Alain Whyte and Gary Day reminisce about "Your Arsenal" on Facebook

Re: Alain Whyte on Facebook today

Gary posted the same video today with his own lovely reminiscence.

https://www.facebook.com/shakey.lavonne/posts/375674495974984

aubaOBL.png
 
Jonny Bridgwood has always been my favorite Moz bassist. His lines always seemed to stand out in my opinion in particular that bridge in Alma Matters..Intro to Spring Heeled Jim..His bassline in Boxers..I dunno he just always stuck out in my head as the most impactful of the bunch. Seems like a heck of a nice guy too.
I completely agree. His bass playing on Vauxhall in particular is some of the most dynamic and expressive ever to appear on a Morrissey recording.


Also, regarding Spencer: what Jamie wrote. All of it.
 
http://www.juliehamill.com/post/29840723703/fifteen-minutes-with-jonny-bridgwood-bass-player

JH: You and Spencer left the band at the same time.

JB: Yeah. We had been on a fifty-date tour of America and it was ‘Morrissey and the band’. I had just suddenly lost it with it. When you’re doing something useful it’s so intense like a marriage, but if you hit the wall…

JH: What happened?

JB: To go out on stage and play the songs without deviation… I just didn’t want to play the same bass part every night and it was all rather predictable. I had another weird moment on stage looking at Morrissey, the band, the five thousand people and I thought: ‘They’re all at the same party, I’m not there.’ I could see myself playing but it was like somebody was pulling the strings. I decided half way through a gig during Maladjusted that was it. We were largely doing Vauxhall and Itowards the end of that tour anyway.
 
http://www.juliehamill.com/post/29840723703/fifteen-minutes-with-jonny-bridgwood-bass-player

JH: You and Spencer left the band at the same time.

JB: Yeah. We had been on a fifty-date tour of America and it was ‘Morrissey and the band’. I had just suddenly lost it with it. When you’re doing something useful it’s so intense like a marriage, but if you hit the wall…

JH: What happened?

JB: To go out on stage and play the songs without deviation… I just didn’t want to play the same bass part every night and it was all rather predictable. I had another weird moment on stage looking at Morrissey, the band, the five thousand people and I thought: ‘They’re all at the same party, I’m not there.’ I could see myself playing but it was like somebody was pulling the strings. I decided half way through a gig during Maladjusted that was it. We were largely doing Vauxhall and Itowards the end of that tour anyway.

Thanks so much, mod!
 
Jonny Bridgwood has always been my favorite Moz bassist. His lines always seemed to stand out in my opinion in particular that bridge in Alma Matters..Intro to Spring Heeled Jim..His bassline in Boxers..I dunno he just always stuck out in my head as the most impactful of the bunch. Seems like a heck of a nice guy too.

I'm sure there's a Boz interview from way back where he states that some of the bass parts on Vauxhall were essentially lifted from his demos -ie not all played by Jonny. I think Spring Heeled Jim may be one such track.
 
I'm sure there's a Boz interview from way back where he states that some of the bass parts on Vauxhall were essentially lifted from his demos -ie not all played by Jonny. I think Spring Heeled Jim may be one such track.

The only track that is confirmed to carry over Boz's demo bass track is "Now My Heart Is Full" - see page 306 of the first edition of Mozipedia.

He also played bass on Southpaw's "Do Your Best And Don't Worry," as Jonny had already left the session.
 
http://www.juliehamill.com/post/29840723703/fifteen-minutes-with-jonny-bridgwood-bass-player

JH: You and Spencer left the band at the same time.

JB: Yeah. We had been on a fifty-date tour of America and it was ‘Morrissey and the band’. I had just suddenly lost it with it. When you’re doing something useful it’s so intense like a marriage, but if you hit the wall…

JH: What happened?

JB: To go out on stage and play the songs without deviation… I just didn’t want to play the same bass part every night and it was all rather predictable. I had another weird moment on stage looking at Morrissey, the band, the five thousand people and I thought: ‘They’re all at the same party, I’m not there.’ I could see myself playing but it was like somebody was pulling the strings. I decided half way through a gig during Maladjusted that was it. We were largely doing Vauxhall and Itowards the end of that tour anyway.

cool and a nice way of saying that youre not on the same page as others
 
I'm sure there's a Boz interview from way back where he states that some of the bass parts on Vauxhall were essentially lifted from his demos -ie not all played by Jonny. I think Spring Heeled Jim may be one such track.

