Alain's recollections of "Our Frank"

UPDATE July 31: From Alain's Facebook:

6 months before I joined Morrissey I would see the poster for Our Frank everywhere. I walked in a pub or in a restaurant I would hear Suedehead. Turn on the radio Our Frank. I loved this song mainly because of the outro lyrics. Somebody please stop me from thinking all the time. I went to a careers office they asked me what I wanted to be. I said I want to be a rock star, well of course the guy said I can't help with that i.e. dream on pal. Quite rightly so. I was tired of dead end hard working jobs. All the careers opportunities office could help me with is cleaning up Wembley Stadium. I was depressed out of my mind. I couldn't drink my pain or drug my pain away thankfully I'm not like that. I wished I didn't think so deeply but I do and that song epitomized exactly how I felt about life. Why can't I be shallow. I went for a walk in a really off the beaten park, on the ground below me someone had written out Morrissey set in concrete. It was crazy it was like an omen for what was ahead. Now back to this video. I never saw this as I don't think it ever got released and I'm glad because these type of Skinheads were really bad news back in the late 80's. in fact I don't like this video because of the skinheads in it. The amount of times I had to run for having a quiff from 5 or 6 skinheads was comical. In the 80's in London it was tribal and rough. You have no idea. My friend and I would be walking along Finchley Rd, a bus full of Everton supporters started flipping us off whilst driving past us so of course we flipped them back. Well the bus parked and out came running 50 mob of football hooligans wanting to kill us and boy did we run lol. Anyway I love the lyrical couplet in this song Our Frank you're frankly vulgar in the red pullover, such a fantastic sound a like lyrical couplet. It's a shame we, Gaz,Boz,Spen and I never got a chance to work with Clive Langer or Stephen Street. I thought Stephen did a marvelous job with Morrissey and The Smiths. Our Frank is a brilliant tune and song and lyrically it really spoke volumes to me and at that time, too many Universal things were pointing me towards Morrissey, so that is why it's my favorite song. I also used to love playing this live even though we would execute it better now. Somebody please stop me from thinking all the time.

 

[No1uno]

Source please. Good read. I like Alain.

 

[Ben Budd]

Lovely read. I would love to read more about Alain's time in the band. His Youtube videos of him performing his material from the Morrissey years indicates he is, at least, at peace even if he is now out of the band. Oh well.

 

[Mr. Jackpots]

He's clearly got a lot of nostalgia for that time, which implies there's no bitterness...or at least not so much that it eclipses his good memories. But this often seems to the be the case with Morrissey's trail of dead. You seldom hear them talking shit about him...even if their gripes are ongoing or the wounds aren't healed, they almost always still vouch for his ability as an artist and recall their time with him positively.

 

[Uncleskinny]

Source please. Good read. I like Alain.

Facebook, that's all.

 

[King Leer]

These are great entries.

Christ's sake Moz, give Alain a call!

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Alain, now you know these 'signs' were not just coincidences! Oh the mighty power that M has ! Alain don't you believe in magic ? Simply, M through the power of his supernatural thought powers was shaping not only his but your future also ! at around that time he needed a guitarist and he needed to tour, so he thought of you. And like all those that came before and those that will come after, when they that are chosen feel the 'call' they will come to him offering their services.


Alain, please, a book !

 

[Anonymous]

Alain, now you know these 'signs' were not just coincidences! Oh the mighty power that M has ! Alain don't you believe in magic ? Simply, M through the power of his supernatural thought powers was shaping not only his but your future also ! at around that time he needed a guitarist and he needed to tour, so he thought of you. And like all those that came before and those that will come after, when they that are chosen feel the 'call' they will come to him offering their services.


Alain, please, a book !

 

[g23]

I wish Moz would welcome him back into the band. In my opinion, no one backs up M's vocals so beautifully as Alain. Their voices work far too well together.

 

[Anonymous]

These are great entries.

Christ's sake Moz, give Alain a call!

But why on earth would he do that now? He's just recorded an album full of songs written by his current band. Why we would he invite an old guitarist/songwriter back to tour a brand new album featuring no Alain Whyte songs? Would be bonkers. Would only make sense if the Boz runour was true.

 

[ACTON]

But why on earth would he do that now? He's just recorded an album full of songs written by his current band. Why we would he invite an old guitarist/songwriter back to tour a brand new album featuring no Alain Whyte songs? Would be bonkers. Would only make sense if the Boz runour was true.

