TOTP - This Charming Man - The Smiths

[zzyyxxo]

so crazy campy I have to love it.

[bloodthurstyprd]

Morrissey was the founding father of the leekspin.

[PinkStrawberry6790]

"morrissey wasn't happy about having to pretend to lip-sync so he carried on a bunch of gladioli instead of a mic."

he is just brilliant.

[Lavidaesuncirco]

Soooooooooooo sexy, love his voice!

[skaworld509]

Who was the evil floor manager who told the kids at the front each week to ping balloons in the singer's face during this era? I bet he/she was a jealous, spiteful under-achiever. The BBC..a strange and scarey place

[riggstwenty2]

ah these were the days when morrissey must have been sniffing the crack of his arse.... only took a few more years for him to disappear up it

[darvipd]

@riggstwenty2 did that bring you a sniff of intelligence,you might know what the smell of crack is and disappear up your arse ,but if your a god like morrissey,you will make a big come back right out of your arse ,just like you got the shits,it keeps coming and its here forever.

[mrtictac94]

The guitars aren't plugged into anything either!

[rosieanneberry]

seriously, the TOTP producers didnt even think it was fitting to give him a microphone?

[Yalito12]

@rosieanneberry Morrissey didnt want to

[FavreianVengeance]

When Morissey was good and not part of a shit garage band.

[ThePolytic]

OMFG i love this concert!!! i have it on "VHS" can u imagine? Superb. :) smile..



[exspurned82]

Lip synch...disappointed cause he  is good live.

[AugustusDeOeil]

Morrissey did the Leek spin before it was cool

[Kamilop]

fuck u Paul Young.

[crayzeejdfan]

Johnny Marr playing guitar reminds me of the way they did in the 60's. Like the Beatles and Stones.

[lanoviadepetedoherty]

Johnny Marr ♥

[bensimps123]

i would go out tonight but i have morrissey to watch ;)

[survivorproject]

I love The Smiths, Smith the American band and Robert Smith of The Cure.

[ninnadellape]

@survivorproject Do you love Aerosmith too? =D

[tonym999music]

I've never known anyone other than Johnny Marr play this correctly on guitar. I have heard some shocking Bastardised versions of it. Which to be honest, are mostly Morrissey's current band.

[themahermax]

JOHNNY MARR = mr GUITAR LEGEND !!!

[OziH]

he brought out flowers because he didnt want to mime like they asked

[sbruus88]

you know what....i think he's miming

[G01DM4N]

I can't remember which band... but they came on TOTPs with no strings on their guitars :P

[joecb1000]

@G01DM4N I know the stranglers did this not on totp but on i think it was a dutch version and they pulled the set apart during the instrumental :P

[TheFatspud]

people say top of the pops is corporate shite, but where do you go nowdays to hear bands on the TV? genuine question.

[GIGeorge23]

@TheFatspud

Later with Jools Holland?

[MrBogie91]

I like The Smiths but I hate their fans. They'd steal my daffodils and ruin my garden!

[IncredibleFortune]

lol I love how he referenced the songs' music video by swinging around those flowers.

[MattHXIV]

@mickeylove01

...dont watch it then

im sure youtube has plently of lil wayne for you :)

[r1chochet]

@spudster007, you pretty much reworded my comment



[josssmith]

@minsli Not strictly true, New Order always played live on here

[MickeyLove01]

Overrrated plinky plunky background music

[zombiedude25]

everyone mimed in TOTP

[Bkesal14]

Love how The Smiths and Nirvana were like " Fuck Top of the Pops ", Morissey miming with a flower and Kurt Cobain singing really weirdly !

[walleyrange]

@Bkesal14 Strangely enough, I heard Kurt Cobain was doing an impression of Morrissey when he was singing like that

[Villalistico180]

@Bkesal14 Kurt sayed in an interview after that presentation, that he was trying to sing like Morrisey. Not the best Morrysey imitation, i'd have to say.

[FretLegendSmithy]

@Bkesal14 Don't forget Oasis. They did it too.

[Bkesal14]

@FretLegendSmithy didn't know that, I'll check it out

[FretLegendSmithy]

@Bkesal14 noel and liam swapped places to play roll with it. when the guitar solo comes in, liam doesn't know what to do. really funny.

[lynus111]

@Bkesal14 plenty of bands have done that, I like when the bands swop instruments, mid song

[umumgot]

@Bkesal14 dont forget the happy mondays!

[granjjaguar]

@Bkesal14 fuck nirvana

[Bkesal14]

@granjjaguar i respect your opinion , but ... fuck you !

[brightlights456X]

@granjjaguar

How dare you. Nirvana were great.

[HitchHikersBlues]

@brightlights456X Whoever say's other wise, is a complete tone deaf moron.

[brightlights456X]

@HitchHikersBlues

:D

[HighVoltageTurtle]

@HitchHikersBlues

Or have an opinion of their own.

I think they were highly overrated.

[predictableoutcome33]

Morrissey is a modern day genius

[grissom3]

I love it! Only wish i was there...

[amazonaaaa]

I want a time machine.

[binstig]

The first guy to ever refuse to mime on top of the pops.

[ChrisOfTheOC]

@binstig he IS miming, though. That is definitely the album version dude. Trust me, ive listened to this song more that a normal person should. Unless they perfectly replicated This Charming Man from the album, it's most likely mimed.

[alexanderguderian]

@ChrisOfTheOC I think he meant Moz refused to mime into a mic, so he just did it without one. Its obvious that its a backing track.

[OfficerJohnMcLane]

@binstig Sorry pal, as much as I adore and worship Morrissey, he's most definitely miming! Just using a flower to mime into instead of a mic.....as you do.

[lexo30]

The Smiths are a really, really weird band. Back in the day, I was a teenager when this stuff was coming out and insofar as I noticed it at all, I hated it. I thought it was wimpy and boring. Now, I can see that there's something interesting happening but it's almost all in Marr's guitar parts, Morrissey's lyrics and the arrangements; none of it seems to add up. So I still don't get this particular song. But there are others I quite like, so each to his own, I suppose.

[dmhandy]

Wicked !

[bigderekkeene]

I like the smiths a lot, but just watched a documentary on them and didnt realise what a collosal prick Morrisey was to the other guys. Frankly, if i were the drummer or the bassist I'd have put my boot down his throat. Still, very talented guy though

[defectedsi]

what a guitar solomorrisy good but the guitar on this is stuning

[defectedsi]

what a guitar solo

[babydub77]

sex on legs.....let me lick the sweat of him now!!!

[jaoula]

Morrissey is such a 80's icon

[diemondcutter]

I like when their name pops at the end " THE SMITHS " (1/17/11 - 12:32am)

[lemongrapesfilms]

the only 80's era artist that i know of that performed live on TOTP was Billy Bragg

[dermot51]

@lemongrapesfilms What about New Order Blue Monday

[miamad]

What a homo.

[untomatchi]

is he fuckin lipstickn? no...say it aint isnt. wtf. lyfe is ovr as we kno it.

[chrlskrkl]

@untomatchi

he is lip sinking only because for a long time TOTP dint allow live singing

he is singing with the plant to mock TOTP becuase he wanted to sing live but they wouldnt let him

[louiscfc93]

@chrlskrkl actually iron maiden had performed live on totp just a year or two before this.no lip syncing.i guess most other bands didnt think to question the show

[pstrokeslibsarctic]

we have oasis because of this live LOL

[ErDuxD]

EL PLAYBACK MAS DESCARAO Xd sin microfono directamente xD

[southparkrules97]

Lol if u think this pissed the producers off look up nirvana here at the same year playing smells like teen spirit it's funny as hell

[RoadCrewOfficial]

@southparkrules97 what?

[nemanja318]

bas je vrh :)

[LuciieEyahhx]

I would go out tonight.....

[KamiKadzeVojta]

legendary performance.... The Smiths were really independent.. they did whatever they wanted...

[krono965]

It was funny when I got to smiths and especially into morrissey that I was identical to him I used to dance in my school like him and even made comments that were similar to his and I didn't know anything about him just his music I had smiths albums but I'd never read about them or about Morrissey so I was shocked to see that I was almost his twin, spiritualy.

[speckyprick]

@krono965 What a lot of shit you have just typed, if it was on paper i'd be wiping my arse with that comment. I may just print it out.

[clubklass45]

bigger better than oasis...

[DarkSideOfTheMoon991]

Where is Moz's mic?

[Mayonnaise444]

@DarkSideOfTheMoon991

the show that they were on was a pop show so all the artist lip synced but moz decied he didn't want be fake and act like he was singing so he used a flower instead of a mic.

[PAULisDEADMANnumber9]

his wrist must hurt after all that plant swinging,

[lucydingdong]

His wrists must have been sore after that.

[krillin876]

clearly

[wenselao]

la historia de este video es simpatica. Morrissey hace playback pq todos en top of the pop lo hacian y ocupa un ramo de flores como mic, pq no quiere enganar a la gente. Ademas todos se producian con cuatica pa este programa y estos fueron los primeros en tocar tal como llegaron vestidos.

[zonikemar]

@wenselao jaja eso no lo sabia pero si se nota el playback jaja, saludos y ahora ya se la historia de las famosas flores

[cobblers02]

THE SMITHS R THE COOLIST BAND EVER!!!!!!!!!

[niflheim66]

Yea, he refused to prented to sing into a microphone that wasnt even plugged in. so he sang into flowers to piss off the producers of this lame ass show!!

[MrMarrman1]

i want to have hair like johnny marr!!!

[defectedsi]

madchester at its best?

[GlAmPoPpRiNcEsS]

They let Kate Bush sing live on Top Of The Pops so why on earth didn't they let The Smiths? They were better live, in my opinion.

[changobilly22]

haha, now THAT is lip syncing!!!

if your gonna have to lip sync, you gotta do it right, and Morrissey did the damn thing

[italiaholic]

this video changed my life when i was a lad

[whatthehellvideos]

johnny marr paved the way for fucking blur and oasis an all that he deserves more credit

[LouiseLollipop]

Its Top of the Pops, nobody sang live.

[PolanskyA]

@LouiseLollipop Yes)And he takes flower in hand(no microfon))))

[belljg]

@LouiseLollipop New Order always played live on TOTP

[Gaffer96]

@LouiseLollipop a few did in the 80's..Simply red and New order

[thecolorF]

No guitar amps or leads either?

[Mattfletch001]

saw this on the ashes to ashes 80's hits on bbc the other day. brilliant song

[JackBandicootsBunker]

I hate TOTP because of the reason Morrisey noticed... mimicking sucks! Same thing with Live From Abbey Road... LONG LIVE Old Grey Whistle Test, Beat Club, and the old Rockpalast.

BTW, that was the day Brit Indie Rock was born. Thanks Smiths!

[Danman917]

Why ponder life's complexities when the leather runs smooth on the passenger seat?

[zonnyjames]

gladioli :)

[KamiKadzeVojta]

he showed to the whole world what is the indie music all about.... this is great..

[shahidshahrukh]

apparently this was the performance that inspired Noel Gallagher to pick up guitar and become a guitarist for Oasis

[JackBandicootsBunker]

@shahidshahrukh true. He said so on the documentary 'Seven Ages of Rock'

[osito060308]

a defining moment in British rock music fucking legendary

[eatenback2life08]

SO.FUCKING.BEAUTIFUL.

[Bramboraf]

playback :D

[defectedsi]

mad chester rocks

[sadlyim]

ThursdayCure has a gr8 point

[thursdaycure]

THe smiths ARE ONE THE GREATEST BANDS EVER,MORRISY HAS A UNIQUE VOICE AND STAGE PRESENCE,HES LIKE FUCK MICS iLL SCREAM SING AND SWING FLOWERS BECAUSE THATS WHO i AM FUCKING MORISSEY

[crazydiamond12345]

@thursdaycure Well I agree they are one of the greatest bands ever but can't you see that he's just lip syncing?

[weakattheknees91]

@thursdaycure Hey, I think your Caps Lock is on...

[StunningSteve]

@thursdaycure

Actually he refused a mic because he didn't believe in lip syncing. He figured fuck them and showed up on stage with the flowers to stick it to them not to "scream sing"

[Bennymac99]

@thursdaycure

why caps?

[remote0ctrl]

@thursdaycure He's like, fuck top of the pops for not letting us play the song live...

[lewisglegend]

@thursdaycure You've gotta big Marr up now, he created all those glorious melodies!

[marcushookdale]

now ur talkin ,,, tuuuuuuunne m8

[RabbitsInDocs]

morrissey, marry me.

[Daigear]

This was November 1983, The Smiths weren't even one year in existence. So it was a golden opportunity for them to 'perform' on TOTP. I remember everyone at school taking about it next day, and I was totally smitten by Morrissey

[spudster007]

Gotta love how he's singing with a plant in his hand instead of a mic. Take THAT ToTP!

[aaronJORDON]

@spudster007 he's got Gladiolas actually

[BaM123456789o]

Play It Smooth Mozza Play It Smooth Top Man (Y)

[Angelina1east]

think billy bragg did between the wars live around this time on totp and its on youtube.

[Doteatsurpants]

i bet NOT a single act in TOTP played "live" during the shows lifespan.

Still , this is a legendary song from a legendary band.

[HeadlightMorningGlow]

I wouldn't bet too much money on that - dozens of bands played live in 00's. ;-)

the strokes, the music, the vines, the white stripes etc...

[defectedsi]

check iron maiden always did

[Wilfslad]

New Order did Blue Monday, it might be on YouTube somewhere, really live I remember it as a bit mad and shambolic, but it was about 27 years ago, I may be wrong

[5clone]

@Doteatsurpants

new order did

[defectedsi]

pure madchester northern gods

[glasgovipsolara]

Keith Kinnear are you there? You turned me on to Morrissey, this video reminds me of us then, I was 20! How old were you? Thanx, happy days x

[charliegrs]

so why did morrisey have to lip sync?

