Late Night, Maudlin Street

"I never stole a happy hour around here"

The sixth track on Viva Hate (released March 14, 1988), ‘Late Night, Maudlin Street’ is as profoundly poetic as it is melancholic. Morrissey sedulously unpacks a youth spent living on the titular street over the course of seven+ minutes, accompanied by relentless, unforgiving rhythms from beginning to end.

The song was recorded in the autumn of 1987 at Wool Hall Studios in Bath along with the other tracks that appear on Morrissey’s debut album. According to producer, co-writer, and impromptu bassist Stephen Street, "We'd recorded Strangeways at the Wool Hall, near Bath, because Morrissey felt comfortable there. So, we decided to go back there [for the Viva Hate recording sessions].  They had a very good chef.  He liked his creature comforts." 

Aside from the versatile Stephen Street in but one of his various roles, Vini Reilly (guitar, piano) and Andrew Paresi (drums) also perform on the track.  

While the music of several songs that eventually appeared on Viva Hate had already been formulated by Street (with his presentation of these demo’s having lit the proverbial fire under Morrissey to begin recording his debut solo album), ‘Late Night, Maudlin Street’ was composed in the midst of the Viva Hate recording sessions:

"I was still writing music during the sessions at The Wool Hall.  I remember Morrissey asking me to come up with something a bit like Joni Michell.  He wanted this long, rambling structure, so I came up with something that was kind of inspired by Joni Mitchell's The Hissing Of Summer Lawns¹.  That became Late Night, Maudlin Street."²

Guitarist Vini Reilly vividly recalled the recording sessions at Wool Hall, and most especially the late night session on which ‘Late Night, Maudlin Street’ came to life:

"The sessions were very intense and there were many moments when the hair stood up on your neck.  The recording I remember most was Late Night, Maudlin Street.  It was actually late at night when we recorded Morrissey's vocal (sic).  Morrissey just came in and sang.  It affected everyone there because it was so right, so astonishing."