One of the bigger draws for vinyl hunters on Record Store Day this year was the 7-inch from The Smiths that featured previously unreleased demos of the band’s beloved 1985 single “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” and its original B-side, “Rubber Ring.”
For those who didn’t score one of the 45s, or just don’t do that vinyl thing (or maybe are boycotting over the “Trump will kill America” etching), we’ve got rips of both below.
As you can hear, neither are terribly different than the finished product; “The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” is remarkably similar to the end result, although it does feature a drum intro. And “Rubber Ring” appears to have an alternate vocal take than the later B-side.
Check them both out below.
“The Boy with the Thorn in His Side” (Demo Mix)
“Rubber Ring” (Early Drone Studios Version)
PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS
- ‘Trump will kill America’ etched into vinyl of The Smiths’ Record Store Day single
- Watch: Morrissey walks off during ‘Everyday is Like Sunday,’ ends concert after 6 songs
- ‘Breakfast with The Smiths’ radio show finds new home on The Independent FM
- ‘Breakfast with The Smiths’ radio show ends 8-year run as Indie1031.com goes dark
- The Smiths to issue unreleased versions of 2 songs on Record Store Day 7-inch
