While Bernard Sumner was busy being in multiple great acts from Manchester, he had plenty of time to appreciate the greatness of other local acts.

So my favourite Smiths track is “Barbarism…” because ... “Panic”, “Sheila…” equalled the band’s highest ever single placing, paid mispelled homage to A Taste Of Honey author ...

Perhaps sensing that theirs was an alchemy that would burn brightly but briefly, The Smiths did things in a hurry. The Manchester quartet had only released their debut single, the chiming ...

All the same, the work started here by The Smiths on Meat Is Murder was freewheeling and stimulating. “It was very exciting,” acknowledges Stephen Street. “It felt like all the stars were in ...