Johnny Marr (29 page)

With his wife Angie still his companion at arms, and children Sonny and Nile themselves growing into careers as musicians, you’d think Johnny Marr, now in his fifties, would start to slow down but if anything he appears to be speeding up. As well as the astonishing amount of work he manages to pack into a year, this teetotal, vegan Godlike Genius runs anything up to eighteen miles a day, four days
a week. He has supported
The Big Issue
magazine and UNICEF, and is currently an honorary board member of Rock For Kids, supporting disadvantaged kids in Chicago with musical education. “I’d rather have silence than bad music,” he once declared.

His friendships are long and lasting, as well as productive. He still occasionally appears on stage with Andy Rourke, after more than forty years of friendship. There has never been a door closed publicly on the chances of one day working again with Matt Johnson, Billy Bragg, Isaac Brock or The Cribs. Even with Morrissey, with whom he shared nerve-shattering experiences at an age when most people would struggle to make themselves an omelette, there seems no lasting animosity. If once-in-a-blue moon emails are exchanged between the pair, let’s be happy that that happens and leave it there.

With his usual down-to-earth modesty and understatement, this deeply inspiring musician, whose entire professional life has been devoted to the instrument that put him in the spotlight as a teenager, is under no illusions as to what would have happened to him if he hadn’t achieved what he has. “If I hadn’t made it,” he says, “I’d have been the biggest ‘hasn’t been’ in south Manchester.”

“I just regard what I’m doing as a journey, you know?” says Marr. “I feel very blessed.”

T
his is a discography of the fundamental recordings on which Johnny Marr was predominant. There are, of course, boundless numbers of Smiths bootlegs available, but these are beyond the scope of this listing. The usual internet resources are available to the intrepid bootleg collector!

These are the original, fundamental Smiths releases. Post-Smiths re-issues are noted where it is thought that this is appropriate, but of necessity there may be some omissions amongst the re-releases.

Hand In Glove / Handsome Devil

Rough Trade, May 1983

This Charming Man / Jeane

Rough Trade, November 1983

(12-inch included ‘Accept Yourself’ and ‘Wonderful Woman’)

What Difference Does It Make? / Back To The Old House

Rough Trade, January 1984

(12-inch included ‘These Things Take Time’)

Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / Suffer Little Children

Rough Trade, May 1984

(12-inch included ‘Girl Afraid’)

William It Was Really Nothing / Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Rough Trade, August 1984

(12-inch included ‘How Soon Is Now?’)

How Soon Is Now? / Well I Wonder

Rough Trade, January 1985

(12-inch included ‘Oscillate Wildly’)

How Soon Is Now? / The Headmaster Ritual

Rough Trade, February 1985

Shakespeare’s Sister / What She Said

Rough Trade, February 1985

(12-inch included ‘Stretch Out And Wait’)

That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore / Meat Is Murder (live)

Rough Trade, July 1985

(12-inch included ‘Nowhere Fast’, ‘Shakespeare’s Sister’, ‘Stretch Out & Wait’, live versions)

The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / Asleep

Rough Trade, September 1985

(12-inch included ‘Rubber Ring’)

Bigmouth Strikes Again / Money Changes Everything

Rough Trade, May 1986

(12-inch included ‘Unloveable’)

Panic / Vicar In A Tutu

Rough Trade, July 1986

(12-inch included ‘The Draize Train’)

Ask / Cemetry Gates

Rough Trade, October 1986

(12-inch included ‘Golden Lights’)

Shoplifters Of The World Unite / Half A Person

Rough Trade, February 1987

(12-inch included ‘London’)

Sheila Take A Bow / Is It Really So Strange?

Rough Trade, April 1987

(12-inch included ‘Sweet And Tender Hooligan’)

Girlfriend In A Coma / Work Is A Four-Letter Word

Rough Trade, August 1987

(12-inch included ‘I Keep Mine Hidden’)

Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before / I Keep Mine Hidden

Rough Trade, October 1987

I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish / Pretty Girls Make Graves

Rough Trade, November 1987

(12-inch included ‘Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others’)

Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me / Nowhere Fast (BBC recording)

Rough Trade, December 1987

(12-inch included ‘Rusholme Ruffians’ (BBC recording))

The Smiths Singles Box (containing twelve 7” singles)

