156-646: John Martin Marr (born John Martin Maher ; 31 October 1963) is an English musician, songwriter and singer. He first achieved fame as the guitarist and co-songwriter of the Smiths , who were active from 1982 to 1987. He has since performed with numerous other bands and embarked on a solo career. Born and raised in Manchester , England, Marr formed his first band at the age of 13. He was part of several bands with Andy Rourke before forming
312-483: 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
468-679: A "punk masterpiece". Devoto left the band in 1977 and formed Magazine , after which Pete Shelley became the principal singer-songwriter. The classic lineup of Shelley, Steve Diggle (guitar), Steve Garvey (bass) and John Maher (drums) recorded Buzzcocks' first three albums, after which the band broke up in 1981 following a dispute with their record label. The band reunited in 1989 and released six more albums before Shelley's death in 2018. Prolific members during that time included Tony Barber (bass) and Phil Barker (drums). The band has remained active, being anchored by long-time guitarist Diggle, who has since also assumed lead vocal duties. As of 2019,
624-610: 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
780-426: 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
936-444: A Weatherman " by British band A Tribe of Toffs . 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 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
1092-475: 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
1248-532: A certain street in Toronto in the '80s. The Smiths were the soundtrack of that time. I love [...] Morrissey, but I know he's trouble." Marr is the subject of "Johnny Marr Is Dead" by the Brian Jonestown Massacre , but he is not mentioned in the lyrics. He is also the subject of Clear's 2003 single satirising the music industry, "Johnny Marr Was a Mistake". He is mentioned in the 1988 single " John Kettley Is
1404-571: A close family illness. In January 2016, Marr announced new and rescheduled dates as part of his West Coast 'California Jam' tour, which took place in the US throughout February and March 2016. Marr features on " Ballad of the Mighty I ", the second single from Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds ' Chasing Yesterday , playing lead guitar, and joined the band for this song at a concert in Manchester. Marr contributed
1560-549: 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
1716-489: 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
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#17329055435641872-566: 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
2028-504: 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
2184-399: A large role in making the score for the 2010 science-fiction / drama film Inception , which was written and directed by Christopher Nolan . Using a 12-string-guitar, he produced repetitive, simple melancholic tones that became a character theme for the protagonist, played by Leonardo DiCaprio . "I kept coming up with this phrase 'churned-up,'" Marr said, "You've got this character who all
2340-517: 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
2496-473: 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
2652-434: A picture of Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to rebuke calls to reunite in the aftermath of Oasis 's reunion. Marr previously said in 2016 that Morrissey's politics aligned with Farage's, joking that any potential Smiths reunion would feature the politician as their replacement guitarist. Weeks later, on Marr's official Instagram, Marr's management issued an official statement in response to Morrissey's claims that Marr ignored
2808-430: A potential reformation in the future, saying that "stranger things have happened so, you know, who knows?" Marr went on to say that "It's no biggy. Maybe we will in 18 or 32 years' time when we all need to for whatever reasons, but right now Morrissey is doing his thing and I'm doing mine, so that's the answer really." This was the first indication of a possible Smiths reunion from Marr, who previously had said that reforming
2964-452: A professional football player. He was approached by Nottingham Forest and had trials with Manchester City's youth team. Marr's said his family's move to Wythenshawe was "like we'd moved to Beverly Hills", and that the move led to him meeting "a bunch of guitar players" which "changed his life". Guitarist Billy Duffy , later a member of the Cult , was in a high school band that practised across
3120-540: A prolific session musician , working with names such as Kirsty MacColl , Pet Shop Boys , Talking Heads , Bryan Ferry and Hans Zimmer . Having released an album titled Boomslang in 2003 under the name Johnny Marr and the Healers, Marr released his first solo album, The Messenger , in 2013. His second solo album, Playland , was released in 2014, followed by a third, Call the Comet , in 2018. Marr's autobiography, Set
3276-618: 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
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#17329055435643432-545: A record producer. In 2006, he began work with Modest Mouse 's Isaac Brock on songs that eventually were featured on the band's 2007 release, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank . The band subsequently announced that Marr was a fully fledged member, and the reformed line-up toured extensively throughout 2006–07. The new album reached number one on the American Billboard charts in late March 2007. For Marr, this
