Keith's book did that for me... rekindled a love of guitar! Great interview guys. Some really interesting questions and always cool hearing Johnny's perspective 👍
Heard a few years back that he was also influenced by African high life, my grandma was playing some Nigerian high life once and to my surprise the guitarists sounded so similar to what was going on with melodic guitar stuff in western alt rock music at the time. It sounded like something similar to Television.
The respect for EVH was interesting….always liked Johnny’s penchant for finding value and creative spark in some disparate places….and you can definitely hear the N. Rogers vibe in many Smiths tunes.
...First Born son Nile Marr is also a musician--and pre Smiths Johnny Marr & Andy Rourke (a Stanley Clarke fanatic, RIP) played in a band called Freak Party.
Not watched the whole thing, but dies he mention fellow Mancunian, Vini Reilly from The Durutti Column? I got a few of Vini's albums and surely Johnny got some stuff off him! Vini's playing is amazing
Good stuff... but the elephant in the room here for me is African Highlife guitar playing. The intro for This Charming Man could be from a Highlife recording and that can't be a total coincidence surely... There was a big interest in African music in the early '80s with Fella Kuti and King Sunny Ade getting albums towards the top of the British charts. Just saying! Marr is still a genius.
If you’re talking about the origins of his playing then REM weren’t around then, certainly not in the UK. The Smiths and REM broke through here at roughly the same time.
Johnny, just speak it out: The 19 inch rack thing was the biggest mistake of your life. I´ve listend to that on stage with Matt. Otherwise we agree about a lot of things. Except you did not invent juju or non rock or non soloing or jangle. I did! And some more people.
He probably meant to say New York Dolls/Stooges or the pub rock bands, or even glam rock stuff like T Rex. Thats what their guitarist was most inspired by
@@honestreviewer3283yeah exactly, he was just referring to those bands playing power chords with distortion, rather than the clean melodic arpeggio style. Dave Gregory from XTC was another guitarist from the new wave bands that had that style
Can't be arsed watching his passive arrogance. How many times does he say "when I formed The Smiths"/ or "when I wrote....." Great guitarist, would never have heard of him if it wasn't for Mozza.
Well, his arrogance is delayed--five years older, Morrissey a string of hits and could do no wrong. If you're a young 60-65, you've every right to dye your hair and still* get legendary Andrew Berry haircuts. QLS non-regular Kirk Lloyd is in Questlove's band and is in this episode--and if...you're awkward, cancelling gigs and non-showing for things it's refreshing to hear a breezy guy Who Happened To Prepare All The Instrumentals For The Smiths--and you bequeath management (and vintage guitars) to a then-unknown Oasis...you could pretty much be as 'arrogant' as you want. @James_44 hates it when he/they themselves aren't successful themselves, I guess. No well-wisher.
@@MrJacksonentzulo very good, written with all the panache of a sixth-form student who just listened to The Smiths for the very first time and didn't really understand it. It's actually Marr's arrogance that broke The Smiths up as he couldn't bear that he wasn't the face of the band. Since then he's made a string of mediocre records and tours playing to a couple of hundred people (when not in Manchester) whilst Morrissey had created his own legacy as a solo artist and continues to play big arenas (and even stadiums in Latin America). However, Marr still can't quite let it go, and insists on reminding us that it was he who founded The Smiths (apparently) and "wrote" the songs, meaning the backing tracks for Morrissey's lyrics. Enviable, but not quite deserving of the arrogance that it perpetrates.
@@MrJacksonentzuloit’s a syrup mate. Marr’s hair left the building several years ago. He has a new one glued on every week. Not knocking him for it. Hair loss can be a cruel blow.
Marr is a very ordinary guitarist who come up with some catchy riffs. He doesnt comprehend that if he hadnt met the genius that is Morissey he would be plastering walls for a living.
GTFOOH. Marr was 50% of the magic. He was as much a songwiter as a guitarist. He wrote all the music whilst Morrissey composed the lyrics. Neither of them are half as good as solo artists as they were as a songwriting partnership in The Smiths.
Love that he mentions Geordie Walker of Killing Joke… his impact will never be overstated.
Great interview , love Marrs playing and never heard why he had such a fast , clean melodic style . Thanks !
Thank you!
“Barbarism begins at home” Really is a wonderful guitar based song, just brilliant!
This is great insight! peace from Ireland lads...Love the way constraints help the sound and art to emerge!
Keith's book did that for me... rekindled a love of guitar!
Great interview guys. Some really interesting questions and always cool hearing Johnny's perspective 👍
THANK YOU. Huge compliment.
Genuine guy.
Great player and chap.
Heard a few years back that he was also influenced by African high life, my grandma was playing some Nigerian high life once and to my surprise the guitarists sounded so similar to what was going on with melodic guitar stuff in western alt rock music at the time. It sounded like something similar to Television.
