Morrissey Central “BONFIRE DOUSED” (February 7, 2023)

BONFIRE DOUSED: - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - BONFIRE DOUSED:

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

Morrissey is ‘too diverse’ for Universal Music Group.
Capitol Records (Los Angeles) will not, after all, release Morrissey’s 2021 album ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’. At the same time, Capitol Records (Los Angeles) are holding on to the album.

Although Morrissey officially signed to Capitol Records Los Angeles, there has been no mention of Morrissey on Capitol’s website or on their Artists roster.

Morrissey has said that although he does not believe that Capitol Records in Los Angeles signed ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ in order to sabotage it, he is quickly coming around to that belief.

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Related items:

• Fiona Dodwell: "Why An Unsigned Morrissey Proves A Lack Of True Diversity In Music" (February 5, 2023)
• [Morrissey Central] "Bonfire Unlit" (November 14, 2022)

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Media item:

• NME: "Morrissey is “quickly coming around to that belief” that Capitol is “sabotaging” his new album" - February 7, 2023

 

[Thewlis]

This was to be expected. I do wonder why Rebels Without Applause remains so prominent on streaming services.
Surely, like World Peace before, it could easily be removed if it had all fallen apart?

 

[Famous when dead]

Unfortunately, 'too diverse' is being posited by Central as the explanation - this could well be assumption rather than anything being quoted from UMG directly (especially when Fiona's 'work' is attached to the same post).
Just more confusion to add to the soon to be pages of argued speculation founded on likely nothing to do with the label making unwitnessed pronouncements at all.
Same as it ever was.
FWD.

 

[Ben Budd]

it's a mess, and I do kinda feel sorry for the artist, but to say 'sabotage' is very funny. Those big bad men at Capitol really want to ruin the already dwindling career of the guy from the smiths

 

[Lucifer Sam]

This announcement is too brief. Knowing now that Capital will not release it, can't he give us an indication of the fate of the recorded material? Does the record company shelve it forever, or can the artist negotiate to have it returned? (My own preference is for Capital to keep it, and for Morrissey to re-record the songs with a different producer).

 

[skull]

We should all write to Capitol and ask them to release the album. Thousands of emails everyday with just one word: BONFIRE! BONFIRE! BONFIRE!

 

[BookishBoy]

It's unfortunate that a bonfire can be doused, but perhaps some of the liquid used in the dousing might, eventually...leak?

 

[Not amused]

Ridiculous, avoidable turn of events that harms the constituency that still cares about Morrissey - his recording buying fans.

His ‘best album to date’ handed over to bogus music moguls - and yet how could something so careless take place?

I’ve been hyped for this project for the last two years and now it’s never coming out, apparently.

My enthusiasm has only got me into trouble with this one.

 

[rivum]

certainly a strange situation.
ignoring any of moz or fiona's personal beliefs about what's going on and thinking about it objectively, capital is a business out to make money, pure and simple.
so, given that a good chunk of the expense (recording) is already completed, only the cost of promotion remains. i can't really see the cost of promotion being greater than the revenues from sales of the album to be brought in so what could be the cause of non-release??
i really don't believe they are out to sabotage his career. that is surely just tinfoil hat nonsense as there is no logical reason they would sign him only to not release the album intentionally (as i said before, they are out to make money). there must be something further at play here....
we're obviously not getting the full story.

 

[Phranc & Open]

If Capitol had signed Morrissey to sabotage the record ( does he really believe it in the end?) it would be a unique incident in music history and of course a conspiracy theory par excellence. So what should be the reason, except that Capitol thinks, it is not the best moment to put money into the production of the phsyical product, which is then only bought by a small percentage of the remaining fans. Capitol is waiting for the winds to change again. It will be difficult, unless he achieves world fame through WMTWD.

 

[Thewlis]

If Capitol had signed Morrissey to sabotage the record ( does he really believe it in the end?) it would be a unique incident in music history and of course a conspiracy theory par excellence. So what should be the reason, except that Capitol thinks, it is not the best moment to put money into the production of the record, which is then only bought by a small percentage of the remaining fans. Capitol is waiting for the winds to change again. It will be difficult, unless he achieves world fame through WMTWD.

The perceived 'sabotaging' happened after they signed him, no doubt.

From what we know Morrissey was
-unhappy about the way they promoted RWA
-unhappy about how they treated the whole Miley-saga, making it look as if Miley pulled out because of image-related reasons.

Morrissey then refused to agree on re-recording a version of Veronica without the Miley-vocals.

I think that's where we are now, hence a stalemate.

 

[lutewhine]

None of the songs I’ve heard make me remotely bothered that I can’t hear their studio-recorded incarnations.

This is not an unreleased album that’s going to obtain mythical status. It’s just More Songs Morrissey Recorded A Bit Ago With Titles As Their First Line.

The demo of Such A Little Thing is far and away the most interesting song of his to have caught my ears recently.

 

[Malarkey]

Well, at least SER clarified that he hasn't managed to get Morrissey to believe his conspiracy theory yet - though he's going to keep trying.

 

[A Man Escaped]

"Morrissey has said that although he does not believe that Capitol Records in Los Angeles signed ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ in order to sabotage it, he is quickly coming around to that belief."

Capitol released " World Peace.." as part of a two album deal through their Harvest imprint. As we know, things hit the fan shortly afterwards. Morrissey then got his backing group to wear "F**k Harvest" T shirts on stage.

Long runs the fox Steven.

 

[Robert Lee]

We should all write to Capitol and ask them to release the album

It will come out eventually. This is just another bizarre social experiment by the record company and maybe even Moz. Spend no money on promotion just create a storm amongst the fanbase and the media.

Its all part of a cheap advertising campaign.

 

[SuedeMoz]

Surprising but not really shocking at this point. I always found Morrissey's absence on Capitol's artists page suspicious. How long until it leaks?

 

[gashonthenail]

I hope Moz had a lawyer check whatever contract he signed with Capitol. There should have been a clause in there that if the label decide not to release the album, then it goes back to the artist. Sounds like he has indeed been f***ed over.

 

[BurgerButt]

If Capitol bought the rights to release the album for let's say £500k and now won't release it. Morrissey should play them at their own game and book a few days in a studio, re-record the album live and release it as a gift to fans......

 

[Cornflakes]

I hope Moz had a lawyer check whatever contract he signed with Capitol. There should have been a clause in there that if the label decide not to release the album, then it goes back to the artist. Sounds like he has indeed been f***ed over.

I don't think he has. Getting the recordings back would probably mean handing back the money. As it is, he's got a pile of cash and Capitol have nothing.

 

[Robert Lee]

Surprising but not really shocking at this point. I always found Morrissey's absence on Capitol's artists page suspicious. How long until it leaks?

I want the physical copy. But I would take a leak now to be honest.