That doesn't make Jonny any less a fantastic bass player. The bass Morrissey ever had, hands down. Sometimes i find myself humming the bassline he played - something only happens with Andy Rourke's basslines.
 
http://www.juliehamill.com/post/29840723703/fifteen-minutes-with-jonny-bridgwood-bass-player

JB: To go out on stage and play the songs without deviation… I just didn’t want to play the same bass part every night and it was all rather predictable. I had another weird moment on stage looking at Morrissey, the band, the five thousand people and I thought: ‘They’re all at the same party, I’m not there.’ I could see myself playing but it was like somebody was pulling the strings. I decided half way through a gig during Maladjusted that was it. We were largely doing Vauxhall and Itowards the end of that tour anyway.

This is what I've wondered about his band, particularly on this tour just since I've been paying attention to setlists. Two things.

One, how can they stand to come out and play the same songs night after night after night? There's so little variation. I know that must be an issue for most bands, but with such a vast amount of material to chose from, ugh, same stuff, a few things rotating in and out, I don't know how any of them do it. I'd want to slit my wrists after a while. Composing my grocery list in my head as my fingers play the rote notes, like when you get all the way home from work on your usual route and can't remember actually having driven, or anything along the way.

Secondly, what's it like to be in a band long term, but to not get any billing? Everybody who comes to a Morrissey show is there to see Morrissey. The cheers, the swoons, the singing, it's all for Morrissey. People might say, "the band was really tight live" but it's still anonymous for the most part, and kind of a side note. We talk about individual members here but we're a hyperinterested small minority. It's not like the band is "The Stretford Poets" or even "Morrissey and the Iconoclasts," just "Morrissey," which basically means "Morrissey and whoever he needs to fill in a slot." I wonder how the band feels when people are cheering. Because I feel like if I were one of them, I'd be sort of like Bridgwood here and just not feel like I was really there or that it had much to do with me. I'm not sure that he and I are necessarily talking about the same thing, but that's how I'd feel.

I mean look at Boz. Been around for decades, musical director, lots of songwriting credits, etc., but zero billing. He does his own things at other times, but it must stink to just be in the background as everyone stretches out their arms to try to touch Morrissey. If somebody else had filled in for him on Jimmy Fallon, the average non-hardcore-fan person at home would have no idea he was missing. How does that feel? It obviously must provide some kind of satisfaction or neither he nor any longtime band member would keep at it, and obviously the show can't happen without them and it really matters to the audience experience whether they play well or not. But I always imagine there's sort of a sad reconciliation point they must reach where they just have to acknowledge most people don't notice them and aren't there to see them and they could be pretty easily replaced without a loss of continuity noticeable to the bulk of listeners.

Maybe someone like Boz is key enough that it would throw things off badly for a while, but I still think they could get a whole new crop in there to learn and play the songs just fine and it would still be the Morrissey show and the new people would be in the shadow as much as the old. I just wonder how that feels when they put in so much work to make each show work.
 
This is what I've wondered about his band, particularly on this tour just since I've been paying attention to setlists. Two things.

One, how can they stand to come out and play the same songs night after night after night? There's so little variation. I know that must be an issue for most bands, but with such a vast amount of material to chose from, ugh, same stuff, a few things rotating in and out, I don't know how any of them do it. I'd want to slit my wrists after a while. Composing my grocery list in my head as my fingers play the rote notes, like when you get all the way home from work on your usual route and can't remember actually having driven, or anything along the way.

Secondly, what's it like to be in a band long term, but to not get any billing? Everybody who comes to a Morrissey show is there to see Morrissey. The cheers, the swoons, the singing, it's all for Morrissey. People might say, "the band was really tight live" but it's still anonymous for the most part, and kind of a side note. We talk about individual members here but we're a hyperinterested small minority. It's not like the band is "The Stretford Poets" or even "Morrissey and the Iconoclasts," just "Morrissey," which basically means "Morrissey and whoever he needs to fill in a slot." I wonder how the band feels when people are cheering. Because I feel like if I were one of them, I'd be sort of like Bridgwood here and just not feel like I was really there or that it had much to do with me. I'm not sure that he and I are necessarily talking about the same thing, but that's how I'd feel.

