93-513: Indietracks was an annual indie pop music festival at the Midland Railway in Butterley , Derbyshire , England. The main site was located at Swanwick Junction . Bands played in variety of locations, including a restored church, in a train shed, and on the moving trains themselves. The event was staffed by volunteers, with the proceeds from the festival going towards the upkeep and renovation of
186-459: A Melody Maker journalist in the late 1980s and founding member of pop band Saint Etienne , acknowledges that participants at the time reacted against lazy labelling, but insists they shared an approach: "Of course the 'scene', like any scene, barely existed. Like squabbling Marxist factions, groups who had much in common built up petty rivalries. The June Brides and the Jasmine Minks were
279-532: A "DJ and audio production outfit", with Olé Koretsky. In April 2014, the Cranberries vocalist Dolores O'Riordan joined the group and they changed their name to D.A.R.K. Marr and Morrissey have repeatedly said that they will not reunite the band. In 2006, Morrissey declared, "I would rather eat my own testicles than reform the Smiths, and that's saying something for a vegetarian." When asked why in another interview
372-610: A Light That Never Goes Out " and "The Boy with the Thorn in His Side". The Queen Is Dead reached number two in the UK charts. A legal dispute with Rough Trade had delayed the album by almost seven months (it had been completed in November 1985), and Marr was beginning to feel the stress of the band's exhausting touring and recording schedule. He later told NME , "'Worse for wear' wasn't the half of it: I
465-426: A Person" and "London", both of which were released as B-sides the following year, and "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet, Baby", which first appeared on the compilation album The World Won't Listen also the following year). On 12 December 1986 the band performed their last concert, an anti-apartheid benefit at Brixton Academy , London. As they had been severed from the contract with Rough Trade records they sought
558-563: A band with him. A few days later, Morrissey and Marr held their first rehearsal in Marr's rented attic room in Bowdon . Morrissey provided the lyrics for "Don't Blow Your Own Horn", the first song that they worked on; however, they decided against retaining the song, with Marr commenting that "neither of us liked it very much". The next song that they worked on was "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle", which again
651-475: A breaking point. Marr contacted NME to explain that he had not left the band due to personal tensions but because he wanted wider musical scope. The former Easterhouse guitarist Ivor Perry was brought in to replace Marr. The band recorded material with him which was never completed, including an early version of " Bengali in Platforms ", later released on Morrissey's debut solo album, Viva Hate (1988). Perry
744-549: A degree of arrogance". Morrissey appealed against the verdict; the appeal was heard by the Court of Appeal (Civil Division) in November 1998 and dismissed. Inspired by Joyce's success, Rourke sought legal advice on his own options. He was declared bankrupt in 1999. In November 2005, Joyce told Marc Riley on BBC Radio 6 Music that financial hardship had reduced him to selling rare Smiths recordings on eBay. By way of illustration, Riley played part of an unfinished instrumental known as
837-489: A distant place, and I'm pleased with that." In 2002, Joyce said he was not interested in reforming as he felt the Smiths had run its course. In November 2004, VH1 screened a Backstage Pass Special episode of Bands Reunited showing host Aamer Haleem trying and failing to corner Morrissey before a show at the Apollo Theater. In March 2006, Morrissey said the Smiths had declined a $ 5 million offer to perform at
930-566: A fifty-date world tour under the Smiths' name in 2008 and 2009. NME gave Morrissey as its source for the story. Rolling Stone cited his publicist. The offer was also reported at true-to-you.net, an unofficial fan site tacitly supported by Morrissey. It was later described as a hoax, although it is unclear who was hoaxing whom. In October, Marr said on BBC Radio 5 Live : "Stranger things have happened so, you know, who knows? ... It's no biggie. Maybe we will in 10 or 15 years' time when we all need to for whatever reasons, but right now Morrissey
1023-504: A funk bass solo on "Barbarism Begins at Home". The album was preceded by the re-release of the B-side " How Soon Is Now? " as a single, and although that song was not on the original LP , it has been added to subsequent releases. Meat Is Murder was the band's only album (barring compilations) to reach number one in the UK charts. Morrissey brought a political stance to many of his interviews, courting further controversy. Among his targets were
SECTION 10
#17328729312831116-517: A licentious Mick Jagger or a drugged-out Jim Morrison ." — Paul A. Woods, 2007 In early 1987, " Shoplifters of the World Unite " reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart. It was followed by a second compilation album, The World Won't Listen . The title was Morrissey's comment on his frustration with the band's lack of mainstream recognition; it reached number two in the charts. This
