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A Light That Never Goes Out: The Enduring Saga of the Smiths, by Tony Fletcher
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The definitive book about The Smiths, one of the most beloved, respected, and storied indie rock bands in music history.
They were, their fans believe, the best band in the world. Hailing from Manchester, England, The Smiths--Morrissey, Johnny Marr, Andy Rourke, and Mike Joyce--were critical and popular favorites throughout their mid-1980s heyday and beyond. To this day, due to their unforgettable songs and lyrics, they are considered one of the greatest British rock groups of all time--up there with the Beatles, the Stones, the Who, and the Clash.�
Tony Fletcher paints a vivid portrait of the fascinating personalities within the group: Morrissey, the witty, literate lead singer whose loner personality and complex lyrics made him an icon for teenagers who felt forlorn and forgotten; his songwriting partner Marr, the gregarious guitarist who became a rock god for a generation of indie kids; and the talented, good-looking rhythm section duo of bassist Rourke and drummer Joyce. Despite the band's tragic breakup at the height of their success, A Light That Never Goes Out is a celebration: the saga of four working-class kids from a northern English city who come together despite contrasting personalities, find a musical bond, inspire a fanatical following, and leave a legacy that changed the music world--and the lives of their fans.
- Sales Rank: #300750 in Books
- Brand: Brand: Crown Archetype
- Published on: 2012-12-04
- Released on: 2012-12-04
- Original language: English
- Number of items: 1
- Dimensions: 9.44" h x 1.81" w x 6.48" l, 2.21 pounds
- Binding: Hardcover
- 704 pages
Features
- Used Book in Good Condition
Amazon.com Review
Q&A with Tony Fletcher
Q. How did the project come about?
A. For starters, I was a fan and a contemporary; I’m the same age as Johnny Marr, Mike Joyce, and Andy Rourke. (Morrissey is approximately five years older.) But primarily, it was because the only other biography on The Smiths had been published back in 1992. Somewhere between the benefit of two additional decades of hindsight, the public’s ongoing fascination for the group, and my own passion for their music, it seemed like time their tale was told. Or that I told the tale. Or both.
Q. You were granted more detailed interviews with more key players, and were loaned or provided access to more letters, company memos, and contracts than any previous author or journalist writing about The Smiths. Describe your experience.
A. I had come of age, as a teenage fanzine editor, alongside many of the key players at the group’s record company, Rough Trade. I’ve long known many of the musicians, producers, and businesspeople associated with The Smiths, on both sides of the Atlantic. I’d conducted Morrissey’s first television interview back in January 1984, and my old magazine (Jamming!) had developed a strong relationship with the band. All of these past experiences and ongoing connections helped open doors for me when it came time to research the book; many of these doors, I should note, had otherwise remained long closed to others.
Q. How/when did you first get into The Smiths?
A. As editor of Jamming! back in 1983, I was sent, if not personally delivered, the first single, “Hand in Glove,” by Scott Piering at Rough Trade, who later become one of the Smiths’ many managers. Word spread incredibly quickly on the group, and by the time I got to see them in concert, that September, they were already all over evening radio and it was obvious that they were going to be huge. I will be honest and say that it was only with the second single, “This Charming Man,” released in November 1983, that I was truly converted. It was absolutely magical—the first genuinely classic guitar-based pop rock anthem to have come out of Britain’s independent music scene—and from there, I was hooked. I saw them in concert every year, got every record, read every interview.
Q. What were some of the most important aspects for you to get across in your biography?
A. As with all my biographies, I really wanted to place my subjects in the context of their times. Nothing happens in a vacuum, least of all great pop music, however much the subjects themselves might wish to encourage such a notion! The Smiths were a product of post–World War II Irish immigration to Manchester, of Roman Catholic schooling, of inner-city slum clearance, of a rapidly declining industrial city that—not coincidentally—became one of the global capitals of punk rock, and then even more musically vibrant with the emergence of a post-punk independent music scene. I make no apology for setting out my stall, so to speak, on all of these cultural developments. I think it makes the story of The Smiths themselves that much easier to understand.
As a Brit who has lived in the States since 1987 (the year The Smiths broke up), I wanted to ensure that I place the band in American context as well. Almost everything written in books about The Smiths tends to start and end in Europe. Yet The Smiths were enormously popular in America—their two albums released in 1987 each sold 500,000 copies without a video or a live date—and it’s important to understand how and why that popularity came about. The increased popularity of college radio, the emergence of Anglophiliac “progressive commercial” stations, and the existence of an “alternative” dance floor all played their part, as did Morrissey’s ability to cross international boundaries, despite what some presumed to be parochial lyrics.
Finally, I wanted to make sure that this was a story about a band called The Smiths, not about a singer called Morrissey or the partnership between Morrissey and Marr. And as such, I was determined not to be drawn into the solo years and the ongoing acrimony, legal action, and lingering bitterness that seems to exist between certain band members. That side of the saga has been endlessly covered. I was determined that my particular narrative should end when the band ended.
