Johnny Marr interview by Simon Hattenstone in The Guardian; extract from memoir

It's a big, wide-ranging interview and the book extract is revealing. Tons of stuff to interest folk here. Should have it up within an hour or two, when I get back.

**EDIT** Here we go. Don't say I never give you anything. I find the last page the most revealing and interesting.

**FURTHER EDIT** - weblink here...

Johnny Marr: ‘The conversation about re-forming the Smiths came out of the blue' - The Guardian
By Simon Hattenstone
It’s 29 years since the Smiths split up, and founding member Johnny Marr isn’t angry any more. So what happened when he and Morrissey met for a drink?


Media coverage:


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i think just as morrissey vetoed music like 'money changes everything' today johnny would need veto over bad lyrics. who would want to see "kiss me a lot" etc laid over a marr composition? johnny would be better to get taylor swift to write some lyrics... it is totally insane when morrissey says he prefers WPINOOB to the smiths (or his early) output. most of the lyrics aren't just bad by his standard, they are bad by anyone's.

But I like "Kiss Me A Lot and I'm sure Johnny Marr would have provided maybe even more nice music to it!
Is WPINOOB the title of his new album?
Worldpeace Is None Of OUR Bussiness?
Wouldn't mind if it was.
Just kidding
 
Morrissey likes to mess with people. Maybe he just wanted to know Marr would do it if he wanted to. In effect Morrissey got to know that 1 He can reform The Smiths any time he wants to. 2. Johnny is willing to throw Mike Joyce under the bus to do it.
For someone like Morrissey I think that is worth more than whatever he would get paid to go out there and pretend to be The Smiths.

"For someone like Morrissey I think that is worth more than whatever he would get paid to "
Define worth if it is not in a current valuta, these days.
Cheers Calamine
 
" For someone like Morrissey " = a drunkard who is co-morbid with every personality disorder there is

WoW, that's an achievement in itself, I'd say.
I think he would be laughing his head of, reading your comment.
Maybe that's why you put it here?
 
There is nothing particularly wrong with the music of 'Kiss Me a Lot', it's just a lazy, pointless lyric by Moz - the sort of vacuous, empty-headed shite he would have loudly slagged off when he was a member of The Smiths. It's about as deep as The Beatles 'Love Me Do'.

There are some atrocious lyrics on 'World Peace is None of Your Business' - he has become a slave to excessive alliteration, assonance and trying to rhyme all the time ('he took the plug and he hit the rug' really isn't going to win any Nobel Prizes). 'List of the Lost' is a similarly befuddled tangle of word-soup. Johnny suddenly turning up with some new music isn't going to change that.

But you know, maybe it would make him lay off the booze and raise his game a bit.
 
"For a while he became the most illustrious hired hand in the business, playing with Paul McCartney, the Pretenders and U2. "
When did Johnny ever play with U2?

Before The Smiths.
When he saw them on tv, trying to master the guitar playing and accords of the master. The Edge. :cool:
 
As far as I can recall, Johnny only played with Paul McCartney *once*, at a rehearsal, and they didn't end up working together, or releasing anything. I keep seeing this fact trotted out as though they'd done a tour and put out a few albums?
 
Looks like Marr can spot talented musicians for his band - this is superb. Can't imagine Jesse playing this somehow.



This is f***ing great and a prove that the music of The Smiths is timeless and eternal!
Mind you, a bit unfair to Jesse as you are comparing him with the best, and greatest guitarist of contemporary Rock/Pop music.

He could only practice for a year or so to copy that exact guitar lines and than he would only go through the motions.
Johnny Marr composed that music and every emotion in it is his.
And he could just do the same tune again slightly different and it would still be great. That feeling for improvising at the spot is also what makes him great!

Noticed again his voice, or at least his singing techniques are improving and getting better. Good for him!
I really hope that he gets what he wants this time. HE DESERVES IT!!!
 
There is nothing particularly wrong with the music of 'Kiss Me a Lot', it's just a lazy, pointless lyric by Moz - the sort of vacuous, empty-headed shite he would have loudly slagged off when he was a member of The Smiths. It's about as deep as The Beatles 'Love Me Do'.

There are some atrocious lyrics on 'World Peace is None of Your Business' - he has become a slave to excessive alliteration, assonance and trying to rhyme all the time ('he took the plug and he hit the rug' really isn't going to win any Nobel Prizes). 'List of the Lost' is a similarly befuddled tangle of word-soup. Johnny suddenly turning up with some new music isn't going to change that.

But you know, maybe it would make him lay off the booze and raise his game a bit.

But I like Love Me Do as much as I like Kiss Me A Lot!
It is about love! Uncomplicated love songs right from the heart.
Maybe you think it is silly but I like silly too!
I am a naive, romantically, emotional child, ...sometimes.
 
I remember Johnny saying that a lot of the time, the first occasion he'd hear the The Smiths lyrics and what Morrissey was going to sing, was when he came in to record his vocals over the completed music. I'm just trying to imagine his face in the control room, if the pair finally put aside their differences and decided to make new music, and Moz opens his mouth and starts singing something called 'Farage Was Right (Kick out the Bloody Foreigners)'. :lbf:
 
This is f***ing great and a prove that the music of The Smiths is timeless and eternal!
Mind you, a bit unfair to Jesse as you are comparing him with the best, and greatest guitarist of contemporary Rock/Pop music.

He could only practice for a year or so to copy that exact guitar lines and than he would only go through the motions.
Johnny Marr composed that music and every emotion in it is his.
And he could just do the same tune again slightly different and it would still be great. That feeling for improvising at the spot is also what makes him great!

Noticed again his voice, or at least his singing techniques are improving and getting better. Good for him!
I really hope that he gets what he wants this time. HE DESERVES IT!!!


I watch this and I wonder when his eyes are closed if he thinks back to the days when he wrote this.......all I know is that if I heard him and Morrissey playing this live someday in person I would freaking cry my eyes out with happiness!
 
I remember Johnny saying that a lot of the time, the first occasion he'd hear the The Smiths lyrics and what Morrissey was going to sing, was when he came in to record his vocals over the completed music. I'm just trying to imagine his face in the control room, if the pair finally put aside their differences and decided to make new music, and Moz opens his mouth and starts singing something called 'Farage Was Right (Kick out the Bloody Foreigners)'. :lbf:

He didn't say that, doesn't say that and wouldn't say that.
Same as Farage.
It would be much more indirect and open for more (interesting) interpretations.
Johnny Marr would given him the benefit of the doubt just as he did with Suffer Little Children.
 
But I like Love Me Do as much as I like Kiss Me A Lot!
It is about love! Uncomplicated love songs right from the heart.
Maybe you think it is silly but I like silly too!
I am a naive, romantically, emotional child, ...sometimes.

And what's wrong with that
I'd like to know
 
Robert Smith is only 25 % of The Cure.

I reckon Morrissey and Marr should join forces with Mickey Dolenz (drums) and Peter Tork (bass) and create a Smiths / Monkees hybrid with a 50 / 50 split of each band's songs per concert. They could do a medley of London / Last Train To Clarksville.
 
Morrissey and Johnny still look good. Andy and Mike look sooo old. Who wants to see two old guys on stage? Shirtless hot guy on drums and bass.

When the Smiths reform I hope they do a cover of Get Off The Stage.
 

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