[HeadlightMorningGlow]

Top of the Pops has historically been lip-syncing only. It was only in the 90's when they introduced live vocals (with a backing track) and 00's when they allowed guests to be completely live.

[HangTheDJ16]

Have to love Mozza! this is him giving the finger to the music industry...

[01af]

surely giving the finger would have been to say 'No I don't think I will peform on TOTP, thanks.'

[HangTheDJ16]

But then nobody would know who The Smiths were... They had to spread their message some way!

[charlotflame]

love the song and love the smiths!! legends

[iyergem]

gotta love the plant.

[Muskateering]

Whats with the plant?

[naththeace]

"Morrissey wasn't happy about having to pretend to lip-sync so he carried on a bunch of gladioli instead of a mic."

[scotchpfc]

fuckin great band

[oneUNITED7SS]

Noel Gallagher was watching this!

[Morrisseyisdead]

If Noel Gallagher was watching this then why did his band turn out so artless and shit?

Glad that crap band broke up.

LONG LIVE THE SMITHS.

[oneUNITED7SS]

I like the Smiths and Oasis. D'you have a problem with that? If you think Oasis are shite, then don't tell me. Tell someone who cares. I'm entitled to my own opinions, so leave them be.

[Morrisseyisdead]

I'm not just telling you it's a common fact.

[oneUNITED7SS]

It isn't. There have been loads of great English bands. The Rolling Stones, The Smiths, Kasabian, Oasis, The Beatles. I have a respect for each of them, even if I don't listen to them. Have that respect, and stop calling music utter shite, because we all have our own opinions. There are many people who like Oasis and The Smiths. I'm one of them. So just leave the situation be, and call it a day.

[Morrisseyisdead]

That's fine but Oasis are crap.

Crap crap crap crap.

[oneUNITED7SS]

OH MY GOD. Just let it go already!

[Morrisseyisdead]

crap...

[HeadlightMorningGlow]

Haha a pretentious BNP fan.

[Morrisseyisdead]

I'm defo not a BNP fan I can tell you that, i'm a politician hater to be honest, the nutter on my profile got quicky removed when I found out lol.

[gafffoy]

ur a prick...a typical mozza hater...if u had a brain cell in ur head ud realise that morrissey is completely anti racist..if u would listen to his songs properly ud see that morrissey often sings as the people in his songs, regardless of gender, sexuality, race views...it doesnt mean the views he sings about are his own....idiot

[HeadlightMorningGlow]

If you had a brain cell in your head you'd a) be able to read that my comment was in reply to some other commenter, and NOT accusing Morrissey of being racist

b) be able to spell "you" and "your" instead of typing like you're texting your 15 year old friend.

I'm a massive Smiths/Morrissey fan so be to called a "typical mozza hater" is just laughable...idiot.

[MrzBowie]

maybe he is 15 :P

and maybe he didn't see the commment you were replying to....he was just defending someone you both love.

i love this song btw

[savoytruffle33]

Thanks for uploading this! Have been wishing for this clip forever. I was there and will never forget the gladioli, he started the set with them in his back pocket and then when the "music" (tape) began he started swinging them around. I'm down in the front @ :40, only an American would clap to a Smiths song!!! Good times :-)

[clozloz69]

Lucky! I discovered the Smiths 2 years after this show and never looked back. They "Rank" # 1 of my all time favs.

[guinnesstrail]

The Smiths saved rock and roll.

[lankycurlman]

1:16 Rourke looks like he really can't be arsed to be there xD

[chicblossom]

Loooooooooooooooooove!

This song is unique and beautiful!

[TheXAvantGarde]

where the hell is the microphone?

[chicblossom]

read the description.

[TheXAvantGarde]

He was just lip sycing?

[hellomynameischarlie]

@TheXAvantGarde yes, gladioli don't make for good microphones.

[Saintgutfree524]

Idk man; but I do know that this song is not about a man.

[mattywicks]

@TheXAvantGarde i think most acts mimed on top of the pops

[phantomdoodler]

@TheXAvantGarde Quite often, Top of the Pops was insistent on miming and is really just a means popularise/promote. We all know the Smiths were amazing live performers so for me it doesnt matter too much

[amberwhite100]

@TheXAvantGarde everyone lips synchs on top of the pops for soem reason.

[MandaOwl]

@amberwhite100 Most bands have to play on playback on this show. I don't know why, but it's always funny to watch how they mock the show by doing different things - Morrissey sings with a plant in his hand and refuses to hold a mic. But I think the time when ToTP is the most owned is when Nirvana is to play Smells Like Teen Spirit. There are no words for what Kurt Cobain does. Check it out, it's on YouTube :)