The Smiths

Morrissey began his career with the vague intention of succeeding as a music journalist. Unemployed in manchester during the late 70s, he frequently wrote letters to the music press and was eventually taken on by record mirror as a freelance local reviewer. During this period, he also ran a New York Dolls fan club and wrote a booklet about them. Another small illustrated volume, James Dean is not dead, briefly catalogued the career of another morrissey obsession. Two other projects, on girl groups and minor film stars, failed to reach the printed page. In the meantime, Morrissey was attempting unsuccessfully to progress as a performer.

In the early 1970's, Morrissey was in a band called wild ram. They later changed the name to not sensibles and then again, to Ed Banger and the Nosebleeds. At that time they had Eddie Garrity doing vocals and Vini Reilley on guitar. In 1977, Garrity and Reilley left the band and Morrissey took over the microphone. the band shortened the name to the nosebleeds and pete crooks (bass), Toby (drums) and Billy Duffy (guitar) joined (Duffy later became a member of the Cult). The Nosebleeds failed a record company audition with a relaunched version of slaughter and the dogs.

In 1982, he was approached by Wythenshawe guitarist Johnny Maher (later Marr). At that time Marr worked in a clothes shop and he was looking for someone who could write lyrics to his music. The two sat down and soon they had put together some songs. At first the idea was to sell the songs to other artists and make money but they changed their minds. They picked up two more guys and formed a band. They soon developed into the Smiths, the most important and critically acclaimed UK band of the 80s.

Morrissey's arch lyrics, powerful persona and general news worthiness made him a pop figure whose articulacy was unmatched by any of his contemporaries. Their first single was Hand in glove, which was released in may 1983. Nothing really happened until october the same year, when they released their third single, entitled This charming man. It was a success and became the biggest selling single ever for the small label, rough trade.

In 1984 it was time to release to release their first album, The Smiths. Unfortunately, the expectations were too high from the media hype and people got dissapointed. If it hadn't been for the single Heaven knows I'm miserable now, the Smiths might have been a closed chapter. The b-side of the single was a song called Suffer little children and was based on a couple of child slayings, called "the moors murders". The media quickly portrayed the band as being sympathetic with the murderers and all of a sudden the Smiths was interesting again. The Smiths was now a known name and they had established themselves as one of the most promising young bands in britain.

Two more albums followed, Meat Is Murder and The Queen Is Dead, and in 1987 they released their fourth LP, Strangeways Here We Come. everything looked fine, when Marr suddenly decided to leave the band. By the late summer of 1987, the Smiths had disbanded, leaving Morrissey to pursue a solo career.


More readings:
The Moors murders
James Dean is not dead