The Goo 1
Regular CONOR FARRELL THE GRAPE VINYL Hatful of H
ollow - The Smiths (1984) 40th Anniversary Year In May 1982, 18-year-old guitarist Johnny Marr took a bus across Manchester to doorstep shy writer Steven Morrissey, to propose that they form a band. Despite Morrissey’s usual reticence, he was very welcoming, and Marr left clutching some lyrics. At their next meeting, at Marr’s house, they wrote their first songs in one evening. Before the year’s end they were joined by Andy Rourke on Bass and Mike Joyce on drums. The Smiths were complete. In April 1983, they signed to Rough Trade. Soon after, they achieved chart success with their second single, This Charming Man, which earned them a much-coveted spot on Top of the Pops. It was an extraordinary feat that less than 18 months had passed since their first doorstep encounter. Their performance on the show was eccentric and brilliant. They followed this with ‘What Difference Does it Make’, in January 1984, this time reaching number 12 in the UK charts. Their eponymous debut album arrived in February 1984 and was followed soon-after with a number of successful singles including William, It Was Really Nothing and Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now. However, the band felt dissatisfied with the production on their debut album so before the year was out, they released a compilation of various BBC sessions, along with their non-album singles. This album, titled ‘Hatful of Hollow’ seemed to capture the essence and rawness of their live energy, and for many, was a more definitive document of the band at the outset of their career. The Smiths were a unique and compelling act. Morrissey cut a very odd frontman. He came across as bookish, an awkward loner locked away in his bedroom, reading poetry, his life a tragic comedy of errors and failed romantic endeavours. He wore blackrimmed glasses, a hearing aid, and in the early performances, a bouquet of gladioli hung from his backside. He was an extraordinary lyricist and one of the true greats of our time. His wit was Oscar Wilde sharp. His song titles alone— ’Shoplifters of the World, Unite,’ ‘Girlfriend in a Coma,’ and ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’—were striking and often hilarious. influenced his lyrics on the first two albums. Delaney’s ‘A Taste of Honey’ was referenced in several songs, especially the poignant ‘This Night Has Opened My Eyes.’ Both writers shared a passion for 1960s pop culture, with a particular affinity for girl groups and unlikely English pop acts such as Sandie Shaw. The Smiths blazed through the 1980’s like a shooting star. They made their debut in 1984 and split up in 1987. Scarcely has a band been more impactful in such a short space of time since The Beatles or The Velvet Underground. They were highly prolific in their time and maintained the highest standards. Every album THEY USED REVOLUTIONARY TECHNIQUES IN SAMPLING SUCH AS RECORDING THEIR OWN LIVE SAMPLES AND PRESSING THEM TO VINYL Marr was the epitome of cool. With a great haircut, shades and a cigarette hanging loosely from his mouth, he looked like he had just auditioned for the Velvet Underground. He wrote all the music, was a wonderful melodist, and seemed to have endless great hooks all delivered with sparkling jangly guitars. Rourke, like Marr, was a very melodic player and together with Joyce they proved to be an incredibly tight and groovy rhythm section. Morrissey’s fascination with 1960s British kitchen sink dramas, particularly the works of Sheelagh Delaney, heavily and single was an event for the fans. Morrissey did all the sleeve designs himself, using striking images from 1960’s films, and their importance to the music cannot be overstated. The Smiths were bright, beautiful and all too brief. When Marr doorstepped Morrissey on that fateful summer’s day, the stars must have been aligned in a symmetry of perfection not seen since John met Paul. And perhaps, not seen since. PAGE 44