The Smiths are reuniting

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the scrit early album comes out on valentine's day, but rough trade already have copies in stock.
-- Marcello Carlin (marcellocarli...) (webmail), January 20th, 2005 12:44 PM. (link)

And so do I, now. A fiver. Whee.

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 20 January 2005 14:10 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember him doing "Oh Patti" liveish on the Tube's 'when it's not on' fill-in programme. Forget the name. The Roxy, or some such...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 20 January 2005 14:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Muriel Gray. You know...

― mark grout (mark grout), Thursday, 20 January 2005 14:11 (twenty-one years ago)

Is that CD out yet? I saw it in the 'pile' that is the first page of the Mojo reviews, but no review inside...

that sucks, i wrote that... should be in the next issue!

― stevie (stevie), Thursday, 20 January 2005 14:12 (twenty-one years ago)

I never thought they would have reunited...but then again, I didn't think The Pixies would either!

― Ian Riese-Moraine (Eastern Mantra), Friday, 21 January 2005 01:40 (twenty-one years ago)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Andy put his bass up for sale on eBay? And not just any bass, but the one he used to record all those songs?

― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 21 January 2005 03:03 (twenty-one years ago)

Yeah, just after he left Badly Drawn Boy's band.

― mark grout (mark grout), Friday, 21 January 2005 10:54 (twenty-one years ago)

has anyone else heard the rumor that the smiths will be playing coachella?

http://www.productshopnyc.com

just the idea of a smiths reunion blows my mind.

― rm265, Friday, 21 January 2005 18:30 (twenty-one years ago)

That would be pretty perverse. A festival show in likely 110F heat.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:36 (twenty-one years ago)

...I would still go though. Which is a sign of poor mental health, probably.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

Extra Extra!! Smiths reunite after joke thread on message board gives them idea!

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Friday, 21 January 2005 18:49 (twenty-one years ago)

well it worked out for the pixies

― the first church of latebloomer, friend of plebians and santa (reformed) (latebl, Friday, 21 January 2005 18:54 (twenty-one years ago)

http://www.hallmundur.com/goodle/goodle.htm#

Radiohead to record "happy songs"
Guardian - 11 hours ago
Critically -acclaimed rock miserablists Radiohead are to release an album of covers of happy songs from the Eighties. Songs will include “Happy Talk”, “The Birdie Song”, and a duet with Cliff Richard on a startling re-interpretation of his 1988 Christmas smash “Mistletoe & Wine”
The Smiths to reform Reuters

― Masked Gazza, Friday, 21 January 2005 20:33 (twenty-one years ago)

nine months pass...

Kung apparently has recent word on this. Kung?

― (plurplurplur) ^_- DJ 'O' Nut -_^ (rulprulprulp) (donut), Monday, 14 November 2005 20:54 (twenty years ago)

You rang? Oh, sorry.

― klung (Ken L), Monday, 14 November 2005 20:57 (twenty years ago)

That wacky Kung.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 November 2005 20:57 (twenty years ago)

Kung?

Jonathan King?

― KSTFUNS (Ex Leon), Monday, 14 November 2005 21:07 (twenty years ago)

I suspect he has other things on his mind these days.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 November 2005 21:10 (twenty years ago)

there is no way this is true, right?

― JD from CDepot, Monday, 14 November 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

(mainly because i dont want it to be)

― JD from CDepot, Monday, 14 November 2005 21:13 (twenty years ago)

If Kung says it we must keep it in mind. (In otherwards, no.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 November 2005 21:14 (twenty years ago)

kung and kodos?

― stockholm cindy is in your extended network (Jody Beth Rosen), Monday, 14 November 2005 21:35 (twenty years ago)

Hahahahah. Hahah. Hahahahahahahah. Hahahahahahahahah. Hahah.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 14 November 2005 21:36 (twenty years ago)

Not the krung- the krung!

― klung (Ken L), Monday, 14 November 2005 21:45 (twenty years ago)

From Holy Moly:

"Just had dinner at Daniel (NY) with some work friends, when I noticed an older and wiser Johnny Marr of The Smiths coming in as we were going out. I stopped to gawk because, well, that's what you do.

As he went to his table, he shook his dining partner's hand - it was a greying Morrissey. Smiths reunion, anyone?"

Morrissey fan sites are rubbishing these claims, but my money is on 'something' happening for Manchester vs Cancer, a charity concert at the MEN arena in Jan 2006. Maybe.

― James Mitchell (James Mitchell), Monday, 14 November 2005 22:54 (twenty years ago)

There's no doubt that they will reunite within the next 2 years or so, most likely for a one-off series of gigs. Without M. Joyce obv, not that it matters.

― Dr.C, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 10:42 (twenty years ago)

They should call themselves "Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance" and only play clubs

― Matos-Webster Dictionary (M Matos), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 10:49 (twenty years ago)

Clubs with strings on, like the Boulder Brothers?