1209-620: A mirror-image of it, a pop world where they were the stars... and a little bit of a raspberry blown at the larger musical world, which (sensibly) went right on preferring something more interesting than average white kids playing simple pop songs. Despite their relatively minor commercial success (their third album was sardonically titled They Could Have Been Bigger than the Beatles ), the Television Personalities are highly regarded by critics and have been widely influential, especially on
1302-473: A new deal with a major label. Marr told NME in early 1987, "Every single label came to see us. It was small-talk, bribes, the whole number. I really enjoyed it." The band signed with EMI, which drew criticism from their fanbase and elements of the music press. "The Smiths brought realism to their romance, and tempered their angst with the lightest of touches. The times were personified in their frontman: rejecting all taints of rock n' roll machismo, he played up
1395-618: A record contract with Rough Trade. Morrissey and Marr signed it on behalf of the band, and there was no discussion of how earnings would be divided. Travis brought in Troy Tate of the Teardrop Explodes , and under his supervision the band recorded their first album, at the Elephant Studios in Wapping , East London . Rough Trade were unhappy with the album and Tate's production, insisting
1488-638: A single. For the cover, Morrissey insisted on a homoerotic photograph by Jim French which he had found in Margaret Walters' The Nude Male . The single was released in May 1983, and sold well for the next 18 months, but did not chart in the UK Top 40 . Among the audience at the Smiths' second London concert, at the University of London Union , was John Walters , the producer of John Peel 's BBC Radio 1 show: he invited
1581-625: Is a Japanese style from the 1990s that was embraced by indie pop enthusiasts, partly because many of its bands were distributed in the United States through major indie labels like Matador and Grand Royal . Out of all the Japanese groups from the scene, Pizzicato Five was the closest to achieving mainstream success in the US. Chamber pop is a subgenre of indie pop that features lush orchestrations. Heavily influenced by Brian Wilson and Burt Bacharach ,
1674-463: Is doing his thing and I'm doing mine." In 2008, Marr resumed contact with Morrissey and Rourke while remastering the band's catalogue. That September, Morrissey and Marr met in Manchester and discussed the possibility of reforming the band. The two kept in contact over the next four days and decided to exclude Joyce from any prospective reunion and to wait until after Marr completed his commitments to
1767-583: Is not just "indie" that is "pop." Not too many people realize this, or really care either way. But you can be sure indie pop's fans know it. They have their own names for themselves ... the music they listen to ... their own canon of legendary bands ... and legendary labels ... their own pop stars ... their own zines ... websites ... mailing lists ... aesthetics ... festivals ... iconography ... fashion accessories ... and in-jokes ... in short, their own culture. —Nitsuh Abebe, Pitchfork Within indie genres, issues of authenticity are especially prominent: indie
1860-536: Is one of the things that got me to talk so fast, it was just plain exuberance." — Marr, on arriving at Morrissey's door By late 1982, Morrissey had chosen the band name the Smiths. He said later that "it was the most ordinary name and I thought it was time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces". Around the time of the band's formation, Morrissey decided that he would be publicly known only by his surname, with Marr referring to him as "Mozzer" or "Moz". In 1983, he forbade those around him from using
1953-859: The Alternative Therapy radio show on Revolution 96.2 FM until the station changed format in 2008, later reviving it on Manchester Radio Online and Tin Can Media. He hosts The Coalition Chart Show on East Village Radio , which streams from New York. Rourke played and recorded with the Pretenders (featuring on Last of the Independents , 1994); Badly Drawn Boy (with whom he played for two years); Proud Mary (featuring on Love and Light , 2004); and Ian Brown (featuring on The World Is Yours , 2007). In 2007, he formed Freebass with fellow bassists Peter Hook ( New Order and Joy Division ) and Mani (
SECTION 20
#17328729312832046-636: The C86 generation. Reynolds has said that "what we now know as indie music was invented in Scotland," with reference to the emergence of Postcard Records in 1979. However, some have posited that the concept of indie music did not crystallise until the late 1980s and early 1990s. Brisbane band the Go-Betweens were an early influential indie pop band, releasing their first single " Lee Remick " in 1978. American indie pop band Beat Happening 's 1985 eponymous debut album
2139-510: The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival , saying, "Money doesn't come into it ... It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. [Marr] wanted to end it. And that was that." In August 2007, it was widely reported that Morrissey had that summer declined an offer of $ 75 million – nearly £40 million at the time – from a "consortium of promoters" to reunite with Marr for
