nine weeks. In the United States, the album reached number 55 on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was certified gold by the
British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) on 1 October 1987, and later received a gold certification from the
Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the music recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors that the RIAA says "create, manufacture, and/o ...
(RIAA) on 19 September 1990.


Critical reception

Reviewing the album for
AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
,
Stephen Thomas Erlewine Stephen Thomas Erlewine (; born June 18, 1973) is an American music critic and former senior editor for the online music database AllMusic. He is the author of multiple artist biographies and record reviews for AllMusic, as well as a freelance ...
gave the album a score of four stars out of five and said it was "a subtly shaded and skilled album, one boasting a fuller production than before ... while it doesn't match '' The Queen Is Dead'' or ''
The Smiths The Smiths were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (musician), Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed the band's songwrit ...
'', it is far from embarrassing and offers a summation of the group's considerable strengths".
Douglas Wolk Douglas Wolk (born 1970) is a Portland, Oregon-based author and critic. He has written about comics and popular music for publications including ''The New York Times'', ''Rolling Stone'', ''The Washington Post'', ''The Nation'', ''The New Republi ...
, writing for ''Pitchfork'', gave it an 8.3 out of 10, and reflected on ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' as the Smiths' album about "desperately trying not to repeat themselves", noting that it was tempting to hear it as a premonition of their breakup, even more so than the band's previous albums.
Robert Christgau Robert Thomas Christgau ( ; born April 18, 1942) is an American music journalist and essayist. Among the most influential music critics, he began his career in the late 1960s as one of the earliest professional rock critics and later became a ...
of ''
The Village Voice ''The Village Voice'' is an American news and culture publication based in Greenwich Village, New York City, known for being the country's first Alternative newspaper, alternative newsweekly. Founded in 1955 by Dan Wolf (publisher), Dan Wolf, ...
'' gave the album a grade of B and noted that, after warming up to "the supple smarts of their sound", he approached the album expecting "even tastier goodies", only to be struck by its grim tone. He observed that "in three of these songs somebody's dead or dying, in three more somebody contemplates murder", and the rest are marked by "a selfish pet of the sort that led to the aforementioned threats". The album ranked number 3 among "Albums of the Year" for 1987 in the annual ''NME'' critics' poll, and "Girlfriend in a Coma" ranked number 11 among songs. In 2000 it was voted number 601 in
Colin Larkin Colin Larkin (born 1949) is a British music writer. He founded and was the editor-in-chief of ''The Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. Along with the ten-volume encyclopedia, Larkin also wrote the book ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'', and edited th ...
's ''
All Time Top 1000 Albums ''All Time Top 1000 Albums'' is a book by Colin Larkin, creator and editor of the ''Encyclopedia of Popular Music''. The book was first published by Guinness Publishing in 1994. The list presented is the result of over 200,000 votes cast by the ...
''. ''
Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine was first known fo ...
'' said the record "stands as one of their best and most varied". ''
Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New Yor ...
'' listed the album at number 69 on its list of "Best Albums of the 1980s", writing that "Whether or not ''Strangeways, Here We Come'' ended the Smiths' brief career with their best album has been the subject of considerable debate for nearly a quarter century, but it definitively stands as the band's most lush, richest work".


Track listing

All lyrics are written by
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...
; all music is composed by
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
.


Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes. The Smiths *
Morrissey Steven Patrick Morrissey ( ; born 22 May 1959), known :wikt:mononym, mononymously as Morrissey, is an English singer and songwriter. He came to prominence as the frontman and lyricist of rock band the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 198 ...
– vocals, piano ("Death of a Disco Dancer"), handclaps ("Paint a Vulgar Picture") *
Johnny Marr John Martin Marr (Birth name#Maiden and married names, né Maher; born 31 October 1963) is a musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths, who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has sinc ...
– guitar, piano, keyboards, harmonica,
marimba The marimba ( ) is a musical instrument in the percussion family that consists of wooden bars that are struck by mallets. Below each bar is a resonator pipe that amplifies particular harmonics of its sound. Compared to the xylophone, the mari ...
("A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours"),
harmonium The pump organ or reed organ is a type of organ that uses free reeds to generate sound, with air passing over vibrating thin metal strips mounted in a frame. Types include the pressure-based harmonium, the suction reed organ (which employs a va ...
("Unhappy Birthday"),
autoharp An autoharp or chord zither is a string instrument belonging to the zither family. It uses a series of bars individually configured to mute all strings other than those needed for the intended chord. The term ''autoharp'' was once a trademark of t ...
("I Won't Share You"), synthesised string and saxophone arrangements, additional vocals ("Death at One's Elbow"), handclaps ("Paint a Vulgar Picture") *
Andy Rourke Andrew Michael Rourke (17 January 1964 – 19 May 2023) was an English musician best known as the bassist of the 1980s indie rock band the Smiths. Regarded as one of the greatest bassists of his generation, he was known for his melodic and funk- ...
– bass guitar, keyboards ("A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours"), handclaps ("Paint a Vulgar Picture") * Mike Joyce – drums, percussion, handclaps ("Paint a Vulgar Picture") Additional musicians *
Stephen Street Stephen Brian Street (born 29 March 1960 in Hackney, London) is an English record producer best known for his work with the Smiths, the Cranberries and Blur. Street collaborated with Morrissey on his debut album '' Viva Hate'' following the ...
– additional
drum machine A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
programming ("I Started Something I Couldn't Finish", "Paint a Vulgar Picture", "Death at One's Elbow"), sound effects ("Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me", "Death at One's Elbow") Technical * Johnny Marr – co-producer * Morrissey – co-producer * Stephen Street – co-producer, string arrangement ("Girlfriend in a Coma") * Steve Williams – assistant engineer * Tim Young – mastering * Steve Wright – photography


Charts


Certifications


References


Sources

* * * * * *


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Strangeways, Here We Come The Smiths albums 1987 albums Rough Trade Records albums Albums produced by Stephen Street Sire Records albums