MORRISSEY - First Amongst Equals (2023)

THE FIRST EVER SOLO MORRISSEY SHOW Several months before the Smiths dissolved, Morrissey enlisted Stephen Street as his personal producer and new song-writing partner, with whom he could begin his solo career. By September 1987, he had begun work on his first solo album, Viva Hate, recorded with musicians Vini Reilly and Andrew Paresi. Morrissey's first solo performance took place at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall in December 1988. The event attracted huge crowds, with NME observing that "the excitement and atmosphere inside the hall was like nothing we have ever experienced at any public event". Backing Morrissey were ex-Smiths Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, as well as the one-time Smith, Craig Gannon, filling in as lead guitarist. The set-list featured a mix of Morrissey songs with Smiths tracks from 1987, so none of it had been performed in front of a live audience before. Admission was free to anyone wearing a Smiths or Morrissey t-shirt. Recorded for live radio broadcast but not previously released on CD, this short but dynamic show is now available here for the first time. Including too, Morrissey s final interview while still a member of The Smiths, the final track includes the full conversation the man had with journalist and presenter Muriel Gray in November 1987.