Just when you think that all the possible live tapes of The Smiths had been unearthed and shared this long lost gem appears.
The band recorded a full set of songs on a cassette recorder with a single mike as a reference for Tory Tate before the ill fated sessions for the bands debut LP.
The quality of the recording is not the best but considering both its age and production values (or rather lack off) its still a great listen.
As the tape was recorded live there are not the multiple guitar parts that surface on the official studio recordings.
The version of Accept Yourself is slower longer with different phrasing and is a really interesting find. Real Around the Fountain is once again slower than the official released versions with Morrissey's vocal full of ache and longing. You also get a "Fifteen minutes with you, I could just never say no..." which switches the emphasis from unrequited lust to something else completely.
Musically These Things Take Time opens which a barrage of frantic drumming far removed from any of the official releases and Morrissey sings in the first verse:
"Slipped into blinding fire and wrestled with serpent sand, oh I am saved, oh I am saved, you took my hand"
There is a cool blog post about it here at Slicing Up Eyeballs:
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2013/03/19/smiths-rehearsal-tape-may-1983/
The owner of tape explained "....In May 1983 (exact date unknown), while preparing to record their debut album, The band ran through & recorded a selection of songs at a rehearsal in band manager Joe Moss’ jeans warehouse (Crazy Face). The cassette tape was recorded for Troy Tate in order to give him something to work with before going into the studio. It’s pretty rough, but considering it was recorded on cassette with a stereo Mic pointing into the room, the quality isn’t too bad. Morrissey’s vocals are a bit distorted – maybe singing too close to the mic or maybe the cassette Mic was too close to the PA but everything else is surprisingly clear. There is some tape flutter at various points. I was lent the master cassette by a source close to the band who made the recording, let’s call him Pablo Cuckoo, in 1997 with a view of trying to put it out as a semi-official release. As it was recorded before the band had signed to Rough Trade, technically he had the rights to the recording. But a combination of poor sound quality & threats from Warner Bros. meant that the idea was shelved..."
Track Listing:
1. “You’ve Got Everything Now”
2. “Accept Yourself”
3. “What Difference Does It Make”
4. “Reel Around The Fountain”
5. “These Things Take Time”
6. “I Don’t Owe You Anything”
7. “Hand In Glove”
8. “Handsome Devil”
9. “Miserable Lie”
