The Smiths will NEVER reform but will we see a Morrissey/Marr composition again?

GlasgowChivas

Doing the Terrace Stomp
They haven't worked together in over in close to 30yrs but they currently maintain a distant, yet amicable relationship (if the recent re-mastering work is to go by) but do we think we'll ever see a brand new Morrissey/Marr song?

At present, both are enjoying a latter stage career resurgance as seperate entities. Arguably, Johnny is hitting new heights, touring and releasing under his own name, free from the chain of collaboration that has so often hung around his neck. Outside of his own work he is courted by film studios for soundtrack work and is held in high regard by most music critics as well as musicians.
Morrissey, as always, appears to be wresting defeat from the jaws of victory. After the last, disasterous few years he turned his fortunes around with 'Autobiography' and successfully re-emerged from the wilderness with a two album deal and a wealth of new material - silencing many of his naysayers who predicted that half of 'World Peace...' would be made up of material that we'd already heard. His new label went all out to promote the new release with an effective campaign of spoken word videos, he blew up the Internet when the Twitter campaign started and then the Tour was cancelled and KY was blamed and we're at chapter one again. However, hiccups aside we're two weeks away from a new album that will almost certainly make waves and which is being touted by most as a very strong return to form for Moz.

So, on the face of it I'd say no, a new Morrissey /Marr song isn't likely anytime soon BUT....something niggles, something says someday...

Even without 'The Smiths' name, a new Morrissey/Marr song would be a guaranteed sensation...and would be a way for them to revisit their 'Smiths' past without actually reforming the band and therefore no testicles need be eaten. Is that too much to ask?
 
*pauses* Did you hear that? That question was the sound of the bar lowering.
 
So they speak to eachother now?

I would say if Moz ever needs money he will do it.
 
*pauses* Did you hear that? That question was the sound of the bar lowering.

I see what you did there :)

As for an answer from me, I say no. We will not see a collaboration ever. Smiths or otherwise.
 
I would say it's inevitable.

P.

At this point, I don't think either of them want it to seem like they need the other to be successful...if anything, they are further apart now than ever before with Marr getting a good amount of attention as a solo act. His recent success, to me, seems like it validates his feelings that he did the right thing in leaving The Smiths. I imagine Marr would see it as a step backwards to collaborate with Morrissey again. Would it be? Probably...but he's not doing his music any favors as a lyricist and frontman.

Morrissey's biggest problem has always been Morrissey. I think when it comes down to it, Morrissey doesn't really need Marr to be successful...he just needs to buck up and fulfill his obligations to his record company. He seems to forget that he works for them, not the other way around. 'World Peace Is None Of Your Business' would be a much bigger deal right now (even with the tour cancelled) had he kept his mouth shut about Twitter, gave a few interviews to some magazines and newspapers, and made about 3-4 appearances on various shows as a musical guest. Of course, he did none of this and we're 2 weeks away from what critics are calling his best album in 20 years and all he has to show for it in promotion are a handful of Youtube videos, a few failed-to-chart non-single digital downloads, some wheat posters, and a billboard outside Capitol Records.
 
At this point, I don't think either of them want it to seem like they need the other to be successful...if anything, they are further apart now than ever before with Marr getting a good amount of attention as a solo act. His recent success, to me, seems like it validates his feelings that he did the right thing in leaving The Smiths. I imagine Marr would see it as a step backwards to collaborate with Morrissey again. Would it be? Probably...but he's not doing his music any favors as a lyricist and frontman.

Morrissey's biggest problem has always been Morrissey. I think when it comes down to it, Morrissey doesn't really need Marr to be successful...he just needs to buck up and fulfill his obligations to his record company. He seems to forget that he works for them, not the other way around. 'World Peace Is None Of Your Business' would be a much bigger deal right now (even with the tour cancelled) had he kept his mouth shut about Twitter, gave a few interviews to some magazines and newspapers, and made about 3-4 appearances on various shows as a musical guest. Of course, he did none of this and we're 2 weeks away from what critics are calling his best album in 20 years and all he has to show for it in promotion are a handful of Youtube videos, a few failed-to-chart non-single digital downloads, some wheat posters, and a billboard outside Capitol Records.

Gotta say, this is pretty spot on. Especially the first paragraph.
 
At this point, I don't think either of them want it to seem like they need the other to be successful...if anything, they are further apart now than ever before with Marr getting a good amount of attention as a solo act. His recent success, to me, seems like it validates his feelings that he did the right thing in leaving The Smiths. I imagine Marr would see it as a step backwards to collaborate with Morrissey again. Would it be? Probably...but he's not doing his music any favors as a lyricist and frontman.

