UK 7" [HMV POP1620]
Most copies of the UK 7" come in a rigid glossy sleeve opening from the side with a semi-circle cut-out portion on the back for better grip on the record (view front and back artwork from the menu on the left). A very small number have been found in a paper sleeve that is identical to the card one. The record has a solid centre and black vintage His Master's Voice labels with pale grey text and logos. A His Masters Voice logo is found at the top, publishing and label credits on the left, "45 R.P.M." graphics, catalogue number and production credits on the right, and title at the bottom.
POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / POP 1620 B-1U-1-1 (no etched message on either side)
POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / POP 1620 B-2U-1-1
POP 1620 A-2U-1-2 / POP 1620 B-2U-1-1 (paper sleeve)

UK 12" [HMV 12POP1620]
For this single, the front artwork of the 12" format is perfectly identical to that of the 7" format (see left). The back is similar, with minor differences in content, layout and text size (see left). The record is slipped inside a glossy black die-cut inner bag. It has black vintage His Master's Voice labels with pale grey text: His Masters Voice logo at the top; publishing and label credits on the left; "45 R.P.M." graphics, catalogue number and production credits on the right; titles at the bottom.
12POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / 12POP 1620 B-2U-1-1

UK CD5 [HMV CDPOP1620]
The cd-single comes in a thin jewel case. The front artwork was reformatted to fit the insert's proportions (view left). The spine and back are pale green with grey text. On the spine are found Morrissey's name, "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" and the catalogue number. The back features the Euro catalogue number in a box, the barcode in a grey box, Morrissey's name in the same font as on the front, "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys", and a His Master's Voice logo. The inner side of the insert has the butterflies+plants pattern as on the front, with the track listing, credits, catalogue number, logos and lyrics to the title track printed over in yellow (view left). The disc surface is pale green with the butterflies+plants pattern uncoloured (silver). The catalogue number, Morrissey's name and the title track are listed at the top, the b-sides and an EMI credit at the bottom, a compact disc logo and the European catalogue number on the left, and a His Master's Voice logo on the right.

UK CMS [HMV TCPOP1620]
The front artwork for the cassette shows the same image over the same background as the other formats, but the image was significantly cropped to fit the insert's proportions (view left). The spine is solid green with grey text. The catalogue number is at the top of the spine, a His Master's Voice logo at the bottom, and Morrissey's name appears in the same font as on the front, above "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys". The butterflies+plants background repeats on the back. Over it is found a barcode with three lines of publishing credits on the left and three lines of EMI credits on the right, all in yellow. The background from the front also continues over the two extra panels, with text printed over them in yellow. The first panel has the catalogue number at the top above a His Master's Voice logo, and the track listing with personnel and various other credits at the bottom (view left). The second panel features the lyrics to the title track. The cassette itself is made of clear plastic with pale grey text printed directly onto it. It features a white His Master's Voice logo in the top right corner.

UK 7" jukebox [HMV POP1620]
This item is just like the stock 7" described above but at the centre is a large hole for jukebox play. The record does not come in a picture sleeve unless it was paired with one a posteriori.
POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / POP 1620 B-2U-1-1

UK 12" promo [HMV 12POPDJ1620]
Each one of Morrissey's first six solo singles was promoted with the help of a 12" in a glossy record bag, each title of a different colour. The sleeve for the promo 12" of "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" is dark green (view left). It has Morrissey's name at the top in white, in the same font used on the commercial single. Below his name is a white His Master's Voice logo. One side is die-cut to expose the a-side label. The other side has the catalogue number in the top right corner in a small white font, and a cut-out opening on the side to facilitate access to the record. The labels are white with a pale green 'A' or 'B' taking up the whole space. Each side's track listing is printed in green in the top half and the promo's catalogue number in the lower half in a smaller font.
12POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / 12POP 1620 B-2U-1-1

UK 12" promo [HMV 12POPDJ1620]
Stock copies of the 12" format with a "Not For Sale" promo sticker on the back of the sleeve and a press release slipped inside also served promotional purposes. The press sheet has a "Parlophone Press Release" header with a logo in the top right corner, and Morrissey's name at the top in the same font used on the "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday" singles.