2232-519: The Thatcher government , the British monarchy and the famine relief project Band Aid . Morrissey famously quipped of the last, "One can have great concern for the people of Ethiopia , but it's another thing to inflict daily torture on the people of England" ("torture" being a reference to the music that resulted from the project). The subsequent single-only release " Shakespeare's Sister " reached number 26 on
2325-503: The "Click Track" (or "Cowbell Track"). Morrissey responded with a statement three days later revealing that Joyce had received £215,000 each from Marr and Morrissey in 1997, along with Marr's final backpayment of £260,000 in 2001. Morrissey failed to make his final payment because, he said, he was overseas in 2001 and did not receive the paperwork. Joyce obtained a default judgement against Morrissey, revised his outstanding claim to £688,000 and secured orders garnishing much of his income. This
2418-580: The 2006 album The Fall and Rise of Vinny Peculiar ). In 2007 they released the documentary DVD Inside the Smiths , a memoir of their time with the band, notable for the absence of Marr, Morrissey and their music. Joyce recorded with Suede (1990); toured and recorded with Buzzcocks (1990–91); toured with Julian Cope (1992); toured with John Lydon and Public Image Ltd (1992); recorded with P.P. Arnold (1995); toured and recorded with Pete Wylie (1996–98); toured with Vinny Peculiar and Paul Arthurs (2007); and toured with Autokat (2008–09). He presented
2511-471: The Cookies ; although he had never heard of the song before, Marr agreed, enjoying the subversive element of having a male vocalist sing it, and the song was recorded on his TEAC machine. "It's still really clear. It was a sunny day, about one o'clock. There was no advance phone call or anything. I just knocked and he opened the door. As soon as the door opened, Pommy [Pomfret] took two very firm steps back. Which
2604-571: The Cribs . Communication between the two abruptly ended while Marr was touring in Mexico with the Cribs and the topic of a reunion was never brought up again. Marr said that he did not hear from Morrissey again until a brief email correspondence in December 2010. In June 2009, Marr told an interviewer on London's XFM , "I think we were offered 50 million dollars for three ... possibly five shows." He said that
2697-572: The Healers, which released only one album, Boomslang (2003), to moderate success, then split up shortly afterwards. He later worked as a guest musician on the Oasis album Heathen Chemistry (2002). In 2006, he began work with Modest Mouse 's Isaac Brock on songs that eventually featured on the band's 2007 release, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank . Modest Mouse subsequently announced that Marr
2790-434: The Smiths gave their first public performance as a support act for Blue Rondo à la Turk during a student music and fashion show, "An Evening of Pure Pleasure", at Manchester's Ritz . During the performance, they played both their own compositions and "I Want a Boy for My Birthday". Morrissey had organised the gig's aesthetic; the band came onstage to Klaus Nomi 's version of Henry Purcell 's "The Cold Song" playing through
2883-486: The Smiths' earnings." After a seven-day hearing, Judge Weeks found in favour of Joyce, ordering that he receive around £1 million in back-royalties and 25 per cent henceforth. The judge also gave character assessments; Joyce and Rourke (who gave evidence in Joyce's support) impressed him as straightforward and honest, whereas Morrissey "appeared devious, truculent and unreliable where his own interests were at stake" and Marr
Indietracks - Misplaced Pages Continue
2976-551: The Smiths). After a date in St. Petersburg, Florida , he and Marr cancelled the remaining four shows, including a grand finale at New York City's Radio City Music Hall . After the following UK tour ended in October 1986, Gannon left the band. During his time with the Smiths, Gannon played on seven studio tracks ("Panic" and "Ask", their B-sides "The Draize Train" and "Golden Lights", as well as "Half
3069-410: The Smiths, he wished the band had signed legal documents "from the word go" to avoid the later financial disagreements. As Marr's counsel, Robert Englehart, said, "Some 13 years on it is extremely difficult to pinpoint the moment when the 40:40:10:10 profit split came into being ... But Morrissey and Marr acted throughout on the basis that they would be getting 40 percent each of the net profits from
3162-520: The Stone Roses and Primal Scream ). Rourke co-founded the Manchester v Cancer concert series, later known as Versus Cancer , to raise money for cancer research. He concentrated on his radio career, beginning with a Saturday-evening show on XFM Manchester. He was a regular on East Village Radio , where his colleagues include Joyce. Rourke relocated to New York in early 2009. There, he formed Jetlag,
3255-521: The UK Singles Chart, although the only single taken from the album, " That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore ", was less successful, barely making the top 50. In 1985, the Smiths completed lengthy tours of the UK and the US. The Smiths' third studio album, The Queen Is Dead , was released in June 1986, following its singles " The Boy with the Thorn in His Side " and " Bigmouth Strikes Again ". Marr added ersatz strings with keyboards on several tracks such as " There Is
