As previously reported, over the last week The Smiths have been torturing fans by teasing a reissue of their seminal album The Queen Is Dead. Today they made good on their word and revealed the details for three expanded sets.
All three editions -- 2CD set, 3CD/1DVD box, and 5LP set -- arrive October 20th and feature eight previously unreleased versions, including the first ever demo of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (Take 1).
Full details on all three sets are posted below.
Morrissey: "You cannot continue to record and simply hope that your audience will approve, or that average critics will approve, or that radio will approve...you progress only when you wonder if an abnormally scientific genius would approve – and this is the leap The Smiths took with The Queen Is Dead."
Johnny Marr: "The Queen Is Dead was epic to make and epic to live."
2CD set
Two CD set includes the original album material newly remastered (2017), plus a disc of demos, b-sides, and alternate versions. Of the 13 songs found on Disc 2, the following 8 songs are previously unreleased:
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (Take 1) -- first EVER demo
"The Queen Is Dead" (FULL version)
"Frankly Mr. Shankly" (demo)
"I Know It's Over" (demo)
"Never Had No One Ever" (demo)
"Cemetry Gates" (demo)
"Bigmouth Strikes Again" (demo)
"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" (demo)
3CD/1DVD boxset
The boxset comes housed in a lift off lid box with a 12 page booklet. CD1 & CD 2 are identical to the 2CD set, and adds a third live audio disc, plus DVD with enhanced audio and the previously released film The Queen Is Dead.
Disc 1: newly mastered 2017 edition of original material
Disc 2: demos, b-sides, alternate versions
Disc 3: Live In Boston -- full show recorded August 5th, 1986 at the Great Woods Center For The Performing Arts in Boston
DVD: The Queen Is Dead - A Film By Derek Jarman, along with the 2017 master of album in 96kHz / 24-bit PCM stereo. The box set is housed in a lift off lid box with a 12 page booklet
5LP vinyl boxset
The 5LP set includes everything from CD1, CD2 & CD3, and comes housed in a lift off box with 2 double gatefolds and 1 single.
All three editions are available to pre-order through Amazon: 2CD, 3CD/1DVD, 5LP
View the tracklisting below:
The Smiths -- The Queen Is Dead 2017
Disc 1
01. The Queen Is Dead (2017 master)
02. Frankly, Mr. Shankly (2017 master)
03. I Know It's Over (2017 master)
04. Never Had No One Ever (2017 master)
05. Cemetry Gates (2017 master)
06. Bigmouth Strikes Again (2017 master)
07. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (2017 master)
08. Vicar In A Tutu (2017 master)
09. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (2017 master)
10. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (2017 master)
Disc 2
01. The Queen Is Dead (full version, previously unreleased)
02. Frankly, Mr. Shankly (demo, prev unreleased)
03. I Know It's Over (demo, prev unreleased)
04. Never Had No One Ever (demo, prev unreleased)
05. Cemetry Gates (demo, prev unreleased)
06. Bigmouth Strikes Again (demo, previously unreleased)
07. Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others (demo, previously unreleased)
08. The Boy With The Thorn In His Side (demo mix)
09. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out (Take 1, previously unreleased)
10. Rubber Ring (single b-side, 2017 master)
11. Asleep (single b-side, 2017 master)
12. Money Changes Everything (single b-side,2017 master)
13. Unloveable (single b-side, 2017 master)
Disc 3
Live In Boston (tracklist for this disc has NOT been released. This is the setlist from the show and it is possible some songs may be omitted)
How Soon Is Now?
Hand In Glove
I Want The One I Can't Have
Still Ill
Frankly, Mr. Shankly
Panic
Never Had No One Ever
Stretch Out And Wait
The Boy With The Thorn In His Side
Cemetry Gates
What She Said (with Rubber Ring intro and outro)
Is It Really So Strange?
There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore
The Queen Is Dead
Money Changes Everything
I Know It's Over
Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now
Bigmouth Strikes Again
DVD
-2017 master of album in 96kHz / 24-bit PCM stereo
-The Queen Is Dead - A Film By Derek Jarman
Published July 20th, 2017