JOHNNY Marr, former guitarist of The Smiths, seems to hellbent on being the gristle in Morrissey’s porridge. Fresh from claims by the lead singer that Marr had recently refused to respond to a lucrative offer to tour with Morissey under The Smiths banner, it now appears the six-stringer has thrown a spanner in the works over planned reissues of the indie band’s back catalogue.
Posting on his website, Morrissey stated that Warner Music was planning on releasing a greatest hits set called Smiths Ruled OK! This was to accompany special anniversary reissues of reissues of the band’s 1983 debut single Hand in Glove and follow-up This Charming Man, plus a deluxe box set of their self-titled debut album.
“Warner approached Morrissey and (sleeve designer) Darren Evans to assemble artwork for all four releases, all of which were rejected and halted out of hand by J Marr,” wrote the Millwall FC-supporting singer.
In an earlier post on the failed attempt to take The Smiths back on the road, Morrissey made the catty remark that whilst he is about to embark on a successful (mostly) sold out tour of America, Marr was content appearing as “special guest” to New Order.
However, it does appear that the outspoken singer with right-leaning views is far more keen on cashing in The Smiths’ substantial legacy than Marr. The Smiths was only active from 1982 to 1987 before its acriminous split, with Marr and Morrissey regularly making their disdain for each other known through the music press. That has not stopped the band’s music from gaining a new generation of listeners as its streaming numbers testify, with 17 million listens per month on Spotify underlining the band’s enduring popularity.
Morrissey’s disappointment is obvious and if he really harbours any hopes of getting the above projects off the ground, perhaps a more diplomatic approach is required. Disparaging remarks are unlikely to help the cause.
