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Music
Abshire, Nathan (& The Pinegrove Boys)
- His song "French Two-Step" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour and the 1995 Boxers tour.
- It was also played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- His song "Hey Mom" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- Morrissey wanted to include his song "Hey Mom" on his compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence", but was denied permission.
Adkins, Hasil
- The song "The Chicken Walk" was played during intermission early on
the 2007 Greatest Hits tour and on portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
A-ha
- In an interview published in the July 1987 issue of Creem magazine,
Morrissey was asked to name acts who sold more records than the Smiths
but didn't sell-out concerts. He replied "Well, I can, but I don't want
to sound bitter or twisted. An example might be A-ha,
whom I happen to like a great deal. On the last tour, we were doing two
shows, as they were cancelling their one show because they couldn't fill
the auditorium. And yet a look at the charts showed them with a single
at number two and an album at number nine."
- When he played Norway on 5 July 2004, Morrissey started the show by teasing the crowd with a line of the A-ha song "The Sun Always Shines On TV".
Alan Price Set
- The song "Simon Smith and His Amazing Dancing Bear" (written by
Randy Newman) features the chorus: "I may go out tomorrow / If I can
borrow a coat to wear / Oh, I'd step out in style / With my sincere
smile / And my dancing bear / Outrageous, alarming / Courageous,
charming". This has many similarities with lines found in the Smiths'
"This Charming Man".
- A video of the latter song was shown before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
All The Young
- They opened for Morrissey on 1 date of his 2011 tour.
Alpert, Herb and the Tijuana Brass
- The inner sleeve of the "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"
cd-single #1 showed on one side a photo of Morrissey's musicians holding
the following LPs by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass: "What Now My
Love", "South Of The Border", "The Lonely Bull" and "Going Places".
- The font used on the "South Of The Border" album inspired the
one used on Morrissey's album "Years Of Refusal", while the font on
Alpert's "What Now My Love" album seems to have inspired the one used on
Morrissey's single "Irish Blood, English Heart".
- Hw was asked to play on the "Years Of Refusal" album but declined.
al-Sahir, Kazem
- Morrissey's people got into negotiations with the Iranian government
late 2007 / early 2008 to play a concert in Iran. They were aiming for a
date in Tehran in June 2008, ideally with the internationally-acclaimed
Arab pop singer Kazem al-Sahir, were he amenable.
Amen Corner
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1997 for the "Brit Girls" series, Morrissey mentions loving this band in the 1960s.
Andrews, Chris
- A video of the song "Yesterday Man" was shown before Morrissey concerts on his 2014 tour.
Angelic Upstarts
- Their "Best Of" album was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- In the 1994 video for the single "The More You Ignore Me, The
Closer I Get", the little girl (Boz Boorer's daughter Billie-Rose) has
the name of the band written on her crown and the t-shirt she is wearing
shows the cover of the Angelic Upstarts' "Greatest Hits Live" album.
- Every night on the Boxers tour Morrissey would use a tambourine with something written on it, and then throw it into the audience. In Cardiff on that tour the word was MENSI, the name of this band's lead singer.
- Their song "Never Had Nothing" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour and the 1995 dates promoting the "Southpaw Grammar" album.
- Their songs "Teenage Warning", "Kids On The Streets" and "I'm
An Upstart" could also be heard in the intermission music played before
gigs on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- In the introduction to the "Introducing Morrissey" live video release of a concert from the February 1995 Boxers tour, Morrissey is seen putting up posters of the Angelic Upstarts.
- The band was mentioned as a big influence on Morrissey on a press release for the "Maladjusted" album from 1997.
Angelou, Maya
- Her spoken word piece "No No No No" was played during intermission on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour.
- She was invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated, but declined.
Anyones, The
Apex Theory
- Their song "Bravo" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- Their song "Apossibly" was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
Armatrading, Joan
- The line "she'll take the worry from your head, but then again,
she'll put trouble in your heart instead" in her song "Down To Zero"
might have inspired the line "She took away your troubles, oh but then
again, she left pain" in the Smiths' "This Night Has Opened My Eyes".
- The line "Why do you come here, (...) when you know I've got
troubles enough?" in her song "The Weakness In Me" might have inspired
the similar one in Morrissey's "Suedehead".
- The lines "Things have looked bad / but now some years later"
and "Since I took up with you" from her song "Turn Out The Light" very
likely inspired Morrissey when he was writing "Billy Budd".
- In a press release announcing that he would be playing the
Wireless Festival in Hyde Park in July 2008, Morrissey mentioned
Armatrading as one of the previous "Hyde Park greats".
Ayshea
- Her song "Farewell" could supposedly be heard in the intermission music played before gigs on the 1992 Your Arsenal tour.
Aznavour, Charles
- A video of him singing "Emmenez-moi" was shown before concerts on the 2014 tour.
B-52's
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned that he
particularly liked their song "6060-842".
Balfa Brothers
- Their song "Casey Jones" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- It was also played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
Bardot, Brigitte
- Her song "Nue Au Soleil" was played during intermission on the 1999 Oye Esteban tour.
- Her song "Bubble Gum" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour and the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- Her songs "Harley Davidson", "Contact" and "Ce n'est pas vrai"
could also be heard in the intermission music on the 2004 You Are The
Quarry tour.
- She was invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated, but declined.
- A video of her performing "Bubble Gum" was shown between opening act and Morrissey on dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI and the Greatest Hits tour from 2007.
- See also Serge Gainsbourg.
Barry, John
- The James Bond opening "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was played
during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour. One third into the
year 2000 portion of the Oye Esteban tour that song became the one
Morrissey walked on stage to.
- "Thunderball", the John Barry Orchestra collaboration with Tom
Jones, was played before concerts during portions of the 2009 Tour Of
Refusal.
Bassey, Shirley
- On the Queen Is Dead tour in 1986 her song "You'll Never Walk Alone"
was heard after the Smiths' gigs, as the fans exited the venue.
Morrissey repeated this for his first solo concert, a one-off thing in Wolverhampton in December 1988.
- In an interview for Star Hits in 1987 Morrissey was asked what
was in his Walkman and he answered Shirley Bassey. He then went on to
express his disappointment at her having recently collaborated with the
band Yello.
- when interviewed by Sounds magazine in June 1988, Morrissey
said "I went to see her last night, I thought she was excellent. I'd
love to meet her, I'd love to touch the end of her dress."
- Her song "Don't Take The Lovers From The World" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- She was mentioned in a list of Morrissey's favourite singers
titled "Bigmouths - The Singer Not The Song" published in the same issue
of the NME.
- On the Kill Uncle tour in 1991 and the Your Arsenal tour in
1992 her version of "Ave Maria" was heard after Morrissey's gigs, as the
fans exited the venue.
- For a few dates on the 2002 tour her song "This Is My Life" was heard after Morrissey's gigs, as the fans exited the venue.
- In concert at the London Palladium on 28 May 2006
Morrissey mentioned some of the heroes who had motivated his choice of
venue: "It's very very nailbiting to think that Sacha stood here and to
think that Gracie Fields stood over there... as you'll remember... and
Burly Chassis came on this way..." ("Burly Chassis" was some British
comedy's word-play on Shirley Bassey who used to belt out songs in the
60's at the Palladium). While he said this Morrissey actually mimicked
'Burly Chassis' by making pounding footstep noises.
- Her song "I Who Have Nothing" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI. Morrissey also enjoys Petula Clark's version of the same song.
- A video of her performing "To Give Is The Reason I Live" on RAI
TV was shown during intermission on portions of the 2009 Tour Of
Refusal.
- "Let Me Sing And I'm Happy" was mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
Beatles
- Morrissey, in a 1984 interview (source needed): "I won't deny that I
like some of the Beatles songs... it's dramatically unfashionable to
say that but I do. A lot of them I can't stand... so where does that
leave us?"
- In an interview given to journalist Len Brown, printed in his biography titled "Meetings With Morrissey": "Some bits of Sgt. Pepper... I really like 'A Day In The Life', 'Lovely Rita'. Obviously I'm a great Beatles fan."
Beck
- Morrissey wore a Beck t-shirt in the video for his song "Alma Matters".
- He was one of the artists Morrissey picked as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
- In an interview published in June 2008 in Irish magazine Hot
Press Morrissey answered the question "Are you a particularly big fan of
[Beck]?" with "No, I don't really know much about him. I knew a woman
at the time of that video who dared me to wear the t-shirt, so I did,
and she was thrilled."
Beck, Jeff
- This legendary guitarist was asked by Morrissey to play on the 2009 song "Black Cloud".
Berlin, Irving
- The title line in "The Song Is Ended" from Ziegfeld Follies is
followed by "...but the melody lingers on", a possible inspiration for
the title of Morrissey's compilation of promotional films titled "The Malady Lingers On".
However it must be said that comedian Les Dawson came up with the pun
before Morrissey and might be the source of the compilation's title.
(Betjeman, Sir John)
- On the 2002 tour Morrissey walked on stage following a 1973
recording of him reciting his poem "A Child Ill". This was also included
on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- See the literature section for more John Betjeman.
Big Country
- In an interview to GQ magazine in 2005, when asked what he thought of Big Country's song "Wonderland", Morrissey answered "lovely, seriously".
Big Hard Excellent Fish
- Their 'song' "Imperfect List" was played right before Morrissey took
the stage on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour. The version used by
Morrissey was approximately 5 minutes long and didn't include "Mike
Gatting" in it.
- Morrissey used the 'song' as walk-on music again on some dates of the 2007-2008 Greatest Hits tour.
Big Sandy And The Flyrite Trio
Birkin, Jane
- She was invited by Morrissey to perform at the Meltdown festival which he curated in 2004.
- In interview to Time Out magazine at the time, Morrissey said: "Jane Birkin is a leaf on a tree in a storm."
Black, Cilla
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned that he was
listening to Cilla Black amongst others at that time.
- Her song "The Right One Is Left" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- On the British leg of the 1984 tour promoting the smiths' debut album, the band entered stage following her song "Love Of The Loved".
- Morrissey interviewed by The Face magazine in 1984:
"But the one thing that saved me in spite of my uncommon perversions,
liking Cilla Black and Oscar Wilde - being a working class person from
Manchester it really doesn't help being obsessed by Oscar Wilde - was my
ability at athletics."
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, her song "The Right One Is Left" was listed
at #4 in the "yeahs" section.
- Her song "Work Is A Four-Letter Word" was covered by The Smiths in 1987.
- "Love Of The Loved" was included on the pre-concert tape at Morrissey's one-off show in Wolverhampton in December 1988.
- Her version of "Work Is A Four-Letter Word" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- Morrissey, Vox magazine 1993: "I worship every belch of Cilla Black."
- In an interview for the Brit Girls documentary first broadcast
in November 1997 (UK, Channel 4), Morrissey said "She made some great
records and great b-sides but I think she's very dodgy now. (On covering
'Work Is A Four Letter Word) I thought it was an amusing song. I think I
was the only member of the Smiths who actually did. I thought it was
quite funny and very throwaway, and a bit of a tease really. I wasn't
attempting to produce a great piece of Gothic Art, it was just a
taunting little number. I even got the words wrong, accidentally. (...)
It was very instrumental in breaking up the Smiths but what care I?
Cilla Black, unbeknownst to herself, actually broke the Smiths up...
which is pretty much to her credit.
- Morrissey, in a Q&A session on the True-To-You
website in June 2007: "Everything has its place and its reason.
Certainly, the early Smiths covers, for example 'Work is a four-letter
word' and 'Golden lights' were done as acts of playful perversity - they
weren't meant to be groundbreaking miracles of sound. And that's
usually how it is, just a matter of throwing something unexpected into
the mix."
Black Beetle
Black Box
- Morrissey, in an interview to Q magazine in December 1989:
"I'm still a big record fan. I really enjoyed the Black Box single.
It's odd for me because it's not my world at all and there's no reason
on earth why I should enjoy that record, but when I first saw them on
Top Of The Pops I thought it was pretty extreme. She also looked
brilliant, and I still love the record after nine weeks (...) I'm more
interested in the rumours that she has been male. I'm hoping that it's
true because it makes it more interesting. If you look at her from a
certain angle, you could possibly see her playing for Wigan."
Black Kids
- They were picked by Morrissey as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
Blaggers I.T.A.
- Morrissey, in an interview to Raygun magazine in March 1994,
when asked about new music he enjoys: "From here? I can't think of
anything. Within England, certainly groups like the Blaggers and Gallon
Drunk and Echobelly sound new to me it sounds as if I'm actually hearing
something new. Which seems to be an impossible occurrence in America."
Bob And Marcia
- According to Johnny Marr, "Girlfriend In A Coma" was based on their
song "Young, Gifted And Black" which both he and Morrissey loved.
- The latter song was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included "Young, Gifted And Black".
Bolan, Marc
See T-Rex.
Bowie, David
- In private letters to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned that he had
seen Bowie in concert 14 times, and that he particularly liked the song
"Fantastic Voyage".
- The line "Throw your homework onto the fire" from the Smiths' 1987 single "Sheila Take A Bow"
is very reminiscent of one of the lines from Bowie's "Kooks": "and if
the homework brings you down then we'll throw it on the fire".
- His song "The Laughing Gnome" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- Bowie duetted with Morrissey on "Cosmic Dancer" on 2 June 1991 in Los Angeles.
- The line "We will descend on anyone unable to defend
themselves" in "We'll Let You Know" may be a twist on "Love descends on
those defenceless" from Bowie's "Soul Love".
- In an interview given to Jools Holland in 1995 Morrissey said
of Bowie: "He changed British pop and I think that's an incredible
thing. (...) He changed British pop in a very dangerous way because of
the way he looked and the things he said."
- In an interview printed in the May 1994 issue of Select magazine Morrissey said: "Put it this way, Mozzer,
you have a card from Dirk Bogarde here. You have Alan Bennett sitting
in your kitchen having tea. You have David Bowie having sung one of your
songs quite beautifully. What else are you looking for? What right do I
have to be sour-faced and complaining, queuing up at Waitrose in
Holloway being annoyed because somebody in front of me has got a leg of
lamb? What more could there be?"
- The line "You're watching yourself but you're too unfair" in
his "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" might have inspired the similar one in "Do
Your Best And Don't Worry".
- Morrissey accepted to support Bowie on his 1995 Outside Tour. He stayed on board for two weeks then pulled out.
- In an interview published in the Times Magazine in 1999,
Morrissey addressed the latter events when he said "I have never spoken
about this up until now because, in spite of everything, I do respect
David. I simply have to play Star Man or Drive-in Saturday and I will
forgive him for anything. But I left that tour because he put me under a
lot of pressure, and I found it too exhausting. But then, Bowie is
principally a business, and I can't imagine he would have telephoned his
own mother without considering the career implications. David
surrounded himself with very strong people, and that's the secret of his
power: that everything he does will be seen in a certain light. But it
certainly wasn't the greatest career move that I ever made, even though
they gave 6,000 refunds in Manchester when I didn't appear - but I don't
think you'd have read about that in the Manchester Evening News..."
- Morrissey, in the 2002 documentary "The Importance Of Being
Morrissey": "He was a fascinating artist in 1970, 1971, 1972... but not
now."
- Morrissey asked David Bowie (through their common producer Tony
Visconti) to cover the Righteous Brothers' "You've Lost That Lovin'
Feeling", but Bowie declined.
- Morrissey, in an interview to XL magazine in 2006:
"He is a mystery to me. He has the mentality of a vampire, he is always
searching for fresh blood to suck. I don't know if he did the same
thing with me. I don't think he is now the same person he was 30 years
ago. That David Bowie doesn't exist anymore."
- In an interview published in June 2008 in Irish magazine Hot
Press Morrissey said "He was so important to me because his vocal
melodies were so strong and his appearance was so confrontational.
Manchester, then, was full of boot boys and skinheads and macho-macho
thugs, but I saw Bowie's appearance as the ultimate bravery. To me, it
took guts to be David Bowie, not to be a shit-kicking skinhead in a
pack. At the time Wayne County had a song called 'Are You Man Enough To
Be A Woman?' and I thought it applied to the Manchester thugs of 1972,
which is why I actually saw Bowie's bravery as very strong, and not
floppy or dippy. He just did not care. And all people care to a
ridiculous degree - we're all so frightened and boxed-in. (...) It also
seemed to me that his impact was bigger than punk, because he was a
one-man revolution, yet it is punk that's remembered as the big
turnaround of the '70s. The Outside tour didn't work, though,
because after a time knowing David I realised that he actually thought I
was the singer from Suede - a fate worse than life. Can you imagine the
indignity? I hope not..."
- In an interview to Radionica (Columbia) in early 2012,
Morrissey mentioned David Bowie in a list of artists he was indebted to,
and that he would like to sing "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" with
him. He also said "David Bowie took me one night to his studio in New
York and played a version of one of my songs. I cried for a week. Of
anything for what I have prayed in my life, I never imagined that I
would be given so much."
- The sleeve of the 2013 redesigned "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys" single
was originally going to feature a previously unseen private photograph
of David Bowie and Morrissey taken by Linder Sterling in New York in
1992. Although Bowie has no legal rights to the photograph, most of his
back catalogue was at the time licensed to EMI so he successfully
managed to order EMI UK not to run the proposed artwork.
- In his autobiography, Morrissey talks about buying Bowie's
"Starman" single, seeing him live, and the effect the artist had on him
when he was a teenager. He also discusses other meetings with his idol,
singing a duet with him and having him cover one of his songs, etc.
Bow Wow Wow
- Their cover of the Smiths' "I Started Something I Couldn't Finish"
was played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
Boyfriends, The
Bradford
- They supported Morrissey on his very first solo concert in December 1988 in Wolverhampton.
- Their song "Skin Storm" from the "Shouting Quietly" album was covered by Morrissey and released as a b-side to the "Pregnant For The Last Time" single (or the "My Love Life" single in the USA).
Bragg, Billy
Bresslaw, Bernard
- It has been speculated that his 1958 song "Mad Passionate Love" from
this "Carry On..." regular inspired the title for Morrissey's song
"Pashernate Love".
Britten, Benjamin
- "Moonlight", an excerpt of the "Sea Interludes" from his "Peter Grimes" opera, is heard in the video for the song "Boxers".
Brother
- They opened for Morrissey on 2 dates of his 2011 tour.
Buckley, Jeff
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent to
thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Buckley's
"Grace" at #12.
Buckley, Tim
- He came in at #15 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up
on the True To You website on 1 January 2014, despite never having been
mentioned as a favourite before.
Burnette, Johnny
- His song "Rock-A-Billy Boogie" was featured in the intermission
music on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour and on
portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
Burns, Pete
See Dead Or Alive.
Business
- Their song "Scagheads" was played during intermission on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour.
Buzzcocks
- In a letter to the editor published by the NME in the mid/late 1970s
Morrissey wrote: "I have made the impertinence to inform the masses of a
quartet infamously known as Buzzcocks who seem to fit so neatly into
the punk category, yet have been eschewed from all chances of
recognition. Buzzcocks differ only one way from their contemporaries:
they possess a spark of originality (that was important once,
remember?), and their music gives you the impression they spend longer
than the customary ten minutes clutching the quill in preparation to
write. Indubitably, Buzzcocks will hardly figure strongly - or even
weakly - in the NME poll, and in these dark days when Patti Smith,
Loudon Wainwright or even the New York Dolls fail to make an impact on
Radio 1 DJs, common sense is therefore not so common. Both this letter
and Buzzcocks themselves will probably be filed and forgotten. But for
now, they are the best kick-ass rock band in the country."
- In an interview publised by Face magazine in July 1984
Morrissey answered the question "Were the Buzzcocks and Pete Shelley in
particular, near and dear to you?" with the answer "Mmmmm. Yes. They
had an endearingly confused quality... really Northern, dim and
appealingly camp."
- Singer Pete Shelley opened for the Smiths on what would turn out to be their final concert on 12 December 1986.
- The band was slotted by Morrissey at #3 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- Morrissey covered their song "You Say You Don't Love Me" on some live dates in 2008, and once in 2009.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose their song "You Say You Don't
Love Me".
Bygraves, Max
- His song "Fings Ain't What They Used To Be" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- It can be speculated that the line "I'm tired and I want to go
to bed" from Asleep were lifted from the traditional folk song "Show Me
The Way To Go Home". Morrissey did indeed sing a few lines from the song
in Hull on the Tour Of Refusal. If so, the version Morrissey was most likely exposed to is by Max Bygraves.
Cafe Tacuba
- Morrissey presented this band with a 'Legends' award at the 2009 MTV Latin Music Awards.
Callas, Maria
- Her recordings of "Ebben? Ne Andro Lontana" and "Samson and Delilah" were played before the concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
Cats, The
- Their instrumental ska version of "Swan Lake" was played during intermission on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour.