I mean look at Boz. Been around for decades, musical director, lots of songwriting credits, etc., but zero billing. He does his own things at other times, but it must stink to just be in the background as everyone stretches out their arms to try to touch Morrissey. If somebody else had filled in for him on Jimmy Fallon, the average non-hardcore-fan person at home would have no idea he was missing. How does that feel? It obviously must provide some kind of satisfaction or neither he nor any longtime band member would keep at it, and obviously the show can't happen without them and it really matters to the audience experience whether they play well or not. But I always imagine there's sort of a sad reconciliation point they must reach where they just have to acknowledge most people don't notice them and aren't there to see them and they could be pretty easily replaced without a loss of continuity noticeable to the bulk of listeners.

Maybe someone like Boz is key enough that it would throw things off badly for a while, but I still think they could get a whole new crop in there to learn and play the songs just fine and it would still be the Morrissey show and the new people would be in the shadow as much as the old. I just wonder how that feels when they put in so much work to make each show work.

theyre professionals making a nice living without having to deal with all of the stress of fame and billing. some people just want thatm
 
I mean look at Boz. Been around for decades, musical director, lots of songwriting credits, etc., but zero billing. He does his own things at other times, but it must stink to just be in the background as everyone stretches out their arms to try to touch Morrissey. If somebody else had filled in for him on Jimmy Fallon, the average non-hardcore-fan person at home would have no idea he was missing. How does that feel? It obviously must provide some kind of satisfaction or neither he nor any longtime band member would keep at it, and obviously the show can't happen without them and it really matters to the audience experience whether they play well or not. But I always imagine there's sort of a sad reconciliation point they must reach where they just have to acknowledge most people don't notice them and aren't there to see them and they could be pretty easily replaced without a loss of continuity noticeable to the bulk of listeners.

I would argue that there is already a large contingent of his hardcore audience who have reached this point. Many seem perfectly content with Morrissey "showing up" with whoever is playing for him and make no distinction between Jesse Tobias and Alain Whyte, between Mike Farrell and Kris Pooley, between Dean Butterworth and Matt Walker. They are purely there to see MORRISSEY. Many of us do not feel this way - in fact, feel that there is a palpable distinction whenever there is another round of musical chairs in the band - but that's the way it is.

For his part, Morrissey has ran hot/cold about the level of credit and exposure the musicians receive outside of the live setting - and, even there, it wasn't until the 3/4 mark or so of the Oye Esteban tour that he began introducing them onstage. It's been relatively standard for them to appear in his videos since 1992. In 1991 - 1993, he was embracing the idea of leading a BAND again and had Th'Lads at his side in TV interviews, on magazine covers, on album sleeves. After Beethoven Was Deaf, I don't believe he featured the band in a sleeve photo again until one of the "I Have Forgiven Jesus" CD singles -and, by then, it had ceased to be Th'Lads and become Boz & Gaz & The Americans. He featured Jesse in a video interview in 2006 and they were pictured on the two new studio albums and many of the singles since 2009. Not to mention the rapturous praise he offered the current band (and Solomon) in Autobiography.
 
theyre professionals making a nice living without having to deal with all of the stress of fame and billing. some people just want thatm

They aren't rich, but they do well and can go out in public without any problems. However, they have to deal with Morrissey.
 
I would argue that there is already a large contingent of his hardcore audience who have reached this point. Many seem perfectly content with Morrissey "showing up" with whoever is playing for him and make no distinction between Jesse Tobias and Alain Whyte, between Mike Farrell and Kris Pooley, between Dean Butterworth and Matt Walker. They are purely there to see MORRISSEY. Many of us do not feel this way - in fact, feel that there is a palpable distinction whenever there is another round of musical chairs in the band - but that's the way it is.

For his part, Morrissey has ran hot/cold about the level of credit and exposure the musicians receive outside of the live setting - and, even there, it wasn't until the 3/4 mark or so of the Oye Esteban tour that he began introducing them onstage. It's been relatively standard for them to appear in his videos since 1992. In 1991 - 1993, he was embracing the idea of leading a BAND again and had Th'Lads at his side in TV interviews, on magazine covers, on album sleeves. After Beethoven Was Deaf, I don't believe he featured the band in a sleeve photo again until one of the "I Have Forgiven Jesus" CD singles -and, by then, it had ceased to be Th'Lads and become Boz & Gaz & The Americans. He featured Jesse in a video interview in 2006 and they were pictured on the two new studio albums and many of the singles since 2009. Not to mention the rapturous praise he offered the current band (and Solomon) in Autobiography.


I never thought i will refer to Benny's boring lawnmower-tirade, but THIS shows exactly why his musicians are shit. No one cares about them. Boz Boorer signature guitar?Ha! I guess deep down all of them know they don't stand a chance with ACTUAL musicians. The exceptions (J Bridgewood, Alain) do leave.
 