3348-487: The United Kingdom and the United States, but did not prosper. In the same year they recorded demos with Paul Arthurs ( Oasis ), Aziz Ibrahim and Rowetta Idah ( Happy Mondays ) under the name Moondog One, but the project went no further. Towards the end of 2001, they played together in the veteran Manchester band Jeep. In 2005, they played with Vinny Peculiar, recording the single "Two Fat Lovers" (Joyce also appeared on
3441-460: The action, which reached the High Court of Justice (Chancery Division) in December 1996. Morrissey and Marr had accepted the previous year that Joyce and Rourke were partners, but whether Joyce was entitled to a quarter of profits "arising out of the activities (other than songwriting or publishing)" of the Smiths remained contentious. Joyce's barrister, Nigel Davis, said that Joyce did not realise he
3534-543: The angst and abrasiveness of its indie rock counterpart, the majority of indie pop borrows not only the stripped-down quality of punk, but also "the sweetness and catchiness of mainstream pop". Music critic Simon Reynolds says that indie pop defines itself against "charting pop". Abebe explains: One of those things was the idea that rock music was supposed to be cool – "cool" meaning sexy, tough, arty, fiery, or fantastical... The charts had "cool" covered – these kids, in their basements and bedrooms, were trying to hand-craft
3627-407: The artwork, gluing the sleeves together, releasing them and sending them out, writing fanzines because the music press lost interest really quickly." Many of the actual C86 bands distanced themselves from the scene cultivated around them by the UK music press - in its time, C86 became a pejorative term for its associations with so-called "shambling" (a John Peel -coined description celebrating
3720-411: The band recorded both "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "Suffer Little Children". Wolstencroft was not interested in joining the band, so following auditions Mike Joyce joined; he later revealed that he was under the influence of magic mushrooms during his audition. Meanwhile, Morrissey took the demo recording to Factory Records , but Factory's Tony Wilson was not interested. In October 1982,
3813-522: The band rerecord it with a new producer, John Porter . The singles " This Charming Man " and " What Difference Does It Make? " reached numbers 25 and 12 on the UK Singles Chart . Aided by praise from the music press and a series of studio sessions for Peel and David Jensen at BBC Radio 1 , the Smiths began to build a dedicated fanbase. The Smiths generated controversy when Garry Bushell of The Sun tabloid alleged their B-side "Handsome Devil"
Indietracks - Misplaced Pages Continue
3906-452: The band to record a session for the programme. Peel said: "You couldn't immediately tell what records they'd been listening to. That's fairly unusual, very rare indeed... It was that aspect of the Smiths that I found most impressive." Following this radio exposure, the Smiths gained their first interviews, in the music magazines NME and Sounds . Travis travelled to Manchester to meet the band at their Crazy Face rehearsal space and sign
3999-447: The band was trying to commercialise the murders. After meeting with Morrissey, he accepted that the song was a sincere exploration of the impact of the murders. Morrissey subsequently established a friendship with Ann West, the mother of victim Lesley Ann Downey, who is mentioned by name in the song. The year ended with the release of the compilation album Hatful of Hollow . This collected singles, B-sides and tracks recorded throughout
4092-460: The band's North American tour later that year. Rourke's work visa came through just before departure. While the shows were successful, heavy drinking and drug use by crew and band members other than Morrissey took a toll on the group, along with ineffective management and lingering disputes with Rough Trade (whom the band was seriously considering leaving for EMI ) and their American label Sire Records (who Morrissey felt did not do enough to promote
4185-412: The band’s songwriting partnership. The Smiths are regarded as one of the most important acts to emerge from 1980s British independent music . The Smiths signed to the independent label Rough Trade Records in 1983 and released their debut album, The Smiths , in 1984. Their focus on a guitar, bass and drum sound, fusing 1960s rock and post-punk , was a rejection of the synth-pop sound predominant at
4278-484: The banner of both artists. He also collaborated with arranger Ennio Morricone on "Dear God Please Help Me". At the beginning of the 90s, he enjoyed a new popularity in North America, following his first tour as Morrissey. Morrissey continues to perform and record as a solo artist and had released 13 studio albums as of 2020. Marr returned in 1989 with New Order 's Bernard Sumner and Pet Shop Boys ' Neil Tennant in
