RIP Andy Rourke (May 19, 2023)

Oh man, this hurts. Tweet from Johnny:

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Related items:

• Morrissey-solo: [Morrissey Central] "BEAM OF LIGHT." - May 19, 2023
• Morrissey-solo: Mike Joyce pays tribute to Andy Rourke on BBC Breakfast (May 20, 2023) - May 21, 2023

Media items:

• BBC: "Andy Rourke: The Smiths bassist dies aged 59" - May 19, 2023
• The Guardian: "Andy Rourke, bassist for the Smiths, dies aged 59" - May 19, 2023
• The Independent: "Andy Rourke death: The Smiths bassist dies aged 59" - May 19, 2023
• Louder Than War: Andy Rourke dies at 59 - May 19, 2023
• NME: "The Smiths bassist Andy Rourke has died" - May 19, 2023
• Mojo: "“The Smiths Were A Gang. A Band Of Brothers…” Andy Rourke Interviewed" - May 19, 2023

 

[gashonthenail]

Martin Amis and Andy Rourke showed 80s teenagers like me what was possible

Their deaths have left me wistful for my salad days

inews.co.uk

Martin Amis was undoubtedly one of the best writers writing in English at the end of the 20th century. His sheer talent will be missed.

 

[bhops]

'It’s easy to paint the Smiths as a two-man show: Morrissey and Marr wrote the songs; moreover, both were such lavishly talented and original artists that they cut figures almost impossible to overshadow. Indeed, it’s a line of thought Morrissey in particular has pursued with vigour in recent decades, belittling the Smiths’ rhythm section’s contributions, behaving as though they were, in the memorable words of a lawyer instructed to act for drummer Mike Joyce, “as readily replaceable as the parts of a lawnmower”.

But it isn’t true. Rourke was as gifted a bass player as Marr was a guitarist: when fabled session bassist Guy Pratt was drafted into rehearsals following the drug bust, he arrived assuming no one would notice Rourke’s absence (“let’s face it,” he later wrote, “how many people would be bothered?”) but found himself marvelling at the “sophistication” of what he was expected to learn. In Pratt’s retelling, the general sigh of relief when it becomes apparent that Rourke’s arrest won’t stop him touring the US is almost palpable.

He also provided ample evidence of the breadth of music influences that were funnelled into the Smiths’ sound, something that was easy to overlook given the limited musical worldview their frontman was given to espousing in interviews. Morrissey may have thought that reggae was “vile”, but that clearly wasn’t a view shared by Rourke: listen to his bass part on the 1986 B-side Rubber Ring. Morrissey “detested” modern soul – “this discofied nonsense” – but on Barbarism Begins at Home, regularly held up as the greatest example of Rourke’s playing in the Smiths’ oeuvre, he plays writhingly funky slap bass that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in the world of “discofied nonsense”. “I don’t think Morrissey thought it was cool,” he subsequently confessed.

Andy Rourke was the other melodic genius in the Smiths: spry, funky and masterful
Alexis Petridis

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/may/19/andy-rourke-the-smiths-bassist

Morrissey never ever belittled Rourke's playing.

 

[Amy]

Morrissey never ever belittled Rourke's playing.

Nope, never.

"Whatever I said about the Smiths' abilities, I meant. I very genuinely thought the music was Art, and I felt awed by it, and all of the groups of the day I saw as not-art. I thought Johnny was the greatest, and also .... those masterful bass-lines ..." (TTY Q & A, 2007)

 

[Crisstti]

The Guardian lying. What's new.

 

[Famous when dead]

Brendan IG story:

 

[Famous when dead]

 

[Jamie]

Brendan IG story:

View attachment 91369

So that's postings from - as far as I've seen - Alain, Juan and Brendan, not to mention Gary Day. Gustavo rarely posts. Jesse is conspicuous by his absence.

 

[Barking]

Andy, wherever you are, hopefully chuckling: quick question:
To you M didn't appear to find those bass lines "cool" ( not until 2007 anyway) But, walk me back, when was M himself associated with "cool"?
Must of been before I woz booorn...

 

[Young And Alive]

Yes, I share these thoughts. The knowledge that this is truly the end of the band as it was, and with it, all the history and, however unlikely, the hope. Incredibly sad. It's just absurdly impossible, I know, but oh how I wish this could prompt Morrissey and Marr to reconnect somehow. Life's so short.

Andy's passing should hit home the fact that one day Morrissey and Johnny will also pass.

Whichever one goes first, the other will be left thinking "could I have been nicer?".

Don't leave it too late, guys. A reunion is out of the question. It was always unlikely, but Andy's death now makes it impossible. Friendship can find a way, however.

 

[Famous when dead]

This may be a repeat?
Recent Joyce interview:



FWD.

 

[YourArse'n'All]

Andy's passing should hit home the fact that one day Morrissey and Johnny will also pass.

Whichever one goes first, the other will be left thinking "could I have been nicer?".

Don't leave it too late, guys. A reunion is out of the question. It was always unlikely, but Andy's death now makes it impossible. Friendship can find a way, however.

