The Guardian: Morrissey/Johnny/Andy references in an interview with Rick Astley (September 16, 2023)

Morrissey/Johnny/Andy references in an interview with Rick Astley, in the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...-yet-interview?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture

Excerpt:
People have been surprised that a pop star like you loved the Smiths.
My big brother Mike introduced me to them, and I went a bit nuts about them. The fact they were from my nearby city, where I’d go and buy records, blew my mind – a friend and I stalked [bassist] Andy Rourke around town once, amazed he was real. They still sound so unique, with this very English way of singing that only a few other bands, like Pulp, do well. I couldn’t sing about love in anything but a mid-Atlantic twang.

Johnny Marr tweeted criticism of your original Smiths covers shows with Blossoms in 2021. He’s since made up with them in person. Have you ever met?
No. We both played Electric Picnic recently and I watched his show – his style of playing and technique is also like nobody else. But I wouldn’t talk to him because it’s really strange and weird. Really, nobody should cover the Smiths, but all this came from a real love of the songs, and a chat I had with Blossoms, where I said: “In another universe, I’m going to be in a Smiths pub covers band”, then them later asking me if I fancied it. And it grew into this mad thing. It turns out lots of people want to go to a full concert of just Smiths songs!

What are your thoughts about Morrissey?
I haven’t delved into things he’s said – I don’t feel that I want to, as I idolised him as a kid. I still have a quiff! Maybe I should own [the controversy around him] a bit more, but I’ve separated the art from the artist.

 

[gashonthenail]

Morrissey/Johnny/Andy references in an interview with Rick Astley, in the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...-yet-interview?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture
View attachment 95049

Not very frankly, Mr Astley. He should work for the diplomatic core.

 

[Famous when dead]

Rick Astley once "stalked" Smiths star

The 80s singer claims he followed bassist Andy Rourke around Manchester.

Rick Astley once "stalked" Smiths star

The 80s singer claims he followed bassist Andy Rourke around Manchester.

www.radiox.co.uk

Interesting story sharing:

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Covered this in The EPIC BANTER Thread yesterday.

 

[goinghome]

Rockcelebrities.net pick up this story

Rick Astley On Why He Ignores Morrissey’s Controversial Statements

Rick Astley appeared in a recent interview with The Guardian and shared how music saved his life. During the discussion about The Smiths, the singer shared his admiration for Morrissey and revealed why he ignores his controversial statements. Morrissey’s ideas have sparked discussions among fans...

rockcelebrities.net

 

[Les Tameside]

Not very frankly, Mr Astley. He should work for the diplomatic core.

It’s necessary for the project. And it’s a worthy project. The ‘diplomacy’ keeps the most important things in view—namely the songs.

 

[Mayfly]

It really has become an obsession to know what other artists are thinking about Morrissey‘s views. It makes me yawn. I would be more interested to know when Rick last spoke to Morrissey - they were friends for a brief moment if I remember correctly - and have him share some funny anecdotes about these days. I’d welcome anything that would take me back to the good old days.

 

[gashonthenail]

It’s necessary for the project. And it’s a worthy project. The ‘diplomacy’ keeps the most important things in view—namely the songs.

Oh, I actually thought the way he handled the question was quite clever.
Still, would have been nice to hear him - it's all bollocks, the man's a legend!

 

[Les Tameside]

Oh, I actually thought the way he handled the question was quite clever.
Still, would have been nice to hear him - it's all bollocks, the man's a legend!

Perhaps the splinters in his arse will help him hit the high notes, which he also studiously avoided at the Manchester gig.

 

[Annoymous]

I like how he laughs at Marr. It’s true. Why can’t they cover the smiths. Anyone can.

 

[j*e*t]

I think Andy would have liked the stalking story. Rick is someone I never paid much attention to before he did the Smiths' covers concert (for some reason I thought he was Scottish!) but I've watched lots of interviews with him since then and I found him humble, articulate, likeable and a true Smiths' fan. I'm glad to hear he has kept his distance from Marr. That's what I'd do, too.

 

[ACTON]

Oh, I actually thought the way he handled the question was quite clever.
Still, would have been nice to hear him - it's all bollocks, the man's a legend!

I can't blame Rick for playing the answers safe. Cancel culture hasn't burned itself out yet. One snappy quote to an insatiable journalist can mean years in forced isolation. This world is full of judging bores where everyone is guilty until proven innocent (but never truly innocent in their eyes).

 

[gashonthenail]

I can't blame Rick for playing the answers safe. Cancel culture hasn't burned itself out yet. One snappy quote to an insatiable journalist can mean years in forced isolation. This world is full of judging bores where everyone is guilty until proven innocent (but never truly innocent in their eyes).

He played it safe. Don't piss off either 'side' in the 'bigmouth Morrissey' debate. Quite clever really. For his next trick he'll be sorting out the Israel / Palestine conflict.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Morrissey/Johnny/Andy references in an interview with Rick Astley, in the Guardian.

https://www.theguardian.com/music/2...-yet-interview?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture

View attachment 95049

Excerpt:
People have been surprised that a pop star like you loved the Smiths.
My big brother Mike introduced me to them, and I went a bit nuts about them. The fact they were from my nearby city, where I’d go and buy records, blew my mind – a friend and I stalked [bassist] Andy Rourke around town once, amazed he was real. They still sound so unique, with this very English way of singing that only a few other bands, like Pulp, do well. I couldn’t sing about love in anything but a mid-Atlantic twang.

Johnny Marr tweeted criticism of your original Smiths covers shows with Blossoms in 2021. He’s since made up with them in person. Have you ever met?
No. We both played Electric Picnic recently and I watched his show – his style of playing and technique is also like nobody else. But I wouldn’t talk to him because it’s really strange and weird. Really, nobody should cover the Smiths, but all this came from a real love of the songs, and a chat I had with Blossoms, where I said: “In another universe, I’m going to be in a Smiths pub covers band”, then them later asking me if I fancied it. And it grew into this mad thing. It turns out lots of people want to go to a full concert of just Smiths songs!

What are your thoughts about Morrissey?
I haven’t delved into things he’s said – I don’t feel that I want to, as I idolised him as a kid. I still have a quiff! Maybe I should own [the controversy around him] a bit more, but I’ve separated the art from the artist.

It's ace that, in his own way, Rick has done his bit to keep Smiths in the news and in peoples minds. He is obviously a fan, and I personally find him doing the covers more enjoyable than the Killers doing them, he kind of keys into a quirkiness that the Smiths (M) was keen on.I honestly wouldn't pay money to watch either of them. In fact I wouldn't go for free either. In reality, it's unnecessary for anyone to do anything to keep Smiths in the public mind Smiths are now more influential than Velvet Underground, and not too far behind Bowie and Beatles. They are forever. I am not sure why anyone would be surprised that Rick played it safe, he's a light entertainer for god sake, his music is utter fecking shite and he has always been boringly safe. He makes Will Young seem edgy. In all fairness to Rick, thats not his bag but lets be honest the only reason his career came back, was because he became a fecking living Gif/meme. I can see why M got the hump when the BBC were showing Rick and co and stupid middle class media types were saying "Thank god we have Rick to keep the Smiths memory alive"
Yes, right, like M hasn't had a huge solo career and is one of the few people in music that actually follows his own path and says what he thinks, which was what the Smiths were about. Not being safe a cozy. That is death for M.
I have nothing against Rick, I expect he is a fecking lovely human, amusing to have a pint or 7 with. I am talking strictly in terms of pop culture

 

[Les Tameside]