4371-476: The biggest names at Alan McGee 's Living Room Club and couldn't stand the sight of each other. Only when the Jesus and Mary Chain exploded and stole their two-headed crown did they realise they were basically soulmates". Manic Street Preachers bassist Nicky Wire remembers that it was the bands' very independence that gave the scene coherence: "People were doing everything themselves - making their own records, doing
4464-536: The early psychedelic sounds of 1960s garage rock . Names that indie pop fans use for themselves are popkids and popgeeks , and for the music they listen to, p!o!p , twee , anorak and C86 . Abebe says that the Scottish group the Pastels typified the "hip end of 'anorak': Their lazy melodies, lackadaisical strum, and naive attitude transformed the idea of the rock band into something casual, intimate, and free from
4557-503: The end of the Smiths), was released in March 1988, reaching number one in the UK charts. In the following years, he invited several singers for backing vocals on several songs such as Suggs of Madness on " Piccadilly Palare " and Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders on " My Love Life ". He recorded a duet with Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie and the Banshees , " Interlude " which was released under
4650-535: The example of Jerry Leiber , who had formed his working partnership with Mike Stoller after turning up at Stoller's door. According to Morrissey: "We got on absolutely famously. We were very similar in drive." The two found that they were fans of many of the same bands. When Marr looked through Morrissey's singles collection, he found the Monochrome Set , a band they both admired. The next day, Morrissey phoned Marr to confirm that he would be interested in forming
4743-471: The first half of 1988; Rourke also appeared on her 1990 album I Do Not Want What I Haven't Got . Still in 1988, they were recruited (with Craig Gannon) to the Adult Net , but left the band soon afterwards. In 1988 and 1989, they recorded singles with Morrissey. In 1998, they toured and recorded with Aziz Ibrahim ( the Stone Roses ). In 2001 they formed Specter with Jason Specter and others. The band played in
SECTION 50
#17328729312834836-418: The genre's spread across the country. Everett True , a writer for NME in the 1980s, believes that C86 was not the main factor behind indie pop, arguing that Sarah Records was more responsible for sticking to a particular sound, and that: "C86 didn't actually exist as a sound, or style. ... I find it weird, bordering on surreal, that people are starting to use it as a description again". Bob Stanley ,
4929-538: The home of Steven Morrissey in Stretford to invite him to form a band. Marr and Morrissey had met at a Patti Smith gig at Manchester's Apollo Theatre on 31 August 1978, when Marr was 14 and Morrissey was 19. They bonded through their love of poetry and literature. A fan of the New York Dolls , Marr had been impressed that Morrissey had written a book on the band and was inspired to turn up on his doorstep following
5022-464: The last Indietracks, citing the pandemic as a primary reason for the festival not continuing. 53°03′48″N 1°23′57″W / 53.0632°N 1.3993°W / 53.0632; -1.3993 Indie pop Indie pop (also typeset as indie-pop or indiepop ) is a music genre and subculture that combines guitar pop with DIY ethic in opposition to the style and tone of mainstream pop music . It originated from British post-punk in
5115-567: The last of which they soon scrapped. Their next gig was Manchester's Manhattan in late January 1983, and although Maker would again appear as a go-go dancer, this was the last time that he did so. In early February, they performed their third gig, at the Haçienda . Marr and Rourke visited London to hand a cassette of their recordings to Geoff Travis of the independent record label Rough Trade Records . Travis agreed to cut their song " Hand in Glove " as
5208-409: The late 1970s and subsequently generated a thriving fanzine , label , and club and gig circuit. Compared to its counterpart, indie rock , the genre is more melodic, less abrasive, and relatively angst-free. In later years, the definition of indie pop has bifurcated to also mean bands from unrelated DIY scenes/movements with pop leanings. Subgenres include chamber pop and twee pop . Indie pop
5301-480: The live album Rank , recorded in 1986 when Craig Gannon was still in the band, reached number 2 in the UK and entered in the European 100 Albums chart at number 9. Morrissey and Marr each took 40% of the Smiths' recording and performance royalties, allowing 10 per cent each to Joyce and Rourke. Joyce's barrister later argued in court, that Joyce and Rourke were treated as session musicians , "as readily replaceable as
5394-564: The majority of Louis Phillipe 's productions for él Records embodied the sophisticated use of orchestras and voices that typified the style, whilst the Divine Comedy were the most popular chamber pop act of the Britpop era. The Smiths The Smiths were an English rock band formed in Manchester in 1982, composed of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitar), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums). Morrissey and Marr formed
