Johnny Marr - "The Headmaster Ritual" - Fender Amps Interview 2009

[@drago6769]

Headmaster Ritual is literally a perfect song

[@aricsnyder5882]

D Rago I can do the Mick to any Johnny Riff..

[@CSM100MK2]

Spineless Swine

[@arturobelano6243]

@@CSM100MK2 tormented minds

[@ToyotaNutjob]

@@arturobelano6243 cemented minds....

[@arturobelano6243]

@@ToyotaNutjob fuck

[@thefelrider]

One of the few men alive who can get away with saying Rifftastic

[@cashewpistachio1826]

Oh baby!

[@chrispatel3542]

he’d get away with murder. how has he not been knighted yet??

[@painiscupcake5433]

@@chrispatel3542 He's been getting away with it all his life

[@Rattleheadx86]

@@chrispatel3542 he'd probably take being knighted as an insult xd

[@chrispatel3542]

@@Rattleheadx86 hahaha true sir, what a rebel

[@christianalander9487]

'The Headmaster Ritual' always slays me. It's probably my favorite Smiths song, with some of the greatest guitar work ever written and played. It proves that heartfelt rhythm playing can be more effective than wild soloing. All young guitarists need to listen to Marr's work.

[@helpiamsuffering603]

Not an easy song to play either

[@CBDM777]

He is an Original. Nobody sounds like Johnny Fuckin Marr

[@poopexcavator3674]

Bob Bobberton savage

[@nathanlh81]

Bob Bobberton I didn't quite catch that, my miserable little trolltard.

[@regzzuse280]

Every song that ever came out from The Smiths, Marr wrote til he was 23. Maybe not the greatest guitarist, but definitely not a "useless git".

[@chrisclark8633]

Marr is one of the greatest of all time

[@tossedpenny]

I can literally sit for hours and watch Johnny noodle away.

[@rbrme]

He wishes he wrote All Day and All of the Night, but he literally *Wrote This Charming Man* ?????

[@rbrme]

I have no life Mr Sims.

[@richardmaloney9156]

I'm happier that he wrote "How soon is now"

[@jesus3373]

Incredibly, the melody for This Charming Man was written by Marr in 20 minutes one early September morning in preparation for their second John Peel session

[@davidfairbairn8]

Ellycat well supposedly it was written about Roddy Frame, as he could do no wrong at the time and was slightly pissing marr off.

[@danielsoto5441]

Rob Broome huh??

[@DavidEspana1]

6:20 Thats when starts playing "the headmaster ritual" riff ;)

[@willthacker5182]

Johnny Marr in the Smiths is one of the most underrated guitar players of the last 30yrs. The smiths wrote so many good songs. Morrisey, Johnny Marr & Andy Rouke all complimented each other so well. Marr plays like nobody else. The riffs he comes up with are so musical & complicated, i have no idea how he came up with that stuff. When he plays them it looks effortless, but try to play it & you realize its damn hard. The Smith's, imo, deserved more credit than they got.

[@aricsnyder5882]

Will Thacker like he said hair standing up

[@drdassler]

Will Thacker underrated by who?

[@herbertpena7557]

And when did it happen?

[@stephenr80]

The smiths are the greatest pop english band, Beatles are overrated

[@drdassler]

Stephen Oe you're right about the second bit.

[@booman9990]

3:51 God that’s such a good riff. Gave me goosebumps...

[@zaoria123]

Sounds a bit to me like "What Difference Does It Make." Is it that?

[@SpedKanye]

@@zaoria123 Yeah

[@jamesjordan-davies2704]

the nicest person I've ever met in the the music industry, and my fave guitarist, to shake the hand of this guy that has played most of my favourite songs was insane, I love you Johnny Fucking Marr x

[@PT10000]

Best guitarist of all time!!!!!

[@bipolatelly9806]

I hope you aren't still a complete wanker.

