Dagenham Dave

"Dagenham Dave" is a song by Morrissey, released as a single in August 1995, a week prior to the release of Southpaw Grammar. It was Morrissey's first release on RCA, the label he had signed to after leaving EMI. This was the second Morrissey solo single not to feature the singer on the cover, instead English football coach and former player Terry Venables is pictured sticking out his tongue. Venables was born in Dagenham.[2]

For The Stranglers song, see No More Heroes (album).
"Dagenham Dave"
Single by Morrissey
from the album Southpaw Grammar
Released21 August 1995
GenreAlternative rock
Length3:16
LabelRCA (UK)
Songwriter(s)Morrissey, Alain Whyte
Producer(s)Steve Lillywhite
Morrissey singles chronology
"Boxers"
(1995)		 "Dagenham Dave"
(1995)		 "The Boy Racer"
(1995)
Southpaw Grammar track listing
  1. "The Teachers Are Afraid of the Pupils"
  2. "Reader Meet Author"
  3. "The Boy Racer"
  4. "The Operation"
  5. "Dagenham Dave"
  6. "Do Your Best and Don't Worry"
  7. "Best Friend on the Payroll"
  8. "Southpaw"
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]

The promotional video for the single featured former Grange Hill actor Mark Savage as the titular Dave.[3]

The single reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart.[2]

It is not related to the song of the same name by The Stranglers, from their 1977 album No More Heroes. "Dagenham Dave" is also naval slang for someone who is somewhat unstable or crazy, Dagenham being close to Barking ("barking mad").[4]

Track listings

All tracks by Morrissey/Alain Whyte.

7": RCA / 29980 7 (UK)
  1. "Dagenham Dave"
  2. "Nobody Loves Us"
  • also available on MC (29980 4)

CD: RCA / 29980 2 (UK)
  1. "Dagenham Dave"
  2. "Nobody Loves Us"
  3. "You Must Please Remember"

Reviews

NME gave a negative review, saying that this single showed that "Morrissey has become the embarrassing incontinent grandfather of Britpop". The song was described as "piss-poor old crap" and a "tune-impaired three-minute drone". Ned Raggett of AllMusic described it as "the least distinct song on the whole album".[1]

However, in other reviews, the opinion was that the song was "very good". It was a unique style which Morrissey had embraced during the height of the Britpop era.[5]

In his book Mozipedia, Simon Goddard called it "a mettlesome pop cartoon featuring, if nothing else, the greatest utterance of the word 'pie' by any singer in the entire history of recorded music."[3]

Musicians
  • Morrissey: lead vocals
  • Alain Whyte: guitar
  • Boz Boorer: guitar
  • Jonny Bridgwood: bass
  • Spencer Cobrin: drums

Live performances

The song was performed live by Morrissey on his 1995 and 1997 tours.

See also

References
  1. Raggett, Ned. "Dagenham Dave Review". AllMusic. Retrieved October 19, 2012.
  2. Goddard, Simon (2012). Mozipedia: The Encyclopaedia of Morrissey and the Smiths. ISBN 9780091927103.
  3. Goddard, Simon (2012) Mozipedia: The Encyclopaedia of Morrissey and the Smiths, Ebury Press, ISBN 978-0091927103, p. 88
  4. Jolly, Rick (2011) Jackspeak, Conway, ISBN 978-1844861446, p. D-127
  5. NME Dagenham Dave Review
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