Why Noel Gallagher dedicated “Cast No Shadow” to Richard Ashcroft
That the song “Cast No Shadow“, originally included in the 1995 Oasis album” (What’s the Story) Morning Glory? “, dedicated by Noel Gallagher a Richard Ashcroft has never been a secret. In the cover notes, the eldest of the Gallagher brothers expressly dedicated the song “to the genius of Richard Ashcroft”. He did not surprise that thirty years after the former verve frontman was chosen by Liam and Noel for Open the Concerts of the Oasis Reunion Tour of Reuniongiven the long -standing bond from which they are linked. Own The story behind “Cast No Shadow” It is an intertwining of Band, brotherhood and rivalry.
When “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory?” He was published, the Oasis had already played how Supporter at the verve In December 1993 And Liam contributed with clay hands to the “History” track in the second album of Ashcroft and members, “A Northern Soul”, produced by Owen Morris who had also worked on the debut of the Gallagher “Defiatell Maybe”. Despite some success, and the great commercial recognition achieved later with the classic “Bitter Sweet Symphony”, many they believed that the verve had not fully expressed their potential, and Noel Gallagher was among them. In an interview with “Select” magazine in 1995, Noel explained what he thought of Ashcroft And why he wrote “Cast no shadow” for him:
“It has always seemed not very happy with what happened to him around him, almost as if he tried too much. That’s why in the text there is: ‘Bound with the weight of all the words he tried to say’. I always thought it was born in the wrong place, and at the wrong time, and that he always tried to say the right things, but they came out badly”.
However, like the same Noel admitted subsequently to “Q” in February 1996, part of the text of “cast no shadow” could also be worth for him: “‘Bound with the weight of all the words he tried to say’ – I’m me. I am not Morrissey. They are not Bob Dylan. They are not Brett Anderson. They are better lyricists than I will ever be”.
Ashcroft later explained that he was honored to somehow part of the songthe album and the immense success of the Oasis, and in 20120 at the “Guardian” he said: “I can’t understand if he meant that they are a witch, a vampire or simply incredibly blooded and thin Because, you know, I really don’t have enough body mass to project a shadow ”.
When luck started shooting also for Richard Ashcroft and Verve with the third album “Urban Hyms”, Noel Gallagher therefore declared that he was enthusiastic of their success and admitted to being “the happiest man in the world”. In an interview for Radio 1 in October 1997, the Gallagher’s eldest said: “Richard is a genius. Nick McCabe is one of the best guitarists I’ve ever seen. Even when we were supporting them many years ago, they were already a great band then. The circumstances played against them. I don’t write songs about many people – I wrote about Liam, on my mother, on my wife, on Richard Ashcroft. That man is a genius, and do you know something? It doesn’t do it for himself, he does it for me. It must be a better songwriter than me, and in return I have to write better songs than him. This is the point. People will try to build this thing Verve vs Oasis, but we come from afar togetherfrom Manchester and Wigan, who Nobody can ever affect the bond and friendship that unites us“.
Over ten years later, In January 2018, however, Noel did not have the same good words referring to Richard Ashcroft: “He offends me that there are songwriters who, if you go to dig a minimum, do not write a cock. He offends me,” Noel said to the microphones of the podcast “Sodajerker”: “As far as I know, if scratched the surface of any British soloist, find that they all have a team of authors behind me, except me, Paul Weller and Johnny Marr. Ashcroft, my brother, even Ed Sheeran and the boy of One Direction: Everyone has an army of authors behind. I believe that for a soloist it is important that everything comes from himself. “The sarcastic and pungent response of Ashcroft did not delay, who asked for clarifications on Twitter:” I don’t write my songs? You want to clarify better, ng? “.
The tension between Richard and Noel, fortunately, drew up quickly. On the occasion of the Reunion tour “Oasis Live ’25”, on the microphones on Radio X, Ashcroft told Chris Moyles: “I think it’s fantastic that we are still here. I have lived practically all this story with them. From day one. Before their first album came out, I had already seen it. They had become famous mega before me. They were at ‘Top of the Pops’. When my turn arrived, they had already taken the complete tour. They had sold millions of records, etc., etc. But it is rare that such a thing happens: two bands, both in the van, to play for 300 people, both to say ‘we will do it’. And then it really happensit’s incredible. “
Concluded: “I am happy for them on a personal level. I am happy for their mom. I am happy for all those people who have not had the opportunity to see them the first time and that this summer we can all find ourselves together “.
