As you probably know by now, The Analog Kid lives for b-sides and non-album cuts. In this continuing series, I will share some of my favorite EPs and 12″ singles from over the years in their entirety. And since it’s digital, you don’t have to worry about correctly setting the turntable speed to or 33⅓ or 45!
After the sad demise of The Smiths, guitarist Johnny Marr put his new-found free time to tremendous use. He (briefly) joined the Pretenders. He recorded with the Talking Heads and Kirsty MacColl. He formed Electronic with New Order’s Bernard Sumner. For me, though, his best work of that era occurred as a member of The The. Marr joined the band in 1988, and his influence was obvious on two amazing records: 1989’s Mind Bomb and 1993’s Dusk.
While on tour in support of Mind Bomb, The The released a stand-alone single entitled “Jealous Of Youth.” Matt Johnson is credited as the sole writer of the song, but Marr’s fingerprints are all over it. “Jealous Of Youth” is probably my favorite Marr moment from his tenure in The The, although “Gravitate To Me” and “Slow Emotion Replay” are not far behind. As always, Marr’s signature guitar work is instantly recognizable on all three tracks. Johnny was able to adapt his skills to fit almost any band, but the sound he created was always uniquely his.
The The: Jealous Of Youth
Epic Records, 1990
1. “Jealous Of Youth [7” Version] (Johnson)
2. “Beyond Love” (Johnson)
3. “Jealous Of Youth [12” Version] (Johnson)
Jealous Of Youth [12″ Version]
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Bonus Tracks!
The first rule of The Analog Kid blog is that if you write about a song on the Analog Kid blog, you share the song on the Analog Kid blog.
The The: “Gravitate To Me” (Johnson/Marr)
From the album Mind Bomb
Epic Records, 1989
The The: “Slow Emotion Replay” (Johnson)
From the album Dusk
Epic Records, 1993
Kirsty MacColl: “Walking Down Madison” (MacColl/Marr)
From the album Electric Landlady
Virgin Records, 1991
Electronic: “Feel Every Beat [Single Remix]” (Sumner/Marr)
From the CD single Feel Every Beat
Original version from the album Electronic
Warner Brothers Records, 1991
Feel Every Beat [Single Remix]
Talking Heads: “(Nothing But) Flowers” (Talking Heads)
From the album Naked
Warner Brothers Records, 1988
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