The very first version of “This Charming Man” was recorded in September 1983 in Maida Vale Studio 4 for John Peel. A performance of the song on Top of the Pops was the biggest introduction to The Smiths for a large audience. It was also an introduction to Morrissey’s penchant for waving gladioli during performances.
In many of the documentaries and things I’ve read regarding The Smiths, they go to Noel Gallagher for his comment. The Mancunian had this to say regarding the song: “The second I heard ‘This Charming Man’ everything made sense. The sound of that guitar intro was incredible. The lyrics are fuckin’ amazing, too. People say Morrissey’s a miserable cunt, but I knew straight away what he was on about.”
The Smiths track is again causing controversy, not because of its homoerotic tenor, but rather that British Prime Minister David Cameron has gone on record as saying “This Charming Man” would be his “desert island disc,” causing both Morrissey and Jonhny Marr to publicly state that the prime minister is banned from liking The Smiths.
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