UK LP [Rough Trade ROUGH96]
The LP sleeve is gatefold, it opens to show the lyrics in pink on one side and the now iconic photo of the band in front of the Salford Lads Club on the other. As for all other formats, the back of the sleeve is very miminal, it only features a track listing in pink next to black flag-like symbols, and nothing else. The thick and glossy inner sleeve shows a black and white photo of Alain Delon on each side. One side has credits in dark green text over the photo while the other only has the catalogue number in very small print in the top right corner. The labels are dark green with the text in tan and "The Smiths" at the top in white, all in the classic Rough Trade layout. Some copies have a round pink sticker on the front of the sleeve advertising the inclusion of recent singles "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" and "Bigmouth Strikes Again".
ROUGH 96 A1 / ROUGH 96 B1
ROUGH 96 A1X / ROUGH 96 B1
ROUGH 96 A1X / ROUGH 96 B1X LYN-27904
ROUGH 96 A-1U-1-1 / ROUGH 96 B-1U-1-1
ROUGH 96 A-2U-1-1 / ROUGH 96 B-1U-1-1
ROUGH 96 A-1U-1-1-x / ROUGH 96 B-2U-1-1-x1
ROUGH 96 A-1U-1-4-1 / ROUGH 96 B-2U-1-1-

The picture disc edition of the LP showing the album artwork on the vinyl is a bootleg reproduction from 2007. The same goes for all other coloured vinyl edition (pink, light green, splatter) based on various international editions of the LP.

UK LP [Rhino UK ROURH96; 2009 reissue on 180g LP]
The front of the 2009 Rhino LP reissue is the same as the original Rough Trade LP. The back would be the same without the additional barcode in the bottom right corner. The package includes a coupon with an offer to download the album on MP3 format. This is actually advertised on a white square "Vinyl Plus+" sticker on the front. This was not offered with the American 2009 edition detailed below. Information about the inner sleeve and record is needed.

UK 10" [Rhino UK ROURH96; 2011 reissue for Record Store Day]
The Sleeve of the 2011 Record Store Day edition of "The Queen Is Dead" is gatefold. Its finish is more satiny than glossy. There's a pink round sticker on the front stating "The Smiths / The Queen Is Dead / 25th Anniversary Limited Edition / Record Store Day / 2011 Exclusive". The back looks just like that of the original edition apart from the now unavoidable barcode. The gatefold content is reversed: the Salford Lads Club photo is found on the left panel (With Warner Bros UK Ltd. / Distributed by TEN credit) and the lyrics are found on the right one. Because this edition is limited and numbered, the right panel also has a white bar with the run number stamped into it. The inner sleeve is like the original with the exception of the catalogue number. Just like the outer sleeve it has a satiny finish. The labels are a much lighter green than the original ones, in fact they are almost grey. They differ in the new catalogue number and Warner Music UK LTD publishing credit. This item is supposedly limited to 1500 copies, 800 for the UK and 700 for the rest of the world, although some other sources have mentioned that 2000 copies were pressed.

UK cassette [Rough Trade ROUGHC96]
The cassette is not a very popular format with collectors, but this one is found in a good number of collections. There are three variations out there to collect. All have the same insert. The front artwork can be viewed from the menu on the left of this page. The spine of pink text ("The Smiths", album title and catalogue number at the bottom) and black logos (Chrome and Dolby at the top, flag-like symbol between band name and title, Rough Trade logo at the bottom). The back features a track listing in pink and nothing else. The insert unfolds once for credits in pink over green, then once again to show a black and white and differently cropped version of the Salford Lads Club photo from the LP's gatefold sleeve. All cassettes have dark green labels with white text, but the font/size differs slightly between versions. The major discrepancies between the three versions are found with the case and cassette colour:

• dark green cassette, beige case
• black cassette, black or clear case
• beige cassette, black or clear case - the font and size of the text on labels is different; this may be an unrecognizable non-UK edition

UK CD [Rough Trade ROUGHCD96]
Four different editions of the UK compact disc have been reported. All have the same variation on the LP artwork on the front (view left). All seem to have the same booklet content: Salford Lads Club photo (different take to the one in the LP), white page with pink credits, five pages of lyrics in pink over green, Delon photo from LP inner sleeve but in pink, five pages of lyrics in green over pink, photo of the Smiths at the foot of an escalator, green back page with only Rough Trade address in pink (please report any variation to this). The differences between the four editions are found on the label and on the back:

• 'Made in Japan' edition
  Label states 'Made in Japan' at the bottom. The back shows a big black compact disc logo, the catalogue number in black, the [AAD] logo in black, the track listing in pink, and at the bottom the flag-like icon in black.
• 'Made in France' edition
  The label is the same, but it now states 'Made in France' at the bottom. The back is the same.
• 'Made in France' edition
  Same 'Made in France' label. The back now features a barcode, and the smaller compact disc logo replaces the [AAD] logo under the catalogue number. The text on one of the spines is white instead of pink.
• British edition
  No 'Made in...' line on the label but this edition was made in England, and states 'Mastered by Nimbus' around the cd's inner ring. Same back with barcode and white text on one of the spines.

UK music book [Warner Bros Music Ltd and IMP 20846]
Features tabs for the ten songs included on the album. View here. Includes black and white poster.

UK/Europe CD [2012 reissue on Warner/Rhino 2564660485]
Information needed.

UK/Europe LP [2012 reissue on Rhino Records 2564665887]
Information needed.

UK LP promo + press photo [Rough Trade ROUGH96]
A limited number of white label copies of the LP were sent out ahead of the album's release to be reviewed in the music media. The records have plain white labels with nothing printed or written on them. They come in a stock sleeve. Included in the set are a 8" x 10" black and white press photo featuring a black and white shot of Morrissey, and a letter from Pat Bellis giving the album's release date, asking for the reviewer not to play the album to other journalists and not to publish the reviews before the album's release.

A very limited number of these white labels were sent to key people inside a proof sleeve with a Beer Davies plugger sticker on the back of the outer sleeve. There are three components to the proof sleeve, all unglued (folded but unfoldable): the outer one showing the front and back artwork, another one showing both sides of the gatefold content, and a third one showing both sides of the inner sleeve. This was presumably part of the earlier stages of promotion.
ROUGH96 A-1U-1-1-1 / ROUGH96 B-1U-1-1

Light green 'white labels' are assumed to be test pressings, not promos, and are described below.

UK promo canvas 97cm x 97cm (38" x 38")
This square canvas featuring the album artwork was probably used for instore retail promotion. It is assumed to be British, but this is unconfirmed. Please write if you know anything about this. View here.

UK promo canvas 91cm x 91cm (36" x 36")
This item appears to be similar to the one above, but perhaps a bit smaller. It shows the album artwork on silk screen without any type. It was presumably sent to major record shops to advertise the release of the album.

UK promo poster 30cm x 60cm (12" x 24")
View here.

UK promo poster 100cm x 150cm (40" x 60")
Subway size poster. View here (better scan or flat photo needed).

UK promo poster 60cm x 86cm (24" x 34")
This may be American and not British. View here.

Because "The Queen Is Dead" is the Smiths' ultimate classic album, there are many other poster variations out there, but they are assumed not to be official. These include variations showing the Salford Lads Club image of the band over a reproduction of the LP sticker advertising the inclusion of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" and "Bigmouth Strikes Again". Others show the same Salford Lads Club photo or croppings of the album's artwork with the name of the band and album title in pink.

UK promo postcard
View here. The reverse has an announcement for the album, a Alain Delon credit and a Rough Trade address.

UK ad 30cm x 40cm (12" x 16")
Black and white ad. View here.

UK promo badge
This is assumed to be from the UK although it could also be from the USA. It was also sold as merchandise on the British leg of the Queen Is Dead tour. View here.

UK promo stickers
Set of 4 x 2" diameter promotional-only stickers with dark green background and 'The Queen Is Dead' printed in pink. View here.

UK/Europe promo CD-r [Rhino Records]
CD-r to promote 'The Smiths - Complete - Remastered by Johnny Marr' reissues. Comes in a PVC sleeve with full color artwork and fold out insert. Additional information needed.

