It won't be hard to shut them down since they probably only have $5 in the bank.

The paper they have sitting around in the warehouses is probably worth more than the entire company.

"And will time never pass, for us?"
Oh

I'm beginning to like the sound of that. It just rolls off your tongue... say it with me, "Merck". Can't wait to see the sleeves on the new label. Congratulations! That's a pretty mainstream roster on Polydor. Oh man 2008 is going to hurt my bank account.

I'm not crazy.

I read and posted it an hour ago

anyway the NME news is nothing compared than
selling out the Roundhouse and a new record deal

take that NME, and wipe yer arse with the current issue, oh no try to sell at least a few
cause yer gonna need the cash Morrissey will
get from you via court.

...I was sworn to secrecy when she and I were friends, but since we're not now, I can say, for all you gossip mongers (like me) that Morrissey was considering resurrecting Decca as an imprint when considering a new deal.

I'm not sure if this would have been SEPERATE from the WB deal, or a part of it (like Attack was with Sanctuary)...but it came straight from the, erm, horse's mouth, which was Kristeen, who got it straight from the, erm...Mozzer's mouth.

Which has fuck-all to do with racism, I realize, but this is more interesting.

And big congrats to Moz (and Merck) for the counter-offer that materialized. What history in both of these labels now combined (ie., Decca was Billy Fury's label...Wikipedia gives a good breakdown).

So no Smiths box set from Warner???

Still want that Hollywood show on DVD...

Looks like the NME is itching to sell a dozen more papers than they normally do. Stir up controversy and cash in your chips at the expense of one of your favourite cover/whipping boys.

Let's face it, nobody buys these weekly or even monthly papers as they are old news by the time you hit the check out line. The internet is where it's at and where it has been for years now. The majority of people who purchase magazines are the ones that do so for the cover star, in this case Morrissey.

Well as I stated before (on a previous post), I am not planning to purchase a copy. To do so only supports this kind of "tabloid journalism". It is not hard to get a few quotes and twist/interpret them into whatever you want them to mean. Peppering quotes with wrong context and editorial notes surely is the one cheap method of "creating" a story.

Tim Jonze who remained suspiciously quiet earlier on has shown a great amount of integrity by separating himself from the NME's version of a story created to sell more issues.

Smart move by Merck and Camp Moz for getting their side of things out in public view. Sometimes staying quiet and not responding has a tendency to allow for "stories" to become "reality". A media source only need to look here or TrueToYou.net to obtain a response to the NME's accusations, if an immediate response from M & M is not attainable.

Speaking of media, did anyone else notice Conor's use of the phrase, "fair and balanced"? American's will recognize that as Fox News' slogan/motto. Funny that.

So everybody just follow me
'Cause we need a little controversy.....

Have you noticed that Morrissey makes sure there's a but of controversy coinciding with every anouncement related to his career, to ensure it gets in the news? so, here we have the signing of a record contract, getting into the news via a feud with NME. At least he didn't stoop to advocating terrorist violence against scientists working on cures for AIDS and cancer this time.

I think I'm in love with Merck,this message my day.

Thank goodness Morrissey isn't going to take this lying down. Last week's edition of the NME ran a Sex Pistols gig review which included some out of context comments attributed to John Lydon, one of which was that ''England was full of foreigners''. No fanfare, no sanctimonious headlines, no nothing. One week later it's time to try to boost sales and get free publicity by going after Morrissey. Oh no. Not again.
Let's hope he takes them to the cleaners.

"To be great is to be misunderstood."

Congratulations to Team Moz and Merck for getting into a knockdown with an old foe. There's a good bit of publicity to be had, and a very important, complex issue to be discussed. If Morrissey has managed to contrive a "One Man Against the World" scenario for lo these many years, then he's a PR genius of the first order.

As for Polydor/Decca, I can smell the vinyl and hear the needle skipping now. Cool.

Off to Market I go...

Morrissey has been trapped by this bastards from the NME.
So please I ask you to don't buy this piece of shit called NME with Moz on the front page.
BOYCOTT is the only thing to do

The sentence : "I've been stabbed in the back so many many times
I don't have any skin but that's just the way it goes" have never been so close to the reality !!!!

