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The Troy Tate outtakes The first studio sessions for the Smiths' debut album took place in the summer of 1983 with producer Troy Tate. Unsatisfied with his work, the Smiths hired producer John Porter to finish the job and this is what ended up being released. Different versions of the shelved Tate recordings are circulated on various bootlegs. These are usually referred to as the Troy Tate outtakes or sessions, or incorrectly as the Troy Tate demos (perhaps only a few songs in the TATE+ set below fit the definition of demo). The 'finished' master features the following songs in this order: "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle", "You've Got Everything Now", "These Things Take Time", "What Difference Does It Make?", "Reel Around The Fountain", "Hand In Glove", "Handsome Devil", "Wonderful Woman", "I Don't Owe You Anything", "Suffer Little Children", "Miserable Lie", "Accept Yourself", "Pretty Girls Make Grave", "Jeane". Biographer Simon Goddard speculates that this order corresponds to the planned album plus b-side "Jeane" but there is reason to believe that this may actually not be quite the case. Two versions of most songs Troy Tate worked on can be found on bootlegs, with the exception of a few titles for which there are either only one or three versions out there. The first set to have leaked contains the versions that sound the most like the final versions (let's call this set TATE1). They may actually be the final versions but it is difficult to say with certainty given the distortion introduced in the bootlegs by the transfer from tape to tape. Alternate versions that have leaked later sound better but they are definitely not more polished Troy Tate outtakes. These alternate versions include or exclude different vocals/instruments/studio effects or overdubs. They leaked in a set that we will call TATE2 which also includes two titles that part of the TATE1 set. The Troy Tate recordings of "Jeane" and "Pretty Girls Make Graves" were considered good enough to be officially released so most bootleggers added them to their compilations or replaced the unfinished versions they had with the finished ones, which adds to the confusion. For more information on the availability of the latter two songs on official sources, click on the title links above.
TATE1 set The first bootlegs featuring Troy Tate sessions appeared on the market in the early 1990s. They feature what appears to be final or near-final mixes. The pitch (speed) on these is often too slow and the sound quality, even in the best cases, leaves a lot to be desired. Later bootlegs were corrected for pitch but there is not much that can be done with sound quality. Song lengths given here correspond to the slow versions followed by the pitch-corrected ones.
- Reel Around The Fountain (version 1; 6:13/6:02) The final Troy Tate versions of "Accept Yourself" and "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" did not leak in this set. Slightly alternate versions are found in the TATE2 set. See below. A better sounding and definitive version of "Reel Around The Fountain" was leaked in 2010 on this untitled vinyl bootleg.
TATE2 set (first half) In the mid-1990s the following outtakes were released on the manufactured bootlegs "Reel Around The Fountain" and "Wonderful Woman". They have since been lifted from these and included on other fan-made compilations. They are sometimes referred to as alternate, alternative or remixed Troy Tate versions. They were originally assumed to be earlier/unfinished Troy Tate versions, but there seems to be a certain amount of evidence that they might actually be post Troy Tate: either John Porter's attempt at patching up the Tate recordings, or versions re-recorded under Porter's supervision. They do include elements that are not in the final Troy Tate versions but present in the Porter versions which were released on the debut album. This would also explain why they were labeled as 'remixed' when they first leaked. The set includes "Accept Yourself" and "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" which were not leaked in the first set. These sound a lot like their final Troy Tate versions although additional work was done to them. Also, "Accept Yourself" is faded out instead of ending after 4:30. This could also be the work of John Porter. The other four songs are significantly different to their counterparts in the first set.
- Accept Yourself (version 1; 4:03)
TATE2 set (rest) The complete set from which the above six were lifted has since leaked on the internet and found its way onto fanmade bootleg compilations. These are also sometimes referred to as alternate, alternative or remixed versions. The set circulated on the internet as 'remixed' is actually this one, with an inferior sound. So besides the above 6, this set also includes the following songs/versions, different to any one above (except for the two officially released ones of course).
- You've Got Everything Now (version 2; 4:29)
TATE+ set A different set, this one labeled "Rough Trade Demos", later leaked on the internet.The sound quality is not good enough for any difference that may exist between the TATE2 set and most of the songs in this set to be perceptible. However, the two songs listed below are clearly different. They sound like pre-mixed versions of the ones above. Whether or not Troy Tate had anything to do with these is unknown at this point, but because they are circulated as Troy Tate sessions, they are mentioned here.
- What Difference Does It Make? (version 3 aka demo; 3:56) In 2011 a collector leaked a set which mostly comprised material from the TATE2 set (in better sound than before), the above two demos (in much better sound!), one song from the TATE1 set, plus - Accept Yourself (alternate version 4:04)
In short, completists will have to look on the internet for the best sounding versions of most of the Troy Tate outtakes. Manufactured bootlegs either have slow versions of the TATE1 set, or 2nd or 3rd generation fan-'remastered' versions of all sets. At this point in time great lossless versions of all the above are available on torrent sites.
Differences between versions Differences between the various Troy Tate outtakes in circulation are given below. These descriptions are not exhaustive, only the most obvious differences are mentioned.
"Accept Yourself" Version in TATE2 set - 4:03 Version in TATE+ set - 4:04 These two versions feature clearly different guitars. The TATE2 version sounds like the final Troy Tate one with additional work done to it, and with a faded outro. The TATE+ version also includes piano and Morrissey shrieks following the line "time is against me now".
"Hand In Glove"
Version in TATE1 set - 3:20 corrected / 3:30 uncorrected These sound like different mixes of the same recording. Fortunately, the mixes are reasonably different. At 1:36 in the TATE1 version there is an echoey background vocal of "kiss my shades..." which is not found in the other version. There is also something that sounds like flute (actually harmonica with lots of reverb) in the outro of the TATE1 mix, but not in the TATE2 mix. There are many other minor differences, but these are the most obvious ones.
