The Smiths were never afraid to shout out about their influences. Whether it be Rita Tushingham on the record sleeve or Johnny Marr bigging up The Byrds the band always gave credit to the artistic pioneers who had inspired them.
So far though I have never ever found a name check from either of the duo for Peep Show, so maybe it is time they came clean.
Exhibit 1 is What A Funny Name which heralds from the sessions the English band recorded in the late 60s. It sounds uncannily like the Manc band who would follow a decade and a half or so later because…
1 What A Funny Name – it sounds like a Morrissey title
2 Its obsession with fat girls would be revisited on several occasions by Morrissey from William It Was Really Nothing to Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others
3 That Girlfriend In A Coma-esque circular guitar sound.
4 But most of all the unusual vocal phrasing is soooo Morrissey.
The band’s only single was also a track called Your Servant Stephen which if there was ever a composite Smiths title it would be a contender.
The odd thing, is that the tracks were never issued in the 60s but only came to light in the late 90s on a limited edition reissue.
You can hear both tracks, plus the excellent psych of Mazy and lots of other Kinksy style strum alongs on Spotify now here.
Uncanny isn’t it!?
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