3588-851: A review of the television series Rock Follies in Time Out magazine. The "buzz" is the excitement of playing on stage and "cock" is northern English slang meaning "friend". They thought the name captured the excitement of the nascent punk scene and had humorous sexual connotations following Pete Shelley's time working in a Bolton adult shop. Buzzcocks performed live for the first time on 1 April 1976 at their college. Garth Davies played bass guitar and Mick Singleton, who also played in local band Black Cat Bone, played drums. After reading an NME review of Sex Pistols ' first performance, in February 1976, Shelley and Devoto travelled to High Wycombe together to see Sex Pistols. Shelley and Devoto were impressed by
3744-448: A rock band called Jets of Air, responded to the notice. By late 1975, Trafford and McNeish had recruited a drummer and formed an early version of what would become Buzzcocks. The band formed in February 1976; McNeish assumed the stage name Pete Shelley and Trafford named himself Howard Devoto. Devoto and Shelley chose the name "Buzzcocks" after reading the headline "It's the Buzz, Cock!" in
3900-541: A second single "Harmony in my Head" reached number 32 in August. Prior to their first venture to the US, I.R.S. Records released the band's singles compilation Singles Going Steady there. The band's third album A Different Kind of Tension was released the end of September 1979 and reached number 26 in the chart while the band completed a second UK tour. The album's single "You Say You Don't Love Me" failed to chart. A period of inactivity lasted until September 1980 when
4056-666: A singer. Marr approached Rob Allman, singer in White Dice, who suggested Steven Morrissey , a singer with the short-lived punk band the Nosebleeds . Marr approached a mutual friend asking to be introduced and they visited Morrissey at his house in Kings Road, Stretford , in May. Marr's jangly Rickenbacker and Fender Telecaster guitar playing became synonymous with the Smiths' sound. Marr's friend Andy Rourke joined as bass player and Mike Joyce
4212-592: 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
4368-583: A song taken from his EP , ''Fever Dreams Pt 1'' , that was released on 15 October 2021. His fourth solo album, Fever Dreams Pts 1-4 , which is also his first double LP, was released on 25 February 2022. Marr would join the Killers for their 2022 tour to promote the 2020 album Imploding the Mirage , providing an opening act for the American tour dates and also joining the Killers for a Smiths cover and "Mr. Brightside" in
4524-420: 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 the venue's sound system before his friend James Maker stepped onstage to introduce
4680-488: A supergroup called 7 Worlds Collide consisting of members from Pearl Jam , Radiohead , Split Enz and others, assembled by Neil Finn of Split Enz and Crowded House in 2001. A second set of concerts took place in December 2008/January 2009, and an album of new studio material titled The Sun Came Out was released in August 2009 to raise money for Oxfam . In addition to his work as a recording artist, Marr has worked as
4836-467: A tribute to BBC Radio 1 disc jockey John Peel , Shelley re-recorded " Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) " with a group including Roger Daltrey , David Gilmour , Peter Hook , Elton John , Robert Plant and several contemporaneous bands. Proceeds from the single were donated to Amnesty International . Shelley also performed the song live with Plant, Daltrey, Gilmour, Hook and Jeff Beck at
Johnny Marr - Misplaced Pages Continue
4992-686: A tribute to Shelley. The concert had been planned before his death. Steve Diggle said that Buzzcocks would continue, with the post-Shelley Buzzcocks being a 'new era'. Sonics in the Soul , the band's first album without Shelley, was released in September 2022. It featured Diggle on all vocals, and included a tribute to Shelley in the form of the track "You've Changed Everything Now". Buzzcocks' distinctive sound combines catchy pop melodies with punk guitar energy, backed by an unusually tight and skilled rhythm section. They grew in musical and lyrical sophistication; by
5148-409: A worldwide tour around the release of the "Playland" album that commenced in the UK on 13 October 2014. The album's lead single was " Easy Money ". In October 2014, Marr appeared as a guest musician for Hans Zimmer at his two concerts, Hans Zimmer: Revealed, at London's Hammersmith Apollo. In December 2014, Marr announced the cancellation of the remainder of his US tour, in support of Playland , due to
5304-407: Is Dead , high on their best ever lists. NME , for example, has dubbed the Smiths the most important rock band of all time. 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
5460-410: 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
5616-506: Is now a clean old hat". He returned to college for a year then formed a band called Magazine . Pete Shelley took on the vocal duties for Buzzcocks and moved away from social commentary to adolescent themes. Steve Diggle switched from bass to guitar, and Garth Davies—also known as Garth Smith—rejoined Buzzcocks to play bass. The band joined The Clash as support on their White Riot tour. The new line-up signed with United Artists Records (UA) at Electric Circus, Manchester , on 16 August 1977,
5772-859: 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 (
5928-510: 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
