THE SMITHS - This Charming Man

Item Description

Vinyl, , Altered Label & Sleeve
12" 45 RPM Single

Second pressing without band's name "The Smiths" on the cover, but with altered Rough Trade logos on the labels and sleeve. The "no dome" version.
1983 Glad Hips Music
All words reproduced courtesy Glad Hips Music Limited ©1983

The initial UK release of both the 12” and the 7” featured an alternate Rough Trade logo that was a parody of the classic Capitol Records logo, with a capitol dome over “Rough” in bold cursive over “TRADE” typeset. The logo on the back of the sleeve added an oval ring (also a Capitol hallmark). Morrissey is said to have objected to its use, so the offending logos on the labels were first covered with stickers on both 7” and 12” versions, before altered labels and jackets were printed without the dome (this). Capitol Records does not appear to have objected to the parody of its trademark, so Rough Trade used the remaining “withdrawn” dome-logo sleeves throughout 1983-84 (especially for export copies), and as a result various combinations of labels and sleeves are common. For Discogs listings please explain with the listing if the sleeve and labels do not match.

(1) Timtom mastering both sides (wide dead wax on B-side), dome-logo appears on labels and sleeve ([r2452614]).
(2) as (1) but with round stickers covering the logo on the labels; sleeve logo unknown ([r8000355]).
(3: this version) New/altered labels and sleeves printed, showing the cursive Rough Trade logo only, without the domes. Timtom mastering both sides, as above. ([r8000376])
(4) B-side remastered by Porky for improved sound (the dead wax is very narrow), using the remaining dome-logo labels and sleeves. ([r8000402])
(5) New sleeves and labels: Band-name added to front, back cover with domed logo in oval, unchanged from version #1. New labels with the conventional Rough Trade logo and publishing credit changed from Glad Hips Music to Warner Bros. Music. Same Porky B-side mastering as (4). ([r490632])

A somewhat simplified version of these classifications appears at [url=http://www.passionsjustlikemine.com/disc/thischarmingman-c.htm]passionsjustlikemine.com[/url]