I wanted to call this article "A Pair of Martins" (a pair of Genes/jeans?), because Boz's real name is Martin Boorer. Instead, "Roz, Boz, and Moz" seems like a cleverer title.
MARTIN ROSSITER
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As a huge Smiths fan in the early 90s, we were always searching for the "next Smiths band." The title would fall to Gene in 1993. Their music was as sensitive and gentle as The Smiths, and even singer/songwriter Martin Rossiter bore incredible similarities to Smiths singer Morrissey. So much, that Gene fans were calling Rossiter as "Roz" (Morrissey's nickname was "Moz").
I saw Gene in 1995 in Los Angeles, at the height of Britpop and the band was riding on its wave. Check out the autograph of the "Sleep Well Tonight" (the cover artwork is unique to the one-track radio promo). The band would return after the fall of Britpop in 2000, selling out most of their US tour dates. Even Morrissey, who was living in Los Angeles at the time, showed up at their show.
Gene broke up officially in 2004, but just recently, Martin Rossiter announced the released of The Defenestration of St Martin in collaboration with Pledge Music. You can order the album now at pledgemusic.com, but I believe the official release date is listed as November 26th. According to Rossiter, "The album is already recorded, it is beautiful and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise."
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Read More So, anyroad, we're all pretty big fans - I think mostly because their songwriter, Martin Rossiter, reminded us of Morrissey so much. He's so smart and witty and charismatic, it's really hard to resist!
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Gene broke up officially in 2004, but just recently, Martin Rossiter announced the released of The Defenestration of St Martin in collaboration with Pledge Music. You can order the album now at pledgemusic.com, but I believe the official release date is listed as November 26th. According to Rossiter, "The album is already recorded, it is beautiful and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise."
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Read More So, it's time the tale was told on "Jack the Ripper"! The song originally appeared as a B-Side on his single, Certain People I Know (Dec 1992).
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BOZ BOORER
bozboorer.com
As I previously mentioned, I followed Morrissey in the nineties. Around the Kill Uncle, we found out that his touring band would include Boz Boorer as guitarist. We finally saw the rockabilly band when the music video for "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" was unveiled on MTV's 120 Minutes. Back then, we didn't really have the internet and most of the information surfaced on fanzines and magazines. There wasn't much on Boz Boorer, other that he was in a band called The Polecats in the 70s and 80s.
Anyway, since then, I've seen Boorer a number of times as Morrissey's guitarist, but I never did follow up on his solo or Polecats works. I've always liked him as songwriter; he's co-written some of my favorite Morrissey songs, including "Jack the Ripper," "Pregnant for the Last Time," and "Satan Rejected My Soul."
Boz Boorer's latest release is called Some of the Parts, which came out today (August 31st). I did listened to the album and I was surprised to find out that Some of the Parts is pretty diverse in its sound: from rock ("Slippery Forces") to blues ("I'm Gonna Make Your Mind") to jazz ("Jazz Interlude") to instrumental ("Bozanova Brown"). I was expecting it to sound like rockabilly, which it did have its moment with "Tokyo Calling."
It did occur to me that hardcore Morrissey fans will likely pick up Some of the Parts and may be disappointed that it sounds nothing like a typical Morrissey album. That's really not the point to Some of the Parts. To me, Boorer is trying to tell you about his passion for early American rock, and if you keep that in mind, you'll appreciate the music on the album.
Boz Boorer's Some of the Parts is out now via Fabrique Records.
bozboorer.com
As I previously mentioned, I followed Morrissey in the nineties. Around the Kill Uncle, we found out that his touring band would include Boz Boorer as guitarist. We finally saw the rockabilly band when the music video for "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" was unveiled on MTV's 120 Minutes. Back then, we didn't really have the internet and most of the information surfaced on fanzines and magazines. There wasn't much on Boz Boorer, other that he was in a band called The Polecats in the 70s and 80s.
Anyway, since then, I've seen Boorer a number of times as Morrissey's guitarist, but I never did follow up on his solo or Polecats works. I've always liked him as songwriter; he's co-written some of my favorite Morrissey songs, including "Jack the Ripper," "Pregnant for the Last Time," and "Satan Rejected My Soul."
Boz Boorer's latest release is called Some of the Parts, which came out today (August 31st). I did listened to the album and I was surprised to find out that Some of the Parts is pretty diverse in its sound: from rock ("Slippery Forces") to blues ("I'm Gonna Make Your Mind") to jazz ("Jazz Interlude") to instrumental ("Bozanova Brown"). I was expecting it to sound like rockabilly, which it did have its moment with "Tokyo Calling."
It did occur to me that hardcore Morrissey fans will likely pick up Some of the Parts and may be disappointed that it sounds nothing like a typical Morrissey album. That's really not the point to Some of the Parts. To me, Boorer is trying to tell you about his passion for early American rock, and if you keep that in mind, you'll appreciate the music on the album.
Boz Boorer's Some of the Parts is out now via Fabrique Records.
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