Johnny Marr: ‘I have nothing but fondness for The Smiths...but I’m glad I left’

[Dave2006]

Courtesty of an interview in the current bun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...ad-I-left.html

It's an interesting, short, piece, especially at the end:

Marr refuses to talk about the 1996 court case which saw Joyce take Morrissey and Marr to court over royalties (Morrissey and Marr took most of The Smiths' recording and performance royalties and allowed ten per cent each to Joyce and Rourke.) He confesses: "I don't like getting too serious. And I don't want to be disrespectful because they were my mates. I have nothing but great fondness for The Smiths. When I left I felt relieved but did it at the right time.

"I last saw Morrissey a couple of years ago and we hung out for an afternoon and it was pretty funny.

"I'm going to be hanging out with and maybe playing with Andy soon and then getting an email now and then off Mozza is nice. People think The Smiths are bad news, especially when we split, but it's not.

"The Smiths were bloody brilliant and I'm eternally proud of that."

Still, I'm not buying the rag.

Dave

[joe frady]

Thanks for posting. It was an interesting read, particularly these quotes ~

"And people think that I quit because there was some tensions, some fighting, but it wasn't like that. I've never hung around for long. Even after The Smiths when I've played with The The, Modest Mouse or The Cribs it's been the same. The idea of staying in the same place year in year out, it just doesn't work for me and never has."

So there was scant chance The Smiths would have remained together much longer anyhow, which is a point rarely made or acknowledged by most, let alone Johnny Marr. Marr's history since shows that. There was more to it than an impossible Morrissey.

Also ~

"I felt there was no one else on the planet who was listening to The Marvelettes, The Shirelles, Shangri-Las and Dusty Springfield. That's why I had the nerve to go and approach Morrissey when I was putting the group together, because he was the only other person I knew who liked the music I liked."

I wonder how he knew Morrissey's musical taste so intimately before 'the doorstepping'. It's been yonks since I read Rogan so maybe it's in there, but curious.


And ~

"But nothing's ever happened since the band split that made me think it was the wrong move to finish it."

Seems...fair enough.

[Amy]

Wonderful stuff. He doesn't sound bitter, and for once he's being complimentary about Moz. Great little interview.

"And when there was any controversy with tracks like Handsome Devil (about child abuse) and Suffer Little Children (about The Moors Murders), I'd back [Morrissey] up. I thought my friend was great and I thought everything my friend did was great. It was a great friendship and I learned a lot from being in that band so young"

[smiler]

I wish he'd say: " I regret leaving like i did and not leaving the door open. I regret the things i shouldn't have said and how I allowed the press to sour our relationship further with misquotes and half truths. Morrissey is the best front man i have ever worked with or even seen/heard. i would love to work with him again. I miss him alot." If he had the balls to say that I'd think alot better of him (we all know its true) and i dare say if he did say those things Morrissey would probably be in touch sharpish and he may even get to play those songs properly, with the proper singer, in front of a proper crowd again (which he must really want.) If would also like him to publically call Joyce an arse (just as an extra)

[Amy]

I wish he'd say: " I regret leaving like i did and not leaving the door open. I regret the things i shouldn't have said and how I allowed the press to sour our relationship further with misquotes and half truths. Morrissey is the best front man i have ever worked with or even seen/heard. i would love to work with him again. I miss him alot." If he had the balls to say that I'd think alot better of him (we all know its true) and i dare say if he did say those things Morrissey would probably be in touch sharpish and he may even get to play those songs properly, with the proper singer, in front of a proper crowd again (which he must really want.) If would also like him to publically call Joyce an arse (just as an extra)

I think Morrissey would have to be dead before Marr would put his pride aside enough to say something like that. Maybe he thinks it's so obvious that it doesn't need saying? Over the past 10 years or so, Marr has been a lot more open to the idea of a reunion than Moz - but it looks like Moz has a long memory and doesn't forgive easily.

[denzy]

Courtesty of an interview in the current bun
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...ad-I-left.html

It's an interesting, short, piece, especially at the end:

Marr refuses to talk about the 1996 court case which saw Joyce take Morrissey and Marr to court over royalties (Morrissey and Marr took most of The Smiths' recording and performance royalties and allowed ten per cent each to Joyce and Rourke.) He confesses: "I don't like getting too serious. And I don't want to be disrespectful because they were my mates. I have nothing but great fondness for The Smiths. When I left I felt relieved but did it at the right time.

"I last saw Morrissey a couple of years ago and we hung out for an afternoon and it was pretty funny.

"I'm going to be hanging out with and maybe playing with Andy soon and then getting an email now and then off Mozza is nice. People think The Smiths are bad news, especially when we split, but it's not.

"The Smiths were bloody brilliant and I'm eternally proud of that."

Still, I'm not buying the rag.

Dave

I think its nice that they still talk probably not often but enough.

