Ouija Board, Ouija Board

"Ouija Board, Ouija Board"
Single by Morrissey
from the album Bona Drag (compilation)
Released	13 November 1989
Format	7", 12", CD, cassette
Length	4:25
Label	HMV - POP 1622
Writer(s)	Morrissey/Street
Producer	Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley
Morrissey singles chronology
"Interesting Drug" (1989) "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" (1989) "November Spawned a Monster" (1990)

"Ouija Board, Ouija Board" was a single released by Morrissey in November 1989, catalogue number HMV POP 1622. The single was poorly received by the music press and the public: its highest chart position was No. 18, making it the first Morrissey single not to reach the British top 10. It appeared along with its B-side "Yes, I Am Blind" on the compilation album Bona Drag. A shorter edit, omitting a verse, appeared on the 2010 reissue of Bona Drag.

The song is about the protagonist using a Ouija board to contact a dead friend. It caused some debate in the press at the time over claims it promoted occult dabbling or devil worship. Morrissey replied to these claims by retorting "The only contact I ever made with the dead was when I spoke to a journalist from The Sun."^[1]

The video for the song features Morrissey being led into the woods by some children who take him to see a Spirit medium, played by Joan Sims, an actress famous for the Carry On films. The video also features an early appearance by Kathy Burke. The video ranked third on PULP Magazine's "Most Tweaked Music Videos of All Time" list".^[2]

Track listings

7": HMV / POP 1622 (UK)

1. "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" - 4:25 (Morrissey, Stephen Street)
2. "Yes, I Am Blind" - 3:30 (Morrissey, Andy Rourke)

12": HMV / 12 POP 1622 (UK)

1. "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" - 4:25
2. "Yes, I Am Blind" - 3:30
3. "East, West" - 2:35 (Graham Gouldman)
   • "East, West" is a cover of a Herman's Hermits song

• also released on CD (HMV / CD POP 1622)

Reviews

Ian McCann in NME gave the single a poor review, describing the record as a "dull, fey whine that would never see release unless the singer had a track record".^[3]

Musicians

• Morrissey: voice
• Kevin Armstrong: guitar
• Andrew Paresi: drums
• Matthew Seligman: bass
• Steve Hopkins: piano

Live performances

The song was performed live by Morrissey on the 1999/2000 ¡Oye Esteban! tour. The song's distinctive introduction and end sequence had been used to bookend performances of "November Spawned a Monster" during the 1992 tour.^{[citation needed]}

References

1. ^ Rogan, Johnny Morrissey - The Album, p. 157
2. ^ PULP Magazine [1]
3. ^ NME Ouija Board Review