A compilation of statements from Morrissey originally posted on morrisseycentral.com
2022
LAS VEGAS, JULY 2022
May 20, 2022
The Morrissey concerts in Las Vegas in July will showcase songs from the album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, which was recorded in January 2021.
“The thrill of this album was the speed under which it was recorded. Considering the knots of grief I had experience at the time, it made ‘Bonfire’ an incredible achievement for me.”
Morrissey.
SAN LUIS OBISPO
May 13, 2022
“every important face from the last forty years of my life … yes, forty years! … was there last night.
Now my heart has burst.”
Morrissey.
THE LAST OF ENGLAND
April 6, 2022
June Brown (1927-2022)
YVETTE MIMIEUX, RIP
March 2, 2022
MONICA VITTI, RIP
March 2, 2022
BETTY DAVIS, RIP
February 19, 2022
OPEN LETTER TO JOHNNY MARR.
22.1.22
This is not a rant or an hysterical bombast. It is a polite and calmly measured request: Would you please stop mentioning my name in your interviews?
Would you please, instead, discuss your own career, your own unstoppable solo achievements and your own music?
If you can, would you please just leave me out of it?
The fact is: you don’t know me. You know nothing of my life, my intentions, my thoughts, my feelings. Yet you talk as if you were my personal psychiatrist with consistent and uninterrupted access to my instincts. We haven’t known each other for 35 years – which is many lifetimes ago. When we met you and I were not successful. We both helped each other become whatever it is we are today. Can you not just leave it at that? Must you persistently, year after year, decade after decade, blame me for everything … from the 2007 Solomon Islands tsunami to the dribble on your grandma’s chin ?
You found me inspirational enough to make music with me for 6 years. If I was, as you claim, such an eyesore monster, where exactly did this leave you? Kidnapped? Mute? Chained? Abducted by cross-eyed extraterrestrials? It was YOU who played guitar on ‘Golden Lights’ – not me.
Yes, we all know that the British press will print anything you say about me as long as it’s cruel and savage. But you’ve done all that. Move on. It’s as if you can’t uncross your own legs without mentioning me. Our period together was many lifetimes ago, and a lot of blood has streamed under the bridge since then. There comes a time when you must take responsibility for your own actions and your own career, with which I wish you good health to enjoy. Just stop using my name as click-bait. I have not ever attacked your solo work or your solo life, and I have openly applauded your genius during the days of ‘Louder than bombs’ and ‘Strangeways, here we come’, yet you have positioned yourself ever-ready as rent-a-quote whenever the press require an ugly slant on something I half-said during the last glacial period as the Colorado River began to carve out the Grand Canyon. Please stop. It is 2022, not 1982.
Morrissey. January 2022.
Meat Loaf. RIP.
January 21, 2022
RONNIE SPECTOR, RIP
January 13, 2022
Peter Bogdanovich, RIP
January 7, 2022
TO SIR, WITH LOVE
January 7, 2022
Sidney Poitier, RIP.
2021
WANDA YOUNG, RIP
27.12.21
“Oh, death … the only conclusion. It always wins. And now, Wanda Young, whose yearning-for-what-cannot-be voice excited me at 9 years old, and even still, now, at 89 years. Along with Gladys Horton, the almost punishing excitement of the Marvelettes was so dramatic that even the hairstyles began to overact. I still listen whenever I want back the music of before. In one of my first ever radio interviews I requested “Strange, I Know” by the Marvelettes – a foreign language back then. All of their singles were signals
… “The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game”, “Anything You Wanna Do”, “He’s A Good Guy, Yes He Is”, “I Think I Can Change You”, “Marionette”, “Beechwood 4-5789”, “Danger Heartbreak Dead Ahead” – curses more than songs, often. The voices of great singers say ‘listen to me’ before you even grasp their lyrics, and Wanda Young was there with Levi Stubbs, as godly as you could ever hope
for. It should cost something to sing, and this is why most 2021 pop music resembles Soviet Union state authorized entertainment. The Marvelettes were a part of those who came before, but don’t overlook them because of that. Shadowed, of course, by the
Supremes, and even by the fashionable pessimism of the Crystals, being ‘a girl group’ could imply either not a real group, or somehow less than. Nobody called the Stones ‘a boy band’. Today, no radio stations play the songs of the Marvelettes despite their enormous success (bigger than the Kinks, wouldn’t you know), even though any investigation of their music proves that the magic never ends. “Paper Boy” is directly ‘in your face, man’. They deserve your love because they came from a long-gone era when the waiting-to-buy was just as exciting as the actual purchase. Wanda, I’ll mith you.”
MORRISSEY, 27 December 2021.
Janice
26.12.21
“We are all such hopeless creatures, aren’t we? We must wait until someone dies in order to tell them how much we loved them. Am I even writing this, now, about the death of Janice Long? Gone, as everyone in the UK now seems to, after ‘a short illness’. What IS a short illness? Interpret as you will…
Janice was immediately in my life during the days of Rough Trade Records … all those tears ago. I would sit very still waiting for “Hand In Glove” to be played on her radio show – and it always was. Suddenly I was a someone. Janice remained loyal to me, even allowing radio sessions during barren times when I was considered far too exciting to be signed by a record label. Such things didn’t matter to Janice. Decades later, when thinking became banned in the UK, Janice invited me onto her show … letting me know that I was valued, letting me know that the press vendetta against me hadn’t fooled those who really count in the end. In what might be termed her heyday, Janice – along with John Walters – had an energy that chased music; Janice turned up everywhere, never defeated, helping the newly-signed, she would drive 250 miles to see a band … never losing the necessity of immediate action, yet all the credit for nighttime music mysteriously went to John Peel.
Janice was also the first female to present ‘Top of the Pops’, and as young and lively as she was, she wanted legitimate association with quality music – not with sexuality. She was not a costume. Her will was determined, and even on the few occasions that she criticized me I knew she was right, and nothing could dent our friendship. It was difficult back then (and impossible now) to present individuality in pop music. In modern times, no one will risk being honest. Inevitably militant ageist manifestos reduced Janice from her reverential Radio 2 slot, a position that she alone had built brick by brick, but … she had achieved her intentions … she had done the impossible very, very well … and her career, now closed, is a lifetime of gains without losses, and she didn’t ever once belabor the price of being female in a world that was for a long time sewn-together by and for men. She proved what could be done. She took risks by playing independent music during the years when independent music was refused access to daytime radio. Janice gave airtime to such as Ludus and Raymonde, and even played all six minutes of the Dolls’ ‘Frankenstein’ uninterrupted. Even modern DJs dare not risk such imagination.
The choking sorrow at the announcement of someone’s death is full equation of their success. Only then do we say what would be a queasy revelation during the person’s lifetime. How can love be talked about? It can’t. Possibly the only time Janice went on a gym treadmill she found herself jogging alongside Peter Wyngarde. I laughed for hours trying to conjour up such a picture. She then said:
“and then Ray Davies walked in carrying a plastic shopping-bag.” My head hurt.
Even if, at age 66, Janice would be termed ‘the older generation’, it must be remembered that a great deal is lost in the passing of that generation. Memory is our strength. Thank you, Janice. Your soul is liberated from this increasingly ridiculous world.”
MORRISSEY, 26 December 2021.
Stephen Sondheim sails away, RIP.
November 27, 2021
YOU’RE NEVER ALONE
YOU’RE NEVER DISCONNECTED!
YOU’RE HOME WITH YOUR OWN
WHEN COMPANY’S EXPECTED
YOU’RE WELL PROTECTED!
THIS IS NOT TRUE
November 6, 2021
“The larger portion of my life consists of shaggy-dog yarns by people I’ve never met in places I’ve never been on staircases that haven’t yet been built. If ONLY half of them were true … my life would actually have been interesting. I’m forced to take a stand where John Cho is concerned. What he says here never happened, or perhaps it did … with a lookunlike whose life was so wretchedly
drab that he pretended he was me. I don’t slap down ANYBODY. It’s usually me who takes the slap. I’m not saying I don’t enjoy it.” Morrissey.
IF THERE’S SOMETHING YOU’D LIKE TO TRY
ASTLEY, ASTLEY, ASTLEY
10.10.21
“My sincere thanks to Rick and the Blossoms for their recent recentness. Anything that generates interest in
that tired old Smiths warhorse is testimony to the wallop it packed. THANK YOU!”
-Morrissey, October 2021.
“SAY IT LOUD, I’M ME AND I’M PROUD.”
September 29, 2021
1)
World Peace Is None Of Your Business.
2)
Ringleader of the Tormentors.
3)
You Are The Quarry.
4)
Bona Drag.
5)
Vauxhall and I.
6)
Your Arsenal.
7)
Louder than Bombs.
8)
Strangeways, Here We Come.
9)
Rank.
10)
Swords.
11)
California Son.
12)
I Am Not A Dog On A Chain.
13)
Years Of Refusal.
14)
Low In High School.
15)
Southpaw Grammar.
16)
Beethoven Was Deaf.
17)
Meat Is Murder.
18)
The Queen Is Dead.
19)
Maladjusted.
20)
Viva Hate.
21)
Greatest Hits.
22)
Hatful of Hollow.
23)
Singles.
24)
Live at Earls Court.
25)
The World Won’t Listen.
26)
Kill Uncle.
27)
The Best Of.
28)
Very Best Of.
29)
The Smiths.
30)
Rare.
TIME IS NOT ON OUR SIDE
August 24, 2021
CHARLIE WATTS
REST IN STRENGTH.
100th ANNIVERSARY OF HMV
14. 7. 21
Celebrating 100 years of HMV, Morrissey’s “Bona Drag” is number 5 in a list of special re-issues.
This limited edition comes in teal coloured vinyl, and includes a poster. There are two discs, plus photographs
taken 30 years ago by Linder Sterling in Hoxton Square in London, and also a famous shot of Morrissey
taken by Margaret Sison at Hollywood High School on Sunset Boulevard from the same period.
The album includes 7 UK hit singles, plus 6 tracks only recently available.
“You need courage to put your life into song … and in Bona Drag … there is my life.”
-Morrissey, 2021.
The new “Bona Drag” is available on July 24.
Turning The Inside Out.
5.7.21
questioning Morrissey’s answers June 2021
SAM:
Obviously we know each other, and I receive a lot of questions to be handed on to you, so I will ask those questions on the pretense that I don’t know you.
M:
Yes, I get it.
SAM:
What is it about Go_A that … makes you listen to them all day?
M:
“SHUM” is the first bit of the answer, but there are more layers and I think when you are excited by a band you automatically want to go to where they come from – and even, in some cases, live there. So, I’m checking bedsits in Kiev. The singers that you fall in love with become whatever your imagination imagines, and Kateryna is so cold and bony and I can’t wait to get to Ukraine. I haven’t ever been there.