6084-815: The O2 Apollo and on 26 May in Brixton at the O2 Academy , Buzzcocks performed with the original line-up, including Devoto. On 26 May 2012, the band announced for the first time they would headline Thursday night at Empress Ballroom at Rebellion Festival in Blackpool, performing with Rancid , Public Image Limited and Social Distortion . On 1 May 2014, Buzzcocks released the album The Way via PledgeMusic . On 13 September 2014, they played "a brief but triumphant set" at Riot Fest in Chicago, Illinois, US. In October 2014, they toured
6240-519: 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
6396-626: The double-A side "Why She's A Girl From The Chainstore/Are Everything" was released. It reached number 61 and was the band's last charting single. Two further singles "Strange Thing" and "Running Free" failed to chart while the band embarked on a truncated UK tour. After recording demos for a fourth album, Buzzcocks disbanded in 1981; Shelley took up a solo career, and Diggle and Maher formed Flag of Convenience and released several singles between 1982 and 1989. Garvey formed Motivation and joined Blue Orchids , moving to New York shortly afterwards to continue with Motivation. Maher had joined Wah! by
Johnny Marr - Misplaced Pages Continue
6552-503: 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
6708-491: The 2005 UK Music Hall of Fame . In April 2006, Barker left Buzzcocks and was replaced with Danny Farrant . In March 2006, the band released their eighth studio album Flat-Pack Philosophy on Cooking Vinyl Records . On the supporting tour, Buzzcocks played on a leg of the mid-2006 Vans Warped Tour and made an appearance at Maxïmo Park 's homecoming gig in Newcastle upon Tyne on 15 December 2007. In April 2008, Barber left
6864-580: 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
7020-529: The Boy Free , was published in 2016. Described by Alexis Petridis of The Guardian as "the 1980s' most inventive and distinctive guitarist", Marr was voted the fourth-best guitarist of the last 30 years in a poll conducted by the BBC in 2010. Phil Alexander, editor-in-chief of Mojo , described him as "arguably Britain's last great guitar stylist". In 2013, NME honoured Marr with its "Godlike Genius" award. Marr
7176-568: The Cribs in 2008, after meeting Gary Jarman when they were both in Portland , Oregon. In 2009 they recorded the album Ignore the Ignorant , which was released on 7 September that year and peaked at No. 8 on the UK charts. Marr has said the album is "as good as anything I've done". In April 2011 it was confirmed that Marr would no longer be part of the band. Marr, who had been understood to officially leave
7332-472: 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
7488-619: The Damned on the Anarchy in the UK Tour. In between these live performances, Buzzcocks began developing their own material and recorded an 11-track demo at Stockport Studios which was eventually released in 1991. By the end of the year, Buzzcocks had recorded and released a four-track EP called Spiral Scratch , which they released on their own label New Hormones, making them one of the first punk groups to establish an independent record label . The EP
7644-465: 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
7800-450: The Healers. The band had taken two years to form as Marr had wanted members to be chosen "by chemistry". Their debut album Boomslang was released in 2003, with all lyrics and lead vocals by Marr. Their most recent release was a free downloadable track called "Free Christmas" in December 2011, while the album was re-released in 2024. Marr performed two Smiths songs and music by others with
7956-689: The NME compilation album Ruby Trax . Marr has worked as a session musician and writing collaborator for artists including Pet Shop Boys , Bryan Ferry , Billy Bragg , Kirsty MacColl , Black Grape , Jane Birkin , Talking Heads , and Beck . Marr played guitar on four songs on Talking Heads' final album Naked , including the single " (Nothing But) Flowers ", and he prominently appears in that song's music video. Marr played guitar on several Pet Shop Boys songs; he continues to have guest appearances on their albums, with his most significant contribution on Release (2002). The only remix that Marr has ever done
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#17329055435648112-541: The Pretenders, and recorded and toured with the The from 1988 to 1994, recording two albums with the group. He simultaneously formed Electronic with New Order 's Bernard Sumner . Electronic were intermittently active throughout the 1990s, releasing their final album in 1999. In 1992 Marr and Billy Duffy recorded a cover version of Ennio Morricone 's The Good, the Bad and the Ugly for
8268-421: The Smiths as an influence, especially Marr, whom he described as a "fucking wizard", also stating that "he's unique, you can't play what he plays." In August 2024, Morrissey said in a post on his website that he and Marr had received a "lucrative offer" to tour as the Smiths in 2025. The singer said he had accepted the invitation, but that Marr did not respond. Marr did not publicly comment, but had recently posted
8424-403: The Smiths with Morrissey in 1982. The Smiths attained commercial success and were critically acclaimed, with Marr's jangle pop guitar style becoming a distinctive part of the band's sound, but separated in 1987 due to personal differences between Marr and Morrissey. Since then, Marr has been a member of the Pretenders , the The , Electronic , Modest Mouse , and the Cribs , and he has become
8580-488: 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 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
