4. This Night Has Opened My Eyes

Available for over a year

New Year's Eve 1983: The Smiths take the stage in New York for their American debut. The band are barely in their twenties. Their manager is nowhere to be found. Someone falls off the stage. Welcome to America. As the touring schedule grew ever more relentless, so did the excess. And as the rest of the band embraced the rock and roll lifestyle on the road, the distance between them and Morrissey quietly grew. Meanwhile, bassist Andy Rourke was battling a personal crisis that had followed him since his teens - one that would eventually cost him his place in the band. The hedonism, the chaos, and the fractures begin to tear at the fabric of the Smiths. If you're enjoying this series of The Rise & Fall podcast, there are loads of other gripping music stories to immerse yourself in, focusing on Britpop, Madchester, Indie Sleaze, Sex Pistols and Oasis. Just search 'rise and fall' in BBC Sounds, or wherever you get your podcasts. A Tempo+Talker production for BBC Sounds. Produced by Tom Pooley with original music and sound design by Coach Conrad.