[@tipsnadvice7284]

Only Johnny Marr could have inspired me to pick up a guitar after 20 years. Just hearing that fender twang and his choice of chords makes me want to play again

[@grahamkelly8299]

When I listen to today's indie, rock bands all I hear is Johnny Marr on the guitar playing!! He was so far ahead of his time. Its really remarkable

[@hondansx1000]

I love his version of "all day and all of the night", the tone he gets at 1:14 is just quintessential early 1960's rock n'roll

[@newmangan]

honestly. when I just started to learn guitar, I thought johnny marr was really not that great, but now that I play more and improve more, more I see the genius of his playing.

[@nealzokan2680]

Newman Gan An exquisite, thoughtful guitar legend- well done on a fine areer.

[@tinman3952]

He's good. He's just not a shredder. So he was often overlooked in 80's guitarists.

[@Donyourmom]

I was more than well aware even before playing that Johnny Marr is an amazing guitarist.

[@theplaneimage]

I could watch these videos of Johnny all day....and probably will.

[@benspicer7470]

Same!

[@adamdebesai]

1:15 Johnny Marr wishes that he had written the riff from "All Day and All of the Night" by The Kinks but in my opinion, the riff from his song "The Messenger" is just as fantastic.

[@greenblade29]

+adamdebesai Right on. Can't get enough of that song.

[@mosesberkowitz3298]

Best quote-- 5:30 -- "...it never gets too Harley-Davidson....I'd take a scooter over that any day, really..."

[@geddunn]

+Moses Berkowitz best quote number 2 about 1 18 ."every day i wish i wrote that riff. who doesnt." the funny part is that he probably really believes that everybody on the planet, ie 99 percent of whom dont give a shit about kinks riffs, really do wish they wrote that. and then just to put a cherry on it he gives it a look that says " hey look!, im playin this riff an im not even lookin at the guitar!" genius

[@mosesberkowitz3298]

ha ha...genius is right. And yet he seems like the most down to earth person....Does he ever say what his influences were when writing the Smiths music? It seemed to come out of nowhere....

[@joseaquino8773]

+geddunn He's a fan, you know? All fans believe their favorite group or artist are the best in the whole wide world!

[@rbrme]

+Moses Berkowitz Marr restricted himself to pretty much nothing when writing in the Smiths I think. Was very influenced by African Music, things like Kwassa Kwassa. I think.

[@rbrme]

I think it's in his British Masters interview by John Doran

[@levigardner2911]

if it wasn't for Johnny Marr, I wouldnt had picked up the guitar.

[@levigardner2911]

Blandybo, we're lucky to have Johnny Marr.

[@aricsnyder5882]

Levi Gardner if it wasn't for Pepsi James Marshall Hendrix would never picked up a right handed Strat flip it and make the same beautiful music

[@littleboy129]

Same first guitar I got was a white strat like the one he used in the Boy with a thorn in his side. When I started to learn some of Johnny's riffs I truly started to appreciate how much of a master he was.

[@paulbadoo9326]

3:51 one of the best guitar riffs ever written.

[@justinwilliamson3461]

Totally agree. I’ve watched that bit literally 100 times. Best riff. Best song.

[@tannerfoley3744]

What song is it pls?!?!?!?!

[@paulbadoo9326]

@@tannerfoley3744 kzbin.info/www/bejne/jpOyqWuKrtuIo6s

[@tannerfoley3744]

@@paulbadoo9326 thanks a bunch. Cheers

[@paulbadoo9326]

@@tannerfoley3744 you're welcome, cheers!

[@gel6988]

Every freaking time I hear the opening riff to "What Difference Does It Make? ," I am just thankful that I was alive during the time when the Smiths made music. Killer music. Damn, as many times as I have heard that riff, I just caught myself smiling yet again when he was playing the first 20 notes...

[@stonezone9689]

"I personally prefer this, well frankly because Fender is paying me"

[@steffanhoffmann8937]

"The cynic is a man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing" Oscar Wilde

[@matteframe]

They let him say Marshall at least.

[@theartfuldodger935]

Play the chords to Beatles songs alone in your bedroom and they sound flat unless you sing a melody against them. Play the chords to "Headmaster's Ritual" (or practically anything else Johnny Marr wrote) and they explode into life all by themselves.