8736-486: 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
8892-551: 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
9048-625: The Smiths, he used a Twin Reverb , a Deluxe Reverb and a Bassman amongst others. He also used a Fender Champ with The The and the Cribs. When playing with the Cribs, he used a Super Reverb . Marr's love of the Fender sound continues to this day with his Deluxe Reverb. He has used other amps, including the Roland JC-120 , Vox AC30 , Mesa Boogie and Marshall cabinets. Marr typically uses Boss effects units , notably that company's CE-2 chorus effect ,
9204-508: The Smiths, he wanted to play music which was pop. "100% of my focus was on providing interesting guitar hooks and putting some kind of space-age twist on the guitarist's role. The pop guitarist crossed with the mad professor. That's how I thought of myself." In a 2007 interview for the BBC, Marr said that his goal with the Smiths was to "pare down" his style and avoid rock guitar clichés. Citing producer Phil Spector as an influence, Marr said, "I like
9360-410: 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
9516-468: 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,
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#17329055435649672-502: The Stooges . His jangly guitar-playing in the Smiths was influenced by James Honeyman-Scott of the Pretenders . During his time in the band, Marr often tuned his guitar up a full step to F ♯ to accommodate Morrissey's vocal range, and also used open tunings . He is known for creating arpeggio melodies and (sometimes) unusual chord progressions, and makes wide use of open strings while chording to create chiming. When performing with
9828-601: The TW-1 touch wah wah pedal , and the OD-2 overdrive pedal . In 2007 Marr was appointed as a visiting professor in music at the University of Salford , where he delivered an inaugural lecture (on 4 November 2008), and a series of workshops and masterclasses to students on the BA (Hons) Popular Music and Recording programme. On 19 July 2012, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Salford for "outstanding achievements" and "changing
9984-521: 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
10140-502: The UK chart. It was followed the next month by their debut album Another Music in a Different Kitchen , which reached number 15 in the chart. In May, the band embarked on the Entertaining Friends tour while a third single "I Don't Mind" reached number 55 in the singles chart. In July, a fourth single "Love You More" reached number 34. The band spent mid 1978 recording their second album Love Bites , which reached number 13 in
10296-583: The UK for three weeks with The Dollyrots as main support. In 2016, the band embarked on their 40th-anniversary tour "Buzzcocks 40". In 2017, "Why Can't I Touch It" was featured in the opening segment of the Telltale game ' Guardians of the Galaxy . Pete Shelley died on 6 December 2018 from a suspected heart attack at his home in Tallinn , Estonia. In June 2019, Buzzcocks performed with several guest vocalists as
10452-411: The UK through Warner Bros. and on 26 February in the US through Sire . The album was preceded by the single "Upstarts", released in the UK on 18 February 2013. Marr recorded music for the film The Amazing Spider-Man 2 with Hans Zimmer , Pharrell Williams , Michael Einziger and David A. Stewart . Marr's second solo album, entitled Playland , was released on 6 October 2014. He also announced
10608-543: 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
10764-620: The Velvet Underground was a key influence, along with Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones . Marc Bolan of T. Rex also had a strong impact on him because of the groove and the sound that put the listener in a daze. He explained, "I try to think about the guitar along the spectrum of James Williamson, who was in the Stooges during the Raw Power era, on the one hand to John McLaughlin and his solo record, My Goal's Beyond . I like all
10920-460: 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
11076-579: The age of 14, he began spelling his name "Marr" to simplify the pronunciation for those who had difficulty with his birth name "Maher", and to avoid confusion with Buzzcocks drummer John Maher . In October 1980, Marr enrolled at Wythenshawe College , and was President of the school's Student Union . White Dice dissolved in 1981. Marr and Rourke then formed a funk band, Freak Party, with Simon Wolstencroft on drums. Around this time, Marr first met Matt Johnson , with whom he later collaborated. By early 1982, Freak Party had fizzled out, being unable to find
11232-553: The band and was replaced with Chris Remington. In January 2009, Buzzcocks embarked on a UK and European tour, the "Another Bites Tour", in which they played their first two albums in full, as well as an encore of their other hits. In the same year, Buzzcocks played in Serbia for the second time at the EXIT festival in Novi Sad . Their song "Why Can't I Touch It" was played in the second episode of
11388-486: The band consists of Diggle, Danny Farrant (drums), Chris Remington (bass) and touring member Mani Perazzoli (guitar, backing vocals). This line-up released the band's tenth album, Sonics in the Soul in 2022. Howard Trafford , a student at Bolton Institute of Technology who had been involved in electronic music, placed a notice in the college looking for musicians to play The Velvet Underground 's song " Sister Ray ". Fellow student Peter McNeish , who had played in