UK LP Mayking test pressing [Rough Trade ROUGH96]
A test pressing of the LP featuring Mayking labels has made it into the hands of a few collectors. More info wanted.

UK LP green label test pressing [Rough Trade ROUGH96]
The existence of a test pressing with light green labels has also been reported. It has been advertised as a promo but given its scarcity and the fact that is has never been seen with any promo material, it is assumed to be a test pressing. Additional information is needed.

UK LP white label test pressing [Rough Trade ROUGH96]
White label test pressing.
ROUGH 96 A-1U-1-1 / ROUGH 96 B-1U-1-1
ROUGH 96 A-2U-1-1 / ROUGH 96 B-1U-1-1

UK LP test pressing of 2009 reissue [Rhino UK ROURH96]
The test pressing of the 2009 reissue on 180g LP is slipped inside a plain white die-cut sleeve. It has plain white labels and the number (971335 ?) is etched between the run-out grooves.

UK proof of LP sleeve
Printer's proof for the sleeve of the LP. It shows the front and back side by side, with the spine in between, and cutting marks around them.

UK proof of inside gatefold LP sleeve
Printer's proof for the inside of the LP's gatefold sleeve, with cutting marks around it. There is no text over the Salford Lads Club image, just like on the definitive version.

UK proof of inside gatefold LP sleeve - early
Printer's proof for the inside of the LP's gatefold sleeve. Shows the lyrics and Salford Lads Club photo side by side. Credits that ended up appearing on the inner sleeve in green are printed in pink over the Salford Lads Club photo.

UK proof of inside gatefold LP sleeve - early
This is very much like the previous proof, but there are fewer pink credits over the photo.

UK proof of inside gatefold LP sleeve - early
Printer's proof for the inside of the LP's gatefold sleeve. Shows the lyrics and Salford Lads Club photo side by side. Credits that ended up appearing on the inner sleeve in green are printed in red over the Salford Lads Club photo. The lyrics are also printed in red.

UK proof of inside gatefold LP sleeve - early
Printer's proof for the inside of the LP's gatefold sleeve. Shows the lyrics and Salford Lads Club photo side by side. Credits that ended up appearing on the inner sleeve in green are printed in purple-blue over the Salford Lads Club photo. The lyrics are also printed in purple-blue.

UK proof of LP inner sleeve
Printer's proof for both sides of the inner sleeve, with cutting marks and layout instructions. Text is dark green as on definitive album

UK proof of LP inner sleeve - pink text
Printer's proof for both sides of the inner sleeve, with cutting marks and layout instructions. Text is pink instead of green.

UK proof of cassette insert
Printers proof of the complete unfolded cassette insert with registration and proofing bars.

UK gold disc
Official BPI gold disc issued to commemorate sales in excess of 100 000 copies. It features a gold LP mounted on a red background above a gold engraved dedication plaque (example: presented to Mike Joyce) and cassette artwork card, with mini Union Jack flag in the top left corner. Approximately 20" x 16" framed and glazed.

UK or USA reference CD-R
In 2006, Warner considered releasing a 20th anniversary edition of "The Queen Is Dead" through its subsidiary Rhino. This anniversary edition would have come with a bonus cd of related rarities. Plans fell through but cd-rs of the project have made it into the hands of people who were involved. The cd-r has a paper label with a Basement Tapes logo, band name, title, and the date "1.16.06". It comes in a slimline jewel case with a white card insert featuring the same information as on the cd, plus the full track listing, which goes as follows: "The Queen Is Dead" (demo), "Frankly Mr Shankly" (demo), "I Know It's Over" (demo), "Never Had No One Ever" (demo), "Cemetry Gates" (demo), "Bigmouth Strikes Again" (demo), "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" (demo), "Unloveable" (demo), "Vicar In A Tutu" (demo instrumental), "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" (take 1), "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others" (demo), "Frankly Mr Shankly" (trumpet version), "Rubber Ring" (b-side), "Asleep" (b-side), "Money Changes Everything" (b-side), "Unloveable" (LP outtake), "The Queen Is Dead" (full version), "Never Had No One Ever" (take one / instrumental).

Argentina LP [Erahora 10005]
The sleeve of the Argentinean LP is not gatefold. The content of the UK edition's gatefold sleeve was reproduced on each side of the inner sleeve: lyrics on one side and Salford Lads Club photo on the other. The album credits originally found on the Alain Delon inner sleeve appear here on the back of the sleeve. The record bears generic white Erahora labels. Unlike the "Meat Is Murder" album, the titles for "The Queen Is Dead" were not translated to Spanish.

Argentina cassette [Erahora 10005]
The Argentina cassette shows the usual LP artwork over a pink background with the Erahora Records logo underneath it. The track listing is found on the back, in green over pink, and again inside along with credits. The cassette is off-white with brown paper labels featuring black text and colour Erahora logo.

Argentina LP white label [Erahora 10005]
A white label promo or test pressing of this album has been reported. The record has plain white labels and comes in the usual stock picture sleeve.

The CBS and Festival editions on any format have become particularly collectable because of the 'correction' of the fade-in-fade-out intro to "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others". Someone at CBS must have thought that there was a mastering error at the beginning of that song and 'repaired' it. Then the Festival reissues of 1988 must have been mastered from the original CBS edition instead of master tapes because their releases on any format also feature this 'fixed' version of the album's final song.

Australia LP [CBS RTRANZ013]
The original Australian LP edition is not gatefold. The lyrics and Salford Lads Club photo found inside the UK gatefold sleeve were reproduced here on sides of the inner sleeve, which is surprisingly thick and glossy. Therefore, the credits found in the UK over the inner sleeve's Delon photo appear here over the Salford Lads Club photo, in pink instead of green. The lyrics side has additional Australian credits in the lower right corner. The back shows extra catalogue numbers in pink and a 'CBS Super Sound Cassette' logo in the top right corner, and additional CBS credits in pink at the very bottom. The labels are the usual green and red ones showing the silhouette of a man. They differ from the very similar New Zealand labels by the presence of the line "Made and distributed in Australia under licence" at the bottom and by a different typeset (production and engineering credits at the top, album title under the centre hole, etc).

Australia LP [1988 reissue on Festival L30108]
The sleeve of the 1988 reissue on Festival Records is similar to that of the original pressing, with minor changes accounting for the different label involved. The record features red labels with black text and a Rough Trade circle logo at the top. It is slipped inside a plain film inner sleeve which is in turn slipped inside a picture inner sleeve just like the one in the original edition (is it as thick?). The package also includes a paper insert advertising "The Smiths' Collection".

Australia cassette [CBS RTCANZ-013]
The front of the original CBS cassette is built from two different croppings of the usual front artwork, patched one above the other: a cropped close-up of Delon's head and another one of the band name and album title (view left). The spine is white with "The Smiths" in the middle in tall red letters and the album title above it in black, between the catalogue number in pink on the left and a 'shattered' Rough Trade logo in black on the right. The back is full and shows an awkwardly laid out track listing in black over a pink background, with two holes in the card for the case's pegs to poke through. The track listing is repeated on the reverse of the insert, in black and white, above credits for songwriting, production and publishing and a block of fine print about copyright and Dolby noise reduction. The cassette itself is a pale taupe grey with blue text printed directly onto it. The track listing and credits for publishing, songwriting and production are at the top, a 'shattered' Rough Trade logo on the left and the catalogue number in the bottom right corner.

Australia cassette [1988 reissue on Festival C30108]
The 1988 reissue of the cassette on Festival Records shows the album artwork on the front, over a pink background which features the name of the band and album title at the top and a Dolby logo at the bottom. Information about the insert's content is needed. The cassette is white with black text printed straight onto it. A "The Smiths Collection" paper insert advertising Festival's reissue programme is found inside.

