songs I gave them to work on, 'Interesting Drug' and '...International Playboys' you know, they were my bass lines and such. I mean, Andy did his own version of it, but they were my bass lines. ... Andy is such a lovely guy, he would add to it, and he is such a great bass player." Street described the song "as a Fall type droning dirge," recalling, "Morrissey heard it and to my surprise said he'd like to use it. He came back a while later, suggested speeding it up, and presented 'Last of the Famous International Playboys'. I was stunned." Release Morrissey explained in a 1989 interview that he had high hopes for the single: The Last Of Famous International Playboys', is the first record that I feel hysterical about. And I'm very pleased to feel that way. I compare it to 'Shoplifters of the World Unite'. I heard 'Shoplifters of the World Unite' once on the radio, a chart rundown. It was a new entry. They had to play it. They had no choice. And I laughed hysterically as it listened to it. I felt a great sense of victory. And that's the same way I feel about 'The Last of the Famous International Playboys. The single was another commercial success for Morrissey, with James Brown of the NME writing, in early 1989, "I have already heard serious suggestion that 'Last of the Famous Playboys' will be Morrissey's first number one hit record." It reached number 6 in the UK Singles Chart. The song was not featured on one of Morrissey's main studio albums but can be found on the compilation album Bona Drag along with the B-side "Lucky Lisp". The artwork for the single features Morrissey, aged six, up a tree in Chorlton-on-Medlock, Manchester—literally a boy at play. When asked if he had changed since the photo was taken, Morrissey commented, "Well, I have a new sweater." Morrissey first performed the song live at his infamous debut solo concert at Wolverhampton's Civic Hall in December 1988, alongside Rourke, Joyce, and Gannon. That same month, the Guardian described the show as "primarily a showcase for Morrissey's New Year single, 'The Last of the Famous International Playboys. The song was performed live by Morrissey on his 1991, 1992, 2007, 2011 and 2018 tours. Music video The official video was directed by Tim Broad. It stars the actor Jason Rush,