Morrissey's biggest problem has always been Morrissey. I think when it comes down to it, Morrissey doesn't really need Marr to be successful...he just needs to buck up and fulfill his obligations to his record company. He seems to forget that he works for them, not the other way around. 'World Peace Is None Of Your Business' would be a much bigger deal right now (even with the tour cancelled) had he kept his mouth shut about Twitter, gave a few interviews to some magazines and newspapers, and made about 3-4 appearances on various shows as a musical guest. Of course, he did none of this and we're 2 weeks away from what critics are calling his best album in 20 years and all he has to show for it in promotion are a handful of Youtube videos, a few failed-to-chart non-single digital downloads, some wheat posters, and a billboard outside Capitol Records.

Yes to all of this. Why is he hiding? His first album in 5 years and not a peep. He should be doing the rounds on Jimmy Fallon, etc.
 
In the near future, with Marr about to release his second solo album this year, and Moz albout to release his first in a 2 record deal - not gonna happen.

In the fullness of time, I think it's 50/50 that they *might* just do something together before one or the other dies, though IF it happens (and it's a big if) I would expect more along the lines of collaborating on a song or two, than an entire album - or maybe Marr doing a guest spot on a song at a Morrissey gig, or even producing a Morrissey album might be interesting.

Ironically, from 1988-1995 it was Morrissey who was making public announcments that he'd be happy to work with Johnny, and Johnny who was trying to put as much distance between himself and the Smiths as possible. Now things seem to have reversed - Johnny has accepted his past, and seems to be open to some kind of reunion, but Moz is having none of it. The court case seems to have soured everything.

It would be nice if they could do something without all the baggage and pressure of an official 'Smiths reunion'.

But I'm not holding my breath.
 
IMO it was always a long-term possibility until Autobiography came out.
 
IMO it was always a long-term possibility until Autobiography came out.
If Johnny's read it (which he probably has, or had someone tell him what's in it), I can well imagine he be well inclined to tell Morrissey to go f*** himself, if he ever got in contact. Then again, equally, maybe it might encourage him to take a different tack, and say "look, you've obviously got the wrong idea about several things - we need to talk."

The fact that Johnny hasn't publically blasted it as a pack of paranoid lies, which must have been his intial temptation, at least points to him trying to keep the moral high ground - or work stuff out in private. Whilst he might not have sat down and read the whole thing, I *really* have trouble believing that no one in Johnny's camp has at least read the book and pointed out some of the worst offending passages in it.

But still, I wouldn't expect any collaboration before 2020. That's assuming Moz is still healthy and with us.
 
I think Johnny has wanted a reunion for some time. I would even suggest he has written songs with a reunion in mind - specifically the last album.

The only way it happens is if Marr publicly and privately says he was wrong to split up The Smiths the way he did. That he regrets it and that Morrissey is the best song-writer he has ever worked with and that he misses him creatively and personally. This of course is simply the truth but I don't think Marr's ego will allow him to say it out loud.

He should simply write some songs and submit them and request to join the current Morrissey band just like he joined the Cribs and Modest Mouse. That's the only way I see it happening.
 
I almost hope that this does not occur- such a union would have such impossibly high expectations that anything they released would be seen as a disappointment by many.
 
I think Johnny has wanted a reunion for some time. I would even suggest he has written songs with a reunion in mind - specifically the last album.

The only way it happens is if Marr publicly and privately says he was wrong to split up The Smiths the way he did. That he regrets it and that Morrissey is the best song-writer he has ever worked with and that he misses him creatively and personally. This of course is simply the truth but I don't think Marr's ego will allow him to say it out loud.

He should simply write some songs and submit them and request to join the current Morrissey band just like he joined the Cribs and Modest Mouse. That's the only way I see it happening.

I doubt the issue would be about the split, it is about the court case. Morrissey was clearly badly hurt by the way 2 and then 3 of his friends turned on him. Johnny also let morrissey take all of the flak.

Marr would have to apologise for that.
 
I doubt the issue would be about the split, it is about the court case. Morrissey was clearly badly hurt by the way 2 and then 3 of his friends turned on him. Johnny also let morrissey take all of the flak.

Marr would have to apologise for that.

Johnny has absolutely no reason to apologize, to Morrissey at least, over the court case. He followed Morrissey's obsession with an outright victory over Mike, at considerable financial and reputational cost to himself, beyond what was reasonable to expect. Any rational person would have settled before it even got to court. The idea that Johnny should have continued to throw good money after bad trying to convince the English legal system that the whole development of its law on partnerships had been one huge mistake is plain daft.
 
The only way it happens is if Marr publicly and privately says he was wrong to split up The Smiths the way he did. That he regrets it and that Morrissey is the best song-writer he has ever worked with and that he misses him creatively and personally.

Also, he'd need to issue a statement saying how much he loathes and despises Bryan Ferry, John Porter, Joe Moss, and everyone else Moz felt paranoid about, and that 'Everyday Is Like Sunday' is a better song than 'Getting Away With It'. Then...just possibly...it might be on. ;)
 
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