Q. What surprised you most about the interview process? What was the most interesting conversation you had?
A. I was warned, early on in the process, that the breakup of The Smiths had caused so much still-existent tension among its major players that I would need to tread very carefully and diplomatically if I wanted to get my interviews. This turned out to be sage advice. I was not totally surprised, but certainly intrigued, by how many of my prospective interviewees checked in with Johnny Marr before talking to me. (By comparison, only two or three people told me that they would only talk with Morrissey’s permission.) Which leads to the most interesting conversation—without doubt, it was the extensive multiple interviews I conducted with Marr. We spoke for 18 hours across two days in Manchester, including an almost unbroken 12-hour interview on the second day, which ended, around midnight, with us taking a nostalgic drive past Morrissey’s old house, where Johnny had first knocked on the door back in 1982. (Even then, we continued the interview process with phone conversations and multiple e-mails.) Johnny was incredibly giving not only of his time but of his memories, his emotions, and his regrets—and the book would not possibly have been the same without his input.
Q. What are the biggest misconceptions people have about The Smiths?
A. That they were miserable. You only have to look at pictures of The Smiths: they were having such a wonderful time throughout most of their five-year arc. Morrissey certainly suffered from periods of depression, and his claims to celibacy, his admission to suicidal thoughts, and his determination to write, as he said in a print interview, “for people who wouldn’t normally go to concerts, watch television, buy records or listen to the radio,” rendered him utterly unique within the world of pop music. But he was also one of the funniest characters in the history of that pop music, as evidenced by any number of his interview quotes—and also by his lyrics, never more so in the frequently misinterpreted “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.”
From Booklist
Indie cult heavyweights the Smiths never charted a single higher than number 10, but they are widely considered to be an important musical component of British pop music of the 1980s. Their enigmatic vocalist and lyricist, Morrissey, is a bit of a hero to the disaffected, which only adds to his and the band’s angsty cachet. Of course, they broke up in 1987, but with rumored reunions that never materialized and the individual members’ post-Smiths activities (as a solo), Morrissey has cracked Top 10 lists), their self-conscious legend lives on. In relating the story of the band, Fletcher centers on Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr, digging deep in terms of the details of the band’s creative process and progress—but with plenty of time for conjecture about the comprehensively enigmatic Morrissey. If readers are curious about, say, the ongoing mystery of Morrissey’s sexuality, Fletcher provides ample discussion of the various extant theories thereon. Morrissey just likes to know people are thinking about him. The result is a highly detailed—if a little ardent—omnibus Smiths and Morrissey source, useful as a reference and a straight-through read. --Mike Tribby
Review
“After reading A Light That Never Goes Out, I'm on the path to understanding Morrissey... In the end, I came away with a richer appreciation of the ethics, psychology, and artistry of [The Smiths]. Plus a burning desire to listen to the music.”
—The Austin Chronicle
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“The terrific British music writer Tony Fletcher has just published the definitive biography of [The Smiths].”
—Salon
“If there's a ghost fifth member of the Smiths, it might be Tony Fletcher…Fletcher reveals detail after detail.”
—The Village Voice
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“Meticulously chronicles the rise of one of the '80s' best bands. This charming man Fletcher…did a fine job of recounting England's The Smiths.”
—Newsday
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"There's no shortage of books on the Smiths, but this 600-page tome is the one fans want, and rightly so."�
—Exclaim!
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“Mr. Fletcher accomplishes the key task of a music biographer, which is a richer enjoyment of the music.”
—The Wall Street Journal��
“Fletcher, who has written biographies of drummer Keith Moon and R.E.M., combines original interviews with quotes and anecdotes from the vast paper trail of the British music press to piece together this enigmatic band’s rise and fall in obsessive detail.”
—The Boston Globe�
“Consistently perceptive… Fletcher demonstrates a great facility for placing the band's work in perspective.”
–The San Francisco Chronicle
“[Fletcher] was blessed with full access to the band’s records, its business associates and, critically, its actual members. Guitarist Johnny Marr and bassist Andy Rourke granted the author extensive interviews….Fletcher’s book is exhaustive in its attention to detail.”
–The Washington Post
“Fletcher perfectly captures the wit and complexity of the band and its music…Best of all for the group’s ongoing admirers and fans, [he] displays an unflagging enthusiasm in describing every aspect of how the Smiths produced a ‘torrent of brilliant work in a blazing stream of exhaustive glory.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A full account of the singularly influential English band, drawing on extensive research and interviews...An up-to-date and revealing rock biography that sets a standard of completion that will likely prove hard to beat.”
—Kirkus
"Finally, the full story of the Smiths: four kids, a city, a sound, a dream, a scandal, a legend. Tony Fletcher reveals the emotionally intense, wildly comic, totally fascinating details of how this band changed the world. It belongs in any fan’s scholarly room."
—ROB SHEFFIELD,�bestselling author of Love�Is a Mix Tape
"A Light That Never Goes Out is an exhilarating read! Tony Fletcher not only examines the Smiths’ impact on the music and culture in their UK homeland, but he explores their lasting effect on America and their undeniable influence on American indie rock. I highly recommend it."