UK 7" promo [HMV POP1620]
Stock copies of the 7" format were made into promos by having a plugger sticker stuck to the sleeve and being mailed out to media/retail with an A4 press sheet. There are actually two known variations of this. One has a Parlophone sticker on the front of the sleeve with Deslyn Lewis and Kevin McCabe contact information and comes with a press sheet with Morrissey's name at the top in the same font as on the single, next to a His Master's Voice logo. The other variation has a Capitol Parlophone sticker on the back of the sleeve, with contact information for pluggers Steve Hayes, Miranda Leckie and Peter Evans and date-stamped "30 JAN 1989". The press release for this variation is signed by Murray Chalmers, dated "12/12/88" and Morrissey's name at the top is in the same font as on the "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday" singles. From the content of these two press releases and their dates, it appears that the latter pre-dates the former.

UK video promo [Parlophone]
Information on this one-track Parlophone promo video in hardshell case is needed.

UK video instore [EMI no. 24]
The promo video for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was included on volume 24 of EMI Records' "Instore Video Compilation" series alongside videos by other EMI/Capitol/Parlophone artists. The videotape comes in a black hardshell case with white cover insert featuring the drawing of a dancing man on the front and the track listing on the back. Information of the videotape itself is needed.

UK promo poster 51cm x 76cm (20" x 30")
View here (better image needed).

UK promo advert 25cm x 33cm (10" x 13")
View here.

UK 7" test pressing [HMV POP1620]
The existence of three different test pressings has been reported:

• pale pink label test pressing
  This test pressing has a pale pink label on side A and no label on side B. Side B features a slightly different version of "Lucky Lisp". The record comes in a stock sleeve. The etched matrix number looks like it was corrected from POP 1120 into POP 1620.
  POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / POP 1620 B-1U-1-1 (no etched message on side B).
• pale blue label test pressing dated 22 December 1988
  This test pressing has very pale blue labels with "PM POP1620 A/B-1U" in handwriting and "22 DEC 1988" stamped in ink on side B. It has been advertised as featuring a slightly different version of "Lucky Lisp" on side B, but this has since been denied by the person who bought it. It has none of the usual etched messages (Escape To Valium / Return To Valium), only "exchange" on side A and "INL" on side B. The record comes in a plain paper record bag, sometimes white, sometimes black. The etched matrix number looks like it was corrected from POP 1120 into POP 1620.
  POP 1620 A-1U-1-1 / POP 1620 B-1U-1-1 (no etched message on either side).
• pale blue label test pressing dated 15 January 1989
  This test pressing also bears very pale blue labels, but the handwritten text is "POP 1620 A/B-2U" and the stamped date is "15 JAN 1989". The reverse label has nothing written or stamped on it. Unlike the two other versions above, this one features the etched messages (Escape To Valium / Return To Valium) between the record's run-out grooves. The record comes in a plain black paper record bag.
  POP 1620 A-2U-1-1 / POP 1620 B-2U-1-1 (etched messages on each side as per stock version).

UK 12" test pressing [HMV 12POP1620]
The test pressing for the 12" format has pale pink labels with nothing printed or stamped on them. It comes in a white paper poly-lined die-cut inner bag with rounded corners.

UK 12" test pressing [HMV 12POPDJ1620]
This seems to be a test pressing for the 12" promo as it has the same matrix number POPDJ 1620. It bears white labels with nothing printed or stamped on them. It comes in a white paper poly-lined die-cut inner bag with rounded corners.

UK 10" acetate [The Exchange]
This 2-sided 10" acetate features white Exchange Studios labels with printed "The Exchange" at the top, logo at the center, and contact information around the bottom edge. "Morrissey", "The Last Of The International Playboys" [sic] and "A" were added in handwriting to the a-side label. This is presumably an acetate for the 7", so the b-side is expected to feature only "Lucky Lisp" (confirmation needed, b-side label info needed). The acetate comes inside a generic white die-cut card sleeve.