BURN down the eNeMy !!!

the nme is dead, the ashes are already around us if we could but see them, while you wait for the new mozz album, try the courteeners, great new manchester band, also babyshambles new album shotters nation is excellent, thanks.... wrighty.

So Merck and the lawyers say that the tip-off came from posts and counter-posts on morrissey-solo, yet the official statement and legal letter scan goes to TTY. Am I alone in wondering WHAT ON EARTH IS THE POINT of TTY...? For what it's worth, I reckon Merck should press for an apology on the cover of the eNeMEy AND the publication of the complete unedited transcripts of the two interviews with Moz.

You know im ashamed... Britsh press..... once again, no one of any interest.... interlect... or a decent bloddy tune is around..lets "big up" crap little bands that have nothing new to say, and try and ruin/hurt the feelings of someone who has made a positive effect on the music of UK and so many many people's lives, has something to say, who is not afraid to say it, (lockjaw), i could go on and on. We know whats going on, we are not stupid, and i refuse to let NME assume i am. Shove you pile of poo where the sales/sun dont shine!

.....but if Morrissey was set up, I would love to see some real harm come to whoever was responsible. It's time to get personal Morrissey! Yamaha

It would save us filling the NME's coffers.

If, of course, we read it and still believe that they're jolly decent sorts, doing the right thing and all that, we can always assuage our guilt by buying a copy.

Unless NME fabricated quotes, read Morrissey's words only and judge for yourself.

Let's see which way the wind is blowing...

http://www.drownedinsound.com/articles/2643072

Peter

If you re-arrange the words New Musical Express, and then add a few extra ones and take a few out it spells WE ARE GOBSHITE TALENTLESS SHIT STIRRING HALF WITTED FUCKNUTS .

Coincidence or magic? You Decide!

I've read the piece and it's a joke - the NME even try and make issue of the fact that they get Morrissey on the phone and this is a big deal because "Morrissey doesnt do phone interviews"...

So the phone interviews with Mojo (2004), The Word (2004) were figments of the journalist's imagination?

The NME also say Viva Hate came out in 1998. Total amateurs...

Idiotic. It's not Morrissey who is ruined but the NME...

You are all wrong. Morrissey was on top of this from the beginning, he is a selfish egoist. I think they are all in kahoots. NME sells more mags, Morrissey sells more records, it's a win win.

This phony petty fighting is like two 14 year olds breaking up and getting back together. Both parties thrive on drama. It is more phony than American wrestling

they have tried to stitch Morrissey up with their right-on student politics.

Morrissey is not racist.
It is not racist to be concerned by the scale of immigration in England. Millions of people are, including Black and Asain people.

I live in East London, in a borough where white people are in the minority. I don't hate Bengali, Somali or Polish people but I find it difficult sometimes when I am the only white English speaking person on the bus or in the shop. It presents problems on an everyday, practical level when you can't communicate with your neighbours. Vast swathes of East London/ Essex are Black and Asian majority areas. This poses practical problems for the people left behind. The pubs are replaced by Mosques, the shops replaced by Halal Butchers... there are lots of elderly people who feel like foreigners in their own country. I teach Black and Asian children and have nothing against them or their parents' desire to live in the UK but the fact is England is undergoing massive social change at a pace and scale not previously seen in its history. Yesterday it was revealed that 40% of primary school pupils in London speak English as a second language - I have taught these children. They often come to school unable to speak a word of English, their parents often know nothing about the UK's culture - some of their mothers have faces covered and don't lift their veils to speak to you - which means you don't have eye contact with them, ever, even if you work with their children for years.

The middle class white students who read and write for the NME probably live and study in white ghettos where they have no idea of the reality of the difficulties caused by immigration... difficulties faced by both immigrants and the indigenous white British population.

If the NME's editor thinks Morrissey is lying or racist why doesn't he take a trip to Barking or Forest Gate or Whitechapel? England is changing... for good or bad I cannot say but it is a LIE to say Morrissey is wrong on this issue.

