Morrissey A-Z: "Lucky Lisp"

BookishBoy

Well-Known Member



We leave behind the L's with this Morrissey/Street composition, originally a B-side of "The Last of the Famous International Playboys" and also included on the Bona Drag compilation album (as well as others, subsequently).

What do we think of this one?
 
Amazed at his voice, per usual when I pay attention to the quality of it.
 
Pretty much everything I find joyful about pop music is contained within this song. Yet another absolutely stellar Morrissey/Street collaboration.
 
A sweet, featherlight pop song with very Morrissey-esque lyrics, that is very hard to dislike.
 
great song from M,has a very 90s feel to it.i remember the joy of hearing these songs for the first time.VIVAMOZZ on a rainy thursday morning.
9 talents/10 apparents.
 
While it’s one of the weaker Bona Drag tracks, the extremely high standards of this comp still make this song an excellent, light song. Love the use of the stuttering electronics to add intrigue and continue what “Last of the Famous...” started with it’s use of keyboards. I also prefer the verses and pre-chorus to the actual hook: especially the delightful phrasing on “they couldn’t get over your nine-leaf clover”. The lyrics are breezy, but, in this context, they fit right in. Shows the overwhelming quality of Drag that even its lesser tracks are still great.
8/10
 
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A pun on the Cliff Richard song, Lucky Lips. Out of the 30 or so Morrissey/Street songs, this is down in my bottom 5. Still pretty good by most people's B-side standards but I much prefer Michael's Bones.
 
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Really like this lightweight number; great vocals again from Moz. I love the strong punctuation of the drums (courtesy of MJ).
If we ignore Street & Taylor's involvement for a moment, this is almost a Smiths reunion on this one with the musicians being Craig Gannon (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass), Mike Joyce (drums).
Luvvly jubbly.
 
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I honestly don't want to keep repeating myself, but Morrissey set the standard very high for his own solo work in the 80s and 90s. Such twisted little pop songs are always connected to the time in which they were written. It's 100% British. The wordplay, the symbolism, the teasing, only occurs as folklore (Ruth, Jacky) in the last 3-4 records, not out of pure conviction. In 1989, he was still finding himself as a solo artist and had a feeling for the special. Today almost everything sounds bitter, accusatory and the lightness is completely missing musically. "Lucky Lisp" is a great song. A song that only an artist like Morrissey could use as a B-side and which, in terms of attention, was certainly given as much time as the irresistible A-side. That's probably the song's only fate. The A-side is simply even better! The circulating, alternative version is also interesting, on which Morrissey doesn't show any nerve and intones perfectly.
 
I agree with the comments calling this lightweight yet enjoyable. It's not Morrissey at his lyrical best, but it's another strong production form Stephen Street and benefits from the fine lead vocal.

In the poll on the Hoffman board it ranked 140th from 264 solo songs.
 
I think it's a classic and has some of Morrissey's most camp lyrics. It's fun but the music is very well crafted.
8-9/10
 
I seem to remember there was some amusing debate over just what Morrissey was getting at when he said: "When your gift unfurls... I will roar from the stalls" i.e. the stall was a toilet cubicle. In this context "I will gurgle from the circle" is particularly amusing/disturbing! It certainly cast the song in a whole new light for me.
 
Circle, stalls & balcony just give me an audience POV watching a 'talent show'.
Not sure how that ended up in the khazi :)
FWD.
 
I honestly don't want to keep repeating myself, but Morrissey set the standard very high for his own solo work in the 80s and 90s. Such twisted little pop songs are always connected to the time in which they were written. It's 100% British. The wordplay, the symbolism, the teasing, only occurs as folklore (Ruth, Jacky) in the last 3-4 records, not out of pure conviction. In 1989, he was still finding himself as a solo artist and had a feeling for the special. Today almost everything sounds bitter, accusatory and the lightness is completely missing musically. "Lucky Lisp" is a great song. A song that only an artist like Morrissey could use as a B-side and which, in terms of attention, was certainly given as much time as the irresistible A-side. That's probably the song's only fate. The A-side is simply even better! The circulating, alternative version is also interesting, on which Morrissey doesn't show any nerve and intones perfectly.
Where can I find the alternate version?? Think I haven´t heard it before...... I think rumours were that initial tesppressings had an alternate mix of Lucky Lips, but don´t know if this is true.
 
Where can I find the alternate version?? Think I haven´t heard it before...... I think rumours were that initial tesppressings had an alternate mix of Lucky Lips, but don´t know if this is true.
It has never surfaced despite some saying 'I have a copy'. It has never been shared here and never was discussed or noted at the time of release. Some say promo versions, some say regular versions have it.
Nobody once has been forthcoming. I own many copies of the vinyl and it has never passed my beady eye.

This was on Ebay once:

"Morrissey "Last of the Famous International Playboys" 7" UK light blue label test pressing with alternative version of "Lucky Lisp" very rare UK test pressing with an alternative version of "Lucky lisp " sounds like a demo version has a slower tempo and more pronounced guitars and has the keyboards very low down in the mix very different to the version on the standard stock single.

B side matrix POP 1620 B-1U-1-1 the released stock version matrix is POP 1620 B-2U-1-1,the A side Matrix is POP 1620 A-1U-1-1 same a the stock single

No dead wax etchings only exchange on A side and INL on b side,date stamped on B side label 22 DEC 1989,also has writing on B side label PM POP 1620A/B-1U."


I've never seen that matrix # ever. I'm of the mind it's close to a myth. Not one person has ever shared it and I find it hard to believe that its escaped notice for this long, but never say never with these things.
Regards,
FWD.
 
It has never surfaced despite some saying 'I have a copy'. It has never been shared here and never was discussed or noted at the time of release. Some say promo versions, some say regular versions have it.
Nobody once has been forthcoming. I own many copies of the vinyl and it has never passed my beady eye.

This was on Ebay once:

"Morrissey "Last of the Famous International Playboys" 7" UK light blue label test pressing with alternative version of "Lucky Lisp" very rare UK test pressing with an alternative version of "Lucky lisp " sounds like a demo version has a slower tempo and more pronounced guitars and has the keyboards very low down in the mix very different to the version on the standard stock single.

B side matrix POP 1620 B-1U-1-1 the released stock version matrix is POP 1620 B-2U-1-1,the A side Matrix is POP 1620 A-1U-1-1 same a the stock single

No dead wax etchings only exchange on A side and INL on b side,date stamped on B side label 22 DEC 1989,also has writing on B side label PM POP 1620A/B-1U."


I've never seen that matrix # ever. I'm of the mind it's close to a myth. Not one person has ever shared it and I find it hard to believe that its escaped notice for this long, but never say never with these things.
Regards,
FWD.
Thanks Famous when dead, that´s what I recall, too. I own this testpressing with the matrix POP 1620 B-1U-1-1 (no didn´t buy the one advertised on Ebay, got it somewhere else) and I really can´t hear any difference to the released version. So maybe only a myth.
 
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