'I wanted to change the marathon experience'

Elite Racing's Tim Murphy decided entertainment was the way to go, and a rockin' race was born

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
May 31, 2007

With more than 20,000 runners, rollers and walkers converging on San Diego this weekend, the 10th annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon continues to draw the conspicuously fit to America's Finest City in droves.

But for local musicians serving as the cheer squad along the 26.2 mile course, the race also serves as a showcase for 44 local bands and artists on 29 stages situated at every mile.

Ten years marks a milestone for the annual San Diego event, which has brought an economic impact of an estimated $400 million to the area over the past decade, according to race promoters.

“I wanted to change the marathon experience,” said Tim Murphy, founder and CEO of the sports marketing and management company that puts on the race, Elite Racing Inc. “The marathons I ran in the past lacked support and spectator participation, but with the addition of live music and entertainment, the experience is positive, inspirational and interactive.

DATEBOOK
2007 Rock 'N' Roll Marathon
Sunday, 6:30 a.m.; 26.2 miles through San Diego from Balboa Park to Marine Corps Recruit Depot; Free to watch; post-race show with Seal at SDSU's Cox Arena free to runners, all others $25; www.rnrmarathon.com or www.eliteracing.com

“Today, most running events have a budget for on-course entertainment. Ten years ago, that did not exist.”

This year's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon kicks off at 6:30 a.m. Sunday. The race follows a course beginning at Sixth Avenue and Robinson Street in Balboa Park, including a stretch on Highway 163 before winding around the edges of San Diego Bay and through beach communities.

The finish line sits at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. If traveling in the area, be aware that many of the streets are closed along the course.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

SEAL'S POP APPEAL
Through the ups and downs of the music business and high-profile marriages in the glare of the media, Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel has come a long way since first bursting on the scene with the 1991 Trevor Horn-produced single “Crazy.”

Charting both in the United Kingdom and the States, the song exposed the British singer's brand of pop and soul to the world. He followed with the string-soaked Baroque pop song “Kiss From a Rose,” featured on the “Batman Forever” soundtrack.

More than a decade and a half later, the 44-year-old may be known more for his marriage to German supermodel Heidi Klum than his soulful mix of electronica and pop. But with his set of pipes and popular appeal, Seal might still have another pop gem or two left in him.

THE SHOW
Post-race schedule at SDSU's COX Arena
Gates open at 6 p.m.
Shane Alexander plays at 6:30 p.m.
Awards ceremony at 7:20 p.m.
Seal performs at 8 p.m.

Previous headliners: Ozomatli, Pinback, LIVE, Chris Isaak, Sugar Ray, SmashMouth, Chicago, Hootie & The Blowfish, Huey Lewis & The News and Pat Benatar.

– CHRIS NIXON

Four on the road

With 44 bands covering the 26.2 mile marathon route (including two artists at Cox Arena after the race), this year's race offers many hours of live music to navigate. Here are a few favorites from this year's lineup:

The KneeHighs (6:45 a.m., Park Boulevard and Presidents Way): With San Diego-centric lyrics by Talls, Dalton and DaDa and funky beats laid down by DJ GarGar, this crew's 2005 release “Global Warming” sports homages to our city like “America's Finest.” With a new album, “Rise and Shine,” on the way, the KneeHighs (myspace.com/kneehighs) continues to make a name for itself in the hip-hop starved local music scene.

Mighty Mo Rodgers (7:40 a.m., Mission Bay Park Visitors Center): This Culver City-based soulful singer has earned his right to sing the blues, which he's been doing since the 1960s with the likes of T-Bone Walker, Albert Collins, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Jimmy Reed. Working with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (along with John Mayall, Arlo Guthrie, John Hammond, Michael Franks), Rodgers produced the 1973 release “Sonny and Terry” on A&M Records. The Mighty Mo Rodgers (mightymorodgers.com) is set to release a new set of tunes titled “Blues Is My Wailing Wall.”

