In 1984, I was sent to Reading to shoot the Smiths for the front cover of the Melody Maker. Morrissey initially wouldn’t talk to Allan Jones, the editor, because he was doing interviews with fanzines instead, which was really cool in a way. I thought: “A solo shot would be great – and I’ll placate the rest of the band later with a group shot in their dressing room.” I only had about 10 minutes with him, so I just started directing him around his hotel room, getting him to do silly things, like drinking milk out of a carton.

Then I noticed this Oscar Wilde book on his bed, so I told him to lie down with it. I stood over him, with my legs astride, even though we’d only just met. He was new to the game and, as I was older, he was probably thinking: “Perhaps I actually have to listen to what the photographer is saying.” If only every musician would do that.

I struck up a conversation with him about Wilde: you have to have enough chat to put the person at ease, but with enough whip-cracking to make them do what you want, to make the picture better. I later loaned him three Wilde books – which he’s still got, the bastard.

I didn’t know that much about the Smiths then. Their first album wasn’t even out. But I liked This Charming Man – it had that jangly Rickenbacker thing echoing the Byrds. Johnny Marr’s a big Byrds fan, so we instantly got on. I’ve still got one of his guitars.

You always have to top what you did on a shoot. So the next time, in the Piccadilly hotel in Manchester, I said: “Moz, take the sheet off the bed and wrap yourself up. It’ll be like Rodin’s Burghers of Calais.” He was clearly thinking: “What’s this cockney wanker going on about?” But he did it and the shots looked great – and also really stupid.

The next morning I got a call, saying Morrissey was a bit uncomfortable with the photos – he feels like you made him do it. But I was thinking on my feet. You just survey the area, use what you can. It was the same with Snoop Dogg. One of his crew witnessed a murder and he was going to be involved in the trial. So we bought a pair of handcuffs, asked him to slip them on, and got him doing a black power salute. On our next encounter, again I had to top it, so I got him lying in a coffin with his hands across his chest.

I left school in 1966 and worked in a darkroom, making tea and mixing developer. Being from a poor, working-class background, I thought I’d no hope of becoming a photographer, but I started taking pictures at gigs and giving them to fanzines. Eventually, I got a job with the Melody Maker, where I stayed for 25 years until it sank.My thirst for music has never been quenched. I’m working on a book called You Set the Scene, where artists caption the picture they’re in. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Tom Waits, Ian Dury, Arthur Lee, Chuck D, Iggy Pop – they’re all in there. But Morrissey won’t do it. He’s an old bugger, isn’t he?

• Aim High: Paul Weller in Photographs 1978-2015 by Tom Sheehan is out now.
  

Tom Sheehan’s CV

Born: London, 1950.

Trained: Self-taught.

Influences: “Rolling Stone photographers, like Henry Diltz.”

High point: “My pictures of John Lydon.”

Low point: “The nature of freelance is famine and feast.”

Top tip: “Success comes in many forms. Don’t get upset because you haven’t reached the heights of Anton Corbijn.”