WISHBONE ASH & MILES COPELAND 111
Johnny Marr is an English musician, songwriter, and singer (born Johnny Martin Maher) in Manchester in October 1963 and at the age of 13 formed his first band, the Paris Valentinos. He played in several bands, the most recent being Freak Party. But by early 1982, after losing their singer, Marr approached Rob Allman, the singer with White Dice. He showed little interest and instead suggested Steven Morrissey, the singer with the Nosebleeds. In May, and through a third-party it was arranged for Marr to meet Morrissey at his home. They seemed to hit it off and with Marr’s first bass player, Andy Rourke, and Mike Joyce on drums they formed the Smiths.
Within months they signed to Rough Trade Records and in May 1983 released their first single “Hand in Glove.” Now with an ever-growing fan base they recorded their first album, which was released in early 1984 and reached number two in the UK Chart. This was quickly followed by their second album, the controversial, “Meat is Murder.”
Their third album “The Queen Is Dead” was awarded the accolade by Spin magazine as being one of the greatest albums ever made. This resulted in the NME dubbing the Smiths the most important rock band of all time.
Marr's guitar sounds are instantly recognisable, with his jangly Rickenbacker and Fender Telecaster and synonymous with the Smith’s sound. Marr said, when performing with the band, he wanted to play a music which was pop. "100% of my focus was on providing interesting guitar hooks and putting some kind of space-age twist on the guitarist's role. The pop guitarist crossed with the mad professor. That's how I thought of myself."
In early 1986, Rourke was fired by the band for his use of heroin, but within weeks he was reinstated. But other problems were already looming and despite their continued success, personal differences within the band and the increasingly strained relationship between Morrissey and Marr created a huge problem.
Marr left the group in July 1987, and despite auditions to find a replacement no one was considered suitable. So, by the time their next tranche of music was released the band had long split.
One of the reasons given by Morrissey was the fact that Marr was working and recording with other artists, however, he later told Tim Samuels, a BBC journalist, that it was due to the lack of a managerial figure and business problems.
Marr's guitar playing had a massive effect on many of the Manchester bands that followed the Smiths including: John Squire - Stone Roses, Noel Gallagher - Oasis, and no doubt many more. He has since performed with numerous other bands and singers including: the Pretenders, Pet Shop Boys, collaborating with Hans Zimmer, on film soundtracks, Talking Heads. Joss Stone, Bryan Ferry and so many more.
In 2010 in a poll conducted by the BBC, Marr was voted the fourth-best guitarist of the last 30 years and Phil Alexander, editor-in-chief of Mojo described him as "arguably Britain's last great guitar stylist." In 2013, the NME, honoured Marr with its "Godlike Genius" award: "Not content with rewriting the history of music with one of the world's greatest ever bands, the Smiths, he's continued to push boundaries and evolve throughout his career, working with some of the best and most exciting artists on the planet."
Despite several attempts at reforming the Smiths it seems very unlikely.
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BY-------Graham Sclater
I have been in the music business for more than fifty years: as a professional musician, songwriter, producer and music publisher and having just read Mile Copeland’s book, TWO STEPS FORWARD - ONE STEP BACK I found so many parallels between us.
For those readers who aren’t aware of Miles Copeland, as well as setting up IRS, his record label, he was also the manager of Wishbone Ash, The Police, R.E.M and so many more artists from the early seventies into the late nineties. In 1969 he found himself in London, where he lived with his parents in St John’s Wood, a few yards from the EMI studios in Abbey Road.
I had played with Steve Upton, the drummer of the band, in the Bluesounds, a local blues band before I left for Germany in the early sixties. When I returned, Steve had joined brothers Glen and Martin Turner in a three- piece called the Empty Vessels (MT Vessels) which I believe refers to Martin Turner, the bass player. They shared a flat with the bass player of my new band and I remember them changing their name to Tanglewood before moving to London, where they hoped to sign a record deal.
This is how they linked up with Miles Copeland. Soon after arriving in London, Miles was approached by the band Rupert’s People who asked him to manage them and although he agreed his association with them was short lived. But at one of their gigs, he met Tanglewood, the three-piece band from Torquay. He liked them and invited them to rehearse in the basement of his parent’s house. But things were not looking good. Glen Turner, the lead guitarist, had decided to return to Torquay so Miles suggested the two remaining members audition for a replacement guitarist. They shortlisted two and decided to ask both to join. They were Andy Powell and Ted Turner (no relation to Martin.) The twin guitars were to become their recognisable sound. They needed a name and after selecting the final two names from a hat; Wishbone and Ash, Martin decided to link the two together. During the new line-up’s lengthy rehearsals, Miles used the time to talk to agents around the country and he was able to fill their date sheet. He took them to the US where they also achieved huge success which set him up for the following success he achieved with the Police.
Another link to the Turner family was Kim, their younger brother, who was a wonderful drummer. He joined his brother in London and when Miles began to work with the Police, Kim became their sound man, driver and tour manager. Kim is credited for giving them their unique live sound. He became Sting’s personal manager but like so often in the music business they had disagreements and he was eventually sacked by Sting. After expensive legal proceedings he settled out of court for a substantial sum and moved back to Torquay but died from cancer at the age of 45.
There was yet another twist. After releasing twenty albums and the break-up of Wishbone Ash, the use of the name by various members has led to huge legal problems resulting in its founder Martin Turner not being permitted to use it. However, he is still touring with a band and filling venues in the UK and across Europe under the name of Martin Turner - Ex Wishbone Ash.
ronically Sting also fired Miles in 2001 and as a result Miles changed direction and after briefly working with Arab fusion music he began lecturing around the world.
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