LIFE ON MARRS

Rip It Up, Issue 166, 1 May 1991, Page 16

LIFE ON MARRS

HECTRONIE'S JOHNNY MARR

There can be few musicians in rock n'roll over the last few years more respected than Johnny Marr. His guitar gave Morrissey’s eccentricities, observations and fears their chill, their evocation of what it was like to be alone and alive in the eighties. And with Morrissey’s post-Smith’s product as evidence, Marr also gave the band the power and bite necessary to be credible rock n'roll currency.

But the Smiths are history destined to be re-lived through nostalgia and the occasional Morrissey song that hits the right nerve. Marr has

definitely left that phase of his life behind: “Don’t mention the Smiths” was the warming WEAY Lisa gave me prior to this interview, a chat that was prompted by the release of Electronic’s first album.

As it turned out the warning was hardly needed as Marr was more than affable, probably because | didn't push the Smiths angle too hard preferring to concentrate on his

collaboration with New Order’s

singer Bernard Sumner in Electronic, a part-time superstar duo that's produced an album that's various shades of amazing. “Its been a long time coming,” says Marr from somewhere in

Manchester, “but it's been a good time doing it. If’s nice to hear the single, ‘Get the Message' on the radio, the fruits of our labours so to speak.” Blue, Blue Electric Blue The superstar tag is obviously something both Marr and Sumner want to play down as that can lead to big expectations and so create the sort of pressure that's contrary to the “two mates in a bedroom making a record” philosophy at Electronics. “Initially we felt some pressure because of our reputations but ultimately that was challenging andthat's what makes you good if you can face up fo it. We didn't think -

about it too much as that would've done our heads in. We feel loose about it. It wasn't until we did the

Dodgers Stadium gig last year and released ‘Getting Away With If’ that we realised that people thought it was such a big deal. . “We just wanted to make records

without too much fuss. Without the pressure to tour or setting the big wheels in motion that you get with big groups making major records.” Regardless of this “enjoyment first, pressure second” approach, the album is a sleek and sumptuous proposition, hardly the sound of early Fall bedsit outtakes. “Bernard and | are real perfectionists in the studio. We wrote the album in stages, initially getting some ideas down before going. away fo work with our own bands. Then we came back and worked on those ideas that stayed in our minds which resulted in our first single ‘Getting Away With If. The last stage was four or five months of intensive work where we really got our heads down, we knew the songs were good but we were very careful about getting the right sounds. “I'm really happy with it, it was really good to make an up-beat dance record that you could listen to at home. Those are the songs that are the most difficult to write. We thought about doing a more ambient, experimental LP but we decided it was important that we showed people we weren't going to be self-indulgent.” ’ - The initial smack of Electronicis reminiscent of another New Order album thanks to Sumner’s distinctive and underrated vocals, but peel away that surface and there’s a depth and dimension that New Order never had, courtesy of Marr’s guitar. = :

_ “Bernard encouraged me to play more guitar than | would have played. 'm happy about that because if's quite a new thing to try and layer different guitar sounds on machines and we end up with some interesting effects.” Working with banks of keyboards must've been a new experience?

“Itis on record but I've always done demos that way and I've

wanted to work with sequencers for along fime. If's horses for courses, we use machines with The The live and on this LP Bernard has '

programmed nearly all the drums, aside form that there’s only Neil Tennant, Chris Lowe (Pet Shop boys) and an oboe player who's on ‘Some Distant Memory’ playing on the

album, all of the rest of the instruments are played by Bernard

“| don'tfeel the need to put a jingle-jangle guitar on every song because it mightn'tfit. 'm into guitar music. I've always been a big fan of early Rolling Stones records. I'm

obviously obsessed by playing the guitar but I've got no desire to go down a well-trodden and out of date road because I'm more

interested in song writing and guitar is the instrument | love but it's not the means fo an end — the end being a record.”

Your contributions give Electronics an added dimension that New Order never had.

