"My Love Life" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
![]() | ||||
Single by Morrissey | ||||
B-side |
| |||
Released | 30 September 1991 [1] | |||
Length | 4:24 | |||
Label | HMV | |||
Songwriter(s) | Morrissey, Mark Nevin | |||
Producer(s) | Clive Langer, Alan Winstanley | |||
Morrissey singles chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"My Love Life" is a song by Morrissey released in September 1991. It was a stand-alone single rather than taken from any studio album, although it was included on the compilation albums World of Morrissey (1995) and Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey (1997).
Rather than continuing with the rockabilly sound of "Pregnant for the Last Time", Morrissey and songwriting partner Mark Nevin returned to a poppier sound for the final single they would release together. Featuring Chrissie Hynde on harmony vocals, the single reached number 29 in the UK Singles Chart. [3]
This was the last Morrissey release before he joined up with Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer on a full-time basis.
The US and UK versions of "My Love Life" have some slight differences, both in the mix of the title track and especially in the mix of the B-side "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty." Both mixes of "My Love Life" use the same take, but the US version is a full 25 seconds longer at the end, while the UK version starts fading out at 4:08.
The UK version of "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty" runs 3:40 and includes two overlapping samples at the beginning of the track. The first sample is of a male voice apparently telling a story in a restaurant while dishes clink in the background, and a female companion laughs. The second sample is from Skeeter Davis' 1962 recording of "The End of the World" played on a scratchy vinyl record. Both samples return at the end of the track, with the male voice continuing his story and the Skeeter Davis record fading out with audible vinyl surface noise. The US version of "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty" runs 3:11 and omits both samples. The US mix is somewhat brighter and contains the full coda of the song including the decay of the final piano chord. [4] [5]
The UK version of "My Love Life" also appears on the 1997 compilation Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey . The US version of "I've Changed My Plea to Guilty" was later included on the 1998 compilation My Early Burglary Years .
"My Love Life" was reviewed in NME by John Peel as the "best one he's [Morrissey] made in a long time" and the song was described as "catchy, romantic [and] endearing". [6] In a retrospective reception, Ned Raggett of AllMusic called the song "a gentler ramble in comparison to things like the live "Sing Your Life," and though the lyrics are a bit curious (Morrissey asking for a ménage à trois?), the performance is a fine one all around." [2]
The music video, directed by Tim Broad was shot mostly on Van Buren Street in Phoenix, Arizona. It depicts Morrissey driving in a Rolls-Royce Corniche II along with members of his band who have their hair cut in Morrissey's style. [7]
7-inch vinyl and cassette (UK)
12-inch vinyl and CD (UK)
12-inch vinyl and CD (US)
Note: Morrissey's recently recruited live band, Boz Boorer, Alain Whyte, Spencer Cobrin and Gary Day, are erroneously credited on the single sleeve. [8]
Christine Ellen Hynde is an American-British musician. She is a founding member and the lead vocalist, guitarist, and primary songwriter of the rock band The Pretenders, and one of the band's two remaining original members alongside drummer Martin Chambers. She is the only continuous member of the band, appearing on every studio album.
Kill Uncle is the second solo studio album by English alternative rock singer Morrissey, released on 4 March 1991 by EMI Records and HMV Records. The title comes from the color black comedy film Let's Kill Uncle (1966).
Martin James "Boz" Boorer is an English guitarist and producer who founded the new wave rockabilly group the Polecats; and for a 30-year period beginning in 1991 was co-writer, guitarist and musical director with Morrissey.
Southpaw Grammar is the fifth studio album by English alternative rock singer Morrissey, released on 28 August 1995 by record labels RCA in the UK and Reprise in the US.
Colin Meloy Sings Morrissey was the first solo project released by Portland musician Colin Meloy of The Decemberists. The album was released in January, 2005 and was available exclusively on Meloy's first solo tour. Copies of it were later made available to raise money to benefit The Decemberists after their trailer with all their instruments was stolen in 2005.
"Suedehead" is the debut solo single by English singer Morrissey, released on 15 February 1988. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's first solo release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by the suedehead subculture, recalling an individual from his teenage years in the context of the movement. Street, who had originally sought to contribute his musical ideas to Morrissey to use for Smiths B-sides, also contributed bass guitar, while Vini Reilly and Andrew Paresi rounded out his new solo band.