SAM:
It’s not quite the same thing, I know, but you’ve also been playing a lot of Tiny Tim lately. What’s the attraction?
M:
I was hoping you couldn’t hear. Well, he was a genius – let’s start with that. And I have enormous respect for anyone who can achieve originality in pop music because it’s so very rare, and he certainly did that. He had a terrific voice, and if you don’t think so then you should try to sing how he sang. You won’t be able to. Also, you can see where Sparks took their cue, and also why Bowie covered ‘Fill Your Heart’. In fact there’s a photo online from 1968 of Bowie staring lovingly at Tiny Tim. He wasn’t novelty as some people think. He was unique.
SAM:
On the subject of Sparks, they’ve attacked you in recent years. Does this upset you?
M:
Amazingly, no, because I’m quite used to it. I stood by Sparks for many years and I promoted them in my own humble way whenever I could, and they were famously people without opinions so I was surprised that they kicked me in the teeth. It came across as an almost fiendish ingratitude. Oh, the pain of parting! [laughs]. They will always be important to me as a memory.
SAM:
Your single with David Bowie reached number 1 this year in the Official Chart and the vinyl chart, yet I don’t know anyone who heard it on radio. This must upset you?
M:
Yes. It hurts to look at the sky. No, sorry, that was a joke. The only point about radio play is whether it matters. It didn’t matter to the people who bought the single and put it at number 1. But, obviously, I’ve always wondered what a big promotional push would be like.
SAM:
I wasn’t ever a Bowie fan, and I don’t understand the hysteria for him.
M:
Well, certainly in 1972, ‘73, ‘74 he looked incredible, and he was earth-threatening for that period, so, when you consider how he started with no advantages it’s remarkable how a strong level of fantasy and vanity can give you so much strength, and he did it without giving anything whatsoever of his true self away.
SAM:
His true self? What do you mean?
M:
Well, he was always laughing at something, or smiling at least, and never spoke about anything in depth. I’d say something not remotely funny and he’d burst out laughing.
SAM:
If he were alive now do you think you’d be friends?
M:
I don’t think he was friends with anybody. Lou told me that David would pass him on the street and look the other way. He also said that David spent his final years in his apartment eating meatballs. But, God bless him.
SAM:
Your mother … my grandmother, died in 2020, and I know you suffered an emotional breakdown.
M:
Yes. Yes. It killed me. It was the first feeling of being alone… in the true sense of the word. It brings something that you cannot cope with … the final stage of growing up, perhaps. And apart from your own nervous breakdown you realize that there remains only one more important event in your life and that is your own death. When you give that unimaginable final hug, you also die. How can you not? I haven’t recovered, I’ve simply adjusted to the pain. It doesn’t get better.
SAM:
Can you be thankful for anything?
M:
No. When your mother dies it’s the point where the end of your own life begins. You won’t recover, you can’t recover, and you don’t recover. People who tell you time is a great healer are probably alcoholic. You can only adjust by becoming reconciled to an ongoing sadness. You must face life on your own, and that’s very difficult.
SAM:
But how fiercely does it hit someone such as yourself who, if you don’t mind me saying, is already so negatively disposed? How do you have any chance of pulling yourself together?
M:
Well, as you know, your grandmother had an almost incomprehensible strength and warmth and intelligence, and therefore, without her, everything is empty of meaning for me. I can’t meet one single day with an open mind. As I said somewhere recently, the human heart cannot be repaired, and once I accept that, I can go on, and I can stop looking for a brave front. When someone you love above all others dies you are certain that no more meaning can be left, and this is true. Death is a disgusting arrangement, and grief is a disgusting arrangement, and whoever thought it brought order and meaning to life is worse than useless. Life has too many burdens. Who is looking after us?
SAM:
Does this mean your faith has gone?
M:
It can’t because Catholicism takes an unshakable root. It’s not like collecting stamps. You might very well become atheist but the final words you utter will still be ‘dear God, please help me’… unless you’re Christopher Hitchens.
SAM:
But you experienced life with your Mother for 61 years, whereas some people are parted in a short space of time.
M:
Yes, I think of Emily Jones the 7-year old girl from Bolton who had her throat slit whilst cycling through the park on Mother’s Day. The killer was from Albania and was only recently allowed into Britain, and was then cleared of the murder of Emily because the killer hadn’t been taking her medication … blah, blah, blah … you know how modern British law is. Interesting how the killer didn’t slit her OWN throat … she wasn’t too confused to do THAT. But I can’t imagine how Emily’s parents cope with something like that … if they are even still alive?
SAM:
The UK is very inhospitable now, and you were viciously attacked for your political comments two or three years ago. Where do you stand now?
M:
I still haven’t ever voted for a political party in my entire life, and my interest has curdled recently because, well, I was only attacked a couple of years ago because I had actually hit on something. If you talk dribble the press will not print your dribble. They might print a lengthy article on why I should be ignored, but by writing the article in the first place they show their own inability to ignore me! [laughs] Politically, Britain is now a spectacular failure, but I’m perfectly reconciled to the fact that the people will always revomit the same old parties into power. I’m not interested. A harmony of all interests isn’t possible, anyway, not in music or politics or in society. In the first place we always seem to be lumbered with a Prime Minister who, once elected, will not ever represent the wishes of the electorate. There really is nothing to believe in.
SAM:
We now live in Covid Society which is gleefully inflicted on the British public – or should I say the poorer elements of British society, so why do you think the public take it lying down?
M:
Because they are quite used to the political scene being dominated by someone whom they can’t stand. The bigger problem is that nobody can any longer agree with anyone else, and this is the main outcome of Con-vid. It has brought the worst out in people, and we weren’t ever in this together. We are deprived of seeing and hearing other people, and above all, you want to be with others who see and hear what you see and hear, because this is basic oxygen for the human soul. Take it away and people are dead.
SAM:
Covid Society is also the precise description of slavery, yet we are supposed to be in a time when anything connected to slavery must be blown up or thrown in a canal in Bristol.
M:
Precisely. And more people are now forced into poverty which is another form of slavery, as is tax and Council Tax and all the other ways in which we are pinned down and tracked. Our present freedom is restricted to visiting supermarkets and buying sofas. The government act like Chinese emperors… “We will allow you to live as we do if you behave yourself.”
SAM:
Will there be a revolution?
M:
No, because the tanks would be turned against the people immediately. The police are already trained to believe that every answer you give them is a lie. This is all nothing to do with me. It’s just the way it is.
SAM:
But how do you cope with this repetitive misery, this belief that the world has ended?
M:
It’s easy once you accept the reality that the political elite … or the House of Windsor … or whomever you see as privileged, are only elevated because they have more money than you, and as a consequence they want nothing to do with you. When you realize this you can block them out and they will fade away. They are nothing without your interest in them. Stop talking about them and they cease to be important.
SAM:
Where do you go then for your news?
M:
Julia Hartley-Brewer, Sky News Australia is very honest, and also Alex Belfield. I would never tune into television news because it isn’t news, it’s control by fear. I am sick to death of issues of race and identity politics … both of which are a moral disaster. Leave people alone! We can look after ourselves! We always have! We don’t need your approval!
SAM:
You have said that you are apolitical.
M:
This remains true. I haven’t ever belonged to a political party, but you can still have political views without chaining yourself to a tree. But, calm down. There must be a little bit of everything in life, otherwise the tedium of beheading anyone who disagrees with you is not as much fun as an energizing debate and an exchanging of views. It’s actually fun, especially after four pints at the Cock ‘n Comfort. There’s no need to set fire to your hair just because someone prefers Donald Trump to Joe Biden. The world will go on long after you’ve dropped dead in anger.
SAM:
What do you think of the state of American politics?
M:
I couldn’t care less now. I’d rather jump naked into a swimming pool at midnight. The world will spin however it spins. My time on earth is now very limited and although I don’t as yet know how, I’m going to try to enjoy it.
SAM:
Some have tried to cancel you because of your views.
M:
You can’t cancel someone who has always been cancelled. When did you last see me on television, or hear me on the radio? I unintentionally invented the condition of being cancelled! [laughs] The music industry hasn’t ever celebrated me or offered me free food. I’ve always been treated like a scientific experiment gone wrong. I’m used to it. I’ve been immune to enemy fire for many years. I wear a bullet-proof vest in the bath. It seems to me that as soon as one person boo’s they all start to boo, and then when someone cheers they all start to cheer… but that’s just a loose theory. [laughs]
SAM:
Does this mean you’ll never reign it in?
M:
Whatever my place is … I’ve earned the right to be here. There’s nothing to reign in. There are cyclists in Bristol with OBE’s. Even the cat yawns. I’ve never been on a political rally and I’ve never given a political speech so my apparent position as a political voice is hugely flattering but nonexistent.
SAM:
A lot of Facebook nonentities obsessively criticize you, as if they almost have a crush on you but can’t get your attention. Is this hurtful?
M:
I’m a stern believer in free speech, but in my case I actually mean free speech for everyone – not just for those who agree with me. So, people must say what they feel, and when it gets ugly or insulting it reflects badly on them – not on me. It’s usually best to leave your critics alone with their own words clanking through their brains. If you rush into a defensive reply you dignify their position. Actually, I don’t even care…
SAM:
You are writing new songs with Alain Whyte. How did that come about?
M:
We had been in touch a lot over the last few years and so I suggested we try something out and he’s given me some incredible music. It would be for next year though, not this, but it’s all terrific music. We didn’t ever part acrimoniously, but as usual people’s snippy views get in the way and suddenly it all gets warped. Alain and I wrote some outstanding songs together … in my view, anyway!
SAM:
I can’t believe we’ve come this far in our talk without mentioning your new album Bonfire Of Teenagers. It’s your most elegant and uplifting album. It doesn’t sound like another step in the same direction. It is incredible to think that you recorded it so quickly, after your mother’s death, and after BMG dropping you. Do you mind if we go track-to-track?
M:
Of course not.
SAM:
‘I Am Veronica’ is so clever, and so catchy, it sounds like your biggest chance at a worldwide hit … even more than ‘First Of The Gang To Die’, or ‘This Charming Man’. It is better than both of those songs.
M:
I’ve had so much sorrow in my life recently but I listen to ‘I Am Veronica’ and, as frightening as this sounds, it seems to shine such a positive light and I begin to understand all the good things about my life. Now, that might sound silly, but I forget very easily that there are a few things in life that I am actually good at, and ‘I Am Veronica’ makes me understand why I persist, or why I do what I do. I love the song so much.
