Morrissey, singer for The Passage and what could have been …

Supposedly, Morrissey tried out for the position of singer for the Manchester band The Passage. But vocalist Lizzy Johnson was chosen instead.


'As we were spineless about singing we once auditioned a bunch of hopefuls, including a certain Steve Morrissey, who we thought a bit too glum for the likes of us. But this explains gorgeous Lizzy Johnson's presence on Devils and Angels.'

The Passage | Biography | LTM Recordings

Manchester new wave group The Passage were fronted by Dick Witts and recorded for Object Music and Cherry Red

www.ltmrecordings.com

Just imagine, Morrissey could have had quite a different life if he was chosen, and may have possibly sang on this single … the 1981 …






Musically, it’s a far cry from The New York Dolls and the 60’s girl groups that inspired him and Marr. What I find interesting is that this seems to have taken place in 1980/81, which adds some credence to my speculation that Morrissey had much more drive during that time, pre-Smiths, then he or others have led us to believe. If Marr never came around, of course both of them wouldn’t be who they are today, but I do believe there was the possibility that Morrissey would have eventually found some band to express his vision through. Even in obscurity, I believe he would have made and left his unique mark.

Thanks to @goinghome and @DaveC for the link and pointing out this bit of information.

 

[Lujan369]

Things do not happen out of nowhere, there are causes that generate effects. One of the universal laws. Moz insisted because he sensed that this was his way, be a singer and despite his depression continued to fight and Linder was an impulse not to deviate from the path, but everything was by the will of our Moz, on the other hand Johnny did the same and when he reached the ears of Marr the existence of a boy, a certain Steven P Morrissey, went and knocked on the door of Moz and there began the story, which incidentally still continues as one of the songs of a band says .... Moz was no zombie. He was a person with depression but at the same time full of desire to live and do what he wanted most, he was lucky to find someone who encouraged him to continue in moments where he thought he was sinking. It was faith in himself that saved Moz

 

[Lujan369]

Moz depressive syndrome was a mild to moderate depressive syndrome that required psychiatric treatment. Something that was reversed with medication, and that was not so serious, . He had "desire to live, goals, dreams, so treatment, friends who spoke to him and will and desire to continue even if they were off, they were there so Moz continued and today continues to shine and expand

 

[The Wild Turkey]

I think nobody but Morrissey paints it that way (interestingly and tellingly enough). There are people that hung around with him (because he was going out etc.) that said, "and his magpie eyes were on the prize" (Richard Boon). He hung around, socialised, tried to make a name for him (through writing, sending potraits of him to magazines etc.) and tried out several bands. In fact he did a hell of a lot to get attention back then. There are a lot of books that researched that on the account of the people that were there. Johnny Marr said in his autobio that Morrissey was connected. He even heard of him/found him through others. Marr also said that Morrissey had a very clear vision of himself what a singer he wanted to be at the beginning of the Smiths. So there is absolutely no doubt that he was driven and obsessed to become somebody back then. But it didn't happen for a long time. As every story that ends in something big he got his lucky break and he used it.

This is kinda new to me, cause I never read a lot of books
about Moz and The Smiths.
Most of the stuff I heard is from magazines and they always
make it seem like Moz was in the Billy Duffy band and then
when that fell apart, Moz just kept to himself.
I knew that Moz was recommended to Johnny, but I never
knew that Moz was tryin' out for other bands.

 

[Anonymous]

I always felt The Passage shared a certain sense of what would then have been called sexual deviance (songs like Taboos and XOYO) and the red/black/white sleeve aesthetic with Ludus, so a young Morrissey might well have been trying to impress or been encouraged by Linder?

 

[marred]

Glumorous Glue?

 

[j*e*t]

I did notice that Autobiography skips from the Manchester University gig with Billy Duffy's new band (reviewed by Paul Morley 8th May 1978) and the Hacienda opening (21st May 1982) in less than two pages. I had wondered what was happening in his life during that time, given that he would have been leaving his teens. I imagine that it would have been hard seeing the success of The Passage following his unsuccessful audition, at a time when A Certain Ratio with his old friend Simon Topping was also having success. Whether he had given up trying by the time Johnny knocked on his door is unclear but Morrissey has said that Johnny rescued him and I believe that.