- It was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
Chicory Tip
- In an interview given to journalist Len Brown and published in the
NME in 1988 Morrissey said "Johnny and I once drove 250 miles to get a
copy of 'Good Grief Christina'!" In unpublished parts of the interview
that have since appeared in Len Brown's biography titled "Meetings With
Morrissey", we learn that Morrissey also said "...and 'What's Your
Name', which was the third hit, was excellent."
- In an interview published in the January 2006 issue of Uncut,
Johnny Marr also tells the above story about driving 250 miles to get
one of their singles.
Chopin
- In a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in February 2006, Morrissey answered the question "Which
classical music period would you say you prefer, and who are your
favorite composers from that period?" with "I'm no expert when it comes
to classical music. My favorite is Chopin's Nocturnes... Yes, I know,
quite a common choice - a bit like naming the Beatles as your favorites.
Anyway, there is a reasonably new CD by Angela Hewitt of this, which is
well worth buying."
- Chopin's Nocturnes were sometimes played before the usual intermission music on certain European dates from the Spring of 2006.
Cinquetti, Gigliola
- A video of him performing "Si" at 1974's Eurovision Song Contest was shown between opening act and Morrissey on dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- In an interview publised in XL magazine in 2006
Morrissey said "When I was six I bought 'Heart' (Cuore) by Rita Pavone.
I still own it. And then...Gigliola Cinquetti, do you know the song
'Yes'? It represented Italy at the eurofestival."
Clark, Petula
- Her song "Downtown" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour and the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- Her song "I Who Have Nothing" was played during intermission on
the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour and the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Morrissey also enjoys Shirley Bassey's version of the same song.
Clash, The
- In a 2000 interview Joe Strummer mentioned having been approached to
produce a Morrissey album sometime around 1995. In the liner notes
found in the 2009 expanded and redesigned edition of the "Maladjusted" album, Morrissey mentioned having considered him to produced the album.
- In a July 1997 radio interview to KROQ,
one of the songs Morrissey selected to be played was "London Calling"
by The Clash. When asked about his choice, Morrissey answered "It's a
great song. I think it's nice and British and very urban and quite
violent and so forth, very west London."
Cochran, Eddie
- His song "Nervous Breakdown" was played during intermission on an American leg of the 1991 Kill Uncle tour (and perhaps more).
- He has a song called "Sweetie Pie", just like Morrissey, but that could simply be coincidence.
Cockney Rejects
- Their songs "Greatest Cockney Ripoff", "East End" and "I Wanna Be A
Star" were played during intermission on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour.
Morrissey's appreciation of the West Ham Boys Club (he wore their
t-shirts and made lyric changes namedropping West Ham) at the time
paralleled that of the Cockney Rejects' love of West Ham FC.
- They were invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown festival
which Morrissey curated. In an interview to Time Out magazine at the
time Morrissey said: "The Cockney Rejects were Liam and Noel before Liam
and Noel were Liam and Noel. I never quite understood what their
politics were meant to be. I've always seen them as just a great pop
band with great singles. I hope they play the old tunes of glory."
- Their songs "The Greatest Cockney Rip-off" and "East End" were
played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest
Hits tour.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose their song "Greatest Cockney
Ripoff".
- Morrissey wrote the foreword to Jeff Turner's autobiography titled "Cockney Reject".
Cogan, Alma
- It has been speculated that the "The more you give your trust, the
more youre bound to lose" line in "If Love Were All" (written by Noel
Coward, see further in this list) inspired some words in Morrissey's
"Found Found Found".
- Her version of "If Love Were All" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- Twice on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI Morrissey started the
show by singing a few lines from "If Love Were All": "I believe, that
since my life began, the most I've had is just a talent to amuse..."
before going into his own song.
Cohen, Leonard
- The line "Everything depends upon how near you sleep to me" in his
song "Take This Longing" might have inspired a similar one in the
Smiths' "Hand In Glove". Buffy Sainte-Marie covered this song (under the
alternate title "Bells") and it's probably her version that Morrissey
is fond of. See Buffy Sainte-Marie.
Cole, Lloyd
- Morrissey, in an interview published in Melody Maker on 3 November 1984:
"Lloyd is a tremendously nice person, much more fascinating than
anything he's ever put on vinyl, which I'm sure will end the
relationship straight away, but I think he's a lovely person. We see
quite a lot of each other."
- According to Sandie Shaw, the song "Are You Ready To Be Heartbroken" (which she covered) was Morrissey's favourite of Cole's.
Collins, Dave and Ansel
- Their song "Double Barrel" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
Cooke, Sam
- His song "There, I've Said It Again" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
Cookies
- Their song "I Want A Boyfriend For My Birthday" was rehearsed very
early in the Smiths' career, and it was played live twice, at the band's
first two shows. They soon lost interest in the song as their own
catalogue expanded, so they never recorded it with the aim of releasing
it.
- That song was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, their song "I Want A Boy For My Birthday" was
listed at #8 in the "yeahs" section.
- The music to Morrissey's "Girl Least Likely To" - written by
Andy Rourke - was obviously inspired by the Cookies song "Only To Other
People". Both songs even share the phrase "How many times..." sung to
the same melody.
Cope, Julian
- His album "Fried" was mentioned by Morrissey as one of his
favourites of 1984, although he said that he liked it for its title.
(source needed)
Costello, Elvis
- Something from his "Armed Forces" album was supposedly included in
the intermission music played before gigs on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
Courteeners, The
- They were picked by Morrissey as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose their song "What Took You So
Long".
- They supported Morrissey for the second half of the American leg of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
Couty, Nat & The Braves
- Their song "Woodpecker Rock" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- It was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "(...) the imagination
chatters convulsively through Nat Couty's 'Woodpecker Rock', Charlie
Feathers' 'one Hand Loose', Jimmy Radcliffe's 'The Forgotten Man', and
Jay Bee Wasden's 'De Castro'. Of these last four, I would not pretend to
know any background details, but the happiness these songs give me
seems, now, to be everlasting - even if this is music played with a
lop-sided grim, then please hook me."
Coward, Noel
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned that he was
listening to Noel Coward amongst others at that time.
- It has been speculated that the lines "I do believe that the
more you give your love, and I do believe that the more you offer trust,
the more you're bound to lose" and "somebody splendid, someone
affectionate and dear" in Coward's "If Love Were All" inspired some
words in Morrissey's "Found Found Found".
- The sample heard at the end of Morrissey's "Lifeguard Sleeping,
Girl Drowning" was lifted from the movie "In Which We Serve" which was
directed by Coward. He also starred in it.
- Twice on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI Morrissey started the
show by singing a few lines from "If Love Were All": "I believe, that
since my life began, the most I've had is just a talent to amuse..."
before going into his own song.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose his song "There Are Bad Times
Just Around The Corner".
- See Alma Cogan higher in this list. She recorded her own version of "If Love Were All".
- Also see the literature section for more Noel Coward.
Cramps
- In a letter published in a June 1979 issue of Sounds magazine,
Morrissey wrote: "The Cramps are worth their weight in gold for making
the Police seem like a great big sloppy bowl of mush. (...) The Cramps
were enough to restore faith in the most spiritless. They have it all,
and their drummer is the most compelling in rock history. Back to the
Cramps or perish. It is written."
- In another letter published in July 1979,
this time in the NME, Morrissey wrote "I've just seen the Cramps and
they're at that funny stage. This is the kind of group that start
revolutionary outrages and all that."
- In a letter published in Record Mirror magazine in April 1980
Morrissey wrote "Who are the Cramps? (...) This is a group not to be
analysed, but to be FELT. (...) They are the most beautiful - yes
BEAUTIFUL group I've ever seen. The fact that they exist is enough.(...)
They are the most important US export since the New York Dolls, but God
forbid they don't suffer the Dolls' fate."
- Shortly after Morrissey co-founded a Cramps fanclub called "The Legion Of The Cramped".
Crass
- Their song "Do They Owe Us A Living?" was played during intermission early on the 2007 Greatest Hits tour.
Crosby, Bing
- His version of "Whenever It Snows" is heard on Morrissey's "Hulmerist"
compilation of videos. "Christmas In Killarny" is also heard on it, but
it hasn't been determined if the version is Bing Crosby's.
Crystals
- Their song "What A Nice Way To Turn 17" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- Songs from their "Best Of" were played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- Their song "Hold Me Squeeze Me" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included the Crystals' "All Grown Up".
Cultivators, The
- They supported Morrissey in Minneapolis on 8 February 2000.
Curtis, Mac
- "Blue Jean Heart" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
Curved Air
- Their song "Backstreet Luv" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- The band was mentioned in an interview given by Morrissey during the Maladjusted tour and published in the January 1998 issue of Swedish magazine Pop.
Damned, the
- Their song "New Rose" was played during intermission on the summer festivals leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
Darren, James
- He requested that his song "Goodbye Cruel World" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
Davis, Skeeter
- A sample of "The End Of The World" is heard in the intro of the UK
version of "I've Changed My Plea To Guilty". The version of the song
released in the USA does not feature the sample.
Dawson, Ronnie
- His song "Rockin' In The Cemetary" was played during intermission on
an American leg of the 1991 Kill Uncle tour (and perhaps more).
Dead 60s
Dead Or Alive
- In a November 1984 interview to Melody Maker, Morrissey said "I saw a
video recently that was the very first video I ever liked. It was, I
admit with massive shame, the Dead Or Alive video for 'That's The Way I
Like It'. I thought Pete Burns was quite stunning. I thought, 'Oh I must
meet him.' He's the only person I want to meet."
- Morrissey's wish came true, for a period of a few months in 1985 ha and Dead Or Alive lead singer Pete Burns became friends.
- In a March 1985 interview to Melody Maker, Morrissey said of
Pete Burns: "I think he's a wonderful person. He's one of the few people
I can feel a great affinity with. Namely, because he says exactly what
he wants to. Which, of course, is a national sin within music,
especially considering the things he wants to say."
- Burns appeared on stage with the Smiths on 6 April 1985 in London to duet with Morrissey on "Barbarism Begins At Home".
- On the short Scottish tour of September 1985 the Smiths' intermission music played before gigs included their song "You Spin Me Round".
- A joint interview of Burns and Morrissey was published by Smash Hits in October 1985.
- In a Q&A published in Uncut magazine in 2006, Morrissey
answered the question "Julian Cope or Pete Burns?" with "Pete Burns".
Dears, The
- They opened for Morrissey in Toronto and Devore on the You Are The Quarry tour in 2004.
Delrons, The
- It is speculated that the song "Bye Bye Baby" might have inspired some lyrics of "Girlfriend In A Coma".
- See related band Reparata.
Dempsey, Damien
- He opened for Morrissey in Manchester, Dublin and on a bunch of American dates on the You Are The Quarry tour in 2004.
- He was invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown festival which Morrissey curated.
- His song "Factories" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- In a Q&A published in Mojo in 2004, when asked "What music
are you currently grooving to?", Morrissey answered "Damien Dempsey,
'Seize The Day'. He has the most stunning voice in the universe."
- Morrissey, in interview to Time Out in 2004: "Damien Dempsey
has a better voice and better songs than the artists he looks up to."
- In a Q&A given to the True-To-You
website in January 2006 Morrissey said "I'm the world's biggest Damien
Dempsey fan, but every night he kept saying exactly the same things
onstage, so one night I met him walking offstage and jumped on his back.
He enjoyed that... and... so did I ..."
- Something of his was played during intermission on the summer festivals leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- He requested that his song "Jar Song" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- "Jar Song" was played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Damien
Dempsey's "Seize The Day" at #10.
- He came in at #11 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
- Morrissey had a good word of Damien Dempsey's songwriting in an interview published in Hot Press magazine in 2014
Devoto, Howard
See Magazine.
Dios
- They supported Morrissey in Los Angeles on 26 April 2004.
Dirty Pretty Things
- They were picked by Morrissey as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
Distel, Sacha
- Morrissey considered having Distel play the Meldown festival which
he curated, but Distel was too ill and actually passed away a few weeks
later.
- Morrissey often expressed his appreciation of Sacha Distel's work in interviews given in early 2006.
- For the first few months of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI a photo of Sacha Distel was used as a stage backdrop.
- Morrissey was often seen holding Distel items (records,etc.) in promotional/interview photos taken in 2006.
- In concert at the London Palladium on 28 May 2006
Morrissey mentioned some of the heroes who had motivated his choice of
venue: "It's very very nailbiting to think that Sacha stood here and to
think that Gracie Fields stood over there... as you'll remember..."
- A video of him performing "Où ça où ça" was shown between opening act and Morrissey on dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI into the 2007-2008 Greatest Hits tour dates.
- He is mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
Dodd, Ken
- His song "Happiness" was played during intermission on the Tour Of
The Tormentors MMVI. Morrissey also had that song's title printed on the
bass drum's skin for some time in the middle of that tour.
- Morrissey mentioned Ken Dodd to his audience - as one of the
famous people who had once played this venue - when he played the London
Palladium on 14 may 2006.
- In a Q&A published in Uncut magazine in 2006, Morrissey
answered the question "Bernard Manning or Jim Bowen?" with "Odd Ken
Dodd".
Dolan, Joe
- A video of his song "You're Such A Good Looking Woman" was shown before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
Doll And The Kicks
- He requested that their song "Roll Up The Red Carpet" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- They supported Morrissey in England and the rest of Europe on
the 2009 Tour of Refusal as well as on the Swords tour later the same
year.
- Their cover of Morrissey's "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris"
was played during intermission for a segment of the 2009 Tour Of
Refusal.
- In an interview reported on the NME website in October 2010,
Morrissey said "When I first saw Doll & The Kicks live, I could not,
even with the best will in the world, look away. I can't be reasoned
with where Hannah is concerned – she is the best British singer of
recent years. She will sing an entire song without any breathing lulls,
and the boys seal her confidence brilliantly. How they work off each
other is the most any group could give; the soft tones as arresting as
the muscular tones. They certainly deserve far more serious treatment
than they have received. (...) The fact that they remain unsigned is
bizarre beyond belief, but insofar as I can tell, the entire point of
the X Factor culture is to starve genuine music out of existence."
Donegan, Lonnie
- Morrissey supposedly mentioned loving his song "My Old Man's A Dustman" as a kid. (source needed)
Dors, Diana
- In the video for his single "Interesting Drug", Morrissey is seen
holding a mock-up issue of the NME with Diana Dors on the cover.
- She was included by Morrissey in a list titled "Handsome Devils" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- Her song "So Little Time" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- Interviewed in 1997 for the Brit Girls documentary, Morrissey
said "Diana Dors made the best record of the Sixties. 'So Little Time'
in 1964 on the Fontana label, which sank with a trace. I don't know why
but maybe people couldn't accept her as a singer because she was known
for other things. She was incredibly sexual. Not so much a girl singer,
more womanly. She made an album that's very rare called The Swinging Dors,
which is not really very good. She didn't have a great voice but it's a
great single, a great record. Written as I recall by Les Reed and well
worth hunting... and shooting."
- It was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "Diana Dors, too, is warm
to the skin. The voice teeters with a knowing smile, but the heart is on
the gravel as she tells us so much more than what she literally says, a
double-tier of sexual urgency." and "She had the sexiest voice in world
history. She is just a fantastic British figure and because she was so
overtly sexual she was always underrated as an actress. She was decades
before her time in standing up and saying, 'Yes, I enjoy sex', but her
private life was over-recorded by the papers and it did not tally that
someone so flamboyant could have depth too. This is Diana Dors' best
recording: very sexual, very heaving, sort of string-drenched and very
beautiful. You want to nestle in her bosom."
- In the documentary "The Importance Of Being Morrissey" Morrissey is seen putting "So Little Time" on his record player.
- The latter number was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- A clip of her was shown during intermission on the summer festivals leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- For more Diana Dors, have a look at the actors and actresses section of this chapter.
Dream Academy
- According to biographer Simon Goddard, the latter cover was included on the interval tape on the Smiths' 1985 tour of Scotland.
- In an interview published in Sounds magazine in 1988, Morrissey
said "I liked the Dream Academy version of that old Smiths song [Please
Please Please Let Me Get What I Want]. Everyone despised it and it got
to number 81, which is nearly a hit."
du Pré, Jacqueline
- She was mentioned by Morrissey as one of his favourite musicians in the 1991 Kill Uncle tourbook.
- Her performance of Edward Elgar's Cello Concerto in E Major was
played before the opening act on certain dates in the latter half of
the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Dusty, Slim
- His song "The Pub With No Beer" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Eager, Vince
- Morrissey supposedly considered using as etchings on the "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" single the lines "Eaten by Vince Eager" and "Vince Eager, Come And Get Me".
- His song "The World's Loneliest Man" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- In the September 1992 issue of Slitz, Morrissey said "Mister
Eager was made from the same mould as Billy Fury. He released eight
singles on the record company Top Rank. But the other seven are,
honestly, completely impossible to listen to. (...) The title 'The
Loneliest Man In The World' well, that’s pretty Morrisseyesque."
- Morrissey used his name as an alias (when checking in hotels, etc.) in the early 1990s.
Easterhouse
Echobelly
- Morrissey was seen at their concerts in 1994.
- They were to be the support group for Morrissey's American gigs on the "Vauxhall & I" tour that never was.
- Morrissey, in an interview to Raygun magazine in March 1994,
when asked about new music he enjoys: "From here? I can't think of
anything. Within England, certainly groups like the Blaggers and Gallon
Drunk and Echobelly sound new to me it sounds as if I'm actually hearing
something new. Which seems to be an impossible occurrence in America."
- Their song "Give Her A Gun" was played during intermission on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- Morrissey appreciation for the band is mentioned in his "Autobiography".
Elcka
- In an interview published in the 9 August 1997 issue of the Melody Maker
Morrissey said: "They're astonishing. I went to see them recently and
it was one of those gigs of a lifetime. One you never forget. They're
really special."
- They supported Morrissey extensively on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- In a statement to the True-To-You website in January 2006, looking back on past opening acts, Morrissey wrote: "I thought Elcka were great."
Elefant
- They supported Morrissey twice in Los Angeles on 23 April and 24 April 2004.
- They were invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown festival which Morrissey curated.
Elgar, Edward
El Vez
- He supported Morrissey at Coachella in 1999.
- In an internet chat on KROQ.com in 1999, Morrissey said "I love
El Vez. I wanted him to come to England and to Europe. He's influenced
me greatly."
- In an interview published in The Face in 1999, Morrissey
answered the question "Your forthcoming UK tour has a Mexican theme.
Why?" with the answer "Because I saw El Vez recently and I'd like to
have a go at stealing all his ideas."
Eno, Brian
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey wrote "I have always
considered 'Tiger Mountain' to be one of his best albums ever, and 'Warm
Jets' is fab too." He praised the song "Backwater" in a different
letter which was mailed with a photocopy of the cover of the "Before And
After Science" album.
- At some point he also mentioned appreciating his album "Before And After Science" as well (source?).
- His songs "Here Come The Warm Jets", "Backwater", "Taking Tiger
Mountain (By Strategy)" and "Dead Finks Don't Talk" were played during
intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- His song "Seven Deadly Finns" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- A video of the latter song, taken from Dutch television in 1974, was shown before Morrissey concerts on his 2014 tour.
Equals
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1997 for the "Brit Girls" series, Morrissey mentions loving this band in the 1960s.
Exuberants, The
- They were slotted by Morrissey at #10 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
Faithfull, Marianne
- Her song "Sha La La Song" was given by Morrissey to Marr on a tape soon after they met.
- It is rumoured that early in their career the Smiths
considered, or even attempted, to cover "Summer Nights" or "Sha La La
Song".
- According to the Meat Is Murder tour programme "Come And Stay With Me" was the first single Morrissey ever bought.
- In an interview published in Jamming magazine in 1984
Morrissey said "My first record was Marianne Faithfull's 'Come Stay
With Me' which I bought when I was very young. I remember it had a
profound effect on me, and from that time, I was totally obsessed with
all aspects of popular music."
- Morrissey announced in a 1985 interview (source needed) that
the Smiths were looking into a collaboration with Marianne Faithful.
This unfortunately never materialised.
- "Come And Stay With Me" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- According to a Marianne Faithfull interview, Morrissey also tried to contact her at some point during the 1990s.
- In an interview for the Brit Girls documentary first broadcast
late 1997 (UK, Channel 4), Morrissey said "The first single I ever
bought, Marianne Faithfull's 'Come And Stay With Me' [...] it was 1965
and I still love it... it's a great record. I memorised the words and I
would sing them very loudly. I thought she was incredible, I'm sure she
still is, but then she was great. I was only six, I really didn't know
what the words meant, I didn't know what she was singing about, certain
lines I couldn't fathom at all. It was just something that was grabbing
me in. It was the sound of her voice, the feel, the emotivemess and the
freedom, and from that moment I just fell in love with pop music. I
never stopped playing pop records. "
- In a Q&A published in Mojo in 2004, when asked "What was
the first record you bought, and where did you buy it?", Morrissey
answered "'Come And Stay With Me' 7" single. I bought it in a shop in
Moss Side called Paul Marsh. I didn't understand what she was singing,
but I lost myself to it."