It's ace that, in his own way, Rick has done his bit to keep Smiths in the news and in peoples minds. He is obviously a fan, and I personally find him doing the covers more enjoyable than the Killers doing them, he kind of keys into a quirkiness that the Smiths (M) was keen on.I honestly wouldn't pay money to watch either of them. In fact I wouldn't go for free either. In reality, it's unnecessary for anyone to do anything to keep Smiths in the public mind Smiths are now more influential than Velvet Underground, and not too far behind Bowie and Beatles. They are forever. I am not sure why anyone would be surprised that Rick played it safe, he's a light entertainer for god sake, his music is utter fecking shite and he has always been boringly safe. He makes Will Young seem edgy. In all fairness to Rick, thats not his bag but lets be honest the only reason his career came back, was because he became a fecking living Gif/meme. I can see why M got the hump when the BBC were showing Rick and co and stupid middle class media types were saying "Thank god we have Rick to keep the Smiths memory alive"
Yes, right, like M hasn't had a huge solo career and is one of the few people in music that actually follows his own path and says what he thinks, which was what the Smiths were about. Not being safe a cozy. That is death for M.
I have nothing against Rick, I expect he is a fecking lovely human, amusing to have a pint or 7 with. I am talking strictly in terms of pop culture

More influential than The Velvet Underground? I doubt that.

 

[Mama why don't you ...]

Rick Astley as an artist is a plague, his mainstream and shallow music is aimed for people with no artistical expectations.
Bowie once made a statement for people especially like Astley: he called it the tyranny of the mainstream. Astley as a singer is even more awful as the Spice girls, I despise his music to the maximum. People who enjoyed his comedy act covering the Smiths deserve contempt as well, we are certainly not sisters or brothers.

 

[Mama why don't you ...]

It's ace that, in his own way, Rick has done his bit to keep Smiths in the news and in peoples minds. He is obviously a fan, and I personally find him doing the covers more enjoyable than the Killers doing them, he kind of keys into a quirkiness that the Smiths (M) was keen on.I honestly wouldn't pay money to watch either of them. In fact I wouldn't go for free either. In reality, it's unnecessary for anyone to do anything to keep Smiths in the public mind Smiths are now more influential than Velvet Underground, and not too far behind Bowie and Beatles. They are forever. I am not sure why anyone would be surprised that Rick played it safe, he's a light entertainer for god sake, his music is utter fecking shite and he has always been boringly safe. He makes Will Young seem edgy. In all fairness to Rick, thats not his bag but lets be honest the only reason his career came back, was because he became a fecking living Gif/meme. I can see why M got the hump when the BBC were showing Rick and co and stupid middle class media types were saying "Thank god we have Rick to keep the Smiths memory alive"
Yes, right, like M hasn't had a huge solo career and is one of the few people in music that actually follows his own path and says what he thinks, which was what the Smiths were about. Not being safe a cozy. That is death for M.
I have nothing against Rick, I expect he is a fecking lovely human, amusing to have a pint or 7 with. I am talking strictly in terms of pop culture

This is the silliest comment read on this forum. The Smiths are one of the most brilliant bands, musically and lyrically, but no way have they been influential like the Velvet or Bowie or the Banshees or Wire ? Buy you a culture, read wikipedia and quotes of musicans. The Smiths were the most influential band only in the heads of NME stupid journos. Get the picture !

 

[Mama why don't you ...]

More influential than The Velvet Underground? I doubt that.

Ah thank you bext thesd kind of people would tell that NY Dolls or the Modern Lovers were more influential than Kraftwerk, hahaha, education in reverse, with thick blinkers ! Stiff, thick.

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Rick Astley as an artist is a plague, his mainstream and shallow music is aimed for people with no artistical expectations.
Bowie once made a statement for people especially like Astley: he called it the tyranny of the mainstream. Astley as a singer is even more awful as the Spice girls, I despise his music to the maximum. People who enjoyed his comedy act covering the Smiths deserve contempt as well, we are certainly not sisters or brothers.

Oh, shut up, you terrible music snob. Put your limited edition Arcade Fire b-sides record on and have a think about your life.

 

[On his way out]

Not very frankly, Mr Astley. He should work for the diplomatic core.

I would have though Rick is braver than most- he is saying you can separate art from artist.