While I’ve probably heard The Smiths’ “Girlfriend in a Coma” a thousand times at this point, the timeless tune’s reggae influence never really struck me… until today: A treasure trove of unreleased cuts recorded by Morrissey, Johnny Marr, and the boys in the mid ’80s hit the Web this week, including a take on “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” with the original final lyric (“There is a light in your eyes and it never goes out”), a John Porter-produced/band-rejected version of “Sheila Take A Bow,” and the aforementioned reggae-tinged arrangement of Moz and Co.’s trademark tongue-in-cheek jam.
Visit Slicing Up Eyeballs for the details on this epic 16-track unveiling and hear the early “Girlfriend in a Coma” cut below: