I would definitely watch this if I thought it would ever be available in the U.S. but I'm afraid I'll probably never have access to it. Now I'm just waiting for all the "I hate Mike Joyce" statements. Bring them on! Mike did what he had to. He was getting ripped off by the greatest singer who ever lived! Believe it folks. Morrissey can't be easy for anyone to get along with. Otherwise so many wouldn't have come and gone. And Oh Yeah.........I'm first

i certainly don't.

Last I heard Channel 4 were interested in buying it. Have VH1 actually bought it or is it just the amateur filmmakers indulging in a bit of PR again? They must have a mate working on that paper.

just leave it to rest ffs! Why, oh why, oh why?????

At last the rift will be healed!! From what I read here, I would be very surprised indeed if The Smiths weren't back together, hugs and all, and up, running, touring and recording within a week of this documentary being aired!! Huzzah!!!

-Ben G

....'Drummer Mike Joyce and bass player Andy Rourke will speak for the first time on camera about their time in the iconic 1980s Manchester band.'

Huh?,I've got about 9 dvds full of them talking about nothing BUT their Smiths days.Maybe I've got something rare then.......or maybe not.

Let those two fools eat cake, alone.

"Similarly frustrating is the way in which each solo album is compared to Smiths albums. This would only make sense if the solo albums and the Smiths albums had been recorded during the same period. We are eight lifetimes away from the 1980s and earth is now a completely different planet." Morrissey, Barca, July 2006.

who cares about the both of them?, it's a shame that they can't make another thing in their lives than try to get more money about the whole smiths thing. I'm sure that they will try to justify their actions, their horrible actions.

Joyce and Rourke were simple session men in the Smiths, they never wrote a word neither a note, how would you call them?
Did they have a carrier as solo artist?
No, they are only "Once I was in the Smiths".
Shame

Oh I shall be watching this, just to see what MES has to say about Moz! I love the pair of em - both geniuses - but I know that there is little love lost between them (MES once said that Moz was just another 'south manchester paddy')...

I have been saying for ages that I would like to see the two of em on 'celebrity big brother'... It'd be daggers at dawn til they realised that they probably have more in common with one another than any of the other UK 'celebrities'...

I posted recently that Joyce was at the front for The Fall at Century Hall in Manchester in June... Made me wonder if he was after a job... Also made me wonder how he had managed to afford the £16 entrance fee! Ha!

That said, wish that our Moz had the balls MES has when it comes to binning crap musicians! He wouldn't have to go as far as MES (such as sacking em whilst they are in the middle of a gig!) but please! If Mr Smith can always find new recruits with his reputation, I am sure Mr Morrissey would be able to too!!!

Elsie

..get off the R and Js backs. Why should'nt they be able to talk about their experiences? They were in The Smiths for fucks sake! Andy WROTE some cracking bass lines and Mike is a fantastic drummer, and they played the gigs. They were one half of the band, like it or not. It's understandable that an egomaniac like Morrissey would begrudge them some royalties, but Johnny ought to have more sense. They used to be his best mates. Fuckin' good luck to 'em, I say.

Without wanting to sound articulate on the subject, what I see of the post-Smiths members as they live and breathe today is: Johny Marr is moving on with The Healers, Morrissey with his longtime solo career, and, appearently, they don't really want to live out of an autopsy of a dead group. They live in the present. Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke, on the other hand... anything else besides Mike's lawsuits and both of these guys' existence revived by this "Inside The Smiths"? Does anyone know of any work Joyce or Rourke has done with other groups, any contribution from the magnificient "other half of the band?" Sorry, but even vultures would prefer a fresher dead body. I personally think The Smiths should remain alive in our hearts, in our memories, and not in a back-from-the dead tabloid documentary that obviously doesn't contribute with anything to modern day pop music. And new fans should know them for their past greatness, and not for the "filthy details" behind the scenes... a little too late for that, isn't it?

It is my understanding that while Morrissey and Marr were working themselves to the point of nervous breakdown for the sake of the band, Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce were reaping the benefits of the stardom that Moz and Marr cultivated, i.e. shagging groupies and taking drugs. I believe that Andy and Mike are pleasant, simple guys and talented musicians, but they were NEVER half of The Smiths as was previously indicated by another poster.

Hi I think the film is available in the
USA my friend ordered a copy from tower
in New York

I once drove Morrissey to a rehearsal in Manchester 1984. I want my piece of the cake as well.

Just to clear up any confusion, there WERE four people in The Smiths 'cos I've got all the records, and it says so on the sleeve notes, and there's FOUR people on my posters, Joyce and Rourke and two other blokes, so it must be true, half of four is two, so there!

There's no way they can come across as anything but sad hasbeens living off the reputation of the band they were in 20 years ago.

There must be a reason why neither of them have been able to stick to (or be retained by) an artist for more than a couple of years. Why does no one want to work with them?

Think the film is available on a pre order
in the States,my mate left his details with
tower records in new york. so give them a try!