5487-455: The majority of indie as "all about that 60s-styled guitar jangle ". The Monochrome Set's early singles were so heavily influential to indie pop band the Smiths that Johnny Marr stated without them, the Smiths would not have existed. Indie pop was an unprecedented contrast from the gritty and serious tones of previous underground rock styles, as well as being a departure from the glamour of contemporary pop music . Distinguished from
5580-556: The name "Steven", which he despised. After remaining with the band for several rehearsals, Pomfret departed acrimoniously. He was replaced by the bass player Dale Hibbert, who worked at Manchester's Decibel Studios, where Marr had met him while recording Freak Party's demo. Through Hibbert, the Smiths recorded their first demo at Decibel one night in August 1982. Aided by drummer Simon Wolstencroft , whom Marr had worked with in Freak Party,
5673-430: The notion of indie-pop fans being given to whimsy. It's the annual gathering of the twee tribe – think lovers of a broad church of outsider sounds from C86-inspired three-chord shambling to riot grrrl and anti-folk." The festival inspired compilation albums , released annually. The 2020 festival was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic . In November 2021, the festival organisers announced that 2019's event would be
SECTION 60
#17328729312835766-627: The other tracks. The first song, " A Rush and a Push and the Land Is Ours ", features no guitar. Despite their continued success, tensions emerged within the band. Marr was exhausted and took a break in June 1987, which he felt was negatively perceived by his bandmates. In July, he left the group because he erroneously believed an NME article titled "Smiths to Split" was planted by Morrissey. The article, written by Danny Kelly , alleged that Morrissey disliked Marr working with other musicians and that Marr and Morrissey's personal relationship had reached
5859-483: The parts in a lawnmower". In March 1989, Joyce and Rourke started legal proceedings against Morrissey and Marr. They argued that they were equal partners in the Smiths and were each entitled to a 25 per cent share of the band's profits on all activities other than songwriting and publishing. Rourke, who was in debt, settled quickly for a lump sum of £83,000 (equivalent to £260,824 in 2023) and 10 per cent of royalties, renouncing all further claims. Joyce continued with
5952-542: The pretense of cool". Following on from the aforementioned Postcard Records, in the UK, Bristol-based Sarah Records became the archetypal indie pop record label. They began releasing 7" singles in 1987 by bands with overt feminist and left wing principles that made "sweet pop". In the US, Beat Happening's Calvin Johnson founded K Records in Olympia, Washington , and later labels like Slumberland and Harriet encouraged
6045-630: The previous year for the Peel and Jensen radio shows. Early in 1985, the Smiths released their second studio album, Meat Is Murder . It was more strident and political than its predecessor, including the pro-vegetarian title track (Morrissey forbade the rest of the group from being photographed eating meat), the light-hearted republicanism of "Nowhere Fast", and the anti- corporal punishment "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Barbarism Begins at Home". The band had also grown more diverse musically, with Marr adding rockabilly riffs to "Rusholme Ruffians" and Rourke playing
6138-413: The same year, he responded, "I feel as if I've worked very hard since the demise of the Smiths and the others haven't, so why hand them attention that they haven't earned? We are not friends, we don't see each other. Why on earth would we be on a stage together?" In a February 2009 interview on BBC Radio 2 , he said, "People always ask me about reunions and I can't imagine why [...] the past seems like
6231-495: The scorching spotlight in the dock being drilled. "How dare you be successful?" "How dare you move on?" To me, the Smiths were a beautiful thing and Johnny left it, and Mike has destroyed it. Asked some time before the trial whether he thought Rourke and Joyce had been short-changed, Morrissey responded: "They were lucky. If they'd had another singer they'd never have got further than Salford Shopping Centre." Morrissey's counsel, Ian Mill, conceded that Morrissey's attitude "betrayed
6324-514: The self-conscious primitive approach of some of the music) and underachievement . Twee pop is a subgenre of indie pop that originates from C86 . Characterised by its simplicity and perceived innocence, some of its defining features are boy-girl harmonies, catchy melodies, and lyrics about love. For many years, most bands were distributed by Sarah Records (in the UK) and K Records (in the US). Shibuya-kei
6417-457: The site and trains. The first indiepop event held at the centre was in April 2007, organised by steam train restorer Stuart Mackay. Indietracks was established as a two-day festival in summer that year. Reviewing the 2011 festival, Malcolm Jack of The Guardian described the artists as "so obscure you have to wonder if they've even heard of themselves". He writes, "Indietracks does little to dispel
6510-442: The social awkwardness of the misfit and the outsider, his gently haunting vocals whooping suddenly upward into a falsetto, clothed in outsize women's shirts, sporting National Health specs or a huge Johnny Ray-style hearing aid. This charming young man was, in the vernacular of the time, the very antithesis of a 'rockist' – always knowingly closer to the gentle ironicist Alan Bennett , or self-lacerating diarist Kenneth Williams , than
