A Light That Never Goes Out, Take 2

Here's another fun nugget from "A Light That Never Goes Out", Tony Fletcher's book about the Smiths.

In 1983, as Johnny Marr and producer John Porter (the bassist from Roxy Music) worked out the track that was to become "How Soon Is Now?", dance music was all the rage. Hip-hop was taking off, The Smiths had toured in clubs like Danceteria in New York, and their American record label even released 12" dance remixes of Smiths songs, as was the order of the day. Fletcher writes about the production of the track -- at the time just called "Swamp" -- and what was to be Marr's final instrumental flourish before Morrissey was called in to add lyrics:

"The final instrumental touch was Marr's relatively simple melody -- the high notes heard at the end of each 'verse' -- which he played using the electric guitar's natural harmonics. An almost precise replica of the synthesized vibraphone sound heard loudly on Lovebug Starski's 1983 12" "You've Gotta Believe," this was Marr's not to Starski as both a distant hip-hop influence and an immediate welcoming presence when the Smiths appeared at Danceteria. Such subtle notations were his way of countering the Smiths' public perception as '60s revivalists and rock purists."

Listen for yourself. Here's Lovebug Starski's "You've Gotta Believe" -- and the notes Marr borrowed for what was to become "How Soon is Now" will be very obvious:

And here's "How Soon is Now?":