Australia CD [CBS 451069-2/DIDP11070]
The first Australian compact disc edition of "The Queen Is Dead" came out about one year after the other formats. It was made in Japan to be sold in Australia and perhaps also New Zealand. The front artwork shows the usual LP layout, but the green colour is not as saturated which means that the Delon image is slightly more visible. A compact disc logo was added in the bottom right corner. The back has a black stripe on the left with barcode and various logos and numbers. A 'shattered' Rough Trade logo was added in the top right corner in white, above the album's two catalogue numbers. Credits are given in white at the bottom. The compact disc surface is silver with black text printed onto it. The booklet includes the lyrics on white pages, a cropped version of the Salford Lads Club photo, and a page of instructions on the use and maintenance of compact discs.

Australia CD [1988 reissue on Festival D30108]
The Festival cd edition would again be put to shame by some bootlegs. As for other titles, more care was taken into the production of the Festival LP than its cd counterpart. The front artwork uses the usual LP layout just like the CBS LP did, but in this case the green is very saturated and there is no Compact Disc logo in the corner. The booklet doesn't include lyrics, it only features a portion of the Salford Lads Club photo. Credits are printed in white on the back of it. The back of the cd tray inlay is also dark green with titles and credits in a plain white font. The cd's surface is plain silver with black text printed over it.

Australia CD [1993 reissue on Warner Australia 450991896-2]
The packaging and content of the 1993 cd reissue on WEA parallels its European counterpart described below. The only difference is found in the licensing credits on the cd's label (confirmation/detailed information needed). A later variation with black disc surface may exist (confirmation needed).

Australia LP promo [CBS RTRANZ013]
Stock copies of the original LP edition were supposedly stamped with a promo warning in gold on the back.

Australia LP promo [1988 reissue on Festival L30108]
A very limited number of copies of the Festival stock LP with promo sticker affixed to the label were distributed to promote Festival's reissue programme.

Brazil LP [WEA 610.7082]
The LP sleeve is gatefold in Brazil. The front shows the usual LP artwork, but the catalogue number appears in very small pink print in the top right corner. The back differs from the British back by additional catalogue numbers in pink in the top right corner and extra credits and Rough Trade logo at the bottom. The inner sleeve is identical to the British one, but it is unexpectedly thicker than the album's outer sleeve. The catalogue number was changed to the Brazilian one and printed on both sides. The record features the usual red labels with black text.

Brazil cassette [WEA 761.7082]
The front of the cassette insert shows the LP artwork over a white background with band name and album title in black at the top. The back is mustard yellow and features the album's track listing including each song's publishing number. The cassette itself is beige and its labels are silver with black text and a RCA logo.

Brazil CD [WEA 450991896-2]
Brazil is one of the countries that followed WEA Europe on its reissue programme of 1993 and this album was made available there on compact disc that year for the first time otherwise than on import. The packaging and content are based on the European edition described below. The only difference is found in the licensing credits.

Brazil LP promo [WEA 610.7082]
Promo copies of the LP are stock ones stamped with the promo warning "Especial para promoçao invendavel amostra gratis tributada" on the back and in ink on the labels.

Brazil various artists promo EP [WEA#24, 1.024]
This promo EP features "Bigmouth Strikes Again" along with songs from Mike And The Mechanics, the Isley Brothers, Steve Winwood, Zapp and the Fat Boys. It comes in a dark blue sleeve with a huge yellow WEA logo and yellow track listing on the front.

Brazil various artists promo EP [WEA #37, 1.037]
This 4-track promo EP features "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" along with songs from Peter Cetera, Steve Winwood and Frankie Goes To Hollywood. It comes in a blue sleeve with a huge pink WEA logo and pink track listing on the front.

Canada LP [Sire 92 54261]
There are two different editions of the Canadian LP. Both have gatefold sleeves identical to the British one except for the additional logos and Sire credits at the bottom on the back. The inner sleeve is a paper variation of the British inner sleeve, with the catalogue number corrected and moved to the bottom on the side where it is printed. Both have classic yellow Sire labels, but one version has the word 'Sire' under the logo, while the other has it at the 2 o'clock position around it.

Canada cassette [Sire 92 54264]
The Canadian cassette is a very minimal affair. Instead of the better looking Sire USA artwork (view left), the front shows the LP artwork at the top, with band name, album title and logos at the bottom in white over black. The back of the insert is full, it features the track listing, credits and two holes for the case's plastic prongs. The cassette itself is made of black plastic and the text is printed on it in grey.

Canada CD [Sire CD-25426]
The Canadian cd artwork is based on its American counterpart, which means that it features the LP artwork on the front. The most notable difference with the British cd is the booklet content, which is all in black and white. The booklet opens on a page giving the track listing, followed by the Alain Delon photo and credits from the LP's inner sleeve on separate pages, then the Salford Lads Club photo. The following pages feature the lyrics, printed in white over black. Just like the American cd, the titles on the back of the tray inlay use most of the space (the back artwork elsewhere is quite minimal) and "Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty" was added under "The Queen Is Dead". There are two slightly different editions. On earlier pressings there is a black stripe beneath the Sire credit on the booklet's back page, and the black stripe beneath the catalogue number in the top left corner is thicker. The other difference is found in the credits at the bottom on the back insert. The original ones give a WEA address on Birchmount Rd in Scarborough and end with the catalogue number, while on the later pressing, the Warner Music Canada address is on Victoria Park Avenue and the credits end with a mention of AOL Time Warner.

Canada LP promo [Sire 92 54261]
Promotion of this album in Canada was done via stock copies of the LP stamped in gold ink on the sleeve. While the stamp is found on the front of the sleeve in the USA, it is always on the back for Canadian releases. The Canadian promo stamp also has the particularity of being bilingual, the promo warning appears in both English and French, the country's two official languages. The Sire logo on the labels of these promos has the word 'Sire' at the two o'clock position (see logo variations described in the Canadian stock LP paragraph above).

Canada various artists cassette promo [(WEA 1986)]
The album was promoted in Canada with the help of a promo cassette featuring "Bigmouth Strikes Again" alongside tracks from the Cure, Depeche Mode, Alphaville, Chalk Circle, Book Of Love, The Call, etc.

After purchasing the rights to the Smiths catalogue, Warner released two best ofs then in 1993 proceeded with the reissue of all the albums over the territories they controlled. Their 'international' edition was "made by WEA in Germany manufacturing Europe" as the credits state and was sold mostly in Europe and in some Latin American countries. The design of the various formats was based partly on the original British and American designs. The WEA cds and cassettes were reissued again in 1995 when the "Singles" compilation came out, but these repressings are identical to the 1993 editions, except for a yellow exclamation mark sticker on the front of the case marking them as half-price reissues.

Europe CD [WEA 450991896-2]
The packaging of the 1993 cd reissue is based on the original Rough Trade UK edition. The front is identical, and the back is similar: catalogue numbers and label code appear in pink under the barcode and credits and WEA logo were added under the track listing. The black flag-like icon was removed, which is surprising and it was retained for the cassette and vinyl formats. The text on the spine is pink on one side and white on the other, just like the latter UK cd editions. The booklet is identical to the original British one (see UK cd above for detailed description), with the exception of the back of it which only shows the catalogue number in pink in the lower right corner. The cd surface is all green with light grey text. There are two slight variations of this item. Some copies say "France WE833" under the catalogue number on the back, others say "WE835". This is believed to be a price code for retail in France.

Europe cassette [WEA 450991896-4]
WEA followed closely the original Rough Trade artwork for the cassette format (view left). The back features additional barcode and credits along with the track listing. On the other hand the spine is less cluttered and a few changes were made from Rough Trade to WEA logos and catalogue number. The insert unfolds to find more or less the same credits (with a few updates), the same Salford Lads Club photo, plus an extra panel with the lyrics to "The Queen Is Dead". The remainder of the lyrics is printed on the insert's reverse. The most notable difference with the original Rough Trade edition is the cassette itself which was produced in clear see-through plastic.

Europe 10 [WEA 450991896-1]
WEA had something for collectors in their 1993 reissue programme as every album was also put out on numbered limited edition 10" sized LPs. The records were produced in very thick vinyl. The labels for "The Queen Is Dead" are green with pink text, both in the same tones as the front artwork. The sleeve is not gatefold and the inner sleeve is a plain white one, which means that the Salford Lads Club and Alain Delon photos as well as the lyrics featured in the original LP edition are unfortunately missing. The front artwork is identical to the original LP artwork, but a white box with the run number stamped into it was added at the bottom. The back is not as minimal as on the original British LP edition. It shows an additional bar code, catalogue numbers, logos and credits.

