Canal Fox,
Latin America's version of the Fox Network has the
custom of running little pieces between the shows or
commercials, such as the making of a movie or
interviewing pop stars that really don't matter.
Anyway, I was watching TV and between two
commercials I see the one with none other than
Morrissey! They even interviewed him, and he was
talking about his recent tour in South America. I
think this happened in Mexico, and there was also
some footage of one of the shows (he was wearing
black PVC at that particular show) and in the
background of this whole thing "November
Spawned A Monster" was played. There were a few
shots of fans waiting in line and in the interview
Morrissey said that most of his fans are Latin and
that Latin people are really sexy.
It was probably a minute and some seconds
long...they play these little excerpts throughout
the day for maybe a month or so.
Just
the most fantastic moment this evening on "Who
Wants To Be a Millionaire" in the UK
(Obviously, one of the country's top-rated shows).
The host, Chris Tarrant, revealed that the new
contestant's ambition, if he won a million quid, was
"to take Morrissey with him on an adventure
holiday, so he could see him running around with his
shorts filled with gladioli". When pressed on
why he wanted to do this, the guy just smiled and
said completely sincerely that Morrissey was a great
hero of his. Dude! I don't think he's going to win a
million, but it all keeps the Great Man's name out
there...
A
contestant on the 5th April UK edition of Who Wants
to Be A Millionaire said that if they were to win
the million they would want to go on holiday with
Morrissey so that he would see him in his shorts
with gladioli sticking out of them. The presenter
described it as the strangest fantasy yet. The
contestant's wife who was in the audience didn't
appear too concerned about her husband's wish
though.
Unfortunately he didn't get close to realising his
wish as he won �16,000.
And from P:
Last
night I was watching "Who Wants To Be A
Millionaire?" on ITV with my flatmate. At one
stage, the host (Chris Tarrant) asked the
contestant, one Steve McCradden, "According to
your questionnaire, if you won a million pounds you
would go on holiday with Morrissey so that you could
see him running around with gladioli down his
shorts???!!". The contestant, about 35-ish,
cropped hair, goatee, broad grin (and with his wife
in the audience), replied, "Yeah, big hero of
mine..."!
Back in my flat, we all looked at each other in
utter amazement and burst out laughing and shouting
"Go for it, boy!!!".
Unfortunately, things didn't go that well, in that
he decided to walk after being unable to answer a
question about cameras and focus lenses (the harsh
truth of the camera eye perhaps?) - but he still
took �16,000 with him, a sum I personally wouldn't
sniff at...
It's even more eerie when you remember hearing the
song "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?"
every night on the intro tape to the Oye Esteban
gigs!
Johnny Marr has snagged Alonza Bevan from the newly-defunct Kula Shaker for bass duties in his band, the Healers. The former Smiths guitarist's debut solo album, Play Dumb, is most likely going to hit record store shelves this fall, but Marr needs to decide on a label first.
With his album in the mixing stages, Marr's been keeping busy by playing on three tracks on the new Bert Jansch album and he also recorded a song with his band for a tribute album to the Scotland-born, British folk/rock singer Jansch, which is expected out this summer. Check back here for more details on both Jansch-related albums.
Johnny Marr's Healers hit the road with Oasis May 30 for a few shows. More U.K. festival dates will be added, and Marr is eyeing a fall tour of the U.S. For now, here's where to catch him: May 30, Milan, Italy, Fila Forum; June 7, Berlin, Germany, Arena; June 9, Nurburgring, German, Rock am Ring; June 11, Nuremberg, Germany, Rock Im Park; and July 15-16, Bolton, U.K., Reebok Stadium (also with Happy Mondays).
In
the just recently released film "High
Fidelity" John Cusack plays the owner of a
shop called Championship Records. He says near the
beginning of the film with a sneer that most of the
customers "come looking for deleted Smiths
albums and original, not re-released Frank Zappa."
The latest
issue (April 7) of The
Chronicle of Higher Education has an essay
titled "The Empathy Of Rock 'N' Roll", by
Kevin J.H. Dettmar, professor and chair of English
at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale.
Unfortunately, you have to be a subscriber to read
it online, but here's the quote:
"Of
what possible value are all of these weepy songs, as
well as the others that everyone carries around in
their own private jukebox? The Smiths, in 'Rubber
Ring,' suggest one reason: 'But don't forget the
songs [you know the words]. . . they were the only
ones who ever stood by you.' In this version, sad
songs are the old friends who've seen you through
rough times. That kind of sentimental association
with a song is undeniably powerful, but it's not
quite what I'm thinking of.
In part, I would argue that alongside the flattering
lies that rock both whispers and shouts--that we're
invulnerable, that 'We are stardust/We are
golden'--musicians recognize also a responsibility
to remind us of our vulnerability, a paradox nicely
summed up in the tile of the Smashing Pumpkins' song
'Bullet With Butterfly Wings'."