- He requested that her cover of his song "Dear God, Please Help
Me" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- Her cover of Morrissey's "Dear God Please Help Me" was played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- Her song "Come And Stay With Me" was chosen by Morrissey as one
of his Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC Radio4 show of
that name in November 2009.
- Morrissey mentions how "Come And Stay With Me" was the first
ever record he purchased as a child, "after howls of insistence from
beneath the kitchen table."
Fall, The
- Morrissey mentioned the Fall as one of the most promising new Manchester bands in issue #7 of the Kids Stuff fanzine (July 1977).
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s
(since leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned that he
liked their song "How I Wrote Elastic Man".
- In an interview in late 1986 or early 1987 Morrissey chose the
songs "Mr. Pharmacist" and "Living Too Late" among his favourites of
1986.
- They were slotted by Morrissey at #8 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- Their song "Lie Dream Of A Casino Soul" was played in 1994
during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- It was also played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- The latter number was played again during intermission on the 2009 Tour Of Refusal and Swords Tour.
Fatima Mansions
- Morrissey said in an interview to Les Inrockuptibles magazine that their album "Viva Dead Ponies" was his favourite of 1990.
Feathers, Charlie
- He recorded a version of "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On", the
title of which might have inspired a line in the Smiths' "Some Girls Are
Bigger Than Others". However it is generally assumed that Morrissey
would have been inspired by Johnny Tillotson's version of the song, or perhaps Dean Martin's.
- His song "One Hand Loose" was played during intermission on the
first American leg of the 1992 Your Arsenal tour (and perhaps more).
- The latter title was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "(...) the imagination
chatters convulsively through Nat Couty's 'Woodpecker Rock', Charlie
Feathers' 'one Hand Loose', Jimmy Radcliffe's 'The Forgotten Man', and
Jay Bee Wasden's 'De Castro'. Of these last four, I would not pretend to
know any background details, but the happiness these songs give me
seems, now, to be everlasting - even if this is music played with a
lop-sided grim, then please hook me."
Ferrick, Melissa
Ferrier, Kathleen
- She was mentioned in a list of Morrissey's favourite singers titled
"Bigmouths - The Singer Not The Song" published in the 16 September 1989
issue of the NME.
Fields, Gracie
- In an interview printed in the 26 September 1987 issue of Melody Maker
Morrissey said "The whole Gracie Fields, George Formby, Frank Randall
mentality is one I completely worship. I adore those old Northern
troupers and I'd love to be remembered as following in their tradition,
but it seems doubtful I'll be remembered at all."
- On four Northern dates on the British leg of the Tour Of The
Tormentors MMVI the song "Trouble Loves Me" was preceded by a few bars
from Gracie Fields' most famous song, "Sally", the theme from the 1931
film "Sally In Our Alley". While this was being played in Salford, seeing blank stares in the audience, Morrissey asked the audience "You've forgotten Gracie Fields haven't you? Shocking!"
- In concert at the London Palladium on 28 May 2006
Morrissey mentioned some of the heroes who had motivated his choice of
venue: "It's very very nailbiting to think that Sacha stood here and to
think that Gracie Fields stood over there... as you'll remember..."
Flats
- They opened for Morrissey on 4 dates of his 2011 tour.
Formby, George
- George Formby is mentioned by Morrissey in private letters to penpal
Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since leaked to fans and on the
internet).
- In an interview to the NME in December 1984
Morrissey revealed "For me one of the greatest lyricists of all time is
George Formby. His more obscure songs are so hilarious, the language
was so flat and Lancastrian and always focused on domestic things. Not
academically funny, not witty, just morosely humorous, and that really
appeals to me."
- In 1985 a poster of Morrissey in front of a picture of George Formby was given away with Smash Hits magazine.
- In an interview to The Hit magazine published 5 October 1985
Morrissey said "His songs were total innuendo. I hate anything that's
totally revealed... And I like his blunt, naive Northern element – the
clumsy awkward little bugger who found everything enormously difficult.
That has tremendous appeal for me..."
- Morrissey voted Formby the greatest singer of 1985 in a NME poll.
- Morrissey was photographed with Formby's banjo at his grave in 1986.
- On the Queen Is Dead tour in 1986, the Smiths' intermission
music played before gigs included his song "Why Don't Women Like Me?".
- In an interview printed in the 26 September 1987 issue of Melody Maker
Morrissey said "The whole Gracie Fields, George Formby, Frank Randall
mentality is one I completely worship. I adore those old Northern
troupers and I'd love to be remembered as following in their tradition,
but it seems doubtful I'll be remembered at all."
- The clouds seen on the reverse of Morrissey's "Viva Hate" album
are a detail from a larger photograph of George Formby's father's
grave.
- Formby wrote songs filled with innuendo, including one titled
"When I'm Cleaning Windows", which might have inspired Morrissey's
"Roy's Keen".
Foundations
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1997 for the "Brit Girls" series, Morrissey mentions loving this band in the 1960s.
- Their song "Mr. Personality Man" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- One of their songs was played before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour. It may have been "Any Old Time (You're Lonely And Sad)"
- Morrissey also at some point expressed his appreciation of their song "Build Me Up Buttercup". (source needed)
- "Back On My Feet Again" was mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
Frank Chickens, The
Franz Ferdinand
- They supported Morrissey at his birthday concert on 22 May 2004.
- Their 2004 self-titled debut album was mentioned by Morrissey
shortly before this as his favourite new release to French weekly Les
Inrockuptibles.
- A live version of their song "Jacqueline" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life"
given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME. However, according
to his "Autobiography", the decision to include this track may have been
that of the NME who wanted more modern music on the compilation, as he
had selected material that "date[d] back to the Roaring Twenties."
Furnish Time, The
- In Madrid (and perhaps also in Barcelona) they supported the Smiths on their 1985 Meat Is Murder tour.
Fury, Billy
- His song "I'll Never Quite Get Over You" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- In an interview to Smash Hits in June 1984
Morrissey said "Billy Fury is virtually the same as James Dean. He was
entirely doomed too and I find that quite affectionate. He was
persistently unhappy and yet had a string of hit records. He was
discovered working on the docks in Liverpool, was dragged to London,
styled and forced to make records. He always wanted to make very
emotionally over-blown ballads but he found himself in the midst of the
popular arena. He despised almost every aspect of the music industry and
was very, very ill from an early age. (...) Billy's singles are totally
treasurable. I get quite passionate about the vocal melodies and the
orchestration always sweeps me away. He always had such profound
passion." Morrissey was seen holding a copy of Fury's "Halfway To
Paradise" album in a photo accompanying the latter article.
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey played his song "I Will".
- His song "Don't Jump" may have partly inspired the creation of "Shakespeare's Sister".
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, his song "I'll Never Quite Get Over You" was
listed at #6 in the "yeahs" section.
- In an interview published in The Face magazine in July 1987 Morrissey answered the question "Did you cry when Billy Fury died?" with the simple "Persistently. Loudly."
- In a different interview (source needed) Morrissey said: "Like James Dean, I always saw Billy Fury as one of life's losers."
- He is the cover star on the Smiths' final single "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" single. Incidently he himself had a single titled "Last Night Was Meant For Love".
- In an interview published in the NME on 13 February 1988
Morrissey said about the Smiths' song "Paint A Vulgar Picture": "It was
about the music industry in general, about practically anybody who's
died and left behind that frenetic fanatical legacy which sends people
scrambling. Billy Fury, Marc Bolan..."
- His songs "Gonna Type A Letter" and "Halfway To Paradise" were
played during intermission at various points into the 1991 Kill Uncle
tour.
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1997 for the "Brit Girls"
series, Morrissey said "The boy bands weren't terribly interesting to
me. (...) the female singers seemed to be giving everything away and
hiding nothing. Billy Fury was an exception but for the most part male
voices were more restrained.
- Fury recorded a song called "She Cried" which Morrissey may have had in mind when he wrote his own "He Cried".
- A poster of what is believed to be Fury is seen behind Morrissey on the photo used as the cover of the "Oye Esteban" DVD compilation.
- The title to the Smiths compilation album "The Sound Of the
Smiths" was likely inspired by Billy fury's debut "The Sound Of Fury".
Gaber, Giorgio
- His song "La Ballata Del Cerutti" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Gainsbourg, Serge and Brigitte Bardot
- Their song "Bonnie And Clyde" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour and the 2000 Oye Esteban tour.
- Their song "Initials B.B." was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- He requested that the latter song be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- See also Brigitte Bardot.
Gallon Drunk
- They supported Morrissey on the first American leg of the 1992 Your Arsenal tour.
- In a radio interview to Modern Rock Live in 1992, Morrissey
said that they were one of the two modern bands he was in love with,
"something to become excited by".
- Morrissey, in an interview to Raygun magazine in March 1994,
when asked about new music he enjoys: "From here? I can't think of
anything. Within England, certainly groups like the Blaggers and Gallon
Drunk and Echobelly sound new to me it sounds as if I'm actually hearing
something new. Which seems to be an impossible occurrence in America."
Garcia, Leo
- His song called "Morrissey" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour and the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
Gene
- Their song "Fighting Fit" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life"
given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME. However, according
to his "Autobiography", the decision to include this track may have been
that of the NME who wanted more modern music on the compilation, as he
had selected material that "date[d] back to the Roaring Twenties."
- They were invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown festival which Morrissey curated.
- In an interview to Time Out magazine at the time Morrissey had
this to say about them: "The press have always compared Gene to The
Smiths to the point of dulling boredom, but there is so much more to be
said about them that is never said. I saw them live in Los Angeles three
or four years ago and the audience screamed hysterically throughout.
These things matter."
General Johnson
- He came in at #7 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up
on the True To You website on 1 January 2014, despite he or his band
Chairmen Of The Board never having been mentioned as a favourite before.
Generation X
- Their song "Wild Youth" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- Their song "Gimme Some Truth" was played during intermission on the 1999 Oye Esteban tour.
Girl In A Coma
- Their song "Clumsy Sky" was played during intermission at various times on the Greatest Hits tour.
- They supported Morrissey on the UK/France leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
Go-Betweens
- Their song "Karen" features the line "Eskimo blood in my veins" which Morrissey reused in "Stretch Out And Wait".
Gorecki, Henryk
- His Symphony No. 3 (aka Symphony Of Sorrowful Songs) was played after concerts on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- A performance of the latter symphony closed the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated.
- A recording of the latter symphony by the London Sinfonietta
was included in a top 13 album list put up on the True-To-You website.
The album didn't originally make the list when it was first published on
thequietus.com in 2010, but it replaced a Roxy Music album in 2011
after Morrissey found out that band's lead singer Bryan Ferry was a fan
of hunting.
Guillemots, The
- They were picked by Morrissey as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
Hardy, Françoise
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey played her song "All Over The World".
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, her song "All Over The World" was listed at
#7 in the "yeahs" section.
- Her song "You Just Have To Say The Word" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- Morrissey also expressed his appreciation of her song "Another Place" at some point. (source needed)
- She was invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated, but declined.
Harvey, PJ
- She opened for Morrissey on a few dates at the end of the You Are The Quarry tour in 2004.
His appreciation for Harvey must have disappeared because in a late
2013 missive to the True To You website and in a 2014 interview with Hot
Press magazine, he deplored the fact that she supported fox hunting.
Heartbreakers, The
See the New York Dolls.
Heartbreaks, The
- They opened for Morrissey on 1 date of his 2011 tour.
Hebb, Bobby
- It has been reported that Morrissey was looking for any cd featuring his song "Sunny" in 1999.
Heller, Bobby and His Orchestra with Bette Davis and Debbie Burton
- Their song "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
Herman's Hermits
- Smiths bassist Andy Rourke recalls Morrissey playing Herman's Hermits in the tour bus.
- The band was slotted by Morrissey at #2 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- Morrissey recorded and released his own version of their song "East West".
- The band's original version of that song as well as "Mrs Brown
You've Got A Lovely Daughter" and "Wonderful World" could also be heard
in the intermission music played before gigs on the 1991 Kill Uncle
tour.
Hill, Benny
- His song "Harvest Of Love" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Honeycombs, The
- Their song "Something I Have To Tell You" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
Hopkins, Mary
- Her version of Sparks' "Never Turn Your Back On Mother Earth"
(titled "Mother Earth") was played during intermission on the Tour Of
The Tormentors MMVI.
Houston, Thelma
- Morrissey praised her version of his song "Suedehead" in a 2012 email interview with Metro.
(Howe, Julia Ward)
- The first line in the Smiths' "These Things Take Time" is a
variation on "Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord",
the opening line of the famous Battle Hymn Of The Republic which she has
written
Hynde, Chrissie
- Chrissie Hynde is a friend of Morrissey's. She appeared in
Morrissey's video for "Sing Your Life" and sang back-up vocals on the
songs "My Love Life" and "Shame Is The Name".
- The Pretenders version of Morrissey's "Everyday Is Like Sunday"
was played before the March 1994 instore signing sessions for the
release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- The latter cover was also played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- He requested that their song "One Thing Never Changed" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- "Love's A Mystery" was played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- Morrissey's friendship with Chrissie Hynde is mentioned in
Morrissey's "Autobiography". He also praises her person and her
involvement in animal protection.
- Morrissey had a good word of Chrissie Hynde's songwriting in an interview published in Hot Press magazine in 2014
Ian, Janis
- Her 1972 song "Stars" includes the lines "perhaps pretending / you
never saw the eyes / of grown men of twenty-five / who followed as you
walked / and asked for autographs / or kissed you on the cheek / and you
never could believe / they really loved you", which could have inspired
the "grown man of twenty-five" line in "This Night Has Opened My Eyes"
and perhaps the subject of "Paint A Vulgar Picture".
- Morrissey discussed Janis Ian when he interviewed Joni Mitchell for Rolling Stone magazine in 1994.
Iggy And The Stooges
- In an interview to KROQ on 6 July 1997
Morrissey requested that their song "Search And Destroy" be played. On
the subject he said "A very L.A. song to me, don't you think? And did
you remember EMF's version a few years ago? A very, very good version, I
thought. A great song."
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Iggy And
The Stooges' "Raw Power" at #5.
Inspiral Carpets
- They were slotted by Morrissey at #7 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
Irwin, Big Dee (with Little Eva)
- Their song "Swinging On A Star" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- The song was played over the credits at the end of the original
television broadcast of a show from the latter tour. However it was
replaced by another song on "Introducing Morrissey", the official video release of that broadcast.
Isaacs, Gregory
- In 2004 when the reggae label Attack
was given to Morrissey by Sanctuary Records, the man defended his love
of reggae to naysayers by saying "I have a Gregory Isaacs seven-inch on
my refrigerator".
Jam, The
- Their song "That's Entertainment" was covered by Morrissey in 1991.
- In a 1992 interview published in Slitz magazine, Morrissey said
of his cover "It was a completely worthless version. I wanted to make
it different from the original, but maybe I shouldn't have tried that.
The original is a classic and Paul Weller is, when he wants to be, a
genius. Hopefully we, Paul and I, will record a duet. I don’t know what
song it will be yet. But if I’m lucky, he will appear at a huge gala in
Finsbury Park where I perform in the beginning of August."
- Their song "A Bomb In Wardour Street" was played at Morrissey's request during the 1994 HMV instores for the "Vauxhall & I" album.
- Morrissey said in an interview to KROQ radio in July 1997,
as he was requesting that they play their song "A Town Called Malice",
that the band was "another great British group" and the song was a
"timeless record".
James
- They supported the Smiths on a late 1984 Irish leg of the debut album tour and on the extensive British leg of the Meat Is Murder tour in early 1985. They had before that opened for the Smiths at the Manchester Hacienda on 24 November 1983.
- Morrissey mentioned in 1985's Meat Is Murder tour programme that James was one of his favourite bands.
- The Smiths covered their song "What's The World" on a mini tour of Scotland in September 1985.
- A live recording from Glasgow on that tour was later released by the band as a b-side.
- They were slotted by Morrissey at #4 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- It is generally assumed that Morrissey's "We Hate It When Our
Friends Become Successful" from 1992 is about James who started out
opening for the Smiths but eventually became more successful than them
(at least sales-wise), particularly at the time that song was written.
Jet Black Machine
Jobriath
- Morrissey had letters praising this obscure '70s glam singer
(who was to be America's answer to David Bowie) printed in the 27
December 1975 issue of Sounds magazine, the 11 November 1976 issue of
Melody Maker and the 27 October 1979 issue of Sounds.
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s
(since leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey said that he still
"dribbled" over Jobriath.
- He was included by Morrissey in a list of favourite people
titled "Odd Fellows" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the
NME.
- The "Creatures Of The Street" album is very briefly seen in the video for "Pregnant For The Last Time".
- On the cover of the Japanese "My Love Life" single released in 1991, Morrissey musicians Gary Day and Alain Whyte are seen holding a copy of the latter album.
- Morrissey supposedly tried to have Jobriath open for him on his
1992 Your Arsenal Tour, but he found out that he had died of AIDS
complications in 1983, in complete obscurity.
- The Jobriath song "Heartbeat" was played during intermission on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- In the mid-to-late 1990s Morrissey tried to have his music
reissued on compact disc. In 2004 he finally was able to have a
compilation album of his best material ("Lonely Planet Boy") and a
single ("I Love A Good Fight") released on his own Attack label.
He wrote in the liner notes of the latter compilation, "Thirty years on
[Jobriath] is no less an insoluble mystery and the songs remain hugely
enjoyable."
- One of his albums was played before the opening act on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- His songs "Morning Starship", "I Love A Good Fight" and perhaps
"I'm A Man" were played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The
Quarry tour.
- "Morning Starship" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- At the 2004 Meltdown festival which he curated Morrissey tried
to put together a Jobriath tribute concert with Elton John, but this
never came through.
- Morrissey's band members are seen wearing Jobriath t-shirts
designed by Morrissey in a photo taken on the You Are The Quarry tour
which appears in the booklet of the live album "Live At Earls Court".
- In a Morrissey Q&A posted on website True-To-You
in January 2006 Morrissey was questioned about his favourite Jobriath
songs and answered "My favourite is 'Morning Starship,' but I like them
all - with the exception of 'Rock Of Ages,' which is a bit hard to
take."
- On the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI and on parts of the 2007
Greatest Hits tour Morrissey took the stage following his song "What A
Pretty".
- His song "Street Corner Love" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- His songs "Morning Starship" and "Dietrich/Fondyke" were played
during intermission at various points into the Greatest Hits tour.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose his song "Morning Starship".
- He requested that "Morning Starship" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- A video montage tribute of Jobriath footage was shown during intermission on portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Jobriath's
self-titled debut at #13.
- Morrissey's discovery of Jobriath's music is covered in his
autobiography. He talks about wanting to have him as a support artist
around 1991-1992, and discovering that the singer had already been dead
for 10 years. He also talks about releasing some of his music in 2004 on
his vanity label Attack.
John Butler Trio
- They supported Morrissey three times in Australia on the 2002 tour.
Johnson Family, The
- They supported Morrissey on a few dates on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
Jolson, Al
- His 1929 song "Sonny Boy" is credited on the Smiths' debut album
for having provided the line "Climb upon my knee, sonny boy" and more
to "The Hand That Rocks The Cradle". Here are some of the song's lyrics:
"Climb upon my knee, Sonny Boy / You are only three, Sonny Boy / You've
no way of knowing, There's no way of showing / What you mean to me,
Sonny Boy ...When I'm old and gray, dear, promise you won't stray, dear /
For I love you so, Sonny Boy ... Let me hold you nearer, One thing
makes you dearer / You've your mother's eyes, Sonny Boy".
- This is very likely to be a coincidence, but Al Jolson also had
a song titled "Where The Black Eyed Susans Grow" and Morrissey recorded
a song titled "Black Eyed Susan".
Jones, Jimmy
- In an interview to Select magazine published in July 1991,
Morrissey said "Tonight (...) I will listen to a record which I can't
stop playing at the moment, a single called 'Good Timin'' by Jimmy Jones
- an old American MGM yellow label record. It's just simple, straight,
boring, dull, floppy old pop music, but to me it's... (he lowers his
voice to a whisper) it's like skin against skin. It's better than fine
cuisine. It's better than sex! There, now, that's how I feel."
- In his autobiography Morrissey wrote that as a child, "I
discover Good Timin' by Jimmy Jones, and I am beginning to feel
something that no one else has brought to my attention."
- He came in at #6 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Jones, Paul
- His song "I've Been A Bad, Bad Boy" includes the line "I'm not the
man you think I am", possibly the source for the same line in "Pretty
Girls Make Graves".
