No question The Smiths have stood the test of time. Morrissey / Marr yet another all time classic English genius songwriting duo.
Was home alone for a day last month and played Strangeways end-to-end at strong volume - epic, they really went out at the top.
When they were recording their later albums, Marr used to work during the day with Joyce and Rourke. They’d put down riffs, piano, strings and solos and put structure on the pieces of music. Then Morrissey would come in at night and lay down vocals over the lads’ work. Next day, the three boys would gather to listen to the combined end product. The studio team were regularly blown away by what Mozzer could do with the music (apparently the whole place was in tears the morning they all heard “Last night I dreamt” for the first time).
Often what Marr had intended to be the verse, Morrisey used for the chorus and vice-versa. It all sounds very disjointed but the lads got on fine and their last two albums were epic. They only broke up because Mozzer wouldn’t agree to hiring a manager and Marr just couldn’t handle it any more.
Rourke was a classy bassist - and his passing is another part of the golden era of our youth gone forever. However, without the two boys, especially Johnny Marr, he probably would never have scaled the heights he did. Still, he played a big part on some of the greatest records ever made.
Great tributes from both Morrissey and Marr today. What a buzz it must have been to be in the Smiths - to be that tight with the rest of the lads in an era-defining group.
RIP
Was home alone for a day last month and played Strangeways end-to-end at strong volume - epic, they really went out at the top.
When they were recording their later albums, Marr used to work during the day with Joyce and Rourke. They’d put down riffs, piano, strings and solos and put structure on the pieces of music. Then Morrissey would come in at night and lay down vocals over the lads’ work. Next day, the three boys would gather to listen to the combined end product. The studio team were regularly blown away by what Mozzer could do with the music (apparently the whole place was in tears the morning they all heard “Last night I dreamt” for the first time).
Often what Marr had intended to be the verse, Morrisey used for the chorus and vice-versa. It all sounds very disjointed but the lads got on fine and their last two albums were epic. They only broke up because Mozzer wouldn’t agree to hiring a manager and Marr just couldn’t handle it any more.
Rourke was a classy bassist - and his passing is another part of the golden era of our youth gone forever. However, without the two boys, especially Johnny Marr, he probably would never have scaled the heights he did. Still, he played a big part on some of the greatest records ever made.
Great tributes from both Morrissey and Marr today. What a buzz it must have been to be in the Smiths - to be that tight with the rest of the lads in an era-defining group.
RIP
