Thames & Hudson signs ‘unique’ history of music and guitar playing by The Smiths’ Marr

Thames & Hudson has signed Marr’s Guitars, a “unique cultural history of modern music and guitar playing told through stunning photography and legendary guitarist Johnny Marr’s personal reflections and insights".

Creative director Tristan de Lancey acquired world rights, excluding North America, from Elizabeth Sheinkman at PFD. North American rights were sold to Harper Design, an imprint of HarperCollins. Marr’s Guitars will be published worldwide on 17th October 2023.

The publisher says: “The guitarist’s guitarist, Johnny Marr redefined music for a generation. His ringing arpeggios and chordal innovations helped elevate The Smiths to one of the most influential British bands of its era. And Marr hasn’t stopped pushing musical boundaries since.

“Marr’s Guitars traces his incredible career from his teenage years to his recent work with Hans Zimmer on the Bond soundtrack "No Time to Die", through the prism of his superb collection of guitars. Stunning photographs by Pat Graham showcase the guitars fully and in beautiful micro detail, while Marr’s personal reflections and insights reveal the evolution of his iconic sound and style of playing.

“Each guitar is identified with a crucial moment, a specific song or a particular sound, and each embodies a key aspect of Marr’s lifelong passion. Many are closely associated with Marr, such as the Rickenbacker 330, the Gibson ES-355 and the Johnny Marr Signature Fender Jaguar; some were passed to him by other legendary musicians – Nile Rodgers’ Stratocaster, Bryan Ferry’s Roxy Music Hagstrom and Bert Jansch’s acoustic; and some he has passed to others, such as the Stratocaster used by Noel Gallagher on ’Wonderwall’ and the Gibson Les Paul used on ’In Rainbows’ by Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien.”

Marr said: “Guitars have been the obsession of my life … they’ve been a mission and sometimes a lifeline. So I’m delighted to have made Marr’s Guitars. It’s very different to other guitar books and is more of an art book, with stories of songs and sounds. It’s been a long time coming and a labour of love.”

De Lancey said: “Johnny Marr’s stature and influence in music and popular culture is indisputable, and the opportunity to work with him and his team on such a seminal book has been a dream come true. From the outset, Johnny’s intelligent vision and dedication to all elements of the book – right down to finest detail – have yielded something so much more than a guitar book. The result is nothing short of a ’careerography’ expressed through a photographic deep dive into the cherished creative tools of a living legend. 

“The book screams authenticity: well-known, well-worn guitars, accompanied by personal commentaries, shed new light on recordings and performances. Johnny’s own studio provides the natural backdrop to all of the bespoke photography. Even the contextual images of performances and behind-the-scenes captures have been painstakingly sourced and selected by Johnny. Publication day cannot come soon enough!”