Europe proof of 10" artwork
This is a printer's proof of the artwork for the 10" LP. It shows the front and back, side by side, with proofing bars. There doesn't seem to be any difference with the final artwork except for the fact that the number box is blank.

France LP [Virgin 70444]
The LP packaging in cover star Alain Delon's home country is very similar to its British counterpart. The back features the expected additional credits and logos. The labels are similar to the Rough Trade UK ones. The name of the band is still white but the rest of the text is grey instead of tan. Its layout is the same, with a few minor adjustments in the credits, catalogue number and Virgin and SACEM logos. The inner sleeve is made of paper instead of glossy card. Typically, as with other French releases, colours don't always come out the same. The credits on the inner sleeve can vary from light green to almost black, while the titles on the front and back of the outer sleeve go from peach pink to fushcia.

France cassette [Virgin 50444]
The front of the French cassette shows the LP artwork over a pink background (view left). The name of the band and the album title are repeated above it. The cassette is white with the titles and credits printed in blue onto it. Information about the insert content is needed.

France CD [Virgin 30259]
The French cd is usually the international edition that looks the most like the original British cd, very likely because the British compact discs were mainly pressed in France in the mid-/late-1980s. The front is the same. The back is very similar to the back of the original British cd described above (the one without barcode). A black Virgin logo was added there to the right of the Compact Disc one, the catalogue number was corrected, and a barcode was added in the top left corner. The text on the cd surface follows the exact same layout with the titles printed sideways. As expected, the only differences are minor ones involving the catalogue number and mandatory SACEM (music rights) logo. The booklet is identical to the British booklet but the colors are a bit paler (see UK cd above for detailed description).

France LP test pressing [Virgin 70444]
Test pressings of the French "The Queen Is Dead" LP have been spotted on the collectors market. These, like any other French test presssing, are very rare. They have white labels with only "Echantillon", No:", "Editeur:", "Face:" and "Date:" printed on them in black. They probably come in a plain white sleeve.

Germany LP [RT Deutschland RTD36]
There are two different editions of the German LP. The most common edition was pressed on ocean green vinyl. The labels are almost identical to the UK labels but all the text on them is beige, the credits around them are in German, the catalogue number was adjusted and a GEMA box was added to the right. The sleeve is gatefold. The back is almost as minimal as in the UK, it only adds a German address for Rough Trade Records at the bottom. The inner sleeve is just like the British one except for the fact that it is made of paper.

Although the latter edition is much sought after because of the fact that it is coloured vinyl, the other edition is actually the scarcest. It is in fact quite rare and few collectors have managed to get their hands on a copy. It was pressed on black vinyl and usually comes in a single sleeve (although some in gatefold sleeve have been reported). The inner sleeve is a plain white paper one. The rest is identical to the coloured vinyl edition. It has been speculated that this may be a promo but it is in fact a budget reissue in a cheaper packaging.

Germany LP promo [RT Deutschland RTD36]
Stock copies of the LP were made into promos by being paired with a German press release before being sent to media or retail. The LPs used for promos are the ocean green vinyl ones described above, not the black vinyl ones. Different press releases have been reported. In one case the 2- or 3-page press sheet had a Rough Trade header in the top left corner of the front page. In another case it seems to have been a single sheet with a Rough Trade header in the top right corner, paired with another sheet showing the Salford Lads Club photo of the band alongside what is expected to be release information. Additional information would be appreciated.

Germany promo video
A videocassette featuring the Derek Jarman promotional films for "The Queen Is Dead" and "Panic" (2 versions of the latter) has made it into the hands of a few collectors. It very likely served to promote this album as well as the "Panic" single. This is found inside a video box with a Rough Trade Deutschland sticker on it.

Germany LP test pressing [RT Deutschland RTD36]
German test pressings of this album have white labels with "Nr. 36/01" and "Nr. 36/02" written or printed on the respective labels. The sleeve is expected to be of a generic kind. More information would be appreciated.

Greece LP [Virgin VG50187]
There are two different editions of the Greek LP. The first one comes in a single sleeve because Virgin Greece didn't originally receive the films for the 'gatefold content'. Later copies were gatefold. This means that the lyrics and the Salford Lads Club photo from the UK gatefold sleeve are missing in the first edition. The record in both cases bears the classic green and red Virgin labels and is slipped inside a clear anti-static inner sleeve. The Alain Delon artwork from the British inner sleeve was reproduced on a paper insert slipped inside.

Greece cassette [Virgin TC-VG50187]
Two different variations of the cassette have been spotted. In both cases, the front of the cassette insert shows the LP artwork over a white background, with the name of the band and the album title printed above it in a plain small black font. One variation also shows above the LP image the blue and white Greek flag and the words "Made In Greece" in white over blue, in English and Greek. For the former variation, the album track listing is found on the back and inside. All lyrics and additional artwork are not included. The cassette is beige with blue text. If it wasn't removed, a I.F.P.I (copyright control) seal should be found on the case.

Greece LP promo [Virgin VG50187]
Stock copies were made into promos by having "Not for sale" stamped on the label.

Greece LP advance [Virgin VG50187]
This item was allegedly sent to media people ahead of the release of the album. It looks like an early variation of the final product and nowhere on its packaging is this marked as a promo or an advance copy. Besides minor differences in the shades of green and pink which may or may not be attributed to a printing variation, quite a few differences are found on the back of the sleeve and on the labels. The most obvious difference is the labels. Instead of the usual green and red Virgin labels, these are white with a very pale grey Virgin logo in the background. The text on them is identical and laid out the same as the final text, except for the credits around the outer edge which end with "Made in Greece by Fabelsound" instead of "Made in Greece by EMI". The line "Made and printed in Greece by EMI GREECE S.A." is missing from the back of the sleeve and the song titles there are not preceded with the usual black flag-like symbols. The sleeve is a single one and the record is slipped inside a white paper inner sleeve.

Holland LP [Dureco/Indisc MD7961]
The Dutch LP is very similar to the British one. The sleeve is gatefold. The Rough Trade/Cartel credits under the lyrics were removed. The back features a few extra credits, including the mention of the involvement of Dureco and Indisc for distribution over Holland and Belgium, respectively. The inner sleeve is identical except for the fact that it is made of paper. The labels are white instead of green, with brown/black text in the same typeset. The only differences, minor ones, are the correction of the catalogue number and the removal of the line 'Made in England'.

Holland LP promo [Dureco/Indisc MD7961]
Fifty white labels of the Dutch LP were sent to a promoter in anticipation of the appearance of the Smiths at Pinkpop. When Morrissey discovered that the festival was promoted by McDonalds, the gig was canceled and the test pressings were never used. They ended up being sold on Ebay in 2005. The records have white labels and are slipped inside plain white inner sleeve-type bags.

Indonesia cassette [King's Record BJ-349]
The front of the Indonesia cassette shows the LP artwork under "The Smiths" in red and "The Queen Is Dead" in pink, both in unrelated fonts. The spine also has "The Smiths" in red and "The Queen Is Dead" in pink. The back shows local production credits. The insert opens once for track listing, including bonus tracks "I Don't Owe You Anything" and "Miserable Lie" credited as "Taken from album Rough Trade". The cassette itself is made of black plastic and bears blue, red and white BASF labels.

Israel LP [CBS ROUG96]
There are 2 different editions of the Israel LP. One has a gatefold sleeve, but the record is usually found inside the front panel instead of the back one like everywhere else. It could actually be slipped into the back panel if one wished for it, as it is not sealed shut. The catalogue number was added in white under the lyrics. The back is almost as minimal as the back of the UK LP. The only additions are the catalogue number in pink in the top right corner and a line in Hebrew at the very bottom. The inner sleeve is made of clear film and the original inner sleeve artwork is reproduced here on both sides of a simple paper insert slipped inside. The labels are almost identical to the British ones. The name of the band is in the same colour as the rest of the text (instead of being white), the label code was replaced with the ACUM/BIEM credit and "Made in England" was replaced with "Made in Israel" in English and Hebrew.