[@dannymiller504]

Poppycock. Norwegian wood instantly springs to mind but there must be dozens that negate your point. Johnny would agree

[@theartfuldodger935]

There 'must be' dozens .... LOL. What a compelling argument.

[@ethancreer2721]

The Artful Dodger I disagree as well, the progressions of a lot of Beatles songs are interesting and memorable without lyrics.

[@theartfuldodger935]

Such as?

[@EstleaMusic]

All my loving, happiness is a warm gun,

[@yoitsdan]

Describing your music as a Lambretta over a Harley Davidson is one of the most genius descriptions I think I've ever heard. He's like "There's nowt wrong with a Harley it just ain't for me". God bless you Johnny Marr.

[@bernlin2000]

I haven't a clue what the man is saying about Attitude and Harley Davidsons, but that doesn't distract from the fact that Johnny Marr is one of the greatest guitarists that has ever walked the face of the earth. Those riffs are unforgettable, singular, and inspired countless other artists.

[@pregnantyellowfish]

I think he’s saying there’s limited creative scope with that approach to music. He wants more freedom to be melodic

[@sultanoftippoo3857]

Earlier on he spoke about guitar fashion & culture (HiWatt/Marshall period) but also how it’s difficult to use the right words to describe the musical feeling he likes. He used the Harley analogy to Classic/Hard Rock and a Scooter to the Mod sound (guitars with attitude). A good comparison is the one between Johnny Marr and his contemporary/good friend at the time Billy Duffy of the Cult. They both have a lot in common in their playing DNA but sonically quite different.

[@Synthetrix]

The way those open notes ring out in that lick from The Headmaster Ritual are just mind blowing

[@jasonhirschey2993]

God bestowed Johnny Marr with wizardry. The licks from "This Charming Man", "Headmaster Ritual"? C'mon. Some girls are bigger than others apparently.

[@craigcoughlin1834]

lighten up (and i'm an atheist)

[@nezbit8989]

I was genuinely enjoying Johnnys personal stories and then he played a few riffs that took me back to my optimistic youth! Such a charming man❤️

[@filemakerpro4050]

Hard to find someone as articulate about Guitar culture as this. Metaphor use is usually confined to color and size .... but “I’ll take a scooter over a Harley” is just a great way to put it in perspective.

[@ernestmaciel]

Al Pacino is good in this one. Such a great actor! Is this a new Spinal Tap-like movie or is this old??

[@HairyBosch]

Ernest M Spot on! And his performance is enhanced by De Palma's use of contrast with the frequent switches between black & white and colour which really adds gravitas and didn't get on my tits at all. Honest....... I smell BAFTA.

[@ernestmaciel]

His accent is amazing! P.S. I had to look up BAFTA

[@Fan_Made_Videos]

+Ernest M **snort**

[@asleep2855]

hahaha you are genius

[@punkrockefeller]

Yeh, he looks just like the guy from that Smiths band.

[@christopherwoods6]

I started off a Harley guy, got into more expressive players like you and synthesizers as well. Thanks for the quality and integrity over the years, you are one of a kind and you have been for a long time. To have an individual voice in art is as rare as it gets, and as good as it gets in my opinion.

[@oliverread2532]

Every time I watch Johnny play it makes me wanna go plug in and rip

[@wilsonguitars2724]

His playing never fails to impress. Doesn't need to shred yet his style is instantly recognisable.

[@rangerwhite7091]

Guys, please do a re union tour before i die. I'm 50 now, so time is running out. I bought all your albums in the 80s, so you owe me this . :) Thank you....