Yes. Would be so sad if pride and hurt feelings were allowed to stand in the way of at least some sort of reconnect, when it's with a person who's meant so much for your path in life (for better and/or worse). Problem is we all tend to go around feeling like there's always more time. But one day, the hourglass will be empty and it will be too late.

 

[SuedeMoz]

Andy's passing should hit home the fact that one day Morrissey and Johnny will also pass.

Whichever one goes first, the other will be left thinking "could I have been nicer?".

Don't leave it too late, guys. A reunion is out of the question. It was always unlikely, but Andy's death now makes it impossible. Friendship can find a way, however.

Agreed and you would have thought other deaths would have already caused those thoughts. Morrissey's efforts to reunite the NY Dolls and now most are dead. The death of Lou Reed and Bowie, and so on.

 

[Jamie]

Agreed and you would have thought other deaths would have already caused those thoughts. Morrissey's efforts to reunite the NY Dolls and now most are dead. The death of Lou Reed and Bowie, and so on.

It's one thing to mediate for and reunite third parties that have their own set of baggage. It's a far, far more difficult thing to bridge the gap within your own circle, especially since it has become a seemingly insurmountable gulf. In many ways, the split between Morrissey and Marr is more like a divorce that has only grown more acrimonious over time.

My gut feeling is that the final ship for a true reconciliation sailed when Joe Moss died. He was a connective tissue between Morrissey and Marr, one of the few who knew them when they were both young ambitious men starting out. Neither have, or since have had, a manager or trusted advocate who could speak to both sides and palliate lingering concerns of inequity and soothe pricks to the respective egos. Joe had the history with both that an Irving Azoff, Merck Mercuriadis ad nauseum lacked.

 

[Amy]

Yes. Would be so sad if pride and hurt feelings were allowed to stand in the way of at least some sort of reconnect, when it's with a person who's meant so much for your path in life (for better and/or worse). Problem is we all tend to go around feeling like there's always more time. But one day, the hourglass will be empty and it will be too late.

Absolutely... everyone feels they will have more time. When you think about Kirsty, Tim Broad, Jerry Finn and countless others, you'd think that Moz has had more reminders of mortality than most.

I remember in "The Importance of..." where Moz was talking about the court case and said, "I wish Joyce the very, very worst for the rest of his life" and you just think - that is one of those things that people say in anger because they think they will live forever but if 'the worst' did happen, they would feel absolutely awful about it for the rest of their lives and would never live it down. In the same way, I don't think Morrissey would want the 'open letter' to be the last word between him and Johnny, not at all. Perhaps that is why he softened it a bit with "I wish you good health" comment.

M has a miserably long trail of broken friendships behind him and a history of saying incredibly glib, cruel things about people who have been part of the journey, whether it's Joe Moss or Geoff Travis or his old teacher who 'is destined to die smelling of attics'. I think there will come a time when he really regrets some of that. All three remaining Smiths are long overdue a pint and a civil conversation.

 

[Amy]

My gut feeling is that the final ship for a true reconciliation sailed when Joe Moss died. He was a connective tissue between Morrissey and Marr, one of the few who knew them when they were both young ambitious men starting out. Neither have, or since have had, a manager or trusted advocate who could speak to both sides and palliate lingering concerns of inequity and soothe pricks to the respective egos. Joe had the history with both that an Irving Azoff, Merck Mercuriadis ad nauseum lacked.

I think friends tried to step into the breach over the years and smooth things over - Kirsty, Chrissie, maybe even Noel. I don't think Morrissey or Marr could actually 'explain' the current animosity between them with a gun to their head. It's just stupid, egotistical nonsense - "He insults me in magazines!" and "He pushed me out of my band" and oh God, grow up you big babies.

 

[Famous when dead]

The Smiths and beyond: a tribute to Andy Rourke.

The Smiths and beyond: a tribute to Andy Rourke

David Quinn reflects on the musical legacy of the Smiths’ legendary bassist

www.varsity.co.uk

 

[goinghome]

This should be moved and a bit odd that the moderators haven't done so.

Especially considering that on this or a related thread, comments about Johnny Marr's shortcomings towards Andy were swiftly erased.

Wonderful props for The Smiths from Tom Dunne (also in forum) https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/artsandculture/arid-41147425.html

 

[Famous when dead]

 

[Juan Dulces]

How very lovely. Thank you so much for posting this.

RIP Andy. We really love you, and we really miss you.

 

[Famous when dead]

Mojo re-publish an interview from 2004:

“The Smiths Were A Gang. A Band Of Brothers…” Andy Rourke Interviewed.

Following the sad passing of The Smiths Andy Rourke, MOJO revisits a career-spanning interview with the band’s bass maestro.

In 2004, 17 years after The Smiths spilt up, MOJO’s Paul Stokes met Andy Rourke in a Manchester bar to discuss the highs and lows of The Smiths’ career and its troubled aftermath. In memory of Rourke, who has sadly passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer, here is an extended version of the interview in which he talks about first meeting Johnny Marr at school, his brief expulsion from the band, working with Morrissey, the infamous court case and more…

“The Smiths Were A Gang. A Band Of Brothers…” Andy Rourke Interviewed

Following the sad passing of The Smiths Andy Rourke, MOJO revisits a career-spanning interview with the band’s bass maestro.

www.mojo4music.com