Music Radar: John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates (January 22, 2025)

“I don't think Morrissey liked me. I don't think he liked my friendship with Johnny”: Producer John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates

“I don't think Morrissey liked me. I don't think he liked my friendship with Johnny”: Producer John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates

John found a huge collection of original acetates and mixes of many Smiths’ classics unplayed since the 1980s

www.musicradar.com

https://archive.is/GMdHq

(Archived version)

Very interesting recent interview stemming from the upcoming auction.
FWD.

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Related item:

• Wessex Auction Rooms - The John Porter Collection - Auction: January 24, 2025

 

[Dorothy]

I can't believe he didn't know he had all of these treasures! It will be so interesting to see how much they go for - FWD, how much did you get for your kidney? I wonder if he's offered them to Johnny or Morrissey? Also, out of all that interesting information they had to make that the headline?

 

[Sawyer]

Is the headline quote just a throwback to the 999 times he's said that before or is he repeating it again for the thousandth time?

 

[hand in glove]

Such a silly thing to say. Just ridiculous. I wouldn't buy any of it. He looks like the devil anyway.

 

[Andy W]

View attachment 151093

“I don't think Morrissey liked me. I don't think he liked my friendship with Johnny”: Producer John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates

“I don't think Morrissey liked me. I don't think he liked my friendship with Johnny”: Producer John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates

John found a huge collection of original acetates and mixes of many Smiths’ classics unplayed since the 1980s

www.musicradar.com

https://archive.is/GMdHq

(Archived version)

Very interesting recent interview stemming from the auction tomorrow.
FWD.

---

Related item:

• Wessex Auction Rooms - The John Porter Collection - Auction: January 24, 2025

All the information about recording is interesting. So Mike played to a Linn drum track and for that he got 25%?

 

[Bluebirds]

That was a really interesting read. Especially the sections about the recording process.

Can't believe he didn't join Roxy Music when he had the chance!

 

[Andy W]

Is the headline quote just a throwback to the 999 times he's said that before or is he repeating it again for the thousandth time?

When had he said before that Morrissey didn’t like him because he was jealous of his relationship with Johnny? I feel like with time passing, more people are coming forward with the truth.

 

[Thewlis]

All the information about recording is interesting. So Mike played to a Linn drum track and for that he got 25%?

Mike is the luckiest guy in music history

 

[gordyboy9]

this could be inserted into the edwyn collins thread and you wouldnt know the difference,the narrative in the music industry is hate morrissey love marr.
sorry johnboy but nobody is that nice,infact i should have said johnboy walton.

 

[gordyboy9]

That was a really interesting read. Especially the sections about the recording process.

Can't believe he didn't join Roxy Music when he had the chance!

always liked his work with roxy as i was a huge fan.

 

[gashonthenail]

Interesting read. Although his production was a big improvement on Troy Tate's, it still wasn't quite what The Smiths were looking for. But it did lay the ground work, not least in helping to educate Johnny into the world of music production, which would enable The Smiths to be credited as the producer on Meat Is Murder, with a sound that is light years ahead of the debut album, although clearly Stephen Street played a central role too.
Porter was introducing Johnny into a world that didn't interest Morrissey. The poetic and the singing voice were what interested him. I can just imagine Morrissey finding all the minutiae of mixing a bit dull. Maybe that changed over the years as his solo career developed and he worked with some masters of music production? But Porter clearly taught Johnny well - although I'm sure Johnny had other teachers too.

 

[Amy]

Such a silly thing to say. Just ridiculous. I wouldn't buy any of it. He looks like the devil anyway.

Not ridiculous at all. It's very clear from Autobio that he was right and that Morrissey didn't like him, didn't like his influence on Johnny and didn't want him around. Why he has to keep dragging it up, I don't know... but it's not silly.

 

[The Wild Turkey]

Mike is the luckiest guy in music history

They were still usin' a click track
durin' the recordin' of TQID.
That drum machine should sue
Mike Joyce for 12.5%.

 

[Amy]

When had he said before that Morrissey didn’t like him because he was jealous of his relationship with Johnny? I feel like with time passing, more people are coming forward with the truth.

You mean Morrissey's fantastic, dramatically unhinged depiction of Porter as a mutinous "sly Captain Bligh" didn't give it away?

 

[Surface]

this could be inserted into the edwyn collins thread and you wouldnt know the difference,the narrative in the music industry is hate morrissey love marr.
sorry johnboy but nobody is that nice,infact i should have said johnboy walton.

Seems to be a common thing amongst people who know Morrissey, bizarrely people who have not met him get upset and attempt to belittle the people who have met him.

 

[Gray Fruit]

Interesting read. Although his production was a big improvement on Troy Tate's, it still wasn't quite what The Smiths were looking for. But it did lay the ground work, not least in helping to educate Johnny into the world of music production, which would enable The Smiths to be credited as the producer on Meat Is Murder, with a sound that is light years ahead of the debut album, although clearly Stephen Street played a central role too.
Porter was introducing Johnny into a world that didn't interest Morrissey. The poetic and the singing voice were what interested him. I can just imagine Morrissey finding all the minutiae of mixing a bit dull. Maybe that changed over the years as his solo career developed and he worked with some masters of music production? But Porter clearly taught Johnny well - although I'm sure Johnny had other teachers too.

And yet Johnny allowed Morrissey to be c0-credited as producer for the Smiths records. Johnny certainly knew how to keep the peace. I don't think Morrissey ever received a production credit for anything else after the Smiths.

Of course it was really Morrissey telling Geoff Travis to fire John Porter. Who fires a producer for "having too much fun" after producing a Number one album in Meat Is Murder. Makes no business sense.

 

[Ryan]

Such a silly thing to say. Just ridiculous. I wouldn't buy any of it. He looks like the devil anyway.

Satan rejected his soul.

 

[gashonthenail]

Morrissey is 'difficult'. Johnny is affable. News shock.
I do wonder though was Morrissey maybe listening to and being educated by Porter more than Morrissey would ever care to admit? Whilst pretending all the time to be bored, of course. Getting 'the sound' right for Meat Is Murder was clearly something that Moz contributed to greatly, not least with his addition of sound effects. But I can't imagine that the mechanics of music production was something that interested him that much.

 

[Ryan]

“Over the 30 years I was in America, the house was rented out. As I say, I’d stashed lots of old records, tapes, cassettes and acetates up there. One of the tenants went up there and took everything so I’d assumed these [records] had been lost too.”


That’s a bit careless innit?

 

[hand in glove]

Not ridiculous at all. It's very clear from Autobio that he was right and that Morrissey didn't like him, didn't like his influence on Johnny and didn't want him around. Why he has to keep dragging it up, I don't know... but it's not silly.

That's what I meant, though, Amy. It's silly to keep dragging it up. Just get on with it and sell the collection. People want to kick Moz up one side and down the other. They never miss an opportunity to mention him, though, do they? It's just frustrating, that's all.