Johnny Marr slams "Classically Smiths" in Mojo interview

Johnny Marr slams ex-bandmates - The List
Johnny Marr has slammed the former members of The Smiths who planned to tour a classical version of the group's hits this year

Excerpt:

Johnny Marr has blasted his former Smiths bandmates over their reunion project.

The iconic group announced earlier this year they were to reunite as Classically Smiths without the guitarist and frontman Morrissey for a series of orchestral shows with occasional guitarist Craig Gannon but axed the gigs after bassist Andy Rourke denied his involvement, prompting drummer Mike Joyce to pull out.

And now Johnny has admitted their proposal felt like being "burgled" by a former acquaintance and slammed his ex-bandmates for "plundering" their legacy.

He told MOJO magazine: "What a farce. That was so obviously about money.

"The legacy was being plundered.

"I wasn't consulted and that tells you all you need to know, I think.

"It felt like being burgled by someone you used to know. It's a good job those guys weren't running the band when we were actually together, else we would never have been able to get one concert together."


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Rourke, Gallup, Hook, and Kim Deal (why not? She's lovely) are carved into Mount Bassmore in my mind.
Robert Smith has said that The Cure is not The Cure without Gallup. Andy was great too, as was Bruce Foxton with The Jam. These guys never get enough credit. And often get dissed later by the singer. That's not fair. These guys were all friends once, and deserve respect, especially if they were great players. Which they were.
 
Robert Smith has said that The Cure is not The Cure without Gallup. Andy was great too, as was Bruce Foxton with The Jam. These guys never get enough credit. And often get dissed later by the singer. That's not fair. These guys were all friends once, and deserve respect, especially if they were great players. Which they were.
I get it, but who doesn't have a formerly close friend who they now think is a complete and utter bastard? I don't have a personal stake in a band's politics, and I'm of the opinion that Rourke was integral, Joyce- a good drummer, but the drummer is never the star. The classically Smiths thing just seemed off to me. A rhythm section touring the music of:
 
Don't like Marr, Acton. Technically pedestrian, and somehow holding himself up as the most important member of the group. He was always distant, even in the early days. There are hundreds of guitarists better than him.
There are some great guitarists who rarely get a mention these days: Richard Oakes from Suede. Bernard Butler was the 1990's version of Suede was amazing too. Peter Hook is an amazing bass player. They must get well sick of hearing 'Johnny this and Johnny that', as if there was only one guitarist in the world. Steve Cradock (with Paul Weller) is ace too but never gets a mention.
 
Johnny Marr and Morrissey > Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce.
Now Johnny should take that idea and run with it, but with a series of guest vocalists. He could even arrange the music himself. Something which the other three couldn't. Reverse burgle the bastards!
Maybe, as long as he doesn't sing himself. He could strangle a cat instead and hold that up to the microphone.
edit: I know that image is sick but I just made myself laugh.
 
I would love to have seen how Classically Smiths would have ended up. Johnny is being a bit of a dick here.
I bet seeing and hearing Andy would have had me weeping.

Andy was not involved with this project.
 
There are some great guitarists who rarely get a mention these days: Richard Oakes from Suede. Bernard Butler was the 1990's version of Suede was amazing too. Peter Hook is an amazing bass player. They must get well sick of hearing 'Johnny this and Johnny that', as if there was only one guitarist in the world. Steve Cradock (with Paul Weller) is ace too but never gets a mention.
I think I heard that there were three songs on The Queen Is Dead that had the same chord progressions. If they'd have gone down the route of Wonderful Woman..... Whereas The Beatles gor more experimental with time, Marr played safe. His music doesn't cut it. That's why the Smiths aren't in any hall of fame.
 
How much money would it really have made anyway? I certainly wouldn't be interested in going to see them. They can't sing, write lyrics or write music in the way that Morrissey and Marr could, so where's the attraction? DULL.

It was with the same line up that play Hacienda Classical shows and they sell out arenas nationwide. It would have been a massive success,

Here they are with their version of Blue Monday at The Royal Albert Hall

 
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I think I heard that there were three songs on The Queen Is Dead that had the same chord progressions. If they'd have gone down the route of Wonderful Woman..... Whereas The Beatles gor more experimental with time, Marr played safe. His music doesn't cut it. That's why the Smiths aren't in any hall of fame.
Interesting. Which songs are they?
 
