Fiona Dodwell: In Conversation With Morrissey - full interview (April 3, 2023)

Morrissey Talks to Fiona Dodwell for Gabfest, April 2023

Excerpt:

"After his recent concert at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, I met with Morrissey backstage, and we acknowledged the difficulties he has faced by not “playing the game” of appeasing the media, or aligning himself with whatever the fashionable movement of the day is. “But you’re not a pop puppet, and you never could be,” I said, and he readily agreed. The truth is, perhaps, that to be the direct and authentic artist he is was never actually a choice. Morrissey is simply himself, fully and wholly, and it is that which likely resonates with his audience, who cling to him in their droves and travel the world for a glimpse of their idol. Truth is not always easy to come by in this world, and when people see it and feel it, they are drawn to it. They want to feel it, up close and personal."

Gabfest Exclusive: In Conversation With Morrissey

Morrissey Talks to Fiona Dodwell for Gabfest, April 2023 Morrissey has always been an artist with something to say, yet very often his truth is shrouded by the fabrications of the media, who have l…

gabfest.co.uk

 

[Crisstti]

I think that's correct. She never mentioned on her twitter they had met to do the interview.

In the article she writes "After his recent concert at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, I met with Morrissey backstage".

Plus there's a follow-up question to Moz's answer to the self release question.

 

[Anonymous]

There isn’t a lot of sympathy for Morrissey in mainstream culture right now but if Capitol sits on Bonfire until he dies, surely no one can condone that?

Has a record label ever attempted such a thing before?

Alternatively, Bonfire will be released when the Miley impasse is resolved. In Morrissey’s eccentric interpretation of events, there is no impasse, apart from Capitol’s refusal to release the record entirely on his terms.

Both scenarios depress me completely

 

[Dusty Miller's Hornpipe]

is this an interview where moz was supplied with written questions on paper and then he answered in writing and thus not spontaneous? because it doesnt strike me that the below is something you would rattle off just like that without missing a beat.

As well as the answers, I’m pretty sure Moz would have supplied the questions.

 

[Crisstti]

There isn’t a lot of sympathy for Morrissey in mainstream culture right now but if Capitol sits on Bonfire until he dies, surely no one can condone that?

Has a record label ever attempted such a thing before?

Alternatively, Bonfire will be released when the Miley impasse is resolved. In Morrissey’s eccentric interpretation of events, there is no impasse, apart from Capitol’s refusal to release the record entirely on his terms.

Both scenarios depress me completely

If Capitol are really just refusing to release the album and refusing to sell it back to Morrissey, then that's completely unacceptable. Maybe that's not quite what's going on, but due to Capitol's complete silence, we only have Moz's version...

 

[DirkVGils]

Well no self release, this is a real disappointment to not get these albums released.

Remember 2000, when Morrissey played new 4 songs which only saw a cd release in 2004 (You are the quarry), so there is still hope for a cd release.
Or why not make his own label like the house of love did with "shine on record"? They put on his new cd on it....
Loves from Belgium

 

[theprivilegeismine]

Lots of artists are not 'pop puppets' and still manage to keep their integrity and enjoy success. It's not a big deaL

What he desires is a world in which non-mainstream artists with integrity and actual talent, such as himself, enjoy the fame, riches and validation that these vapid non-entities receive these days. Something that is never going to happen; the industry is much too far gone now.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

There isn’t a lot of sympathy for Morrissey in mainstream culture right now but if Capitol sits on Bonfire until he dies, surely no one can condone that?

Has a record label ever attempted such a thing before?

Alternatively, Bonfire will be released when the Miley impasse is resolved. In Morrissey’s eccentric interpretation of events, there is no impasse, apart from Capitol’s refusal to release the record entirely on his terms.

Both scenarios depress me completely

It depends on the terms of the contract. Yes, it is both quite possible and quite legal for the label to do so if that was what was stipulated as being a possibility when the contract was signed.

 

[DagenhamDan]

thought it was billy bragg.

I'd like to think thats who he meant

 

[DagenhamDan]

people on here said she wouldnt ask about self release and she did,well done fee.
sam smith, a female wc fields,liking the cut of your jib there M.
looks like we wont be hearing any new music any time soon.

He can still make me laugh out loud

 

[Amy]

I'd like to think thats who he meant

The Lonnie Donegan reference gives it away. Bragg is a Lonnie fan and has written a book (Roots, Radicals and Rockers) about the rise of skiffle.

 

[SuedeMoz]

I suspect that above all - even money - Morrissey craves praise and vindication. Just having his album released isn't enough - he wants it to chart highly all over the world, sell millions of copies, be played on national radio, be critically praised from the rooftops, and his genius recognised, compared to all those other mindless pop stars he slags off in every interview. He wants to win, and be seen to win.

Of course, he wants that but when is the last time anything close to that happened for him? 2004 with YATQ? My point is that releasing on a major label is not going to automatically bring massive success - high chart placements, radio play, etc.

I'm really starting to think he doesn't have the confidence in his work that he claims... and wants the out of blaming the record company for poor results. Many others have suggested this... I'm really coming around to believing it's a major factor why he won't self-release.

 

[SuedeMoz]

There isn’t a lot of sympathy for Morrissey in mainstream culture right now but if Capitol sits on Bonfire until he dies, surely no one can condone that?

