Best I
Encyclopedia
Best...I is a compilation album
by The Smiths
. It was released in August, 1992 by the new owner of their back catalogue, WEA
(Sire Records
in the United States
). Its highest British
chart position was #1; it reached #139 on the U.S. charts.
) had acquired the entire Smiths back catalogue in early 1992. Along with the re-release of all original albums and compilations, they immediately set to work compiling a 'best of' collection in two volumes. It was the first time a regular best of compilation had ever been made of The Smiths' material and the album effortlessly reached the top of the British charts. The British press
had doubts about sell-out and low track selection coherence.
The material is more or less picked and sequenced at random, and consists of both singles
and album cuts. It was followed later the same year by its sibling, ...Best II
. The first spin-off single, a re-release of "This Charming Man", reached #8 in the singles chart, the highest position a Smiths single had ever reached. A second single promoting Best...I, an edited re-release of "How Soon Is Now?", got to #16 (the uncut version is featured on the compilation).
an release of the record featured the left half of a 1960s biker
couple photograph
by Dennis Hopper
on its sleeve, with ...Best II completing the picture; the U.S. sleeve was designed by singer
Morrissey
and features Richard Davalos
, co-star of East of Eden.
and Johnny Marr
.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
by The Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
. It was released in August, 1992 by the new owner of their back catalogue, WEA
Warner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
(Sire Records
Sire Records
Sire Records is an American record label, owned by Warner Music Group and distributed through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:The label was founded in 1966 as Sire Productions by Seymour Stein and Richard Gottehrer, each investing ten thousand dollars into the new company. Its early releases as a...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
). Its highest British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
chart position was #1; it reached #139 on the U.S. charts.
About the album
WEA (now the Warner Music GroupWarner Music Group
Warner Music Group is the third largest business group and family of record labels in the recording industry, making it one of the big four record companies...
) had acquired the entire Smiths back catalogue in early 1992. Along with the re-release of all original albums and compilations, they immediately set to work compiling a 'best of' collection in two volumes. It was the first time a regular best of compilation had ever been made of The Smiths' material and the album effortlessly reached the top of the British charts. The British press
Music journalism
Music journalism is criticism and reportage about music. It began in the eighteenth century as comment on what is now thought of as 'classical music'. This aspect of music journalism, today often referred to as music criticism , comprises the study, discussion, evaluation, and interpretation of...
had doubts about sell-out and low track selection coherence.
The material is more or less picked and sequenced at random, and consists of both singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and album cuts. It was followed later the same year by its sibling, ...Best II
Best II
...Best II is a compilation album by The Smiths. It was released in November, 1992 by the new owner of their back catalogue, WEA . Its highest British chart position was #29; it did not chart in the U.S....
. The first spin-off single, a re-release of "This Charming Man", reached #8 in the singles chart, the highest position a Smiths single had ever reached. A second single promoting Best...I, an edited re-release of "How Soon Is Now?", got to #16 (the uncut version is featured on the compilation).
Cover
The UK and EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an release of the record featured the left half of a 1960s biker
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
couple photograph
Photograph
A photograph is an image created by light falling on a light-sensitive surface, usually photographic film or an electronic imager such as a CCD or a CMOS chip. Most photographs are created using a camera, which uses a lens to focus the scene's visible wavelengths of light into a reproduction of...
by Dennis Hopper
Dennis Hopper
Dennis Lee Hopper was an American actor, filmmaker and artist. As a young man, Hopper became interested in acting and eventually became a student of the Actors' Studio. He made his first television appearance in 1954 and appeared in two films featuring James Dean, Rebel Without a Cause and Giant...
on its sleeve, with ...Best II completing the picture; the U.S. sleeve was designed by singer
Singing
Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
Morrissey
Morrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and features Richard Davalos
Richard Davalos
Richard Davalos is an American actor.Davalos was born in New York City, New York, of Finnish and Spanish descent. Davalos starred in East of Eden as James Dean's brother and portrayed the convict Blind Dick in Cool Hand Luke...
, co-star of East of Eden.
Track listing
All tracks written by MorrisseyMorrissey
Steven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
and Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
.
- "This Charming ManThis Charming Man"This Charming Man" is a song by the English band The Smiths, written by guitarist Johnny Marr and singer/lyricist Morrissey. It was released as the group's second single in October 1983 on the independent record label Rough Trade...
" (Single A-side) – 2:43 - "William, It Was Really NothingWilliam, It Was Really Nothing"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by British band The Smiths. It was released as a single on 24 August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" and "How Soon Is Now?", and reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart...
" (Single A-side) – 2:09 - "What Difference Does It Make?What Difference Does It Make?"What Difference Does It Make?" is a 1984 single by British band The Smiths. The single version can be found on the band's self-titled debut album The Smiths...
" (album version) (Single A-side) – 3:51 - "Stop Me If You Think You've Heard This One BeforeStop Me If You Think You've Heard This One Before-Smiths original:The Smiths' song, written by the usual combination of Morrissey and Johnny Marr, came out on the group's 1987 album Strangeways, Here We Come....
