This song was very likely written in the interim between the end of the Smiths and the beginning of Morrissey's solo career. It seems to have been recorded during the "Viva Hate" sessions which took place between October and December 1987 at Wool Hall Studios in Bath, with producer Stephen Street. Musicians on the recording were Vini Reilly (guitar), Stephen Street (bass) and Andrew Paresi (drums), as well as a string sextet led by John Metcalfe.

single version {3:49}

• 12", cassette and UK cd-single of "Suedehead"

• "Viva Hate" album (USA & Canada cds and cassettes only)

• 7" of "Hairdresser On Fire" free with "Viva Hate" album in Japan

• "Bona Drag" album

• "¡The Best Of!" album

• "The HMV/Parlophone Singles '88-'95" album

• "Bona Drag" - redesigned edition [remastered 2010]

This song has never been performed specifically for radio, television or the web.

This song has been performed live 139 times by Morrissey, all without a single interruption. It was done each and every night on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour (75 times) and its follow-up, the 2002 tour with no name (47 times), then on the first 17 dates of the subsequent You Are The Quarry tour in 2004.

live Manchester 22 May 2004 {4:21}

• "Who Put The 'M' In Manchester?" live DVD

demo with Vini Reilly vocal {3:38}

Not officially released, leaked on the internet in a package called "Viva Hate Outtakes".

early version {3:52}

Taken from a record company cd-r of a scrapped reissue of "Viva Hate", this has not yet leaked on bootlegs.

Quotes

In a 1988 interview to the NME, Morrissey said of this song "It's just a very simple song about trying to get hold of a hairdresser."