11544-502: The band in January, released a statement in which he affirmed that he would be working on solo material "over the next year or so." Marr returned to play with the Cribs during the second of two special Christmas shows at Leeds Academy on 19 December 2013. In the late 2007, Marr's daughter Sonny performed backing vocals on the track "Even a Child" on Crowded House 's album Time on Earth , on which her father Marr played guitars. He played
11700-522: 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"
11856-452: 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
12012-447: 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
12168-417: The band would be a bad idea. In 2008 Marr and Morrissey met and discussed the possibility of a reunion, but after initial enthusiasm from both parties, neither pursued the idea. Marr's guitar playing "was a huge building block" for more Manchester bands that followed the Smiths. The Stone Roses guitarist John Squire has stated that Marr was a major influence. Oasis lead guitarist Noel Gallagher credited
12324-599: 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 ; the tracks recorded were " What Difference Does It Make? ", "Handsome Devil" and "Miserable Lie". This
12480-460: 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
12636-502: The band's encore. As Hans Zimmer composed for the James Bond film No Time to Die , Marr was brought in to perform in the score. He also played guitar in the theme song performed by Billie Eilish , and was present during the track's live debut at the 2020 Brit Awards . In August 2021, Marr signed a new worldwide album deal with BMG and on 31 August he debuted a new single titled "Spirit Power & Soul" on his social media platforms,
12792-431: 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 was allegedly unhappy with what he perceived as
12948-440: The band. Morrissey and Marr said the other two members of the band had always agreed to that split of the royalties, but the court found in favour of Joyce and ordered that he be paid over £1 million in back pay and receive 25% thenceforth. Marr and Morrissey have repeatedly stated they will not reunite the band. In 2005, VH1 attempted to get the band back together on its Bands Reunited show but abandoned its attempt after
13104-484: 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
13260-630: The chances of a reunion were "nothing to do with money" and that the reasons were "really abstract". Buzzcocks Buzzcocks are an English punk rock band that singer-songwriter-guitarist Pete Shelley and singer-songwriter Howard Devoto formed in Manchester in 1976. During their career, the band combined elements of punk rock, power pop , and pop punk . They achieved commercial success with singles that fuse pop craftsmanship with rapid-fire punk energy; these singles were later collected on Singles Going Steady , an acclaimed compilation album music journalist and critic Ned Raggett described as
13416-429: The chart. After a 26-date UK tour, Buzzcocks gained success as their single " Ever Fallen in Love (With Someone You Shouldn't've) " reached number 12 in the UK chart in October 1978. In December, the band released the single "Promises", which reached number 20 in the UK chart. The single's B-side "Lipstick" shared the same ascending progression of notes in its chorus as Magazine's first single "Shot By Both Sides", which
13572-499: The day Elvis Presley died. The first UA Buzzcocks single " Orgasm Addict " was released in October 1977; It was the start of a collaboration with producer Martin Rushent that would last until the end of the decade. The band embarked on a headlining tour, during which Smith was found to be unreliable and was replaced with Steve Garvey . Buzzcocks' next single " What Do I Get? ", which was released in February 1978, reached number 37 in
13728-485: 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 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
13884-462: The efforts to take the trademark were not to tour under the Smiths' name with a singer of Marr's choice (contrary to the claims made by Morrissey's team), but rather simply to protect the band's name and use of the name. In August 1987, Marr was very briefly an official member of the Pretenders . In late 1987, he toured with the band and appeared on the single "Windows of the World" b/w "1969". He then left
14040-659: The encore. The Los Angeles tour date saw the Killers and Marr also performing on stage with former Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsey Buckingham . In November 2023, the album Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr was released that included highlights from his four solo albums plus two new studio recordings. An accompanying UK tour was also announced, with gigs played in Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds, Liverpool, Wolverhampton, Cardiff, Bristol, London, Brighton and Nottingham during April 2024. Marr's three biggest influences on guitar were Nile Rodgers , Bert Jansch , and James Williamson from
14196-503: 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
14352-484: The end, they were quoting American writer William S. Burroughs ' "A Different Kind of Tension", declaiming their catechism in the anthem "I Believe", and tuning in to a fantasy radio station on which their songs could be heard ("Radio Nine"). Buzzcocks have had a significant impact on American punk, hardcore , and alternative rock acts, being cited as an influence by Dead Kennedys guitarist East Bay Ray , Hüsker Dü , Superchunk , and Dag Nasty . Buzzcocks' name
