| "Piccadilly Palare" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
) | ||||
| Single by Morrissey | ||||
| from the album Bona Drag (compilation) | ||||
| Released | 8 October 1990 | |||
| Length | 3:26 | |||
| Label | HMV (UK) | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Morrissey/Kevin Armstrong | |||
| Producer(s) | Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley | |||
| Morrissey singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |   [1] |
"Piccadilly Palare" was a single released by Morrissey in October 1990.
The song features one of Morrissey's former colleagues from The Smiths, Andy Rourke, marking the last time any former member of The Smiths would collaborate with Morrissey.
As with "November Spawned a Monster", Morrissey chose to write about a subject unusual in pop music, namely male prostitution around the Piccadilly area of London. The title of the song refers to the cant slang language polari, first used by male prostitutes in the 19th century and then taken up by homosexuals in the 1960s to disguise sexual activities which were illegal in the UK until 1967. It was also used in the BBC radio comedy Round the Horne by the characters Julian and Sandy.
The vocals in the background were contributed by Suggs, the lead singer of the band Madness.
Morrissey said in his autobiography that he disliked the song. He called it "...a student work of novelty that wears off before noon".[2]
Track listings
7" vinyl and cassette
- "Piccadilly Palare"
- "Get Off the Stage"
12" vinyl & CD
- "Piccadilly Palare"
- "At Amber" (Morrissey/Street) Produced By Stephen Street
- "Get Off the Stage" (Morrissey/Rourke)
Etchings on vinyl
British 7" and 12": GEORGE ELIOT KNEW/none
Release details
| Country | Record label | Format | Catalogue number | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK | HMV | 7" vinyl | POP1624 | |
| UK | HMV | 12" vinyl | 12POP1624 | |
| UK | HMV | Compact disc | CDPOP1624 | |
| UK | HMV | Cassette | TCPOP1624 |
Reviews
Unlike Morrissey's previous two singles, NME gave "Piccadilly Palare" a positive review, saying "It's amazing what a slap across the wrist can do for the creative juices."[3] Ned Raggett of Allmusic called the song "another glam-touched chugger, its emotional heft provided by the wounded, bitter lyrics."[1]
Musicians
- Morrissey – vocals
- Kevin Armstrong – guitar
- Andy Rourke – bass guitar
- Andrew Paresi – drums
Charts
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles (OCC)[4] | 13 |
| US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[5] | 2 |
See also
References
- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "Piccadilly Palare Review". Allmusic. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blogs/pop-life/morrisseys-autobiography-the-dream-is-gone-but-the-book-is-real-20131025
- ^ NME Piccadilly Palare Review
- ^ "Morrissey: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
- ^ "Morrissey Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved 7 August 2017.
External links
- "Piccadilly Palare" at Passions Just Like Mine
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics