To everyone on Solo.

Assuming this post is genuinely from Joyce he should be ashamed of himself as it is dishonest and clearly meant to inflame you against Morrissey.

As most of you will know Morrissey and I have parted company so I am not speaking on his behalf nor is he aware that I am posting this. My only agenda is to let you know the truth about Joyce's claim regarding Smiths' royalties. I should also qualify this by saying that I have nothing personal against Mike Joyce but I am in the business of protecting artists and it is offensive to me, not to mention, immoral that Mike Joyce should be getting paid for Morrissey's share of Meat Is Murder, The Queen Is Dead et al. It is the equivalent of the easel getting paid for Van Gogh's paintings ie it is ridiculous and no one with a conscience could accept the cheques regardless of what a court may say. Not if you really loved and respected the music.

The fact is Mike Joyce applies to the court every 6 months and on the basis of his historic judgement - which arguably he has now been paid many times over! - he asks the court to award him Morrissey's Smiths' royalties. As a result of the judgement the court orders Warner UK to pay 100% of Morrissey's Smiths' royalties to Joyce. For Joyce to say that he has not received Morrissey's Smiths' record royalties from the UK - and everywhere in the world for that matter - is as far from the truth as you can possibly get but I am sure he will hide behind his carefully chosen ambiguous words.

Mike Joyce takes great pleasure in being a thorn in Morrissey's side - it is perhaps his only purpose - and one of the downsides of my not working with Morrissey, in the future, will be not having the pleasure of being the person who eventually takes him out. It will happen and if you are a genuine Smiths or Moz fan and you want a target for the irritation you sometimes feel there is no one worthier.

Best wishes,
Merck

From the CMU Newsletter today (June 20 08):

"IS MERCK BACK WITH MORRISSEY?

Gossipers say that Morrissey has already asked his long time manager Merck Mercuriadis to start working for him again, just weeks after the two parted company ahead of Mozza's new management agreement with ie:music's US outpost."

Originally posted in the forums:

There is an advertisement in The Guardian today for an upcoming series of booklets to be given away (starting this Saturday in The Guardian and The Observer). The booklets feature the work (and comments on) of great lyricists of our time. There will be 8 in total, and according to the advertisement, three of the subjects will be Bob Dylan, Morrissey and Chuck D.

As spotted by Cossy, and posted in the forums...

In this issue... - Hot Press

Just for the record, I've never, EVER received all Smiths royalties from record sales in the U.K. or worldwide for that matter. Maybe some of the people who visit this site could ask Morrissey through their contacts just WHO receives ALL Smiths royalties now...Mmm?

Mike Joyce

As you know Morrissey is a PETA fan, and here at PETA we’re BIG fans of him! We have a pair of tickets worth nearly £100 to see him play on July 4th at the O2 Wireless Festival in London. Want to go? Enter here.

Hi everyone

The Morrissey solo material previously available at The Smiths File Online has been relocated to a new Morrissey-only site. Lucky Lisp (www.luckylisp.com) combines select articles, album reviews, live reviews, news items and photos to reconstruct a more or less chronological account of Morrissey's remarkable 20-year career as a solo artist.

Frequent visitors to The Smiths site will already be familiar with much of the material at Lucky Lisp. First-time visitors should find much of critical and historical interest in a full and up-to-date account of Morrissey's entire solo career. In addition to the main section of the site, Lucky Lisp also includes various appendices, as well as a supplemental page featuring miscellaneous items of interest relating to Morrissey. Also included is a detailed account of the circumstances which prompted Morrissey to recently begin legal proceedings against the UK rock publication New Musical Express and its editor, Conor McNicolas.

Lucky Lisp is the companion site to The Smiths File Online (www.plunderingdesire.com).

Thanks to everyone who has visited my Smiths website. Your warm and enthusiastic comments have been greatly appreciated.

Jason Collins, editor Lucky Lisp & The Smiths File Online