Maybe, as long as he doesn't sing himself. He could strangle a cat instead and hold that up to the microphone.
edit: I know that image is sick but I just made myself laugh.
A cat? That's too far. Maybe a fairly melodic sea lion. :lbf:

He's not that bad, but he does sound like a pub band singer you'd expect to hear for a 5 dollar cover charge.
 
I think I heard that there were three songs on The Queen Is Dead that had the same chord progressions. If they'd have gone down the route of Wonderful Woman..... Whereas The Beatles gor more experimental with time, Marr played safe. His music doesn't cut it. That's why the Smiths aren't in any hall of fame.
It's because they're too "faggy", to use an offensive term.
Look at Depeche Mode, The Cure, etc. The Rock and Roll hall of fame is a joke.
 
There are some great guitarists who rarely get a mention these days: Richard Oakes from Suede. Bernard Butler was the 1990's version of Suede was amazing too. Peter Hook is an amazing bass player. They must get well sick of hearing 'Johnny this and Johnny that', as if there was only one guitarist in the world. Steve Cradock (with Paul Weller) is ace too but never gets a mention.
I think I heard that there were three songs on The Queen Is Dead that had the same chord progressions. If they'd have gone down the route of Wonderful Woman..... Whereas The Beatles gor more experimental with time, Marr played safe. His music doesn't cut it. That's why the Smiths aren't in any hall of fame.
Interesting. Which songs are they?
I'm not sure, Peppy, but I think it was There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Bigmouth Strikes Again, and another one. Certainly, Marr became less adventurous with his chord changes as time went on...I only know this from having to suffer countless hours learning to plat the organ with Mrs Smedley (her son was the organist at thenBlackpool Tower). Just think of the intricacy of The Headmaster Ritual, and I don't think they ever got close to that again.
 
I think I heard that there were three songs on The Queen Is Dead that had the same chord progressions. If they'd have gone down the route of Wonderful Woman..... Whereas The Beatles gor more experimental with time, Marr played safe. His music doesn't cut it. That's why the Smiths aren't in any hall of fame.

Andy is amazing, no doubt. Each of The Smiths were and absolutely deserve due credit. But suggesting that Marr was a hack is preposterous, and just insisting it doesn't make it true. History (and most of the free world) disagree.

Re: being experimental and The Beatles, even if we accept your premise as 100% true (which it is not), it seems pretty clear that both Morrissey and Marr were focused on perfecting the art form with which they were most obsessed: the pop song. Pushing boundaries within that, sure. But not getting too "out there" and self-indulgent. And thank God for that. Marr's compositions were beautiful, complex, and above all listenable. It's why The Smiths released nary a bad tune. Even The Beatles can't claim that. I'll take that over experimental wankery any day.
 
I think I heard that there were three songs on The Queen Is Dead that had the same chord progressions. If they'd have gone down the route of Wonderful Woman..... Whereas The Beatles gor more experimental with time, Marr played safe. His music doesn't cut it. That's why the Smiths aren't in any hall of fame.

This is true, as I have elsewhere analyzed Drama J has but that one chicka chicka riff, and thats it.
:guitar:
Ask him to play a fing 5 second sold and he would go Comet.:drama:
Couldnt do it.:tiphat:
 
I'm not sure, Peppy, but I think it was There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, Bigmouth Strikes Again, and another one.

Wrong and ridiculous. You may have played dumbed down versions on an organ (which even then don't amount to the same chord progressions), but as a guitar player who has learned all 72 of their songs note-for-note on an actual guitar*, I assure you what he was doing on that instrument was anything but pedestrian.

* Asleep, Rush/Push, and Oscillate on piano of course.
 
"It's all about money" he says in his interview to promote Call the Comet.
 
The more I read about JM (on here especially) the more I'm growing to DISLIKE him. He's going to begrudge a few ex members a few quid? I'd have gone to see them to hear how the 'worker Smiths' still sound. Vegan Cro is bang on about DRAMA J :frogface::frogface::frogface::frogface::frogface::frogface::frogface:

Just what has he done since The Smiths??? Oh yeah, THE THE :tearsofjoy::tearsofjoy::weary:
 
Can't stand the man. I'd happily see him run over by a bus.
For f***'s sake, calm down. Why on earth would you wish death on Johnny Marr, you demented cow?
 
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