‘It’s Time The Tale Were Told’ collects 500 fan memories of The Smiths
‘It’s Time The Tale Were Told’ collects 500 fan memories of The Smiths
Manchester-based publisher Spenwood Books will release “It’s Time The Tale Were Told: A People’s History of The Smiths” on 19 June 2026 in the UK and 23 June 2026 in the USA. The 360-page volume compiles 500 first-hand recollections of more than 150 concerts by Manchester indie band The Smiths, timed around the 40th anniversaries of the group’s 1986 US tour and their album “The Queen Is Dead.”
The book documents The Smiths on stage from their earliest club appearances through to the final show at London’s Brixton Academy. Contributors include fans, support acts, promoters, fanzine writers, record shop owners and the band’s lighting designer, creating a crowd-sourced tour history that spans more than twenty North American dates alongside UK and European shows.
Alongside written accounts, the editors also include around 250 privately taken photographs and images of tickets, posters and other memorabilia, giving readers what is presented as a front-row view of the band’s live career. The cover uses a black-and-white band photograph with the title overlaid in pink, echoing the visual aesthetic of mid-80s UK indie sleeves.
“It’s Time The Tale Were Told: A People’s History of The Smiths” will be published as a large-format paperback (246 x 189 mm / 9.7 x 7.4 inches). The 360-page book is fully illustrated in both colour and black and white.
About the authors of ‘It’s Time The Tale Were Told: A People’s History of The Smiths’
“It’s Time The Tale Were Told” is co-written by Manchester-based writers Iain Key and Richard Houghton. Key, who lives in Stretford, reviews for Louder Than War and previously wrote “All The Young Punks – A People’s History of The Clash” (Spenwood, 2025) and edited “Billy Bragg – A People’s History” (Spenwood, 2025). Houghton has authored more than twenty music books.
Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil.
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