I never thought i will refer to Benny's boring lawnmower-tirade, but THIS shows exactly why his musicians are shit. No one cares about them. Boz Boorer signature guitar?Ha! I guess deep down all of them know they don't stand a chance with ACTUAL musicians. The exceptions (J Bridgewood, Alain) do leave.

It was Steven himself who referred to them as lawnmower parts. I am just the messenger !

Benny-the-British-Butcher
 
For his part, Morrissey has ran hot/cold about the level of credit and exposure the musicians receive outside of the live setting - and, even there, it wasn't until the 3/4 mark or so of the Oye Esteban tour that he began introducing them onstage. It's been relatively standard for them to appear in his videos since 1992. In 1991 - 1993, he was embracing the idea of leading a BAND again and had Th'Lads at his side in TV interviews, on magazine covers, on album sleeves. After Beethoven Was Deaf, I don't believe he featured the band in a sleeve photo again until one of the "I Have Forgiven Jesus" CD singles -and, by then, it had ceased to be Th'Lads and become Boz & Gaz & The Americans. He featured Jesse in a video interview in 2006 and they were pictured on the two new studio albums and many of the singles since 2009. Not to mention the rapturous praise he offered the current band (and Solomon) in Autobiography.

This always seemed odd to me. I wonder what changed his thinking once Vauxhall happened. Maybe he considered both Bridgewood and Taylor temporary session players once he dispensed of Gary and Spencer in early '93? And that they weren't an integral part of the band? I have no idea, but I was pleasantly surprised when his band started gaining more attention in the sleeves post-Ringleader.

I believe in the 2002 Janice Long interview, Morrissey mentioned something along the lines of that the record companies didn't want to sign the band (in addition to him). Sanctuary was the one label that let him keep them rather than demand he scrap them. I'm probably not entirely correct since it was so long ago but I believe that was mentioned in one of those pre-Quarry interviews.
 
http://www.juliehamill.com/post/29840723703/fifteen-minutes-with-jonny-bridgwood-bass-player

JH: You and Spencer left the band at the same time.

JB: Yeah. We had been on a fifty-date tour of America and it was ‘Morrissey and the band’. I had just suddenly lost it with it. When you’re doing something useful it’s so intense like a marriage, but if you hit the wall…

JH: What happened?

JB: To go out on stage and play the songs without deviation… I just didn’t want to play the same bass part every night and it was all rather predictable. I had another weird moment on stage looking at Morrissey, the band, the five thousand people and I thought: ‘They’re all at the same party, I’m not there.’ I could see myself playing but it was like somebody was pulling the strings. I decided half way through a gig during Maladjusted that was it. We were largely doing Vauxhall and Itowards the end of that tour anyway.

I think this is a revealing statement. Morrissey remorselessly played The Sheds to try and 'crack America' with full Corporate Rock Whore Support from various labels. He failed, they bailed and thus he descended into Diva tantrum/no show/phoning it in/demanding adulation from the mentally ill List. He toned down The Gay, hid behind the pseudo rebellion of Vegetarianism, didn't quite come out as Atheist and yet.....Middle America said "Meh!"And he can never forgive the world for rendering him Eternal C List Also-ran. As Morten returns and A-ha announce dates, one imagines a part of their rider is to ensure that Morrissey is NEVER! allowed backstage to ogle The Ordinary Boys whose songs say more about human life than the absurd pretend rebel posturings that have been Morrissey's Business Card for decades.

best
BergenBoy

 
Last edited by a moderator:
This is what I've wondered about his band, particularly on this tour just since I've been paying attention to setlists. Two things.

One, how can they stand to come out and play the same songs night after night after night? There's so little variation. I know that must be an issue for most bands, but with such a vast amount of material to chose from, ugh, same stuff, a few things rotating in and out, I don't know how any of them do it. I'd want to slit my wrists after a while. Composing my grocery list in my head as my fingers play the rote notes, like when you get all the way home from work on your usual route and can't remember actually having driven, or anything along the way.