SAM:
‘Rebels Without Applause’ is the same … by which I mean, there’s something about your enthusiasm on this track, and how, again, it sounds like … potentially … a number 1 single, even though … what does being number 1 mean anymore?
M:
Yes, it’s unfortunate, but most number 1 songs don’t seem to … well, there was a time when songs reached number 1 because people liked them, and because the songs brought a love of music to the listener, or something. We all know this doesn’t happen now, and whatever becomes number 1 is just a question of product and clever marketing.
SAM:
You mention Generation X and X Ray Spex in ‘Rebels Without Applause’. Were these your favourite punk bands?
M:
They were great London bands, and it was great collecting their singles … as with The Jam … and the excitement of waiting-to-buy something that would be released on a Thursday … and you could find it in at least ten shops in Manchester, well, it’s sad to reflect on how enjoyable all of that was and how it was needlessly chopped away.
SAM:
‘Kerouac’s Crack’ is about Jack Kerouac, and therefore Allen Ginsberg becomes the first person to be mentioned in two of your songs. Again, this song is like a participation song and could also be a hit but for the word ‘crack’, I suppose.
M:
It’s a reference to the point whereby as a writer he cracks up.
SAM:
Yes, I know. ‘Ha Ha Harlem’ is the song easiest to imagine live. It has a lot of lyrics and a lot of musical changes. You also use very high falsetto. I think some people were wondering if you could even sing that way any more. Musically, it is phenomenal, yet only Jesse (Tobias) from your usual band is on the album. Was is difficult working with musicians who I suppose were strangers?
M:
No. It gave me a new curiosity because I didn’t know how anyone would play or interpret the song, but it all came together instantly and that absolutely amazed me. The moods, the twists, the precision … it’s difficult to do well, and I was blessed with a most supremely intelligent producer. He played and sang backing vocals on every track … so beautifully … and brought something that no one else could hear into each track. I felt scorched by ‘Ha Ha Harlem’ … we all just looked at each other in astonishment saying ‘where the hell did THAT come from?’. ‘Ha ha Harlem / where they want to keep you OUT OF YOUR MIND!” … the bass is a ferocious rasp … distorted at times …
SAM:
The song also mentions James Baldwin, whom I know you love, and there’s a line … ‘you can’t deal with people who want nothing’ which I think is the most apt lyric of your life, or for your life.
I understand why you don’t want to mention the names of the people on your album at this stage because, as you say, you have a lot of dedicated haters who will stalk or pester anyone who works with you in search of gossip.
M:
Yes, that’s unfortunately correct, although I don’t understand it. Most of the dedicated haters just want to get their names on Wikipedia because I can’t possibly offend anyone to such a manic degree. I mean, there’s kids being knifed every day in central London … I spend all my spare time trying to memorize the names of plants. How do I threaten anyone?
SAM:
‘I Live In Oblivion’ is so powerful it’s actually unsettling. How do you fit rhythmical lines in between crashing marching drums? I didn’t ask that question very well. The last two minutes are devastating and chilling… it’s tearful before you even understand why.
M:
I don’t know. I only did the vocal twice. It’s all instinct. It’s the only thing I have instinct for.
SAM:
You sing ‘I apologize, I grew old’ – is this how you feel personally?
M:
A little, but this is because people often forget that I am actually 62 and not 27, and obviously the body changes every seven years and there’s nothing you can do about it. You must just accept it. The awkward aspect is that we all stay the same age inside till the day we die.
SAM:
Is this why you no longer do photo sessions?
M:
Not necessarily. I’ve never thought I looked particularly good, and I’m not here for my looks. As you age the body goes wrong. It’s nothing to do with me, and you can’t pretend what is happening isn’t happening. I woke up one day and had Robert Mitchum’s chest. I have no idea how that happened. But would I want to look like a skinny adolescent? That would be horrifying.
SAM:
‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ the track is magnificent, but you must be expecting some manufactured paranoia … the usual ‘you can’t sing about THAT’ pearl fumblers.
M:
… because?
SAM:
It’s about the Manchester Arena Bombing.
M:
It’s about the kids who were murdered, yes. We are not encouraged to look beneath the surface because it’s dark and hidden. But the song is anti-terror, and anyone who finds that offensive can only be devoid of personal morality. As your brother once said to me, the Manchester Arena Bombing was Britain’s 9/11. We should appreciate anyone who asks questions.
SAM:
But there is a very annoying necessity everywhere for debating something that is actually factual. Doesn’t this exhaust you?
M:
It wasn’t always so. I spoke several times in the late nineties of a noticeable dumbing down of Britain, and it is now fully in force and I think most noticeable in the new flux of television commercials which, for me, makes watching television unbearable. I might sometimes want to see a certain program but I won’t switch on because I know the moronic dancing commercials will make me ill.
SAM:
‘My Funeral’ is beautiful and quite folksy in a ‘Half A Person’ way … and again … you mention Dwight Frye and Bruce Lee and it’s humorously sad. I think this type of song is what you are best at. Do you understand?
M:
Yes. It’s been said. Pillowy more than depressing, though.
SAM:
‘I Ex-Love You’ does unmistakably have a certain Smiths sound. Intentional?
M:
Yes, it’s a trap. I’m trying to live up to my trashy reputation. No, sorry, I was talking to the plant.
SAM:
The best two tracks are the final two in my opinion, ‘Sure Enough, The Telephone Rings’ and ‘Saint In A Stained Glass Window’. They are so physical that it almost becomes exhausting, and the choirs are … are they real people?
M:
Yes! Real people with their own bodies.
SAM:
‘Sure enough the telephone rings / who wants my money now? / otherwise the telephone never would ring’, are the lyrics. Is that how you feel about your life?
M:
Resolutely.
SAM:
and on ‘Saint In A Stained Glass Window’ you are asking Jesus to let you die because you’ve had enough. Is that also how you feel?
M:
Well, since the death of my mother – which was so awful – I’ve been between two worlds, and unfortunately time only moves in one direction. We can’t go back.
SAM:
Do you think, as remarkable as this album is, that any major label will sign you?
M:
No. It almost hardly matters that the album is remarkable. It almost hardly matters that you have a dedicated audience. These are no longer important considerations.
SAM:
What is it, then?
M:
The music industry is punishingly weak now, and it only wants to sign a product that can just about amuse at lunchtime. You are said to be difficult if you can actually express yourself. And that’s what makes me me.
SAM:
It’s very sad.
M:
It could be worse – I could be hanging upside down in a butcher’s window.
SAM:
In a way, you are.
M:
Not really. I can still walk on land.
SAM:
I have a few more straightforward questions from your fans … and I know you dislike the word ‘fans’ but I don’t know what else to call them. So, here goes. I’ll read them off cards like on University Challenge. One: your best album?
M:
Bonfire Of Teenagers, World Peace Is None of Your Business and California Son.
SAM:
Two: your best single?
M:
‘It’s Over’. I regret ‘Istanbul’ and ‘The Bullfighter Dies’ never being issued as singles, but the label just wasn’t in the mood. It’s never a problem to deliver strong singles, but it’s very difficult to get them released.
SAM:
Three: what is your favourite film of all-time?
M:
‘Hot Spell’ from 1957 … Shirley Booth, Shirley MacLaine, Earl Holliman, Anthony Quinn, Eileen Heckart.
SAM:
Four: will you wear an Elvis Presley jumpsuit when you play Vegas in August?
M: Yes.
SAM:
Five: you biggest honour?
M:
Sophia Loren coming to see me at the Hollywood Bowl.
SAM:
Six: what will be the name of your new cat?
M:
Chester Bennington.
SAM:
Seven: will you ever return to Norway?
M:
I don’t think I’d ever be asked.
SAM:
Eight: will you play soon in Poland?
M:
Without any doubt. I love being in Poland.
SAM:
Nine: will the UK ever be out of Lockdown?
M:
It isn’t really in Lockdown except for people at the lower end of the social ladder. People who have wealth are not remotely affected by rules and regulations. Their lives are as they always were. The police only fine people who live on council estates. Haven’t you noticed?
SAM:
Ten: when did you last cry at something on the television?
M:
When I accidentally turned it on.
SAM:
Eleven: do you see yourself doing this at 70?
M:
It doesn’t take much eye strain to see that far ahead.
SAM:
Twelve: what deceased personal friend do you miss the most?
M:
Well, my mother was my best friend … but you mean otherwise and so I’d say Victoria Wood or Peter Wyngarde. I have lots of hand-written letters from both of them … which is odd these days, isn’t it.
SAM:
Thirteen: will there ever again be Morrissey interviews in the music press?
M:
No. I’m never asked… as far as I know.
SAM: Fourteen:
M: Fourteen!
SAM:
if you were to play a famous character in a film who would it be?
M:
Columbo. I’m already dressed for the part, as you can see.
SAM:
Here’s to Bonfire Of Teenagers!
M:
Here’s to tomorrow … will it really come?
Wikipedia
8.6.21
“‘We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful’ wasn’t written about the band James, ‘You’re The One For Me, Fatty’ wasn’t ever about Cathal Smyth, and ‘Frankly, Mr Shankly’ is not about Geoff Travis. Who decided that they were?” -Morrissey, 2020.
HELLO HELL
19.4.21
“This is my first comment (and hopefully my last) on The Simpsons’ episode – which I know has enraged many people. The hatred shown towards me from the creators of The Simpsons is obviously a taunting lawsuit, but one that requires more funding than I could possibly muster in order to make a challenge. Neither do I have a determined business squad of legal practitioners ready to pounce. I think this is generally understood and is the reason why I am so carelessly and noisily attacked. You are especially despised if your music affects people in a strong and beautiful way, since music is no longer required to. In fact, the worst thing you can do in 2021 is to lend a bit of strength to the lives of others. There is no place in modern music for anyone with strong emotions. Limitations have been placed on art, and no label will sign an artist who might answer back. Anyway, forgive me, we all know this because we can see how music – and the world in general, has become a mesmerizing mess, and we must let it go spinning along unbearably because free speech no longer exists. We all know this. In my case, nothing about my life has ever been matter-of-fact; nothing about my songs has ever been matter-of-fact … so why would they now be? Since my very first interview several decades ago I have lived with horrible accusations to such a degree that it is generally understood that ‘this is how we write about Morrissey’. In other words, I’m quite used to it. I’ve had enough horror thrown at me that would kill off a herd of bison. Accusations usually come from someone with a crazed desire for importance; they don’t operate at a very high level. Writing for The Simpsons, for example, evidently requires only complete ignorance. But all of these things are too easy for me to say. In a world obsessed with Hate Laws, there are none that protect me. Often, the scandal sheets (do we STILL refer to them as ‘news’papers?) attempt to psychologically wound an artist, and then, hopefully stir up enough hatred against that artist so that s/he is physically wounded. False theories of race are now the most common (and boring) aspect of all criticism, and will continue to be so until accusations of racism are in themselves illicit. I have watched ‘Smiths fans’ being attacked by the UK press on the grounds that ‘Smiths fans’ are too backward to understand the person that I am; I have watched the modern Morrissey audience be ridiculed by the UK press with the belief that they, too, couldn’t possibly know who I am, and I have lost several high-profile friends because they could no longer live with the night and day harassment from British journalists who are suicidally anguished because they cannot urge the people around me to drum up tell-tale incidents of racism. This battle fatigue I face alone, although I am very grateful to the writer Fiona Dodwell for her eloquent appraisals of the victimization that now automatically associates with my name, and on which The Simpsons latest episode feasts.
