Last of the Famous International Playboy's video

Yes, of course! Wolverhampton gig, Playboys, Interesting Drug, Rourke co-wrote Yes I am Blind and Girl Least Likely To.
I'm curious to know what Moz was thinking during this time. Rourke & Joyce did not play on Viva Hate, but then he brings them back into the fold. Why then? Was it maybe that if the 3 of them were back together perhaps Johnny would return?

Then after the brief reunion why did he ax them? I think it predated any of the court stuff ... was it the hint that things were going in that direction ... court, back pay, etc.?
 
I'm curious to know what Moz was thinking during this time. Rourke & Joyce did not play on Viva Hate, but then he brings them back into the fold. Why then? Was it maybe that if the 3 of them were back together perhaps Johnny would return?

Then after the brief reunion why did he ax them? I think it predated any of the court stuff ... was it the hint that things were going in that direction ... court, back pay, etc.?

There's a series-interview with Street on YouTube that you might find interesting if you haven't already seen it. I'll link you to the playlist, as I haven't the time to see which video he talks about the Viva/singles period. But essentially Street thinks it was Moz testing the waters of a Smiths reunion, if I recall correctly from the videos.
 
I think Craig Gannon was in there as well just to make it even weirder. I think the rumblings of court proceedings were actually getting underway but maybe morrissey just believed so much in his case that he wasn’t worried about it at the time. I think he just wanted to see people again made some songs and probably didn’t call again once the sessions were done with. I don’t think there was any axing since I don’t think there were any commitments made. Rourke also wrote girl least likely to as well I believe
 
So this was after Viva Hate?
That's really strange. I suppose Joyce and Rourke were grateful for the work.
Does anyone know who is on guitar?
 
Their usage and subsequent removal possibly explained by:

"In the dying days of The Smiths, Morrissey turned to Joyce as his second-in-command during their doomed final session with replacement guitarist Ivor PERRY. ‘I felt as though I’d taken Johnny’s mantle,’ he admits. ‘I’d become the interpreter of what Morrissey wanted, the one having to give orders to the rest. Being pulled aside and whispered conversations, having to tell people they weren’t allowed to eat with us. Silly stuff, really. Because he didn’t have Johnny to sound off or grieve to, he decided to go for me. I only had it for a few days, but I just couldn’t cope with it.’
Following the collapse of the group, Joyce paired off with Andy Rourke, briefly playing for The Adult Net, the solo project of Fall guitarist Brix Smith also featuring Craig GANNON, before touring with Sinead O’Connor. He’d join Rourke and Gannon again when reunited with Morrissey in November 1988 for the recording of the singles ‘THE LAST OF THE FAMOUS INTERNATIONAL PLAYBOYS’ and ‘INTERESTING DRUG’. Joyce’s legal proceedings contesting his share of Smiths performance royalties had already begun when he appeared on stage at Morrissey’s historic solo live debut in WOLVERHAMPTON the following month. Only his refusal to drop the case made Joyce’s severance from Morrissey inevitable."


(via Mozipedia).

Regards,
FWD.
 
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It is an interesting time to look back upon...

Morrissey was certainly still keen on a reunion at the time and had invited Johnny to be part of a farewell show (which he obviously declined). So I'm sure there was an element of wanting it to feel like The Smiths again.

I think Morrissey was also hoping that by including Mike, Andy and Craig that he could get them to drop their court cases. Andy agreed to this (partly because he needed some quick money of course), but it didn't work with the other two. It was never really likely to be a long term thing.
 
Loved the video so much I visited those streets and places and local lads called me a poof with my big blonde quiff and I guess I was sticking out like a sore thumb but between the abuse I could tell they were Moz fans as well.
 
It is an interesting time to look back upon...

Morrissey was certainly still keen on a reunion at the time and had invited Johnny to be part of a farewell show (which he obviously declined).

Now this I hadn't heard. Out of curiosity where's this info from?
 
Now this I hadn't heard. Out of curiosity where's this info from?

Johnny has mentioned it in at least one of the books. I think Morrissey wanted to do a farewell show at The Royal Albert Hall (maybe wrong on that), but Johnny said that it was a definite no-no. I think this would have been slightly earlier than the Playboys period though.
 
There's a series-interview with Street on YouTube that you might find interesting if you haven't already seen it. I'll link you to the playlist, as I haven't the time to see which video he talks about the Viva/singles period. But essentially Street thinks it was Moz testing the waters of a Smiths reunion, if I recall correctly from the videos.

Yeah, I do recall Stephen Street saying that he felt that when Andy & Mike showed up there was an air of "thank you, Stephen, but we've got it now." In other words, they felt that a Smiths reunion was likely.
 
On topic...who was the young guy who featured in the video? I know for the "Stop Me If You've Heard This One Before" video the extras were sourced from a fanzine. And of course for the "Every Day Is Like Sunday" video Lucette Henderson made the jump from the Stop Me video to the Sunday video, but what about the Playboy video? Who is that young chap?
 
From Autobiography:

"Although Rourke and Joyce had gamefully participated in the 1989 singles The last of the famous international playboys and Interesting drug, the unhappy past descends upon me each time I hear their voices and I decide not to invite them to any further recording sessions. Lawyers for Joyce then write to me, clearly stating that Joyce might take legal action in search of Smiths royalties, but will not do so if I agree to make him a permanent member of the Morrissey Band (a band which, in any case, doesn’t even exist). I ignore the threat, unaware of any legal gripe that Joyce could possibly have against me, but the heavy-handed approach of his lawyers helped me to resolve to leave Joyce to his cleverness. Another page must resolutely be turned once more."
 
From Autobiography:

"Although Rourke and Joyce had gamefully participated in the 1989 singles The last of the famous international playboys and Interesting drug, the unhappy past descends upon me each time I hear their voices and I decide not to invite them to any further recording sessions. Lawyers for Joyce then write to me, clearly stating that Joyce might take legal action in search of Smiths royalties, but will not do so if I agree to make him a permanent member of the Morrissey Band (a band which, in any case, doesn’t even exist). I ignore the threat, unaware of any legal gripe that Joyce could possibly have against me, but the heavy-handed approach of his lawyers helped me to resolve to leave Joyce to his cleverness. Another page must resolutely be turned once more."

To be fair, this is probably the least reliable version. I loved Autobiography (mostly), but Morrissey's version of events tends to diverge from reality whenever it suits.
 
To be fair, this is probably the least reliable version. I loved Autobiography (mostly), but Morrissey's version of events tends to diverge from reality whenever it suits.

Well, yes. Both Craig Gannon and Andy Rourke have suggested that, in their cases at least, it was Morrissey suggesting that they might become permanent collaborators if they dropped their legal claims.
 
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