Israel cassette [CBS ROUG96-4]
The front of the Israel cassette shows the LP artwork at the top over a dark brown background featuring the name of the band, the album title and the catalogue number in bright pink. The spine is white with the band name above the album title, both in dark pink, with a 'circled' Rough Trade logo at the top and the catalogue number above a Dolby logo at the bottom. The back flap is white and features only the track listing for sides 1 and 2 (the titles are followed by the song lengths). The insert does not have any additional fold-out panel, but its reverse is filled with black text over white. The reverse of the front features the usual album credits, from personnel to cover star. The reverse of the spine shows a bilingual CBS credit and the reverse of the back flap, a legal warning. Three variations of the cassette have been spotted. One is made of pale grey plastic and bears white paper labels with black text. Another one is made of white plastic with blue text printed directly onto it. The final one is made of off-white plastic with dark grey, almost black text printed directly onto it. In all cases the text follows the same layout: track listing top-centre, catalogue number, "ACUM/BIEM", Dolby logo, Rough Trade 'circle' logo, side number and "Made In Israel" on the left, band name and album title bottom-centre.

Israel CD [WEA/Hed Arzi 91896-2]
Hed Arzi were licensed by WEA to release some of the Smiths catalogue on cd in Israel in the mid-1990s. It looks like they didn't go for the complete catalogue, but "The Queen Is Dead" was one of the titles made available there on cd for the first time otherwise than on import. Like other international WEA editions such as the Australian or Brazilian ones, the packaging and content are based on the European edition described above. The differences are mostly found in the licensing credits. A Hed Arzi logo and credits were added on the disc beneath the compact disc logo, the catalogue number on the right was changed, the line "Made in Germany" was removed and the publishers were changed to ACUM. Information on other discrepancies with the European edition is needed.

Italy LP [CGD RGH20508]
There are two different editions of "The Queen Is Dead" from Italy. The most common one was the first Smiths release to be manufactured by CGD in Italy. They took over from Virgin who had thus far been the ones licensed to distribute Rough Trade material in that country. The LP packaging is almost as nice as that of the British edition. The outer sleeve is gatefold and the inner sleeve is made of very thick paper. The Rough Trade logo was added, upside down (!), in the lower right corner of the side opposite to the one featuring the credits. The labels are green with white text, and very similar to the British labels. The only alterations are minor ones for copyright and local manufacturing.

Italy LP [Rough Trade ROULP96]
This extremely rare Italian LP edition could be a budget reissue. Information is needed.

Italy cassette [CGD 30RGH20508]
The Italian cassette is one of the few international editions that didn't use the UK artwork, but still went further than just plainly reproducing the LP artwork over a background of a different colour (view left). The back of the insert is full and has holes for the case's plastic prongs to go through. It features the album's track listing in green text over pink. The track listing is repeated inside with song lengths. There are two different versions of the cassette: both are beige/grey, but some copies have aqua labels while others have white ones.

Italy LP promo + press kit [CGD RGH20508]
The release of this album was promoted in Italy with the help of stock copies of the LP distributed with a 2-page press release and a black and white promotional photograph. The press release features what appears to be biographical information printed on generic press paper with red and green graphics at the top and bottom. View press photo.

Italy sampler 12" [CGD INT15260]
The release of this album was also promoted in Italy by the inclusion of "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" on a 5- or 6-track various artists sampler titled "Disco Mix 12'' Only For Dee Jays". The record has yellow labels and the Smiths share side 2 with songs by Sophia George and Imagination.

Italy sampler 12" [CGD INT15267]
The release of this album was also promoted in Italy by the inclusion of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" on a 4-track various artists sampler titled "Promomix for dee jays only". The record has yellow labels and the Smiths share side 2 with a song by Samantha Fox.

Japan LP [Tokuma Japan 25RTL-3015]
This was Tokuma Japan's final release of Smiths material in Japan. Victor would take over from 1987 until the acquisition of the back catalogue by WEA in 1992. The front shows the usual LP artwork. The back is almost as minimal as in the UK, only a barcode and a few barely visible credits were added in the lower right corner. The packaging meets the usual Japanese standards of quality, the vinyl is thick, but the sleeve isn't gatefold. The Salford Lads Club photo and the lyrics usually found inside gatefold LP editions in other countries were reproduced here on the tri-fold insert slipped inside. The Lads Club photo is actually in black in white instead of green tinted and the lyrics are found side by side with their Japanese translation. The insert is in tones of pink and white with the text in dark green and black. It also includes a reproduction of the side of the international inner sleeve which features the credits over an Alain Delon photo, a repeat of that same photo in saturated pink tones with what appears to be a biography printed over it, a photo of the band sitting at the foot of an escalator (same as in some cds) and a photo of Morrissey in front of a picture of one of his heroes. The obi is deep pink and if one looks closely one will notice the silhouettes of the four band members behind the text on the front. The back space is used to advertise recent releases licensed from Rough Trade, including the Smiths' Japanese "The Boy With The Thorn In His Side" EP. It also advertises the existence of a Japanese Smiths fan club. The record is slipped inside a round bottom anti-static inner sleeve of quite good quality. It bears labels that are almost identical to the British labels except for a few adjustments in the credits and catalogue number.

Japan LP [1987 reissue on Victor VIP-4215]
Following the release of "Strangeways, Here We Come" in 1987, Victor Musical Industries, who had meanwhile acquired the rights to release Rough Trade material in Japan, re-released the whole Smiths album catalogue on LP and compact disc. Unlike the original edition, this one comes in a gatefold sleeve. The front of it features the same original LP artwork but the catalogue number was added in white in the top right corner. Information about the back is needed. The white obi announces in pink and black Victor's reissue programme as "The Smiths Final Collection" and advertises on its back all Smiths albums being re-released. The record has rather plain green-grey labels with the Rough Trade logo appearing in a circle at the top. It is slipped in a plastic film sleeve with round bottom. An insert (or perhaps two?) featuring lyrics and bio is also found inside.

Japan CD [Tokuma Japan 32JC-162]
The usual LP artwork was used on the front of the original Japanese cd edition. The back shows the usual track listing plus "Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty" and translations of all titles to Japanese. It also features a barcode and credits in black at the bottom. Like other early Japanese cds, the obi is not of the card type, but a sticker glued around the cd case's spine. Its colour varies from peach on some copies, to pink on others. The booklet includes lyrics in English and Japanese, in black over white, and the same photos found in the UK cd booklet (see description above). The Alain Delon picture is repeated on the back of it. The disc is plain silver with pink titles and credits printed onto it.

Japan CD [1987 reissue on Victor VDP-5074]
Following the release of "Strangeways, Here We Come" in 1987, Victor Musical Industries, who had meanwhile acquired the rights to release Rough Trade material in Japan, re-released the complete Smiths album catalogue on LP (see above) and compact disc. The packaging of this new cd edition was not as well done as the original. The front artwork remained the same (LP artwork instead of cd), but the catalogue number was added in small white font in the bottom right corner. The back was redesigned, it shows the track listing and credits in pink, a barcode, and perhaps a black obi-like stripe at the right giving release information. The cd surface was also redesigned in the same style as other albums in this reissue series, with a Rough Trade logo in a circle at the top and all titles at the bottom. There are two different versions of the obi. One is tan coloured and lists the album at ¥2012, the other is grey and lists it at ¥3000. Both of them feature on the front a black "Rough Trade cd collection" logo. The cd tray is made of white plastic. Information about the booklet content is needed.

Japan CD [1990 reissue on Victor VICP-2004]
In 1990 Victor went through another reissue programme (the "Meet The Rock" budget series at 2000 yens), but this time the Smiths album back catalogue was re-released on compact disc only. The packaging of this edition is very similar to that of the 1987 edition. The booklet content is the same. The front and back as well as the cd surface are identical except for the corrected catalogue number (it is dropped from the front). The obi was changed to the blue and yellow theme of this "Meet The Rock" series. The cd tray is still made of white plastic.

