Far Out: "From David Bowie to Morrissey: Tony Visconti names the favourite songs that he worked on" (March 3, 2021)

From David Bowie to Morrissey: Tony Visconti names the favourite songs that he worked on.jpg


Excerpt:

Morrissey’s 2006 track, ‘Ganglord’, is another one that Visconti adores, noting: “Sadly, ‘Dear God, Please Help Me’ and ‘You Have Killed Me’ from Ringleader of the Tormentors, the album I made with Morrissey, aren’t widely available. But ‘Ganglord’ is available on an album called Swords, a B-sides album. I’m so proud of it, and Morrissey still plays it in his shows. It comes from the sessions for Ringleader of the Tormentors, which came about because they’d sacked their first producer. I was a substitute producer, but that doesn’t matter to me.”


The usual Far Out article about another article.

The Tidal piece referenced is a bit more descriptive:

"2006 “Ganglord” (Morrissey):
Sadly, ‘Dear God, Please Help Me’ and ‘You Have Killed Me’ from Ringleader of the Tormentors, the album I made with Morrissey, aren’t widely available. But ‘Ganglord’ is available on an album called Swords, a B-sides album. I’m so proud of it, and Morrissey still plays it in his shows. It comes from the sessions for Ringleader of the Tormentors, which came about because they’d sacked their first producer. I was a substitute producer, but that doesn’t matter to me.

It was a funny situation, because the first evening, when I arrived, I got all the ground rules, especially about meat, because there was no meat in the studio. Morrissey can smell it on you, I was told! But I explained that I’m a diabetic, and I can’t just eat carbohydrates. So I ended up having to go to another part of Rome to eat. I don’t recall what the other rules were, but it was basically that they wanted to make sure I was in a good headspace.

So we made the album, but I started with the band. It was probably later that first night of work before I finally met Morrissey. He I arrived and he said to me, ‘Oh, Visconti, I thought you were dead.’ That was the way he greeted me.

I said, ‘No, here I am, unfortunately.’ So I knew it was going to be fun, because I think he’s a very funny guy. I mean, no one has ever intimidated me, and I wasn’t about to let him intimidate me, either, because you can’t work under those conditions. Other people might be able to, but I can’t work under those conditions. I’d rather walk away with dignity. So that’s the way we started off.

He came back after the first day of overdubs and closed his eyes while he listened to all our work — because I’d put all the guitar players through hoops — and opened his eyes at the end he said, ‘It’s beautiful.’ I thought I’d maybe be on the next plane back to New York, but he loved it and so we commenced to work that way.


Regards,
FWD.


Related item:
 
First thing I think of is how long has he been saying I thought you were dead
 
I didn't realize Ringleader of the Tormentors was not widely available. I bought mine at Target so there must be a lot of them out there.
 
Yeah it’s on Spotify for me. Ironically half of swords is not including gang lord. Don’t know why that is yet. The album really missing is world peace which is not on Spotify at all because of harvest I’m guessing which just kills me
 
I didn't realize Ringleader of the Tormentors was not widely available. I bought mine at Target so there must be a lot of them out there.
This is why I am going to be a luddite, and stick to buying physical product over streaming etc. It's just too easy for things to suddenly vanish due to rights issues.
 
Would be interesting to know where and when he actually said this, as it looks like the quotes are all taken from older interviews, as is often the case with Far Out...

Edit: Forget it... 🙄
 
Last edited:
I wish Dear God Please Help Me wasn't widely available. Get a renowned composer in to add some score then chuck most of his work in the bin. Annoys me every time.
Ganglord is an absolute belter though. Blew me away first time I saw him play it live.
 
Would be interesting to know where and when he actually said this, as it looks like the quotes are all taken from older interviews, as is often the case with Far Out...

Edit: It actually says in the article that the info is taken from this 2018 interview.



Also includes this anecdote about Sparks' Indiscreet

"And you know who else loves it? I’ll tell you! It’s one of Morrissey’s favorite albums. We were talking about Indiscreet in Rome when I was making Ringleader of the Tormentors with him and he said, ‘I adore that album, but I don’t have my copy with me and I want to hear it.’

The next morning I got up before everyone and I found a record store in Rome and I bought it for him. It was the only copy left in this Roman record store, and I gave it to him and he was thrilled. And I think it’s because Sparks really stretched out and were experimental. I think most of my UK productions haven’t made the crossover because I became very Anglicized in my style and my approach, and that’s a shame, because this was kind of their best shot. But it’s OK, because Sparks have got a huge following, of course."
I put the Tidal link and quoted from it in the OP :)
FWD.
 
I wish Dear God Please Help Me wasn't widely available. Get a renowned composer in to add some score then chuck most of his work in the bin. Annoys me every time.
Ganglord is an absolute belter though. Blew me away first time I saw him play it live.
I expect that the ‘Morricone version’ of Dear God, you imagine, would’ve made the shortcomings of the Ringleader album painfully clear. It’s sounds too good for that LP as it is.
 
I expect that the ‘Morricone version’ of Dear God, you imagine, would’ve made the shortcomings of the Ringleader album painfully clear. It’s sounds too good for that LP as it is.

Yeah, both Morrissey and Tony should have been sacked. Then Morricone could have scored the whole album, produced and even sang the lead vocals.

;)
 
I have never, and I’ve said this before, understood what’s so great about Ganglord. To me, it’s heavy handed and chugging, with no redeeming melody to it.
 
Yeah, both Morrissey and Tony should have been sacked. Then Morricone could have scored the whole album, produced and even sang the lead vocals.

;)
Frankly, that would’ve made for a better record. Do we have to keep the sleeve?
 
So I take it you’re not a fan of this record?

;)
I adore Dear God, and that makes it essential for me. I also really like Killed Me and Far Off Places and Pigsty. At Last I am Born is simply a very bad song—sure to kill you off if the three preceding efforts haven’t managed that already.
 
I have never, and I’ve said this before, understood what’s so great about Ganglord. To me, it’s heavy handed and chugging, with no redeeming melody to it.
The studio version yes but it becomes a different monster altogether live. Sorry having to edit to add I read Ganglord as Jack the Ripper, duh, but I think it still stands just not as much
 
Is anyone...?


Yes

I think there’s a lot of great songs on Tormentors.


For me, it was a step in the right direction after the Jerry Finn production.

Though Morrissey went back to Finn for Refusal, maybe it was convenience, or he liked what Finn
did with Quarry I guess.
 
Rubbish rules about no meat in the studio. Tony should have ignored the delusional Morrissey and eaten meat in front of his face. Send Moz home crying.
 

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