How many other artists have deleted songs from their back catalogues, like Morrissey?
- Thread starter butley
- Start date
SeniorLife
To be finished, would be a relief.
I don't have a direct answer to your question, as I don't know, but I'd like to add a comment. I don't blame Morrissey, if he has indeed removed 'Ordinary Boys' from his back catalogue because the song is absolutely lifeless. Wouldn't even cut it as a b-side.
'Papa Jack'. I don't have anything against this song. It's not too bad.
'Roy's Keen' is probably, in my opinion, some of Morrissey's worst lyric writing as a solo artist. Didn't he release it as a single? Clever title. That's where it ends. And to think 'I Can Have Both' was relegated as a b-side. Lyrically, genius; and one of Boz's best. I shake my head every time I listen to that song and wonder why it wasn't included on the album. Was it because it was too 'explicit' for him at that time in his career to actually put on the LP? To put 'Roy's Keen' on the album and leave 'I Can Have Both' as a b-side just befuddles me.
Thoughtful question, though. Maybe somebody has a better answer.
It's definitely odd...but to be fair, "Roy's Keen" and "Papa jack" are still able to be streamed in the USA. "Ordinary Boys" has disappeared...but there are plenty of non-remastered copies of "Viva Hate" for sale, so I wouldn't worry too much.
Yes I have the songs and I really like all 3 of them but my point really, and I may not have explained myself properly, is that it is extremely unusual for a recording artist to make songs from their back catalogue unavailable purposely. I can only think of The KLF who have done something similar.
Cornflakes
"A bit iffy" ★★☆☆☆ - AV Club
David Bowie excluded a song called "Too Dizzy" from re-issues of his Never Let Me Down album. It's not a very good song, but I guess it goes to show there's not much you can do that Bowie didn't do first.
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Anonymous
Guest
I feel like I read about it every now and then. Brian Adams left off Diana from whatever album that was on etc. never seen it done all at once and done the way he did it with the excluding and reordering of the track lists
M
Musician
Guest
Paul McCartney deleted/replaced some songs on the Get Back...Naked re-issue.
Cornflakes
"A bit iffy" ★★☆☆☆ - AV Club
I'm not sure he "got away with it" exactly. It was a dreadful album, got terrible reviews and sold badly (for a Bowie album). It's hard to imagine how he could have done more damage to his credibility. He should have reissued it as a blank disc.
Sammy Tregates
A Dreaded Sunny Day
The Ordinary Boys is a great song.
The KLF deleted their whole back catalogue and isn't commercially available at all.
The KLF deleted their whole back catalogue and isn't commercially available at all.
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Anonymous
Guest
Probably trying to f*** over a particular co-writer, I'd guess.
Yes genius way to "f*** over" Stephen Street. Replace one of his songs with another one of his songs. I'm pretty sure Alain Whyte or Boz Boorer will have written one or both of the others so same thing there. You must try harder if you want to make a valid point.
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Anonymous
Guest
This young hipster is at it too:
http://www.billboard.com/articles/n...ns-making-major-changes-to-going-back-reissue
http://www.billboard.com/articles/n...ns-making-major-changes-to-going-back-reissue
Quando quando quando
Well-Known Member
I don't know for sure but maybe Moz is more like a very conscious writer, regarding his oeuvre and wants to rewrite anything he thinks differently now. As some writers I know take the opportunity to edit and scrap when a book is rereleased or gets a reprint as they have the right to do so as they possess intellectual ownership by contract. Maybe there are many differences between the music industry and the book publishing industry. I don't know.
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Anonymous
Guest
According to some of my gay friends, 'smile' is a humasexual code-word for 'schlong'. I'm just repeating what I've heard, don't hold it against me.
The reasoning for removal by Moz is not fully known other than he wanted the remastered Viva & Maladjusted to be 'his way' so tracks made way for his choices and others added. That said, the lack of availability is simple: providers have just updated their versions of the albums to reflect the remasters as probably required by Morrissey - as not only are the 'old' versions on a different label, but they don't provided multiple versions of the album as a choice. Thus, the songs are not really deleted, but replaced by a version of an album without them on.
With ever changing labels, this type of thing happens - like Southpaw Grammar being deleted in the UK and only available on import (prior to digital sales).
Regards,
FWD.
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Anonymous
Guest
Reissue repackage repackage reevaluate the songs.
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