Johnny Marr on living in Altrincham during The Smiths - Altrincham Today

David writes:

I've just published the full 5,000-word interview in full - I think there's a lot of good stuff here for Smiths fans... I've also attached an image of the magazine version of the interview.

EXCLUSIVE: Johnny Marr on living in Altrincham during The Smiths, the influences behind his “dramatic” new album – and his jam with Macca - Altrincham Today
By David Prior

43315_marr_altrincham_today.jpg


Excerpt:

JM: Yeah, the first house that my then girlfriend Angie and I bought was on the corner of Marlborough Road. That was the Smiths’ HQ. We lived there from 85.

AT: I knew your old neighbours!

JM: Did you really? Tell them I apologise! I apologise for all the noise coming in between the walls. In my defence, those noises went on to be quite popular songs, that’s the best I can say I about it.

43314_jmarr.jpg

Johnny Marr with Morrissey Pic: Angie Marr

AT: So you were there from which album?

JM: From Meat is Murder onwards. In the house on Marlborough Road I wrote most of the Meat is Murder album and all of The Queen is Dead and quite a lot of the singles in between. There is a Light That Never Goes Out was written in Marlborough Road.
 
WTF??

" "dramatic" new album":swear

This DH just robbed me.:angry:
 
I reckon John's real hometown Portland, Oregon is a long way from Altrichichlem and I am going to prove Uncle Steve was born in LA, not Mankchester. There is just too much documented photo evidence of Steve in cities and places like Disneyland and the Grand Canyon all across America when he was a teenager. Usually foreigners just live in LA for a year as a fad or they just can't afford it and lose their house like Rusty Brand. Steve has just lived in LA too long. There was a Steve Pat Morrissey born on May 22, 1959 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
 
And again someone who doesn't get it (or someone who tries to downplay Morrissey's contribution in hindsight)

"And while Morrissey was the lyrical maestro, the Smiths’ legacy hangs on the extraordinary melodies produced by Marr, at once both haunting and jubilant."
 
Ain’t a real Smiths fan round here. ...just a bunch of half-wit, Moztown apologists. Hopefully the Kool-aid will kick in shortly.

Marr, Rourke and Joyce are treated like inconsequential bastard children here. Persona non grata. It’s a complete f***ing joke.

Wrong subject and site for a reasonable dialogue on the band that was. This lot have their heads firmly planted up hypocrisy’s arse. ;)
 
And again someone who doesn't get it (or someone who tries to downplay Morrissey's contribution in hindsight)

"And while Morrissey was the lyrical maestro, the Smiths’ legacy hangs on the extraordinary melodies produced by Marr, at once both haunting and jubilant."
People are lazy. Moz brought magic to all The Smiths songs (apart from the instrumentals!) with his amazing vocal melodies, and turned terrific tunes into terrific songs. Both he and Marr made The Smiths what they were. Arguing about that is like arguing that water is more important than air.
 
I reckon John's real hometown Portland, Oregon is a long way from Altrichichlem and I am going to prove Uncle Steve was born in LA, not Mankchester. There is just too much documented photo evidence of Steve in cities and places like Disneyland and the Grand Canyon all across America when he was a teenager. Usually foreigners just live in LA for a year as a fad or they just can't afford it and lose their house like Rusty Brand. Steve has just lived in LA too long. There was a Steve Pat Morrissey born on May 22, 1959 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
Even the conspiracy theorists are laughing now.
 
is this Johnny Marr-solo.com?

yes I know he was composer of most of the Smiths songs, but a bit too much, do all his latest news in 1 or 2 items a week, or thereabouts
 
People are lazy. Moz brought magic to all The Smiths songs (apart from the instrumentals!) with his amazing vocal melodies, and turned terrific tunes into terrific songs. Both he and Marr made The Smiths what they were. Arguing about that is like arguing that water is more important than air.
What would Morrissey have sounded like without them? I'm picturing some spazzy Wall of Voodoo but moanier, or dirgey post punk like Buzzcocks on valium. I don't know that his story would have been one of success.
 