[@davelighthall9435]

The unfortunate thing is that it will NEVER happen. Read Morrisey’s autobiography and you will understand why

[@ritadamore8307]

JHONNY YOU ARE A PART OF MY LIFE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR MUSIC

[@NolalanD]

I learned so much....what a teacher and a gentleman

[@StopMoColorado]

F me, man, I literally started crying shortly after he started in on "Headmaster Ritual", I didn't see it coming, f%&k! I'm not a kid anymore, have three kids who've already grown and moved out, I've lived through a lot, but there is something that Marr's playing does that nobody else ever comes close, he is way beyond "guitar player", that level of melancholically (?) beautiful melodizing is freaky, he makes it look so easy, but even when he's just screwing around he's still working from that Next Level, and it goes way beyond technical proficiency, he isn't just Singing Through The Guitar, he's singing through it with multiple voices at once, an entire mini-orchestra at his fingertips. I listen to tons of fingerstyle guitarists, soloists, Chord Masters, Jazz-Rock, Blues, you name it, but he literally plays like there are four of him inside the controlling just those two hands and frigging bleeding through the guitar strings, it's mesmerizing, heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time. I haven't been able to sleep all night, I got on the "Johnny Marr Train", and before I knew it, I'd been up all night, his playing and arrangements still affect me like they did when I was a teenager. My teenage son, a decent player in his own right with shockingly good taste for a Millennial, discovered Marr and The Smiths on his own. He goes to an Expeditionary Model school, he plays guitar 5 days a week in school, has performed live in front of large crowds several times already, was a finalist in a recent eTown "Young Songwriter's Contest" that was recorded and broadcast, just played another instrument on a song his friend cut in their Studio a couple of days ago, he gets to play a lot more than I did at his age, my dad absolutely tried to discourage me from doing the same when I was his age, I didn't really start playing 6-8 hours a day until I was in College, and then at the expense of time with my thing wife and children, we're really privileged to live near this school, it's the main reason we've never moved out of State the past few years, with far too many people flooding into Colorado, killing what it used to be. My older kids couldn't handle the Melancholia of the '80s and '90s "Alternative Music" that I constantly listened to and played, and along with on my guitar, when they were younger, so my teenage son never heard me play those Smiths/Cure/Jane's Addiction/New Order/Alice In Chains mix tapes or CD's, those got banned from the house by my wife, not wanting our little ones to slit their wrists or something. But my teenage kid winds up finding all the music I loved in College and High School without me ever playing it for him; it's cool and odd at the same time: he always thinks he's discovered somebody I don't know, shocked to find my iPod Nano is already loaded with them, and I still have boxes of Mixtapes in the shed the same. He never bothers with my iPod or my phone, he's had access to his own tablets, laptop, and phone for years, and, because I've mainly been playing Celtic Fingerstyle and Bebop the past few years, he's wrongly assumed that's all that's in my Playlist. This past year my middle son gravitated towards Marr and Navarro, on his own, both whom have a similar vibe, as well as having a huge influence on my playing when I was younger, through to today, albeit in a different context (I recall seeing some Guitar writer liken Navarro to a "high gain Johnny Marr", quite agreed, though Marr takes the cake, IMHO). I love that my "boy" gets Johnny, it doesn't need to be explained to him, he can feel what he's saying, deeply, he hasn't yet developed the emotional self-restraint/numbness we tend to develop as we get older and have to survive some very tough times, and when he wants to tell me about how it affects him, he plays it instead of explaining it with words, rare in this day, I think, to have such concord with anyone young, especially my own son. There are so few musicians out there that days who can do this on guitar, IMHO, not like Marr, not with both the feeling and the structure he manages to pull off without devolving into eventually-detached deconstructions (which, though understandable, given how bored musicians can get with their Standards, sometimes loses something that made the original so magic). I've seen Morrissey live twice, but was let down by the crude, rockabilly-clone guitar sound of his current guitarist, and find a lot of it vapid and repetitive, he's just not the Foil to - and inspiration for - Morrissey that Marr was...how could he be? I don't believe they'll ever really get together again, Moz has minimized Johnny's contributions too often and too loudly, sadly, but if I had to lock just one of them, it's Marr, all day long. I'd take a Smiths reunion (maybe minus Joyce, he pissed on it), of course, but this is somehow both fresh and still bearing the magic of the original, quite a feat, in my book.

[@rubent6382]

StopMoColorado that was a hell of a testimonial I'm glad you shared it. There will never be another bad like the Smith's

[@joc9275]

You have way too much time on your hands

[@michaelsena4484]

Don't sweat it Man. Music is forever Young Man.

