Slow Moving Millie: 'Morrissey said it was delightful'

Slow Moving Millie: 'Morrissey said it was delightful' - The Telegraph

Neil McCormick meets Amelia Warner, the singer behind the John Lewis commercial.

Excerpt:

“I was born in the Eighties and grew up with this music, but the decade was so unforgiving to songwriting. It was all huge synths and electric drums and weird sounds. It was interesting to turn that on its head and get at the song underneath.”

The Smiths’ song, however, is performed straight. “It is so perfect I wouldn’t have the audacity to change it. I connected a piece of myself to it; it just resonated, something came through.”

To her joy, the composers have approved her version. “Morrissey said it was delightful, and Johnny Marr thinks it’s great.” This may be the thing that has most upset Smiths fans: that their heroes would allow their classic to be used in such a commercial fashion.

“Did all the Smiths fans get their albums for free?” retorts Warner. “Did Morrissey send them out personally? No, they went into a shop and bought them, and he made money from that, and now he lives in nice house in LA. I don’t see how this is any different. ”

 

[Anonymous]

...The Beatles anyone?? Also, have heard this version...one of the least annoying Smiths covers i've ever heard...very nice...

 

[Anonymous]

“Did all the Smiths fans get their albums for free?” retorts Warner. “Did Morrissey send them out personally? No, they went into a shop and bought them, and he made money from that, and now he lives in nice house in LA. I don’t see how this is any different. ”

The above comparison is flawed. Bands sell their music to make a living and hopefully connect with their audience on a spiritual level. Yes we pay for their albums. It's a little thing we call product demand. Using that same music to promote a department store is nothing but cash.

The fact that this person doesn't see the difference says it all. I don't have a huge problem with a cover being used for an ad. It's not the first time a Smiths song has been used to promote something. remember that awful version of How soon is now? for that bad Craft witch show?

 

[King Leer]

Decent voice (for a female singer -- please don't make me justify that comment) and nice arrangement but some of the melody changes irk badly.It's a slick ad but it takes the most superficial meaning of the song and applies it to something equally superficial -- retail.Not being facetious but has Morrissey ever stated he Didn't like a particular cover version? They all earn some dosh for him.

 

[Anonymous]

“Did all the Smiths fans get their albums for free?” retorts Warner. “Did Morrissey send them out personally? No, they went into a shop and bought them, and he made money from that, and now he lives in nice house in LA. I don’t see how this is any different. ”

The above comparison is flawed. Bands sell their music to make a living and hopefully connect with their audience on a spiritual level. Yes we pay for their albums. It's a little thing we call product demand. Using that same music to promote a department store is nothing but cash.

The fact that this person doesn't see the difference says it all. I don't have a huge problem with a cover being used for an ad. It's not the first time a Smiths song has been used to promote something. remember that awful version of How soon is now? for that bad Craft witch show?

Oh perlease....... do Westlife and Britney Spears make music to connect with their audience in a spiritual way?
A record company is a record company. Don't read anything else into it other than they want to recoup as much £££ / $$$ as they can from their investment and make a handsome profit.

 

[Anonymous]

Oh perlease....... do Westlife and Britney Spears make music to connect with their audience in a spiritual way?
A record company is a record company. Don't read anything else into it other than they want to recoup as much £££ / $$$ as they can from their investment and make a handsome profit.

I wasn't talking about record companies. i was talking about actual artists such as Morrissey. Why would I refer to Britney Spears on a Morrissey site? If you have no idea what art is then I feel sorry for you.

 

[devout]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDW_Hj2K0wo&feature=youtube_gdata_playerBill Hicks was right.

 

[gordyboy]

this could work to our advantage,as xmas gets closer the ad will be shown more,more people will get to know the song and download it,it climbs the charts.record companies notice these things and it may just be the thing that would make a company give him a deal.

 

[hey_music_lover]

"...some of the melody changes irk badly" - I gotta agree with this, this annoys me more than the controversy about whether the song should have been allowed to be used

 

[johnnymunro]

Ooh Bill Hicks NEVER sold out, Bill Hicks is my hero, Bill Hicks is so much more perfect than Morrissey, Bill f'ing Hiicks this, that the next thing.What if you don't give a toss about Bill Hicks? Is Bill Hicks the only person we can morally compare ourselves or Morrissey against?ALL artists sell out as soon as they sell a record, T shirt or anything. Did Bill F'ing Hicks work for free? Did he f***.

 

[Anonymous]

As a gay man Moz prefers female singers and falls in love with them platonically but would never be able to f*** them hard like proper men do.

Urban in Sweden (just saying it like it is)

Here I am playing bass Cure style in 1994 in a sad tribute song for the nazi zeppeliner Hindenburg:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UVOEIPRaauE

 

[Anonymous]

Ooh Bill Hicks NEVER sold out, Bill Hicks is my hero, Bill Hicks is so much more perfect than Morrissey, Bill f'ing Hiicks this, that the next thing.What if you don't give a toss about Bill Hicks? Is Bill Hicks the only person we can morally compare ourselves or Morrissey against?ALL artists sell out as soon as they sell a record, T shirt or anything. Did Bill F'ing Hicks work for free? Did he f***.

ALL artists sell out as soon as they sell a record, T shirt or anything.

Lol, that's a funny one! and by funny I mean wrong. You don't have to give a toss about Bill Hicks. No one is saying you have to. The analogy isn't correct anyway. Morrissey didn't do an ad for John Lewis. Hicks refers to celebs who actually put their face and voice to products. John Lydon for orange Drink and Jay Leno for Doritos. And he's right. The use of this song is kinda selling out I guess. It has nothing to do with working for free. It has to do with staying true to your principles. But that is very difficult for human beings. We love to pontificate and project but when it really comes down to it it's just a little too difficult

"We are a virus with shoes."

- Bill Hicks.

 

[Anonymous]

Stop being fags and just get over it man. I can be a real Moz hater but ultimately he hasnt really sold out much in his long career. Let him make a few extra bucks now again its HIS music. So what!

 

[Anonymous]

I think it's ultimately A Good Thing it's been used, though the lyrics of this one are so sad it feels inappropriate and wrong in the context of the advert which is just about waiting for bloody Xmas to come round.

Her version is fine though and further seals "Please.."'s status as rapidly becoming the most popular Smiths song; certainly most covered. And when people find out this was The Smiths - well great of course.

But get this

"Personal life

Warner was married to Colin Farrell from July to November 2001."

Lucky bitch! That officially makes her cool.