“I Love The Smell Of Punk In The Morning”- “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes”- The Adverts. “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” released in September 1977- reached # 18 on the UK Singles Chart.
Gary Gilmore a double murderer in Utah- gained a lot of media attention in the mid 70’s when he demanded to be executed by a firing squad. He got his wish and was executed January 17, 1977. Gilmore had requested that some of his organs be used for transplant purposes- his corneas were used for transplants- which inspired this song.
Norman Mailer wrote a book “The Executioners Song” which won the Pulitzer Prize and was later made into a movie starring Tommy Lee Jones as Gilmore. Gilmore’s brother rock music journalist Mikal Gilmore also wrote a fine book about the family- “Shot In The Heart” which is well worth reading.
The Adverts were short lived- they formed in 1976- released two albums and disbanded in 1979. “Gary Gilmore’s Eyes” was their most successful single.
slicethelife 
Interesting origin story. Good song!
That book by his brother Mikal Gilmore is chilling. Its been 25 years since it came out and I read it but it still is vivid in my mind…. there was also family lore that Harry Houdini was the father of Gilmore’s father..
I don’t know anything about Gilmore or those he killed. Houdini traveled a lot for his show I think so I suppose he could be?
Mikal Gilmore doesn’t believe the story- and it would seem unlikely- when Gary’s father was born- Houdini would have been 16 and had yet to go on the road.