- That song was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included Paul Jones' "I've Been a Bad, Bad
Boy".
Jones, Rickie Lee
- The line "He tried living in a world, and in a shell" from her song
"The Last Chance Texaco" was a very likely inspiration for the similar
one in "Shoplifters Of The World Unite".
- According to Morrissey drummer (1988-1991) Andrew McGibbon aka
Andrew Paresi, the creation of "Late Night Maudlin Street" was
influenced by Rickie's "Last Chance Texaco".
Jones, Tom
- His song "What's New Pussycat" was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- "Thunderball", the John Barry Orchestra collaboration with Tom
Jones, was played before concerts during portions of the 2009 Tour Of
Refusal.
- In an interview to Radionica (Columbia) in early 2012,
Morrissey mentioned Tom Jones as one of the artists he loved the most,
and even said that he would like to sing "If I Can Dream" with him.
- Jones was a special guest for a Morrissey concert in Los Angeles on 10 May 2014
June Brides
Killers, The
- They supported Morrissey twice in Los Angeles (22 April and 27 April) and once in Chicago (17 July) on the You Are The Quarry tour in 2004.
- Their song "Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life"
given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME. However, according
to his "Autobiography", the decision to include this track may have been
that of the NME who wanted more modern music on the compilation, as he
had selected material that "date[d] back to the Roaring Twenties."
King Cheetah
Kinks
- Their song "Dandy" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- Morrissey had his band rehearse their song "Harry Rag" in late
1991, he seemed to have been planning to release his own cover of it,
but this never materialised.
- Morrissey once said that he or the Smiths were from a lineage of truly british bans like The Kinks. (source needed)
- Morrissey: "Certainly, Ray Davies has been a great influence on
me. I think his view of England has been pretty accurate and very
melodious, very comforting". (source needed)
Konstantinos B
Körberg, Tommy
- His 1969 Eurovision Song Contest entry "Judy min vän" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- A video of him performing that song was shown between opening act and Morrissey on live dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- "Judy min vän" was played during intermission on the UK/France leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- The latter song was also mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
(Lang, Andrew)
- The line "But me and my true love will never meet again" from the
traditional Scottish hymn "The Bonnie Bonnie Banks Of Loch Lomond"
(words by Andrew Lang) was recycled by Morrissey in the Smiths' "Paint A
Vulgar Picture".
- On Scottish dates early in the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI Morrissey's "Trouble Loves Me" was preceded by a few lines from that hymn.
Leyton, John
- His song "Johnny, Remember Me" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- Morrissey chose the latter song to be featured on his October 1984 appearance on the My Top Ten radio programme.
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, his song "Johnny Remember Me" was listed at
#5 in the "yeahs" section.
Libertines
- They supported Morrissey at London's Brixton Academy on 5 November 2002.
- Their song "Time For Heroes" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life"
given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME. However, according
to his "Autobiography", the decision to include this track may have been
that of the NME who wanted more modern music on the compilation, as he
had selected material that "date[d] back to the Roaring Twenties."
Linder Sterling
See Ludus.
Lotis, Dennis
- In an interview published in Rorschach Magazine in late 1983/early
1984 Morrissey mentioned that he was quite fond of crooners such as
Johnny Ray, Frank Sinatra and Denis Lotus [sic].
Love Affair
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1997 for the "Brit Girls" series, Morrissey mentions loving this band in the 1960s.
- Their song "Rainbow Valley" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- The latter song was also mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
Lovesick
Lovetones, The
Ludus / Linder Sterling
- Ludus' lead singer Linder Sterling is one of Morrissey's oldest
friend. Their friendship started many years before the formation of the
Smiths. They lived together at some point in Whalley Range, and it is
speculated that early Smiths numbers "Miserable Lie" (which mentions
Whalley Range) and "Wonderful Woman" (and perhaps even "Jeane") are
about her. As if to add weight to these speculations, Morrissey once
introduced Linder as a 'wonderful woman' on stage on 18 September 2002
and quoted the "Whalley Range" line from "Miserable Lie" in a 2006 essay
for her 2006 art retrospective.
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s
(since leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned the
Ludus song "My Cherry Is In The Sherry" as one his favourites of that
moment.
- From May 1980 to August 1981 Morrissey sent to UK music papers like the Record Mirror at least 3 reviews in which he praised the band.
- One chapter in Morrissey's book "James Dean Is Not Dead" was given as a title a quote from Linder.
- Morrissey wrote a press release for the band Ludus in 1982.
- Their cover of Brigitte Bardot's "Nue Au Soleil" was voted by
Morrissey as his favourite single of 1984 (despite the song having been
released two years before).
- Ludus were mentioned by Morrissey in 1985's Meat Is Murder tour programme as one of his favourite bands.
- In 1985 Morrissey wrote sleevenotes for a Ludus compilation
album that ended up being shelved: "Ludus lay on us the decorative
impulses of their music, and nowhere more significantly than on the
volume which now lies before you. People who know real genius will love
this record... Her singing leaves me out of breath... Linder went to
Brussels and I remained stuck in Manchester, battling with the tides of
fortune. Our shrill spirits still slide through the ugly streets of
Manchester, always wet through, always caught out, always spectating,
our hearts damaged by too many air-raids."
- The 'other person' in the Smiths' "Cemetry Gates" is believed to be Linder.
- Morrissey considered using the line "Linda found a cobra" as
the etched run-out groove message for the "Girlfriend In A Coma" single,
but changed his mind.
- Ludus were slotted by Morrissey at #5 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- Linder sang backing vocals on Morrissey's 1991 song "Driving Your Girlfriend Home".
- Linder followed Morrissey on tour in 1991 as a photographer.
She published the following year a book of photographs from that tour
under the title "Morrissey Shot". Some of these photos were used for the covers of the albums "Your Arsenal" and "Beethoven Was Deaf", and singles "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful", "You're The One For Me Fatty", "Tomorrow" and "Certain People I Know".
- Linder also took photos of Morrissey while he was on stage on a few dates in 2002. On one of these, 18 September 2002, he even introduced her to the audience as his "lifelong friend" and as "a wonderful woman".
- Ludus' song "The Fool" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- Because she was misrepresented in the script for the 2002 film
"24 Hour Party People", Morrissey refused to appear in it and refused
the makers the use of the song "This Charming Man".
- Ludus' song "Breaking The Rules" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "Gliding in without oars,
Ludus belong to the sea. Linder comes into position against the light,
at double-sail, holding her words prepared. The weight of despair lifts
like a deceptive fog only because the voice sings. 'Breaking The Rules'
might appear to be a statement, but like all Ludus songs, it is really a
question laid out like a statement. This is the delightfully recurring
now-that-you've-got-me-where-I-want-you Linder trick. I want to be
caught. Linder's tags of verse offer advice, strength, warmth,
sustenance and inspiration, as she sings - not roughly, but firmly. I
want to be caught twice. My mouth cannot close whilst 'Breaking The
Rules' plays."
- Morrissey also stated in an interview given to Word magazine in
2003: "Linder has an enormously sexual voice and is also enormously
underrated(...) I find these lyrics remarkable, suggesting that all
forms of love are wonderful, whether it's three women together, four men
together. Why can it not be so?"
- Linder contributed to the 2003 documentary "The Importance Of
Being Morrissey". She had previously contributed to another documentary,
1987's installment of the South Bank Show about the Smiths.
- Ludus' song "Let Me Go Where My Pictures Go" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- "Let Me Go Where My Pictures Go" was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- Ludus was invited to reform for the 2004 Meltdown festival
which Morrissey curated. In an interview to Time Out magazine at the
time Morrissey had this to say: "Linder is Ann-Margret on her motorcycle
10km outside St Tropez. Everything she sings about is by way of a last
word sensual and robust."
- Linder, speaking about Morrissey in an interview published on 6
June 2004 in the Independent on Sunday: "With Ludus I sang, 'I steal
your books and you steal mine'. It was, of course, about him."
- Linder filmed the interviews appearing in Morrissey's live DVD "Who Put The 'M' In Manchester".
- In a Q&A published in Uncut magazine in 2006, Morrissey
answered the question "Damien Hurst or Tracy Emin?" with "Linder
Sterling".
- The Ludus song "Breaking The Rules" was played during intermission music on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- Morrissey interviewed Linder for the March 2010 issue of Interview magazine.
- Unsurprisingly, Morrissey mentions his friendship with Linder
in his autobiography. He credits her as being the inspiration behind the
title for "Still Ill".
Lulu
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned being
particularly found of Lulu's "To Sir With Love".
- Her song "Boom-Bang-A-Bang" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- When asked to perform at the Amnesty International 30th
Birthday Party Morrissey agreed under the condition that he would be
introduced by Lulu.
- In an interview for the Brit Girls documentary first broadcast
late 1997 (UK, Channel 4), Morrissey said: "Yes I am, I am [a massive
fan]. I can point to her errors but that's just the kind of person I am.
I think she's also the most well-balanced of that glut of female
singers of that time. She's a very nice person, a very natural and open
person, which doesn't help in this business. There's no showbizness or
flamboyancy about her, and she made some great records! 'Dreary Days And
Dreary Nights' is obviously a floor filler... in my house. You will
giggle but 'I'm A Tiger' I thought was an expertly crafted piece of
genius gibberish. And 'To Sir With Love', which was a b-side in this
country... You think they're really disposable but if you really listen
they are wittily crafted pieces of work. 'Boom Bang-A-Bang'? These are
records that we might not even be bothered to burn but there is a
cleverness, there is a craft. Maybe it's only people like me who sees it
but... who cares." Her song "The Boat That I Row" is also mentioned in
that interview.
- "I'm A Tiger" was mentioned as an early favourite and "a brilliant slab of froth" in Morrissey's autobiography.
MacColl, Kirsty
- She sang back-up vocals on the Smiths' "Ask" and "Golden Lights",
and Morrissey's "Interesting Drug". In 1985 she had been invited to sing
backup on early demos of "Bigmouth Strikes Again", but this
collaboration was never released.
- She supported Morrissey in London on 19 December 1992. She then included a cover of the Smiths' "You Just Haven't Earned It Yet Baby" in her set.
- In the sleeve notes for her "Galore" compilation, Morrissey
wrote "Kirsty is a voice gradually added to a body. She has great songs
and a crackin' bust. She is a supreme original, although not - as far as
i know - one of the original Supremes. Everything shows in the voice.
The best of the last of. Furthermore, a full set of teeth. What more?
NOT cursed."
- She sang backing vocals on Morrissey's "I'd Love To" but she wasn't credited for it.
- Morrissey's friendship and love for MacColl is discussed in his "Autobiography".
Mackay, Andy
- 'Eddie Riff', a pseudonym Morrissey has be known to use, was taken
from the title of this artist's 1974 album 'In Search Of Eddie Riff'.
- The sleeve design for Morrissey's "Your Arsenal" album was credited to Andy Mackay, but this was another one of Morrissey's pseudonyms.
- Mackay was a member of Roxy Music (see further down this list).
MacKenzie, Billy
- The Smiths song "William It Was Really Nothing" is rumoured to be
about Associates singer Billy Mackenzie (although there is zero evidence
to that effect). Mackenzie wrote a riposte titled "Stephen You're
Really Something" in 1993, but the song remained unreleased until 2000.
- When MacKenzie took his life in early 1997, Morrissey stated in
the 1 February 1997 issue of Melody Maker "He was such a lovely person,
and I feel very, very sad."
MacNee, Patrick and Honor Blackman
- Their song "Kinky boots" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
Madness
- Morrissey collaborated with Madness producers Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley from 1989 to 1991.
- Madness lead singer Suggs sang back vocals on Morrissey's 1990 single "Piccadilly Palare" and its b-side "Get Off The Stage".
- Madness bassist Bedders played on the 1991 album "Kill Uncle" and its subsequent singles "Pregnant For The Last Time" and "My Love Life".
- The song "You're The One For Me, Fatty" was supposedly written
with Madness member Cathal Smyth (aka Chas Smash) in mind. Smyth also
speculates that he might also be the inspiration for lines in "Certain
People I Know". He sang back-up on Morrissey's cover of "That's
Entertainment" and befriended Morrissey in 1991-1992.
- Morrissey supported Madness in 1992 at the Madstock festival.
- In the video for Morrissey's 1992 single "We Hate In When Our
Friends Become Successful", the little picture of a man in a suit and a
bowler hat was taken from the video for Madness' "Cardiac Arrest".
Magazine / Howard Devoto / Luxuria
- During the short time when the Nosebleeds were fronted by Morrissey,
they supported Magazine at Manchester's Ritz in May 1978. It was about
that time or shortly after that Magazine frontman Howard Devoto and
Morrissey became acquainted through mutual friend Linder Sterling (see Ludus above)
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s
(since leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey wrote "Presently
in mourning over the death of Magazine. So tragic. My life will change.
Have you heard their "About The Weather"? Go out and buy it at once." In
different letters to the same penpal, he mentions that he particularly
likes the Magazine song "Sweetheart Contract", namedrops Devoto's name
and quoted from their lyrics ("I am angry, I am ill, and I'm ugly as
sin").
- The latter line from Magazine's "A Song From Under The
Floorboards" very likely inspired the similar one in the Smiths' "Accept
Yourself".
- Morrissey remained friends with Devoto throughout the Smiths
days, and soon after the Smiths split up, the pair were joint guests on
Radio 1's Singled Out programme where they reviewed new singles.
- Morrissey joined his friend Howard Devoto and his new band
Luxuria on stage on 13 March 1988 at the Town & Country and read
from the Proust classic "À la recherche du temps perdu" ("Remembrance Of
Things Past").
- Magazine were slotted by Morrissey at #6 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- In an interview to KROQ on 6 July 1997
Morrissey requested that their song "About The Weather" be played. On
the subject he said "Magazine are an overlooked Manchester group. In
assessments of Manchester, they never mention Magazine. I don't know
why. An excellent group, very strong, and this was the first single in
England that really had attention. Great lyrics."
- Their spoken piece "The Book" was played during intermission on
the 1997 Maladjusted tour. This was also the case on one later date,
Tulsa Oklahoma on 13 March 2006 at the very beginning of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Morrissey recorded and released his own version of "A Song From Under The Floorboards" in 2006.
- The Magazine song "I Love You You Big Dummie" was played during
intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
Maker, James
- James Maker's friendship with Morrissey goes back to before the
formation of the Smiths. It is extensively discussed in his
autobiography.
- Morrissey dedicated his book The New York Dolls, "For Jimmy, who lives it."
- He was on stage as a dancer for the band's first two concerts.
- Maker put together his own band called Raymonde in the mid-1980s and they supported the Smiths on most of the British leg of the Queen Is Dead tour.
- Raymonde's eponymous song "Raymonde" was played during intermission on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- The Raymonde song "No One Can Hold A Candle To You" was featured on Morrissey's compilation of his favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- Morrissey recorded and released his own version of Raymonde's "No One Can Hold A Candle To You" in 2004.
- Morrissey released a James Maker single on his Attack label in October 2004. The single featured the songs "Born That Way" and "I'm Unbearable".
- Both the latter songs as well as Raymonde's original version of
"No One Can Hold A Candle To You" were played during intermission on
the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- Maker was invited to perform at the Morrissey-curated Meltdown
Festival in 2004. In an interview to Time Out magazine at the time
Morrissey had this to say: "The new songs of James Maker are rare
powerful instruments. He's been through Raymonde in the '80s and RPLA in
the'90s but has never been better than he is now. He isn't like anybody
else and prefers to be categorised as something for which there is, as
yet, no name. Brilliant, funny, and like an enchanting blow to the lower
belly."
- James Maker also opened for Morrissey on a few dates at the end of the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- In a Q&A published in Uncut magazine in 2006, Morrissey
answered the question "Ian Brown or Ian Curtis?" with "Neither. James
Maker instead."
- The James Maker song "Born That Way" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Morrissey, in a Q&A session on the True-To-You
website in June 2007: "'No One Can Hold A Candle to You' was originally
written and sung by James Maker, and we've been good friends now for 30
years. He released 'Born that Way' a couple of years back and that's
one of my favorite recordings of all time."
- In a 2012 email interview to news.com.au, Morrissey said "'Born
That Way' by James Maker is the greatest single of the last decade".
- Morrissey talks about his friendship with James Makers and
praises Raymonde's self-titled album and his "Born This Way" single in
his "Autobiography".
Mancini, Henry and Johnny Mercer
- His song "Moonriver" written for the movie "Breakfast At Tiffany's" was recorded and released by Morrissey.
Marion
- They supported Morrissey on all bar one date of the Boxers tour.
Marmozets
- This band claims to have received in April 2014 a personal message from Morrissey saying that he loved their music.
Mars, Johnny
- This singer who's name is very close to Johnny Marr's released in
1972 a song titled "Meet Me In The Alley", which may or may not have
inspired Morrissey when he wrote the words to "I Want The One I Can't
Have".
Martino, Al
- Morrissey requested that his song "Rachel" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- His song "Granada" was played before concerts on portions of
the 2009 Tour Of Refusal and on the Swords Tour later the same year.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included Al Martino's "Granada".
- Morrissey praised Martino in his "Autobiography".
- He came in at #1 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Marvelettes
- When Morrissey and Marr first met, Morrissey asked Johnny to pick a
song out of his box of 7" singles, and he picked "You're The One", the
b-side to their "Paper Boy" single.
- Their song "Paper Boy" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- The song made another list, this one broadcast on a radio programme called My Top Ten in October 1984.
- Their song "Strange, I Know" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- The title of their song "You're The One For Me, Bobby" must have inspired "You're The One For Me, Fatty".
- Similarly, the title of their song "Used To Be A Playboy" might have inspired "Used To Be A Sweet Boy".
- The Marvelettes' lead singer Gladys Horton was mentioned by Morrissey as one of his favourite singers in an interview to Raygun magazine in March 1994.
- Their song "Anything You Wanna Do" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- "Anything You Wanna Do" was also played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour and the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
McAlmont (David McAlmont)
- He supported Morrissey on the final date of the Boxers tour at the Brixton Academy.
Melsen, Monique
- Her 1971 Eurovision Song Contest entry "Pomme, pomme, pomme" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Melson, Lee Red
- His song "Carmen Sue Rock" was played during intermission early on the Greatest Hits tour.
Mercurys, The
- They supported Morrissey in Birmingham on the 1992 Your Arsenal tour.
Micro
Mitchell, Joni
- The lines "Last night the ghost of my old ideals reran on channel
five" and "I came out two days on your tail" from her song "Don Juan
Reckless Daughter" are very likely inspirations for similar lines found
in "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" and "Half A Person".
- "Another false alarm" from "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" was borrowed from her song "Amelia".
- "I love the romance of crime" from Morrissey's "Sister I'm A
Poet" was also taken on loan from "Don Juan Reckless Daughter" ("They
love the romance of the crime").
- According to Morrissey drummer (1988-1991) Andrew McGibbon aka
Andrew Paresi, the creation of "Late Night Maudlin Street" was
influenced by Joni's "The Hissing Of Summer Lawns".
- Some lines from Morrissey's "Seasick Yet Still Docked" were
obviously inspired by "I am a poor wayfaring stranger / traveling
through all these highs and lows / wish i had the wings / of Noah's
pretty little white dove / I would fly this raging river to reach the
one i love / if I'd only seen through the silky veils of ardor / what a
killing crime this love can be" from her song "The Silky Veils Of
Ardor".
- In 1997 Mitchell agreed to give an interview to Rolling Stone
magazine only if Morrissey was the one asking the questions. This
interview was published in the 6 March
(#755) issue of that year. The audio of the interview was shortly after
sent to radio stations as a promotional tool. In the interview
Morrissey told Joni that she was "the greatest lyricist that has ever
lived" and "very underrated".
- Her song "The Jungle Line", which mentions "a low-cut blouse"
and "a working girl like her", must have inspired a few lines in
Morrissey's "Maladjusted".
Mizell, Hank
- His song "Jungle Rock" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour and early on the 2007 Greatest Hits tour.
Mona
- They opened for Morrissey on 2 dates of his 2011 tour.
Monochrome Set
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey praised their "Strange
Boutique" and "Love Zombies" albums and the song "Lester Leaps In".
Morrissey: "How can anyone get through life without the dear, cuddly
Monochrome Set?" He also transcribed a verse of their song "Ici Les
Enfants" in one of these letters.
- It is speculated that Morrissey's love of the Monochrome Set
might have been one of the reasons why the Smiths signed with Rough
Trade Records in 1983 (they had released three singles on the label a
few years before the creation of the Smiths).
Monro, Matt
- His song "Charade" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- The latter was also probably heard before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- "We're Gonna Change The World" was mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
- He came in at #12 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Morricone, Ennio
- He provided string arrangements on Morrissey's 2006 song "Dear God Please Help Me".