What upsets me the most about all of this is that, once again, this racism business is going to become part of Morrissey's legend. I've actually met people who don't know much about Morrissey who have said to me, "He's that racist guy, right?" Um... no.

The NME sicken me. They're sinister. They're not proper music journalists. They're playing at it. They're lazy. They sniff around solo hoping to gather info through rumors.

It's plain that they want to bring him down. He was big enough to give them a second chance and they've screwed him over. Thing is? Without Morrissey I doubt the NME would even exist today. He's given so much to that dumbass rag. Ugh!

Why do they have it in for him? Why do so MANY journalists have it in for him? Many other musicians have expressed far more brazen opinions that have virtually been ignored.

I'm sad that this is probably going to make Morrissey go even farther into his shell in regards to giving interviews.

Also, I'm just plain sad for him. He must feel so frustrated and betrayed right now.

Morrissey came off very well. I didn't detect any racism at all. The NME is a pathetic rag. I feel embarrassed for them.

Morrissey impressed me, actually.

I dont want to buy that article or any other NME magazine, so I'm going to steal it and cut out Morrissey's Pictures.

I have to disagree with Morrissey and say the loss of British identity is not due to immigration. British people over-estimate the amount of immigration, a MORI survey in 2002 found most people thought 1 in 6 or 7 people in Britain were foreign-born, when the reality is it's more like 1 in 25. Outside of big cities like London, Birmingham or Manchester there are very few non British whites. The issue is more the import of foreign, e.g. American culture in terms of TV, magazines, cultural trends. The problem does not lie with actual foreigners, it's more to do with people born in England not embracing their past. Then again some would say the past of England is despicable and steeped in colonialism and the exploitation of others. What Morrissey said isn't strictly racist but I would have to disagree with his nationalistic ideas. If you think the loss of traditional national identity is bad you should look at other countries, who are swamped with American or English speaking culture through TV and films and mass media as well. Frankly it's hard in this day and age for any nation to maintain its old ways, and I don't think it's particularly important anyway.

I just bought the magazine and was reading it on the bus ride home, from central London.

I absolutely agree with everything in the article that was supposedly said by Morrissey. I don't think it's racist at all. IT'S THE TRUTH.

Infact, as I was sitting there, perusing the interview, there was a Spanish man, a Polish woman, and 2 Chinese guys, all yapping loudly and obnoxiously on their mobile phones. F**kin idiots. Morrissey point personified. You're hard pressed to hear a British accent in London anymore.

Viva Moz.

Whilst I think Morrissey's comments are clumsy, I don't think there's much difference between what he says here and what he said to the NME in 2004. The only difference being that in 2004, the rag was so pleased to have Morrissey to interview, they didn't make much of his comments on immigration. I don't agree with what Morrissey says, but I don't think it's any more inflammatory that what is printed in the Daily Mail virtually every day of the week.
The article and it's presentation is typical of the tabloid trash that the NME has been churning out under McNicholas. He claims not to have wanted to sensationalise the situation but that's exactly what has happened through the front cover and the editorial in the magazine itself. I didn't realise that to be in the NME, one had to have the same political and social views as the editor. Frankly, I find it despicable that McNicholas has had the article rewritten to serve his own agenda, and hats off to Tim Jonze for admitting that much to the management.

Thought it was quite unbelievable how the NME tried to construe Moz as a racist - his comments were about immigration - no implications of race there. The immigrants could be from wherever, and yet the NME chose to ask Morrissey what if he was an Asian fan, would he (as the hypothetical Asian fan) feel in someway to blame.

At no point does Moz mention any specific race, be it Asian, Polish, American, Lithuanian or otherwise. It is quite clearly the NME who are trying to twist an observation of British culture into a slur on Morrissey's character.

It seems to me to be just another case of the NME dragging up the old rumours that were supposedly put paid to in 2004 - where the buck was passed to the editorial team of the time.

Looks like some things never change.

The NME is dead. It says nothing to the modern (or indeed the mature) music fan anymore - it's irrelevant, relying on fads and jumping on any particular bandwagon that goes by. It's about time the press got some integrity. It's that, not the NME's scandalous, scurrelous excuse for journalism, that will attract readers back.