Australia 7" [EMI Australia EMI2197]
Some copies of the Australian 7" were sold inside a picture sleeve, but others came in a generic green EMI paper die-cut record bag showing logos of various EMI subsidiaries such as Parlophone, Capitol or His Master's Voice. The picture sleeve opens from the top and shows the usual artwork on the front. The text on the back is very deep yellow, almost orange, instead of the usual paler yellow. The back differs from the back of the UK sleeve by the absence of a barcode, catalogue number and His Master's Voice logo in the top left corner, the addition of the Australian catalogue number in the top right corner, the removal of the line "Made from recycled paper", and the addition of a EMI logo and EMI Music Group Australasia credit in the bottom left corner. The labels are beige with black text, a red EMI logo at the bottom and red legal credits around the top edge. They have a small semi-circular indentation at the top on both sides.

Australia 12" [EMI Australia ED399]
This is the final Morrissey title to have been released on 12" format in Australia. The sleeve is made of thick glossy paper instead of the usual thicker card, it opens at the top and has no spine (like an oversized 7" sleeve). The front shows the usual artwork. The text on the back is orange instead of yellow. The back differs from the back of the UK sleeve by the absence of a barcode, catalogue number and His Master's Voice logo in the top left corner, the addition of the Australian catalogue number in the top right corner, the removal of the line "Made from recycled paper", and the addition of a EMI logo and EMI Music Group Australasia credit in the bottom left corner. The record is slipped inside a round-bottom anti-static inner sleeve of good quality. The labels are beige with black text, a red EMI logo at the bottom and red legal credits around the top edge.

Australia CMS [EMI Australia TC-ED399]
The insert of the Australian cassette single shows the usual 7"/12" artwork on the front, over a white background including release information and catalogue number (view left). The spine and back are white with black text. The spine only shows the catalogue number, Morrissey's name and the title in a plain font, plus a Dolby logo. The back gives the track listing plus a few warnings. The insert has two extra panels. The first one repeats the (identical) track listing for both sides and includes the production and recording credits. The second panel features the lyrics to the title track plus the personnel credits. The cassette is made of white plastic with blue text printed onto it. A EMI logo is found sideways on the left and the track listing is at the top.

Australia 12" promo [EMI Australia ED399]
Copies of the stock 12" with a white rectangular sticker on the back of the sleeve stating "Sample Record Not For Sale" in red are found on the collectors market. It is not known whether these items are official record company promos or not.

Brazil 12" promo [EMI 9951 133]
This is a 3-track various artists promo 12" featuring "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" on side A and tracks by Carole King and James Reyne on the flip. Its purpose is unclear as the Morrissey song was never released as a single in Brazil. The possibility that it may have served as a promo for "Bona Drag" (on which the song was included) is also out of the question, as the promo is dated from 1989 and features only songs from 1988 and 1989. The promo 12" was distributed inside a red die-cut thin card sleeve with a white EMI logo in the bottom right corner and a purple rectangular sticker in the top left corner giving the contents including production credits, the catalogue number and the promo warning "Mix Promocional Invendável" in white. The record has yellow/beige labels with a pale orange EMI logo at the bottom and Portuguese legal credits around the outer edge in the same colour. The track listing on each side is given in the bottom half of the label, with "Disco Promocional Mix Invendável" and "Varios" in the top half. The catalogue number is on the left and EMI-Odeon credit on the right.

Canada 12" [Sire/Reprise 92 11630]
The Canadian 12" sleeve opens from the top and features the expected artwork on the front. The back differs from the back of the UK sleeve by the absence of the UK catalogue number and the His Master's Voice logo next to the barcode. The EMI credit in the bottom left corner was replaced by a more extensive publishing credit, a Sire/WEA Canada credit and Sire and Reprise logos. For some strange reason, the spine text is found on the bottom spine. The record is slipped inside an anti-static inner sleeve. It features the usual yellow Sire labels with blue Sire logo at the top and black Reprise logo on the left. The text on them follows the usual Sire layout.