Has a record label ever attempted such a thing before?

Alternatively, Bonfire will be released when the Miley impasse is resolved. In Morrissey’s eccentric interpretation of events, there is no impasse, apart from Capitol’s refusal to release the record entirely on his terms.

Both scenarios depress me completely

Wouldn't it be sad if the only thing keeping BOT from being released is removing Miley, and he won't agree to it?

 

[Mayfly]

Wouldn't it be sad if the only thing keeping BOT from being released is removing Miley, and he won't agree to it?

Removing Miley’s voice from Veronica after her Flowers smash hit would be commerccial suicide. I firmly believe that Miley’s contribution helped him getting signed. It was his best hope of appealing to a broader public. Without Miley, he would basically sell the album to his loyal followers. He doesn’t need a record company to reach those people.

 

[theprivilegeismine]

It's funny, he constantly complains about Miley Cyrus' "type" as she's the archetypal pop puppet/princess - vapid, pointless, talentless, bs, yet had her on what was to be one of his singles from BoT. The man is a weird cornucopia of contradictions...

 

[DagenhamDan]

The Lonnie Donegan reference gives it away. Bragg is a Lonnie fan and has written a book (Roots, Radicals and Rockers) about the rise of skiffle.

Billy Bragg supported The Smiths the first time i saw them at the GLC jobs for a change rally in 1984, he was great and was a fan up until he became snowflake like. But i can forgive him anything when i listen to the Reaching to the Converted version of 'Shirley', sublime.

 

[goinghome]

It's not quite that simple. It's more about whether radio stations will play your songs, and they're proving to be increasingly broad minded when it comes to age.
Last year, for example, Radio 2 put new songs by at least two different singers in their 80s on their main playlist. These are singers who are about 20 years older than Morrissey. But they stopped playing his new stuff a few years ago for reasons that I've gone into many times before.
If Radio 2 decide they're happy to play new Morrissey songs again, his record deal woes will be over, or at least massively reduced as it is mainly airplay for singles that sells albums.

Yesterday Radio 1 played both I am not a Dog on a Chain and What Kind of People Live in those Houses. Not sure about radio 2.

 

[DagenhamDan]

Yesterday Radio 1 played both I am not a Dog on a Chain and What Kind of People Live in those Houses. Not sure about radio 2.

What kind of people is my favourite off the dog on a chain album. Would have made a great single if singles still mattered

 

[Crisstti]

Wouldn't it be sad if the only thing keeping BOT from being released is removing Miley, and he won't agree to it?

I don't think there's a chance of that being the case. Miley (for whatever reason) wants them removed, Moz himself said this, it would be beyond absurd that he would try to release it with her vocals without her approval (not to mention it's not possible). Something else has got to be the problem. I don't know why Morrissey himself hasn't said.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Morrissey Talks to Fiona Dodwell for Gabfest, April 2023

Excerpt:

"After his recent concert at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, I met with Morrissey backstage, and we acknowledged the difficulties he has faced by not “playing the game” of appeasing the media, or aligning himself with whatever the fashionable movement of the day is. “But you’re not a pop puppet, and you never could be,” I said, and he readily agreed. The truth is, perhaps, that to be the direct and authentic artist he is was never actually a choice. Morrissey is simply himself, fully and wholly, and it is that which likely resonates with his audience, who cling to him in their droves and travel the world for a glimpse of their idol. Truth is not always easy to come by in this world, and when people see it and feel it, they are drawn to it. They want to feel it, up close and personal."

Gabfest Exclusive: In Conversation With Morrissey

Morrissey Talks to Fiona Dodwell for Gabfest, April 2023 Morrissey has always been an artist with something to say, yet very often his truth is shrouded by the fabrications of the media, who have l…

gabfest.co.uk

"It appears to me that there are certain figures (who I won’t bother to name here) who like to publicly criticise you again and again….and again. They can’t keep your name out of their mouths/articles/tweets. Do you find this as utterly confusing as the rest of us, that they claim to dislike you, yet can’t quite manage to leave you alone?"

Feck me, isn't that true if Dodwell herself ?

an arse licker is just the flip side of a hater . A parasite.

Nice to see M being interviewed
Sad that it's in a way that doesn't test him or draw out anything interesting
He likes books but can't really name anything other than one he has mentioned countless times .

The rest is woe is me shit
Which contradicts other things he said in the past . Rough trade and the radio for example
The Smiths reunion thing is true
But the rest is like listening to a guy who constantly watches Matt Walsh or Steven Crowder.

Slight nod to the jews being the ones who are in charge

The lowest of the low , was of course a Muslim

For no reason he mentions open boarders and then we get "diversity " and cancel culture .

Love the guy but zero charm comes over in interviews these days how the feck can he hope to win people over by doing these ?

There is so much he could be talking about , his views on life and love and death and England and the world on art on working class life , as he sees it
Things about the Smiths and the 90s we don't know about
Instead it's this sane kinda boarders , cancel culture bull shit .
He claims he is an original thinker but there wasn't any really original views there .

As for paying 6 people for being in charge of his own label , doing the PR and releasing music is just stupid
None ask for a cut of the records . They would do it for a wage .

 

[gordyboy9]

He can still make me laugh out loud

frank spencer still makes me laugh out loud,mmm betty.