14508-530: The face of British guitar music". In 2013, Marr received NME' s "Godlike Genius" award. The magazine stated, "Not content with rewriting the history of music with one of the world's greatest-ever bands, the Smiths, he's continued to push boundaries and evolve throughout his career, working with some of the best and most exciting artists on the planet." On 3 November 2018, Marr unveiled a plaque in his parents' hometown of Athy in County Kildare , Ireland . This
14664-471: 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
14820-523: 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 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
14976-568: The first time at a Jubilee party in Benchill in June 1977, playing Rolling Stones and Thin Lizzy covers. In 1979, he played a single gig at Wythenshawe Forum with a band called Sister Ray and re-united with Rourke in a band called White Dice. White Dice entered a demo-tape competition organised by NME and won an audition for F-Beat Records , which they attended in April 1980 but were not signed. Around
15132-569: The frontman in a band that bares my soul or feelings in song. Siouxsie Sioux, or Ray Davies , or Howard Devoto don't sing from some weird, shlocky, sentimental place. What's wrong with singing from the brain?". Marr has used a variety of guitars throughout his career, but these are his most notable instruments: Marr owns 132 guitars. In September 2023, a book titled Marr's Guitars was published, showcasing 53 of his favourite electric and acoustic guitars. Marr has used Fender Amplifiers almost exclusively throughout his career. During his time with
15288-454: The idea of records, even those with plenty of space, that sound 'symphonic'. I like the idea of all the players merging into one atmosphere". Marr was also influenced by Rory Gallagher , Pete Townshend of the Who , Jimi Hendrix , John McGeoch of Magazine and Siouxsie and the Banshees , and John McLaughlin , who he called "the greatest guitar player that's ever lived". When forming the Smiths,
15444-466: 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 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
15600-544: The lack of a managerial figure and business problems were to blame for the band's eventual split. In a 2016 interview, Marr agreed with this. In 1996, Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce took Morrissey and Marr to court, arguing that he had not received his fair share of recording and performance royalties. Morrissey and Marr had received most of the Smiths' recording and performance royalties, and allowed ten per cent each to Joyce and Rourke. Composition royalties were not an issue, as Rourke and Joyce had never been credited as composers for
15756-480: 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
15912-478: The live album French , which was recorded in Paris the previous year. Also in 1996, the band's fifth studio album All Set was released. Buzcocks continued to tour and in September 1999, they released the album Modern . In 2000, Mute Records released the 1976 demos that were recorded while Devoto was in the band as Time's Up , which had long been available as a bootleg. This album includes alternative takes of all
16068-541: 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 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
16224-439: The offer: "As for the offer to tour, I didn't ignore the offer - I said no." Marr's statement also clarified other claims made by Morrissey's team on Morrissey's website such as that Marr had filed for 100% ownership of the Smiths' intellectual property and trademark rights without having consulted with Morrissey despite the fact that "Morrissey alone created the musical unit name "The Smiths' in May 1982". In Marr's statement, it
16380-627: 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
16536-483: 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
16692-630: 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
16848-509: 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 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",
17004-573: The same venue. A brief clip of Devoto-era Buzzcocks performing the Troggs ' " I Can't Control Myself " appears in the documentary Punk: Attitude , which was directed by Don Letts . Buzzcocks made their London debut at The Screen on the Green in support of the Clash and Sex Pistols, while the next month they played the two-day 100 Club Punk Festival , which was organised by Malcolm McLaren , and would later replace
17160-413: 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
17316-495: 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
17472-509: The show and arranged for Sex Pistols to perform at the Lesser Free Trade Hall in Manchester in June 1976. Buzzcocks intended to play at this concert but the other musicians dropped out, and Shelley and Devoto were unable to recruit replacements in time for the gig. Once they had recruited bass guitarist Steve Diggle and drummer John Maher , Buzzcocks made their debut opening for Sex Pistols' second Manchester concert on 20 July 1976 at
17628-480: The show's host, Aamer Haleem , failed to corner Morrissey before a show. In December 2005 it was announced that Johnny Marr and the Healers would play at Manchester v Cancer , a benefit show for cancer research being organised by Andy Rourke and his production company, Great Northern Productions. Rumours suggested that a Smiths reunion would occur at this concert but were dispelled by Marr on his website. In an October 2007 interview on BBC Radio 5 Live , Marr hinted at
