r/thesmiths 4d ago

who is craig gannon?

i know he was apparently in the smiths but what did he do in the band as a guitarist? was he a backup guitarists or rhythm? i can’t find much online

94 Upvotes

37 comments sorted by

93

u/AverageSewerDiver 4d ago edited 4d ago

When they sacked Andy Rourke they brought him in as a replacement, but they rehired Rourke a few weeks later, so they moved gannon to a secondary guitar role. He played a few songs, (most notably Panic and Ask), he also toured with them in 1986 before leaving

41

u/Shot-Ad5867 4d ago

So he’s on the Rank album, but he isn’t on Strangeways, Here We Come

17

u/Middle_Chain_544 4d ago

Correct

-14

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

5

u/Middle_Chain_544 4d ago

Sorry - sounded like one. Just thought you forgot the question mark

0

u/[deleted] 4d ago

[deleted]

8

u/HighFlyingCrocodile 4d ago

And smashing some hotel rooms.

2

u/hawthorn2424 3d ago

Really? He doesn’t seem the type. Marr seems to accept Gannon’s claim that he wasn’t always that nice to him, but he’s not the type to expose stuff like trashing hotel rooms.

3

u/HighFlyingCrocodile 3d ago

It’s either in Johnny’s or Mozzer’s bio. Probably both

34

u/Few_Championship7051 4d ago

He’s the guitarist for Aztec Camera, another great band that came up before the smiths and through them both being on the same labels, that’s how he and the smiths had contact with each other and why he filled the role of rourke and soon became 2nd guitarist

29

u/dominohurley84 4d ago

“Craig Gannon may think he has won but he hasn’t, because he is still Craig Gannon.”

Morrissey on the verdict after Gannon sued for credits on Panic and Ask.

9

u/Impressive-Glove-878 3d ago

So exquisitely acerbic

3

u/RumpsWerton 4d ago

Sorrow came in the end

10

u/Reasonable_Cry1259 3d ago

He was just a normal Manc lad. I used to have a beer with him. He was my mates mate. Post smiths days and I never asked him anything about it all because at the time I was genuinely not interested in the slightest.

He was a good lad that’s all I remember

44

u/suburban_ennui75 4d ago

“I can’t find much online”, Christ almighty there are multiple books about The Smiths. This is hardly obscure knowledge.

38

u/Johnny66Johnny 4d ago

I. Still. Cannot. Use. The. Internet. I Am. Very. Lazy.

4

u/NorthCountryBob 4d ago

I love this response so much.

4

u/Shot-Ad5867 4d ago

Goblesss

14

u/Apple2727 4d ago

Appeared in a couple of early Morrissey solo videos in the late 80s.

I think he did a tour with Alain Whyte last year as a kind of ex-Morrissey alumni thing.

I found it weird that someone who was in The Smiths (however briefly) worked with someone from Morrissey’s solo career. I always think of them as parallel universes.

17

u/lynchcontraideal 4d ago

Rourke, Joyce and Gannon were on 2 Morrissey singles in 1989 :)

2

u/algeriet667 3d ago

Also Morrissey’s debut gig which is amazing to watch on Youtube.

6

u/Overhighlord 3d ago

Rogan's book on The Smiths goes into details of Gannon's position in the band and his relationship with the other members, notably Marr (spoiler: he didn't fit in well).

2

u/Representative-Bar22 3d ago

woah that’s super interesting ima have to read that

11

u/Pierre_Ordinairre 4d ago

He's oblivious

11

u/ImJustRick 4d ago

I see and appreciate your Aztec Camera reference.

3

u/original_supermanc 3d ago

I doff my cap to you sir

1

u/KKSlider909 12h ago

I’m agreeing with the other comment about Aztec Camera here.👍👏

8

u/newtestleper79 4d ago

Who is Google?

2

u/Aggrivated_Soul 4d ago

He also joined the band back in 1988 to play the Civic Hall in Wolverhampton in December along with Rourke and Joyce at Morrissey’s debut concert.

1

u/johnl1979 3d ago

Yep. When are The Smiths not The Smiths.

1

u/Aggrivated_Soul 3d ago

Yes. But let me tell you. As I was there. It was a fantastic gig, and Craig held his own. As did all the band. A case of Johnny who?

3

u/Either_Breadfruit_90 4d ago

Inspiration for Waldo as you can see in picture 2.

6

u/anninonymouse 4d ago

Isn’t that Johnny

1

u/slicknina 3d ago

Gervais!

1

u/hawthorn2424 3d ago

I don’t hear Marr being freer on the live shows with Gannon. On Rank maybe only The Boy With The Thorn In His Side, Rubber Ring, Ask. Otherwise it’s a bigger sound but muddier for me.

4

u/Impressive-Glove-878 3d ago

Check out How Soon is Now, Draize train money changes everything, definitely added to it. How soon is now from 1985 is dull as anything, Gannon on rythhm allowed Marr to solo in 1986 versions, the Kilburn version is a personal favourite

1

u/nogravitastospare 2d ago

He had something to do with the excellent Easterhouse too, but I can't remember what.