Secondly, what's it like to be in a band long term, but to not get any billing? Everybody who comes to a Morrissey show is there to see Morrissey. The cheers, the swoons, the singing, it's all for Morrissey. People might say, "the band was really tight live" but it's still anonymous for the most part, and kind of a side note. We talk about individual members here but we're a hyperinterested small minority. It's not like the band is "The Stretford Poets" or even "Morrissey and the Iconoclasts," just "Morrissey," which basically means "Morrissey and whoever he needs to fill in a slot." I wonder how the band feels when people are cheering. Because I feel like if I were one of them, I'd be sort of like Bridgwood here and just not feel like I was really there or that it had much to do with me. I'm not sure that he and I are necessarily talking about the same thing, but that's how I'd feel.

I mean look at Boz. Been around for decades, musical director, lots of songwriting credits, etc., but zero billing. He does his own things at other times, but it must stink to just be in the background as everyone stretches out their arms to try to touch Morrissey. If somebody else had filled in for him on Jimmy Fallon, the average non-hardcore-fan person at home would have no idea he was missing. How does that feel? It obviously must provide some kind of satisfaction or neither he nor any longtime band member would keep at it, and obviously the show can't happen without them and it really matters to the audience experience whether they play well or not. But I always imagine there's sort of a sad reconciliation point they must reach where they just have to acknowledge most people don't notice them and aren't there to see them and they could be pretty easily replaced without a loss of continuity noticeable to the bulk of listeners.

Maybe someone like Boz is key enough that it would throw things off badly for a while, but I still think they could get a whole new crop in there to learn and play the songs just fine and it would still be the Morrissey show and the new people would be in the shadow as much as the old. I just wonder how that feels when they put in so much work to make each show work.

I wouldn't worry too much. Trust me, they all know it's just A Job. A Gig. And like any other tradesman, they realise they are replaceable. Like lawnmower parts. Isn't it rather odd that there's no women in his band? Women have always been a warm-up, accessories to the Real Man Dad Rock finale of the night. *popcorn*

best
GoBB
[loving new A-ha single 'Under The Makeup']
 
Some lawnmower parts are better than others !
The present engine is made of tin cans, third world style.
Buy British !

Benny-the-British-Butcher
 
yeah labels are like that. I didn't think h even had much influence over that maladjusted cover himself
 
theyre professionals making a nice living without having to deal with all of the stress of fame and billing. some people just want thatm

In other words: It's Just A Job. They could be backing Mariah Carey or Gary Numan, it's irrelevant. They'll act up to whatever clownish demands their employer makes, like insurance executives on Red Nose Day. If Morrissey says "you can't eat meat but I can eat cheese" they just roll their eyes and check to make sure they've been paid their stipend. If he starts ranting about a 'hateful online creche' and demands they wear idiotic 'f*** Morrissey-Solo' t-shirts for an encore in Bradford, they just do as they're told, like Pret A Manger sandwich vendors smiling till their jaws ache. Morrissey probably read a book about James Brown and imagined himself as a 'band leader'....sigh....it's all so sad. But utter lulz

best
GoBB
 
I would argue that there is already a large contingent of his hardcore audience who have reached this point. Many seem perfectly content with Morrissey "showing up" with whoever is playing for him and make no distinction between Jesse Tobias and Alain Whyte, between Mike Farrell and Kris Pooley, between Dean Butterworth and Matt Walker. They are purely there to see MORRISSEY. Many of us do not feel this way - in fact, feel that there is a palpable distinction whenever there is another round of musical chairs in the band - but that's the way it is.

For his part, Morrissey has ran hot/cold about the level of credit and exposure the musicians receive outside of the live setting - and, even there, it wasn't until the 3/4 mark or so of the Oye Esteban tour that he began introducing them onstage. It's been relatively standard for them to appear in his videos since 1992. In 1991 - 1993, he was embracing the idea of leading a BAND again and had Th'Lads at his side in TV interviews, on magazine covers, on album sleeves. After Beethoven Was Deaf, I don't believe he featured the band in a sleeve photo again until one of the "I Have Forgiven Jesus" CD singles -and, by then, it had ceased to be Th'Lads and become Boz & Gaz & The Americans. He featured Jesse in a video interview in 2006 and they were pictured on the two new studio albums and many of the singles since 2009. Not to mention the rapturous praise he offered the current band (and Solomon) in Autobiography.

He was sniffing around Madness for years ( we were there) and his groupie fixation with Bad Boy Groups like The Clash and The Who is now a matter of "*rolleyes* who knew?" Obvious Troll Is Obvious In The Rear-View Mirror. Rotating at random from Diva to Last Gang In Town/First Of The Gang To Die third hand Clash riffs and aphorisms, it's all become a mad car-crash career-ending clusterfcuk. And that is good and excellent to watch.

best
GoBB
 
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