Canada 12" promo [Sire/Reprise 92 11630]
As is custom in Canada, promotional 12"s are commercial ones stamped with English and French promo warnings in gold ink on the back of the sleeve.

EEC 7" [EMI 006 20 3218 7]
A 7" edition was made in the EEC for the German, Dutch and French markets, and also perhaps those of Scandinavia and other smaller countries of central Europe. On the outside it looks very much like its British counterpart. The front artwork is the same, but the sleeve is made of thinner paper, it opens at the top, and there is no cut-out part into it to make access to the record easier. The text on the back is slightly different. The UK catalogue number below the barcode was removed and the Euro catalogue numbers for the 7" as well as those of the 12" and cd-single were added above it. Some copies have an additional gold "PM102" (French price code) sticker beneath the barcode. A label code and a EMI logo were added in the bottom left corner beneath the EMI credit. Although the UK labels are black with grey text, the labels here are blue with black text just like those of the previous two Morrissey 7" singles. And just like the earlier singles this one also has a large opening at its centre. A His Master's Voice logo is found at the top, "45 RPM" on the right, and a GEMA box with Stemra underneath on the left above the European catalogue number. The titles and writing credits are in the bottom half. Legal credits in English and German ending with "Made In EEC" are printed along the outer edge.

EEC 12" [EMI 060 20 3218 6]
The EEC 12" features the usual artwork on the front. The back differs from the back of the UK 12" by a few details. The barcode was moved from the top left corner to the top right one. The catalogue number for the EEC 12" as well as a French price code are found above it, and the catalogue numbers for its 7" and cd-single counterparts are given beneath it. The His Master's Voice logo was moved from the top left corner to the bottom right one. The Murray Chalmers press credit and the recycled paper line were dropped. Dutch, French and German printing and distribution credits as well as a label code were added at the bottom on the left side beneath the usual EMI credit. The record is slipped inside a white paper inner sleeve. Although the UK labels are black with grey text, the labels here are blue with black text just like those of the previous two Morrissey 12" singles. A His Master's Voice logo is found at the top, "45 RPM" on the right, and a GEMA box with Stemra underneath on the left above the European catalogue number. The titles and writing credits are in the bottom half. Legal credits in English and German ending with "Made In EEC" are printed along the outer edge.

EEC 7" test pressing [EMI 20 3218 7]
The discovery of this test pressing for the EEC 7" tells us that it was pressed in Germany. The record has generic white labels with black printed text: "Unverkauflich Musterplatte" on the left, the side identification on the right and legal credits around the bottom edge. The catalogue number was stamped in blue in the bottom half. The record usually comes inside a paper sleeve that is mostly white, with only the line "Muster zu Ihrer Information" repeated at the top in black. The back of the sleeve is all white. The record usually includes a EMI Electrola GMBH label copy sheet filled with technical information about the music and its recording. Some copies have made the collectors' market in a stock EEC sleeve, without the technical data sheet.

France 12" promo [EMI 20 3218 6]
This single was promoted in France with stock EEC 12"s with their sleeve stamped with a French promo warning. Information on the stamp is needed.

France video promo
The video for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was included on a 5-track various artists promo video compilation sent to the relevent media. Information on the packaging is needed.

Germany press sheet
This single was promoted in Germany with EEC 7"s paired with a "7inc" press release. This press release is the size of the 7" sleeve and was therefore slipped inside it for distribution. It has the yellow "7inc" logo at the top and is dated "25-01-89".

Greece 12" [EMI 052-2032186]
The Greek 12" features the usual artwork on the front. The text on the back is a very intense shade of yellow. The barcode there was dropped and the catalogue number was changed for the Greek one. A EMI Greece credit was added in the bottom right corner. The record is protected by a plastic anti-static inner sleeve. The labels are red with a vintage black and red EMI/His Master's Voice logo at the top. The track listing and extensive credits are found in the bottom half in black. Two lines of credits and legal notes are printed in yellow around the outer edge.