Reminds me Of lennon and Mccartney after they made up in the 70's they were never going to be best mates or be in regular contact but they had that bond and great affection for eachother in what they achieved together and the journey

When ou really sit there think about how much they achieved and the magic they made. you relaise how much their lives will forever be intwinned together even after their deaths.
They could probably never talk to each other again but theyll have that special bond

[DAVIE]

I'm excited about Rourke and Marr prehaps doing a few gigs together?? Imagine if Andy became Johnny's new Bassist? Excited...Excited

[smiler]

I think Morrissey would have to be dead before Marr would put his pride aside enough to say something like that. Maybe he thinks it's so obvious that it doesn't need saying? Over the past 10 years or so, Marr has been a lot more open to the idea of a reunion than Moz - but it looks like Moz has a long memory and doesn't forgive easily.

I totally understand Morrissey not forgiving Marr unless Marr says those things - why would he? - It was Marr after all who left and subsequently slagged Morrissey off

[DAVIE]

Can I see these articles where Marr slags off Morrissey please?

[smiler]

Can I see these articles where Marr slags off Morrissey please?

There have been several over the years - i am sure they have been covered and linked here before - sometimes indirect references like saying so and so (bernard for example) is the best front man/lyricist/writting partner he has ever worked with and sometimes less subtle. Sometimes he slags the music - I can't remember exactly but sometime along the lines of "I don't need to listen to the new Morrissey album because i can guess what it sounds like" Also he has sat in on interviews and said nothing as others openly mocked Morrissey. Morrissey left the door for a reformation open for years and remained loyal while Marr sniped, mocked and complained, and hung out with haters, clearly Marr felt he was heading for bigger things and that Morrissey would disappear back into his bedroom. lol

[CARDIFF CITY FC]

How times have changed

still got a news clipping from 1986 when the sun's headline was

FATAL FATAL MISTAKE

a picture of morrissey waving a noose around the time of the queen is dead

it's a long time ago now but i won't forget how the SUN tried to get rid of the smiths and tried to get rid of morrissey with that headline

The sun in the UK is a total shambolic waste of space for those outside the UK

The Sun is now grovelling it seems to me

over and out here in Wales UK

[Bluebirds]

How times have changed

still got a news clipping from 1986 when the sun's headline was

FATAL FATAL MISTAKE

a picture of morrissey waving a noose around the time of the queen is dead

it's a long time ago now but i won't forget how the SUN tried to get rid of the smiths and tried to get rid of morrissey with that headline

The sun in the UK is a total shambolic waste of space for those outside the UK

The Sun is now grovelling it seems to me

over and out here in Wales UK

Boycott The Sun mate! We all know why.... I wrote to the PCC about that recent tragedy

[CARDIFF CITY FC]

Good bluebirds

i,m steaming here . i could go on forever here about the sun but i'll probably get banned if i spoke my mind on here !

[DAVIE]

clearly Marr felt he was heading for bigger things and that Morrissey would disappear back into his bedroom. lol

and oh, how things turned on for Mr Johnny Marr....ending up in an a few "mildly" successful bands (and I use that term very...very loosely )

I'd still like to see youtube videos and articles of Marr slagging off Morrissey though.
Any moderators care to show me any links?? that's what you guys love to do, isn't it nowadays?

[Amy]

and oh, how things turned on for Mr Johnny Marr....ending up in an a few "mildly" successful bands (and I use that term very...very loosely )

I'd still like to see youtube videos and articles of Marr slagging off Morrissey though.
Any moderators care to show me any links?? that's what you guys love to do, isn't it nowadays?

Have a look at the Marr interview archive on Forever Ill, or use the Search function here. He was catty as hell in virtually every interview he gave in 2007/2008, has said separately that Isaac Brock/Bernard Sumner/Matt Johnson are better singers and lyricists than Moz, that Ian Curtis could have sung "Hand in Glove" better, that Morrissey needed to get a life / he knew what any Morrissey album would sound like before he heard it / petty rubbish like "Don't trust a man whose sideburns are a different colour than the rest of their hair", "write your own lyrics", etc etc, for the last 25 years he has blamed Morrissey for the breakup in every Smiths-related interview going, and he was woefully snarky and under-handed on the "The Rise and Fall of the Smiths" doc which you can find on YouTube.




25:17-25.40, 26:50-27.15 and 28.28 make me feel ill. Really don't want to keep rehashing this because I really loved the Deaf Institute shows and I don't want to tarnish those nights because I have huge respect for Johnny, but he has never given Morrissey his fair share of credit and, in my eyes, still owes the man an apology for all the bitching.

[DAVIE]

pfft Ian Curtis could have sung "Hand In Glove" better? Morrissey has much more of a vocal range than he ever had! Marr got it wrong there!

But yes, your right....he has been kind lately about The Smiths and has played Smiths songs (if that's just because he wants to please the crowd is another thing though!)

[kissmyshadestoo]

if would also like him to publically call joyce an arse (just as an extra)

lol!!!!!

[Lager]

So, so disappointing to see Johnny doing an interview with the Sun, and then with people reading it and posting links to articles from it on this website.

http://www.dontbuythesun.co.uk (and don't go on their website either)