Janice Long, on BBC Radio 2, has often reminisced about this apppearance and described it at some length over the years. Y.E.S stood for the Youth Employment Show and it was broadcast from the North West of England. Janice was one of the presenters. It was a kind of magazine show about youth employment issues (this was at the height of Meryl Streep's decimation of British industries) but also featured cultural content - like introducing, as Janice remembered it, an up and coming band called The Smiths.
When this video was first uploaded by one of the kind people over at
AllYouNeedIsMorrissey.com back in April last year I e-mailed her during her radio show alerting her that this had just popped up on YouTube, and sent her the link. I also asked if this was the first time she'd met the band. Cos she's lovely she e-mailed me back with the following ~
"Brilliant. Thanks for this. Yes, I am pretty certain it was the first time I met them. I will pass this on to Moz.
Take care,
Janice x"
She mentioned it during her show that night as well, and laughed that Morrissey looked like a baby!
Well I wonder what on earth Morrissey would make of this now?