Japan CD [1993 reissue on WEA WMC5-545]
This new Japanese edition was released by WEA who had just purchased the rights to the complete Smiths catalogue the year before. It was modelled on its European counterpart, which means that for the first time in Japan the cd variation of the artwork (view left) was used on the front instead of the LP variation. The packaging is superior to that of the Victor reissues. Unlike its European counterpart, the Japanese cd has the barcode on the back of the obi instead of the cd tray inlay. The disc is green like the European cd, with the text in grey following the UK layout. The obi is light blue-green and beige with a blue "Smiths Original Catalogue" crest common to all re-releases in the series. Its back covers the complete backspace and displays over a beige background "The Smiths Original Catalogue", an illustrated list of the eight albums being reissued by WEA. The cd tray is made of white plastic. Information about the booklet is needed.

Japan CD [1995 reissue on WEA WPCR-304]
In parallel with the release of the "Singles" compilation, another reissue programme of the Smiths back catalogue was put together by WEA in Japan. This 1995 budget reissue is very similar to the one from just 2 years prior. The most noticeable changes were the white obi with red ignited 'Hot price!' bomb common to all the releases in the series and an additional "Smiths Original Catalogue" insert inside. The cd tray is made of white plastic. Information about the disc is needed.

Japan CD [1997 reissue on WEA WPCR-2511]
The album was reissued again in 1997. Unlike other Smiths catalogue reissue programmes in Japan, this one only included "Meat Is Murder" and "The Queen Is Dead". The front shows the usual cd variation of the artwork and the obi is from the green, white and yellow "Forever Music" series. The disc is bright green with pink text. The cd tray is still made of white plastic. Information about the back and the booklet is needed.

Japan CD [2006 reissue on WEA WPCR-12441]
The most recent reissue programme of the complete Smiths album catalogue in Japan dates back to 2006 when all the albums were re-released in mini-replicas of the original LP sleeves. These are slightly bigger than the typical size of a compact disc. In the case of "The Queen Is Dead", the original UK LP pressing served as a model for everything with the exception of the obi which was based on the original Tokuma LP obi. This means that the front shows the LP artwork instead of the cd variation. The back is like the original UK back, minimal with just a track listing and nothing else. The sleeve is gatefold like the UK LP sleeve, and unlike the Japanese. Once opened it shows the same content except for the small Rough Trade/Cartel credit below the lyrics. The cd surface follows the same colour pattern (grey with beige text with "The Smiths" in white) and text layout as both the UK and Japan LP editions because the original Japanese label was already modelled on the British one. The inner sleeve of the cd is a quasi-perfect replica of the original UK LP one because the original Japanese LP was slipped inside a plastic film inner sleeve. This 2006 cd is actually also slipped inside a plastic film inner sleeve (the round bottom variety), which is in turn slipped inside the picture inner sleeve. An additional white paper booklet featuring the lyrics in English and Japanese and what looks like a bio is also found inside.

Japan SHM-CD [2008 reissue on Warner WPCR-13270]
This is the only Smiths album to have been released in Japan (or anywhere) on SHM-CD format. The front shows the usual cd artwork (view left). The obi is black with text and logos in white, yellow and red. The back is plain dark green, with the track listing printed in pale pink above four lines of credits, all in English. The main booklet features the standard group photo (tinted green) on the first page, then a page of credits, then the lyrics in English, one song per page, and finally a photo of the band sitting near some escalators (again, tinted green). A second, smaller booklet on plain white paper, slipped inside the main booklet, contains what appears to be a short biography and the lyrics in Japanese. There is also a fold-out leaflet about SHM-CDs and a single-sided advert for Warner Mobile. The disc is a brighter dark green with the band name, title and first 3 tracks listed above the centre, and the remaining tracks and production credits listed below it. A compact disc logo and manufacturing credits can be found to the left side, and a WEA logo and copyright notice to the right.

Japan CD [AVU-1515]
This is a bootleg compact disc. The American edition of the cd was packaged with a black obi with Japanese text to make it look like a Japanese import. The obi doesn't mention any record label.

Japan LP promo [Tokuma Japan 25RTL-3015]
The promotional version of the original Tokuma LP is identical to the stock one, with two exceptions: it has the usual 3-character promo text added on the label, and a white 'SAMPLE NOT FOR SALE' sticker in the top left corner of the front of the sleeve.

Japan CD promo [1987 reissue on Victor VDP-5074]
The existence of a promo edition of the 1987 is expected, but none has ever been reported.

Japan CD promo [1990 reissue on Victor VICP-2004]
Victor's 1990 reissue programme was promoted with copies of the albums (including this one) with "sample" stamped around the center of the cd and a promo sticker affixed to the obi.

Japan CD promo [1993 reissue on WEA WMC5-545]
The Japanese promo cd is a stock copy with a white and red promo sticker on the back of the obi and promo text printed on the cd's inner ring.

Japan CD promo [1995 reissue on WEA WPCR-304]
A promo counterpart to the 1995 cd edition is expected, but none has ever been reported for this title. Please write if you have any information.

Japan CD promo [2006 reissue on WEA WPCR-12441]
Promo versions of this edition of "The Queen Is Dead" are stock copies with an additional white sticker with red text affixed to the back of the obi and 'sample loaned' etched on the cd's inner ring.

Korea CD [1995 issue on WEA 450991896-2]
"The Queen Is Dead" appears to be the only title from the WEA reissue programme to have been released in Korea and it has not been confirmed whether it is a legitimate or unlicensed edition. If the release is legitimate, the packaging is expected to be very similar to that of the European WEA edition described above except for a few changes made to the licensing credits. However, given the fact that the cassette edition differs quite significantly from its European WEA counterpart, this may hint at the Korea releases being unlicensed. Additional information would be appreciated.

Korea cassette [1995 issue on WEA 450991896-4]
The front artwork of the Korean cassette is a cropped version of the usual cd artwork, which means that it looks a bit like the unique Italian cassette artwork displayed in the image gallery on the left side of this page, but with slightly smaller text. This being very different to European WEA cassette artwork, it may mean that the Korean editions are unlicensed copies. The case as a pink 15-legged star-shaped sticker on it with green Korean text ending with the catalogue number. Information about the rest of the packaging is needed.

New Zealand LP [CBS RTRANZ013]
The sleeve of the New Zealand LP appears to be identical to that of the Australian LP (confirmation needed; see Australian sleeve description above), which means that it isn't gatefold. Unlike the Australian edition, in this case the record is slipped inside a clear anti-static sleeve with round bottom. The usual inner sleeve content (lyrics, Salford Lads Club photo) is reproduced on both sides of a paper insert. The labels are the usual green and red ones showing the silhouette of a man. They differ from the very similar Australian labels by the absence of the line "Made and distributed in Australia under licence" at the bottom and by a different typeset (production and engineering credits at the top replaced with band and album title, etc).

New Zealand cassette [CBS RTCANZ-013]
At first glance the front of the New Zealand cassette appears to be exactly the same as the front of its Australian counterpart, but on closer inspection we see that the text in the black stripe at the bottom was changed for the slightly different "CBS Super Cassette" (view left). In fact, this New Zealand cassette is often mistaken for an Australian one as both bear the same catalogue number and nowhere on the packaging of the former edition is it mentioned that it comes from New Zealand (like most New Zealand editions it is recognizable as such by the absence of "Made in Australia" on the packaging). On the other hand, the spine is the same as in Australia, white with "The Smiths" in the middle in tall red letters and the album title above it in black, between the catalogue number in pink on the left and a 'shattered' Rough Trade logo in black on the right. The back flap is not full and features only the album's track listing in black and white. The insert has one extra fold-out panel, giving the track listing and credits for songwriting, production and publishing, above a block of fine print about copyright and Dolby noise reduction. The cassette is white and bears white paper labels with black text. The track listing appears at the top on each side, with the catalogue number in the top left corner and a 'shattered' Rough Trade logo on the left.

Peru cassette [WEA/El Virrey 00918964]
The Peruvian cassette shows the compact disc artwork on the front, over a black background with white text (view left). The spine is white with the album title and band name in orange at the centre, a black WEA logo at the top and the catalogue number in black at the bottom. The album's track listing is printed in black on the pale blue back flap, above a distribution credit and a warning. It also appears in black and white on the insert's extra panels. Whereas it is found only in Spanish on the back, it is bilingual inside and comes with the album credits. Information on the cassette itself is needed.