—MATT PINFIELD, host of MTV2’S 120 Minutes AND The Hivecast on iTunes
"An intriguing portrait of an intriguing band that is as rich in intellectual history as it is in rock trivia. Keith Richards, eat your heart out."
—GARY MARCUS, bestselling author of Guitar Zero: The New Musician and the Science of Learning
"Written with love and filled with gemlike moments—like Johnny Marr singing along with a 45 of the Marvelettes ‘You’re the One’ during his first meeting with Morrissey—Fletcher chronicles one of the twentieth century’s most gorgeous and subversive bands. Fans will swoon; the inexplicable rest of you will learn what the fuss was about."
—WILL HERMES, author of Love Goes to Buildings on Fire
Most helpful customer reviews
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful.
Fantastic!
By Christopher Benton
A fantastic book that took me a little longer than normal to read through all 600+ pages because I kept putting it down to listen to The Smiths' music, on vinyl of course that was being referenced in the chapters. Fletcher provides great context here from background on the city of Manchester and the educational and religious upbringing of the band members to in-depth details on the band's formation and rapid success in just a few short years and their eventual breakup. Numerous accounts on The Smith's songwriting process and recording techniques plus input from band members, management, road crew, record label execs and staff. So much ground is covered and it never gets dull. I thought I knew a bit about the band but turns out there was so much more to learn. They're Irish! When I first started listening to The Smiths in 1985 with Meat Is Murder I was heavy into loud American guitar bands especially Minor Threat, Black Flag, X and The Minutemen but the lads from Manchester blew me away (and most of my friends) with such an amazing less-is-more sonic approach coupled with the amazing wit of Morrissey's lyrics. Fletcher expands on that and shows you how it all came to be and how The Smiths have made such an impact not only in their home country but in America as well and puts to rest myths surrounding them. The short life span of the band seems to fit somehow with their story but the fact is that The Smiths' music has a timeless quality and always sounds fresh. Buy this book and read about this amazing band and in that process discover a little something about yourself along the way.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful.
A rare writer
By Ron Hawkins
All you need to know about The Smiths. I can't imagine that any further book on The Smiths is needed unless Morrissey decides to publish his own version of events.
This is over 600 pages long and I read it in about five days, like Guralnick's first book on Elvis Presley this work immediately goes to the top of popular music biographies. The research, the level of detail, the balanced comment and Mr Fletcher's straightforward storytelling skills have all combined to make a fine work.
The main thing that I like about the book is that the author has focused strongly on the backgrounds of the various characters, especially Morrissey and Marr, placing them in the context of their times. The book is very strong in providing an understanding of the Manchester music scene the various Smiths emerged from. The fact that Tony Fletcher is a contemporary gives additional depth. We have also a great deal of information on The Smiths creative process, the business side and the touring (I didn't realise that The Smiths were as big as they were in the United States and were on the brink of major breakthrough).
It's a pleasing book in that there is very little dirt to reveal, we are reading about young popular musicians doing the work of popular musicians. I'm not greatly interested in Hammer of the Gods type biographies. The only disappointing 'revelation' (and it isn't one really) is Morrissey's meanness and reluctance to pay people, he probably pips Rod Stewart as the meanest man in rock. Morrissey and Rodders in the same sentence! Well he only has himself to blame.
I am a big Smiths and Morrissey fan but I am not familiar with the minute details of their career so there may be errors, I doubt that the errors are major. I am also a big fan of Johnny Thunders and the author should be aware that Thunders did not play a Gibson Les Paul but a Gibson Les Paul TV Special; very similar name but very different in body shape, weight, tone, quite a different instrument. A minor quibble but the point being made is that Marr by adopting the Les Paul was becoming more `rockist', like Thunders, Thunders was never in the Thin Lizzy school of rockist, they are your quintessential Les Paul players.
People who can write this well about popular music are rare, I look forward to reading more of Tony Fletcher's work.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful.
Moz Art.
By Hal Martin
I have read several books about The Smiths, and I would have to say that this is by far the best. Fletcher is not clingy-sycophantic about the band, as some writers are, and was somewhat in their circle at the time, which lends his writing an air of legitimacy.
The stuff I found most fascinating and illuminating were the bits about Moz's youthful writing exploits as a chapbook scribe, playwright (he sent a play to Tony Wilson of Factory Records, who unfortunately lost it), and small-time music journalist. Fletcher has had access to letters of Moz's that we may well never see (though I have read his books on James Dean and the New York Dolls, quite easily available on the net), and I can't be the only one who thinks a collection of Moz letters/early writings would be a great thing to read.
Apart from that, well, Fletcher (sometimes nearly too) comprehensively documents the band from start to bitter finish 'in a chippy.' Many details will be already well known to Smiths fans, but the biographer still manages to find a great many details for the casual reader and obsessive apostle (and I would not consider myself one of these people, just somebody who loved The Smiths and Moz as a teen 20+ years ago) to dig into. A great, fun, fascinating read, and definitely one to listen to all the albums as you read, the songs exploding louder than old still-potent bombs in your head.
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