In memory of the influential Smiths bass player, Breanna McCann has compiled a playlist of his finest moments
On the morning of May 19, Andy Rourke’s boyhood friend, and former bandmate, Johnny Marr announced that Rourke passed away following a battle with pancreatic cancer at age 59. As the world mourned the unexpected loss of the rhythmic backbone of one of the most influential indie groups of all time, fans and collaborators alike shared anecdotes of Rourke’s kindness, humor, and spirit amid countless examples of his incredible mastery of the bass. Part of what made The Smiths so enduring and revolutionary was Rourke’s fluid playing. He crafted lines that directly underpinned, or even overtook, Marr’s glittering guitar melodies, that perfectly anchored with drummer Mike Joyce, and served as a perfect driving force for Morrissey’s lyrics. Rourke’s bass lines demanded attention, even in their subtlety. He played ferociously while always looking as if he was doing something commonplace. In his tribute to Rourke, former bandmate Morrissey wrote, “He didn’t ever know his own power, and nothing that he played had been played by someone else.”
Andy Rourke easily secured his legacy as one of the greats through his work in The Smiths; However, Rourke did not stop there. After the dissolution of The Smiths, Rourke not only offered his bass on albums by artists like The Pretenders, Sinead O’Connor, Ian Brown, and Morrissey, but he also collaborated with a number of artists such as Peter Hook and Dolores O’Riordan. At the risk of quoting Morrissey a second time, the central point of his eulogy of Rourke is correct: “He will never die as long as his music is heard.” Rourke lives on in the spirit of every life touched by even a single note he played, and we keep that spirit alive as we soundtrack our lives with his bass lines for generations to come.
As fans come together to mourn the loss of the beating heart of the indie saviors, celebrate Rourke with this playlist featuring some of his best work from The Smiths and beyond. The pleasure, the privilege was ours, Andy.
Listen to the playlist here and read about each song below:
“Barbarism Begins At Home” — The Smiths Meat Is Murder (1985)
If Andy Rourke played only this bass line and then quit music, he would still have gone down as one of the all-time greats. This song is pure Rourke, and no other explanation is needed than just under seven minutes of one of the greatest bass lines ever crafted.
“Death Of A Disco Dancer” — The Smiths Strangeways, Here We Come (1987)
Rourke’s bass line is the engine of this song, giving it that eerie, quicksand-like momentum. Steady, unwavering, essential.
“Unloveable” (1985 soundcheck version) — The Smiths Louder Than Bombs (1987)
Smiths concerts were their own special kind of magic, but this is one track they never played live. Pulled from the setlist at the last minute, this soundcheck audio is the closest to a live performance of the song we have. The live setting allows Rourke’s meandering, climbing bass line to shine more so than in the studio mix, and proves that his incredible talent could be replicated live.
“Rebel Rock Me” — The Pretenders Last of the Independents (1994)
Rourke goes rockabilly, lending his talents to Chrissie Hynde to show he could do rollicking riffs just as well as more melodic lines. While Rourke had some more rock-centric moments in The Smiths (“Vicar In A Tutu,” “Shakespeare’s Sister,” etc.), this is one of his steadiest rock contributions and it’s a great one.
“You Don’t Know This About Me” — FreeBass feat. Tim Burgess Two Worlds Collide (2010)
FreeBass is a supergroup of Manchester bassists — Rourke, Peter Hook (Joy Division, New Order), and Mani (The Stone Roses, Primal Scream). With vocals lent by Tim Burgess of The Charlatans, the three bassists weave in and out of each other’s paths crafting a rich sonic landscape that constantly shifts throughout the song.
“This Night Has Opened My Eyes” — The Smiths Louder Than Bombs (1987)
Rourke’s bass line ebbs and flows like waves, fitting the story in Morrissey’s lyrics with unsettling precision. It is a prime example of Rourke’s ability to play both melodically and with a sense of narrative drive.
“Shoplifters of the World Unite” — The Smiths Louder Than Bombs (1987)
From the roar that starts this non-album single, Rourke provides a relentless hum underneath the entire song. One of Rourke’s greatest moments in The Smiths comes as he underpins every note of Marr’s six-note solo, and expands upon it to make it something that resonates infinitely deeper within the bones.