Stone Senses (8 a.m. Perry's Cafe on Pacific Highway): Hailing from the sunny shores of Carlsbad, Stones Senses worships at the altar of reggae and ska with a Southern California jam band mentality. Eric Castaneda (vocals), Mike O'Gara (guitar-vocals), Funkdoobius (bass), Dirty Dan (drums), Garrett Grabowsky (guitar), Carl Mannino (percussion) and Mike Flanagan (alto sax-melodica) released “Harder Than the Rest” April 20, 2006.

The Pitch Michael Band (7:55 a.m. along Friars Road): Rising from the ashes of PitchLaRooche, this Escondido-based trio revolves around the talents of brothers Jonathan (vocals, guitar) and Levi (bass, vocals) Pitcher with help from Mike Lynch (percussion, guitar and vocals). Mixing ambient electronic and guitar rock, these kids from North County have chops.

– CHRIS NIXON

Morrissey: Ringleader of the Tormented

Morrissey's career has been an emotional ride – what did you expect from Mr. Emo?

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
May 31, 2007

In the hierarchy of British musical royalty, Morrissey has earned the titles of the first prince of emo darkness and the original king of pain. Long before Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst delved into his dark side or Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba wore his heart on his sleeve, Morrissey took music fans on a lyrical tour of his anxieties and emotional dysfunction through the colorful characters he painted in his songs.

As a member of the seminal Brit-rock band The Smiths, Morrissey took the UK by storm while gaining a foothold on college radio in the United States. Backed by Johnny Marr (key in shaping the 1990s alternative guitar riffs), Morrissey unleashed a potent mix: literate poetic lyrics delivered with the heart of an Irish balladeer and an emotional crooning vocal style. Marr balanced Morrissey's emotional delivery with crisp, clean guitar lines. Along with bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, the quartet provided a template for alternative and indie rock.

During a short career of only five years, The Smiths released four studio albums (1984's “The Smiths,” 1985's “Meat Is Murder,” 1986's “The Queen Is Dead” and “Strangeways, Here We Come” in 1987) before calling it quits in 1987. Marr and Morrissey cited the overused “musical differences.” On the subject of The Smiths' breakup, Morrissey told CNN: “It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. (Marr) wanted to end it. And that was that.”

DATEBOOK
Morrissey, with Kristeen Young
7 p.m. Sunday;
Embarcadero Marina Park South, Marina Park Way, downtown;
$45; (619) 220-TIXS

When the Pixies broke up, some folks were surprised by the critical and popular success of Kim Deal (in The Breeders) while Frank Black's solo career seemed to tread water in semi-obscurity. Like The Pixies, many pundits weren't certain of Morrissey's ability to write catchy tunes without the guitar lines of Marr after The Smiths split ways. But Morrissey's best songs as a solo artist rival The Smiths' finest work.

“I now feel more inclined to stand up and look the world in the face (since The Smiths' split),” Morrissey said during a Q&A on the fanzine truetoyou.net. “I find it shocking to look back at the period of The Smiths and to reflect upon the magnitude of doom that surrounded me every single day. When Johnny ended The Smiths, I was forced to go solo, and I found myself going further with all my experiences of life, and, although Johnny didn't intend it to, it helped me.”

Since 1987, Morrissey has released eight solo studio discs, including the solid 2006 release “Ringleader of the Tormentors.” Each album holds a few gems. But aside from 1994's “Vauxhall and I,” the artist has had trouble creating consistently great albums from front to back. The vocalist has never really solved America from a radio or pop chart perspective in his solo career. But his fans are truly fanatical, and his records continue to be well-received by critics.

The legend of The Smiths only grows with the passing of time. According to Morrissey, The Smiths were offered $5 million to reunite for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. With Marr backing Isaac Brock on the new high-profile Modest Mouse album and Morrissey selling out venues on his tour in support of “Tormentors,” the former Smiths frontman is forced to quash reunion rumors on a regular basis.