People continually ask me why I do not retaliate – especially following the Sky Sports open slander. The answer is explained in the first few lines of this comment. Life is difficult and you must face it on your own, and even with the impossible-to-imagine legal artillary, everything can be repaired … except the human heart.
It is easier for me not to go on. You know I couldn’t last.”
MORRISSEY
19 April 2021, Los Angeles.
MORRISSEY LOVES ‘SHOPLIFTERS OF THE WORLD’ FILM
March 29, 2021
“I laughed, I cried, I ate my own head.
The Smiths’ past still sounds like today’s frustrations and tomorrow’s liberations.”
-Morrissey, March 2021.
2020
Unsung
December 11, 2020
” Mavis Nicholson is, or was – or is still the best television interviewer from these isles. She broadcast the most
compelling TV interviews with James Baldwin, Kenneth Williams, Bette Davis, Nina Simone, Germaine Greer,
David Bowie … but somehow had only an afternoon transmission – never evening, unlike most of the traditionally sexist
male interviewers. I was lucky enough to be interviewed by her in, I think 1991, when she came to visit me with a
small crew of technicians. I was so much in awe of Mavis … her humanity, her ease, her intellect … that I typically
completely messed it all up. I didn’t think I was ready for such an important interview … I didn’t think I was “me” yet,
and I rattled on so much about self-destruction and the inevitability of suicide that I later asked Mavis not to air our
conversation. She agreed not to … probably thinking it to be just too much. I often wonder where those tapes
ended up. On a skip, perhaps. But nonetheless, her very impressive interviews ought to be either re-shown or
made available on DVD because they are absolutely a vital study of how to get the best out of the subject … no
sex jokes, no fake and intrusive audience laughter, no loud or lavish sets … just a very classy connection requiring
nothing but gentle charm and the power of words.” Morrissey, December 2020.
THE RIGID RULES AND RESTRICTIONS OF ‘DIVERSITY’
November 25, 2020
” When the new BMG Executive says he now wants a label of ‘diversity’, what he
actually means is he wants all of his artists to be exactly the same. Make no mistake, the
word ‘diversity’ is already trailing in the dust as an overused catchword that in fact means tighter restrictions and a fierce
exclusion of individuality. I have been dumped by BMG because I am TOO diverse for them. They cannot cope with an
artist such as Morrissey … who is, in fact, the very essence of diversity … whose lyrical concerns are multiple, different,
and who has been writing about all of our human differences since 1982. So, please don’t be fooled into thinking the
word ‘diversity’ means varied and open; it has been warped to mean exactly the opposite. With these absolutely
incomprehensibly senseless new guidelines, I’ll be surprised if BMG still exists in 18 months time. Or, if they do,
they’ll be a label that no true artist would want to sign to. Perhaps this is what BMG prefers – a roster of artists
who are so diverse that you’ll never be able to distinguish one from the other?”
Morrissey, November 2020.
“There are artists who feel abandoned by the record business yet are still producing new music which connects with an audience.” Hartwig Masuch, BMG.
BMG DUMP MORRISSEY
November 16, 2020
BMG Records have dropped Morrissey. Following the March 2020 release of I AM NOT A DOG ON A CHAIN
(#1 Scotland, #1 Poland, #3 Britain, #3 France, #10 Spain, #13 Germany, #2, #9, #17, #18 U.S.A. – depending
on which official chart you follow), BMG have appointed a new Executive who does not want another Morrissey
album. Instead, the new BMG Executive has announced new plans for ‘diversity’ within BMG’s artist roster, and
all projected BMG Morrissey releases/reissues have been scrapped.
“This news is perfectly in keeping with the relentless galvanic horror of 2020,” said Morrissey, “we would be critically insane to expect anything positive.”
Morrissey is once again in search of a new label willing to release his music.
“My three albums with BMG have been the best of my career, and I stand by them till death. Recording them has been a pivotal period in my life, and I thank the previous BMG team and everyone involved for that. It’s still important to me to do music my own way, and I wouldn’t want to be on a label that dictates so specifically how their artists should behave – especially when the word ‘talent’ is notably never mentioned.”
Morrissey’s duet with David Bowie is now available on Parlophone via Warner.
“There are too many cases of successful artists languishing at labels who are no longer interested in them.” Alistair Norbury, BMG.
Morrissey’s Las Vegas residency remains in place for 2021.
above quotes collected by V.Pearson for M.Central.
full interview will be printed shortly.
I Am Not Resigned
August 24, 2020
I am not resigned to the shutting away of loving hearts in the hard ground
So it is, and so it will be, for it has been, time out of mind
Into the darkness they go, the wise and the lovely
Crowned with lilies and with laurel they go; but I am not resigned
Lovers and thinkers, into the earth with you
Be one with the dull, the indiscriminate dust
A fragment of what you felt, of what you knew
A formula, a phrase remains – but the best is lost
The answers quick and keen, the honest look, the laughter, the love –
they are gone. They are gone to feed the roses. But I do not approve.
More precious was the light in your eyes than all the roses of the world.
Down, down, down into the darkness of the grave
Gently they go, the beautiful, the tender, the kind
Quietly they go, the intelligent, the witty, the brave
I know.
But I do not approve.
And I am not resigned.
-Edna St. Vincent Millay.
I DON’T KNOW WHY MY MOTHER IS DEAD
August 23, 2020
“Following a stroke, her recovery was remarkable. She had three extensive head-to-toe examinations by the NHS who could find nothing amiss. Four days following the third all-clear examination I was told that my mother had three weeks to live. Nine days later she had withered and died without any attempt by the NHS to save her life. Once the NHS waves you off with paracetamol, get ready to meet your maker. The official cause of my mother’s death was not the trendy and unquestionable “covid” – but, instead, cancer of the gallbladder … which had gone undetected by the NHS during their three thorough investigations.
How I wish to all gods that my mother had expressed no faith in the NHS. She might still be alive today.”
Morrissey. 23 August 2020.
BORN SORRY
August 19, 2020
I thought perhaps I’d expressed enough defective needle gratitude for the flowers arriving at the house and adorning the gates and walls for my mother’s terrible, terrible death. I find I must say more – because they keep coming … from all over the world … Israel, Brazil, Peru, Argentina, Poland, Italy … communicating, in their way, a whole sense of truth, one that perhaps tells us that there is no reasonable explanation how love comes and goes.
The death of our mothers somehow tend to clear the ground for some form of reconstruction. Although technically past adolescence, this does not apply to me. See, the sea wants to take me, and let that be the boy’s traditional right, for we all have no interest in hanging around in order to be overtaxed, or to be repeatedly bashed about the head by the Idiot Culture that now rules England with an iron rod.
Had my mother been the mother of some politely antiseptic Hell-given pop star, her passing would be known to all and she would light up the New York Film Festival of 2020. But, no.
However, Love is all that matters, and those who resist it are the losers.
Morrissey
17 August 2020.
MAMMA LAY SOFTLY
August 15, 2020
“The flowers of solace, comfort and consolation that have arrived at Beechmount – my mother’s home for over 30 years, and now, her premature place of rest, are all so Hindu sundar; so beautiful; so expensive; so lavish; so glamorous; so much more than I ever expected that anyone anywhere would bestow on my mother. For my own life I don’t care anything, but how my worldwide friends have regarded my mother with such great respect and faithful love is a gift to me that no success, triumphs or riches could match.
I send you what remains of my love, and I hope that we all survive so that one day, one way, the halls of music and free expression will never again hold the power to exercise their malicious deception that keeps us apart.
Morrissey
14 August 2020.
Flowers.
August 14, 2020
Anyone wishing to send flowers for Elizabeth Dwyer can have them delivered to the gates of Beechmount, Bowdon Road, Bowdon, Altrincham, Cheshire, WA142AJ, England.
ELIZABETH ANNE DWYER
August 8, 2020
born Holles Street Hospital, Dublin, in
winter months.
“With this broken voice I beseech you, my friends, to offer prayers of hope and prayers of intercession for the recovery of Elizabeth Anne Dwyer, who is my mother, who is in trouble, and who is the sole reason for all the good and motivational things in my life. I ask particularly my friends in Chile, Mexico, Italy, Peru, Paraguay, Brazil, the United States, Ecuador, Israel and Ireland to offer their prayers for Elizabeth – for she is all I have, and our collective pleas of petition might wake the sleeping gods.
She is me, and without her vahaan koee kal hal … there is no tomorrow. I ask no more of you… for there could be no more to ask.”
Steven Patrick Francis Morrissey.
8 August 2020.
MORRICONE & MORRISSEY IN ROMA
July 6, 2020
“I was aware that Morricone had said no to U2, no to David Bowie, and no to Robbie Williams, so I was thrilled when he said Yes to me. His contributions to my ‘Ringleader Of The Tormentors’ album are, naturally, completely dismissed by the jargon jugglers, but they burst and thrive in my heart forever. In reflection of the happiest days imaginable, I say the temporary parting of ar’ri’ve’der’ci to he who gave all to the greatness of Italia.”
MORRISSEY
6 July 2020
DAVEY THE WIND BLOWS BITS OF YOUR LIFE AWAY
July 2, 2020
“We hadn’t rehearsed the song. David called me at my hotel and we tried to duet down the phone, which became very funny because David couldn’t remember the words, but on the night it was me who forgot and David remembered. You can see a slight disapproval from him when I repeat and repeat the wrong lines … his look says ‘you shouldn’t be singing that bit again’. This clip is my 4th favorite memory of David. It’s nice that Ron and Russell are in there too, but Russell looks irked … I expect he was missing the concluding sequel of that night’s Columbo.”
Morrissey 30 June 2020
Some Gave All.