"Everyday Is Like Sunday" is the third track of Morrissey's debut solo album, Viva Hate, and the second single to be released by the artist. Co-written by Morrissey and former Smiths producer Stephen Street, the song was Morrissey's second release after the Smiths break-up. Morrissey was inspired lyrically by Nevil Shute's On the Beach to lament the drudgery of a seaside town. Street, who had originally sought to contribute his musical ideas to Morrissey to use for Smiths B-sides, also contributed bass guitar, which he contends was inspired by Echo & the Bunnymen.
"Our Frank" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in February 1991. It was the first single taken from the Kill Uncle album. It was also the first of his collaborations with Mark Nevin to be released.
"Sing Your Life" is a single by English singer-songwriter Morrissey released in April 1991. It was the second single taken from the Kill Uncle album. On release this was Morrissey's lowest charting single in the UK charts, reaching only number 33. One of the single's B-sides was a cover version of "That's Entertainment" by The Jam which had backing vocals by Chas Smash, a.k.a. Carl Smyth the second singer of the band Madness. Vic Reeves also recorded backing vocals for the song, but they weren't included in the final version. He is thanked in the sleeve notes.
"State of Independence" is a song written by Jon Anderson and Vangelis.
"Pregnant for the Last Time" is a song by Morrissey, released as a non-album single in July 1991. This was the first time Morrissey worked with guitarist Boz Boorer, who consistently worked with him until 2020. The single reached number 25 on the UK Singles Chart. B-side "Skin Storm" was originally written and performed by Bradford, while another B-side, "Cosmic Dancer", is a cover of a T. Rex song.
"We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" is a song by English singer-songwriter Morrissey from his third studio album, Your Arsenal (1992). It was released as the lead single from the album on 27 April 1992 by His Master's Voice (HMV). It was the first Morrissey single to be co-written with guitarist Alain Whyte and produced by glam rock guitarist Mick Ronson, known for his work with David Bowie as one of the Spiders from Mars. The song peaked at No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart and No. 9 in Ireland.
"The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is a song by English singer-songwriter Morrissey, co-written by Boz Boorer released as a single on 28 February 1994. It was taken from the then-unreleased Vauxhall and I album and was the first Morrissey single to be produced by Steve Lillywhite. The extra B-side "I'd Love To" features Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals.
"Alma Matters" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in July 1997. It was the first single to be taken from the Maladjusted album and was released one week before the album.
"Certain People I Know" is a song by English singer-songwriter Morrissey, released in December 1992 as the third single from his third studio album, Your Arsenal (1992). It was the third and final Morrissey single to be produced by glam rock musician Mick Ronson. Reaching number 35 in the UK Singles Chart, the song had the distinction of being Morrissey's lowest-charting solo single up to that point.
"Interlude" is a 1968 song written and composed by Georges Delerue and Hal Shaper and originally performed by American soul singer Timi Yuro. It is the title track for the 1968 film of the same name. In 1994, the song was covered in a duet by Morrissey and Siouxsie Sioux and released as a single in August of that year by EMI. It was presented under the banner of "Morrissey & Siouxsie".
"Boxers" is a song by English singer-songwriter Morrissey, released in January 1995 to promote a tour of the same name. The single reached number 23 on the UK Singles Chart despite not appearing on an album at the time of the release. The title track and the two B-sides would later be compiled on the World of Morrissey that was released in February that year.
"I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" is a song written by Morrissey along with Boz Boorer, the two being responsible for lyrics and music respectively. The song was the first single to be released from Morrissey's 2009 album Years of Refusal. It was recorded in Los Angeles and produced by Jerry Finn, the man behind 2004's You Are the Quarry. The single was released on 9 February 2009 and has reached No. 21 on the UK Singles Chart, and is his last single to reach the UK Top 40. In Scotland the song topped the Scottish Singles Chart, becoming Morrissey's second of three number one singles on that chart, although this was because the Scottish chart at that point only counted physical sales at a time when download sales had become dominant.
Very Best of Morrissey is a compilation album by Morrissey, containing material he released during the 1980s and 1990s on EMI. It was released on 25 April 2011.