Tom Sheehan's best photograph: a young Morrissey reclining on a hotel bed in Reading - The Guardian
Interview by Ben Beaumont-Thomas
‘Morrissey and I got chatting about Oscar Wilde and I later loaned him three books. He’s still got them’
Excerpt:
In 1984, I was sent to Reading to shoot the Smiths for the front cover of the Melody Maker. Morrissey initially wouldn’t talk to Allan Jones, the editor, because he was doing interviews with fanzines instead, which was really cool in a way. I thought: “A solo shot would be great – and I’ll placate the rest of the band later with a group shot in their dressing room.” I only had about 10 minutes with him, so I just started directing him around his hotel room, getting him to do silly things, like drinking milk out of a carton.
Then I noticed this Oscar Wilde book on his bed, so I told him to lie down with it. I stood over him, with my legs astride, even though we’d only just met. He was new to the game and, as I was older, he was probably thinking: “Perhaps I actually have to listen to what the photographer is saying.” If only every musician would do that...
Interview by Ben Beaumont-Thomas
‘Morrissey and I got chatting about Oscar Wilde and I later loaned him three books. He’s still got them’
Excerpt:
In 1984, I was sent to Reading to shoot the Smiths for the front cover of the Melody Maker. Morrissey initially wouldn’t talk to Allan Jones, the editor, because he was doing interviews with fanzines instead, which was really cool in a way. I thought: “A solo shot would be great – and I’ll placate the rest of the band later with a group shot in their dressing room.” I only had about 10 minutes with him, so I just started directing him around his hotel room, getting him to do silly things, like drinking milk out of a carton.
Then I noticed this Oscar Wilde book on his bed, so I told him to lie down with it. I stood over him, with my legs astride, even though we’d only just met. He was new to the game and, as I was older, he was probably thinking: “Perhaps I actually have to listen to what the photographer is saying.” If only every musician would do that...
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