May 9, 2020
Little Richard (1932-2020)
” … pre-Stones, pre-Dolls, pre-Bowie, pre-Prince … a black kid in make-up and high heels … pompador hair and screaming his head off in the name of almighty happiness … you wouldn’t see this bravery in our Covid-1984 music world … Let’s all go outside and clap for Little Richard. No? “
Morrissey,
9 May 2020.
TONIGHT, AT 8.PM
April 27, 2020
“TONIGHT, AT 8.PM, LET’S ALL STAND AT OUR GATES AND CLAP FOR THOSE WHO CHOOSE NOT TO EAT ANIMALS. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO ARE SAVING THE WORLD”. Morrissey.
TO BE RIGHT, BUT TO NOT BE BELIEVED
April 25, 2020
“During this fascinating period of Big Brother conformism … otherwise known as Kung Flu, a lot of people have adopted Everyday Is Like Sunday as the summing-up of our times. I like all of the clips, but this one particularly :
The constant question I hear is ‘why don’t the label re-issue the song?’, and of course, you might as well ask me why the universe is made up of matter but not antimatter. In fact, THAT question is easier to answer.”
-Morrissey, 25 April, in the year 2525.
BEING DEAD CHANGES YOU
April 22, 2020
“Genesis P-Orridge was born in Manchester but wasn’t ever a part of the Manchester scene. A few weeks ago he died at the age of 70, although, to his credit, he looked more like a very well preserved 365-year old – which was nice. He was a multifarious non-musician who never lost his strangeness, and who was viciously attacked by the British tabloids because he (perhaps like they) enjoyed ‘indecent’ books. His albums with Throbbing Gristle have an overdeveloped erotic sensitivity, all of which he made appear to be, in fact, quite nice. He gave without reservation, making music at 19 years old until his recent days as a nightmare teenager of 70.
Since none of his emotions were manufactured he was therefore never of interest to the power arms of the music industry. His singing voice, it’s quite true, could behead roses, and his musicians often made the mistake of confusing chemicals with creativity. And it was all quite nice. Genesis P-Orridge had an extra eye (artistically so) – and your mocking laughter soon dissolved into a magnetic attraction for someone of wide culture and colossal memory.
Obviously he saw our chosen obedient way of living as a sterile hell (for who wouldn’t?), and his concept of talent utilized almost anything as a possible musical instrument : whatever you need to save you is right there within you. This, also, was quite nice. Eventually he became the women he loved. Genesis became trans-Something – as if his body would now duplicate precisely what it desired in others. Often this made him look as if in the 10th month of a strenuous pregnancy, but it didn’t matter very much. He had the ability to make everything seem alright, and perhaps without realizing it himself, he was very nice. After all, why remain as a fixed image … from forceps to funeral?”
Morrissey, 22 April 2020
KUNG FLU FIGHTING
April 17, 2020
“… until the United Nations (who?), and the EU and the WHO announce STOP EATING ANIMALS – which they never will! $£$£$£$£ ker-ching! ker-ching! – the earth and its humans have only one word to say to each other:
Joigin! Dovidenja! Sbohem! Farvel! Tot ziens! Nagemist! Na Kemiin! Au revoir! Auf wiedersehen! Ya sou! L’hitraot! Namaste! Viszlat! Vertu saell! Sampai jumpa! Slan! Arrivederci! Sayonara! Annyeong! Ha det bra! Zegnaj! Adeus!
La revedere! Adjo! Gorusuruz! Do pobachennia! Hwyl fawr!
Morrissey, in conversation, April 2020.
information provided by Valerie Pearson.
Govinda
April 16, 2020
” I offer loud applause to Paul McCartney and Brian May, both of whom I love and respect greatly, for calling for a complete ban on China’s so-called ‘wet-markets’ … which is just a gentle name for hell on earth. There is enough footage of China’s ‘wet-markets’ on You Tube to enlighten you and sicken you at the same time. As with the British abattoir, such places are an evil torment that have no excuse in a civilized world. But is this world civilized? If I, on the other hand, made a comment on China’s ‘wet-markets’ the British press would set fire to my mother’s hair.”
Morrissey, in conversation, April 2020.
information provided by Valerie Pearson.
EVERYDAY IS LIKE SUNDAY
April 8, 2020
” World health is none of your business
you must not tamper with arrangements
work hard and sweetly pay your taxes
but never asking ‘what for?’
World health is none of your business
police will stun you with their stun-guns
or they’ll disable you with tasers
that’s what government’s for
World health is none of your business
so would you kindly keep your nose out?
the rich must profit and get richer
and the poor MUST stay poor
the next time you vote
don’t repeat this process
the next time you vote
don’t repeat this process … “
AND, IN THE END …
March 16, 2020
“Leeds … just fantastic … I couldn’t have wished for more.
Cologne … incredible … I couldn’t have hoped for more.
London … phenomenal … I couldn’t have prayed for more.
Thanks to everyone who came along … thanks for all that
you give. It’s beyond inspiring for me to see so many
people who REFUSE to be dogs on chains.”
Morrissey, 15 March 2020.
THIS COMING FRIDAY
I AM NOT A DOG ON A CHAIN will be unchained at HMV, Rough Trade, Amazon, and other intelligent outlets.
The album is available as a gatefold CD, a cassette, a black vinyl LP, and a limited see-through vinyl LP.
Thank you for your support !
Paris.
March 10, 2020
French authorities will not allow any concert gatherings in Paris this week due to the Virus. Morrissey’s concert is affected by this ruling.
Morrissey has described the Cologne concert as “the most enjoyable concert of my life.”
The London concert is still going ahead.
A full report of Leeds and London will appear on this site next week.
Valerie Pearson for M-central.
NOW MY HEART IS EMPTY
February 6, 2020
“Kirk Douglas dies … the soul goes over … someone kiss his eyelids shut … the greatest American actor who ever lived … the very first actor to whom no rules applied … the only actor to elevate every screen minute – whilst other actors collected their Oscars for doing something already done by somebody else … this sadness is unimaginable … death must always be the next event … masoned, carved, polished, sanded … Kirk Douglas was as good as it could possibly ever be – a life of tender service to Art … of service to all of us.” Morrissey.
SO LITTLE TIME
January 21, 2020
“My deepest thanks to all the loving messages that reached me on the sudden death yesterday of my son, Dude. Of course, I’ll be an emotional wreck for months and months to come. But … haven’t I always been? Dude will always go wherever I go. He is me.
Believe me, heartfelt thanks.” – Morrissey.
DUDE dies
on january 20, 2020
“the perfect cat … to be loved forever.” -Morrissey.
TONY GARNETT
January 13, 2020
TONY GARNETT, Dies
12 January 2020
EDD BYRNES
January 12, 2020
EDD BYRNES, ‘KOOKIE’
DIES JANUARY 8, 2020
aged 87
IT BREAKS YOUR HEART IN TWO
January 2, 2020
It is now reported that the official BMG release date for Morrissey’s “It’s Over” is January 24th, by which time “Morrissey will be 116 years old” (secret source.)
2019
… AND ‘IT’S OVER’ CAME TUMBLING AFTER.
December 20, 2019
“Making a thud similar to a dropped cabbage, some copies of “It’s Over” have been spotted in a couple of HMV’s – six weeks after its release date. My greatest vocal, my most proud single release … and nobody knows what to do with it. Roy Orbison would turn in his urn. The sheer excruciation endured in trying to see “It’s Over” released has once again defeated me. Everything, it seems, has been done to make “It’s Over” pass as quickly from human memory as possible, and a forest of cliche’s will no doubt explain its unintentionally hilarious disappearance. When we first released California son, it was “It’s Over” that received the most airplay, and the time was ripe to launch it as a single. But, no! Let the year pass and then dribble out “It’s Over” amid an air of chilly silence. That’s the way to do it! At least “It’s Over” has achieved a full page in the manual of How Not To Release A Single. If it’s any consolation to those of you who would like a copy of “It’s Over” I should tell you that I have yet to see a finished copy of it myself. I live in knotted hope.
Sad times for a change, MORRISSEY.”
ANNA KARINA (1940-2019)
December 16, 2019
KIRK, OUR HERO
December 9, 2019
103 years old today !!!!!!!!
New Morrissey Album.
November 28, 2019
Morrissey’s new studio album, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain, is scheduled for March 2020 release by BMG. The album was recorded in St-remy, France, with producer Joe Chiccarelli. The eleven tracks are:
Jim Jim Falls
Love Is On Its Way Out
Bobby, Don’t You Think They Know?
I Am Not A Dog On A Chain
What Kind Of People Live In These Houses?
Knockabout World
Darling, I Hug A Pillow
Once I Saw The River Clean
The Truth About Ruth
The Secret Of Music
My Hurling Days Are Done
Morrissey has described I Am Not A Dog On A Chain as:
” … the very best of me … too good to be true … too true to be considered good … “, and concludes Morrissey’s contract with BMG Records.
The first single is “Bobby, Don’t You Think They Know?”, which features vocals by Thelma Houston. The B-side is “Rainbow Valley”, a cover of the UK hit by The Love Affair.
BMG will re-issue and re-master several Morrissey albums in 2020, with updated artwork and sleeve notes. These albums are: Southpaw Grammar, Maladjusted, You Are The Quarry, Ringleader Of The Tormentors, Years Of Refusal, Live At The Hollwood Bowl.
Morrissey has so far achieved 24 Top Ten albums in the UK – 14 solo, 10 with The Smiths. His highest U.S. chart position was this year with “California Son” at number 7.
This information provided by Rod Taylor.
SOFTLY, AS I LEAVE YOU.
November 5, 2019
My deferential thanks to all brave souls, loving souls, patriots and pioneers who filled the arenas and halls of our recent North American/Canadian tour.
The tour was a great success, and here are my top ten chosen nights:
1.LOS ANGELES The Hollywood Bowl (Oct 26)
2.QUEENS, NEW YORK Forest Hills Stadium (Sept 27)
3.VANCOUVER BC Orpheum / first night (Oct 14)
4.VANCOUVER BC Orpheum / second night (Oct 15)
5.CALGARY AB Jubilee Auditorium (Oct 11)
6.WINNIPEG MB Centennial (Oct 21)
7.SALT LAKE Utah Saltair (Sept 28)
8.CAMDEN NJ BB&T Pavillion (Sept 11)
9.SAN DIEGO CA Pechanga Arena (Oct 6)
10.KETTERING OH Fraze Pavillion (Sept 11)
In this trendy climate of ‘M-deniers’, I am so relieved that everything went so well – not only well, in fact, but triumphantly so … the Hollywood Bowl being the best night of my touring life.
The journalistic debacle of the LA Times piece relied heavily on the sectors of London Fake Media, who themselves, rely so exclusively on anonymous sources. I am afraid Idiot Culture – with all its worst inclinations – gets the most baying and ax grinding coverage. It is pseudo-news gone insane, and it is its own sadness. Their obsessive perpetuation of spectacularly irresponsible reporting (“we can’t find a story, so let’s make one up”) is a terrible reflection on those willing to report nothing whatsoever as catastrophic news. I rely on your intelligence not to consume shitty reports of what does not exist. You know exactly to whom I refer. These are the days of decision … to quote the great Phil Ochs.
