On behalf of THE SMITHS, Morrissey meets the fanzine press. He faces questions about love, Band Aid, the Moors Murderers and the band’s own unique position in the world. “There are people I admire,” he says, “but ultimately we are alone.”
The following interview was conducted by a panel of fanzine writers including Dave Haslam from Debris, Tim Barlow from Eat Yourself Fitter, Rob Deacon from Abstract, Lesley O’Toole from Inside Out, Jon Story from Bucketfull Of Brains, and Robert Watts from Running Order. With Melody Maker editor Allan Jones as acting chairman, the panel met at Rough Trade’s London offices on Thursday, February 14, 1985. What happened next is what happens next…
RUNNING ORDER: why have you decided to do this with fanzine writers?
Morrissey : We had lots of requests and it seemed really snotty to ignore them. It seems like lots of people felt that as soon as we began to chart and became big business, we would forget all our original ideals. And I get so many letters from people who are hysterical and frustrated and it seems that The Smiths are under so much pressure. The implications seems to be, “When will The Smiths fall down? When will they forget everybody? When will they turn into some rigid, surfy pop group?” Which will never happen. And I get really tired of people suggesting it will… It seems that every single day I have to go before the courts and explain so many things. I think The Smiths are under a great deal of pressure. More pressure than any other group.
INSIDE OUT: Why?
I think probably because so many people had so much faith in us and because we live in such a bleak world, people really believed that that faith couldn’t really have been authentic and eventually the cloak would fall and The Smiths would turn into… well, something else…
IO: What is the greatest pressure on you?
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