Johnny Marr: this Modest man
Updated on 31 May 2007
The former Smiths guitarist, now with Modest Mouse, is in the UK to promote his band's single.
Legendary guitarist Johnny Marr, now with the US indie band Modest Mouse, is in the UK to promote the release of Dashboard, the first single from his band's album We Were Dead Before This Ship Even Sank. He spoke exclusively to Channel 4 News.
The album, the band's fifth but the first to feature the British guitarist, is notable for the fact that it reached number 1 in the United States in the week of its release.
Marr established his reputation more than two decades ago when, in 1982, he combined with Steven Morrissey to form The Smiths, regarded by many as the best band of the 1980s.
Marr's trademark jangling guitar sound, together with Morrissey's darkly witty lyrics, combined to achieve near-immediate critical and commercial success. The band's self-titled debut album reached number two in the UK album charts.
Subsequent albums included Meat Is Murder and The Queen Is Dead. The latter, in particular, features regularly on "greatest album" lists.
Johnny Marr: some dates
- 1963: born 31 October
- 1982: meets Steven Morrissey, forms The Smiths
- 1986: The Queen Is Dead released
- 1987: leaves The Smiths
- 1989: forms Electronic with Bernard Sumner
- 2000: forms Johnny Marr and The Healers
- 2003: releases Boomslang
- 2006: joins Modest Mouse
- 2007: Modest Mouse album We Were Dead Before This Ship Even Sank enters US Billboard album chart at number one
In 1987, allegedly frustrated with Morrrissey's musical inflexibility, Marr left The Smiths to pursue a more experimental musical path.
In 1989 he formed the rock/dance combo Electronic with Bernard Sumner of New Order. They went on to reach number six in the singles charts with Disappointed (a collaboration with Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys) - a higher position than Marr ever achieved with any Smiths single.
During the 1990s Marr was a sought-after session player and producer (working with, among others, Oasis, the Pet Shop Boys and Talking Heads). In 2000 he formed Johnny Marr and The Healers.