2020 ? Hopefully less Alarmism from those who say things that have been given them to say. Otherwise, I think BMG will release ‘Bobby, Don’t You Think They Know?’ as a single – my fantastic duet with Thelma Houston. As always, we pray for airplay.
I support you now – just as I supported you in the days before I even knew you.
MORRISSEY
Los Angeles
4 November 2019.
HOLLYWOOD BOWL, OCTOBER 26th
” … Beyond. Beyond. My wildest. Dreams.
forever indebted, MORRISSEY.”
THUNDERCLAP OF JOY.
October 26, 2019
Our Canadian tour of 9 concerts has now been completed, and I express deep and profound thanks to the magnificent audiences each night – who really make it impossible to pick out which night was best. Music still turns meaningless existence (mine) into something with meaning, and in a modern world that doesn’t seem to know that it has stopped thinking, I am grateful for audiences of informed citizens with their own intellectual spirit. We will never make good slaves !
I am so happy to be so joyfully reacquainted with Canada, and I pray that a return trip can be assured.
Meanwhile, be open, be truthful, speak up – it’s contagious !
Yours always, with self-will
MORRISSEY
25 October 2019
VANCOUVER, First Night.
October 15, 2019
“phenomenal audience … phenomenal night … home ISN’T a question mark. Thank you to EVERYONE.” – Morrissey.
THE GUARDIAN OF HATE
October 10, 2019
I am sorry that you are forced to tolerate the views of The Guardian Of Hate, and I am sorry that I cannot retaliate, but – I am nothing, and I have no human rights.
The person described by The Guardian Of Hate is not me, and their stance attributed to me is not mine. But, pleased be warned: they are having great fun and they will not STOP.
I am surprised that IPSO regulations allow the Sinn Fein “ourselves alone” tactics of The Guardian Of Hate to continue, and whereas it is my view that everyone is entitled to their opinion, I did not believe – until now – that UK law permits public actions in public spaces that call for a British citizen to be killed, or even discriminated against.
It is true that I do not support the Monster Raving Labour Party, and nor could I possibly ever approve of Halal (being of sound mind), but if the definition of a racist or fascist is someone who will not allow others to have an opinion, then The Guardian Of Hate are exactly whom they claim to disapprove of.
Finally, if The Guardian Of Hate decide that you are their quarry, I wish you more media support than I have so far received.
MORRISSEY
10 October 2019.
MINOR DETAIL.
October 3, 2019
The shirt Morrissey wears in this photo (The Best Of! compilation) was once owned by American actor Steve McQueen.
The ring worn by Morrissey in this photo was once owned by actor Richard Davalos, who played James Dean’s brother in East Of Eden.
Update.
October 1, 2019
BMG have decided against releasing ‘It’s Over’ as a single.
Morrissey has described BMG’s decision as “heartbreaking.”
Morrissey is presently on tour in the USA, and describes the audiences as “fantastic … and full of hope… at an urgent time when most modern music cannot provide one genuine insight.”
September 30, 2019
YOUNG THE GIANT.
August 11, 2019
The Forum, Los Angeles
” … just … just … magnificent. Catch them if you can. Sameer is the best singer in the world today. And yesterday. And tomorrow.”
Morrissey
10 August 2019
Will I, Too, Die?
August 7, 2019
“Toni Morrison dies, and the universe loses its balance, and nothing ANYWHERE is ever fair, or shall be, or can be …”
MORRISSEY
6 August 2019
BLUE RONDO A LA TURK
July 8, 2019
“I liked them because they seemed two jumps ahead of everyone else. The mere sight of them suggested big league, but they didn’t quite get that far. They were one of the very few groups that the Smiths supported, but there was a scepticism about them being just ‘club models’ … who asked and got. This was said also about very early Roxy Music … who appeared to be quite affluent before they’d even had a hit. With Blue Rondo, again, you suspected that they were given all of their fantastic suits for free whilst the rest of us had to dream of being able to buy SOMETHING that didn’t look TOO abysmal. The main electric spark was their dancing which was very virile and athletic … and even though they came from the Blitz/Billy’s scene they seemed like supermale prizefighters or nightclub heavies … deep-chested vocals, narrow-hipped, and very much a man’s, man’s, man’s, man’s world. I don’t think a sudden tussle would trouble them in the least. But their songs were not about the curves of seductive women – or even about women … as if women might even lack some essential excitement. It’s a safe bet that they couldn’t stand the Smiths … me singing about not even a glimmer of adventure sex. But that was 1982 or, for me, 1947. Their companion Robert Elms described me as “Ena Sharples”. I was actually flattered because Violet Carson, I thought, was extremely funny. You know how comedians or comic actors think that if they show lots of teeth people will think they’re saying something hilarious … when of course they aren’t? Well, Violet Carson kept her teeth well hidden. Maybe she had none? How did I get from Blue Rondo a la Turk to Violet Carson?
Oh. Well, Blue Rondo were a London band … which was obvious to us because they actually had shoes. I don’t think their songs were as good as ours, but our shoes weren’t as good as theirs, so, there we are.
They quickly went away and didn’t return. I don’t know if it’s even possible to find their music anymore, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt the ear. I think some of Blue Rondo were from the West Indies whereas of course all of the Smiths were born at the Manchester Scabies & Gripe Maternity Hospital.”
Morrissey 7 July 2019, talking to himself (for … what choice?)
- sorry, I have no idea who took the above photograph.
FOR HISTORIC RECORD, BEFORE I DIE.
June 28, 2019
…the ten most important recordings
- New York Dolls, New York Dolls
- Patti Smith, Horses
- Nico, Chelsea Girl
- Ramones, Ramones
- Iggy & The Stooges, Raw Power
- The Velvet Underground & Nico,The Velvet Underground & Nico
- Sparks, Kimono My House
- Roxy Music, For Your Pleasure
- The Velvet Underground & Nico
- The Velvet Underground, White Light, White Heat
- Jobriath, Jobriath
Buy these today or drop dead. -Morrissey.
The Independent
June 26, 2019
“Morrissey reaffirms support for far-right party” is today’s headline in The Independent. They offer this absolute lie because they know they can get away with it. They will not be challenged. De-platforming and destroying lives is the principle motivation of modern journalism.
And so be it.
I cannot afford to take the Independent to court, thus I cannot afford to defend myself. I therefore step away, and I wish others more luck and more support with the press of Soviet Britain than I can muster.
The British Arts, we must assume, are officially dead.
The name ‘The Independent’ means independent of any morality, any principles of conduct, and any distinction between right and wrong.
… and this is the free British press? God help us all.”
MORRISSEY
25 June 2019
The Interview.
June 24, 2019
A LARKS’ TONGUE IN APRIL.
conversation with Morrissey,
April 2019, by Sam Esty Rayner.
*we apologize for the delay in printing this interview.
sam:
I wanted to interview you myself because I am absolutely sick of reading terrible things about you in the UK press.
M:
You are a part of a very large group!
sam:
Why don’t The Guardian just have you killed and put an end to it all?
M:
I think that’s their eventual intention. Be patient!
sam:
Why haven’t any legal moves been made against The Guardian?
M:
As a so-called entertainer, I have no human rights … apparently… because you put yourself ‘out there’. If I were a postman I would have won a Harassment Case against The Guardian and been awarded 10 million pounds in damages by now. You might wave The Guardian aside and simply say, well, they’re just loudly ridiculous, but at the same time you must wonder about their legal status and acceptable standards of journalism, and how to distinguish …. if you can … between what is actual news, and what is written with a full intent to cause harm. The Guardian have pestered and relentlessly harassed musicians in my life urging them not to work with me again. Now, this is not journalistic opinion at work, it is hate with the sole intent of making me a public target. In these days of casual knife crime and hurling of acid, you’d expect The Guardian to maintain a certain careful morality. But no. If I suffered physical harm as a direct result of the Guardian’s tyranny, you can imagine cheers and champagne exploding through their offices… it chills the blood. The Guardian fully believes it is a political party.
sam:
I can’t think why I would ever buy a newspaper! Anything you say in this interview I will not edit, and obviously you can see audio in operation also.
M:
That doesn’t worry me, I’m not Emmanuel Macron.
sam:
You seem to settle all your press squabbles by yourself.
M:
You look around to see if what is written draws fire from friends, and so on, but I imagine if anything was said in my favour the press wouldn’t print it anyway.
sam:
Mojo even have a YouTube podcast dedicated to ‘terrible things said by Morrissey’, even though they are not actually terrible things by any means.
M:
It’s now a trend. In 1984 the Manchester Evening News had an enormous front-page headline ‘Myra Hindley On The Cover Of New Pop Disc’ …. or some similar blast. Of course the picture was actually Viv Nicholson, but the press never apologize for getting it wrong and putting your life in danger.
sam:
I experienced all of this first hand two years ago when the Italian press said you and I had been caught speeding through central Rome. I was apparently the driver … even though I wasn’t even in the country at the time, and you were the passenger. I’m listed with the Rome State Police as a driving offender for this!
M:
Yes, it was horrifying. The car was a Fiat 500 doing 6 mph on the shortest road in Rome … no one could drive quickly even if they wanted to. The so-called Officer (Raffaele Barone) was threatening me with a gun and breathing very heavily …. crazed, darting eyes … which I assumed to be a medical condition. He had no name badge, no identification, and he refused to tell me his name. His assistant officer (Armande) quietly apologized for Barone’s behaviour. But the State Police rushed a statement into the press immediately – which was suspect. I appealed to the British Embassy in Rome, a Jill Morris, but she said she couldn’t help because “the situation was private”. It could not possibly have been more public!
sam:
I then received hundreds of death threats on my Facebook from Italy … all probably from the same person.
This was a shame because your affinity with Italy has been very strong.
M:
Yes, but you can’t ignore a madman with a gun. Just because someone wears an official uniform does not mean that they are sane, sober or even intelligent.
sam:
You cancelled 6 shows in Italy because of the incident. People are beginning to think your middle name is Cancellation.
M:
I know. But, as far as I can see, many bands cancel and nothing is ever said about it. The song and dance made about my cancellations is usually from people who wouldn’t go to the concert in the first place.
sam:
But you will play the Canada dates?
M:
Yes.
sam:
Is your hand bad? Obviously it’s covered.
M:
The stitches are out now but if I had shaken anyone’s hand last week blood would have spurted. That’s not a nice greeting.
sam:
I don’t think anyone ever believes that you’re ill, or that you fell, or whatever.
