The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of vocalist Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, the band also included bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce. Critics have called them the most important alternative rock band to emerge from the British independent music scene of the 1980s. The group was signed to the independent record label Rough Trade Records, on which they released four studio albums, several compilations, and numerous non-LP singles. Although they had limited commercial success outside the UK while they were still together, and never released a single that charted higher than number 10 in their home country, The Smiths won a significant following, and remain cult and commercial favourites. The band broke up in 1987 and have turned down several offers to reunite.
Johnny Rogan on Morrissey and Marr
Johnny Rogan chats to Stuart about the revised edition of his book, Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance.
Biography
This entry is from Wikipedia, the user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors and is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. If you find the biography content factually incorrect, defamatory or highly offensive you can edit this article at Wikipedia. Find out more about our use of this data.
Links & Information
Links
- Fanpage at passionsjustlikemine.com
- Wikipedia article on The Smiths
- IMDb at imdb.com/name/nm3058944
- Last.fm page on The Smiths
- Discogs at discogs.com/artist/Smiths, The
- MusicBrainz entry on The Smiths
Members
- Morrissey (1982-1987),
- Andy Rourke (1982-1987),
- Craig Gannon (1986),
- Mike Joyce (1982-1987),
- Dale Hibbert (1982),
- Johnny Marr (1982-1987)
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Links & information come from MusicBrainz. You can add or edit information about The Smiths at musicbrainz.org. Find out more about our use of this data. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
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BBC Reviews
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The Sound Of The Smiths 2008
Reviewed by Chris Jones
The last word on a band that will always be one of this nation's greatest treasures.
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Rank 1988
Reviewed by Martin Aston
A newfound machismo makes Rank a fascinating, thrilling document.
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The Queen Is Dead 1986
Reviewed by Daryl Easlea
Simply put, the greatest Smiths album.
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Meat Is Murder 1986
Reviewed by Daryl Easlea
...there was no other British group making music quite like this in 1985.
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Hatful Of Hollow 1984
Reviewed by Chris Jones
It was their true debut in every sense…
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The Smiths 1984
Reviewed by Daryl Easlea
The Smiths remains an incredible statement of intent.