[@crunchyalmondbutter2239]

My favorite line in Headmaster Ritual: He does the mili-try two step down the nape of my neck. *Brilliant*

[@bromarvids5186]

And when Radiohead cover it, Yorke changes slightly a few words. So it's 'the length of my neck' instead. And instead of changing the lyric 'same old jokes since 1962' to '19 - 2' York just keeps the lyrics the same I think.

[@Rentaghost76]

Britain isn't producing these kind of great artists anymore :-(

[@alanmorrissete6594]

he loves his guitar so much he sleeps with it and i say that lovingly. he is a beautiful musician

[@jeanniefranco7461]

I could listen to him talk and play all day

[@jonjennings13]

I love how Johnny plays: Its always exciting! while it isn't necessarily difficult to play, it's fiercely original without being to far gone from rock

[@chuy8356]

Writing music isn't about how difficult it is, it's about how it makes people feel. Emotion is everything in music. Different tones, notes and chords played together accompanied by wonderful lyrics will make you have different emotions.

[@TSgitaar]

Not sure how good you are as a guitar player, but it is actually surprisingly more difficult to play then it might sound. Marr plays with so many nuances, it is hard to get it spot on.

[@xKALIMASTEVEx]

Absolute legend!

[@matteframe]

I could watch 5 hours of this.

[@romeopalote]

Wow, Tony Montana is a great guitarrist.

[@davidpetty2315]

Johnny versatility is unmatched .

[@natewall4500]

you can see that this was in the middle of him designing his jag I only noticed because I couldn't see the signature on the headstock and then I noticed that he hadn't done up the rhythm circuit into the hi-pass filter thing yet. He has the mustang bridge, the white on white colour scheme, he has the whammy bar staying in place thing and also the tele pickup switch, but the other things i mentioned aren't done yet. I think its just cool do see this stage in his guitar designing process

[@modsheff1]

I want to give this man a massive hug! Johnny Marr is a MOD!

[@shortsboy99]

still the cooolest guitarist ever. Hearing those Smiths riffs bring a tear to the eye

[@karziflora]

Legendary guitar tunes, Johnny is the Maestro of melodic guitar players...LOVE U JM!!

[@IainFrame]

Headmaster Ritual sounds great here. Then again, it always does! :-)

[@lxngshot]

one of the cleanest all rounders. understated. legend

[@cgrbikegear]

Genius, you are already a legend.

[@modsheff1]

I Want to give Johnny Marr a MASSIVE Hug ! xx WE ARE THE MODS! XX

[@kevincummings7738]

A lot of what he said went over my head if I’m honest,but speaking as a layman all I can add is his sound just sounds so bloody good!

[@freddyfox500]

From about 00:20 to 00:54 he's playing "Dogs of Lust" by The The. Such a good song!

[@Noisehead101]

The The were crap

[@tbouroki]

"It never gets too Harley Davidson, I could appreciate that vibe, but for me it's always got to be like, you know, I'd always take a scooter over that, any day really"....... sounds like something Nigel Tufnel (SPINAL TAP) would have said! :D

[@pepitoos]

Thank you for this leson

[@ramsypak]

07:30 - nonchalantly, '....so it works for that...' as if he had not just made jaws drop.

[@bernlin2000]

Pure Artistry: Inspired countless bands with his distinctive sound...I hear it all over the musical spectrum

[@kasrakamooneh1676]

The perfect blend of Mod and Rocker.. Johnny, thanks!

[@ricklehtonen7523]

Johnny Marr tuning up is better than 99% of the musicians out there.

[@davidmorrison713]

God that amp sounds amazing

[@kshoren05]

his "What Difference Does it Make?" riff is pretty bad ass too!

[@benedictearlson9044]

6:06 Always lovely to see him play but the records don't have any of the drive he has on these settings, Headmaster Ritual for example sounds nothing like this, it's super clean with some phaser/flanger giving some texture.

[@jadefacetiger]

One of the greatest guitar heroes! If you don't know him, you don't know anything about rock-n-roll.

