Omega Auctions: October auction contains potentially unheard material

I've only just got to this.

There are some really interesting cassettes listed in the auctions. Nerds assemble!

THE SMITHS - WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE/HAVE I - SMILE MUSIC LTD DEMO CASSETTE
What is the track Have I?

THE SMITHS - EDEN STUDIOS DEMO CASSETTE (BEFORE FIRST ALBUM)
Eden Studios was where the debut album was put together from the various studio sessions. Would the versions on the cassette be the same as the released versions of the album?

THE SMITHS - ASK REMIX - DEMO CASSETTE
There was only one version of Ask until 2001, but this cassette is dated 1986. I wonder what this is?

THE SMITHS - 'LIVE AT KILBURN' (RANK) - DEMO CASSETTES
Two 60 minute cassettes, but the runtime of Rank is 55 mins so maybe this has some of the other tracks?

THE SMITHS - MAYFAIR RECORDING STUDIOS DEMO CASSETTES
Two cassettes including remixes of Half a Person. Probably subtly different from the released versions, but perhaps not.

THE SMITHS - OXFORD 1985 DEMO CASSETTE (BBC FINAL MIXES)
Never officially released but some high quality bootlegs exist. I don't recall if the bootlegs included all songs from this gig.

THE SMITHS - HOW SOON IS NOW - DEMO CASSETTE
Includes an instrumental, which hasn't been released has it?

THE SMITHS - THE SMITHS - ORIGINAL TROY TATE SESSIONS DEMO CASSETTE
Ah... the pandora's box that is the Troy Tate sessions. Whatever this version is it's likely to be first gen and mixes that Troy Tate wanted Geoff to hear. Dare I say the 'definitive' version?

All the estimates are pretty reasonable. I'd love to hear some of these so wouldn't mind buying a few, but I have no interest in the artefact itself so perhaps there's a smart way of getting these into the hands of the masses?

Paging @Famous when dead.
 
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I can see Morrissey bidding on these just to keep them buried and stop anything leaking. This is chump change to a multi-millionaire.
 
Do we have any information on “Have I”?

i wasn’t aware that we had any lost covers other than a fool such as I.
 
Do we have any information on “Have I”?

i wasn’t aware that we had any lost covers other than a fool such as I.

I assume it’s not a cover, I could be wrong, but I can’t find a song called ‘Have I’ on the
internet. It’s also a possibility that the title on the cassette is an abbreviation.

I’m surprised this thread is not exploding with more excited speculation to what this song could be.

I’m hoping it’s not just an instrumental.
 
If it IS a previously unknown, unreleased track, then the auction holders are missing a trick by not publicising it. Make that info known, put out a 10 second sound sample, and the price will skyrocket.

My gut feeling is that this probably isn't some missing Holy Grail, but will turn out to be something more disappointing. It might not even turn out to be The Smiths, but some other band on Rough Trade at the time, that Geoff Travis happened to put on the same tape. Unless you have a lot of disposable cash, it's just too vague to put serious money on.

What would be nice if maybe someone could get hold of Marr or Joyce on Twitter, and ask if they have any recollections of what it might be?
 
I assume it’s not a cover, I could be wrong, but I can’t find a song called ‘Have I’ on the
internet. It’s also a possibility that the title on the cassette is an abbreviation.

I’m surprised this thread is not exploding with more excited speculation to what this song could be.

I’m hoping it’s not just an instrumental.
Two observations: in the last photo of the cassette, you can see that someone has writted 'What Diff - Have I' on the cassette, partially obscured by the label. This suggests to me that 'Have I' is a shortened version of the song's title, whatever that might be.
Second thing is, nowhere on the cassette does it say 'The Smiths.' It's not impossible that either the whole cassette is by a different artist, or the 'Have I' song is by a different band.
Having said that, I like the suggestion that is might be a cover of the Honeycombs' song. It's the sort of song I can imagine The Smiths playing.
 
Because I have too much time on my hands, I looked up 'Smile Music Ltd.' As a company it's still going and its directors are listed as Fiona Tracy Anne Beck and Mark Turner. Googling them turned up this little gem from seventeen years ago:
 
Two observations: in the last photo of the cassette, you can see that someone has writted 'What Diff - Have I' on the cassette, partially obscured by the label. This suggests to me that 'Have I' is a shortened version of the song's title, whatever that might be.
Second thing is, nowhere on the cassette does it say 'The Smiths.' It's not impossible that either the whole cassette is by a different artist, or the 'Have I' song is by a different band.
Having said that, I like the suggestion that is might be a cover of the Honeycombs' song. It's the sort of song I can imagine The Smiths playing.

:thumb: :unsure:

Yes, but on the white label sticker and cassette card where there is plenty of room, the title is still only Have I.

I also thought of the possibility that Have I may be by a different artist. :(
 
:thumb: :unsure:

Yes, but on the white label sticker and cassette card where there is plenty of room, the title is still only Have I.

I also thought of the possibility that Have I may be by a different artist. :(

I don't know about music studios but in theatre we mostly use the shortened version if we're writing a title down. It would be Phantom, not Phantom of the Opera. Etc.
 
I don't know about music studios but in theatre we mostly use the shortened version if we're writing a title down. It would be Phantom, not Phantom of the Opera. Etc.

Then the person would have abbreviated What Difference Does It Make also. no?
 
Asking Joyce about "Have I" would probably work.
 
I was always chuffed they released "Rank" and it wasn't the whole show....it would be great if these were the missing tracks.

All I know is that The Replacements have been going into the archives (or their label has been) and they are releasing tons of material of late....there is even a "lost" soundboard show which is great. I'm hoping someone releases some of The Smiths stuff like this.....
 
I guess the question you would have to ask yourself is:

If you paid hundreds of pounds for one of these cassettes, would you have the nerve to attempt to create a digital copy knowing how easily even relatively new cassettes had a tendency to destroy themselves inside the tape player, let alone ones that have sat for decades in a box somewhere? I don't think I would :(

Not that I could justify these prices anyway. There clearly are some very affluent Smiths collectors out there. Perhaps I should sell off my small collection of Morrissey master tapes?

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Are ya sayin' that ya never listened to the Steve Peck Remixes?
 
Would really love to get a chance to purchase some of this unheard material,
but I just got done spendin' all my money buyin' Paul Bunyan's wooden foot.

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Asking Joyce about "Have I" would probably work.
Cut out the middle man and ask UnclePeter...he knows everything about The Smiths. Everything! He might take a little while to respond though. Last I heard he was going on a Peak District camping holiday with close personal friends Johnny Bridgewood and Brian May. He'll know the answer...mark my words. If not, he'll make something up, as usual.
 
:thumb: :unsure:

Yes, but on the white label sticker and cassette card where there is plenty of room, the title is still only Have I.

I also thought of the possibility that Have I may be by a different artist. :(
rainbow valley is only four years after have i the right so its roundabout the same timeline for M to be influenced by something like this.
 
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