February 1989
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
Lucky Lisp
UK 7" [HMV POP1620]
Australia 7" [EMI Australia EMI2197]
EEC 7" [EMI 006 20 3218 7]
Italy 7" [EMI Italiana 06 2032187]
Portugal 7" [EMI 20 3218 7]
The Last Of The Famous International Playboys
Lucky Lisp
Michael's Bones
UK CD5 [HMV CDPOP1620]
UK 12" [HMV 12POP1620]
UK CMS [HMV TCPOP1620]
Australia 12" [EMI Australia ED399]
Australia CMS [EMI Australia TC-ED399]
Canada 12" [Sire/Reprise 92 11630]
EEC 12" [EMI 060 20 3218 6]
Greece 12" [EMI 052-2032186]
Italy 12" [EMI Italiana 14 2032186]
Uruguay CMS [EMI 501733-4]
USA 12" [Sire/Reprise 9 21163-0]
USA CMS [Sire/Reprise 9 21163-4]
Additional information:
For information on the 2013 reissue of the title track, see here.
Artwork information:
Morrissey, aged 7, up a tree in Chorlton-on-Medlock.
Etchings on vinyl:
UK 7" and 12": ESCAPE FROM VALIUM / RETURN TO VALIUM
Additional release date information:
UK: 11 February 1989
Chart peak information:
UK: 6
USA: (didn't chart, but reached #3 on Modern Rock Chart)
Promotion:
UK: This single was promoted in the UK with the help of the third in a series of promo 12"s in glossy record bags of different colour. The one for this single was slipped inside a green sleeve (EMI 12POPDJ1620; view left). Stock 7"s were sent to media with a plugger sticker on their sleeve and a press release. Stock 12"s with a "Not For Sale" sticker on the sleeve and a press release served similar purposes. One-track Parlophone promo videos of the title track were distributed for promotion as well. The video for "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" was included on a various artists instore sampler (EMI Instore no. 24).
Australia: Copies of the stock 12" with a white sticker on the back of the sleeve stating "Sample Record Not For Sale" are found on the collectors market. It is not known whether these items are official record company promos or not.
Brazil: The title track was included on a 3-track various artists promo EP numbered 9951133 despite the fact that this song was never released as a single in Brazil.Canada: Gold-stamped copies of the 12" single were used for promotion.
France: This single was promoted in France with stock EEC 12"s with their sleeve stamped with a French promo warning. 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.
Germany: Copies of the EEC 7" were sent to radio with a 'fact sheet' in German.
Italy: Stock 7"s and 12"s with "Campione Gratuito" pin-stamped in a corner of the sleeve were sent to radio/retail for promotion of this title.
Portugal: Promo copies of this single are simply stock ones distributed with a single-sided A4-sized black and white press sheet.
Sweden: 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).
USA: Gold-stamped copies of the 12" single were the main promotional tool in the USA. The video for the title track was included on an issue of the various artists ETV promo video series, issue 77a of the Telegenics various artists promo video series as well as an other unidentified one intended for Club play. Strangely, it was also included on a Warner Bros various artists compilation (WB#174) dated 26-9-90 (over a year after the single's release date).