Italy 7" [EMI Italiana 06 2032187]
The sleeve of the Italian 7" is made of rough paper and opens from the side. It features the usual artwork on the front. The back of the sleeve is very similar to the back of the UK sleeve. The catalogue number beneath the barcode was changed for the Italian one, the Murray Chalmers press credit was removed, a white ES logo was added in the top right corner and a very small 'M' in a box was added in the bottom right corner. The record has a large hole at its centre. The labels are blue with black text just like those of the EEC 7" instead of being black with grey text like the UK labels. The differences with the EEC labels are very minor ones: the GEMA/Stemra box was replaced with their Italian counterpart SIAE, the catalogue number was changed, an EMI Italiana credit is found around the outer edge, etc. The layout of the rest of the credits was slightly changed.

Italy 12" [EMI Italiana 14 2032186]
The sleeve of the Italian 12" is made of particularly thin card and opens at the top. It shows the usual artwork on the front. The back shows only very subtle differences with the back of the UK 12". The catalogue number beneath the barcode was changed for the Italian one, the Murray Chalmers press credit was changed for one crediting EMI Italiana and a very small white printing credit was added in the bottom right corner. Because of the sleeve in which this record was distributed, there is no inner sleeve, although many collectors have since added one for safer storage. The labels are blue with black text just like those of the EEC 12" instead of being black with grey text like the UK labels. The differences with the EEC labels are very minor ones: the GEMA/Stemra box was replaced with their Italian counterpart SIAE, the catalogue number was changed, an EMI Italiana credit is found around the outer edge, etc. The layout of the rest of the credits was slightly changed.

Italy 7" promo [EMI Italiana 06 2032187]
Copies of the stock 7" were made into promotional items by being pin-stamped in the bottom left corner with the words "Campione Gratuito".

Italy 12" promo [EMI Italiana 14 2032186]
Copies of the stock 12" were made into promotional items by being pin-stamped in the bottom left corner with the words "Campione Gratuito".

Portugal 7" [EMI 20 3218 7]
The sleeve of the Portuguese 7" is made of glossy paper and opens from the side. It has a rectangular cut-out at the back to facilitate access to the record. It features the expected artwork on the front. The back differs from the back of the UK 7" by a few details. The catalogue number beneath the barcode was changed for the Portuguese one and the word "Stereo", a Valentim De Carvalho logo was added at the bottom on the left side, and a small printed credit was added in the bottom right corner. The labels were modelled on the blue and black EEC ones instead of the black and grey UK ones, but the record has a solid centre. They also show a His Master's Voice logo at the top and "45 RPM" on the right, but feature fewer credits and Morrissey's name was given more emphasis than the song titles. The credits around the edge are in Portuguese.

Portugal 7" promo [EMI 20 3218 7]
Promo copies of this single are simply stock ones distributed with a single-sided A4-sized black and white press sheet. The sheet's header shows Morrissey's name in the same font as on the front of the "Suedehead" single. The contents are four paragraphs of biographical text. There is a EMI Valentim De Carvalho logo at the very bottom of the page.

Sweden press sheet
The release of this single was promoted in Sweden with stock copies of the UK 7" distributed with an A4-sized Swedish press sheet stating "Morrissey är tillbaka!" (Morrissey is back). Additional information needed.

Uruguay CMS [EMI 501733-4]
This is one of only two known Morrissey releases made in Uruguay to have made it into the world of Morrissey collectors. The other one is a cassette of "Your Arsenal", a somewhat less unexpected item than this cassette-single. Although the EMI logo is found here and there on the packaging, this is very likely an unlicensed edition. The artwork has nothing to do with the usual artwork. It shows a black and white promotional shot of Morrissey from the Viva Hate era over a yellow and black checkered background, with the words "Walkman Mix" in blue above and below. Morrissey's name over the photo and on the spine appears in the same font as on the usual single artwork. The spine and back are yellow with black text. The back features the track listing and a production credit, including the words "Made In Uruguay". The insert has one extra panel on which the track listing and EMI credits are printed in black over white, under the header "Morrisey (Walkman Mix)" [sic]. Morrissey's name is also misspelled in the EMI credits, and the third title in the track listing is misspelled as "Michael Bones". The cassette is made of white plastic and has peach coloured labels. The generic content (EMI logo, Agadu credit, side number, other credits) appears in the bottom half in red, while everything relevent to this release ("Morrisey" [sic], the track listing, the catalogue number) is printed in the top half in black.