“You’ve Got Everything Now” — The Smiths The Smiths (1984)
This features one of Rourke’s most overlooked bass lines, which is ironic because it is one of his most prominent. Listen to the way it flows in and out of the melody, sometimes overtaking it when Marr’s riff falls away.
“Interesting Drug” — Morrissey Bona Drag (1990)
Even after the dissolution of The Smiths, Rourke contributed to several of Morrissey’s solo records. Rourke’s bass line is typically melodic in this song, but much freer as he walks up and down through the notes. “Interesting Drug” showcases his uncanny ability to mold his playing to a song while still making it a piece that demands attention in its own right.
“Chynamite” — D.A.R.K. Science Agrees (2016)
Ever a collaborator, D.A.R.K. featured Rourke, Olé Korestky, and the late Cranberries vocalist Dolores O’Riordan. The track is ethereal, between O’Riordan’s lilting vocals and the rest of the instrumentation, and it all floats above a prominent Rourke bass line that mimics the melody while also taking it in entirely different directions throughout the song. As often became clear, even if Rourke’s contributions were somewhat obscured within a song, he was always the captain of the ship.
“You Cause as Much Sorrow” — Sinead O’Connor I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got (1990)
In 1990, Rourke contributed to Sinead O’Connor’s sophomore record I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got. On this track, Rourke’s bass line is a latecomer, but its presence is felt immediately, working in lockstep with the percussion to build in sound and intensity as the song progresses. Rourke also plays acoustic guitar on “Jump In the River” on the same record.
“Rusholme Ruffians” — The Smiths Meat Is Murder (1985)
A bassist has never so completely dominated an album as Andy Rourke did with The Smiths’ sophomore record, 1985’s Meat Is Murder. Rourke is the keystone of this track. With spectacular bounce, Rourke guides the song, staying a steady anchor as Morrissey flits up and down around his bass line.
“Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” — The Smiths Louder Than Bombs (1987)
This is a song with so many layers that it only improves with further listening. Under the glitter of Marr’s guitar, Rourke provides a steady groove that seems to be pulling the song in a totally different direction as he throws in surprising notes and new rhythms belonging solely to his bass. It creates a tension between melody and groove that only makes the song more dynamic .
“Ask” — The Smiths Louder Than Bombs (1987)
“Ask” may well be one of the finest hours for the Smiths rhythm section, with Mike Joyce providing some of his most frenetic drumming as Rourke directly mirrors Marr’s chord changes. In one of the few “happy” Smiths songs, Rourke proves to great effect that his bass can be just as emotive as it is in a more stereotypical Smiths track.
“Street Children” — Ian Brown The World Is Yours (2007)
Andy Rourke lent bass to fellow Mancunian legend and former Stone Roses frontman, Ian Brown, in 2007. “Street Children” is another good song made great through Rourke’s contribution. Rourke weaves in and out of horns, strings, and percussion to propel Brown’s song outward and upward.
“Strong Forever” — Blitz Vega feat. Johnny Marr Strong Forever (2022)
Rourke and Kav Sandhu (former guitarist of the reformed lineup of another Manchester band, Happy Mondays) formed Blitz Vega in 2019. The duo released “Strong Forever,” featuring Rourke’s former bandmate Johnny Marr, just last November. It is a delight to hear Rourke and Marr play off of each other again, and that free-flowing chemistry between bass and melody only grew more potent since their last work together decades before.
“London” — The Smiths Louder Than Bombs (1987)
“London” is perhaps Rourke’s most frantic bass line, at least with The Smiths, which makes it worthy of note. Even while playing at this relentless speed, Rourke loses no precision.
“There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” — The Smiths The Queen Is Dead (1986)
One of the most beloved Smiths songs, “There Is A Light” is also one of Rourke’s most artful and incisive moments, made all the more impressive by the subtlety of his playing. He blends in so perfectly that he almost disappears, but his presence is unmistakable. Listen as Rourke creates variations on the melody; focusing solely on Rourke’s bass takes it to an entirely new level.
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