For now though, let's just be thankful that it hasn't affected the record deal, and look forward to the new album and tour. The NME will get what they deserve...

Viva Morrissey!

And I think it smacks of desperation from the paper to try and make Morrissey sound racist. He states over and over if you actually read the thing that he is not racist, I think the term he uses is "What would be the point" or something like that. But they seem absolutley determined to pin him in to saying something nasty and he never does. Not once.

a lot of people on this site bash kristeen young for her silly, joking comment about oral sex. now I'm going to bet those same people are on here defending morrissey's much more damaging comments that were spoken with all sincerity. I hope some of you can see the man's shameful hypocrisy now. speaking freely is evidently a right reserved for himself alone.

Has the world of music alway been as mainstream as it so does appear to be at the moment.I get the feeling that a lot of the acts getting widespead publicity have nothing original to covey and it mearly a case of doing what they do for the adulation of being famous..

Also you only have to glance at some of the widest selling music papers to see how parts of the music industry and the public have accepted people that they are fimiliar with does having Neil Young, Robert Plant, Paul Mccartney and Kylie Minogue(fucking minger that she is!) as the cover stars really add anything to the world.

Why is there also so much excitment about bands reforming as well, can't they just leave things alone and give others a chance to step up, the amount of articles that have been about Led Zeppelin reforming is beginning to also piss me off, is there any real point to it !?The list of these bands 'cloging' up venues is endless..

When artists do step out and say something slightly contentious and different there seems to form a barrier of opposition against them, god forbid that anyone thinks in different manner to them.An example of this is the recent arguement between nme and Morrissy(Yes, he was always be bound to be brought into this sooner or later..), where he talked about the British identity dissapearing due to immigration.Where he see the British identity as 'very attractive, quaint and very amusing.But England is a memory now...'But he did qualify this by saying 'I'm not sitting here saying this is a terrible thing.I'm saying it's a reality and to many people it's shocking'

I don't think being slightly nationalistic really deserves the 'assasination' that they have printed as most in any country generally are, watching England against Croatia the other day I doubt many people where thinking how they where glad to have Russians living here, it became a case of us Vs them. I personally think countries should maintain a sense of unique sense of character but live harmonously as possible with other nations, who wants the world to erode into a mass of similarity..

  I think the music climate was summed up well in the response of nme's editor to Morrissey's threat that he's going to sue them

" his views are not those that we'd normally expect to come from someone in the very liberal world of rock'n'roll"-Christ ,rock'n'roll no longer about reacting against the status quo..

    Barbed wire Bob www.myspace.com/kingofrob

I have just purchased a copy of NME... purely because the Great Man was on the cover. I really wish I had not!

I cannot beleive the way this idiot of a reporter has attempted to disgrace Morrissey! His summary at the end of the interview is astonishing, it does not relate in anyway to the interview I read! Britain is diluted, it is crumbling and there are too many newcomers... But that is not rascist, it is stating a fact! Brtiain is FULL!

Please tell me how that is Rascist?

Morrissey needs to find a new law firm. The firm’s lawyers do not know how to write.

"In summary, you should be under no illusion that our client has instructed us to take all appropriate action to prevent damage to his reputation and business interest that would be an inveitable consequence of your publication of any article defamatory of him."

Few facts here....
- NME are on their last legs. All magazine sales are down but this was a very sad & pathetic effort to boost their sales. Most weeks NME is as thin as a match and has fuck all in it. Their journalists cannot write to save their lives. There is never ever ANYTHING informative in NME with any depth whatsoever. Please Boycott NME from now on.
- UK is a nanny-state no doubt. Nobody is allowed to say anything. PC gone truly mad!
- England HAS changed.
- Morrissey is NOT racist.
- The state of pop music these days is Shocking! Can it get any more manufactured & superficial? Can it get any worse? Umbrella....my arse.
- How on Earth has NME the authority to say that Morrissey lives/has lived in LA & Rome? Nobody knows where he lives. NME does not know how often Morrissey visits Manchester!
- NME under-estimates the intelligence of their readers: Many people are informed about the world politics and do not wish to be patronised by the NME.
- This will finally come down on NME - Not Morrissey. I wish this was the LAST of the shit-rag. I am appalled how they are making cheap headlines to sell more papers! We need some new blood - NME is so stale. Let's put them out of their misery.