- When questioned about working with Morricone in a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in November 2005 Morrissey answered "Yes, the Maestro came into
the studio with his orchestra and worked on a song called "Dear God
Please Help Me" – which was very flattering because he'd turned so many
multi-million selling pop acts down (I won't mention their names – U2,
David Bowie, etc.), so I was delighted that he said yes to scruffy old
me. In the event, he was very shy, and he was heavily surrounded and
shielded, and there was no way that he and I would end up at the local
pub playing darts. But – that's OK. Life's rich tapestry, and so on."
Morrisseys, The
- It is very unlikely that this folk band ever had any influence on
Morrissey, but they do have a song called "I Will Never Marry" while
Morrissey has one simply titled "Will Never Marry".
Motels, The
- In an interview with Richard Kedzior published online in early 2009,
the latter says Morrissey was a fan of the band The Motels in 1980. A
photo of a very young Morrissey with the Motels' lead singer was also
published alongside the interview.
Mott The Hoople
- Their song "Honaloochie Boogie" was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- Their song "Sea Diver" was chosen by Morrissey as one of his
Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC Radio4 show of that
name in November 2009.
- Morrissey talks about his teenage love of Mott The Hoople in
his autobiography. Amongst other things, he mentions playing "All The
Young Dudes" his father.
- A video of Mott The Hooople was shown before Morrissey concerts on his 2014 tour.
Mr Bloe
- Their song "Groovin' With Mr Bloe" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour and the 1999 Oye Esteban tour.
- "Groovin' With Mr Bloe" was also mentioned by Morrissey in an
interview given during the American leg of the "Maladjusted" tour to Swedish Magazine Pop (published in January 1998 issue).
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose the song "Groovin' With Mr
Bloe".
- On the occasion of re-release of "Everyday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included "Groovin' With Mr Bloe".
Newley, Anthony
- His song "Girls Were Made To Love And Kiss" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- His song "Strawberry Fair" was played during intermission on the 1999 Oye Esteban tour.
- A video of him performing "I'm The Boy You Should Say Yes To" was shown between opening act and Morrissey on dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI, on the Greatest Hits tour and on the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- For more Anthony Newley, have a look at the Under The Influence: actors section.
Newton-John, Olivia
- Her 1974 Eurovision Song Contest entry "Long Live Love" was played
during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI. Morrissey was
going through a Eurovision 'phase' at the time and it is very likely
that song was selected for that reason and not because Morrissey has any
particular fondness for Olivia Newton-John.
- When questioned about lasting musical influences in a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in November 2005 Morrissey joked: "The royal three remain the
same: The New York Dolls, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, with Nico
standing firm as first reserve. Oh, and Olivia Newton-John."
New York Dolls
- Morrissey had many letters in which the New York Dolls (and later
projects by David Johansen and Johnny Thunders/The Heartbreakers) were
praised printed in various music magazines and fanzines
published between September 1975 and November 1977. The ads section of a
December 1976 issue of Sounds includes one where "Dolls / Patti fans
wanted for Manchester-based punk band".
- Their then-unreleased song "Teenage News" was rehearsed by the
Nosebleeds during the short period in 1978 when Morrissey was part of
the (remains of that) band. The decision to tackle this cover was of
course Morrissey's.
- Before becoming famous Morrissey published a biography of the band simply titled The New York Dolls
and was the UK president of their fan club (although he denied the
latter fact at some point in time). The New York Dolls were among the
very first bands that he saw play live.
- A chapter in "James Dean Is Not Dead" - another book Morrissey published - was given the title "Lonely Planet Boy", also the title of a New York Dolls song.
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s
(since leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey praised their song
"Frankenstein".
- Morrissey in interview (source info needed), about seeing them
for the first time: "I was thirteen and it was my first real emotional
experience. The next day I was twenty-nine. The Dolls gave me a sense of
uniqueness, as if they were my own personal discovery."
- Morrissey, in an interview published in the 16 February 1984 issue of Smash Hits: "Five years ago I would have lain on the tracks for them. Now I could never possibly listen to one of their records."
- In an interview published in Melody Maker on 3 November 1984
Morrissey said: "It was just a teenage fascination and I was laughably
young at the time. I always like the Dolls because they seemed like the
kind of group the industry couldn't wait to get rid of. And that pleased
me tremendously. I mean, there wasn't anybody around then with any
dangerous qualities so I welcomed them completely. Sadly, their solo
permutations crushed whatever image I had of them as individuals. Now I
think they're absolute stenchers. "
- In an April 1985 interview to Australian radio Morrissey said
"(...)The music industry hated them and that was good enough for me. I
thought well, yes, that's the group for me. The music industry couldn't
wait to get rid of the New York Dolls, they were quite clamorous and
raucous so many people said they couldn't actually play, which was not
entirely true. But you must remember throughout the periods of '73 and
'74 when they existed, they were quite dank times and they were very...
they were quite stylish times almost in a... offensively stylish, should
I say, and the New York Dolls were just the antidote to everything we
find and I thought that was wonderful (...) I think they were the single
most important group to me as an adolescent."
- In an interview published in The Face in 1985, Morrissey said
"It was the New York Dolls who were the real beginning for me. They were
so precious. (...) I always saw them as an absolutely male group. I
never saw them as being remotely fey or effeminate. They were characters
you simply did not brush aside, like the mafia of rock and roll."
- The lines "driving in your car" and "how can you be drivin'
down by my home, when you know I ain't got one" in the New York Dolls'
song "Lonely Planet Boy" surely inspired similar ones in the Smiths'
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out".
- In an interview given to Rolling Stone magazine in 1986,
Morrissey said "For me, they were the official end of the Sixties. They
were the first sign that there was change, that someone was going to
kick through and get rid of all the nonsense. It gave people hope."
- "What Kind Of Mean Reads Denim Delinquent", an etching found
between the run out grooves of a limited etched edition of Morrissey's
single "Interesting Drug" was a New Yorks Dolls photo caption found on the back of a fanzine from the 1970s.
- Morrissey is seen with a framed photo of the New York Dolls in a photo session published in the NME in 1989.
- In an interview published in The Face magazine in March 1990,
Morrissey said that his song "November Spawned A Monster" "...is my
version of the New York Dolls' 'Frankenstein'."
- They were mentioned by Morrissey as being among his favourite musicians in the 1991 Kill Uncle tourbook.
- Their song "Trash" was covered by Morrissey on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- The New York Dolls original was also played during intermission before some of the latter tour's gigs.
- The intro of the 1991 song "My Love Life" is very similar to the one from the New York Dolls' "Subway Train".
- In an interview published in the 1991 issue of Musician,
Morrissey said "But the center of it all, of course, were the New York
Dolls, who completely destroyed and changed my life. Because, naturally,
if you liked the New York Dolls in England in 1973, and you were 13
pushing 14, you were bound to be faced with national unpopularity.
England absolutely hated the New York Dolls, they though they were the
most absurd rock creation ever. They considered them to be clamorous
transsexuals, which of course was not acceptable, and which of course
they weren't, anyway."
- In an interview given to Mark Kemp and published in the July
1991 issue of Select, Morrissey said "The New York Dolls were my private
'Heartbreak Hotel,' in the sense that they were as important to me as
Elvis Presley was important to the entire language of rock 'n' roll.
They were my only friends. I firmly believed that. I knew those people
intimately. I knew everything about their lives. Of course, I really
didn't, but in my own sheltered way I certainly thought I did. To me,
the New York Dolls were the best group ever to come out of America, and
they were loathed by America at that time. Sadly, they were reasonably
appreciated only after it was too late. The New York Dolls were an early
version of the Sex Pistols, and if Americans and the American music
industry had only been alert enough in 1972 and 1973, the New York Dolls
could have changed so much. But, not to be."
- Their song "Jet Boy" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- It was also played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- Interviewed on Later With Jools Holland in November 1995,
Morrissey said: "They were very violent, intelligent and witty... and
most pop stars are not." He was then given the opportunity to choose a
video to be played on the show, so he picked one by the New York Dolls.
- In concert on 14 September 2002
Morrissey told the audience before going into the encore: "all I ask in
life is that God blesses you, that Nico blesses you, that Radclyffe
Hall blesses you, that Johnny Thunders blesses you, that Oscar Wilde
blesses you..."
- Their song "Trash" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey said "How empty life would have
been without The New York Dolls". He also described how he fell in love
with them and said that they were the "world's most perfect pop group".
- Of the New York Dolls documentary "All Dolled Up", Morrissey
said "An astonishing film, every frame a memory, every song a hit of the
heart. America's most perfect pop group - yes, pop group."
- Singer David Johansen supported Morrissey on a bunch of New York dates on the You Are The Quarry tour in 2004.
- The live performances of "Everyday Is Like Sunday" on the 2004
You Are The Quarry tour were preceded by the first 10 lines from the New
York Dolls' "Subway Train". At the tail end of the tour this intro was instead tagged at the beginning of live performances of "Munich Air Disaster 1958".
- The merchandise on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour included a
black t-shirt featuring Morrissey's name in a New York Dolls' style
lipstick font (view here).
- One New York Dolls song might have been featured in the
intermission music played before gigs on the 2004 You Are The Quarry
tour.
- Their song "Vietnamese Baby" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- Morrissey managed to get the New York Dolls to reform for the
2004 Meltdown festival which he curated. The event was successful enough
that the band then went on to play other concerts. At the time of the
original Meltdown appearance Morrissey had this to say to Time Out
magazine: "I've magnified the importance of The New York Dolls since I
was a small, fat, dull child, and it isn't possible to say too much
about them. The songs were great and still are, and David Johansen looks
and sounds better than ever. Yes, we all wish Johnny Thunders and Jerry
Nolan were still around, but they're not. I think they'd be happy to
know how The Dolls are still loved."
- In a Q&A published in Mojo in 2004, when asked "What is
your all-time favourite album?", Morrissey answered "The New York Dolls
debut album. I think it still has no competition as the most perfect
piece of pop presentation."
- Morrissey appeared in "New York Doll", a 2004 documentary about bassist Arthur Kane.
- When questioned about lasting musical influences in a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in November 2005 Morrissey answered: "The royal three remain
the same: The New York Dolls, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, with Nico
standing firm as first reserve."
- In a 2006 interview given to Mojo, Morrissey said "David
Johansen was so clever for a 19 year old; so witty, literate,
unstoppable and here, finally, it is, on film. It was always frustrating
to me, that the rest of the world wouldn't take the things that were
setting me alight. So it's fascinating that in 2006 it all seems to make
sense."
- Morrissey, on stage in Greenock on 29 April 2006,
after performing his cover of the New York Dolls' "Human Being": "I
realise over the years I've New York Dolled people to death... but I
can't actually help it... I can't help it!"
- Their songs "Bad Detective" and "Pills" were played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Morrissey recorded and released as a b-side his own version of the New York Dolls' "Human Being" in 2006.
- Their song "Showdown" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- A video of them performing "Looking For A Kiss" on Musik Laden
and an interview of member David Johansen were shown between opening act
and Morrissey on dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI
and on the 2007-2008 Greatest Hits Tour and on the 2009 Tour Of
Refusal. The musical performances was also shown on the Swords Tour
later the same year, but not the interview.
- Morrissey, in a Q&A session published on the True-To-You
website in June 2007, on having the New York Dolls at the 2004 Meltdown
festival which he curated: "I often find it hard to believe that it all
happened because I obviously see that isolated 14-year-old in
Manchester in 1973 having no one to talk to about this LP called "The
New York Dolls". I did a montage of Dolls photos for art class and the
teacher was so appalled that she burst into tears and passed it around
to each boy in the class denouncing the sickness and depravity of the
Dolls. This teacher appeared years later on one of those bitchy Smiths
television documentaries, still apparently upset. So, with all of these
things in mind, it's miraculous to jump ahead 30 years and to assess the
chain of events that led to Meltdown. The film, I think, greatly helped
the Dolls' status because everyone who has seen the film loves it even
if they hadn't much cared for the Dolls. I'm no good in the film because
I felt too emotional and I could barely speak. But, me aside, it's so
well done, and must be the best ever rock docu-film. As for Meltdown,
that moment when David, Sylvain and Arthur trooped on - I was standing
up in the balcony, frozen, unable to hold back the tears. David Johansen
later asked me to sing on the new Dolls album, but I had to refuse -
I'm not from New York and I'm not a Doll and I know my place...if
nothing else."
- Their song "Frankenstein" was played during intermission early on the Greatest Hits tour.
- They were picked by Morrissey as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
- They opened for Morrissey for most of the summer festivals he played at in the summer of 2008.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose their song "There's Gonna Be A
Showdown".
- In their 2009 "My Inspiration" promotional campaign, the HMV
record shop chain had a poster showing Morrissey and his chosen quote,
lifted from the New York Dolls' "Frankenstein".
- Something of theirs may have been played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- Their song "(There's Gonna Be A) Showdown" was chosen by
Morrissey as one of his Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC
Radio4 show of that name in November 2009.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included the New
York Dolls' self-titled debut at #1.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included the New York Dolls' "Jet Boy".
- In a 2012 email interview with Juice Online, Morrissey said "I
loved everything about them – their name, their appearance, the songs,
the photo sessions, their irresponsibility and their total lack of
regard for the music establishment. No one had ever been this way
before. They were also very funny, and very tough. ‘Jet Boy’, ‘Trash’,
‘There’s Gonna be A Showdown’ and ‘Looking For A Kiss’ ought to have
been huge hit singles."
- Unsurprisingly, Morrissey's love of the New York Dolls is
covered extensively in his autobiography. He also talks about reuniting
them and his personal relationship with some of its members.
- A video of the New York Dolls was shown before Morrissey concerts on his 2014 tour.
- Morrissey discussed the New York Dolls extensively in an interview given to Louder Than War in January 2015.
Nico
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey praised her song "The
End". He also send his penpal a photocopy of her Desertshore album and
praised the song "All That Is My Own".
- Her "Chelsea Girl", "Desertshore" and "The End" albums were
mentioned by Morrissey as his favourites LPs in 1985's Meat Is Murder
tour programme.
- In an interview published in Select magazine in May 1994 Morrissey said of Nico's "Innocent And Vain": "This is my youth in one piece of music. Don't talk while it's on".
- Biographer Len Brown speculates that Morrissey's "Now My Heart Is Full" might be a response to Nico's "My Heart Is Empty".
- "Le Petit Chevalier" and "Afraid" from her "Desertshore" album
were played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the
release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- Her song "Innocent And Vain" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour, the 1997 Maladjusted tour, the 1999 Oye Esteban tour and the 2002 tour.
- The latter number was also played over the credits at the end of the original television broadcast of a show from the Boxers tour. However it was replaced by another song on "Introducing Morrissey", the video release of that broadcast.
- In a press release for his "Maladjusted" album Morrissey (under the alias Stoney Hando) mentioned Nico's album "Chelsea Girl" as one of his favourites.
- Her song "Frozen Warnings" could be also heard in the
intermission music played before gigs on the 1999 portion of Oye Esteban
tour.
- Her song "You Forgot The Answer" was played during intermission on the 2000 portion of Oye Esteban tour.
- In concert on 14 September 2002
Morrissey told the audience before going into the encore: "all I ask in
life is that God blesses you, that Nico blesses you, that Radclyffe
Hall blesses you, that Johnny Thunders blesses you, that Oscar Wilde
blesses you..."
- Her song "All That Is My Own" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "On the flipside of happy,
the Nico net caught me early. Her voice equalled the sound of a body
being thrown out of a window - entirely with out hope, of this world, or
the next, or the previous. Onstage, she moved like a big bleak creaking
house, never once altering the direction of her eyes. I am in love. Her
harmonium heaves and swells like crashing waves answering each other.
If Nico could've laughed, she would've. But she couldn't, so she
didn't."
- When questioned about lasting musical influences in a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in November 2005 Morrissey answered: "The royal three remain
the same: The New York Dolls, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, with Nico
standing firm as first reserve."
- Her song "Somewhere There's A Feather" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Her songs "Frozen Warnings" and "All That Is My Own" were
included in the intermission music at different times on the 2007
Greatest Hits tour.
- Her song "I'm Not Saying" was chosen by Morrissey as one of his
Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC Radio4 show of that
name in November 2009.
- A video of the latter song was shown before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Nico's
"Chelsea Girl" at #4.
- Morrissey had all his musicians dressed in Nico t-shirts when
he performed on Conan O'Brien's late night programme in November 2011.
- Morrissey mentions in his autobiography his love of Nico's music, particularly the "Chelsea Girl" album.
- A video of Nico was shown before Morrissey concerts on his 2014 tour.
Nitros, The
- Morrissey is seen wearing a Nitros shirt in the video for his "Pregnant For The Last Time" single.
Noise Is The Best Revenge
- This band led by Morrissey's nephew was chosen by the singer as one
of the many to play the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London which he
headlined. The also supported Morrissey for other dates around the same
time.
- They supported Morrissey again in Manchester in May 2009.
Nomi, Klaus
- At the Smiths' very first gig, Klaus Nomi's "The Cold Song" was played before James Maker came on stage and introduced the Smiths in French.
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey played Nomi's "Death".
- The latter song was also mentioned by Morrissey as one of his
favourite singles in 1985's Meat Is Murder tour programme. It was often
mentioned in interviews here and there at the time.
- On the Queen Is Dead tour in 1986 the Smiths' intermission
music played before gigs included his song "Wayward Sisters", and
sometimes also "Death".
- For his first solo concert, a one-off thing in Wolverhampton in December 1988, Morrissey walked on stage following Nomi's "Der Nussbaum". This can be heard on Morrissey's "Hulmerist" compilation of promotional films because it features footage from the latter concert between videos.
- Nomi was mentioned in a list of Morrissey's favourite singers
titled "Bigmouths - The Singer Not The Song" published in the 16
September 1989 issue of the NME.
- On the 1991 Kill Uncle tour and the 1992 Your Arsenal tour Morrissey walked on stage following his song "Wayward Sisters".
- "Death" and "Der Nusbaum" were played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- His song "Der Nussbaum" was played during intermission on the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour.
- His song "Death" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "Klaus Nomi's dismal
dignity placed him beyond the reach of crassly commercial success. His
was a life quite apart from knife-plunging press reviews (as if any pop
writer could ever possibly know). Nomi sang like a man trapped in the
body of a dead girl. 'Death' is his dying speach, after which he was -
quite literlly - led away to die, and early bull's eye for the AIDS
machine-gun. The words have a dreadful ring because they came true, and
so soon: 'remember me remember me but ah, forget my fate'."
- In a Q&A published in Mojo in 2004, when asked "And your
Sunday morning record?", Morrissey answered "'Death' by Klaus Nomi, or
'Lazy Sunday' by The Small Faces."
- His songs "Der Nesbaum" and "After The Fall" were played during
intermission at various points into the 2007 Greatest Hits tour.
- Morrissey walked on stage at the end of "Wayward Sisters" on the UK/France leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- His song "Der Nusbaum" was chosen by Morrissey as one of his
Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC Radio4 show of that
name in November 2009.
- He came in at #4 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Ochs, Phil
- He was mentioned in a Morrissey letter to the NME circa 1977.
- His song "City Boy" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
O'Hara, Mary Margaret
- She is the screaming voice heard in the bridge of Morrissey's
"November Spawned A Monster". She also does back vocals on b-side "He
Knows I'd Love To See Him".
- In a list titled 'Hopes' published in the NME in 1989,
Morrissey included "daydream off to Llandudno with Mary Margaret
O'Hara."
- In an interview published in The Face in March 1990
Morrissey said: "I was massively intrigued by her album. I thought it
so beautiful I suddenly realised I hadn't in a decade heard someone
singing because of deep-set personal neurosis, absolute need and
desperation. You'd think she might fall apart at any second and become a
pile of rags and bones on stage. For the first time in almost a decade I
was 'high' - mentally really, really high. What kept coming back to me
was 'Horses'."
Orange Juice
- In an interview published in GQ magazine in 2005, when asked about his favourite Orange Juice song, Morrissey answered "Felicity".
Ordinary Boys, The
- They were invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated.
- Their song "(Little) Bubble" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life"
given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME. However, according
to his "Autobiography", the decision to include this track may have been
that of the NME who wanted more modern music on the compilation, as he
had selected material that "date[d] back to the Roaring Twenties."
Orlando, Tony
- In his autobiography Morrissey wrote that as a child, "Tony
Orlando's surfs-up voice leaps on Bless You, and I am spirited away
watching and watching as these discs spin, calling up to me."
O'Sullivan, Gilbert
- Morrissey covered his 1970 song "Nothing Rhymed" twice in 2002.
- He has an album titled "Southpaw", which may have something to do with Morrissey naming his 1995 album "Southpaw Grammar".
- Lines from his song "Alone Again (Naturally)" could have inspired Morrissey when he wrote "I Have Forgiven Jesus".