Hand In Glove / Handsome Devil / This Charming Man / Jeane / What Difference Does It Make / Back To The Old House / Still Ill / You’ve Got Everything Now / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / Suffer Little Children / William, It Was Really Nothing / Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want / How Soon Is Now? / Well I Wonder / Shakespeare’s Sister / What She Said / The Headmaster Ritual / Oscillate Wildly / That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore / Meat Is Murder / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / Asleep / Bigmouth Strikes Again / Money Changes Everything

WEA December 2008

The Smiths

Reel Around The Fountain / You’ve Got Everything Now / Miserable Lie / Pretty Girls Make Graves / The Hand That Rocks The Cradle / Still Ill / Hand In Glove / What Difference Does It Make? / I Don’t Owe You Anything / Suffer Little Children

Rough Trade February 1984

1993 WEA re-issue included ‘This Charming Man’

Hatful Of Hollow

William, It Was Really Nothing / What Difference Does It Make? / These Things Take Time / This Charming Man / How Soon Is Now? / Handsome Devil / Hand In Glove / Still Ill / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / This Night Has Opened My Eyes / You’ve Got Everything Now / Accept Yourself / Girl Afraid / Back To The Old House / Reel Around The Fountain / Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

Rough Trade November 1984

Meat Is Murder

The Headmaster Ritual / Rusholme Ruffians / I Want The One I Can’t Have / What She Said / That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore / Nowhere Fast / Well I Wonder / Barbarism Begins At Home / Meat Is Murder

Rough Trade February 1985

1993 WEA re-issue included ‘How Soon Is Now?’

The Queen Is Dead

The Queen Is Dead / Frankly Mr Shankly / I Know It’s Over / Never Had No One Ever / Cemetery Gates / Bigmouth Strikes Again / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / Vicar In A Tutu / There Is A Light That Never Foes Out / Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others

Rough Trade June 1986

The World Won’t Listen

Panic / Ask / London / Bigmouth Strikes Again / Shakespeare’s Sister / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / Asleep / Unloveable / Half A Person / Stretch Out And Wait / That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore / Oscillate Wildly / You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet, Baby / Rubber Ring

Rough Trade March 1987

1993 WEA re-issue included ‘Money Changes Everything’ and ‘Golden Lights’’

Louder Than Bombs

Is It Really So Strange? / Sheila Take A Bow / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / Sweet And Tender Hooligan / Half A Person / London / Panic / Girl Afraid / Shakespeare’s Sister / William, It Was Really Nothing / You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / Ask / Golden Lights / Oscillate Wildly / These Things Take Time / Rubber Ring / Back To The Old House / Hand In Glove / Stretch Out And Wait / Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want / This Night Has Opened My Eyes / Unloveable

Sire June 1987, later released on Rough Trade

Strangeways Here We Come

A Rush And A Push And The Land Is Ours / I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish / Death Of A Disco Dancer / Girlfriend In A Coma / Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before / Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me / Unhappy Birthday / Paint A Vulgar Picture / Death At One’s Elbow / I Won’t Share You

Rough Trade September 1987

‘Rank’ (live)

The Queen Is Dead / Panic / Vicar In A Tutu / Ask / (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame & Rusholme Ruffians / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / What She Said / Is It Really So Strange? / Cemetry Gates / London / I Know It’s Over / The Draize Train / Still Ill / Bigmouth Strikes Again

Rough Trade September 1988

The Peel Session

What Difference Does It Make? / Miserable Lie / Reel Around The Fountain / Handsome Devil

12-inch EP, Strange Fruit October 1991

‘Best 1’

This Charming Man / William It Was Really Nothing / What Difference Does It Make / Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before / Girlfriend In A Coma / Half A Person / Rubber Ring / How Soon Is Now? / Hand In Glove / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / Sheila Take A Bow / Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others / Panic / Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want

WEA August 1992

‘Best 2’

The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / The Headmaster Ritual / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / Ask / Oscillate Wildly / Nowhere Fast / Still Ill / Bigmouth Strikes Again / That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore / Shakespeare’s Sister / Girl Afraid / Reel Around The Fountain / Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me / There Is Alight That Never Goes Out

WEA November 1992

‘The Very Best Of The Smiths’

Panic / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / Ask / Bigmouth Strikes Again / How Soon Is Now? / This Charming Man / What Difference Does It Make? / William, It was really nothing / some girls are bigger than others / girlfriend in a coma / Hand in Glove / There is a Light That Never Goes Out / Please Please Please Let Me Get what I Want / That Joke isn’t Funny any More / I Know It’s Over / Sheila Take a Bow / I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish / Still Ill / Shakespeare’s Sister / Shoplifters of the World Unite / Last Night I Dreamt that Somebody Loved me / Stop Me if you Think you’ve Heard This one before