Philippines cassette [Backbeat ROUGH C 96]
Front artwork needed. The spine only shows a Rough Trade logo, the title, and the number Rough C 96. The back of the insert features a track listing and a 'PARI Member Approved' logo, and states "Manufactured in the Philippines by Backbeat Music Inc." The insert contains a 16 page booklet of photocopied lyrics stapled to the inside. The staple is actually visible from the outside of the sleeve. The cassette has black labels featuring the track listing, a Rough Trade logo, and the number Rough C 96. Nothing on them mentions the place of manufacture, but the credit "Distributed by Backbeat Music Inc., 826 Ongpin St., Manilla 1003" is found in the insert.

Poland LP [Tonpress SX-T 153]
"The Queen Is Dead" was the second and final Smiths LP released by Tonpress in Poland. The outer sleeve is gatefold, but quite thin and flexible. It is the type used for double LPs. The record is usually slipped inside the front panel, but it could also be slipped inside the back one where expected. The pink of the lyrics inside is darker than elsewhere, making the text difficult to read. The back is almost as minimal as in the UK. It only features an additional Tonpress logo and credits in the bottom left corner. The inner sleeve is thinner than in the UK, but it is glossy and thicker than the average inner sleeve from other countries. The green of the text on it is paler and brighter. The labels are red with black text more or less in the classic Rough Trade layout.

A green vinyl edition of this LP has been reported, and it is sometimes credited as being German (because a legitimate green vinyl German edition does exist), although the labels are the red Polish ones. This is obviously a bootleg reproduction from the late-2000's. The yellow vinyl edition is also a bootleg.

Portugal LP [Rough Trade ROUGH96]
The Portuguese LP is the international edition that looks the most like the British pressing. The sleeve is identical: gatefold, no credits on the back, same credits under the lyrics, etc. Even the inner sleeve is almost identical. It is thick and glossy, it features the same credits on one side and tiny catalogue number on the reverse. The only difference is the indentation at the top giving easier access to the record inside. One has to pull the record out to find any real visual difference with the British edition: the labels, which are pink with text of varying colours. The most common variations have the text all in light grey, or light grey except for the band name in white. Less common variations have the text all in dark grey, or tan with the band name in white. Some copies have a white round sticker in the upper left corner on the front showing the Transmedia logo with the words "TRANSMEDIA. 2nd ANIVERSARIO" around it.

The pink vinyl and multi-coloured splatter vinyl editions of this album are bootleg reproductions from the late-2000's.

Spain LP [Nuevos Medios 43 197L]
The Spanish LP is once again very similar to its British counterpart. The sleeve is gatefold and quite thick, which isn't the case in most other countries. The back is almost as minimal as in the UK. Additional Nuevos Medios credits are added at the bottom and the catalogue number in the top right corner. The Spanish record is slipped inside a plain white inner sleeve. The Alain Delon artwork from the British inner sleeve is reprinted on respective sides of a paper insert slipped inside. The labels are green with grey titles and credits, and white band name at the top as in the UK. They feature Nuevos Medios logo, catalogue number and credits.

Spain cassette [Nuevos Medios 44 198 C]
Because of its unique artwork, this may be one of few cassettes found in the collection of people who don't usually collect this format. Not only does it use a different but similar photo of Alain Delon (view left), but the photo is also not saturated in green the way the usual artwork is. The track listing is given on the back (which is pale beige), and repeated on the reverse of the insert along with credits. The cassette itself is beige-ish with text in dark green or black printed directly onto it.

Sweden LP [MNW ROUGH96]
A look at the run-out text of this edition reveals that it was manufactured in England for MNW. It's no surprise to find that, like many other Scandinavian editions before it, it looks very much like a British pressing. The gatefold outer sleeve is identical. The inner sleeve is glossy but not as thick as it British counterpart. The labels are almost identical to the British ones, green with beige text and the band's name in white, but they features the additional MNW logo and the BIEM/n©b credit.

Taiwan cassette [Crystal ROUGHC96]
The Taiwanese cassette is almost certainly an unlicensed edition, but it was still produced with much more care and attention than your average unlicensed cassette. The front of the insert shows the usual LP artwork over an orange coloured background, under band name and title in an unrelated white script font, and above a black portion with Chinese or Taiwanese text. It wraps itself around the cassette, so one spine displays the information in English while the other displays it in Chinese or Taiwanese. The back shows a track listing, release information and a photo of Morrissey cropped out of the classic Salford Lads Club picture. The cassette itself is black with yellow labels. The package includes a large insert folded many times to fit the case. This insert shows a photo of the band dating back to the era of the debut album, as well as what may very well be a biography of the band.

Thailand cassette [New 4 Track FT.400]
The front of this unlicensed edition shows a cropped version of the usual Alain Delon artwork, with the band name and album title in the same font and colour as usual, but positioned sideways in the bottom left corner. The band name and album title are also reproduced on the spine in the same font and colour as usual, between the label's logo at the top and the catalogue number at the bottom. The insert's back flap features the track listing and nothing else. Information on the cassette itself is needed.

USA LP [Sire 9 25426-1]
The Sire USA outer sleeve is gatefold and very solid. When compared to the UK LP back artwork, the American one features additional credits in pink in the bottom left corner, a barcode in the middle, and two extra logos in the bottom right corner. The inner sleeve features the Alain Delon artwork just like in the UK, but it is made of thin paper. A Sire credit and catalogue number were added at the bottom on the credits side, but the British catalogue number in the top right corner remains. The labels are the usual classic yellow Sire ones. They feature the version of the Sire logo with "Sire" underneath it. A variation has been reported with "Sire" at the 2 o'clock position around it, and an additional number under "1-25426" on the right of the label, but this may be the Record Club edition described below.

USA LP [Columbia House Record Club W1 25426]
The front of this record club edition is the same as that of the standard retail edition described above. The back differs only by the addition of an extra line of credit at the bottom. The catalogue number was changed on the spine. The gatefold content and inner sleeve remain the same. The labels are also yellow Sire ones and the text on them is more or less the same, but the layout is slightly different and the font is a plainer one. The catalogue number on them was changed for the Columbia House one and the Sire logo was changed for the variation where "SIRE" appears at the 2 o'clock position around it.

USA LP [RCA Record Club R-143529]
The sleeve of this record club edition is exactly the same as the standard USA sleeve, except on the back where the barcode was replaced with a RCA Music Service address and the RCA Club catalogue number (R-143529). This code number also appears above the Rough Trade logo on the left-hand side of the labels, which are otherwise identical to the standard retail LP labels. The inner sleeve is identical to the standard version, including the British LP catalogue number on the non-text side.

USA LP [Rhino R1 520967; 2009 reissue on 180g LP]
The front of the American LP reissue from 2009 is the same as that of the original Rough Trade LP. Copies that are still sealed have a black, white and red sticker on the front advertising that the record is on 180-gram vinyl and that Johnny Marr was responsible for the remastering. The back looks more like the back of the original UK LP than that of the original USA LP. It features the track listing in pink in the top left quarter, a one-line Rhino credit in pink at the very bottom and the barcode in the bottom right corner. The album title is misspelled as "The Queeen Is Dead" on the spine. The sleeve is gatefold and features the same inner content, but reversed: the black and white photo of the band in front of the Salford Lads Club is on the left side and the lyrics on the right in the same pink over green colour scheme as before (with Warner Bros credits in the bottom right corner). The inner sleeve is made of thin matte cardstock and looks like the original, with an alternate shot of Alain Delon on each side, one side with various credits printed in the bottom half. The labels are green with grey-green text except for "The Smiths" at the top which is white. The catalogue number is on the left, a Warner Music copyright on the right, the track listing in the bottom half above songwriting and production credits, a Rhino manufacturing credit around the bottom edge.