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 11:01 (twenty years ago)

"Without M. Joyce obv, not that it matters."

I'm sure that would be a lot of people's opinion - but I'm not at all sure I agree.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

OTM

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 19:17 (twenty years ago)

Joyce totally matters, that rhythm section was half of what made the band great!

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 19:42 (twenty years ago)

I agree, it would matter to me (the sans-Mike Joyce), but then again, i really don't even want a morrissey/marr reunion. i think it would just SUCK, im happy with the records i have.

― JD from CDepot, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 19:43 (twenty years ago)

i mean, don't visions of a grizzled page and plant come to mind? who in gods name wants to see an old fart version of "this charming man"?

― JD from CDepot, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 19:47 (twenty years ago)

[Post photo of Stewart here]

― k/l (Ken L), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:00 (twenty years ago)

IIRC there were all sorts of rumours flying about that Johnny was supposedly going to join Morrissey on stage at some festival in South California a few years back (Morrissey was performing, Johnny was apparently recording in some nearby studio) but nothing came of that.

I still tend to think that Johnny joining Morrissey on stage for a couple of numbers is far more likely to happen than any sort of actual reunion.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:09 (twenty years ago)

"i mean, don't visions of a grizzled page and plant come to mind? who in gods name wants to see an old fart version of "this charming man"?"

-- JD from CDepot (kicksjoydarknes...), November 15th, 2005 7:47 PM. (later)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"[Post photo of Stewart here]"

-- k/l (lauter...), November 15th, 2005 8:00 PM. (later)

I'm not too sure to be honest. I'm certainly not amongst those who are against all reunions on some sort of principle (in my experience for every Page and Plant there's a Damned or a Bauhaus or a Buzzcocks or a Buzzkunst or a Penetration or a Pixies....); however there was something so essentially.... adolescent.... about so much of The Smiths material, that it's hard to imagine how a bunch of 40-somethings would be able to either recapture that or compensate for its absence.

― Stewart Osborne (Stewart Osborne), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:21 (twenty years ago)

IIRC there were all sorts of rumours flying about that Johnny was supposedly going to join Morrissey on stage at some festival in South California a few years back

That was the first Coachella festival. No reunion happened, obv.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:24 (twenty years ago)

They should call themselves "Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance" and only play clubs

most otm post ever

― Banana Nutrament (ghostface), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:30 (twenty years ago)

"however there was something so essentially.... adolescent.... about so much of The Smiths material, that it's hard to imagine how a bunch of 40-somethings would be able to either recapture that or compensate for its absence."

OTM. I mean, id go see morrissey anytime, but i find it hard to believe that the essence of the smiths would be anything but betrayed by a reunion.

― JD from CDepot, Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:36 (twenty years ago)

I happen to think that the Page/Plant version of "Gallows Pole" is far superior to the original. Much of Unledded is a little underrated, IMO.

― Thomas Inskeep (submeat), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:43 (twenty years ago)

Thomas Inskeep OTM...Unledded was really cool, I thought.

A few of the reunions I've seen recent years, Mission of Burma, Pixies, Bauhaus, Gang of Four, Buzzcocks, were all pretty great, actually.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Tuesday, 15 November 2005 20:50 (twenty years ago)

four weeks pass...

Marr and Rourke together at least, with quite a line-up backing them up.

http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001659262

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 22:28 (twenty years ago)

There's a website about the gig/charity here...

http://www.manchestervcancer.co.uk/

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 22:31 (twenty years ago)

Tickets - £40 - on sale on Saturday.

http://www.manchestervcancer.co.uk/tickets.asp

― Ned T.Rifle (nedtrifle), Tuesday, 13 December 2005 22:34 (twenty years ago)

Morrissey & Marr: The Softcock Alliance

― The Velvet Overlord (The Velvet Overlord), Wednesday, 14 December 2005 09:32 (twenty years ago)

i thought this was a joke thread. that must be why there is so little response to the lates news.

― alex in mainhattan (alex63), Saturday, 17 December 2005 08:56 (twenty years ago)

do they have reissues with bonus tracks that i'll play once and never listen to again ?

― retrokid, Saturday, 17 December 2005 16:27 (twenty years ago)

Fuck! Marr & Rourke! Well that's as good as a full reunion, innit?

― The Wanderers' Wandering Daughter (noodle vague), Sunday, 18 December 2005 03:57 (twenty years ago)

Damnit why don't I live in England again?

― Halloween Spooky Party Hints! (Bimble...), Sunday, 18 December 2005 04:33 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

Today is the day the Smiths reunite threads reunite.

― mark grout (mark grout), Tuesday, 10 January 2006 11:46 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 78 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

"six figures per band member" - how adorable 2005 was.

What would Coachella pay for a Smiths reunion in 2021, $10 million?

― Donald Trump Also Sucks, Of Course (milo z), Saturday, 23 May 2020 07:01 (six years ago)

What has Microdisney got to do with The Smiths?