Panics, The
Paper Dolls
- Their song "Something Here In My Heart (Keeps Tellin' Me No)" was
played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release
of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- Interviewed for the 1997 Brit Girls documentary, Morrissey said
"The Paper Dolls were very interesting. They made great records, only
one of which was a hit, called 'Something Here In My Heart (Keeps
A-Tellin' Me No)'. They were from Manchester, they were on the Pye label
and they were great for, god bless them, a year. Then it was back to
Woolworths. A great year... for Woolworths."
(Parry, Hubert / William Blake)
- A version of "Jerusalem" sung by the Borstal inmates in the film
"The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner" was played during
intermission on the 1995 Boxers and Outside tours.
- This can also be heard on the "Introducing Morrissey" live video featuring footage from the Sheffield and Blackpool concerts of that tour.
Part, Arvo
- A performance of his "Tabula Rasa" closed the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated.
Pavone, Rita
- Her song "Heart" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- That song was also included by Morrissey on a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984.
- The song was also mentioned as his favourite in a Q&A published in the 31 January 1985 issue of Smash Hits.
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, her song "Heart" was listed at #3 in the
"yeahs" section.
- The song was again mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- Rita Pavone was mentioned by Morrissey as one of his favourite singers in an interview published in Raygun in March 1994.
- Interviewed for the 1997 Brit Girls documentary, Morrissey said
"She made the best record in the history of... abattoirs. It was called
'Heart', it was on RCA and I think it got to number 12 or 26.
Incredible, absolutely incredible, almost as good as... Tommy Steele."
- In an interview publised in XL magazine in 2006
Morrissey said "When I was six I bought 'Heart' (Cuore) by Rita Pavone.
I still own it. And then...Gigliola Cinquetti, do you know the song
'Yes'? It represented Italy at the eurofestival."
- A video of her song "Cuore" was shown before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
- "Heart" was also mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
- Morrissey (source unknown): "I am very interested in Sandie
Shaw and singers who are similar to her like Timi Yuro and Rita Pavone.
They both suffered a hasty eclipse. It was because of them I wrote my
book 'The History of the Female Voice in Popular Music'. Two publishers
are interested in it."
Phantom Planet
- They supported Morrissey in Los Angeles and Irvine on the latter half of the Oye Esteban tour.
Phranc
Pioneers, The
- Their song "Let Your Yeah Be Yeah" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
Pitney, Gene
- The line "I could never never go back home again" in his song "24
Hours From Tulsa" might have been reused in the Smiths' "Is It Really So
Strange?".
Planet Rockers, The
Pony Club
- They supported Morrissey in London on 18 September 2002 and in Dublin on 2 October 2002.
- Their song "The Thing About Men" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- Their song "Single" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour and before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- The latter song was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life"
given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME. However, according
to his "Autobiography", the decision to include this track may have been
that of the NME who wanted more modern music on the compilation, as he
had selected material that "date[d] back to the Roaring Twenties."
Porter, Cole
- The line "In my own strange way, I've always been true to you / In
my own sick way, I'll always stay true to you" from Morrissey's
"Speedway" may very well have been inspired by one from Cole Porter's
showtune "Always True To You In My Fashion".
Posey, Sandy
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey played "I Take It Back".
- That song was also mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
Prefab Sprout
- In an interview published in Spin in April 1991,
Morrissey said of Prefab Sprout leader Paddy McAloon: "I'm actually a
fan of his; I criticized him recently and slightly regretted it, even
though I believed what I said. I thought the first record that he made
was reasonably priceless."
Presley, Elvis
- Morrissey (interview source unknown): "All but the last five years".
- Live performances of the Smiths' "Rusholme Ruffians" in 1985
and 1986 concerts featured the first two verses of Elvis' "(Marie's The
Name) His Latest Flame" tagged at the beginning as an intro.
- The etching found between the runout grooves of the "Ask" single was "Are you loathesome tonight?", a pun on Elvis' "Are You Lonesome Tonight".
- A photo of Elvis taken in 1955 by his hairdresser was used for the cover of the Smiths' "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" single.
- It is speculated that Presley's song "Is It So Strange?" might
have inspired the Smiths' "Is It Really So Strange?" It features the
words "Is it so strange to be in love with you?". This link to Elvis is
even more likely considering how Elvis' influence on Morrissey and also
on Marr was at its peak at the time this song was written.
- The Smiths have recorded a version of Presley's "A Fool Such As I" during the sessions for the "Girlfriend In A Coma" single, but this was never released.
- Elvis was mentioned in a list of Morrissey's favourite singers
titled "Bigmouths - The Singer Not The Song" published in the 16
September 1989 issue of the NME.
- He is seen on the prison walls in the video for the Morrissey single "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys".
- His song "I Need Your Love Tonight" was played during
intermission on an American leg of the 1991 Kill Uncle tour (and perhaps
more).
- Morrissey's song "Tomorrow" shares the line "tell me that you
love me" with the song "Tomorrow Never Comes", which was popularized by
Elvis and Glen Campbell, amongst others.
- A photo of a smiling Elvis was used as a backdrop here and there on the Your Arsenal tour (view).
- A 1968 film called "Speedway" starred Presley and Nancy
Sinatra. This could just be a coincidence, it might not have anything to
do with Morrissey's song of the same name, although Morrissey did
mention in 1986 that it was his favourite Elvis film.
- Morrissey is seen doing a puzzle of Elvis on the photo used as the cover of the "Oye Esteban" DVD compilation.
- Elvis' song "Tiger Man" was played during intermission on the 2000 Oye Esteban tour.
- The stage backdrop on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour was nine
very tall letters spelling out Morrissey's name, disposed in an arc at
the back. The letters had light bulbs on them. The visual result was
very impressive and reminiscent of Elvis' Comeback Special (view).
- When questioned about lasting musical influences in a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in November 2005 Morrissey answered: "The royal three remain
the same: The New York Dolls, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, with Nico
standing firm as first reserve."
- In a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in February 2006 Morrissey answered the question "Who do you
admire vocally?" with: "I think Elvis Presley had a great voice, and
Frank Sinatra - two obvious choices, perhaps. Neither ever sounded
unsure."
- Coming on stage at the V Festival on 20 August 2006
Morrissey picked up the microphone and sang the first line of Elvis
Presley's "Are You Lonesome Tonight". However attentive ears noticed
that the man actually sang "Are you loathsome to light..."
- Something of his was played during intermission on the summer festivals leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- He came in at #9 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Primitives
- Morrissey was a big fan of their music around 1986. He wore their
"Stop Killing Me" t-shirt on stage at the band's final concert on 12 December 1986.
Procol Harum
Prokofiev
- On live dates from the autumn of 1984 to the end of their career the
Smiths entered stage after the very dramatic "March Of The Capulets"
(aka "Dance Of The Knights") overture from Romeo And Juliet. The
recording used by the Smiths was a 1982 one by the Philadelphia
Orchestra, conducted by Riccardo Muti.
Promise Ring, The
Pullen, Dwight
- His song "Sunglasses After Dark" was featured in the intermission music on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
Queens Of The Stone Age
- Although he never expressed a clear appreciation for this band at
any point in his career, Morrissey was seen attending one of their
concerts in May 2013.
Radcliffe, Jimmy
- His song "(There Goes The) Forgotten Man" was included on
Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the
title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "(...) the imagination
chatters convulsively through Nat Couty's 'Woodpecker Rock', Charlie
Feathers' 'one Hand Loose', Jimmy Radcliffe's 'The Forgotten Man', and
Jay Bee Wasden's 'De Castro'. Of these last four, I would not pretend to
know any background details, but the happiness these songs give me
seems, now, to be everlasting - even if this is music played with a
lop-sided grim, then please hook me."
Railway Children, The
Rakes, The
- In a Q&A published in Uncut magazine in 2006, Morrissey answered the question "The Rakes or The Kooks?" with "The Rakes".
Ramones
- Although Morrissey had letters published in British music magazines
in July and September 1976 in which he spoke negatively of the Ramones,
he wrote positively about them in a letter printed in the 11 December
1976 issue of Melody Maker. They soon became one of his favourite bands.
- "Blitzkrieg Pop" was allegedly almost covered by The Smiths with James in 1985.
- Their song "Beat On The Brat" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- "Judy Is A Punk", "Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue", "I Don't Wanna
Go Down To The Basement", "Loudmouth" and "Today Your Love, Tomorrow
The World" from their debut album were played in 1994 during a Morrissey
signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- Their song "Judy Is A Punk" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- "Beat On The Brat" was also reported as having been played before gigs on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- "Judy Is A Punk" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "In the real world of pop
songs, genius drags the always reluctant world along. Awful to listen to
on first play, the first Ramones album stays beside me almost 30 years
on. A cruel £5.29 on import in 1976, this is an album of criminal
ballads, and 'Judy is a Punk' still sends a shock through the blood,
complete with red-herring lyrical lift from 'I'm Henry the Eighth I Am'
('second verse/it's the same as the first'). At Manchester's electric
Circus to promote their debut album, the Ramones move across the stage
like human remails floating ashore. Smallpox brought them together. Joes
is whooping cough on two impossibly long legs. Someone who has been
murdered in a hospital bed looks better than Joey. The Ramones do
nothing to conceal their disibilities, and once again I am in love."
- Their songs "Carbona Not Glue" and "Why Is It Always This Way?"
were played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- In early 2007 Morrissey announced that he wished to be buried
near Johnny Ramone at the Hollywood Forever cemetary. Morrissey: "I like
that cemetery. I stumbled across Johnny Ramone's stone and thought it
was very nicely placed. (...) I sat there for a long time and I felt
quite good about it. It was nice his bones were under the soil I was
sitting on. So yeah, that's my spot."
- Their song "Cretin Hop" was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- Something of theirs was played during intermission on the UK/France leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- Two photos of Morrissey at Johnny Ramone's grave appeared
alongside an interview of him published in an early 2009 issue of Filter
magazine. Other shots from that session were used for the artwork of
the "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" single released later the same year.
- Their song "Loudmouth" was chosen by Morrissey as one of his
Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC Radio4 show of that
name in November 2009.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included the
Ramones' self-titled debut at #2.
- In a 2012 email interview with Billboard magazine, Morrissey
addressed the contradiction between his early negative opinion of the
band (see above) and his current love for them: "When I bought the
Ramones first album on import, I was enraged with jealousy because I
felt they had booted the Dolls off the map. I was 100% wrong. Three days
after writing that Ramones piece, I realized that my love for the
Ramones would out-live time itself. And it shall. Well, it virtually has
already. If the Ramones were alive today, they'd be the biggest band in
the world. It takes the world 30 years to catch on, doesn't it?"
- Morrissey talks about the discovery of the Ramones and his initial lukewarm appreciation of them in his autobiography.
- A video of the Ramones was shown before Morrissey concerts on his 2014 tour.
- In a 2014 interview to Vegan Logic, Morrissey said: "I thought
they were terrible on the Monday that I bought their first album, and by
Tuesday I was sneaking back to re-listen, and by Wednesday I was
playing the LP at midnight, and by Thursday I was shocked at their
magnificence. It’s incredible how the Ramones are now so hugely popular.
If they were still alive they’d be the biggest band on the planet, yet
they died thinking nobody loved them."
- Morrissey put together the track listing of the 2014 Ramones compilation "Morrissey Curates The Ramones".
(Raudive, Konstantin)
- The "you are sleeping, you do not want to believe" sample at the end
of the Smiths' "Rubber Ring" was taken from his 1971 LP "Breakthrough:
An Amazing Experiment In Electronic Communication With The Dead".
Raudive claimed that he recorded the voices of the dead in laboratory
conditions. The voice however is not his, but that of Nadia Fowler, the
English translator.
Ray, Diane
- It is speculated that her song "Please Don't Talk To The Lifeguard"
might have inspired Morrissey's "Lifeguard Sleeping, Girl Drowning", or
his unreleased song "Lifeguard On Duty".
Ray, Johnnie
- Johnny Ray had a big hit titled "You Don't Owe Me A Thing" which could have inspired the Smiths' "You Don't Owe Me Anything".
- It is speculated that Morrissey wore an hearing aid in the early days of the Smiths as a tribute to him.
- He once did a duet with Timi Yuro who also is one of Morrissey's favourites singers.
- In an interview published in Rorschach Magazine in late
1983/early 1984 Morrissey mentioned that he was quite fond of crooners
such as Johnny Ray, Frank Sinatra and Dennis Lotis.
- His back-up band were called The Four Lads, while Morrissey called his own band Th'Lads around 1991-1992.
- It is speculated that his biggest hit, titled "Cry", may have
influenced Morrissey's "He Cried" because Ray actually wept on stage
when he performed the song.
Raymonde
See James Maker.
Red Cortez
Red Guitars, The
Reed, Lou
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey wrote "As for old Uncle
Lou, 'The Bells' must be his 'meisterwork'."
- A Lou Reed press conference excerpt was shown between opening act and Morrissey on live dates from the tail end of the Tour Of Refusal and on the Swords Tour.
- Morrissey covered his song "Satellite Of Love" on the 2011 tour.
- In an interview to Radionica (Columbia) in early 2012, Morrissey mentioned Lou Reed in a list of artists he was indebted to.
- When Reed died in October 2013, Morrissey wrote had the following letter posted on the True-To-You website: "Oh Lou / why did you leave us this way?
No words to express the sadness at the death of Lou Reed. He had been
there all of my life. He will always be pressed to my heart. Thank God
for those, like Lou, who move within their own laws, otherwise imagine
how dull the world would be. I knew the Lou of recent years and he was
always full of good heart. His music will outlive time itself. We are
all timebound, but today, with the loss of liberating Lou, life is a
pigsty."
- In his autobiography, Morrissey mentions seeing Lou Reed in concert as a teenager.
Reeves, Martha & The Vandellas
- Their song "Third Finger, Left Hand" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- The song was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
Remma
Reparata
- Their song "Shoes" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- In an interview published in the January 2006 issue of Uncut
Johnny Marr confirmed that he and Morrissey were both fans of this song.
This is probably why the intro to "A Rush And A Push And The Land Is
Ours" sounds like the intro of "Shoes".
- See related band the Delrons.
Richard, Cliff
- He was a special guest for a Morrissey concert in New York on 21 June 2014
Righteous Brothers
- With its chorus of "just once in my life let me get what I want",
their song "Just Once In My Life" may have inspired Morrissey when he
wrote "Please, Please, Please, Let Me Get What I Want".
- Morrissey, in an interview to Mojo magazine in 2006: "When I
was a child I was obsessed with 'You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling', the
way the two voices were jumping around, and, when I saw it on Top Of The
Pops, the way [they] would not look at each other and sing those two
parts was extraordinary."
- In a 2006 interview to Uncut magazine, Morrissey said he
"...wanted to be Bobby out of the Righteous Brothers" after seeing them
on television.
- Morrissey talks about his early obsession with the song "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" in his "Autobiography".
- Singer Bobby Hatfield was at #2 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
- In a Q&A published on the True To You website in January
2014, he said that singer Bobby Hatfield was the one who inspired him to
sing: "his falsetto swoop made me jump backwards over the settee." He
also said that he wanted to cover "You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" with
David Bowie but the latter singer declined.
Roe, Tommy
- His song "Sheila" was played during intermission on an American leg of the 1991 Kill Uncle tour (and perhaps more).
Rolling Stones
- Although he never expressed a clear appreciation for this band at
any point in his career, Morrissey was seen attending one of their
concerts in May 2013.
- In his "Autobiography", Morrissey admits not understanding the
appreciation Johnny Marr had for the Rolling Stones during the Smiths
days, but that he had since had a change of heart.
Ronson, Mick
- Ronson was hired by Morrissey to produce his "Your Arsenal" album. This had probably more to do with Ronson's work with David Bowie or Lou Reed than his solo work.
- In a questionnaire published in the January 1995 issue of Q magazine, Morrissey answered the question "When did you last cry and why?" with "Death of Michael R."
- It is rumoured that Morrissey may have written songs for Mick Ronson.
- The February 2013 edition of Uncut magazine features an article
on Mick Ronson including "Morrissey On Mick", an interview with
Morrissey praising the guitarist who produced his "Your Arsenal" album.
Read from scan here.
- Morrissey discusses admiring and working with Ronson in his "Autobiography".
Roxy Music
- Their song "Street Life" was requested by Morrissey in an interview to KROQ in July 1997.
He then said about the band: "Excellent unique sound, a very, very
unique group in their early years. They certainly slipped under water a
bit when they became famous, but this is very unique sound."
- "Street Life" was covered by Morrissey in Karlstad (Sweden) and Oslo
(Norway) on his Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI. The cover was not
particularly well received and Morrissey decided to drop the song from
his set after these two performances.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Roxy
Music's "For Your Pleasure" at #9. The album was later edited out of
this list after Morrissey found out Ferry was a fan of hunting.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included Roxy Music's "Do The Strand".
- In his autobiography, Morrissey talks about his love for early Roxy Music.
- See also Roxy Music member Andy Mackay.
Sack
- They supported Morrissey on the 1999 half of the Oye Esteban tour and on a good portion of the 2002 tour.
- Their song "Colorado Springs" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- It was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- Morrissey mentions his friendship with singer Martin McCann in his "Autobiography".
Safka, Melanie
- Morrissey mentions in "Autobiography" how as a teenager he discovered and was impressed by this folk singer's lyrics.
- She came in at #14 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers"
put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014, despite never
having been mentioned as a favourite before.
- Morrissey said "lately I keep listening to I really loved Harold and also Johnny boy by Melanie Safka" in a Q&A published on the True-To-You website in January 2014.
Sainte-Marie, Buffy
- Morrissey allegedly collects her music, along with contemporaries from the 1970s West coast folk scene such as Joni Mitchell.
- She has a song called "Suffer Little Children" and this could have inspired the title of the Smiths song.
- The line "and everything depends upon how near you stand to me"
in the Smiths' "Hand In Glove" was very likely inspired the line "and
everything depends upon how near you sleep to me" from her song "Bells"
(written by Leonard Cohen).
- She was mentioned in a list of Morrissey's favourite singers
titled "Bigmouths - The Singer Not The Song" published in the 16
September 1989 issue of the NME.
- In an interview published in Q magazine in December 1989
Morrissey said "I can also appreciate people like Buffy Saint-Marie.
(...) Even today I get very excited by Buffy Saint-Marie. I thought she
had a great voice and great passion. (...) A very underrated artist;
there's millions of them."
- Her song "Until It's Time For You To Go" could supposedly be
heard in the intermission music played before gigs on the 1992 Your
Arsenal tour.
- The title of her songs "You're Gonna Need Somebody On Your
Bond" and "Better To Find Out For Yourself" may or may not have
influenced Morrissey's "You're Gonna Need Someone On Your Side" and "Why
Don't You Find Out For Yourself".
- Her song "Codeine" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- She was invited to perform at the 2004 Meltdown Festival which Morrissey curated, but declined.
- Morrissey considered appearing at a Buffy Sainte-Marie tribute
in 2008, but rejected because of his boycott of Canada (the tribute was
held in Montreal). In a statement explaining his decision at the time
Morrissey said "I first bought a Buffy Sainte-Marie record when I was
12, and her music has always remained with me. In the 1960s, as a
political activist, Buffy's lyrics were fearless, and I'm very grateful
for all the risks that she took."
- In an interview given to Stuart Maconie for BBC Radio 2 in
early 2009 Morrissey requested that her song "Soldier Blue" be played.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included "Soldier Blue".
- In an interview to Radionica (Columbia) in early 2012,
Morrissey mentioned Buffy Sainte-Marie in a list of artists he was
indebted to.
- In "Autobiography", Morrissey talks about buying her "Soldier Blue" single and the effect it and its b-side had on him.
- She came in at #8 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Santaolalla, Gustavo
- This Oscar winning Argentinian composer was asked by Morrissey to
produce "Children And Pieces" and "My Dearest Love", b-sides to the "All You Need Is Me" single from 2008.
Satie, Erik
- His piano "Gymnopedies no 1", "Gnossiennes" and others from the
album "After the Rain" were heard before certain concerts on the 1997
Maladjusted tour.
Searchers
- It is speculated that the line "goodbye my love" from the end of the
Smiths' "Death At One's Elbow" was inspired by their song "Goodbye My
Love".
Seress, Rezsõ
- His "Gloomy Sunday" - also known as the "Hungarian Suicide Song" in
English speaking countries - which was recorded by many famous people
over the years features the line "Let them not weep, let them know that
I'm glad to go...", a likely inspiration for the lyrics to the Smiths'
"Asleep".
Sex Pistols
- Morrissey had a letter published
in the 11 December 1975 issue of Melody Maker in which he spoke
negatively of the Sex Pistols. However, after seeing them live in mid
1976, he wrote another letter (published in the NME on 18 June 1976),
this one praising them and comparing them to his beloved New York Dolls.
