This is going to #1

December 13

Band Aid III - Do They Know It's Christmas?
Bo Selecta - Sodapop I’ve Got You Babe
D:Rail - How Do I Say Goodbye
Electric Six - Radio Ga Ga
Goldie Lookin' Chain - You Knows I Love You
John Fox - Mr No
Morrissey - I Have Forgiven Jesus

Come on, let's all buy it and give Moz the number 1 he so richly deserves!

So, the rumours are true, then. 'I Have Fogiven Jesus' is to be a Christmas single. I've said this before, but it's such an obviously subversive move that it's ALMOST cheesy. If it weren't Morrissey, it would be cheesy. As to the song, well, it's alright I guess, but then I'm not a big fan of YATQ, unfortunately. The best single, 'First Of The Gang', has been and gone. 'Jesus' has a beautiful chord change in the chrous where M. sings "I have foooor-giiiven Jeeesuss", but is let down by cheesy synthesised strings at the end, the overly polished production, and the trite quality of some of the lyrics - well, the opening ones. Intentional or not (some have argued that they represent the Catholic child's viewpoint), the effect is clumsy and sounds uncomfortable.

Anyway, still looking forward to the b-sides, hope they're better than the LMKY ones, which I felt were lyrically very good but musically dull, lacking in melody. And let's pray for better cover art this time, after the Jobriath single and New York Dolls DVD release demonstrated that Morrissey is still capable of beautiful cover art. LMKY was an improvement on IBEH and FOTGTD, but not his best sleeve by any stretch.

I doubt HMV thinks anyone is stupid, they are probably just working with sketchy info at this point. Websites who offer preorders invariably adjust prices when items are released.

Being his Christmas bid, presumably, or at least the closest thing to it, I am at least appreciative of that fact that he chose a song titled "I Have Forgiven Jesus" to commemmorate the guy in the sky's birthday :-D

I am just happy that a few more people are going to hear the song. It's my favourite off the album by far. I think it will go down as one of his classics. If he is still touring in a couple of years this will get the same reaction that songs like Bigmouth and EDILS get today.

Let's hope the subject matter manages to get it a little bit of airplay.

It will be difficult for 'I Have Forgiven Jesus' to break into the Top 5 this Christmas.. not because the competition is tough, because the market is stronger.
Morrissey will have just about the same 'X' number of sales regardless of the season, but a hell of a lot of Mams and Grannies will boost the sales of the kids favourites come Christmas week.
The Band Aid release will outsell all others tenfold, for the simple reason that we, as a nation, are suckers for a charity at Christmas.
I don't mean that disrespectfully.. there are some genuinely tremendous and worthwhile causes.
However, using some declining desperate old 'pop stars' in an attempt to raise cash, as well as their own profiles is not the way to go about it.
We all give to Charity every day when we pay our taxes... only the Government chooses to squander it for their own political ends.
Give generously to Charity this Christmas...
then buy the Moz single.

nos.1, don't think so, good track, and a first for mozz to hopefully chart top 10, at crimbo. For the love of mozz all you lads n lasses, buy 10 copies, it may seem sad but what the eck, you can always sell your extra's on ebay at a later date, together we can round off a quality year for manchester's finest son.

'I Have Forgiven Jesus' is a majestic track and one of my Top 3 from You Are The Quarry.

Is it a single? When listening to the album within the first week did it stand out as a radio friendly single?

Great song 'Jesus' may be, but I was one of the silly breed championing 'I Like You' as a possible FIRST single after hearing it on the Arizona bootlegs all those years ago.

'I Like You' is a better single than 'Irish Blood', and that's a fact.

Therefore, (knowing more about being a professional recording artist than Morrissey) I'd say the singles should have been;

1. First Of The Gang To Die.
2. I Like You.

- then the album -

3. Irish Blood, English Fart.
4. Let Me Kiss You.

No matter now, the album's platinum and Morrissey's had his greatest year yet. It seem's Moz and Sanctuary were right - thank goodness - but, regardless of my choices, would you have released the singles differently?

My only wish, IHFJ to get Top 10 and make it the perfect year!!!

Anyone know what the b-sides will be?

I think it is a single too many. I will personally buy a couple of copies and everybody else should too. If Morrissey bagged the Christmas number one it would be the best since John Lennon with 'Imagine.'

I think he should have released the DVD for Christmas and looked back on 2004 as the greatest come back ever, a total triumph where every single made the top ten. I think this fourth single may just spoil that perfect record, but I really hope I am wrong.

The formats will have to be very clever and tempting because not every Morrissey fan, even those who have the album and have seen him live this year, will buy it. I think it is the duty of us all to at least have a good go at pushing it to number one and it will only cost each of us the price of a pint to do so.

The man has just had a seven year break and you guys cry about everything, it seems. Jesus is a good song and it shows that he's not interested in money or fame(let me kiss you) proves this point. He's having fun with his music and its ok. I think you who complain may just be wanting new releases and new music too soon, far too soon. I dont think we should expect a new album unitl 2006.

How great is it that Mozza is launching a scurillous bid for the UK Xmas no. 1 with a song which is stamped with all his classic hallmarks! It may not get within a sniff of No. 1 but I would fancy this will get into the lower reaches of the Top 10. And don't forget this will be in the shops at the same time as his big Xmas gigs - Glasgow, Brimingham and Earls Court.

Does anyone know if there will be a fifth single. Why not put out '. . . Crashing Bores' of '. . .Camden' early in 2005?

for releasing another "Xmas themed" single at Christmas. In 1997 it was "Satan Rejected My Soul" and in 2004 it's "I Have Forgiven Jesus."

Well, I've almost forgiven him.

So that means I have the Glasgow concert and the single release to look forward to both on the same day? Can't wait! :)

Although I will be skint afterwards. Oh well.

Once you get used to the idea, IHFJ is ok – might even be the next ‘how soon is now?’
If you’ve ever experienced the wearisome weight of organisational hierarchical arrogance, until ‘by Friday life has killed me’, this might make you giggle:

Several cannibals were recently hired by a big corporation. "You are all part of our team now," said the Human Resources representative during the welcoming briefing. "You get all the usual benefits and you can go to the cafeteria for something to eat, but please don't eat any of the other employees." The cannibals promised they would not. Four weeks later their boss remarked, "You're all working very hard, and I'm satisfied with you. However, one of our secretaries has disappeared. Do any of you know what happened to her?" The cannibals all shook their heads no. After the boss had left, the leader of the cannibals said to the others, "Which one of you idiots ate the secretary?" A hand raised hesitantly, to which the leader of the cannibals continued, "You fool! For four weeks we've been eating managers and no one noticed a damn thing, but nnnooooo, you had to go and eat a secretary!"