Paul Slattery - The Smiths: The Early Years

Copyright 2007 Omnibus Press
This edition 2012 Omnibus Press
(A Division of Music Sales Limited, 14-15 Berners Street, London W1T 3LJ)

EISBN: 978-0-85712-823-2

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O H, THE WONDER AND JOY OF IT all. How lucky to be caught in the slipstream of some amazing upward blast to be carried by it to places exciting and unknown. That was what happened to me with The Smiths from the moment I met them. Paul Slattery captured my first vision of the band at ULU in May 1983 where they landed in front of us seemingly 90% formed, all quiffs and flowers with their strange and beguiling songs about me and my life. I didnt notice Paul that night, dazzled as I was by the bands originality, and I came to realise that this was a trait of a great photographerthey observe, but are not observed themselves.

Paul and I were privileged to be so close to The Smiths - we probably wont see their like again.

In this book he captures The Smiths journey from innocence to knowing. Fated to succeed even in those early days, there are clues to the youth of the band in those early shots featuring Morrisseys crumpled jeans which would soon to be replaced by white 501s. From supporting The Sisters Of Mercy to headlining the Electric Ballroom was a simple trip across London, our tight gang was growing, you can almost feel the rush and push of it all as we reached The University Of East Anglia where suddenly everyone was watching us and the backstage was a very busy place. Throughout this time Paul could be found chuckling away to himself in some darkened corner, waiting for the right moment to pounce with his lens.

A happy, special time made more so by our lack of self-consciousness, where laughter was never far away and nothing was torn apart to see how it worked. Paul captures all of this by being in the right place at the right time, culminating in those iconic Parisian shots where now the clothes and stance of the band are fully in place. Our gig the night before had been brilliant and you can see the afterglow of it all in their faces even Paris was ours. The Smiths were both clever and funny, Paul and I were privileged to be so close to it all we probably wont see their like again.

T AKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF BANDS for a living, I have seen an awful lot of them, good and bad but I was smacked round the face with the sound and performance that The Smiths gave that night at ULU in May 1983. I just knew they were something else. Morrisseys crazy and charismatic performance and Johnnys fabulous jangling guitar made The Smiths simply the best band I had seen for ages. While Morrissey gyrated madly around the stage, Johnny looked as cool as you like with his shades and quiff. For me, standing right next to the stage with only about 50 other people in the place, this was one of those truly legendary performances.

I couldnt wait to photograph them again as I knew they would be as photogenic offstage as they were onstage. I didnt have to wait long. I was working mainly for Sounds at that time, often with Dave McCullough, a young writer who had an amazing talent for discovering new bands. A few days later we took the train up to Manchester for a Sounds interview and photo session. The first pictures I took were of Morrissey and Johnny in an empty room next to their manager Joe Mosss office. There was an amazing chemistry between the two of them and I hardly had to direct them at all. Later when we wandered round the old Central Station with the whole band they were all in a good mood, laughing and joking, and really friendly and easy to work with.

I could feel this was a band with star quality, they were good-looking and had charisma.

I was smacked round the face with the sound and performance that The Smiths gave at ULU in 1983

The photographs in this book chart a small part of The Smiths early years. Today, almost 25 years later, The Smiths are legends, their music heard and appreciated by a worldwide audience, many who were not even born when these photographs were taken. This is where it began.

Backstage at Glastonbury

Paul Slattery photographed by Johnny Marr

Onstage at ULU

I was doing a lot of work with Dave McCullough on Sounds and in the weeks before this gig hed been playing a tape by this band called The Smiths, almost non-stop in the office. So he said weve got to go and see them play at the ULU on May 6 supporting The Sisters of Mercy. The Smiths come on and theres about 50 people in the room. This very charismatic singer comes out, dances crazily on stage and blows everybody away.