The Smiths
THE SMITHS
British indie band The Smiths were together for just 5 years but their legacy is monumental. Formed in Manchester in 1982, the band were comprised of Morrissey (vocals), Johnny Marr (guitars), Andy Rourke (bass) and Mike Joyce (drums).
They have been described as the important alternative alternative rock band to emerge from the 1980's, and have influenced many bands, including Suede, Oasis and The Libertines.
The Smiths released four studio albums, several compilations and non-LP singles over the course of 1983 to 1987. Morrissey was an offbeat frontman, famous for his adoration of Oscar Wilde, 60 girl singers, James Dean and ''kitchen sink'' dramas.
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With the very first release, ''Hand In Glove'' in 1983 the band acquired a passionate fanbase, who were enthused by Morrissey's witty and observant lyrics married with Johnny Marr's accomplished and unique guitar style.
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The Mancunian group scored one No.1 album ''Meat Is Murder'' and split in 1987 due to personal differences, at the same time the album ''Strangeways Here We Come'' was released, reaching No.2.
Johnny Marr went on to work with several notable bands, including the THE and Electronic, he is currently a full-time member of The Cribs.
Morrissey has been a successful solo singer-songwriter since 1988, releasing No.1 albums and performing sell-out tours.
Mike Joyce successfully sued the band for £1m back pay in a court case, on the grounds of not receiving a fair share of recording and performance royalties.
Sources: Wendy Gabriel; Joan Goldsworthy
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Morrissey
Morrissey, the iconic Manchester singer-songwriter has been widely celebrated for over 25 years for his insightful lyrics and unique voice. He was in the highly influential and much-loved The Smiths between 1983 and 1987, but has performed solo since 1988, his first album, ''Viva Hate'' hit No.1, spawning singles ''Suedehead'' and ''Everyday Is Like Sunday''.
The indie star has had a number of Top 10 hits in the UK, and No.1 albums include ''Vauxhall And I'' and ''Ringleader Of The Tormentors''.
His popularity waned in the late 90s, but came back with a vengeance in 2004 with the album ''You Are The Quarry'' which contained his biggest ever hit ''Irish Blood, English Heart'', peaking at No.2 in the UK charts.
Morrissey is known for his strong animal rights and vegetarian beliefs, his love of Oscar Wilde, 60s girl singers, James Dean and 50s and 60s kitchen sink dramas, which all feed into his music.
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Rolling Stone magazine have named him as one of the ''100 Greatest Singers Of All Time''.
In October 2009 he collapsed during the opening song in his set ''This Charming Man'' and was rushed to hospital, he recovered and performed at the Royal Albert Hall two days later.
Wendy Gabriel
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The roots of the Stones Roses delve right back to 1980, with their first LP ranking one of the greatest debut’s of all time, their influence casting a shadow over many Brit-pop bands in their wake.
However, edging slowly into 80’s Manchester, a scene dominated by the likes of The Smiths, Primal Scream, and Boddingtons’s Beer, it was difficult to win the affection of wily ‘Dr Martins’ sporting mancunians. Quivering with our haircuts, and oversized trench coats, we almost seemed unsure. They had a long haired bass player for one, and a singer partial to wearing leather trousers? It almost seemed untoward.
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In 1984, after an off-putting show in front of The Who’s Pete Townsend, at Hampstead’s Moonlight Club as part of an ‘Anti Heroin Benefit,’ the band took on the assistance of manager Howard Jones, and finally after many broken records, released their debut album in 1989 amidst the perplexity of the ‘Madchester’ movement. A gratifying blend of Slaughter and the Dogs, The Clash, and George Clinton, the album was defended vigorously amongst mixed reviews, as it plunged into the UK charts, eventually landing them a lucrative deal with Geffen Records.
Great music, always, seeps through the holes of such nostalgic prejudice, soon it was dubbed perfection for post-club comedowns, they were nor accepted or rejected, paving way for a timeless conclusion. However, in 1994, a disappointing follow-up ‘Second Coming’ and many disastrous festival appearances, spelled the tragic end to a band, who after several line-up changes, never really got to grips with acceptance. In 1996, vocalist Ian Brown issued a press release, stating; “Having spent 10 years in the filthiest business in the universe, it is a pleasure to announce the end of the Stone Roses.”
Tristen Lee
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Gene
Gene was a British indie/rock quartet formed in 1993 in London. They were popularly labelled as a Britpop band and often drew somewhat superficial comparisons to The Smiths, if only because of their slightly Morrissey-esque lead singer. Despite this comparison, there is a lot more to Gene’s music than met the eyes of their critics. Their music takes influence from punk-rockers The Jam, blues riffs from the Small Faces, all mixed in with the soulful sound of motown.
The roots of Gene lay in a band called Spin, which featured guitarist Steve Mason and drummer Matt James. Despite Spin’s split, Mason and James continued playing together, recruiting bassist Kevin Miles. The trio eventually met vocalist Martin Rossiter, and they formed Gene in 1993. Soon after forming, the quartet began to write songs, and had performed a number of shows by the end of the year. They were later signed to Costermonger, a label set up by two journalists, through which they released their debut single, ‘For The Dead’ in 1994.
After their next single ‘Be My Light, Be My Guide’ reached number one in the indie charts, the band signed to Polydor. In 1995, following this, they were named Best New Act at NME’s Brat Awards.
Their debut album, ‘Olympian’ was released in 1995. It received mixed reviews, and although it entered into the Top Ten – the band were soon overshadowed by upcoming acts such as Blur and Oasis.
Early in 1996, ‘To See the Lights’, a collection of B-sides and BBC sessions, was released in England. A new single, ‘Fighting Fit’ was shortly released as a teaser from their new album, and entered into the top ten. However, the album that followed ‘Drawn to the Deep End’ did not follow in the single’s success.
By 2000, the band was without a label. They founded, and issued the live set ‘Rising for Sunset: Live at the Troubadour’, but this went almost unnoticed among the indie scene. However, in mid-summer 2002, Gene emerged with ‘Libertine’, their strongest material since Olympian. A tour followed, but the band went their separate ways in 2003.
Carly Page
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