[@pthex_2859]

guitar beast and the most humble guy ever

[@skyhooksafari4853]

Thank you Johnny.

[@itsallinchaucer]

As with any artist, it is so novel to hear how he uses each tool for a specific range and quality, to blend an overall project. This is actually fusion. He does so much on his own to build the body of his music, that arrangement and post production seems easier than many other artists. Also, in the comment 'Don't want to play distorted cause you can't come back from it.' Usually this is true. But Hendrix played with this a LOT; distortion and back to rhythm.

[@michaelsena4484]

Go Johnny Go 🎸

[@infoscholar5221]

The Dean of post-punk UK Guitar. Respect.

[@greenbanananas]

"It works for that". Master of the understatement....

[@mattvdh]

I'm surprised I've never heard him say it, but he's going after the surf rock guitar tone!

[@peepsieD]

wow i wish more people would play like this guy!

[@timhall3575]

5:45 is why Marr is so so cool. Metal culture. Pah. Totally 100% agree with him. I'd take a scooter over a Harley Davidson any day too!

[@thunderpooch]

That is why The Smiths will always be more hard core than all the metal bands. Metal is so pushy and heavy handed that no one but an angry 12 year old can take it seriously. But The Smiths whined and complained always in a tongue-in-cheek manner. It was genius. They laughed at their moping, angst, and anger and let the audience do so as well. Metallica is for pestilent cucks. The Smiths are for those that can grin and bear it.

[@aricsnyder5882]

Tim Hall scooter over a fart machine I agree 100%

[@ramon2008]

@@thunderpooch Metallica is for pestilent cucks? Music Nazi.

[@KerryProchaska]

Love his sound. Trying to get there, Brilliant!

[@mikebmccraw]

I love Johnny Marr's solo work, particularly the songs from The Messenger!! There's a whole other vision he must have had to keep bottled up when he was in The Smiths. Much like Johan Sebastian Bach's well Tempered (not perfect) tuning, which was used in the end to build greater harmony by having strings tuned slightly off from each other, but closer to the notes of the other instruments, or strings, Marr chooses to have his amps produce a sound that is not completely clean, but not completely distorted, to make the whole sound harmonize, by means of overtones, and in the end to have each song pull the listener into a world that goes on endlessly.

[@ashfordp676]

Me all time favorite rock guitarist.

[@ronniejdio9411]

Thanks for your rory strat video. I really appreciate it. Love gallager. Saved me a mint

[@mattludlam2194]

7:01 is pure beauty

[@BollocksUtwat]

What is he playing at the start? I can't place it.

[@saman9592]

That joke isn't funny anymore

[@animalblack8482]

In a class of his own. Thxu

[@patrickcrowther9195]

Goosebumps.

[@jmcclainwinters5851]

Anybody know what song the intro is from ????

[@davidmakofka204]

Love this man.

[@ellencarey6281]

Caught his show in Philly. He's a god.

[@swampfoot17]

My favorite guitarist of all time, hands down.

[@mozzer35]

3:52 is fucking unreal What Difference Does It Make?

[@MrMartinmozz]

What a beautiful person x

[@fredsmith901]

Johnny is the Greatest Guitarist Ever!

[@tagalog42]

Awesome!

[@ajritson]

Johnny has the best lego man hair!

[@alfie9718]

You can really tell that he was coming off the back of playing with The Cribs and Modest Mouse here- everything has that extra drive to it- even typically "jangling" Smiths riffs

[@fernandagunsanchannel]

The Kinks - All day and all of the night

[@jeffpalmar2182]

Unique guitarist, still dazzling and unmatched.

[@marceloA1313]

LEGEND NEVER DIE .

[@chbath1]

"Never to far from the mods...never gets too Harley Davidson". That's the best explanation I've ever heard of what the best rock music is. A bit of Oasis distortion and Smiths jangle is the best combination. :)

[@shakedydogshake]

Headmaster sounds phenomenal on Johnny’s Coronado red Les Paul!!!!! Oh, it works!

[@hofsteveO]

Id love to see Alain Whyte do one of these, love videos like these.

[@drmpac]

Mr Marr - you are a genius