Interview: Johnny Marr looks back on Electronic's debut album 30 years on

What a time to live through, at that age. The interview really needs an edit, though, quite confusing in places. Of course I was waiting for the 'soundbite' and here it is: "So as successful and established a lead singer as Bernard Sumner is, he doesn’t have that wanker mentality – that has to hog the limelight all the time".
 
Some interesting bits about the songs creation or if your interested
in the safe dance music that Johnny
made back in the day, then, a good read.


Though I didn’t read all of it, I’d rather read about singers that are accused of hogging the limelight, they usually are damaged disliked and therefore actually have something new to sing to the world, bring to the world ...

someone like Morrissey.


:cool:
 
What a time to live through, at that age. The interview really needs an edit, though, quite confusing in places. Of course I was waiting for the 'soundbite' and here it is: "So as successful and established a lead singer as Bernard Sumner is, he doesn’t have that wanker mentality – that has to hog the limelight all the time".

Well Johnny doesn't actually mention Moz by name. So he must have been talking about when he worked with Curly Watts or maybe Quando Quango.
 
Looking back, it's interesting to read how Johnny was only 24 at the time. Still just a kid really, so it's easy to see how the emerging Manchester dance music scene must have seemed so exciting, and going back to something as restrictive as the Smiths must have seemed like the worst idea in the world.

I mean - as a fan of the band it obviously sucks we didn't get any more Smiths records, but I can fully understand why Johnny just wanted to move on at the time.
 
I'd forgotten how good the debut Electronic album was. Other than a few live dates... did Electronic ever do a proper tour? I seem to recall live dates announced after the debut album but then it didn't happen.
 
I'd forgotten how good the debut Electronic album was. Other than a few live dates... did Electronic ever do a proper tour? I seem to recall live dates announced after the debut album but then it didn't happen.

I don't think they ever played a full tour. Aside from the Depeche Mode supports, they played 3 gigs in Dec 91 which were Paris, Glasgow and London. The only other one I'm aware of is Cities In The Park, which I went to.
 
😑

difficult to ascertain which is more boring, the suco electronic
music or this interview:sleeping:
from the looks of it, the boor bernard and:handpointright::guardsman::handpointleft:
spent 12-13 hrs eating 🍕:hammer:
 
Kind of a shame there wasn't at least a small tour. Johnny's guitar playing on this version is pretty epic:
 
I don't think they ever played a full tour. Aside from the Depeche Mode supports, they played 3 gigs in Dec 91 which were Paris, Glasgow and London. The only other one I'm aware of is Cities In The Park, which I went to.

Oh cool, how did the songs translate live? Didn't they play the Hacienda too? I thought I saw some pictures of them.
 
Oh cool, how did the songs translate live? Didn't they play the Hacienda too? I thought I saw some pictures of them.

They translated well, I only went to see Buzzcocks on the Saturday and bought a Sunday ticket when I saw that Electonic were playing. Your right about the Hacienda But I think they only played a handful of songs
 
Looking back, it's interesting to read how Johnny was only 24 at the time. Still just a kid really, so it's easy to see how the emerging Manchester dance music scene must have seemed so exciting, and going back to something as restrictive as the Smiths must have seemed like the worst idea in the world.

I mean - as a fan of the band it obviously sucks we didn't get any more Smiths records, but I can fully understand why Johnny just wanted to move on at the time.
Absolutely, I felt this too. Part of me could completely see why Johnny just wanted to 'escape' and go out and party with his new friends. Another part of me can't help but think of Moz at the same time, who was doing well on his own but so obviously hurt/betrayed by the whole Electronic thing and still waiting for Johnny to give up his musical 'whoring', as it were. "I wondered what he had replaced (The Smiths) with and what he had replaced me with." When I look at photos from that period, Johnny doesn't look like the same person he was before or even who he is now - he just looks like he's trying to be Bernard.

electronic.png
 
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Kind of a shame there wasn't at least a small tour. Johnny's guitar playing on this version is pretty epic:


:hearnoevil:

WTF? turn off the repetitive racket FFS:censored:
eyes on :handpointright::guardsman::handpointleft:'s debeli bedri🦵
and balding on the front end:hammer:
 
Well Johnny doesn't actually mention Moz by name. So he must have been talking about when he worked with Curly Watts or maybe Quando Quango.
No he doesn't because that would actually take some courage and goes against his desire to be well liked and not rock the boat.
 
No he doesn't because that would actually take some courage and goes against his desire to be well liked and not rock the boat.

Why do you think it's specifically about Moz? That statement could apply to many singers. Anyone who's been in a band knows the lead singer likely has the inclination to hog the spotlight. That's part of their makeup.
 
Why do you think it's specifically about Moz? That statement could apply to many singers. Anyone who's been in a band knows the lead singer likely has the inclination to hog the spotlight. That's part of their makeup.
Well it's not about Matt Johnson or the Cribs or Modest Mouse or Chrissie Hynde. I'm not saying he's justified in his comment. Complaining about Moz or any other frontman in a band hogging the lime light is utterly ridiculous anyway.
 
Well it's not about Matt Johnson or the Cribs or Modest Mouse or Chrissie Hynde. I'm not saying he's justified in his comment. Complaining about Moz or any other frontman in a band hogging the lime light is utterly ridiculous anyway.

How do you know that? Why do you think Morrissey is the only one with that issue? It could well be about Chrissie or Matt or Isaac. He was just saying that Bernard wasn't like that because he didn't start out as a lead singer, it was thrust upon him.
 
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