Then in September 1976 he had a letter published in Sounds in which he
mentions that it is "a joke that the Dolls should be compared to such
notoriously no-talents as the Ramones and the Sex Pistols". He mentioned
them once more in a letter about the state of punk published on 11
November 1976 in Melody Maker.
- Morrissey offered Chris Thomas, the producer of the Sex
Pistols' "Never Mind The Bollocks, Here's The Sex Pistols", to produce
his album "Southpaw Grammar", but he declined.
- In an interview published in the 11 February 2006 issue of the
NME Morrissey was quoted: "I think they changed the world and I'm very
grateful for that. I saw them three times at the very beginning and they
were breathtaking and very necessary and I simply feel gratitude.
Everybody on the planet has shortcomings, and most people can't see it
through, but it doesn't matter because most people give nothing and they
gave so much and they've sustained."
- Morrissey talks about his discovery of the Sex Pistols in his autobiography.
Shangri-La's
- Their song "Give Him A Great Big Kiss" (one of Morrissey's beloved
New York Dolls favourites) was rehearsed by the Nosebleeds during the
short period in 1978 when Morrissey was part of the (remains of that)
band. The decision to tackle this cover was of course Morrissey's. He
didn't alter the gender of the title when he sang it, just like he
wouldn't when covering the Cookie's "I Want A Boy For My Birthday" at
the very beginning of the Smiths.
- The title of their song "He Cried" might have inspired Morrissey for his own.
- Their song "Never Again" was played before concerts during portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
Shapiro, Helen
- Interviewed for the 1997 Brit Girl documentary, Morrissey said
"'Tell Me What He Said' was a great record. 'Don't Treat Me Like A
Child', that's quite revolutionary. No, it's not my theme tune, not
really at the age of 37, but that's what all teenagers were saying at
that time, at the end of the Fifties. Nineteen Sixty One - 'Don't Treat
Me Like A Child'!".
Shaw, Sandie
- In a private letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since
leaked to fans and on the internet), Morrissey mentioned that he was
listening to Sandie Shaw amongst others at that time.
- The line "If you wore rags, you'd still look good to me" in her
song "You've Not Changed" very likely influenced Morrissey when he
wrote the words to "Hand In Glove".
- She was mentioned alongside nine other 'symbolists' in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer",
a list of Morrissey's favourite films, symbolists, records and books
published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME. Her song "Stop
Before You Start" was also mentioned in the 'records' category.
- An article on Sandie Shaw written by Morrissey was published in the 24 December 1983 issue of Sounds Magazine.
- After much insistence from Morrissey and Johnny Marr (Morrissey
wrote to her stating "The Sandie Shaw legend cannot be over yet - there
is more to be done"), Sandie accepted to collaborate with the Smiths on a single
which featured her own versions of the band's "Hand In Glove", "I Don't
Owe You Anything" and "Jeane". This led to her getting on stage two
nights in a row around the time of release of that single to do "I Don't
Owe You Anything" with the band.
- Morrissey and Marr praised her song "Keep In Touch" in letters
to her when they were asking her to collaborate with them. Ironically
that song was the b-side to her single "I Don't Need Anything" and she
would end up recording the similarly titled "I Don't Owe You Anything"
with the Smiths.
- In an early 1984 interview (source unknown), when asked on the
subject of their collaboration, Morrissey said "I met her a few months
ago and it seemed perfectly natural for me to seize the opportunity and
ask her to work with us and she was incredibly eager and incredibly
enthusiastic. She really liked the songs and she was very eager to do
it. So, it's happened and I'm very pleased."
- The title of the Smiths' "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" was
inspired by that of Sandie's "Heaven Knows I'm Missing Him Now". The
song was written and recorded at the same time the band was working with
Sandie on the single
they would release together. On the subject of the inspiration for the
title Morrissey told Len Brown in a 1997 interview for the Brit Girls
documentary: "It was an in-joke. But it was so 'in' that nobody really
got it. It was a private joke between she and me."
- On some dates from the summer of 1984 the Smiths entered stage after her song "Girl Don't Come".
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey played her song "You've Not Changed".
- In an interview published in Melody Maker on 3 November 1984
Morrissey said "To me it was revolutionary. It proved to me that the
gap between artists is really quite slim. The tabloids leaped on the
case with great vigour. They were completely skeptical. 'Sandy how can
you possibly work with these blimps, these obscure characters from
criminal areas of Manchester. How can you possibly soil your slippers?'
So it was horror all round. We think that society is dedicated to the
class system but it's rife throughout the music industry."
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, her song "You've Not Changed" was listed at
#1 and "Today" at #10 in the "yeahs" section.
- It is possible that the "message received" line in the Smiths' "Unloveable" was inspired by her song "Message Understood".
- In an interview given to journalist Len Brown for the NME in
1988, Morrissey defends that "Viva Hate" means "Long Live Hate", which
prompted Brown to speculate that this might be "...Morrissey's comic
response to Sandie Shaw's 1965 hit 'Long Live Love'."
- Her songs "You've Not Changed" and "Voice In The Crowd" as well
as her version of the Smiths' "Jeane" were played during intermission
on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- It is speculated that her 1966 hit "Tomorrow" may have something to do with Morrissey's own song with the same title.
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1997 for the "Brit Girls"
series, Morrissey said: "Sandie, I think, was probably the best of the
lot. Her discography was better, longer than the others. There was
something about her voice, something very... I was going to say cheap
but it was close to cheap. Just something very noisy and natural about
it. I liked her because she was very of the street and off the
street, very unpretentious, and she was quite raucous and though almost.
All the records were (...) all slightly hard on the ears and heavily
orchestrated. Very brassy. I liked that because it sounded like she'd
just walked in off the street and began to sing and then just strolled
home and... bought some chips. (On his favourite Sandie records) There
are so many. I like one, which you won't know, called 'Keep In Touch'.
And 'You've Not Changed', which was a reasonably big hit, that's
probably the best one. The simplicity was very touching. Simplicity with
a hint of aggression... which is always a fantastic mixture. And she
had great b-sides. 'Stop Before You Start'. She was the best!"
- Her song "You've Not Changed" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- The latter song was also mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
- Morrissey (source unknown): "I am very interested in Sandie
Shaw and singers who are similar to her like Timi Yuro and Rita Pavone.
They both suffered a hasty eclipse. It was because of them I wrote my
book 'The History of the Female Voice in Popular Music'. Two publishers
are interested in it."
- Morrissey (source unknown): "It's really quite strange because
as I grew up all the strong female voices of the Sixties seemed to
affect me enormously - certainly none more than Sandie - and it really
became quite a special part of me."
- Unsurprisingly, Morrissey discusses his collaboration with Sandie Shaw in his autobiography.
Sheila Divine, The
Shins, The
- They supported Morrissey in New York on 7 May 2004.
Shocking Blue
- Morrissey requested Shocking Blue's "Mighty Joe" on Russell Brand's radio programme in August 2008.
- He requested the same song again when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- A photo of Morrissey holding a Shocking Blue "Ink Pot" single
appeared with an interview published in a early 2009 issue of Filter
magazine.
- A video of their song "Mighty Joe" was shown before concerts on
portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal and on the Swords Tour later the
same year.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included "Mighty Joe".
- They are mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
Shostakovitch
- The intro to his symphony no. 5 was sampled and looped to produce the basic track of "The Teachers Are Afraid Of The Pupils".
Shrinking Violet
Sigh
Simone. Nina
- One of her songs was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- On portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal, Morrissey walked on
stage at the end of an instrumental piano version of her "You'll Never
Walk Alone".
Simple Minds
- Morrissey mentioned liking "Today I Died Again" in a private letter
to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since leaked to fans and on
the internet).
Sinatra, Frank
- In an interview published in Rorschach Magazine in late 1983/early
1984 Morrissey mentioned that he was quite fond of crooners such as
Johnny Ray, Frank Sinatra and Dennis Lotis.
- Morrissey covered Mancini's "Moonriver" from Breakfast At
Tiffany's. According to an interview he gave to the Independent in June
1994, Sinatra's is his favorite vocal version of the song.
- In an interview given to KCXX in 1998, Morrissey said "I
thought he had patches of brilliance and I thought he gave a great deal
to people. Lots of people didn't like him as a person I gather and the
eulogies in England were very, very bad but I think he was one of the
greatest."
- His "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" duet with Celeste Holm was played during intermission on the 1999 Oye Esteban tour.
- On the 1999-2000 Oye Esteban tour his classic "My Way" was
heard after Morrissey's gigs, as the fans exited the venue. This was
also the case for most of the 2002 tour and all of the 2004 You Are The
Quarry tour. Morrissey returned to it again on the 2009 Swords Tour.
- When questioned about lasting musical influences in a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in November 2005 Morrissey answered: "The royal three remain
the same: The New York Dolls, Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, with Nico
standing firm as first reserve."
- In a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in February 2006, Morrissey answered the question "Who do you
admire vocally?" with: "I think Elvis Presley had a great voice, and
Frank Sinatra - two obvious choices, perhaps. Neither ever sounded
unsure."
- "That's Life" was played after Morrissey gigs, as the fans
exited the venue on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI, on the 2007-2008
Greatest Hits tour and on the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
Sinatra, Nancy
- Her song "How Does That Grab You?" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- A 1968 film called "Speedway" starred Elvis Presley and Nancy
Sinatra. This could just be a coincidence and have nothing to do with
Morrissey's song of the same name.
- At Morrissey's request she appeared in the 2003 documentary "The Importance Of Being Morrissey".
- At Morrissey's invitation she recorded a version of his song
"Let Me Kiss You" which was released as a single on Morrissey's own
label Attack on the very same day he released his own version as a single.
- Her version of Morrissey's "Let Me Kiss You" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- She was invited by Morrissey to perform at the 2004 Meltdown
festival which he curated. In an interview published in Time Out
magazine at the time Morrissey said "The songs of Nancy Sinatra are full
of heart. She has a timeless style and nothing ever dates it."
- She supported Morrissey in Los Angeles on 11 November and 12 November 2004.
- In his "Autobiography", Morrissey praises her and talks about their friendship and working with her.
- Nancy appears in the promotional video for the 2014 song "World Peace Is None Of Your Business".
Siouxsie And The Banshees
- Their song "Mirage" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- The latter song was also supposedly included in the intermission music on the 1992 Your Arsenal tour.
- "Playground Twist", "Mother/Oh Mein Papa" and "The Lord's
Prayer" from their album "Join Hands" were played in 1994 during a
Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- A cover of Timi Yuro's "Interlude" was recorded and released as a single in 1994 by Morrissey in duet with Siouxsie.
- "Mother/Oh Mein Papa" was also played during intermission on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- Their song "Eve White / Eve Black" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- "Spellbound" was played at Morrissey's request during an interview to KROQ on 6 July 1997.
On the subject he told them that "they were one of the great groups of
the late 70s, early 80s and very underrated, I think. Siouxsie and the
Banshees were excellent."
- Solo Siouxsie was picked by Morrissey as a guest when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
- Something of theirs was played during intermission on the summer festivals leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- He requested that their song "Mother" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- Something of theirs may have been played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- In his "Autobiography", Morrissey had great words to say about
Siouxsie the artist, but not so much about their professional
relationship.
Slits
- Their song "Love Und Romance" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- Singer Ari Up was invited by Morrissey to perform at the
Meltdown festival which he curated in 2004. In an interview published in
Time Out at the time, he said: "Ari Up has, I think, remained her true
self. The Slits were about the shock of selfrecognition. As a meagre
fan, I would've loved four, five or six albums instead of just the one."
- In a Q&A published in Uncut magazine in 2006, Morrissey answered the question "Banarama or Girls Around?" with "The Slits".
- Their song "Love Und Romance" was included in the intermission music on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
Small Faces
- Their song "Lazy Sunday" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- In a Q&A published in Mojo in 2004, when asked "And your
Sunday morning record?", Morrissey answered "'Death' by Klaus Nomi, or
'Lazy Sunday' by The Small Faces."
- The latter song was also mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's autobiography.
Small, Millie
- Interviewed for the 1997 Brit Girls documentary, Morrissey said
"Incredible. 'My Boy Lollipop' was about one minute 10 seconds long.
Fantastic record. Incredibly energetic and spicy and... pert. People
don't sing like that any more apart from me."
- A video of her song "My Boy Lollipop" was shown before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
Smith, Bessie
- A cover of her song "Wake Up Johnny" was sent as a demo by Morrissey to Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon in the early 1980s.
Smith, Hurricane
- His song "Don't Let It Die" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
Smith, Patti
- In a letter
published in a British music magazine on 21 July 1976 Morrissey wrote
"The New York Dolls and Patti Smith have proved that there is some life
pumping away in the swamps and gutters of New York and they are the only
acts which originated from the N.Y. club scene worthy of any praise."
- In a letter to the editor published by the NME in early 1976
Morrissey wrote: "...in these dark days when Patti Smith, Loudon
Wainwright or even the New York Dolls fail to make an impact on Radio 1
DJs, common sense is therefore not so common."
- In a letter
published in Sounds on 25 September 1976 Morrissey wrote "Horses by
Patti Smith has virtually no competition as the most exciting rock album
of the year and it shows more potential than just about any other
release in recent memory. There is no 'beat on the brat' nonsense. Patti
is intriguing without being boring and every track is laced with her
own brand of sardonic humour."
- She was also mentioned positively by Morrissey in a letter printed in the 11 November 1976 issue of Melody Maker.
- The ads section of a December 1976 issue of Sounds includes one
where "Dolls / Patti fans wanted for Manchester-based punk band",
attributed to Morrissey.
- Morrissey attended a fanzine press conference (to promote her album "Easter") in February 1978.
- Morrissey and Marr first met at a Patti Smith concert on 31
August 1978 but it would be another 4 years until they would meet again
and form the Smiths.
- Morrissey supposedly took a trip to New York City in 1979 to attend a Patti Smith poetry reading event.
- It has been speculated that her name was one of the many reasons why Morrissey wanted to call his first band the Smiths.
- Her song Kimberly was an inspiration (mostly musically, but
also lyrically) on Morrissey and Marr when they wrote "The Hand That
Rocks The Cradle". Johnny Rogan's "The Visual Documentary" shows a copy
of a set list from The Smiths' first rehearsal and next to the chords to
"The Hand That Rocks the Cradle" Johnny Marr had written "Kimberly".
- Her song "Fire Of Unknown Origin" was mentioned by Morrissey in
1985's Meat Is Murder tour programme as one of his favourite singles.
- According to biographer Len Brown Sandie Shaw was encouraged by Morrissey and Marr in 1986 to cover Patti Smith's "Frederick".
- Her song "Hey Joe" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
- In an interview to XL magazine in 2006 Morrissey said "Her first four albums changed everything. They changed me."
- Her song "Frederick" was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Morrissey included a cover of her song "Redondo Beach" in his sets in late 2006. A live recording from that period was featured on his live album "Live At Earls Court" and released as a single.
- In a Q&A session published on the True-To-You
website in June 2007 Morrissey said "As for 'Redondo Beach', I've
always said how Patti Smith's 'Horses' album changed my life. When I
told Patti I had released it as a single she said it wouldn't chart
because of the 'Patti Smith curse', but we just missed the top ten by a
few copies, even though, as always, zero airplay. I also had it in my
mind that the opening line was 'let it be known,' which it isn't, it's
'late afternoon'."
- Morrissey biographer Len Brown suggests that a famous Robert
Mapplethorpe photograph showing Patti Smith with the words "Pasolini est
vie" next to her probably inspired the line "Pasolini is me" in
Morrissey's "You Have Killed Me".
- Her song "Redondo Beach" was played during intermission music on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Patti
Smith's "Horses" at #3.
- In an interview to Radionica (Columbia) in early 2012, Morrissey mentioned Patti Smith in a list of artists he was indebted to.
- She supported Morrissey on his 1 March 2013 concert in Los Angeles.
- Morrissey talks about the discovery of Patti Smith and her "Horses" album in his autobiography.
Smiths, The (!)
- The band was slotted by Morrissey at #1 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
Smoking Popes
- In an interview given to KROQ on 6 July 1997
Morrissey asked that their song "Need You Around" be played. He then
mentioned how he thought that their album "Destination Failure" was
excellent.
- They supported Morrissey on the second American leg of the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- Their song "Midnight Moon" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- Their song "Writing A Letter" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- In an interview published in GQ magazine in 2005,
when asked about the Smoking Popes album "Born To Quit", Morrissey
replied "It's my ninth favourite album... but you'll never find a copy."
- Their cover of "You'll Never Walk Alone" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Their song "Rubella" was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- He requested that their song "If You Don't Care" be played when he was interviewed by Janice Long in October 2008.
- Something of theirs was played during intermission on the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included the
Smoking Popes' "Born To Quit" at #11.
Snow, Hank
- His "Old Shep" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- It was also played before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
Soil
Sons And Daughters
- They were Morrissey's support band in England and Europe during the first few months of his Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Soundgarden
- Morrissey attended a Soundgarden concert in February 2013.
Sparks
- Morrissey had a letter praising their "Kimono My House" album published in the 14 June 1974 issue of the NME.
- He also published an article praising the band in a Scottish fanzine called Next Big Thing in 1979.
- The line "The rain is pouring on the foreign town, the bullets
cannot cut you down" from Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both
Of Us" was very likely an influence on the line " The rain falls hard on
a humdrum town, this town has dragged you down" in the Smiths' "William
It Was Really Nothing".
- Their song "Beaver O'Lindy" features the line "The London
that's dead, the London that's dead", which Morrissey may have adapted
for "Glamorous Glue" ("London is dead, London is dead").
- Their song "Arts And Crafts Spectacular" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- A previously unreleased version of the latter song was included
on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under
the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "In a glorious surge of
deserved success in 1974, the very comprehensive lyric sheets
accompanying Sparks albums prove that Ron Mael is clearly driven to
tell, yet he answers the media by skillfil Quietism and by impersonating
various walls. Ron Mael is an undoubted genius, and where else would a
true genius live but in the catacombs of hell? Ron asks his younger
brother Russell to sing the words - in chilling falsetto. Russell sings
in what appear to be French italics, and has less facial hair that
Josephine Baker. It is a scream, because the songs are screams. (...)
Who on earth would write a pop song in such a way? A song about an arts
and crafts competition where 'lovely Claudine Jones/has to come to push
her quilt', but where Tracy Wise gets a prize. There is no category for
this madness - except the category of madness, and Sparks are only let
down by their name. At 14, I want to live with these people, to be - at
last! - in the company of creatures of my own species."
- Their song "Thank God It's Not Christmas" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- Their song "Barbecutie" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks titled "Songs To Save Your Life" given away with the 19 June 2004 issue of the NME.
- Morrissey asked Sparks to perform their "Kimono My House" album
entirely for the 2004 Meltdown festival which he curated. In an
interview published in Time Out magazine at the time he said: "In 1974
the whirling rhythms of 'Kimono My House' by Sparks completely stopped
me in my tracks. Russell, I thought, had the most beautiful female voice
in pop music, and Ron was and still is like an abandoned
ventriloquist's doll. Lines such as 'You mentioned Kant and I was
shocked/Because where I come from none of the girls have such foul
tongues' were, to me, magnificently funny. Mind you, I was quite ill at
the time."
- In an interview published in the January 2006 issue of Uncut,
Marr said that he and Morrissey were both fans of "This Town Ain't Big
Enough For Both Of Us".
- Their song "Alabamy Right" was played during intermission early on the Greatest Hits tour.
- When invited to play his favourite bands on KCRW's Guest DJ
Project in August 2008, Morrissey chose their song "Moon Over Kentucky".
- The video for their song "Lighten Up Morrissey" was shown during intermission on portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- Their song "Something For The Girl With Everything" was played before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
- A video of their song "This Town Ain't Big Enough For The Both Of Us" was shown before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included Sparks'
"Kimono My House" at #6.
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included the Sparks' "This Town Ain't Big
Enough For Both Of Us".
- Morrissey talks about his discovery of Sparks in his autobiography and even quotes from some of their lyrics.
Springfield, Dusty
- Her song "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- Interviewed for the 1997 Brit Girls documentary Morrissey said
"Dusty was incredibly important. (...) Dusty singing 'The Corrupt Ones'
in 1966 or 1967 was thin ince, and there was Dusty skating on it. (...)
She made many great records but I think she seemed to be older than
everyone else, more sensible and more liked by the older generation,
which wasn't necessarily off-putting but... could be."
- In a 2012 email interview to the Columbus Dispatch, Morrissey
said "Wikipedia names Dusty Springfield as my first influence. I don’t
actually think I’ve ever even mentioned her name — and I was never
remotely a fan."
- Morrissey interviewed (source unknown): "(...) Dusty
Springfield just made too many bad records, awful things like 'Son Of A
Preacher Man' which completely went against her original introductory
records which are timeless."
Springwater
- Their song "I Will Return" was played during intermission on the
Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI and early on the Greatest Hits tour.
