Smiths' Runout Etchings

"Secret Messages For The Highly Initiated"

“FEAR OF MANCHESTER” etched on the runout of The Queen Is Dead

“Why are there messages written round the shiny black bit on the end of most of the Smiths’ records? Who writes them? What do they mean?” -Smiths Admirer, Brighton

“Those funny scratchings between the label and the record are often carved in when the record is “cut” (technical term for the process in which the sound on the master tape is carved onto a master disc) and usually they’re rather “droll” comments by some engineer involved. But, in the case of The Smiths, the band themselves admit to being responsible. “They are,” muttered Morrissey cryptically, “secret messages for the highly initiated”. Coo-eer! And other Smiths admirers will be pleased to hear that a new single will be out soon - either ‘Big Mouth’ or ‘There Is A Light’.” -Smash Hits Fan Letter¹, 1986

The following are a list of Smiths singles and albums that contain messages etched on the vinyl disc runouts.  In the instance that the author knows or otherwise reasonably presumes to have identified the source of the message, it is noted.

The list omits catalog/matrix numbers and/or signatures and credits that are typically found on vinyl record runouts (e.g. timtom,  RTT 198 B-1J-1-1, etc.).  Smiths albums and singles that do not contain messages are excluded.   

Reissued versions of the singles and albums contained on this list (including reissues that occurred while the Smiths were active) are also excluded.

Sandie Shaw's cover of 'Hand In Glove' is included in the list given that the Smiths (minus Morrissey) performed on her version of this song. 

‘Hand In Glove’ ²

7-inch:  “KISS MY SHADES” (A-side)
”KISS MY SHADES TOO” (B-side)

Sandie Shaw ‘Hand In Glove’ Cover

7-Inch: "KISS MY SHADES" (A-side) "J.M." (B-side)

'This Charming Man'

7-Inch  : “SLAP ME ON THE PATIO”³ (B-side)

12-Inch: “WILL NATURE MAKE A MAN OF ME YET” (A-side)

‘Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now’

7-Inch: “SMITHS INDEED” (A-side) “ILL FOREVER” (B-side)

12-Inch: “SMITHS PRESUMABLY” (A-side)
”FOREVER ILL” (B-side)

'William, It Was Really Nothing'

7-Inch and 12 -Inch (with green cover): “THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST” (A-side) “ROMANTIC AND SQUARE IS HIP AND AWARE” (B-side)

7-Inch lilac cover: “THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST” (A-side) “WE HATES BAD GRAMMER” (B-side)

12-Inch lilac cover: “THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST” (A-side)
 “ROMANTIC AND [ ] IS HIP N'AWARE” (B-side)

'Barbarism Begins At Home'

12-Inch DJ promo: “THESE ARE THE GOOD TIMES” (A-side)

'How Soon Is Now?'

7 and 12-Inch: “THE TATTY TRUTH” (A-side)

'Shakespeare's Sister'

7 and 12-Inch:  “HOME IS WHERE THE ART IS” (A-side)

'That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore'

7-Inch : OUR SOULS, OUR SOULS, OUR SOULS (A and B-side)

12-Inch: “OUR SOULS, OUR SOULS, OUR SOULS” (A-side)

12-Inch (Canada release): “HELEN WHEELS” (A-side)

'The Boy With The Thorn In His Side'

7 and 12-Inch: “ARTY BLOODY FARTY” (A-side) "IS THAT CLEVER...JM” (B-side)

'Bigmouth Strikes Again'

12-Inch: “BEWARE THE WRATH TO COME” (A-side)
”TALENT BORROWS, GENIUS STEALS”⁴ (B-side)

'Panic'

7 and 12-Inch: “I DREAMT ABOUT STEW LAST NIGHT” (A-side)

12 -Inch (Germany release): “HANG THEM HIGH MONIKA” (A and B side)

'Ask'

7 and 12-Inch: “ARE YOU LOATHESOME TONIGHT?”  (A-side)  “TOMB IT MAY CONCERN” (B-side)

12-Inch (Germany Release): "NATURE FEEDS THE ZENSOR GROUP" (A-side)

'Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others'⁵

7-Inch: “Rock and Rolling to the top” (A-side) “A PRECISE DIAMOND CUT” (B-side)

12-Inch: “NOH GIRL LIKE JAGUAR ROSE” (A-side)
”BUSY TRAIN TO THE LOKOMOTION” (B-side)

'Shoplifters Of The World Unite'

7 and12-Inch: “ALF RAMSEY'S REVENGE”⁶ (A-side)

'Sheila Take A Bow'

7 and 12-Inch: “COOK BERNARD MATTHEWS”⁷ (A-side) 

'Girlfriend In A Coma'

7-Inch: “AND NEVER MORE SHALL BE SO” (A-side) “SO FAR, SO BAD”⁸ (B-side)

12-Inch: “EVERYBODY IS A FLASHER AT HEART” (A-side)
”AND NEVER MORE SHALL BE SO” (B-side)

'I Started Something I Couldn't Finish'

7 and 12-Inch: "MURDER AT THE WOOL HALL (X) STARRING SHERIDAN WHITESIDE⁹” (A-side) ”YOU ARE BELIEVING, YOU DO NOT WANT TO SLEEP”¹⁰ (B-side)

'Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me'

7 and 12-Inch: "THE RETURN OF THE SUBMISSIVE SOCIETY (X) STARRING SHERIDAN WHITESIDE” (A-side) "THE BIZARRE ORIENTAL VIBRATING PALM DEATH (X) STARRING SHERIDAN WHITESIDE” (B-side)

Hatful Of Hollow

“THE IMPOTENCE OF ERNEST”¹¹ (Side 1)
”Ian (EIRE)”¹² (Side 2)