 

[A Barnett]

Morrissey without Marr would still be successful. Marr without Morrissey would be a session guitarist that you've never heard of.

Nonsense - a hill I will die on is that they both needed each other - and without each other neither would be where they are today

 

[DagenhamDan]

video above sounds musically like early human league,being boiled springs to mind.

How great were the League in those early days eh? You remember the Futurist chart in Sounds i think it was.
Before the awful name New Romantic was thought up.
All the electronic left field stuff has aged very well i think.

 

[gordyboy9]

How great were the League in those early days eh? You remember the Futurist chart in Sounds i think it was.
Before the awful name New Romantic was thought up.
All the electronic left field stuff has aged very well i think.

yeah remember it well dan,great days.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Morrissey without Marr would still be successful. Marr without Morrissey would be a session guitarist that you've never heard of.

I hate Marr, because M does. I am a grown man/woman but hate people someone I don't really know hates. Even though he probably doesn't hate him. LOL

Marr would have always done well, he was a known person in Manchester.
He maybe wouldn't have been in a band that means what the Smiths did , as the meaning came from M but he would done some top records, him and Joyce, doing a more funky Barbasim, with Billy Duffy or something..He would always been a multimillionaire music star. its obvious.
I think M would have also been successful and he would have always been an interesting act, Smiths could have only happened with Johnny though, the heart of the band, was the love/respect they had for each other what they inspired in each other . They would have booth done well, I am so pleased as punch they did well together

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

How great were the League in those early days eh? You remember the Futurist chart in Sounds i think it was.
Before the awful name New Romantic was thought up.
All the electronic left field stuff has aged very well i think.

They were fantastic. Even now when I hear one of their songs I get a thrill like being a teenager. " Get around town, get around town where the people look good, where the music is loud" . They were the dogs

 

[Miss Ann Thorpe]

And we may never have had Notre Dame...

 

[DagenhamDan]

They were fantastic. Even now when I hear one of their songs I get a thrill like being a teenager. " Get around town, get around town where the people look good, where the music is loud" . They were the dogs

I remember walking round school one day with Travelogue under me arm because id borrowed it from our schools resident Bowie nut 2 years above.
I thought i was the dogs bollocks with me floppy fringe and stern look

 

[BOOYAH!]

Bulbous salutations my friend, Bulbous salutations.

BOOYAH!

 

[gashonthenail]

How great were the League in those early days eh? You remember the Futurist chart in Sounds i think it was.
Before the awful name New Romantic was thought up.
All the electronic left field stuff has aged very well i think.

 

[DagenhamDan]

 

[Mayfly]

I never heard of the Passage. Maybe I missed out on them because I was too young or maybe because they never really made it outside the UK, or a combination of both. How long did they last as a band?
It’s interesting to know that Morrissey actually had an interest in the early new wave scene and even considered singing in such bands. I always thought he wanted to be in a guitar-based band and I find it hard to imagine otherwise.
In the end, I am glad that fate had Johnny knocking on his door.

 

[Anonymo]

And we may never have had Notre Dame...

If only.

 

[marred]

Who the hell gives a flying f*** what could have been? Who the hell is the passage anyway?

 

[ZZ Stops]

I don't think he'd have been dead in a ditch but you have a point - Johnny would always have been in demand for local bands and probably reputable ones who would have gone on to achieve something, although perhaps not on the same level as the Smiths.

I've always wondered what might have happened had Bernard Sumner and Johnny had a conversation first - ok Electronic isn't for everybody's tastes but they had a definite chemistry, appeared to get on well and both had great musical ears, even if Johnny was clearly the better musician from a technical point of view.

As I understand it pre-Smiths Moz was seen as a bit of an outsider and regarded as bordering on deluded (rightly or wrongly) about his future prospects - the meeting with Tony Wilson springs to mind. You could imagine Moz trying his hand as an author had music not come calling, although we can't be too sure what the results might have been.

Have you read List of the Lost??????? No, neither have I.