M:
I know. Generally colds and flu are passed on to me, and there’s nothing you can do when your voice is your instrument. I go to abnormal lengths to avoid colds.
sam:
You must be pleased by radio play for “It’s Over” and “Wedding Bell Blues”?
M:
Oh, yes. They sound fantastic on the radio.
sam:
Could they be hits, do you think?
M:
I don’t know. People who like my music want the physical item – they are not content just to stream. I can’t compete with artists who get 100 million streams per week. As vinyls, all my releases go to number 1, but I can’t compete in any other way.
sam:
I don’t think anyone looks to the charts anymore. They don’t seem to make any sense. You see what’s happening and you see who has real popularity, yet the charts tell a completely different story.
M:
I’ve said this before but I think the success of a record is decided in board meetings … usually before the record is even recorded.
sam:
Does this apply to you in your world?
M:
Well, no, because I’ve come and gone before anyone has time to notice! I have the least suspect chart-life in history!
sam:
Many of your reviews have a sort of begrudging applause … as if writer’s are afraid to praise you.
M:
Oh, I know. It’s OK, though.
sam:
Can we just sort out your political position because I’m sick of reading about how you’ve had a ‘controversial outburst’ when I know that you aren’t seen anywhere and you don’t ever speak to anyone. I’ve known you for 35 years and I’ve never heard you outburst. Are you actually a supporter of UKIP?
M:
No. Never.
sam:
Of Nigel Farage?
M:
No, no, no … but it’s obvious that he would make a good Prime Minister … if any of us can actually remember what a good Prime Minister is.
sam:
You support For Britain?
M:
Absolutely, yes.
sam:
Labour, Conservative are obvious no’s, according to “Irish Blood, English Heart”! What about the Liberal Democrats or The Greens?
M:
I know nothing about either of them.
sam:
Well, why For Britain?
M:
I think Anne Marie Waters is the only British party leader who can unite the left and right. I don’t know any other party leader who even WANTS to do this. The UK is a dangerously hateful place now, and I think we need someone to put a stop to the lunacy and to speak for everyone. I see Anne Marie Waters as this person. She is extremely intelligent, ferociously dedicated to this country, she is very engaging, and also very funny at times.
sam:
The obvious press assessment is that she is racist, but I haven’t heard her say anything racist.
M:
Neither have I. But if you call someone racist in modern Britain you are telling them that you have run out of words. You are shutting the debate down and running off. The word is meaningless now. Everyone ultimately prefers their own race … does this make everyone racist? The people who reduce every conversation down to a matter of race could be said to be the most traditionally ‘racist’ because everything in life is NOT exclusively a question of race, so why make it so? Diversity can’t possibly be a strength if everyone has ideas that will never correspond. If borders are such terrible things then why did they ever exist in the first place? Borders bring order. I can’t see how opposing Halal slaughter makes me racist when I’ve objected to ALL forms of animal slaughter all of my life.
sam:
The Guardian want to destroy you because you said you were not a member of the ‘Loony Left’. At this stage, anything you say they will turn into a global threat to humanity.
M:
Yes, and it tends to spread … and suddenly The Independent reported how people are walking out of my concerts … which was a lie. It’s all very KKK, isn’t it? … share our views or we’ll smash your face in. But their level of determination reflects what they perceive to be your power and the weight of your views. If you were talking utter nonsense they wouldn’t bother with you. Inadvertently they are telling you that you matter enormously. My political stance is simple: I oppose barbarism … from the left from the right, or from the centre. You must finally wonder why The Guardian considers it their job to destroy ANYONE. It isn’t their job.
sam:
But the problem for them is that you’ve said you are not left wing, and therefore they believe you ought not to exist.
M:
… which reflects their intolerance of diversity! It is not their place or their role in life to cut people down and attempt to wipe them out. They are not a political party, yet they think that they are. sam:
I don’t think people seriously believe that you are racist, but I think they enjoy saying that you are.
M:
Someone made the point the other day about David Bowie’s famous “England would benefit from a fascist government” comment … and his admiration for Hitler … and how Hitler was as stylish as Jagger … and how the UK needed a “complete right wing leader”. Could you imagine if I’d said THAT! Now, of course, I sat privately with David many times, and he wasn’t remotely fascist… although it has been said that he’d visited Hitler’s bunker. But, how many writers at The Guardian have David Bowie albums? All of them, probably! Hypocrisy?
Obviously a fascist would never have recorded “Lady Stardust” … and a fascist would never have recorded “Wedding Bell Blues”, but, you see, the press choose their targets, and ignore what it suits them to ignore. In a way, that’s the key to modern Britain … only the mentally castrated are eligible for praise and awards. It’s against the law to be intelligent! The dumb have inherited the earth. [laughs] Because of this, British arts are controlled by completely limited possibilities, and the same faces appear everywhere. When you start arguing with The Guardian you feel as if you’re trying to reason with people who are barely toilet-trained. There actually becomes no point.
sam:
You also knew Lou Reed for awhile?
M:
Yes. He was a lovely person. He had a great smile which he almost never used. We had a great afternoon in Rome once, and he seemed very happy.
sam:
I promise this is the last time I’ll mention The Guardian, but I laughed when I read how they criticized you because of your white privilege! Obviously, I know your life, and there’s been no hint of white privilege… white disadvantage, if anything!
M:
Yes [laughs], but to even slur someone for white privilege is in itself a racist comment! It’s all reached such silly proportions now. How will it stop?
sam:
There was also the assurance that your concerts last year had been prevented from happening due to pressure from violent left-wing extremists.
M:
Again, absolute nonsense. The tour could not go ahead because it wasn’t insured. Now, why this was so is nothing to do with me, yet the press implied that I’d been smoked out of my log-cabin and dragged to Reading Jail. It IS possible to be just silly.
sam:
The Manchester Arena Bomb took place on your birthday, and I was there celebrating with you, and I came into the room and announced that at least 19 kids were dead. You spoke out about it immediately, yet you weren’t invited to sing at the Arena event for Manchester. Why was this?
M:
Because I DO look back in anger! I would have sang “World Peace Is None Of Your Business” or “Life Is A Pigsty” – or something truthful and meaningful. If my child had been killed at Manchester Arena I wouldn’t be lighting candles and swaying … I’d be in a complete rage.
sam:
UKIP are suddenly ahead in the polls. Would you vote for them?
M:
No. I’ve never voted for anyone in my life. UKIP means nothing to me.
sam:
But you are a Brexiteer?
M:
I didn’t vote in the referendum although I can see how there is absolutely nothing attractive about the EU. My view has always been that the result of the referendum must be carried through. If the vote had been remain there would be absolutely no question that we would remain. In the interest of true democracy, you cannot argue against the wish of the people. Without the people, nobody in high office gets paid.
sam:
I’m 35 and I’ve never tasted animal flesh or bird flesh or fish. My brother is 28 and he’s never tasted animal flesh … even as newborns we weren’t given anything with dead animal bits in it. Why do you think successive governments support the idea of dead animals as human food?
M:
I think … it’s because … successive governments receive support and cash and sponsorship from pharmaceutical companies and farmers associations, so therefore governments are obliged to repay them. The idea, I think, is to keep people unwell, sick, or dying, and the best way to do this is to convince them that fat slices of sheeps faces are good for you. If the human race looked after itself and didn’t eat pigs’ noses then pharmaceutical companies would perish. In the USA, most people die because of animal consumption, but it doesn’t ever seem to be a concern to the government because of … it’s good for business to keep people on medication. The food industry has destroyed the truth about what food is.
sam:
There’s a few political songs on California Son, but not many, and generally it’s a well-crafted pop album above anything else. Did you want to calm it down a bit?
M:
It wasn’t ever calm! My very first interview was with Nick Ferrari for The Sun, and obviously you can guess how that went. That was almost 40 years ago!
sam:
Sometimes you sound political even when you aren’t being so … because your voice is so adamant. I don’t know what “Don’t Interrupt The Sorrow” is about, but it sounds as if you’re making a point.
M:
That’s good, isn’t it? Imagine if the song had a point and I didn’t make it.
sam:
It’s great to see Jobriath in there with so many great American songwriters, and “Morning Starship” sounds like a big hit to me. But you weren’t involved in the Jobriath projects a few years ago?
M:
No. I don’t like anything that dwells on the private aspects of Jobriath’s life. I only ever liked the music. I don’t care what he did or where he went at 4:AM.
sam:
I understand your point, and I agree. Was “It’s Over” easy to sing?
M:
Oh, no. I was petrified. I was convinced I couldn’t do it, and when you hold a song in such high esteem you somehow feel that you have a nerve to even attempt it. I think I gave up after several tries, but Joe (Chiccarelli, producer) kept pushing me … which no producer had ever done before … and the final results were great. It’s the most proud recording of my entire life.
sam:
I enjoyed the B-side covers of last year, but I’d like to hear them properly recorded instead of live. Will that happen?
M:
No. I feel the same about “To Give Is The Reason I Live” which we had done for several years but hadn’t ever recorded. A song has its time, and then it’s over. I loved the song “Action Is My Middle Name”, but that, too, wasn’t ever properly recorded. Also, “People Are The Same Everywhere” was a fantastic song … just lost in the swill of time.
sam:
Did you invite Billie Joe Armstrong to sing on “Wedding Bell Blues” because his name is … Bill? [laughs]
M:
No! [laughs] … and … strangely … you won’t believe that I didn’t even make that connection until a few days ago! My brain works in mysterious ways. I was always a Billie Joe fan, and we had met, and then I was thrilled when he agreed to sing. I love the results.
sam:
You also sang with Sameer from Young The Giant … I’m sorry, I can’t pronounce his surname.
M:
He is incredible … one of the most powerfully soothing voices I’ve ever heard … almost like Elvis Presley.
sam:
and … LP! What is she like?
M:
Hysterical. She’ll sit there drinking all night … she’s almost as funny as Chrissie [Hynde], and of course, what she does on “It’s Over” is phenomenal. I am blessed!
sam:
“Wedding Bell Blues” sounds like a deliberate plea for same-sex marriage. Is it?
M:
I don’t know what it is! I couldn’t think of any reason to change the lyrics or switch genders or play about with it. You know my life, I haven’t ever been married, and once I feed the birds, the foxes and the badgers then my day is over. I’m unlikely to ever be married to anything except bird-seed.
sam:
The big track on the album is “Some Say I Got Devil”. It’s as powerful as “Life Is A Pigsty” or “Trouble Loves Me”. Again, you don’t seem to switch the genders. Am I wrong?
