THE SMITHS – ASK 12″ – Nr MINT A2/B1 UK 1986 INDIE MORRISSEY MARR

The Smiths – Ask
(Rough Trade Records  1986  RTT194)
Matrix No’s: A2/B1 – UK Pressing

Vinyl in Nr MINT condition
(there are some surface marks visible on the vinyl when held up to the light but they don’t affect the sound quality)

Sleeve in Excellent condition
– would be Nr MINT but back cover has a small written message at the top
Die Cut Inner Sleeve in Nr MINT condition

The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982. The band consisted of vocalist Morrissey, guitarist Johnny Marr, bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. Q magazine’s Simon Goddard argued in 2007 that The Smiths were “the one truly vital voice of the ’80s”, “the most influential British guitar group of the decade” and the “first indie outsiders to achieve mainstream success on their own terms”. The NME named the Smiths the “most influential artist ever” in a 2002 poll.

Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Marr, the group signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records, on which they released four studio albums, The Smiths (1984), Meat Is Murder (1985), The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987). Four of their albums (including three studio albums) appeared on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. They have also released several compilations, and numerous non-LP singles.

The Smiths had several singles reach the UK top twenty and all four of their studio albums reached the UK top five, including one which topped the charts. They won a significant following and remain cult favourites, although they had limited commercial success outside the UK while they were still together. The band broke up in 1987 and have turned down several offers to reunite.

The band’s focus on a guitar, bass, and drum sound, and their fusion of 1960s rock and post-punk, were a repudiation of synthesizer-based contemporary dance-pop – the style popular in the early 1980s. Marr’s guitar-playing on his Rickenbacker often had a jangly sound reminiscent of Roger McGuinn of the Byrds. Marr’s guitar-playing influenced later Manchester bands, including The Stone Roses and Oasis. Morrissey and Marr’s songs combined themes about ordinary people with complex, literate lyrics delivered by Morrissey with a mordant sense of humour. In 2015, they were nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

“Ask” is a song recorded by the English rock band the Smiths. It was released as a single on 20 October 1986 through Rough Trade Records. Credited to vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, “Ask” is an upbeat, positive pop song built around major chords. Its lyrics touch on shyness and encourage the listener to release their inhibitions. Its multiple guitar parts and complex production led to disagreements regarding its final mix. In addition, Craig Gannon, one-time rhythm guitarist for the group, has claimed he wrote and was denied credit for the song’s chord structure.

“Ask” continued the Smiths’ top 20 streak in their native country, peaking at number 14 on the UK Singles Chart. In addition, it reached number nine on the Irish Singles Chart. Filmmaker Derek Jarman directed the song’s music video. As with most of the Smiths’ singles, it was not included on an original album. It can be found on the compilations The World Won’t Listen and Louder Than Bombs (both 1987) as well as the live album Rank (1988).

Tracklist

Credits and personnel

Locations

• Recorded at Jam Studios in London, England

Personnel

• Morrissey – vocals
• Johnny Marr – guitar
• Mike Joyce – drums, percussion
• Andy Rourke – bass guitar
• Craig Gannon – rhythm guitar
• Kirsty MacColl – backing vocals

• John Porter – production
• Steve Lillywhite – mixing engineer