" (Single A-side) – 3:34 - "Girlfriend in a ComaGirlfriend in a Coma (song)-Covers:* Mojo Nixon's cover of "Girlfriend in a Coma" on his 1995 album Whereabouts Unknown is in his usual psychobilly style. After the bridge, Mojo asks that the listener not blame him for the lyrics, launching into one of his trademark "rants" in which he finally declares that "I, Mojo Nixon,...
" (Single A-side) – 2:02 - "Half a Person" (B-side of Shoplifters of the World UniteShoplifters of the World Unite"Shoplifters of the World Unite" is a song by The Smiths. It was released as a single in January 1987, reaching #12 in the UK Singles Chart. As was often the case with Smiths singles, it did not appear on an original studio album...
) – 3:36 - "Rubber Ring" (B-side of The boy with the thorn in his sideThe Boy With the Thorn In His SideThe Boy with the Thorn in His Side is a 2005 book written by Pete Wentz the bassist and lyricist of the Illinois pop punk band, Fall Out Boy...
) – 3:48 - "How Soon Is Now?How Soon Is Now?"How Soon Is Now?" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths. Written by Smiths singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, it was originally a B-side of the 1984 single "William, It Was Really Nothing"...
" (full version) (Single A-side) – 6:46 - "Hand in GloveHand in Glove"Hand in Glove" is a song by the British alternative rock band The Smiths, written by singer Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr. It was released as the band's first single in May 1983 on independent record label Rough Trade Records. "Hand in Glove" peaked at number three on the UK Indie Chart,...
" (album version) (Single A-side) – 3:25 - "Shoplifters of the World UniteShoplifters of the World Unite"Shoplifters of the World Unite" is a song by The Smiths. It was released as a single in January 1987, reaching #12 in the UK Singles Chart. As was often the case with Smiths singles, it did not appear on an original studio album...
" (Single A-side) – 2:58 - "Sheila Take a BowSheila Take a Bow"Sheila Take a Bow" is a song by The Smiths. It was released as a single in April 1987, reaching #10 in the UK Singles Chart, their highest chart placing in their career....
" (Single A-side) – 2:42 - "Some Girls Are Bigger Than OthersSome Girls Are Bigger Than Others"Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" is a song by The Smiths, recorded in autumn 1985 and first released on their 1986 album The Queen Is Dead. It was also released as a single in Germany.-Composition and recording:...
" (From The Queen is DeadThe Queen Is DeadThe Queen Is Dead is the third studio album by the English alternative rock band The Smiths. It was released on 16 June 1986 in the United Kingdom by Rough Trade Records and released in the United States on 23 June 1986 through Sire Records. The album reached #2 on the UK Albums Chart, maintaining...
) – 3:18 - "Panic" (Single A-side) – 2:20
- "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I WantPlease, Please, Please Let Me Get What I WantThe Dream Academy covered "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want" in 1984. This version peaked at #83 in the UK Singles Chart. The instrumental version of the song is the better known cover version, since it was used in the film Ferris Bueller's Day Off along with an other Dream Academy...
" (B-side of William, It Was Really NothingWilliam, It Was Really Nothing"William, It Was Really Nothing" is a song by British band The Smiths. It was released as a single on 24 August 1984, featuring the B-sides "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" and "How Soon Is Now?", and reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart...
) – 1:54
The band
- MorrisseyMorrisseySteven Patrick Morrissey , known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career,...
– voice - Johnny MarrJohnny MarrJohnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
, mandolinMandolinA mandolin is a musical instrument in the lute family . It descends from the mandore, a soprano member of the lute family. The mandolin soundboard comes in many shapes—but generally round or teardrop-shaped, sometimes with scrolls or other projections. A mandolin may have f-holes, or a single...
s on "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want" - Andy RourkeAndy RourkeAndy Rourke is a bass guitarist best known for being a former member of The Smiths.-Career:...
– bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Mike Joyce – drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Craig GannonCraig GannonCraig Gannon , is an English guitar player. Previously best known for being the second guitarist in The Smiths, he is now a composer for film and television.-Career:...
– rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together...
on "Half a Person" and "Panic"
Additional musicians
- John PorterJohn Porter (musician)John Porter is an English musician and record producer.-Biography:He attended St Michael's School, Allerton Grange School, King's College, and Newcastle University....
– slide guitarSlide guitarSlide guitar or bottleneck guitar is a particular method or technique for playing the guitar. The term slide refers to the motion of the slide against the strings, while bottleneck refers to the original material of choice for such slides: the necks of glass bottles...
on "Sheila Take a Bow" - Stephen StreetStephen StreetStephen Street is an English music producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, as well as Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s. Street also collaborated with Morrissey on some of his most popular work after The Smiths broke up, playing instruments and co-writing songs...
– synthesizedSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
stringString instrumentA string instrument is a musical instrument that produces sound by means of vibrating strings. In the Hornbostel-Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification, used in organology, they are called chordophones...
arrangements on "Girlfriend in a Coma".
Technical staff
- John Porter – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
(A1-A3, B1, B6-B7) - Johnny Marr, Morrissey and Street – producers (A4-A6, B4)
- Morissey and Marr – producers (A7, B5)
- The Smiths – producers (B2)
- Johnny Marr – producer (B3)