Johnny Marr reflected on coming to Noel Gallagher’s aid when he heeded help during a recent interview with the Guardian’s Andy Welch while discussing his new book, ‘Marr’s Guitars.’
Marr has given some gifts to his musician friends throughout the years, like a 1960 Gibson Les Paul guitar he gave to Gallagher. However, Noel accidentally broke it during a concert in Newcastle while dealing with a fan who came on stage. So, he called Marr and got a replacement, a black 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom. The guitarist said:
“It’s just to be nice. As simple as that. Bernard [Butler] is a good friend, and I knew he’d love that guitar. And me giving Noel those guitars has become such a big story over the years, but people don’t realize that at the time, he wasn’t who he is now. He was just a kid from Burnage. I had no idea Oasis were going to go on to such big things. I did it because he was in need, because I was lucky and had lots of guitars, and because I wished someone had done it for me.”
Marr and Gallagher have been friends and have worked together for a long time. They collaborated on Oasis’ ‘Heathen Chemistry’ and played on songs for Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds. Recently, they teamed up again for three tracks on Gallagher’s latest album, ‘Council Skies,’ including the lead single ‘Pretty Boy,’ ‘Open the Door, See What You Find,’ and the title track.
Elsewhere in the conversation, Marr said that the concept for the book had been with him for a few years. His main goal was to make a stunning art book, as he explained:
“I wanted it to be in the houses of people who wouldn’t normally have guitar books. My dream is for more regular people to have a book on guitars because it’s a beautiful thing. Then the stories about me come secondary.”
In ‘Marr’s Guitars,’ the musician connects various guitars with different parts of his life, like moments, songs, or sounds. The book spans his entire musical journey, from his early days to recent projects, including his work on the James Bond film ‘No Time to Die’ with Hans Zimmer. Pat Graham’s photos will complement Marr’s storytelling.
The book includes some of Johnny’s favorite guitars, including the Rickenbacker 330, Gibson ES-355, and his own Fender Jaguar model. Some guitars were given to him as gifts, like one from Nile Rodgers, Bryan Ferry’s Hagstrom, and an acoustic from Bert Jansch. The book arrived on October 17.