WEA June 2001

The Sound Of The Smiths

Disc One

Hand In Glove / This Charming Man / What Difference Does It Make / Still Ill / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / William, It Was Really Nothing / How Soon Is Now? / Nowehre Fast. Shakespeare’s Sister / Barbarism Begins At Home / That Joke Isn’t
Funny Anymore / The Headmaster Ritual / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / Bigmouth Strikes Again / There Is A Light That Never Goes Out / Panic / Ask / You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / Sheila Take A Bow / Girlfriend In A Coma / I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish / Last Night I Dreamed Somebody Loved Me

Disc Two (Deluxe Edition, Various B-Sides, Promo And Live Versions)

Jeane / Handsome Devil / This Charming Man / Wonderful Woman / Back |To The Old House / These Things Take Time / Girl Afraid / Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want / Stretch Out And Wait / Oscillate Wildly / Meat Is Murder / Asleep / Money Changes Everything / The Queen Is Dead / Vicar In A Tutu / Cemetry Gates / Half A Person / Sweet And Tender Hooligan / Pretty Girls Make Graves / Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before / What’s The World / London

WEA November 2008

Complete (boxed set)

Comprises The Smiths’ studio albums (The Smiths, Meat is Murder, The Queen is Dead and Strangeways Here We Come), Rank, Hatful of Hollow, The World Won’t Listen and Louder Than Bombs, as well as – in the deluxe edition – 25 7” singles and a DVD.

Rhino September 2011

The Complete Picture

This Charming Man / What Difference Does It Make? / Panic / Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now / Ask / The Boy With The Thorn In His Side / How Soon Is Now? / Shoplifters Of The World Unite / Girlfriend In A Coma / Sheila Take A Bow / Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before / The Queen Is Dead (Including ‘The Queen Is Dead’, ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ And ‘Panic’, a film by Derek Jarman)

WEA December 1992. Released on DVD later.

The Beaten Generation / Angel

Epic March 1989

Gravitate To Me / The Violence Of Truth

Epic July 1989

Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) + remixes and versions

Epic November 1989

Various 7, 10 and 12-inch versions with additional tracks.

Shades of Blue (EP)

Jealous Of Youth / Another Boy Drowning (live) / Solitude / Dolphins

Epic February 1991

The Dogs Of Lust / The Violence Of Truth

Epic January 1993

Slow Emotion Replay / Dogs of Lust

Epic April 1993

Various formats and additional tracks available

Mind Bomb

Good Morning Beautiful / Armageddon Days Are Here (Again) / The Violence Of Truth / Kingdom Of Rain / The Beat(en) Generation / August & September / Gravitate To Me / Beyond Love

May 1989

Dusk

True Happiness This Way Lies / Love Is Stronger Than Death / Dogs Of Lust / This Is The Night / Slow Emotion Replay / Helpline Operator / Sodium Light Baby / Lung Shadows / Bluer Than Midnight / Lonely Planet

Jan 1993

Most Electronic releases involved a number of different mixes, edits and formats. Only the main release is listed here.

Getting Away With It / Lucky Bag

Factory December 1989

Get The Message / Free Will

Factory April 1991

Feel Every Beat / Lean To The Inside

Factory September 1991

Disappointed / Idiot Country Two

Parlophone June 1992

Forbidden City / Imitation Of Life

Parlophone June 1996

For You / All That I Need

Parlophone September 1996

Second Nature / Turning Point

Parlophone February 1997

Vivid / Prodigal Son

Parlophone April 1999

Late At Night / Make It Happen / Make It Happen (remix)

July 1999

Electronic

Idiot Country / Reality / Tighten Up / The Patience Of A Saint / Gangster / Soviet / Get The Message / Try All You Want / Some Distant Memory / Feel Every Beat

Factory May 1991

Raise The Pressure

Forbidden City / For You / Dark Angel / One Day / Until The End Of Time / Second Nature / If You’ve Got Love / Out Of My League / Interlude / Freefall / Visit Me / How Long / Time Can Tell

Parlophone July 1996

Twisted Tenderness

Make It Happen / haze/ Vivid / Breakdown / Can’t Find My Way Home / Twisted Tenderness / Like No Other / Late At Night / Prodigal Son / When She’s Gone / Flicker