I think King Leer meant give Alain a call for future work. I agree with him. Moz has cut the good people from his life and has spent too long with people who are ok at best. I liked World Peace so I am conflicted, but it's nowhere near as good as Your Arsenal or Vauxhall or Quarry. Moz's voice is better than ever the last few years but the music is letting him down somewhat.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

I think King Leer meant give Alain a call for future work. I agree with him. Moz has cut the good people from his life and has spent too long with people who are ok at best. I liked World Peace so I am conflicted, but it's nowhere near as good as Your Arsenal or Vauxhall or Quarry. Moz's voice is better than ever the last few years but the music is letting him down somewhat.

yeah, but who knows if that magic will still be there between them? Anyways, I'm sure it's more complicated than that, legal matters, and, does he pay the band when they're not working? just put them all on hold? Regardless of what people think of his present collaborators, I don't think M will want to rock the boat if the boat they're all on presently floats just fine, or fine enough for him.

 

[markreed]

Further in the thread, Alain says there will be no book as some of the tales would be very ... as he says... " ......it will never happen because as of now the truth would be to devastating so I will probably never do it."

But we all know the rumours, anyway. "Autobiography" hardly makes him out to be a nice person, at best.

 

[Anonymous]

Further in the thread, Alain says there will be no book as some of the tales would be very ... as he says... " ......it will never happen because as of now the truth would be to devastating so I will probably never do it."

But we all know the rumours, anyway. "Autobiography" hardly makes him out to be a nice person, at best.

One year ago he thought different apparently. I can't stand such people. Either say what you have to say or don't say anything at all, but implying things without telling them is shitty.

 

[Anonymous]

'Our Frank' is one of my favourite Morrissey singles - possibly THE favourite. A shame it's so underrated, as it should have been a hit.

 

[Anonymous]

'Our Frank' is one of my favourite Morrissey singles - possibly THE favourite. A shame it's so underrated, as it should have been a hit.

It's a really good one on a somewhat slight album. Might not be the greatest lyric he ever wrote but vocal and the hook are really enjoyable

 

[Anonymous]

I like and miss Alain, and I think his songs were getting better towards the end of his days in the band. Carol, It's Not Ur Birthday, Shame is the Name etc. all sparking gems. However, it's worth remembering he did write depressing amount of chug rock stodge over the years, including many of Morrissey's worst songs e.g. Roy Keen, Dagenham Dave, On the streets I ran, Best friend on payroll, Father must be killed. Truly dire stuff.

 

[Anonymous]

I like and miss Alain, and I think his songs were getting better towards the end of his days in the band. Carol, It's Not Ur Birthday, Shame is the Name etc. all sparking gems. However, it's worth remembering he did write depressing amount of chug rock stodge over the years, including many of Morrissey's worst songs e.g. Roy Keen, Dagenham Dave, On the streets I ran, Best friend on payroll, Father must be killed. Truly dire stuff.

Those are not Morrissey's worst songs. In fact they're probably as good as Carol, Birthday and Shame if not better.

 

[Anonymous]

I like and miss Alain, and I think his songs were getting better towards the end of his days in the band. Carol, It's Not Ur Birthday, Shame is the Name etc. all sparking gems. However, it's worth remembering he did write depressing amount of chug rock stodge over the years, including many of Morrissey's worst songs e.g. Roy Keen, Dagenham Dave, On the streets I ran, Best friend on payroll, Father must be killed. Truly dire stuff.

Agree. It's also worth noting that boz wrote a lot of the songs that resonate from vauxhall for me and I think a lot of the fans. Now my heart is full, the more you ignore, speedway. Find out for yourself is pretty amazing and the guitar line from hold on to your friends is also pretty good but the rest is kinda filler imo. The main reason I don't see Alain coming back is that he's already got a bunch of songwriters that I don't think he ready to sideline. Personally I thought world peaces music on par with Alains work. The oscilating yearning/groove of Istanbul, the build in I'm not a man, the guitar crunch of Neil Cassidy as well as he celibritory feel and hookyness of kiss me a lot etc were pretty great. I was pleasantly surprised after refusal sorta lowered my expectations a bit. I was happy to see the music venture outside of rock without sacrificing the pop with some of the song structures

 

[MozIsGod]

He's clearly got a lot of nostalgia for that time, which implies there's no bitterness

Yes, he seems to speak quite fondly about his early years in the band. Too bad we never hear his thoughts on some of his later-day Moz stuff like Quarry, etc.