Stefani, Gwen
- As he was introducing his newest single "I Just Want To See The Boy Happy" during the 10 December 2006
concert in Luxembourg and complaining about its poor performance in the
charts, Morrissey said "Well #1 is just impossible, no airplay,
blah-blah-blah-blah, Gwen Stefano, Gwen Stefano, waaargghh... actually
she's not too bad..." After the song's performance he returned to the
subject: "So one final confession, one final confession, I like Gwen
Stefano, I do, I do, I do, I do, I do..."
Sterling, Linda
See Ludus.
Stinky Toys
- Their song "Boozy Creed" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Stockholm Monsters, The
Stooges and Iggy Pop
- The Stooges songs "Your Pretty Face is Going to Hell" and "Search
And Destroy" were played during intermission music at various points
into the Greatest Hits tour.
- Their song "Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell" was chosen by
Morrissey as one of his Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC
Radio4 show of that name in November 2009.
- In an interview to Radionica (Columbia) in early 2012, Morrissey mentioned Iggy Pop in a list of artists he was indebted to.
- Morrissey talks about the discovery of Iggy & The STooges and their "Raw Power" album in his autobiography.
Storm, Gale
- Her song "Lucky Lips" was a hit in May 1959 when Morrissey was born.
Morrissey recorded a song titled "Lucky Lisp" which has led to some
speculation by certain fans and biographers. It must be said that Cliff
Richard also recorded a song with that title.
Stranglers, The
- They have a song called "Dagenham Dave", but there is no reason to
believe it had any influence on the creation of Morrissey's song of the
same name. Morrissey has never otherwise mentioned the Stranglers.
Stubbs, Levi
- He came in at #10 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up
on the True To You website on 1 January 2014, despite never having been
mentioned as a favourite before.
Suede
- Championed by Morrissey in 1992, Morrissey sang his own version of
their early b-side "My Insatiable One" at concerts that same year.
- In an interview to Modern Rock Live in 1992 Morrissey said that
Suede were one of the two modern bands he was in love with, specifying
"something to become excited by".
- Morrissey quickly fell out with the band as they gained notoriety.
Sundays, The
- At the V Festival on 19 August 2006,
after bowing alongside his musicians, Morrissey found a way of
mentionning the bad weather and his return to England by beginning his
set singing a few lines from their song "Can't Be Sure": "England my
England / The home of the free / Such miserable weather..."
Sundown Playboys
- Their song "Saturday Nite Special" was included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence". In the liner notes of that album Morrissey described how he discovered and fell in love with the song.
- The latter song was also played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- On the occasion of re-release of "Everyday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included "Saturday Nite Special".
- In his "Autobiography", Morrissey discusses the trouble of getting the rights to include "Saturday Nite Special" on the "Under The Influence" cd.
Supremes
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included the Supremes' "I'm Livin' In Shame".
System Of A Down
- Their song "Lonely Day" was played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- In a 2012 email interview to news.com.au, Morrissey mentioned the latter song as being "the last song I absolutely loved".
- In a 2012 email interview to the Village Voice, he said of the
latter song: "It caught me in the right way at the right moment. I like
the band generally, and the main vocals (by Serj Tankian) always have
interesting tunings, almost Arabic, sounding like ancient codes for
bewailing the dead or something. Although 'Lonely Day' wasn't sung by
Serj."
Tams
- Morrissey appears to be a fan of their song "Be Young, Be Foolish,
Be Happy" and not necessarily a fan of the band. He ended a private
letter to penpal Robert Mackie in the early 80s (since leaked to fans
and on the internet) with the words of the song's title.
- The song was mentioned alongside nine others in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey chose to include that song in his top ten.
- In an interview published in The Face in 1985
Morrissey that he loved this song "...because of the sentiment. Not
that I could ever relate to it. But then maybe that's why I found it so
appealing in the first place."
- In a Q&A published in Mojo in 2004, when asked "What is
your favourite Saturday night record?", Morrissey answered "'Be Young,
Be Foolish, Be Happy' by The Tams."
- On the occasion of re-release of "EVeryday Is Like Sunday",
Morrissey's Facebook page created a Spotify playlist of Morrissey
'Supreme 13 Singles' which included "Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy".
Taylor, Vince
- A video of him performing "Twist It" was shown between opening act and Morrissey on dates from the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI, the Greatest Hits tour of 2007-2008 and on portions of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
Telephone Boxes, The
Television Personalities
- Their song "Part-Time Punks" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
Thrills
- Their song "One Horse Town" was played during intermission on the 2002 tour.
- They supported Morrissey in London on 17 September 2002 and in Dublin on 3 October 2002.
Tiger Army
- They were the support band on a few Morrissey dates in the USA and
England at the very beginning of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
Tillotson, Johnny
- His song "Send Me The Pillow You Dream On" seems to have inspired
the last lines in the Smiths' "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others". It
must be said that many other people have recorded versions of this song,
including Charlie Feathers (see higher in this list) and Dean Martin.
Toys, The
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published in
No.1 magazine in 1985, their song "Lover's Concerto" was listed at #9 in
the "yeahs" section.
- Their song "Attack" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
Traffic
- Their song "Hole In my Shoe" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- The band was also mentioned by Morrissey in an interview given during the American leg of the "Maladjusted" tour to Swedish Magazine Pop (published in the January 1998 issue).
Travis
- In an interview given to KROQ on 6 July 1997 Morrissey mentioned this (then) new band as being one of his current favourites.
T.Rex / Tyrannosaurus Rex / Marc Bolan
- According to the Meat Is Murder tour programme the first concert
Morrissey attended was T-Rex at the Manchester Bellevue in July 1972.
- T-Rex's "Metal Guru" was an obvious inspiration on the Smiths' "Panic".
- Some T-Rex was played between the opening artist and the Smiths on the band's final date on 12 December 1986.
- In an interview published in the NME on 13 February 1988
Morrissey said of the Smiths' song "Paint A Vulgar Picture": "It was
about the music industry in general, about practically anybody who's
died and left behind that frenetic fanatical legacy which sends people
scrambling. Billy Fury, Marc Bolan..."
- The song "The Visit" features a repeated chorus of "Truly I do
love you", a line Morrissey used in his own "Late Night, Maudlin
Street".
- In an interview given to journalist Len Brown (date/source
needed), Morrissey said "Marc Bolan was very important to me. Extremely
important. He made some great records, even before he became famous,
before he bacame the teeny bopper star. His earlier stuff, with
Tyrannosaurus Rex, I found really moving. These records are still very
important to me. (...) To me he was pretty inexplicable and he seemed
very lonely and mixed up and confused. And I'd never seen that in pop
music before." Morrissey also said in that interview that he has
pilgrimaged to where Marc Bolan died in a car accident.
- Morrissey performed a cover of T-Rex's "Cosmic Dancer" on his Kill Uncle tour. He released a live recording from the 1 May 1991 show as a b-side on the "Pregnant For The Last Time" single and a different live recording, this one from 1 June 1991, on his anthology "My Early Burglary Years".
- The T-Rex songs "Metal Guru" and "Cosmic Dancer" were played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- In an introduction for the 1992 Marc Bolan biography "Marc
Bolan, Wilderness Of The Mind" Morrissey wrote: "I can't cleverly
theorize about Marc; I just loved him, and any judgement of him
ultimately sways to a favourable conclusion. (...) I cried to certain
songs before I even knew the words. (...) My indispensables are
"Prophets, Seers And Sages," "My People Were Fair," and "T. Rex," with
"Metal Guru" as the moment of complete perfection."
- Morrissey's "Certain People I Know" was musically inspired by T-Rex's "Ride A White Swan". The 7" promo to the latter single
was actually designed to look like a T-Rex record and Morrissey would
refer to the song as "Certain White Swans I Know" in live performances
of the song on the Your Arsenal tour.
- The T-Rex song "Telegram Sam" was played during intermission on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- The Tyrannosaurus Rex song "King Of The Rumbling Spires" was played during intermission on the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- The Tyrannosaurus Rex song "Great Horse" was included on
Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the
title "Under The Influence".
In the liner note to that album Morrissey wrote "However Bo(b) (dy)lan
remains - in my mind's ear - the sound of late 1960's Notting Hill
bedsits, unsuitable daytime heat in busy London Parks, the future not
yet behind us, and we are on our way. I see T. Rex live in 1972, and I
meet the singer three years later, when I request the binding autograph,
and although there is no one but he and I around for miles, the
Stamford Hill boy declines the request. Just too much trouble. I am
still amazed at the brevity of Marc Bolan's success, and at the speed of
his decay, and by how people who knew him never seem to say anything
nice about him. But, weren't we made to be this way?"
- The T-Rex song "The Groover" was played during intermission on the 2004 You Are The Quarry tour.
- Something by T-Rex or Marc Bolan was played before concerts at the tail end of the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- The T-Rex song "The Broken-Hearted Blues" was played during intermission early on the Greatest Hits tour.
- T.Rex are mentioned as an early favourite in Morrissey's
autobiography. Amongst other things, he mentions being turned down by
Marc Bolan when he asked him for an autograph.
Tucker, Sophie
Twinkle
- Twinkle's song "Golden Lights" was covered by The Smiths.
- Lines from her song "Terry" were adapted for early drafts of the Smiths' "Paint A Vulgar Picture".
- Her song "Terry" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- Her version of "Golden Lights" was played during intermission on the 1991 Kill Uncle tour.
- In an interview for the Brit Girls documentary first broadcast
late 1997 (UK, Channel 4), Morrissey said "Twinkle was trouble and
that's why she was so interesting. Her major hit 'Terry' was a death
disc and was banned by the BBC. She wasn't allowed on Ready, Steady, Go!
because the song was too morbid. So obviously I bought 12 of them. It
reached number four. Great tune, great words. Very unusual to have a
teenager singing about death and she also wrote most of her own stuff.
So Twinkle was amusing and interesting and don't-blink-or-you'll miss
her. Sometimes little spurts of career can be more important than
careers that go on for hundreds of years. (On why the Smiths covered her
song 'Golden Lights') Because it reminded me of the Gene Pitney
backstage 'I'm lonely' type drama. I thought it was very dramatic. (...)
So 'Golden Lights' was just a slight interesting twisty insight into
the perils of fame and change and all the great things that happen to
you when you are no longer anonymous."
- In a Q&A session published on the True-To-You
website in June 2007 Morrissey wrote: "Everything has its place and its
reason. Certainly, the early Smiths covers, for example 'Work is a
four-letter word' and 'Golden lights' were done as acts of playful
perversity - they weren't meant to be groundbreaking miracles of sound.
And that's usually how it is, just a matter of throwing something
unexpected into the mix."
Upshaw, Dawn
- She came in at #13 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up
on the True To You website on 1 January 2014, despite never having been
mentioned as a favourite before.
Velvelettes
- Their song "Needle In A Haystack" was rehearsed by the Nosebleeds
during the short period in 1978 when Morrissey was part of the (remains
of that) band. The decision to tackle this cover was of course
Morrissey's.
- The latter song was also suggested as a possible cover version
to Slaughter And The Dogs after Morrissey auditioned for them in the
late 1970s (although Morrissey denies ever auditioning for them).
Velvet Underground
- Their song "That's The Story Of My Life" may have inspired the last line of the Smiths' "Half A Person"
- Their song "The Black Angel's Death Song" was played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour.
- "The Black Angel's Death Song" was also played during intermission on the third American leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- Their "Black Angel's Death Song" was chosen by Morrissey as one
of his Desert Island Discs on his appearance on the BBC Radio4 show of
that name in November 2009.
- Their songs "Sister Ray", "The Gift" and "I Heard Her Call My Name" were played before concerts on the 2009 Swords Tour.
- On the occasion of Friday the 13th August 2010, Morrissey sent
to thequietus.com a list of his top 13 albums, which included the Velvet
Underground's "White Light/White Heat" at #7 and "The Velvet
Underground And Nico" at #8.
- Morrissey in interview (source needed): "I spent my entire twelfth year locked in my bedroom with 'All Tomorrow's Parties'."
- Also see solo members Lou Reed and Nico.
Verbow
Village, The
Wainwright, Loudon III
- He was praised by Morrissey in at least two letters to the NME editor in 1977.
- Morrissey quoted from his song "Uptown" in his book "The New York Dolls".
- He was invited by Morrissey to perform at the Meltdown festival
which he curated in 2004. In interview to Time Out magazine at the
time, Morrissey said: "Loudon Wainwright is an honoured guest."
- Morrissey mentions in his autobiography to have come up with
the name T-Shirt for a pre-Smiths band (now incorrectly referred to as
the Nosebleeds) through that of a Loudon Wainwright album.
Warwick, Dionne
- Her song "Loneliness Remembers What Happiness Forgets" was mentioned in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
Wasden, Jaybee
- His song "De Castrow" was played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- That song was also played during intermission on the 1995 Boxers tour and the 1997 Maladjusted tour.
- The song was also included on Morrissey's compilation of favourite tracks released in 2003 under the title "Under The Influence".
In that album's liner notes Morrissey wrote: "(...) the imagination
chatters convulsively through Nat Couty's 'Woodpecker Rock', Charlie
Feathers' 'one Hand Loose', Jimmy Radcliffe's 'The Forgotten Man', and
Jay Bee Wasden's 'De Castro'. Of these last four, I would not pretend to
know any background details, but the happiness these songs give me
seems, now, to be everlasting - even if this is music played with a
lop-sided grim, then please hook me."
Well-Oiled Sisters
- They supported Morrissey in the UK and Europe on the final leg of the 1992 Your Arsenal tour.
Wigan's Ovation
- In an interview given to journalist Len Brown in 1988, Morrissey
discussed this band's three singles and answered the question "So you
were into all that?" with "Oh, completely. As a spectator. Yes,
definitely Wigan's Ovation and Chicory Tip." This was published in
Brown's biography "Meetings With Morrissey".
Wombats, The
- They were picked by Morrissey as guests when he headlined the 2008 O2 Wireless Festival in London.
Wood, Victoria
- The words to the Smiths' "Rusholme Ruffians" are without doubt
'taken on loan' from her song "Fourteen Again" ("Free rides on the
waltzers off the fairground men", "the last night of the fair", "behind
the generator with your coconut, the coloured lights reflected in the
Brylcreem in his hair", "tattoo myself with a fountain pen", "When I was
funny, I was famous").
- Morrissey also drew words from others songs by Victoria Wood,
such as "Northerners" ("brass-money") and "Funny How Things Turn Out"
("my faith in myself is still devout"; "sing Lerner and Lowe to the
mentally ill").
- In 1985, Morrissey jokingly spread the rumour that she and him
would be married before the end of the year. She played along and said
that they "have been married for eleven months, though owing to touring
commitments, we have not yet met."
- In 1986, Morrissey said that she was that year's most wonderful human being. (source needed)
Woodentops
Workman, Hawksley
Would-Be's
- They supported Morrissey in Dublin on 27 April 1991, the very first date of the Kill Uncle tour.
- In a Morrissey Q&A posted on website True-To-You
in January 2006 Morrissey said: "Years ago, in Dublin, The Would-Be's
ran on, looked at the crowd, and then immediately ran off. That didn't
quite work..."
Wyngarde, Peter
- On his 2009 appearance on UK television programme Friday Night with
Jonathan Ross, Morrissey gave Ross a copy of a Peter Wyngarde LP.
Wynne, Philippé
- He came in at #3 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up
on the True To You website on 1 January 2014, despite he or his band the
Spinners never having been mentioned as a favourite before.
X-Ray Spex
- Their song "The Day The World Turned Dayglo" was played during intermission on the 1995 dates promoting "Southpaw Grammar".
- Their song "Cigarettes" was played during intermission on the 1999 Oye Esteban tour.
- Their song "Warrior In Woolworth's" was played during intermission on the 2000 Oye Esteban tour.
Young, Kristeen
- She was Morrissey's opening act for all dates from the middle of
2006 to (almost) the end of 2007. She was set to support Morrissey again
once in Oakland in April 2009, but that concert ended up being
cancelled.
- Morrissey released her single "Kill The Father" b/w "Life's Not Short, It's Sooooo Long" on his Attack label in August 2006. He said of the a-side that it was "the best song I've heard for 50 years".
- "Kill The Father" was played during intermission on the Tour Of The Tormentors MMVI.
- Morrissey released her single "London Cry"/"This Is The Dawn Of My D-Day" on his Attack label in December 2006.
- She has lent vocals to Morrissey's b-Side "Sweetie-Pie," and has recorded a vocal part on "That's How People Grow Up".
- In a Q&A published on the True-To-You website in July 2006 Morrissey said: "Kristeen, I think, will soon be bigger than life. To me, she already is."
- In a Q&A published on the True-To-You
website in September 2006 he said: "Kristeen is a dramatic woman -
monumental vocal gifts, unwalkable heels, hypnotic way with the
keyboard, and underneath it all she is still 16 (and a half.) I
watch her set every night and I am dazed. I was thrilled by audience
reactions to Kristeen - especially in Iceland and Italy where their
intakes of breath could be heard as Kristeen ripped into the high notes.
She is an artist who adapts the world to her own needs, which I
appreciate. There's no other way."
- An article published in the Guardian in 2007 features Morrissey talking about Kristeen Young, and vice versa.
- The title line in "All You Need Is Me" might have been inspired by a line in Kristeen's song "No Other God".
- Something of hers was played during intermission on the UK/France leg of the Greatest Hits tour.
- "You Must Love Me" was played during intermission on a portion of the 2009 Tour Of Refusal.
- She supported Morrissey on the latter half of his 2011 tour and on most dates in 2012, 2013 and 2014.
- Morrissey praised her and her art at length in his "Autobiography".
Young, Neil
- Morrissey has never mentioned appreciating the work of Neil Young,
but his song "Revolution Blues" features the lines "you never see us"
and "keep the population down" which appear in Morrissey's "Ambitious
Outsiders".
Young The Giant
- Morrissey expressed his admiration for the band in a missive to the True To You website on 1 June 2011.
Yuro, Timi
- Her song "Insult To Injury" was mentioned with nine other records in a list titled "Portrait Of The Artist As A Consumer", Morrissey's top ten films, symbolists, records and books published in the 17 September 1983 issue of the NME.
- On a radio programme called My Top Ten broadcast in October 1984 Morrissey played that song
- In 1985's Meat Is Murder tour programme Morrissey wrote that she was his favourite singer.
- In "Yeahs And Yeuks", a list of loved and hated songs published
in No.1 magazine in 1985, her song "Insult To Injury" was listed at #2
in the "yeahs" section.
- "Insult To Injury" was mentioned again in a list of Morrissey favourites titled "Singles To Be Cremated With" published in the 16 September 1989 issue of the NME.
- She was mentioned in a list of Morrissey's favourite singers
titled "Bigmouths - The Singer Not The Song" published in the same issue
of the NME.
- "Insult To Injury" was also played in 1994 during a Morrissey signing session at HMV for the release of the album "Vauxhall & I".
- Timi Yuro was mentioned by Morrissey as one of his favourite singers in an interview to Raygun in March 1994.
- A cover version of her song "Interlude" was recorded and released as a single in 1994 by Morrissey in duet with Siouxsie.
- Interviewed for the 1997 Brit Girls documentary, when asked why
he had covered her song 'Interlude', Morrissey said "It was a very
obscure song. It was a b-side and I thought she sang it really
beautifully."
- Her song "Smile" was played during intermission on the 2000 Oye Esteban tour.
- In April 2004, Morrissey announced Yuro's death on his official website, describing her as his "favourite singer".
- She has a song titled "All I Need Is You" while Morrissey has a
song called "All You Need Is Me" but making a connection between the
two might be stretching too far.
- Morrissey (source unknown): "I am very interested in Sandie
Shaw and singers who are similar to her like Timi Yuro and Rita Pavone.
They both suffered a hasty eclipse. It was because of them I wrote my
book 'The History off the Female Voice in Popular Music'. Two publishers
are interested in it."
- She came in at #5 in a top 15 list of "most revered singers" put up on the True To You website on 1 January 2014.
Zipguns
808 State
- They were slotted by Morrissey at #9 in a list of favourite
Manchester musical artists published in the 16 September 1989 issue of
the NME under the title "Moanchester, So Much To Answer For".
- In an interview given to Len Brown in 1990, Morrissey mentions
buying 808 State's "Pacific State": "Somewhere along the line I bought
an 808 State record which I quite enjoyed. 'Specific State' or whatever
it was called." This part of the interview remained unpublished until
its inclusion in Brown's biography "Meetings With Morrissey".
Quotes
In a 2012 email interview to the Columbus Dispatch, Morrissey said
"Whenever I listened to music, I was ready to cry, usually with relief
that someone understood and that I was no longer alone in knowing
whatever it was I thought I knew." and "People who make music never die.
The song lives on forever — and, as soon as it’s heard, you are as
alive and young and demented as you were when the song was recorded."
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