“| see many facets to New Order. | think they've got a consistent sound, something that's almost disconnected from the four members — which is infriguing. If ifs one dimensional then | enjoy that one dimension

thoroughly. The things that | love about New Order are the things that | wanted to encourage in Electronic’s record and likewise Bernard made me listen to the occasional Smiths’ record fo encourage me fo play

more guitar.” Were you receptive to his suggestions fo resurrect old Smiths’ records or were you keen to leave those influences behind?

“No, that was okay. Inevitably what | play is bound o have the Smiths’ character in it, although | like to be more diverse than people expect.” :

The Electronics album has all bases covered: infectious ltalian House disco, Pet Shop Boys, Siberian aural landscapes and rock’n’roll with teeth and passion. Any temptation fo make this hobby permanent? “No, it's more informal than people imagine. If's just two songwriters working in the studio and that's the way it will continue. If either of us wanted to tour or chase some massive commercial success then we do that with our other groups. We want fo realise all the advantages of not being in a group and act on those.” : The The, The Smiths and Other Thes At the moment Marrs is fully-fledged member of Matt Johnson’s The The, a band whose social and political consciences have gained respect at the same time they've provoked yawns.

“Me and Matt were mates since 1981. We met in Manchester and we got on immediately and it was only the fact that he lived in London and me in Manchester that prevented

me from being'in The The. We kept in touch and when the Smiths went down to London to try and get record deals Matt put me up at his place. I've been a fan of his for a while and when it came for him to get a band together he'd always wanted me to play with him and so it all fell together.” The The played in New Zealand last year.

“Yeah, we were made to feel very welcome and the audience were really good. | remember the Auckland gig becasue we were so trashed from the twenty-six hour flight, the lag was torture and all of us were falling asleep during ‘Giant’ and stuff.”

You never got over here with the Smiths. lINO.II But the Smiths did a lot of live work? :

“Yeah, we toured Ireland about seven times — I'm joking, but we played there a lot, which was great because they don't get o see a lot of bands in Ireland.”

You've said that if you'd had a couple of weeks off the road with the Smiths the band would still be together. “Yeah, it fairly general but it would've been nice for everyone to have taken a break and for

everyone fo accept that. It wasn't just a break from the road, we'd just recorded an LP and it was a good time to have a holiday from everything.” ' Have you had pressures to

re-form with Morrissey? “One or two people have made persuasive suggestions but no firm offers.”

No million dollar contracts?

“There probably would be but most people know me well enough to know it would be a waste of time.”

Electronics have only done a couple of live and fairly impromptu gigs, a reflection that Marr and

Sumner are sick of live work.

“Sick of touring. It is really hard to turn it on, especially if you're nervous about going on stage. We just intend to do some one-off concerts and make them a bit of an event.”

Do you still get nervous on stage?

“Not anymore, although I'm not into touring now as I'd rather make a few more records first. When | do decide to tour, | enjoy it.” Have you ever desired to be the frontman in a band instead of the man behind a guitar? “Oh god, no way, it seems like a horrible job. | knew when | first

started playing seriously that | didn't want to be the singer.” But by now your reputation is such that people come to see you more than to see the band you're playing

“| don't believe that. Everyone comes to see me in the band and the band with me in it, like a curiosity. I've been lucky to work with some fantastic performers and in their own right they could pull twice as many people as | could on my own.” That's modesty from a city that currently thinks it's the renaissance centre of rock'n’roll, but according to Marr that's not the real Manchester.

“Its full of troubles, it's a very violent and gun-ridden city with gangs running around shooting innocent kids every week, and this is a tiny little city,” he adds, obviously hurt.

You're exaggerating? “No, I'm not, and if you're not getting it in the media in New Zealand don't worry about it as

even the media in London like the national TV news aren't reporting i, yetits devestating communities in Manchester. That's what's going on here at the moment. Forget the flares.”

But let's end on a positive note, Manchester United are having one of their best seasons for years. “Oh, please don't tell me that. I'm a City fan and next year they'll be sorted, they're just laying the groundwork this year. | think theres gonna be a new golden era for City.

| can feel it.”

GEORGE KAY