17784-459: The sixth season of the television series Entourage . On 9 November 2009, Buzzcocks gave a performance on a small balcony overlooking Dame Street, Dublin, for the viral music show BalconyTV . In December 2009, the band played as the main support act for The Courteeners . In August 2011, they headlined the first night of The Rhythm Festival in Bedfordshire . On 25 May 2012 in Manchester at
17940-442: 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
18096-406: The songs recorded in the band's last session together (B-sides for the "Girlfriend in a Coma" single, which preceded the album's release), Marr said "I wrote ' I Keep Mine Hidden ', but 'Work Is a Four-Letter Word' I hated. That was the last straw, really. I didn't form a group to perform Cilla Black songs." In 1989, in an interview with young fan Tim Samuels , later a BBC journalist, Morrissey said
18252-428: 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"
18408-512: The spectrum in between, and that might be – and is – Richard Lloyd of Television , John McGeoch from Siouxsie and the Banshees, Nile Rodgers. To me these people are magicians and artists." When Marr started to sing as a solo artist in 2012, he said, "[The frontpersons] I related to were Peter Perrett , Colin Newman , Pete Shelley , Siouxsie Sioux . They were singing from the mind and had integrity." He added, "I'm absolutely not interested in being
18564-562: The street from Marr's new house, and Marr would hang out listening to them rehearsing. He learned to play the guitar with LP vinyl records and a guitar chords dictionary without a teacher. Marr formed his first band, the Paris Valentinos, at the age of 13, with Andy Rourke (who had gone to the same high school as Duffy) and Kevin Williams (later an actor, known as Kevin Kennedy ), performing for
18720-447: 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 +
18876-447: The time Buzzcocks broke up; as of 2012, he owned John Maher Racing, a vintage Volkswagen performance-tuning workshop on the Isle of Harris , Scotland. Between 1988 and 1989, EMI re-released much of Buzzcocks' back catalogue on Compact Disc (CD), as well as a Peel Sessions album and a box set called Product . This prompted the band to reform with the original line-up for a world tour. Maher
19032-506: The track "My Monster" for the Blondie album Pollinator , released on 5 May 2017. On 12 March 2018 Marr announced his third solo album, Call the Comet . Marr performed a set on The Other Stage at the 2019 Glastonbury Festival on 29 June, and later joined the Killers during their headline set on the Pyramid Stage to play guitar on " This Charming Man " and " Mr. Brightside " as part of
19188-562: The tracks from the EP Spiral Scratch and early versions of tracks that later appeared on Another Music in a Different Kitchen . in 2002, Shelley and Devoto collaborated for the first time since 1976, producing the album Buzzkunst , Kunst being the German word for 'Art'. The album is a mix of electronic music and punk. Buzzcocks toured as support for Pearl Jam in 2003 and released their seventh, self-titled studio album. In 2005, as
19344-475: The verge of splitting. In July 1987, Marr left the group, and auditions to find a replacement for him proved fruitless. By the time Strangeways, Here We Come (named after Strangeways Prison , Manchester) was released in September, the band had split up. The breakdown in the relationship has been primarily attributed to Morrissey's becoming annoyed by Marr's work with other artists and Marr's growing frustration with Morrissey's musical inflexibility. Referring to
19500-492: The way through the film has this underlying turmoil." Longtime Nolan collaborator, composer Hans Zimmer , penned the soundtrack. Marr has been working since 2007 with Fender to develop and design his own guitar. American Songwriter wrote that "Fender had to modify their manufacturing process due to some of Marr's changes, but it will still sell for around the same price as other American-made Fenders." On 25 February 2013, Marr released his début solo album, The Messenger , in
19656-499: 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
19812-559: 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 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
19968-513: 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
20124-460: 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
20280-458: 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
20436-415: 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 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
20592-459: 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
20748-478: 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
20904-461: 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
21060-674: Was born on 31 October 1963 in Saint Mary's Hospital in Manchester , son of John Joseph Maher and Frances Patricia Doyle, Irish emigrants to England from County Kildare . The family lived in Ardwick Green and moved to Wythenshawe in 1972. Marr attended St Aloysius Primary School in Ardwick before moving to Sacred Heart Primary School. From 1975, he attended St Augustine's Catholic Grammar School, which in 1977 merged with other schools to form St John Plessington High School . Marr had aspirations to be
21216-541: Was briefly replaced with The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce . In 1991, Buzzcocks released new material on the four-track EP Alive Tonight . In the US, interest in the band increased after I.R.S. Records released the compilation album Operator's Manual: Buzzcocks Best . It was followed two years later by the fourth studio album Trade Test Transmissions . In 1992, bassist Tony Barber and drummer Phil Barker joined Buzzcocks; this line-up toured with Nirvana in 1994, one of Nirvana's last tours. In 1996, Buzzcocks released