USA cassette [Sire 9 25426-4]
The American cassette format uses its own cropping of the usual Alain Delon artwork (view left). The spine is white with red text and logos. The back features the track listing, a barcode and credits in black over white. The insert unfolds for the lyrics of side A, while its reverse features the rest of the lyrics and the full album credits. The cassette is made of clear plastic and has the text and logos printed straight onto it in light grey.

USA cassette [Columbia House Record Club W4 25426]
This record club edition differs from the standard retail one described above by only a few details here and there. The front artwork was not altered. The catalogue number on the spine was changed to the Columbia House one and the credit on the back flap was changed for one mentioning the record club. No changes were made to the two extra panels featuring lyrics. The catalogue number on the reverse of the back flap was also changed to the Columbia House one, and the Sire address was removed, leaving the label's name and the Warner Bros marketing credit. For some reason the catalogue number was not changed on the cassette itself. The only change was in the Sire/Warner credit at the bottom on side 1, changed for one mentioning Warner and Columbia House, and the removal of the "AR" beneath the side number.

USA CD [Sire 9 25426-2]
There are at least three different American compact disc editions of "The Queen Is Dead", not counting the record club issue listed next. All feature the LP artwork on the front (view left). All seem to have the same booklet (confirmation about this would be appreciated). Everything in the booklet is found in black and white. It opens on a page of titles, followed by the Alain Delon photo from the LP inner sleeve, credits, then the Salford Lads Club photo. Lyrics are then given in white over black. The titles on the back of it are printed bigger than almost everywhere else, just like on the back of the cd tray inlay. The labels for the three editions have the same typeset with minor content differences (see below). The other differences are found on the back. The order in which the different editions are described below reflects the most likely production order.

• DADC edition
  This is the most likely original edition. On the back, the Rough Trade logo is placed over the credits which include technical compact disc information. The barcode is in the lower right corner, with the Sire logo over it. The cd surface differs from the next two versions by the line "Made in USA by DADC" at the bottom, the number DIDX 002969 above the Sire catalogue number, and the absence of the line "Mfg by WEA Manufacturing" in the credits on the left.
• in-between edition
  For a lack of a better name I am calling this an in-between edition because the back is like that of the DADC edition above, while the cd is like the current edition described below.
• current edition
  On the back, the credits are moved to the bottom centre so the Rough Trade logo is now found in the bottom left corner. The barcode is moved above the credits, and the Sire logo is in the lower right corner. On the cd surface, the line "Made in USA by DADC" is replaced by "Made in USA", the DIDX number is dropped and "Mfg by WEA Manufacturing" is added to the credits on the left.

USA CD [Columbia House Record Club W2 25426]
This record club edition is expected to have been produced in the early 1990s. Out of the three retail versions described above, the one it looks the most like is the in-between edition. The back layout is the same as for the DADC edition, but the barcode was dropped, the line "manufactured by Columbia House under license" was added above the credits, and the catalogue number was changed for the Columbia House one. The cd surface is identical to the one described for the current cd edition, but the catalogue number was adjusted and a black border was added around the cd. Please report any extra variation.

USA CD [BMG Direct Record Club D102692]
This alternate record club edition is modelled after the version labelled above as 'current edition' (see above for description of stock cd variations). It shows the usual cd artwork on the front. The barcode on the back was removed and in its white box are found the BMG Direct catalogue number and address. BMG Direct credits and catalogue number were added beneath the block of credits on the left side of the disc. Finally, the BMG Direct catalogue number was added in black beneath the Sire catalogue number in the top left corner of the back of the booklet.

USA CD longbox
Until about 1992-1993, compact discs were sold in the USA in tall picture boxes. Many were destroyed after purchase, but some were salvaged and ended up in fans collections. These featured their own variation/cropping of the album's artwork. In the case of "The Queen Is Dead", the front featured the album artwork in the middle, band name and title above it under a compact disc logo, and Rough Trade and Sire logos at the very bottom. The back shows mainly the track listing as reproduced from the back of the cd. A barcode was added in the top right corner and credits in small pink print at the very bottom (scans or flat photos of front and back would be appreciated). The spines are green with pink release identification.

USA CD [2012 reissue on Sire/Rhino R2 25426]
Information needed.

USA LP promo [Sire 9 25426-1]
The promo edition of the American LP is a stock one with a promo warning stamped in gold ink on the front of the sleeve.

USA promo 12" [Sire PRO-A-2571]
The album was promoted in the USA with the help of a specially designed promo 12" of "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" featuring only that song on both sides. The front artwork is a paler version of the album artwork (view left). The album title was replaced with "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out 4:02" and credits and logos were added in the bottom right corner, all in a reddish-pink colour that doesn't contrast much with the background. The back is all white except for a bit of overlapping green from the front. The labels are classic yellow Sire ones. They are identical except for "Side 1" and "Side 2" because the content is the same on both sides.

USA various artists promo video [#52]
The video to "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" was included on issue #52 of Warner Bros' various artists video compilations alongside videos by Talking Heads, Bryan Ferry, Gene Loves Jezebel, Paul Simon, David Lee Roth, etc. The videocassette is found in a generic white slipcase with a Warner titles sticker glued onto one of its sides.

USA various artists promo video [IPM122, vol4 no42A]
The video to "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" was included on the volume 4 no 42A issue of promo video series Telegenics, dated September 1986, alongside other videos by UB40, Simple Minds, Arcadia, Doctor and The Medics, The Belle Stars, etc. The videocassette has a plain white label with printed information glued onto it, next to a round green warning sticker, and is slipped inside a hard black case with a white titles/song length insert.

USA various artists promo video [vol4 no 46A]
The video to "The Queen Is Dead" was included on the volume 4 no 46A issue of promo video series Telegenics, dated January 1987, alongside other videos by Debbie Harry, The Human League, Bananarama, Matt Bianco, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, A-ha, etc. The videocassette has a plain white label with printed information glued onto it, and is slipped inside a hard black case with a yellow titles/song length insert.

USA various artists promo video [NVS #1702]
A promo compilation of videos simply labeled NVS #1702 features "The Queen Is Dead" alongside videos by OMD, The Human League, Iggy Pop, The Stranglers, The Psychedelic Furs, etc.

USA press kit
A USA press kit for "The Queen Is Dead" paired a bio of the band with a photo by Steve Wright, very likely the Salford Lads Club photo.

USA LP test pressing [Allied / Sire 1-25426]
The test pressing for the American LP edition bears generic black and white Allied Record Company labels. These show the company's logo and contact information at the top and blank lines in the bottom half to be filled with release-related information. Over the latter lines was applied a sticker with the handwritten information "1-25426-A-SH1 5-12-86" (side A) and "1-25426-B-SH1" (side B). The record is found inside a generic grey, silver and orange Warner die-cut card sleeve.
1 25426 A SHI B 23803 SHI 12791 1-1 / 1 25426 B SHI B 23804 SHI 12791-X 1-1

USA gold record
An official RIAA gold record of "The Queen Is Dead" has made it onto the collectors market. Description or photo is needed. It appears that the awards showing a gold version of the USA LP above a gold information plaque, a reproduction of the front artwork and a RIAA hologram are fake.

Yugoslavia LP [RTV Ljubljana LL1738]
This is the first of only two albums by the Smiths to have been released in Yugoslavia. Contrary to what could be speculated, it appears to be a legitimate release because a good amount of care went into the packaging. The sleeve is gatefold and thick and both panels are open, so the record can be slipped in the front one as much as the back one. The Salford Lads Club photo is unfortunately overexposed and not very well reproduced. The back is like in the UK with extra RTL logo and credits in white in the bottom left corner. The inner sleeve is more rigid than the outer one. It is visually identical to the British inner sleeve bar the missing catalogue number. The labels are green and greenish-yellow with a big RTV Ljubljana logo at the top.

Yugoslavia cassette [RTV Ljubljana KL1738]
The Yugoslavia cassette has a nice green insert showing the LP artwork on the front and the usual spine text and track listing on the back in pink. The inside credits and content are in black and white. The cassette is black with a blue RTL Ljubljana label. The most unusual aspect of this item is the fact that "Frankly Mr. Shankly" was moved to the end of side B, leaving side A with only four tracks and side B with six. This was most likely done in order to balance the lengths of each side and therefore save tape.