Ain’t a real Smiths fan round here. ...just a bunch of half-wit, Moztown apologists. Hopefully the Kool-aid will kick in shortly.

Marr, Rourke and Joyce are treated like inconsequential bastard children here. Persona non grata. It’s a complete f***ing joke.

Wrong subject and site for a reasonable dialogue on the band that was. This lot have their heads firmly planted up hypocrisy’s arse. ;)
you hit the nail on the head,reasonable dialogue,everybody on here knows the contribution andy and mike made and that can never be taken away from them but they weren't very professional and their drug use cant be overlooked.
 
What would Morrissey have sounded like without them? I'm picturing some spazzy Wall of Voodoo but moanier, or dirgey post punk like Buzzcocks on valium. I don't know that his story would have been one of success.
Yessir but would have Marr's? Luckily we'll never have to know. Nice avatar by the way. :rock:
 
Yessir but would have Marr's? Luckily we'll never have to know. Nice avatar by the way. :rock:
I think Johnny would have went to success no matter who he played with. He was already hanging out with the right crowd, he was being noticed before The Smiths, locally, and his sound is distinct enough to give any band a boost. Now what level of success is anybody's guess. No matter what, I think he would have ended up in some cult band or another, and probably kept a similar career path if that hypothetical band dissolved after a few albums.
 
Cheers - nice in-depth interview.

PS - I'm really tired of all the 'Johnny Marr or Morrissey - you must pick a side, love one and hate the other' bullshit around here recently.
 
I think Johnny would have went to success no matter who he played with. He was already hanging out with the right crowd, he was being noticed before The Smiths, locally, and his sound is distinct enough to give any band a boost. Now what level of success is anybody's guess. No matter what, I think he would have ended up in some cult band or another, and probably kept a similar career path if that hypothetical band dissolved after a few albums.

Agreed on that. While Morrissey was an amazing singer and lyric writer, it took someone like Johnny Marr, whose music went so well with Morrissey's words and voice for Morrissey to find success and recognition. I think that this is highlighted by the fact that Morrissey's early solo material, pre-Kill Uncle, emulated Smiths songs, particularly the songs written by Stephen Street, which have such a Smiths sound. Morrissey needed that sound to be successful. Without those early solo songs sounding like the Smiths, it's doubtful whether his solo career would have taken off. Imagine his first solo effort was Kill Uncle? He would have crashed and burned.

Johnny, on the other hand, as well as having a great, unique sound, has shown he can mould himself into any sound, highlighted by the range of artists and bands he has worked with.
 
It's great to see Johnny really coming into his own as a solo artist. While he has been a great addition to many great bands over the years, his new solo material is really good.

It's great to see how much he loves Manchester as well. It's clearly still a big part of who he is as a person and as a songwriter.
 
I reckon John's real hometown Portland, Oregon is a long way from Altrichichlem and I am going to prove Uncle Steve was born in LA, not Mankchester. There is just too much documented photo evidence of Steve in cities and places like Disneyland and the Grand Canyon all across America when he was a teenager. Usually foreigners just live in LA for a year as a fad or they just can't afford it and lose their house like Rusty Brand. Steve has just lived in LA too long. There was a Steve Pat Morrissey born on May 22, 1959 at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Burbank.
You are mentally disturbed. Someone needs to get you sectioned.
 
is this Johnny Marr-solo.com?

yes I know he was composer of most of the Smiths songs, but a bit too much, do all his latest news in 1 or 2 items a week, or thereabouts
Celibate by everyone else's choice.
 
My silver vinyl Comet just landed. Wicked package. First full listen last night. Boy has his feet firmly planted in where he came from and where we’re all going together. Absolutely BEAUTIFULLY engineered and mastered. Killer band. ...but more to the point - his music speaks for itself.

TOP SHELF album. :) :) :) :) :)
 

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