USA 12" [Sire/Reprise 9 21163-0]
The American 12" single shows the usual artwork on the front. The back differs from the back of the UK sleeve by the absence of the UK catalogue number and the His Master's Voice logo next to the barcode. The EMI credit at the bottom on the left side was replaced by a more extensive publishing credit, a Sire/Warner Bros credit and Sire and Reprise logos. The record is slipped inside an anti-static inner sleeve. It features the usual yellow Sire labels with blue Sire logo at the top and black Reprise logo on the left. The text on them follows the usual Sire layout. The seal has a beige rectangular sticker on the front advertising the contents and the fact that this is a "Specially Priced Maxi-Single".

USA CMS [Sire/Reprise 9 21163-4]
The American cassette has its own layout for the front artwork, different to that of the UK cassette (view left). The background pattern continues over the spine and back. The spine is filled with text and logos. Morrissey's name appears there in the same green and font as on the front. The title is also green, while the Sire, Reprise, CMS Maxi Single and Dolby logos are beige. The back features a barcode and the track listing, production credit and Sire address is beige. The reverse of the insert is white and filled with printed black text: lyrics to the title track, personnel, recording credits, publishing credits, catalogue number, Sire and Reprise logos and credits. The cassette itself is made of white plastic with black text printed onto it in black. The track listing is at the top and Sire and Reprise logos are on the left. The seal has a beige rectangular sticker on the front advertising the contents and the fact that this is a "Specially Priced" item.

USA 12" promo [Sire/Reprise 9 21163-0]
This single was mainly promoted via stock copies of the 12" format stamped with a promo warning in gold ink on the front of the sleeve. The beige sticker advertising the single's contents which is usually found on the seal of the stock 12" was affixed directly onto the sleeve of the promo because promos were never sealed.

USA video promo [Warner Bros WB #174]
The video for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was included on a Warner Bros promo video compilation dated "26-9-90" which also features material by Rhino Bucket, Faith No More, Jon Hassell, Depeche Mode, etc. The date may indicate that this item has served as a promo for the release of the "Bona Drag" anthology which features "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys". Information on the packaging is needed.

USA video promo [ETV #353]
The promotional film for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was featured on volume #353 of the ETV video compilation series. The case has a yellow track listing insert or sticker including BPM and song length. The videotape has a generic white and maroon E.T.Video sticker label on top with contact address plus "E.T. #353" printed in black. Additional information welcome.

USA video promo [Telegenics 77A]
The video for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was included on the 77A issue of promo video series Telegenics, alongside videos by other artists. The videocassette is found in a hardshell case with a green titles/song length insert slipped into it. Information on the videocassette is needed.

USA video promo [NVS #1908]
The video for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was also included on issue #1908 of club video series NVS (National Video Subscription), dated August 1989, alongside videos by other artists such as Tin Machine, Malcolm McLaren, Pop Will Eat Itself, Soul Asylum, XTC, U2, Peter Gabriel, etc. The packaging has a white insert or sticker giving the track listing including BPM, song lengths and record labels. Information on the rest of the packaging is needed.

USA 12" acetates [Sire/Reprise 0-21163]
The American 12" acetates come as a set of two, one for each side. They have white "K Disc Mastering" labels with K Disc logo and address at the top, typed release information underneath ("Morrissey", "Warner Bros", side number, "January 24, 1989" and titles), and the catalogue number (0-21163 A / 0-21163 B) handwritten in blue ink at the bottom. Each acetate is slipped inside a white paper poly-lined die-cut inner bag. The set is distributed inside a white card sleeve with K Disc Mastering logo and address at the top. The printed "Artist____________" line is filled with Morrissey's name and the catalogue number in ink.