6603-428: The songs were suggestive of paedophilia , a claim strongly denied by the group. In March 1984, the Smiths performed on Channel 4 music program The Tube . The album was followed the same year by the non-album singles " Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now " and " William, It Was Really Nothing ", which featured " How Soon Is Now? " on its B-side. Securing the band's first top ten placing, "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now"
6696-493: The supergroup Electronic . Electronic released three albums over the next decade. Marr was also a member of the The , recording two albums with them between 1989 and 1993. He has worked as a session musician and writing collaborator with artists including the Pretenders , Bryan Ferry , Pet Shop Boys, Billy Bragg , Black Grape , Talking Heads , Modest Mouse , Crowded House and Beck . In 2000, he started another band, Johnny Marr +
6789-474: The then-novel premise that one could record and release their own music instead of having to procure a record contract from a major label. According to Emily Dolan, indie is predicated on the distorted music of the Velvet Underground , the "rebellious screaming" of early punk, and "some of rock's more quirky and eccentric figures", such as Jonathan Richman . Pitchfork ' s Nitsuh Abebe identifies
6882-535: The time. Several Smiths singles reached the top 20 of the UK Singles Chart , and all their studio albums reached the top five of the UK Albums Chart , including the number-one album Meat Is Murder (1985). In 1985, they added keyboards, while retaining the guitar as the lead instrument, achieving mainstream success in Europe with The Queen Is Dead (1986) and Strangeways, Here We Come (1987), which both entered
6975-475: The top 20 of the European Albums Chart . In 1986, the band briefly became a five-piece with the addition of guitarist Craig Gannon . Internal tensions led to the Smiths' breakup in 1987, followed by public lawsuits over royalties. The members each said that the band would never reunite and refused all offers to do so. Rourke died in 2023. In May 1982, Johnny Marr and his friend Steve Pomfret went to
7068-609: The tracks recorded were " What Difference Does It Make? ", "Handsome Devil" and "Miserable Lie". This was used as their audition tape for the record company EMI , who turned the band down. The band continued to practice, this time at the upstairs of the Portland Street Crazy Face Clothing company, a space secured by their new manager Joe Moss. By Christmas, they had created four new songs: "These Things Take Time", "What Do You See in Him?", "Jeane" and "A Matter of Opinion",
7161-467: The venue's sound system before his friend James Maker stepped onstage to introduce the band. Maker remained onstage during the performance, relating that "I was given a pair of maracas – an optional extra – and carte blanche. There were no instructions – I think it was generally accepted I would improvise ... I was there to drink red wine, make extraneous hand gestures and keep well within the tight, chalked circle that Morrissey had drawn around me." Hibbert
7254-499: Was "willing to embroider his evidence to a point where he became less credible". The judge also said that Marr was "probably the more intelligent of the four", and that Rourke and Joyce were "unintellectual". Morrissey said in an interview eight months later: The court case was a potted history of the life of the Smiths. Mike, talking constantly and saying nothing. Andy, unable to remember his own name. Johnny, trying to please everyone and consequently pleasing no one. And Morrissey under
7347-511: Was a fully fledged member and the reformed line-up toured extensively in 2006–07. In January 2008, it was reported that Marr had taken part in a week-long songwriting session at Moolah Rouge recording studio in Stockport with Wakefield indie group the Cribs . Marr's association with the band lasted three years and included an appearance on its fourth album, Ignore the Ignorant (2009). His departure
7440-458: Was a source of grievance to Morrissey, who estimated that Joyce had cost him at least £1,515,000 in recovered royalties and legal fees up to 30 November 2005. Following the group's split, Morrissey began work on a solo recording, collaborating with producer Stephen Street and fellow Mancunian Vini Reilly , guitarist for the Durutti Column . The resulting album, Viva Hate (a reference to
7533-543: Was allegedly unhappy with what he perceived as the band's "gay" aesthetic; in turn, Morrissey and Marr were unhappy with his bass playing, so he was replaced by Marr's old schoolfriend Andy Rourke . Hibbert denies that he objected to the band being perceived as gay, and said he was not sure why he was asked to leave. In December 1982, the Smiths recorded their second demo, at the Drone Studios in Chorlton-cum-Hardy ;
7626-441: Was also influential in the development of the indie pop sound, particularly in North America. In the early 1990s, English indie pop influenced and branched off to a variety of styles. The US, which did not have as much of a scene in the 1980s, had many indie pop enthusiasts by the mid 1990s. Most of the modern notion of indie music stems from NME ' s 1986 compilation C86 , which collects many guitar bands who were inspired by