This is the lowest of the low. I will never ever buy NME again. They are like tabloids: wanting to make headlines & money. They stiched Morrissey right up again. I just CANNOT believe it. SHAME on NME. Scum. What a pathetic & greedy effort. NME can give as many free Cds & singles as they want but I will NEVER touch that magazine again. never.

even if Morrissey said it or not, good to see all the morons come out of the woodwork

I have just read the interview. How ridiculous! It was like reading a school book for 6 year olds. Very patronising. NME will get the flack, not Morrissey. ha ha ha haaaa!

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article5 19528.ece [thesun.co.uk]

NME: how very naive & patronising view? Aimed for the 10 year olds. BURN the paper I say. NME is an OLD fossile that needs to get rid off as soon as. NME is a completely useless & worthless mag which has had it days.

I must apologise for being cross with the poster who alerted us to irregular machinations in this instance when in fact, he/she turned out to be the wood-cutter who at the last minute leaps to the rescue of an innocent naming their surroundings (great big Nose, Molars, Ears = NME!!) and clutches him from entrapment between the jaws of a fate worse than death! It was, after all An Awfully Big Contribution. : )

Why Morrissey, whose words have some weight in the world, bothered to stick his neck out again by saying anything at all on this topic is a mystery. However the upshot is sheer drama, and because lots of people read headlines and editorials/summaries without perusing the original text itself, it’s understandable why he would take this seriously enough to legally nip in the bud the liberties that the magazine have taken with him here.

Everyone in the world ideally has equal rights and dignity by birth, and two articles of the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights relevant to immigration are:
Article 13.
(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country, and

Article 14.
(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.

However, Article 19 states;
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers,

and Article 15 more or less is an example of what one of those opinions might be about -
(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.

(See http://www.un.org/Overview/rights.html for full declaration)

Morrissey has offered his personal experience of change which has been deliberately dressed up as something much more sinister. NME tried to bite more than it could chew this time…

NME should be legally challenged for printing this shit. It is very well to make homo-phobic statements (some RnB artists) or "off the cuff" remarks by John Lydon ("England is full of foregneirs"). Why Morrissey?? NME has been sporting the R'n'B artists who have made homo-phobic comments.
NME is a corrupted rag. I will raise legal action.

they just screwed themselves.
The real new is the record deal.
I'm really excited!

Send your letters to NME:
LETTERS@NME.COM

I dont think that NME should get away with tarnishing Morrissey's name this time.
Please send emails to www.letters@nme.com.

They are well out of order.

How can they attack Morrissey about racism, when "race" never gets mentioned?! Has that wanker editor watched a politics show on TV, seen columns in newspapers such as the Independent or rags such as the News of the World (a lot more risque stuff in there for sure!)??? What struck me as interesting were those pathetic commentary pieces between each interview section... interesting how it concludes that Morrissey is out of touch and has nothing to say in the modern world (a statement levelled at him because of his age): now, which party sounds the most prejudice???

Amazing news. I remember a few things on Decca and I don't just mean Bobby Crush !

The NME is a joke. Think of it as a run down building - something that used to be so much better in the 1980s - but with no chance of refurbishment or Sarah Beeny saving it's day now.

Strawberry

Scans?

Does this mean The Smiths are getting back together??
Morrissey MUST remember his OWN family came over from IRELAND does it mean Morrissey will now live in Ireland NOT England????
Morrissey enjoys living in other countries where he wasn't born such as LA (America) and Rome (Italy)!!!!
Morrissey may very well "Appear on the front of the Daily Mail"!!!!

Ummm, there's "Private and Confidental" all over that document. Being posted all over the internet is not exactly private or confidental. Not cool. Or maybe I hang out with too many lawyers.

Ms. C