Pete Townsend - Your Arsenal

Johnny

Well-Known Member
Just been reading the Uncut special on The Who.

It mentions that Pete Townsend was due to produce Your Arsenal before work commitments on one of his various "Tommy" projects took over.

That was news to me.I've seen various names linked with Morrissey production duties in the past such a Joe Strummer and John Cale but never Townsend.

I know Morrissey was a huge fan of the early Who singles.
 
Was he not busy researching a book?
 
Just been reading the Uncut special on The Who.

It mentions that Pete Townsend was due to produce Your Arsenal before work commitments on one of his various "Tommy" projects took over.

That was news to me.I've seen various names linked with Morrissey production duties in the past such a Joe Strummer and John Cale but never Townsend.

I know Morrissey was a huge fan of the early Who singles.

So I wonder if Ronson was third choice. Wasn't Tony Visconti also pegged for knob duties on 'Arsenal'? Then Pete. Then Mick?
I think they chose the right man in the end :)
 
Didn't Joe Strummer say Moz wanted to cover "I Can't Explain" on that album?

Dunno, he's not one for having cover versions on his albums - well aside from one or two homages to the likes of Marie's the name or Ride a white swan. A b side maybe?
 
Didn't Joe Strummer say Moz wanted to cover "I Can't Explain" on that album?

I think that was for the 'Maladjusted' album. In the end he just did 'Papa Jack' instead ;)
 
Dunno, he's not one for having cover versions on his albums - well aside from one or two homages to the likes of Marie's the name or Ride a white swan. A b side maybe?

Found the interview:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/00/07/31/0922203.shtml

Joe: I saw Morrissey not too long ago. Well, probably years ago now. I got a call one day: “Morrissey wants you to produce his next album.” [Jack laughs] And I went, “Alright, who is this? Stop shaggin’ around.” And he went, “No, I’m Terry” from whatever label, I can’t remember, but he was serious. So we went up to see him. It was this horrible show where he was supporting David Bowie at Wembley Arena.

JR: I remember when they did that tour, yeah. Bowie was covering his song “I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday,” which was a rip-off of Bowie’s “Rock n’ Roll Suicide,” which itself was no coincidence, since Mick Ronson produced that LP for Morrissey. So I am sure he was very serious about having you produce him. He likes working with his old heroes. You know he wrote a book on The New York Dolls before he was in The Smiths—I bet he would ask Thunders to produce him if he was still alive!

Joe: Ahh, but I wasn’t having it. The whole situation was beginning to piss me off. And his manager—it was a lady at the time—she came to me before the show and said, “So, what do you think?” And I said [snaps fingers], because I knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to cover “Can’t Explain,” that was part of the initial phone message. And I tried to imagine Morrissey singing “Got a feelin’ inside…” And I thought this was a stupid idea! So I said, “No, no. I’ve got a plan for Morrissey.” And they went “what is it?” I said, “Let’s have him cover ‘Pop Music’ by M.


I think that was for the 'Maladjusted' album. In the end he just did 'Papa Jack' instead ;)

:) Maybe not I Can't Explain, but the bass is very much like the stuff Entwhistle was playing around Quadrophenia.
 
Found the interview:
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articles/00/07/31/0922203.shtml

Joe: I saw Morrissey not too long ago. Well, probably years ago now. I got a call one day: “Morrissey wants you to produce his next album.” [Jack laughs] And I went, “Alright, who is this? Stop shaggin’ around.” And he went, “No, I’m Terry” from whatever label, I can’t remember, but he was serious. So we went up to see him. It was this horrible show where he was supporting David Bowie at Wembley Arena.

JR: I remember when they did that tour, yeah. Bowie was covering his song “I Know It’s Gonna Happen Someday,” which was a rip-off of Bowie’s “Rock n’ Roll Suicide,” which itself was no coincidence, since Mick Ronson produced that LP for Morrissey. So I am sure he was very serious about having you produce him. He likes working with his old heroes. You know he wrote a book on The New York Dolls before he was in The Smiths—I bet he would ask Thunders to produce him if he was still alive!

Joe: Ahh, but I wasn’t having it. The whole situation was beginning to piss me off. And his manager—it was a lady at the time—she came to me before the show and said, “So, what do you think?” And I said [snaps fingers], because I knew what he wanted to do. He wanted to cover “Can’t Explain,” that was part of the initial phone message. And I tried to imagine Morrissey singing “Got a feelin’ inside…” And I thought this was a stupid idea! So I said, “No, no. I’ve got a plan for Morrissey.” And they went “what is it?” I said, “Let’s have him cover ‘Pop Music’ by M.

Seem to remember something in the sleevenotes for Maladjusted Readjusted about Strummer being knocked back for being a pothead. Pot or not, he always struck me as a bit of a dick; it would never have worked.
 
Just been reading the Uncut special on The Who.

It mentions that Pete Townsend was due to produce Your Arsenal before work commitments on one of his various "Tommy" projects took over.

That was news to me.I've seen various names linked with Morrissey production duties in the past such a Joe Strummer and John Cale but never Townsend.

I know Morrissey was a huge fan of the early Who singles.
yeah, well, thank god he did NOT produce "Your Arsenal" :pray:

Was he not busy researching a book?
:rofl:
 
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