7719-459: Was also significant for marking the beginning of engineer and producer Stephen Street 's long-term working relationship with the band. More controversy followed when " Suffer Little Children ", the B-side to "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", touched on the theme of the Moors murders . This caused an uproar after the grandfather of one of the murdered children heard the song on a pub jukebox and felt
7812-478: Was an endorsement of paedophilia . The band denied this, with Morrissey stating the song "has nothing to do with children, and certainly nothing to do with child-molesting". In February 1984, the Smiths released their debut album, The Smiths , which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart . "Reel Around the Fountain" and "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" met with controversy, with some tabloid newspapers alleging
7905-509: Was announced in April 2011. He recorded three solo albums, The Messenger (2013), Playland (2014) and Call the Comet (2018). In addition to his activities as a musician and songwriter, Marr produced Marion 's second album, The Program (1998) and Haven 's debut album, Between the Senses (2002). Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce continued to work together. They toured with Sinéad O'Connor in
7998-455: Was based on lyrics produced by Morrissey. Marr based the tempo on the Patti Smith song "Kimberly", and they recorded it on Marr's TEAC three-track cassette recorder. The third track that the duo worked on was " Suffer Little Children ". Alongside these original compositions, Morrissey suggested that the band produce a cover of "I Want a Boy for My Birthday", a song by the 1960s American girl band
8091-420: Was born in a Utopian attempt to stop the inevitable cycle of bands being co-opted - and, it is assumed, corrupted - by the mainstream. —Emily I. Dolan, Popular Music Both indie and indie pop had originally referred to the same thing during the late 1970s, originally abbreviations for independent and popular . Inspired more by punk rock 's DIY ethos than its style, guitar bands were formed on
8184-442: Was extremely ill. By the time the tour actually finished it was all getting a little bit ... dangerous. I was just drinking more than I could handle." Rourke was fired from the band in early 1986 due to his use of heroin. He allegedly received notice of his dismissal via a Post-it Note stuck to the windscreen of his car. It read, "Andy – you have left the Smiths. Goodbye and good luck, Morrissey." Morrissey denied this. Rourke
8277-435: Was followed by the single " Sheila Take a Bow ", the band's second (and last during the band's lifetime) UK top-10 hit. Another compilation album, Louder Than Bombs , was released in the US in March 1987, with a UK release following two months later. The Smiths' fourth studio album, Strangeways, Here We Come , opened with a piano introduction as Marr wanted to get away from the Smiths' sound. Marr also played keyboards for
8370-441: Was receiving only 10% of the profits until after the band split. Morrissey and Marr – who were represented separately at the trial – insisted that the royalty split had been explained to Rourke and Joyce, though they were no longer sure when. Additionally, this agreement was only discussed verbally and it was never legally written on paper, something Marr came to regret. He said in 2004 that although he had no regrets in breaking up
8463-492: Was replaced on bass by Craig Gannon (formerly a member of Scottish new wave band Aztec Camera ), but was then reinstated two weeks later. Gannon stayed in the band, switching to rhythm guitar. This five-piece recorded the singles " Panic " and " Ask " (the latter with Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals) which reached numbers 11 and 14 respectively on the UK Singles Chart, and toured the UK. An arrest on drug possession charges almost led to Rourke being replaced by Guy Pratt for
8556-606: Was the last straw, really. I didn't form a group to perform Cilla Black songs." In a 1989 interview, Morrissey cited the lack of a managerial figure and business problems as reasons for the split. Strangeways, Here We Come reached number two in the UK in October 1987, and was the Smiths' most successful album in the US, reaching number 55 on the Billboard 200 . Morrissey and Marr name it as their favourite Smiths album. Two further singles from Strangeways were released with live, session and demo tracks as B-sides. The following year,
8649-603: Was uncomfortable, saying "it was like they wanted another Johnny Marr"; according to Perry, the sessions ended with Morrissey running out of the studio. By the time Strangeways, Here We Come was released in September, the Smiths had split. The breakdown has been primarily attributed to Morrissey's irritation with Marr's work with other artists and Marr's frustration with Morrissey's musical inflexibility. Marr particularly hated Morrissey's obsession with covering 1960s pop artists such as Twinkle and Cilla Black , saying in 1992: "That
#282717