Well if you guys have read my posts you know part of the story already.
I grew up in LA, my best friend was about 4 or 5 years older than me. She was really the coolest person I had ever met. I also had the biggest crush in the world on her, but knew she had no such feelings for me. Since I was about 12, she and I started to track down celebs and get their autographs. In the early days neither of us had a camera or the money to pay for film and development. We were both big time KROQ fans (for those of you who don't know KROQ was the best station for British Pop in the 80s, the 90s and beyond it pretty much sucked!) Anyway whenever someone cool was going to be a guest on KROQ usually Rodney's show we would go to the station in Pasadena and wait for them to show up. We met a shit load of one hit wonders and got our 45's signed that we usually bought at this cool indy record shop in Pasadena that was in a converted house, I can't believe I forgot the name, it was on walnut I think. (any LA people know the shop I am talking about?) Anyway they had lots of imports and boots, etc... I think it was around '83 and Duran Duran was going to be on KROQ we went to wait for them and it was us and maybe 50 other fans, (I wouldn't get to meet them until a few years later and only Simon and Nick) at any rate after the mob left we just hung out for a bit disapointed and talking shit. Next thing we knew Rodney was down in the lobby he said hi to us and asked if we heard the interview, we said no and explained how we got shafted. He said to go up to the studio and ask for some promo items and to tell the girl at the front he sent us. So we did, we got some stickers and t-shirts and a hand full of tapes. One of the tapes was the Smiths first record. We were playing in the car my best friend instantly fell in love with it. I thought it was really different Johnny's style was so freaking unique I wasn't ready for it yet, I didn't get it.
FF about a year later. My best friend became a Smiths fanatic, I swear she wore out that tape, she always played everytime we drove anywhere. She got NME's from bleaker bob's that had even the most minor blurb on the Smiths. On one paticular day she got the 2nd Smiths tape, "Hateful of Hollow" we were driving to Hollywood / Melrose to check out what new records came in at a place call Vinyl Fetish. On the way she poped in the tape. I thought it was much better than the first record, and the peel session versions were more energetic. When it got to "How soon is now?" I was freaking hooked, I just never heard anything like that before, who the hell could make a guitar do that. It was the coolest sound I have ever heard. So for the first year I could take or leave em, the 2nd year I was completely enchanted by Johnny's music however my conversion to a true smiths fan was not complete.
FF another year, the Smiths were going to tour for Meat is Murder, Johnny out did himself again! This was the coolest most unique and fresh music I have ever heard. By this time our skills at meeting celebs. had gotten much better we had bumped into other fans at Kroq and made friends with more seasoned autograph hounds. It didn't take us long to figure out where the Smiths were staying. We got there at about 1pm and walked into the lobby and there was Morrissey just sitting there on the sofa, he quickly spotted Smiths records in hand and a big smile appeared on his face. He jokingly said he was waiting for other fans to stop by but I was the only one, so he would have to make due with me. I didn't even notice my friend didn't walk in with me as soon as I saw moz I had tunnel vision, my friend just had a mini panic attack, she was always super cool and clam but something about Moz just sitting there hit her just right. He asked us TONS of questions, what our favorite Smiths song was, what our least favorite was, what other bands we listened to, if they played the Smiths much on the radio. etc. etc. He signed everything I brought with me, about 6, 45s and a poster, tour book. Then after about 15 min. Someone came in a car to pick him up. My friend brought a camera but we got so caught up in the moment and was enjoying the conversation so much we forgot to use it. As we were heading out Mike Joyce was getting off of the elevator. He looked pissed off, he was a big scarry looking guy as it is. So we didn't even try to stop to ask him to sign anything, he spotted us and said "waiting for Johnny?" my friend say "umm yeah" in very meek voice, I was staring at my shoes. Mike told us he was on his way down soon. He went outside to the sidewalk and was pacing back and fourth, he seemed pissed off or something. He kinda freaked me out at the time (we would later find out he was one of the sweetest most gentle persons you could ever meet) Anyway, Johnny sure enough came down, he was wearing a FILA t shirt and red shorts and a gold chain he looked like an early 80s chav wanna be rapper (I know winkwink you want to call bullshit but I swear to you on my father's grave he really was dressed like that!). I had never seen him wear anything like that in magazines. Anyway he only signed a 45 and said his taxi was waiting outside, I looked outside and sure enough Mike was in the cab already. We walked out to the curb with him and as he was getting in the cab he said, "please come back before we leave town... seriously I mean it..." After that I was hooked for life. We didn't meet them again until the Queen is Dead Tour and we never met Andy until the Smiths were broken up and he toured with Sinéad O'Connor on her first US tour. I don't know Andy was never to be found during the Meat is Murder or Queen is Dead Tours. Maybe he was too busy trying to score smack... who knows... We had met lots of people by this point but none of them spent this much time with us and none of them were as important to us as the Smiths.
So that's how I became a Smtihs fan. Johnny's music hooked me and as my friendship with my friend became more difficult, my unreturned affections, and my dejection grew and grew, Morrissey's words seemed to speak to me. He seemed to understand like no other.
As for my friend by the end of the Kill Uncle tour we had seen 7 or more shows in 2 states. We got in a huge argument at the Santa Monica Civic show. It was over nothing really but we were so tired and so frustrated, by the end of the tour Moz had completely shut out the fans. And my friend had completely shut me out too. We haven't spoken since... I have no clue where she is or if she is still fan. Glenda are you out there?
Kumo...
shit, I feel really sad now digging up these old memories...
ah nevermind!
and the image of the Smiths doing BWTTIHS got etched on my brain. I heard the Smiths played on the radio. And then they split up. And occassionally I'd hear some track and realise, like with few great bands, I knew all the words even though I didn't own any albums. Heard once, never forgotten.