Morrissey told gigwise.com in 2006: “I feel as if I've worked very hard since the demise of The Smiths and the others haven't, so why hand them attention that they haven't earned? We are not friends, we don't see each other. Why on Earth would we be on a stage together?”

In the year of the reunion (The Police, Genesis, Rage Against the Machine, Crowded House, Jesus and Mary Chain), it's refreshing to witness a band not let bygones by bygones in favor of lucrative tours. Besides, both Marr and Morrissey are doing just fine on their own, thank you.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

MORRISSEY BY THE NUMBERS
Born: Steven Patrick Morrissey on May 22, 1959

Hometown: Manchester, England

Parents: Peter Morrissey (hospital porter) and Elizabeth Dwyer (librarian)

Influences: Oscar Wilde, James Dean, The New York Dolls, Marianne Faithful

CAREER WITH THE SMITHS
Studio albums: “The Smiths” (1984); “Meat Is Murder” (1985); “The Queen Is Dead” (1986); “Strangeways, Here We Come” (1987)

Compilations and live albums: Hatful of Hollow (1984); The World Won't Listen (1987); “Louder Than Bombs” (1987); “Rank” (1988)


A SELECTED SOLO DISCOGRAPHY
“VIVA HATE” (1988, Sire)

On the charts: #1 UK, #48 U.S.

The gist: A not-so-subtle reference to The Smiths' breakup, Morrissey wasted no time to release his first solo disc, an epic 20-song album helped by the guitar and compositions of Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column).

The singles: “Suedehead” and “Everyday Is Like Sunday.”

Favorites: “The Ordinary Boys” is beautiful in its simplicity, and the snappy “Suedehead” asks the question: “Johnny who?”

“YOUR ARSENAL” (1992, Sire)

On the charts: #4 UK, #21 U.S.

The gist: From the opening notes of “You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side,” thick layers of distorted slide guitar riffage declare “Your Arsenal” as Morrissey's rock album.

The singles: “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful,” “You're the One for Me, Fatty,” “Certain People I Know” “Glamorous Glue” and “Tomorrow.”

Favorites: “Seasick, Yet Still Docked” welcomes the listener in with its floaty atmospherics, and the down-home honky-tonk of “Certain People I Know” shows another side of Morrissey.

“VAUXHALL AND I” (1994, Sire)

On the charts: #1 UK, #18 U.S.

The gist: A return to the quieter Morrissey, the album's 11 tracks reflect the singer's mood after losing friends Mick Ronson, Tim Broad and Nigel Thomas. “Vauxhall and I” may be Morrissey's most cohesive and complete solo album.

The singles: “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get,” “Now My Heart Is Full” and “Hold on to Your Friends.”

Favorites: Play the album front to back on a Sunday afternoon or save it for a rainy day.

“YOU ARE THE QUARRY” (2004, Sanctuary)

On the charts: #2 UK, #11 U.S.

The gist: After a seven-year hiatus from recording, Morrissey celebrates signing with a new label by releasing his most radio-friendly album to date.

The singles: “Irish Blood, English Heart,” “First of the Gang to Die,” “Let Me Kiss You” and “I Have Forgiven Jesus.”

Favorites: The master lyricist stretches his legs on “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores” and gets misty as only Morrissey can on “Let Me Kiss You.”

“RINGLEADER OF THE TORMENTORS” (2006, Sanctuary)

On the charts: #1 UK, #27 U.S.

The gist: Producer Tony Visconti (T. Rex and David Bowie) and new guitarist Jesse Tobias (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette) surround Morrissey with lush compositions on his latest disc. Legendary composer Ennio Morricone adds strings on “Dear God Please Help Me.”

The singles: “You Have Killed Me,” “The Youngest Was the Most Loved,” “In the Future When All's Well” and “I Just Want to See the Boy Happy.”

Favorites: The lusciously orchestrated “I Will See You in Far Off Places” and the compact rocker “I Just Want to See the Boy Happy” (complete with trombone solo) highlight Morrissey's new album.

– CHRIS NIXON