Hit songwriter on 'shy' Morrissey (Mark Nevin) - Harrogate Advertiser: interview

Interview: Hit songwriter on 'shy' Morrissey - Harrowgate Advertiser
by Graham Chalmers.

Excerpt:

What working with Morrissey was like

A restless but likable soul, Mark landed on his feet quickly, co-writing and playing most of the guitar on the former lead singer of The Smith’s second solo album in 1991.

Mark said: “I’d sent him a cassette tape of some of my songs to his home in Manchester and the next day he sent me a postcard saying “Perfect”. “That went on for a while and eventually I was invited to join him in the studio. “He was an odd character. He was sitting there in his glasses with his quiff looking like a Smiths cover, “We all had to eat vegetarian food. He was very shy and awkward, not a comfortable person to be around. “Before I met him I thought he was whinging in an ironic way on his lyrics but he was just whinging.” The end result of his time with Morrissey and musicians including Mark ‘Bedders’ Bedford of Madness was the Kill Uncle album. Unfairly maligned at the time by critics, though mostly for the production by Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, Morrissey himself was happy enough with the results of Mark’s efforts to invite him on tour. And it was Mark who suggested recruiting legendary ex-David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson to produce his next album. Your Arsenal, which contains I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday, another Morrissey/Nevin co-write, which was later covered by David Bowie himself, went onto to be huge success. By the time of the tour, however, Morrissey was beginning to gravitate towards new musical partners in rockabilly musicians Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer, and Mark was onto his next project. Mark said: “I like writing lyrics, which is obviously what Morrissey does. It was great to have worked with him but I wasn’t the right person to stay on for the long haul. “If you’re in Morrissey’s band you basically give up the rest of your life. “I got a call from his office saying he’s got all the dates ready and wants you to come along. “I said “when does it start?” The voice on the phone said “tomorrow!”


42297_Early_1990s_Mark_Nevin_with_Morrissey_and_Kirsty_MacColl..jpg


In the light of a tour & EP - Mark comments on working with Morrissey circa Kill Uncle.
Regards,
FWD.
 
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He is a really nice chap. we recorded a version of Trouble Loves Me at his studio in West Hampstead. I had tea in his his garden and then off to pub before recording. Then to the Pub and then back to the studio. He's a musical master. Much under rated. He has a masters in music if my mind is correct.
Boz got the loudest cheer in Dublin when Moz introduced each band member. The loudest by far. Moz raised his eyebrows as if to say: so you think Boz is the best.
 
He is a really nice chap. we recorded a version of Trouble Loves Me at his studio in West Hampstead. I had tea in his his garden and then off to pub before recording. Then to the Pub and then back to the studio. He's a musical master. Much under rated. He has a masters in music if my mind is correct.
unfortunately MADASUN we live in a world where nobody believes anything anymore,good story,pub recording studio pub recording studio,good way to spend a day.
 
Expecting someone to drop everything and go on tour with one day's notice seems very cold and callous to me, and selfish. If you're able to organise a world tour with dates, flights, venues, buses, hotels, etc, then you're also able to know what the dates are way in advance. There isn't an excuse. I'd say you would have to give up your life to be in Moz's band. I don't know how the guys do it.

Aside: Some fans seem to have given up their lives too in their constant attendance at the front row of every Moz concert. It's not a balanced way to live. I'm still wrecked after the Tuesday night concert/all night ale session. I couldn't face that again a couple of days later. I wouldn't want to either.

Yes, that Tuesday gig in Dublin was some concert apart from the truly bizarre several minutes of noise pollution played after the drummer left the stage. What was that all about? I went to the aftershow as well and left there when they started repeating songs. Ridiculous. How do you repeat songs as a DJ when there are so many to choose from between the Smiths and Morrissey. On that note, I wonder has any Smiths/Moz obsessive computed exactly how long it would take to play the entire back catalogue of Smiths/Moz. I wore a Smiths shirt for the very first time at one of his gigs. Interestingly, my first Moz gig was also in February in Croydon in 1995.
 
Boz got the loudest cheer in Dublin when Moz introduced each band member. The loudest by far. Moz raised his eyebrows as if to say: so you think Boz is the best.

Boz got the loudest cheer because he has been working with Moz since 1991 if memory serves me. The rest of the current band were only children back then.
 
Boz got the loudest cheer in Dublin when Moz introduced each band member. The loudest by far. Moz raised his eyebrows as if to say: so you think Boz is the best.

Well, Boz no longer has to worry about Alain getting the loudest cheers.
 
Well, Boz no longer has to worry about Alain getting the loudest cheers.
Such a pity. They had a good dynamic going on trying to outdo each other. I love the new Moz album but it would have benefited from a song like Nobody Loves Us or Jack The Ripper or Now My Heart Is Full.
 
One day there will be justice for Kirsty. It's utterly shameful what her mother & family went through after the "accident".
Her children witnessed that too.
Something that the law should deal with rather than karma.
FWD.
Care to elaborate on this? The guy who took the fall for the millionaire boat owner received 2 years and 10 months in prison. He avoided the term by paying a £61 fine instead. ...and was ordered to pay Kirsty’s family £1600 in restitution. It’s also rumoured that he received a pay-off for taking the blame.

Please do elaborate on what sort of justice you expect. ...and how “karma” sorts out careless, wealthy individuals who are above the law.

This is a travesty. There is no justice. There is only law. In Mexico, as everywhere else, money talks.
 
Care to elaborate on this? The guy who took the fall for the millionaire boat owner received 2 years and 10 months in prison. He avoided the term by paying a £61 fine instead. ...and was ordered to pay Kirsty’s family £1600 in restitution. It’s also rumoured that he received a pay-off for taking the blame.

Please do elaborate on what sort of justice you expect. ...and how “karma” sorts out careless, wealthy individuals who are above the law.

This is a travesty. There is no justice. There is only law. In Mexico, as everywhere else, money talks.
You must have missed the entire 'Justice for Kirsty' campaign by her Mother, fellow friends and musicians.
My turn of phrase is entirely appropriate for this situation - I am merely acknowledging that it would be nice to see those responsible pay 'properly' for their behaviour - something most reasonable thinking people would (opinions on law, 'types' of justice and money don't have to relate to that thought). It accepts the point that the outcome in legal terms was garbage, but there is zero wrong in voicing an opinion that someone got off lightly in robbing a family of their Mother. The karmic aspect is simply alluding to the guilty person's conscience and hoping they at least feel some 'discomfort' for their actions that may possibly catch up with them eventually - there doesn't have to be a 'concrete' view of 'correctness' here, it is an emotive topic and will provoke emotive views.

https://www.justiceforkirsty.org

https://www.kirstymaccoll.com/community/justice-for-kirsty-campaign/

FWD.
 
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