The Smiths
Electric Stars
Electric Ballroom, London
19th December 1983

Source: ??? > Vinyl > ??? > CD-R > EAC WAVs > FLAC

Confirmed as non-MP3 derived, by Tau Analyzer 1.2.

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Release Notes
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This bootleg, which I received as a CDR some time in the past, is suprisingly
good quality, particularly since it's pretty early. It seems that at some
point it's been converted from vinly to CD as there's some vinyl crackle at
the beginning of track one.

The highlight for me is an early version of Barbarism Begins at Home.

01. Intro
02. Hand in Glove
03. Still Ill
04. Barbarism Begins At Home
05. This Night Has Opened My Eyes
06. Pretty Girls Make Graves
07. You've Got Everything Now
08. This Charming Man
09. Back To The Old House
10. Reel Around The Fountain
11. Handsome Devil
12. Accept Yourself

DavidA
http://www.smithstorrents.co.uk

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Notes from PassionsJustLikeMine.com
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19 December 1983
Electric Ballroom, London

Hand In Glove
Still Ill
Barbarism Begins At Home
This Night Has Opened My Eyes
Pretty Girls Make Graves
You've Got Everything Now
What Difference Does It Make?
Miserable Lie
This Charming Man
Back To The Old House
Reel Around The Fountain
Handsome Devil
/Accept Yourself
/This Charming Man

This concert was one of the Smiths' biggest gigs to date. The highlight
setlist-wise was the live introduction of "Barbarism Begins At Home". The song
would not be released before another 14 months! It is not impossible that
"Back To The Old House" was also being introduced at this show. If not, at
this point in time it is still the oldest performance of the song in
circulation.

As the band hit the stage Morrissey greeted his audience "Hello chums!" and
then they launched into "Hand In Glove". The song was performed for the first
time as an opener. In 1984 when the Smiths would tour to promote their debut
album, that's where the song would be found in the setlist. After "Hand In
Glove" Morrissey asked "What? Speak to me! Talk me!". The first ever
performance of "Barbarism Begins At Home" was introduced with the words
"Here's one for the bootleg friends." It was quite different to the version
that was to be released more than a year later on "Meat Is Murder". The song
structure was significantly different and it included lyrics which would be
dropped before the song would be recorded, like "I've always been such a
decent lad" or "I am the man to keep you in place".

The new composition was cheered just as much as the other songs, prompting
Morrissey to ask "Are you sure? Are you sure?". Before "Pretty Girls Make
Graves", Morrissey commented "It's so nice to see all these innocent faces...
such innocent faces... 'Pretty Girls Make Graves'!". In "You've Got Everything
Now" Morrissey made a few more lyrical changes than before. He sang "You are
your mother's only son and you're a miserable one", "a friendship sadly
lost... it could be true and it could be false" and "No I've never had a job
because I'm too handsome."

Morrissey also changed a few words in "This Charming Man": "It's gruesome that
someone so ugly should care." "Back To The Old House" which was probably new,
or at least unfamiliar to almost everyone in the venue was introduced with the
line "And now something really demonic... for you." After "Handsome Devil"
Morrissey shouted "Goodbye! Thank you! Goodbye!" and that was the end of the
main set.

The band returned after a short break and started the encore with "Accept
Yourself". A few lines into the song Morrissey changed some words to "I am
sick and I am dull and I am thick". He was probably distracted when he sang
"how dearly I would love to kick with the fray" instead of "how dearly I'd
love to get carried away". He added a laughing "ah ah ah ah ah ah" line
between "tell me when will you" and "when will you accept your life". The
audience got a second performance of "This Charming Man" before leaving. If
and when the audience would be seeing the Smiths again, it would be after the
much awaited release of the debut album.

The Red Guitars provided support. The Redskins were originally on the bill,
but their slot was taken another band, probably Felt. Tickets were £3.00.

BOOTLEGS

This concert was first made available on 'official' bootleg LPs such as "Live
At The Electric Ballroom", "Electric Stars" or "Devil's Charm". None of these
have the complete concert. The former two lack "What Difference Does It Make?"
and "Miserable Lie" while the latter doesn't include "You've Got Everything
Now". The encore of "This Charming Man" is missing on all three of them.

"Live At The Electric Ballroom" is also available with this alternate cover.
The first pressing mentioned above was produced on black vinyl while this
alternate pressing was offered on multi-coloured, red or clear yellow vinyl.

The recording available on "Devil's Charm" is paired with a concert from 7
December 1983.

"Electric Stars"/"Live At The Electric Ballroom" was later 'officially'
released on cd with this artwork and bonus tracks "Wonderful Woman" and
"Miserable Lie" credited respectively as from 1983.3 and 1983.6. The Electric
Ballroom portion of this recording has since been often copied on fanmade
CD-Rs and can be bought or traded as such from live concert collectors. MPs
were also made from it, they are found in the usual trading networks.

It seems like am audience recording of the full concert might be available
from specialised bootleg traders.