The respect for EVH was interesting….always liked Johnny’s penchant for finding value and creative spark in some disparate places….and you can definitely hear the N. Rogers vibe in many Smiths tunes.
...First Born son Nile Marr is also a musician--and pre Smiths Johnny Marr & Andy Rourke (a Stanley Clarke fanatic, RIP) played in a band called Freak Party.
Got to drop some love tor that Bo Diddley beat.
i play shred guitar with my band but listens almost exclusively to obscure british indie bands cos of johnny.
Not watched the whole thing, but dies he mention fellow Mancunian, Vini Reilly from The Durutti Column? I got a few of Vini's albums and surely Johnny got some stuff off him! Vini's playing is amazing
A mixture of The Edge and Early Robert Smith to me!?😮
The drum sound and the chorus on the guitars and bass will forever date The Smiths to their time, alas. Shame they didn't come out in drier times.
Good stuff... but the elephant in the room here for me is African Highlife guitar playing. The intro for This Charming Man could be from a Highlife recording and that can't be a total coincidence surely... There was a big interest in African music in the early '80s with Fella Kuti and King Sunny Ade getting albums towards the top of the British charts. Just saying! Marr is still a genius.
jingly jangly
Surprised he didn't talk about Peter Buck. Surely the American guitarist who has the most similar approach to him.
Interesting comparison
If you’re talking about the origins of his playing then REM weren’t around then, certainly not in the UK. The Smiths and REM broke through here at roughly the same time.
That is true.
in a way, but Johns chords and playing are more intricated
Johnny Marr plays lefty now??
“Thou shalt not play blues pentatonic scales….” 😂
Classic moment
Techmology.
Why does the title card for this video show a pic of Johnny playing left handed? He’s NOT left handed 🤷🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️
Johnny, just speak it out: The 19 inch rack thing was the biggest mistake of your life. I´ve listend to that on stage with Matt. Otherwise we agree about a lot of things. Except you did not invent juju or non rock or non soloing or jangle. I did! And some more people.
The sex pistols sounded fuck all like the ramones
Are you on pills lad?
He probably meant to say New York Dolls/Stooges or the pub rock bands, or even glam rock stuff like T Rex. Thats what their guitarist was most inspired by
Sorry but the Sex Pistols sound nothing like the Ramones. Lazy comparison.
Three chords played loud with lots of distortion was his point; all punk bands basically followed the same formula.
@@honestreviewer3283yeah exactly, he was just referring to those bands playing power chords with distortion, rather than the clean melodic arpeggio style. Dave Gregory from XTC was another guitarist from the new wave bands that had that style
Can't be arsed watching his passive arrogance. How many times does he say "when I formed The Smiths"/ or "when I wrote....."
Great guitarist, would never have heard of him if it wasn't for Mozza.
Well, his arrogance is delayed--five years older, Morrissey a string of hits and could do no wrong.
If you're a young 60-65, you've every right to dye your hair and still* get legendary Andrew Berry haircuts.
QLS non-regular Kirk Lloyd is in Questlove's band and is in this episode--and if...you're awkward, cancelling gigs and non-showing for things it's refreshing to hear a breezy guy Who Happened To Prepare All The Instrumentals For The Smiths--and you bequeath management (and vintage guitars) to a then-unknown Oasis...you could pretty much be as 'arrogant' as you want.
@James_44 hates it when he/they themselves aren't successful themselves, I guess. No well-wisher.
@@MrJacksonentzulo very good, written with all the panache of a sixth-form student who just listened to The Smiths for the very first time and didn't really understand it.
It's actually Marr's arrogance that broke The Smiths up as he couldn't bear that he wasn't the face of the band. Since then he's made a string of mediocre records and tours playing to a couple of hundred people (when not in Manchester) whilst Morrissey had created his own legacy as a solo artist and continues to play big arenas (and even stadiums in Latin America). However, Marr still can't quite let it go, and insists on reminding us that it was he who founded The Smiths (apparently) and "wrote" the songs, meaning the backing tracks for Morrissey's lyrics. Enviable, but not quite deserving of the arrogance that it perpetrates.
@@Timothy_Dalton33Jeezus…
@@geofftayloruk Which part are you disagreeing with Geoff?
@@MrJacksonentzuloit’s a syrup mate. Marr’s hair left the building several years ago. He has a new one glued on every week. Not knocking him for it. Hair loss can be a cruel blow.
Marr is a very ordinary guitarist who come up with some catchy riffs. He doesnt comprehend that if he hadnt met the genius that is Morissey he would be plastering walls for a living.
GTFOOH. Marr was 50% of the magic. He was as much a songwiter as a guitarist. He wrote all the music whilst Morrissey composed the lyrics. Neither of them are half as good as solo artists as they were as a songwriting partnership in The Smiths.
Nothing Ordinary about J. Marr!