M:
I wanted to sing it in the way that I had always heard it, or knew it. You see, I’m not concerned at all about people being offended. If people dislike you they will always find a reason to be offended.
sam:
I wasn’t saying that. It’s not offensive. It’s beyond sad. I can’t imagine any other artist in 2019 recording a track like that …
M:
Oh, look, I’ve been accused of everything. I’ve been called every name imaginable … I’m only attacked by people who don’t have the emotional ability to ignore me. This is why I wrote the song ‘If You Don’t Like Me, Don’t Look At Me’.
sam:
You’re missing my point! It’s a great track, and you sing it with such power … you don’t hear that truth anymore in music.
You had Germaine Greer on the cover of your recent single. Do you put other people on your sleeves for discussion?
M:
Not really. I almost never like the way I look, so it’s ideal to use shots of other people. I’ve always loved Germaine Greer, of course, and second wave feminists … who have no relation to the modern fourth wave feminists… who are too selective about what offends them.
sam:
for example?
M:
well, they ignore FGM in Bradford, for example, yet they make such a fuss about the Hollywood casting couch… which has existed since 1904.
sam:
I have heard your new studio album for 2020 and, interestingly, it’s an unexpected swerve from “Low In High School” or “California Son”. Is it hard to sit still and wait for it to be released?
M:
No, because the understanding was that I would have to.
sam:
Why did you record in France, yet again?
M:
The studio is terrific, there’s lots of animals, and no television. I feel completely safe in France.
sam:
Songs like “Jim Jim Falls” and “Bobby, Don’t You Think They Know” sound very powerful, whereas “Love Is On Its Way Out” is just beautiful. Are you constantly torn between this gemini hard strike and soft stroke?
M:
It’s a good question. You know, there’s a constant search … or desire … just to be allowed to do it … just to be allowed to record, at will, doing you’re own thing … and that search doesn’t end. Even now, at my age, I wait for someone to say “It’s OK now, just go in and record.”
sam:
Do you share the sorrow over Notre Dame?
M:
Yes, but let’s be realistic … it’s arson. Everybody knows that.
sam:
Why do you say that?
M:
You can judge it by the speed by which the corporate media rushed to call it an accident even though the fire had just started and no one was in any position to know anything. Brainwashing! It’s a bit like hearing the full reason behind a plane crash even though the plane has yet to hit the ocean.
sam:
you’ll soon be 60. Has the panic set in?
M:
It set in when I was 6.
sam:
You have 7 sold out nights on Broadway next month. Do you suspect that the UK press have already written their terrible reviews … telling us what a failure you are?
M:
Yes! [laughs], but it’s OK … I am from Woking … I can take it.
sam:
Mott The Hoople are playing their farewell concert in Manchester this week, or next. I know you saw them when you were 12. What could Mott The Hoople possibly say to a 12-year old?
M:
Too much, in my case. My friend Jed Weitzman actually saw Mott The Hoople when he was 5! So, 12 is quite middle-aged in comparison.
sam:
I know your biggest hero is Bruce
Lee as well as the obvious Oscar Wilde and James Baldwin. How does Bruce Lee fit into it all?
M:
Style. I said many years ago about never having seen a bad photograph of James Dean. Some people just ARE style. I know you feel the same way about Marilyn Monroe, which is also true. It wasn’t possible to photograph her unflatteringly. Style is just there within certain people without anyone needing to point it out… Anne Sexton was another.
sam:
would you say this is true of you?
M:
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
sam:
Manchester recently lost Pete Shelley … and also Mark E. Smith. Were you saddened by their deaths?
M:
No, not really, because with both of them … as with Pete Burns, I suppose … you can see that they’ve had a rough time and they’ve … had enough. Humans don’t last, yet we expect them to. sam:
I think you were a fan of Buzzcocks, though?
M:
I believe I was the first person ever to write about them. I saw their first ever gig and the next day I was at the post office with a 3p stamp.
sam:
What Seventies band would you most like to see re-form?
M: I suppose the only band that would please millions of people would be The Jam, and although I’m not certain, I gather they don’t much care for each other … so we can be excused for giving up hope on that one!
sam:
Finally, any small regrets?
M:
Oh, I never make my regrets small … if I can help it. Oh. Umm. Robert Smith. I said some terrible things about him 35 years ago … but I didn’t mean them … I was just being very Grange Hill. It’s great when you can blame everything on Tourette’s syndrome. [laughs]
sam:
but you’ve never met him?
M:
Oddly, I was in a pub near Buckingham Palace perhaps ten years ago … and there he was … staring over confrontationally. I take no moral responsibility for whatever I said in 1983 … after all … who does?
sam:
You’ve met Joni Mitchell several times. Is she nice?
M:
I don’t think she’d like to be called nice. But, you know, people who go through that overwhelming experience of fame – especially in the 1970s when talent was actually an essential ingredient … you cannot expect them to be ordinary. They’ve gone somewhere that most of us can only dream of
sam:
Since this is a Morrissey interview, I should edit this conversation and make you out to be a difficult monster who plans to control the political world. What would you do if I did that?
M:
… expect to find it printed in The Guardian as a special pull-out colour supplement?
sam:
Highlight of your entire career?
M:
[long pause] Sophia Loren coming to see me last year. There’s no one on earth more royal. But, also, some years ago I played in a field in Surrey, and I couldn’t
believe Iggy & The Stooges agreed to play before me … and then Lou Reed agreed to play … and Patti Smith agreed to play … and it was the most astonishing line-up and such a fantastic day and such an incredible crowd.
There were no press present and no reviews. That just about sums it all up!
sam:
I wish I had filmed this conversation.
M:
Well, you didn’t.
UK Chart Position.
May 31, 2019
“Given the inexhaustible Hate Campaign executed against me by The Guardian and their followers, I am pleased with the UK chart position for “California son”.
BUT WHO WILL GUARD US FROM THE GUARDIAN?
No one, it seems.
It is worth noting that their chief antagonist in this Hate Campaign is someone I took to court some years ago for writing lies about me. He lost his court battle then, and now he’s seeking his personal revenge by using The Guardian, who have been harassing everyone and anyone connected with my music imploring them to say something terrible about me for print. This is the open face of Soviet Britain.
Please do not buy this wretched hate-paper, whose every 2019 utterance echoes the late Mary Whitehouse.
It is the voice of all that is wrong and sad about modern Britain.”
MORRISSEY
31 May 2019.
NEW MORRISSEY INTERVIEW.
May 29, 2019
Because This Is How I Am.
May 24, 2019
BECAUSE THIS IS HOW I AM
“in early old age could I please express very sincere thanks to BBC Radio 2 for their broad-shouldered support given to “California Son”, “Wedding Bell Blues” and “It’s Over”. Whatever the future brings, I will always remember Radio 2’s steady support during these rocky weeks – especially from Jo Whiley.
I am sorry the UK print media’s contorted interpretation of who and what I am has gone all wrong. In these days when most people are afraid to even whisper, the print media write as if someone is coming to get them. This aching nervousness brings on the vengeful and paranoid. Inventing Britain’s doomsday is the preoccupation of the tabloids, and they can hate you for having lived.
I straighten up, and my position is one of hope. The march backwards is over, and life has begun again. With voice extended to breaking point, I call for the prosperity of free speech; the eradication of totalitarian control; I call for diversity of opinion; I call for the total abolition of the abattoir; I call for peace, above all; I call for civil society; I call for a so-far unknowable end to brutalities; “No” to Soviet Britain; prayers not to gods but to forces; an end to disingenuous media cluelessness; the people have the power; hatred and beheadings belong in the furnace of history; music might still be your only friend; for every shade and persuasion … we shall always be alongside each other – everyone’s culture of value; no more fashionable outrage; cows are friends to humans – don’t kill them; beware of those who write in headlines; moral fiber means holding on … to your friends; give up on inferior arguments; God gave you your life to enjoy – you will cry for your life in years to come … death always answers back; do not be a nobody; you have survived this far in order to make the remainder peaceful and funny; your very survival proves that you have a right; ignore the cold eyes of fascism; your life is Art.”
MORRISSEY
24 May 2019
M Memo From Montreal.
April 29, 2019
” … perfect vibrations in Toronto … two exquisite-voiced crowds at our nights at the Sony Center. I’ll scratch at screen-doors in Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver soon … brimming with school pride. Thank you, Canada.
pushing eastwards … ” MORRISSEY.
THE MORRISSEY SHOE
April 16, 2019
… designed and distilled by boundary-pushing STELLA McCARTNEY at her edge-of-lake distillery where the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
These shoes are made without the skin, pelt, tongue, face or hide of any animals, thus entirely terror-free and cruelty-free shoes.
Available to you, should you wish. Price 16 shillings (or thereabouts.)
Morrissey Central is 1 year old.
March 25, 2019
“Thank you to those who still listen and who still care. The instant sell-outs and impressive ticket demands in Canada is a soothing happiness. Thank you, already, to everyone in Canada. Interest in the forthcoming California Son album is terrific, and again, a paralyzing joy for me”.
I give you my life.
MORRISSEY
Curtis Butler Has Died.
February 16, 2019
“Curtis, who was from Manchester, and who followed Morrissey tours all over the world for many years … who was loved by all of us in our own strange way … has taken leave of this unhappy planet.
Curtis, I am so sorry that I could not be the global star that you wanted me to be: but it is difficult in such a narrow and moronic world.
I am blessed to have known you, and I fully understand how generally unbearable modern life is. Thank you for all that you have done for me … there is another world, there is a better world … well there MUST be.
I will see you again. My dearest love to you.”
MORRISSEY.
February 2019
In the video below, Curtis can be seen climbing on stage at approximately 2:11, wearing his fantastic WE HATE WILLIAM AND KATE t-shirt.
ALBERT FINNEY
February 8, 2019
” … he dies, a part of me dies … his refusal to accept a Knighthood – that moronic delusion of inclusion – elevates him further in the Arts and humanities. Albert was Manchester.
Please watch Charlie Bubbles. … … there must be something I can dream tonight … “
MORRISSEY
8 February 2019
Animal prison planned for Manchester
January 10, 2019
“Trafford Council’s idea to open a zoo in Manchester is probably the worst idea in the history of the human brain. Just as the world makes terrific advancements in animal rights, Trafford Council leaps back 100 years with plans to trap, strap, clamp, cramp and restrain animals from living anything close to a natural life. I’m decrepit enough to remember Belle Vue Zoo… the lucky animals died in transit from their natural habitat. Personally, I think I’d rather be shot in the head by Prince Harry.
Anyone who thinks a zoo is a good idea should spend one full year in a cage. I’d anticipate a swift change of mind! It’s no different to proposing plans for a concentration camp in Wilmslow. Welcome to the sorry past.”
Morrissey 10 January 2019.