How dare these two dead beats cash in on Morrissey and Marrs talent. It was bad enough that they put them through that awful unfair trial to get "luxuries". I cannot believe they would have the nerve to brag about their so called friends when they so brutally mistreated their friendship. They are scum, not only were they addicts and caused so much trouble for The Smiths I wholeheartedly believe it was this that caused the break up. Shove off nobody loves you!! They are simply jealous of Morrisseys fame and talent, they can only dream of such love and adoration.

30 November 2005

Statement from Morrissey:

"The latest statements from M Joyce on a BBC 6 radio interview as faithfully reported on the MorrisseySoLow site have been brought to my attention and I feel I should make this reply as an attempt to put the matter straight.

1. From '83 to '87 M Joyce happily and willingly received 10% of Smiths recording royalties.

2. In '89, as is documented, Joyce sued Morrissey & Marr for 25% of Smiths recording royalties.

3. In '96, Joyce took his claim to court - and on the basis of the 1890 Partnership Act the judge awarded Joyce 25%.

4. In '97, M Joyce was paid 215 thousand pounds from me, and 215 thousand pounds from Johnny Marr.

5. In '99, Joyce appeared on British television and made the statement: "There was no contract saying we were gonna get 25%."

6. In 2001, as a final payment of back royalties, Johnny Marr paid Joyce 260 thousand pounds, plus "costs." At this time I was in the US and was not served with court proceedings, so Joyce obtained a Default Judgment. He then put forward a claim from me for 688 thousand pounds - well above and beyond the amount Johnny Marr was ordered to pay. In my absence, the figure was not contested.

7. Since 2001, and because of the Default Judgment against me, Joyce has taken out Third Party Orders against the following societies: my personal bank account in England, Smiths royalties from Warner Music, my personal PRS royalties, my personal PPL royalties, and he has attempted to seize UK concert fees from venue to venue. This money, to date, totals 700 thousand pounds. This figure is in addition to the figures mentioned above.

8. By grabbing the full total of Smiths royalties from Warner Music (and this means that when the public buy a Smiths CD in the UK, the royalties go to Joyce, and have done so since 2001) Joyce has knowingly deprived Andy Rourke of his 10% Smiths royalties, and has deprived producers John Porter, Stephen Street, Grant Showbiz and Steve Lillywhite (for "Ask") of their entitlements. Joyce did not declare to the courts that others - namely, the above - were also beneficiaries to the Warner Music royalties.

9. In 2001, Joyce attempted to seize both my mother's house and my sister's house by claiming that I had taken my assets out of the UK; he made this claim even though he had direct access to all of the above – which are in the UK. Joyce eventually dropped both of these claims due to lack of evidence, and he refused to pay the 150 thousand pounds that it had cost me to defend his groundless claims. Joyce also dropped his claim as co-composer with Johnny M on Smiths compositions, and Joyce also dropped his claim for Producer royalties on Smiths recordings, and Joyce also dropped his claim for a share of Artwork payments given to me for providing Smiths record sleeves. There were, in fact, no payments to me for Smiths Artwork. Joyce made a further claim for 25% of all Smiths t-shirts sold during the '83 to '87 period, even though there was no evidence that any royalty for t-shirts had been received by either myself or Johnny Marr.

10. In legal fees alone, Joyce has cost me 600 thousand pounds - this is quite apart from any payments made to him, and is quite apart from any money seized by him. In total, Joyce has cost me 1 million, 515 thousand pounds. This is an approximate figure - it could even be higher.

11. The Joyce action is continuous. Because of his Default Judgment he continues to take my royalties, and the royalties of others mentioned above, from Warner Music - consequently I have not received record royalties since 2001.

12. Since 2001, the money claimed by Joyce is charged, to me, at 100 pounds a day in interest.

13. During the Smiths' lifetime, when Joyce willingly took a 10% royalty, he did not contribute towards any expenses of any kind, did not take on any Partnership duties or responsibilities, and he received his 10% as gross earnings.

The point I wish to make is this: Joyce is not poor, unless, li

Read the rest of this comment...

I find one of the most interesting pointers for talking, listening and learning about The Smiths is the ITV South Bank Show film. It was a classic but the ashes of The Smiths were probably scattered all over kara street and ash street some time before that. And after all that, and after going down to Wolverhampton with Morrissey-Solo, Joyce went out and made a bloody claim for 25% of bloody tshirts sales. No, I'm not kidding. I am not kidding !

I doubt that Morrissey and Marr enjoy seeing Joyce continue to ruin the memory of one of the greatest bands the UK has has this century. And it is hardly rewarding to sit back and look to see what's been happening recently, however, god forbid it IS time for Joyce to put all of this messing about, this absolutely disgusting waste of money and time (Morrissey's and Legal Aid I suspect) to a stop.

Think Hard - No one will want to purchase any more music. Put this mess to bed.

It will end in tears if this goes on for much longer. These will be near Manchester and, most probably, they will be mine and they will be yours.

Strawberry

Everyone seems to know about this film
but has anyone seen it yet! anyone got any
clips or anything? or any related sites?
Is MTV going to show it here in the states?
Mr. Rourke is over here at the moment is he
promoing the film?

genius? if by genius ,you mean toothless, woman hating ,acid tongued tosser than yeah he must be.

MES is the only reason I'd watch this vile documentary...