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The Smiths
The Smiths


Background information
Origin Manchester, England
Genre(s) Alternative Rock
Indie Pop
Years active 1982—1987
Label(s) Sire Records
Rough Trade Records
Associated acts Electronic
The Cribs
Modest Mouse
Freebass
Former members
Johnny Marr
Morrissey
Andy Rourke
Mike Joyce
Dale Hibbert
Craig Gannon



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Johnny Marr: 'British And US Music Industries Have Never Created Anything'

November 5, 2008
Johnny Marr: 'British And US Music Industries Have Never Created Anything'Former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr has accused the British and American music industries of failing to create anything of value.

In a speech in Manchester, Marr said he also believed that all of pop music's greatest innovators were “outsiders”.

Marr was addressing students and fans at Salford University's Maxwell Hall as a visiting professor of music.

"I am not a cynic. I am not really down on the British music industry. However, it has never created anything in its history,” he said.

“It never invented anything, although it has done plenty of good things, like good records, but nothing has ever been created of value by the British or American music industries."

The guitarist said in his lecture that music's great advances had been made by musicians who were initially rejected.

"People out of necessity, rejection or frustration, with talent and vision built their own ark and sailed it alongside the music industry," he said.

Marr's lecture, Always from the Outside: Mavericks, Innovators and Building Your Own Ark, was his first in what will be a five year residency at the University.

Maxwell Hall was the scene of one of the Smiths last ever concerts together in 1986.

(by Jason Gregory)



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