"Handsome Devil"
Version in TATE1 set - 2:50 corrected / 3:00 uncorrected The two versions sound like they stem from the same band take, with different vocals and mix. A very obvious difference is found at 1:45 when in the TATE1 version Morrissey stretches the 'you' in "yooooooou deserve it", while in the TATE2 mix he sings "you deserve it, deserve it, deserve it". At the very end of the song, after singing "Oh you handsome devil!", he shouts "aah!" in the TATE1 mix, and "ow!" in the TATE2 mix.
"The Hand That Rocks The Cradle" Only version, TATE2 set - 5:15 This song did not leak with the TATE1 set. The recording found in the TATE2 set sounds a lot like the final Troy Tate version.
"I Don't Owe You Anything"
Version in TATE1 set - 4:24 corrected / 4:37 uncorrected These two versions are very similar. They sound like they stem from the same band take, with different vocals and mix. The TATE1 mix has a one note bass intro before the drum kicks in, while the TATE2 mix, which also sounds slower or smoother, has a 2-note bass intro. At 3:05 the finger clicking is more prominent in the TATE1 version. At 3:50 when Morrissey sings "life is never kind", the inflexion is more on 'never' in the TATE1 version, and more on 'kind' in the TATE2 mix.
"Jeane"
Single version - 3:03 All the bootlegs of Troy Tate outtakes seem to feature the officially released version of this song, lifted from the "This Charming Man" single. However an obvious demo was found in a 'Rough Trade Demos' package circulated on the internet which mainly featured inferior sounding versions of the TATE2 set except for this song and "What Difference Does It Make". This "Jeane" demo is shorter, rougher and lacks backing vocals. Its outro doesn't have the accelerating drum and "ooh!" ending. Collectors may like to know that the version of "Jeane" in the final Troy Tate set, which has not yet leaked, sounds differently to the one which was released as a b-side.
"Miserable Lie"
Version in TATE1 set - 4:39 corrected / 4:52 uncorrected The music and vocals sound the same and the mixes are very similar. The TATE2 mix usually starts with a drumstick click. There is reverb at the end of the TATE1 version but the TATE2 version ends very abruptly.
"Pretty Girls Make Graves" Studio version - 3:35 Because the Troy Tate produced version of this song had already been officially released by the band at the time of the initial release of the Troy Tate sessions on bootlegs, it appears that the makers decided to include it with the rest. The presence of the song at the very end of the track listings of the earliest bootlegs adds more weight to this theory, but doesn't necessarily confirm it. Until someone finds any noticeable difference between the officially released version and the bootleg ones, this theory can safely be accepted.
"Reel Around The Fountain"
Version in TATE1 set - 6:02 corrected / 6:13 uncorrected The two versions sound like they stem from the same band take, with different vocals and mix. The TATE1 version starts with three notes that are not in the TATE2 version. There is no 'oh' before 'people said' in the TATE1 version, while in the other one Morrissey sings 'oh people said'. The better sounding full version which was leaked in 2010 on an untitled vinyl bootleg is the definitive Troy Tate recording.
"Suffer Little Children"
Version in TATE1 set - 5:39 corrected / 5:54 uncorrected This one is rather obvious. The music sounds like it's from the same take but the vocals differ slightly and the mixes are quite different. The TATE2 mix ends with a guitar and cymbals outro but the TATE1 version segues into a beautiful piano coda which is commonly assumed to have later been adapted by the band for the song "Asleep", but which has more in common musically with the background piano in the song "Meat Is Murder" (when sped up). The sound of a woman giggling or sobbing at the 4:00 mark is present in the TATE1 mix but absent in the other one. Also, the "you might sleep but you will never dream" line sounds differently between versions.
"These Things Take Time" Only version, TATE1 set - 2:40 corrected / 2:48 uncorrected There is only one Troy Tate version of this song in circulation.
"What Difference Does It Make?"
Version in TATE1 set - 4:01 corrected / 4:13 uncorrected The TATE1 and TATE+ versions are in the same key, which is different to that of the TATE2 version. Apart from the song lengths, there are quite a few obvious differences to report. There is a "oh!" before the drum kick in the intro of the TATE2 mix, and the piano that comes in right after that. Also what sounds like a violin is heard in the background soon after, while it only comes in at about 0:38 in the TATE1 mix. At 1:36 when Morrissey sings "it makes none", the violin (or something that sounds like a violin) is heard in the background of the TATE1 mix, while in the TATE2 mix, there is guitar picking and an added "aaahh" back vocal. At 1:46 there is slide after "tonight" in the TATE1 version, and dreamy echo on the background vox, but in the TATE2 version there is no slide and much less echo. The 'Rough Trade Demos' version is unique and different to both of the above mixes. It sounds like a primitive pre-overdub version of the TATE1 mix. It could be speculated that this version predates Troy Tate's involvement.
"Wonderful Woman"
Version in TATE1 set - 3:19 corrected / 3:29 uncorrected The two versions of this song are very similar. They seem to be different mixes of the same recording. The guitar seems to be slightly higher in the TATE1 mix, particularly around the 1:45 mark. The only obvious difference is the presence of an echoey 'tock' sound at the very beginning of the TATE2 mix (probably the last beat of the click track). The same sound can be heard at the very beginning of the TATE2 mix of "Suffer Little Children", but in a higher pitch.
"You've Got Everything Now"
Version in TATE1 set - 4:15 corrected / 4:28 uncorrected The two versions are reasonably similar, they may actually be both from the same performance. From the 3:35 mark in the TATE 1 version, a child's voice (or perhaps slide guitar or some studio effect) can be heard.
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