― Mark G, Saturday, 23 May 2020 08:25 (six years ago)

one year passes...

At least we have Rick Astley and Blossoms to fall back on:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XluAp8yEhZ8

― mike t-diva, Wednesday, 15 September 2021 08:25 (four years ago)

Oops

Well, I met The Blossoms a few weeks ago and they elected to not mention it. Nice.
— Johnny Marr (@Johnny_Marr) September 17, 2021

― groovypanda, Friday, 17 September 2021 14:40 (four years ago)

lmao at salty Johnny Marr

― talkin' about his flat tire (DJP), Friday, 17 September 2021 17:38 (four years ago)

didn't they realise he was the perfect guitarist to be in The Smiths with a better singer? :-(

― Hmmmmm (jamiesummerz), Friday, 17 September 2021 18:08 (four years ago)

three years pass...

Someone start an ILX Go Fund Me to buy The Smiths name and reform with Rick Astley on vocals.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/sep/03/morrissey-puts-his-business-interests-in-the-smiths-up-for-sale-to-any-interested-party

― Dan Worsley, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:33 (nine months ago)

Are there examples of this happening before? From one half of a songwriting partnership I mean..

― piscesx, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:40 (nine months ago)

I look askance at that listed email.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:42 (nine months ago)

Morrissey shares 50% of the rights to the Smiths with Marr. Whether the brand retains its value to investors without Morrissey as an active participant to help market it remains to be seen.

i am not a rational consumer, but isn’t there a good chance the brand would increase in value once people know Morrissey’s not making money off of it?

― z_tbd, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:46 (nine months ago)

honestly i love the smiths and i still put them on, occasionally, but far less than i would if i didn’t have to think “goddamn morrissey’s a fucking asshole” as i did it, or feel the need to mutter something about how i know ‘morrissey sucks, but’ if i want to play them in the company of someone else (who would be people who like the smiths but hate morrissey)

― z_tbd, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:47 (nine months ago)

That Morrissey statement reads like something that has been machine translated.

― visiting, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:49 (nine months ago)

Wasn't there a rift between Hall and Oates a while back about something similar? Daryl Hall was upset that John Oates wanted to sell his half of the band's publishing company (which I learn is called Whole Oats Enterprises, or WOE for short):
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/nov/30/the-ultimate-betrayal-more-details-emerge-in-hall-oates-lawsuit

Oates counter-argument was that Daryl Hall had gone out of his way to portray the band as two individuals rather than a team, which gave him the right to sell his stake independently.

Of course it could be that Morrissey is having a fit, or his internet has been hacked.

― Ashley Pomeroy, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:53 (nine months ago)

Why does he write like English is his second language?

― AI Jardine (Tom D.), Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:54 (nine months ago)

(xxp) Snap!

― AI Jardine (Tom D.), Wednesday, 3 September 2025 21:55 (nine months ago)

Hall and Oates rift; officially healed btw

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2025/aug/12/hall-oates-lawsuit-settlement

― piscesx, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 22:00 (nine months ago)

The Guardian has contacted representatives for Marr and Joyce for comment.

Johnny Marr must love getting phonecalls on the regular about Morrissey's bullshit.

― visiting, Wednesday, 3 September 2025 22:12 (nine months ago)

(xxp) Snap!

Pretty sure they’re still broken up

― Dumpy's Rusty Nuts Gimmick Poster (Boring, Maryland), Wednesday, 3 September 2025 22:15 (nine months ago)

The Guardian has contacted representatives for Marr and Joyce for comment.

What does Andy Rourke not count or something?

― AI Jardine (Tom D.), Wednesday, 3 September 2025 22:18 (nine months ago)

At first I was like "say it isn't so," but

Hall and Oates rift; officially healed btw

This makes my dreams come true

― je ne sequoia (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 3 September 2025 22:45 (nine months ago)

M-E-T-H-O-D-O-F-L-A-W

― peace, man, Thursday, 4 September 2025 09:00 (nine months ago)

xxp Rourke died last year

― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Thursday, 4 September 2025 09:03 (nine months ago)

I know but does Morrissey?

― AI Jardine (Tom D.), Thursday, 4 September 2025 09:14 (nine months ago)

haha fair point!

― Critique of the Goth Programme (Neil S), Thursday, 4 September 2025 09:23 (nine months ago)

Pretty sure he doesn't care.

― AI Jardine (Tom D.), Thursday, 4 September 2025 09:35 (nine months ago)

Haha that Guardian article linked to another piece describing how Morrissey apparently wrote an anti-woke screed so bad that even Nick Cave wouldn't sing on it. My life flashed before my eyes trying to even imagine it

Let's crowdfund a cagematch between Morrissey, Nick Cave and Jonny Greenwood over who can espouse the most old man shouts at clouds anti-woke diatribe on the interwebs

― Etherwave, Thursday, 4 September 2025 10:32 (nine months ago)

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