Music Radar: John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates (January 22, 2025)

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“I don't think Morrissey liked me. I don't think he liked my friendship with Johnny”: Producer John Porter on shaping The Smiths’ most iconic tracks, and why he’s auctioning a treasure trove of original acetates


(Archived version)

Very interesting recent interview stemming from the upcoming auction.
FWD.


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Is it fair to say he could never write a song as good as The Hand That Rocks The Cradle ever again? That he may now suffer from writer's block which yields stuff like Notre Dame?
its called moving on,its what artists do.
 
I don't care whether or not Johnny liked his teachers. There was really no need in adding that bit to this reply or this silly picture. So what? Who cares? Did you feel the need to put that there for added measure? I mean, why else would you?

All Morrissey basically said in his book is that he felt that Porter made the music flat and, yes, he was suspicious of what he might be up to in regards of his influence on Johnny, but that is because Morrissey had a clear understanding of what he wanted the Smiths to be and that should have been worked out between him and Marr. He did not rip Porter to shreds nor did he "mercilessly stick his knife in", either. A bit dramatic! He just felt that the album failed everyone because the songs did not sound as good and powerful as the end result after Porter got a hold of the music. He also admitted that people acted odd around him because of the way he handled things. So, maybe he twisted the knife on himself a bit, too.

NONE OF US WERE THERE. We see both sides and we choose who we want to believe. I get where Morrissey is coming from. I understand Autobiography well, and his feelings of what others might have been up to behind his back, including Marr, who didn't help matters by skipping out in the end. In fact, the way the whole damn thing ended proved Moz right.

We see what Marr wants us to see. He puts on airs. At least Moz tells it like it is, or how he sees it, and if that makes people dislike him, well, hey, he's an adult and he's true to himself, and perhaps that's all that matters to him. I don't think he owes anyone an apology, but if he feels the need to, then I'd support it. However, just remember, in the end you are just as blind as I am because, again, you weren't there, and you only see what Marr puts out there and that's what you choose to believe. He probably smiles and has a laugh with loads of people he'd rather see fall from the face of the earth. I don't have any use for people like that.

I don't have anything else to say on this subject. This is my opinion. It is not a popular one, but...you guessed it...I don't care.
Look - your entire point was "Why doesn't John Porter shut up, Moz is fragile" when for most it would have been "Why does Morrissey treat people like this?".

You think he's a sensitive flower yet when he treats others with scorn, you don't want them to speak, you don't want to hear about it. You think actually being a decent human being is "putting on airs." And now you're kicking off because I added a photo into my post. You're welcome to any number of unpopular opinions, but you need to grow up. You sound like a silly teenager.
 
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If only the How Soon Is Now-team had stayed together for a while - the beauty that could’ve been created! A big mistake to sack Porter.
 
Look - your entire point was "Why doesn't John Porter shut up, Moz is fragile" when for most it would have been "Why does Morrissey treat people like this?".

You think he's a sensitive flower yet when he treats others with scorn, you don't want them to speak, you don't want to hear about it. You think actually being a decent human being is "putting on airs." And now you're kicking off because I added a photo into my post. You're welcome to any number of unpopular opinions, but you need to grow up. You sound like a silly teenager.

When Morrissey passes the NDA's become redundant and then the real shit will hit the fan.
 
THE TROY TATE VERSION ISN'T THAT BAD. There, I said it.
It was ok. Jeane has always been one of my favourite Smiths songs. But I think a Troy Tate version of the debut album would not have been the success that the JP album was. And it would have left a lot of people saying - God, this band don't sound great. Not all bands hit the ground running with their debut. Pulp, for example, struggled for 15 years before they found success. But if their debut had maybe reached number 30 in the (UK) album charts, rather than number 2, the history of The Smiths might have been very different.
 

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