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?":

Song in My Head

I realize I'm running the risk of turning this blog into a platform for 80s revivalists, but the new song from Simple Minds really is quite good. I'm not keen on nostalgia for nostalgia's sake, but "Blood Diamonds" is a stunningly beautiful track that will make you think it's 1983 all over again. Maybe it's the synths or the fact that -- unlike most guys his age -- Jim Kerr's voice hasn't lost a step. Either way, these guys lost their way in America after the success of Once Upon a Time -- but this song pretty much eliminates the intervening 30 years (yikes).

A Light That Never Goes Out, Take 1

I just finished reading Tony Fletcher's amazing new book A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of The Smiths. Despite its more than 600 pages, it's a fast read, yet informative and well researched. And it's not a song-by-song analysis of the Smiths catalog (although there's plenty of that) but rather places the band in their cultural, social and political context in 1980s Britain. I highly recommend it.

In any case, now that I've completed the book, I'm going back over the pages I dog-eared for further research. I like to hear the influences Fletcher writes about and I'm spending a lot of time on YouTube following up on his writing. And I'll no doubt have more of these types of posts in the near future.

Today I start with the story of when Britain's Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron referred to himself as a Smiths fan -- something both Marr and Morrissey -- in a rare moment of post-breakup solidarity -- forbade him from doing. And then something even more peculiar happened: This exchange between Cameron and a Labour M.P. over who could name more Smiths songs:

Don't you wish we had something like Prime Minister's Question Time in this country?

Happy Birthday - Mike Ness!

Happy 51st to one of the coolest guys in rock & roll.  Mike is one of the people whose musical career can be documented back to when he was 19.  How much has changed and how age and time have done him good.  He is now (and has been since the early 80's) clean and sober, a vegetarian and collects Hamburglar toys.  Enjoy your day!

Song of the Summer, Take One

It's April 1 (happy birthday to a certain Discordant) and here in New York, it finally feels like Spring. So it's a perfect time to begin speculating what song will fill the envied role of Song of the Summer.

My first nomination is from the Southern California band Cayucas. It's called "High School Lover" and it's a catchy piece of sugary-sweet confection, just right for summertime. Enjoy!

The Fall and The Pope

The election today of Pope Francis the First reminds me of the great -- and, let's face it, only -- pop song written about a pope: The Fall's "Hey Luciani" about John Paul, the pope elected in 1978 who served a grand total of 33 days before his mysterious death. And how can you not like a song that features a line like "You were the first John Paul I"? After all, John Paul I was succeeded by the beloved John Paul II, who took the name to honor his immediate predecessor.


Albino Luciani has been a bit of an obsession for The Fall's Mark E. Smith -- he went on to write a play about him (also called "Hey Luciani").

Song in My Head

Today I couldn't get the Tom Tom Club's "Genius of Love" out of my head.  It really was ahead of it's time in certain ways with the digital samples, and the hip hop beats.  Yet, the song also reminds me of the awesome 60's tune, "Spill the Wine" with the random foreign female voice speaking. 

Too bad Mariah Carey had to use it.