21372-476: Was clarified that Marr discovered that the band did not own the trademark, and in an effort to protect the trademark from a third party attempt made in 2018 to use the band's name, Marr registered the trademark solely under his name after a failure to receive a response from Morrissey and his representatives. In January 2024, Marr signed an agreement to share ownership of the name with Morrissey, an agreement Morrissey has yet to follow up on. Marr further clarified that
21528-569: Was combined with the title of Sex Pistols' album Never Mind the Bollocks, Here's the Sex Pistols to create the title of the long-running UK comedy television panel game show Never Mind the Buzzcocks . Diggle said in his autobiography he and Shelley only granted the BBC use of their name under the impression it would be a one-off, probably unsuccessful, pilot, and that they are now mildly disgruntled
21684-442: 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
21840-433: 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." Meanwhile, Rourke was fired from the band in early 1986 due to his use of heroin, although he was reinstated in short order. Despite their continued success, personal differences within the band—including the increasingly strained relationship between Morrissey and Marr—saw them on
21996-435: 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
22152-460: Was for Pet Shop Boys—it was a mix of his favourite track from their 1987 album, Actually , called "I Want to Wake Up", and was released as the b-side to 1993's " Can You Forgive Her? ". He later worked as a guest musician on the Oasis album Heathen Chemistry . In 2000, Marr recruited drummer Zak Starkey (son of Ringo Starr ), Cavewaves guitarist Lee Spencer and former Kula Shaker bassist Alonza Bevan for his new project, Johnny Marr and
22308-409: 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, the Smiths gave their first public performance as a support act for Blue Rondo à la Turk during
22464-647: Was part of the Made of Athy project. On 19 January 2021, Marr received the Boss Lifetime Achievement Award as part of the NAMM music industry trade show. Marr was the titular subject of the 2007 single "Johnny Marr" by the Canadian singer Carole Pope , formerly of the band Rough Trade . Pope described her inspiration and choice of Marr thus: "I was actually getting nostalgic, which I never really do, about living on
22620-459: Was produced by Martin Hannett at Indigo Sound Studios; the music was roughly recorded, insistently repetitive and energetic. The EP was re-released in September 1979 and reached number 31 in the charts. In March 1977, Devoto announced his departure from the band, expressing his dissatisfaction at the direction punk was taking in his statement: "I don't like movements. What was once unhealthily fresh
22776-441: 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
22932-417: Was recruited as drummer. Signing to indie label Rough Trade Records , they released their first single, " Hand in Glove ", on 13 May 1983. By February 1984, the Smiths' fanbase was sufficiently large to launch the band's long-awaited debut album to number two in the UK chart. Early in 1985, the band released their second album, Meat Is Murder . It was more strident and political than its predecessor, and it
23088-435: Was released earlier that year. In 1979, Buzzcocks prepared for their first European tour while working on new material. In March, the band released the single "Everybody's Happy Nowadays", which reached number 29 in the chart. The tour that followed culminated at Hammersmith Odeon ; the concert was recorded and released in 1992 as Entertaining Friends . in mid 1979, the band completed the recording of their third album while
23244-476: 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, the band recorded both "The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" and "Suffer Little Children". Wolstencroft
23400-492: 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
23556-435: Was the band's only album (barring compilations) to reach number one in the UK charts. During 1985 the band completed lengthy tours of the UK and the US while recording the next studio record, The Queen Is Dead . In 1989 Spin magazine rated The Queen is Dead as number one of "The Greatest Albums Ever Made". Spin was not alone in this designation—numerous periodicals rank the Smiths and their albums, especially The Queen
23712-592: Was the first time he had had a number one record in the US. The highest chart position before that was with Electronic, who made the Top 40 in the singles chart with "Getting Away With It". While touring in Los Angeles with Modest Mouse, Marr spent a day in John Frusciante 's home studio and contributed to Frusciante's album The Empyrean . He recorded several guitar tracks on songs "Enough of Me" and "Central". Marr joined
23868-606: 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,
24024-452: 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 the name "Steven", which he despised. After remaining with the band for several rehearsals, Pomfret departed acrimoniously. He
24180-551: 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
24336-559: 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", the last of which they soon scrapped. Their next gig
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