Johnny Marr Announces 'Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr', Posts New Single Somewhere
Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Written by Jon Stickler
Photo: Andrew Cotterill
Johnny Marr has announced a new compilation album.
'Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr' will arrive on November 3 via BMG and features material from the former Smiths guitarist's 10-year solo career, including unearthed demos and a cover of Depeche Mode's I Feel You. He said:
"It’s a conversation I have from time to time with [Pet Shop Boys’] Chris Lowe, about how much harder it is to write songs that you want to listen to in the daytime. It’s easier to do something that’s perceived as cool if it’s a bit moody. But, for me, the mission with these records was to make songs that you could listen to on the way to school, on the way to the gym, on the way back from work – you know, in the way that you had with, say, Blondie."
In addition to music from his four solo records — 2013's 'The Messenger', 2014's 'Playland', 2018's 'Call The Comet' and 2022's double album 'Fever Dreams (Pts 1-4') — the collection will also include his non-album singles, Armatopia and The Priest with Maxine Peake, plus two new songs co-produced by Marr and James Doviak, The Answer and Somewhere, with the latter streaming below.
Speaking about the driving indie-rock track, which was written in 2022 while on the road with The Killers and Blondie, he explained:
"I’ve played a lot of arenas over the years, and in terms of songwriting, there’s nowhere to hide. For a song to work, it has to be a banger. I know it’s almost uncool to think in those terms, but I grew up in a house where my parents listened to Motown, where you couldn’t get a song released if it wasn’t full of hooks."
Marr will celebrate a decade as a solo artist with two shows at the new Manchester venue Aviva Studios on December 7 and 8, which will see him accompanied by a 30-piece orchestra conducted by Fiona Brice. Tickets are on sale now.
He'll also release a new photography book titled Marr's Guitars on October 17.
'Spirit Power: The Best Of Johnny Marr':
1. Armatopia
2. New Town Velocity
3. Easy Money
4. Spirit Power & Soul
5. Hi Hello
6. Somewhere
7. The Messenger
8. I Feel You
9. The Answer
10. Dynamo
11. Spiral Cities
12. Night and Day
13. Sensory Street
14. Walk Into The Sea
15. Candidate
16. Tenement Time
17. Hi Hello (Demo)
18. Somewhere (Demo)
19. The Answer (Crazy F Version)
20. The Messenger (Demo)
21. Speak out Reach Out (Crazy F Version)
Johnny Marr Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows
Thu December 07 2023 - MANCHESTER Warehouse
Fri December 08 2023 - MANCHESTER Warehouse
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