Statement on NME Case by Morrissey on TrueToYou

[goinghome]

At last week's court hearing Judge Tugendhat ruled in favour of Morrissey and against the NME in the NME's effort to prevent Morrissey taking them to court. The NME also wanted the Court to order Morrissey to pay over one hundred thousand pounds for their legal fees thus far, which was also unsuccessful. At the Application hearing, the NME were represented by a large number of lawyers, together with ex-editor Conor McNicholas. The NME's current editor, Krissi Murison, and Guardian music "writer", Tim Jonze, also provided written statements in support of the NME against Morrissey.

Strangely, and supported by the evidence of McNicholas, Murison and Jonze, the NME's lawyers argued that it would be unreasonable to expect them to remember the events of 2007, yet they went on to stress that if the case went to trial, they would wish to cross-examine Morrissey on events leading back not 3, but 19, years, to 1992, when the NME aggressively ran a "is Morrissey racist?" campaign

... http://true-to-you.net/morrissey_news_111106_01

Marc Beaumont was very very careful in what he wrote about Morrissey's solo career in the Smiths special issue, interestingly enough.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

Good to know. Thanks goinghome.

 

[Cornflakes]

An interesting insinuation in the statement.

It might be assumed that NME pulled out of sponsoring Love Music Hate Racism just because they could not afford it. However, Morrissey's people are alleging that, shortly before this happened, Connor McN threatened in a letter to withdraw the NME's support "if they supported Morrissey in this dispute".

What potential support could this be referring to? Might the NME have been attempting to extort a public condemnation of Morrissey?

 

[Mozza220559]

Tumbleweed

 

[Amy]

Tim Jonze subsequently contacted Merck Mercuriadis in a rage, explaining that the NME editorial staff had taken his finished piece from him and had re-written it. Jonze explained that the re-write was unrecognizable from his original article, and that Jonze wished to entirely disassociate himself from the finished piece, and from the NME, leaving everyone with the clearest impression that he felt Morrissey had been treated very badly by the NME

Now this is interesting...because Tim Jonze asserted the exact opposite in a separate Guardian piece, saying instead that he disassociated himself from the article because the NME had toned down his original interview, which had been "highly critical" of Morrissey and in which Jonze had accused him of 'using the language of the BNP and of Enoch Powell'. If they haven't already, I hope Morrissey's lawyers take a look at this:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2007/nov/30/timjonze

Particularly..

I wrote a piece saying that Morrissey - although liberal in many of his views - was using the language of the BNP and Enoch Powell when it came to immigration. In the piece I mentioned that his comments likening the UK to that of "going to Zagreb and hearing nothing but Irish accents" were offensive as they compared British ethnic minorities to tourists. I also said he was being overly nostalgic for a Britain built partly on empire and imperialism and that someone as well travelled as Morrissey had no excuses for such comments.

The piece was very critical and NME decided to tone it down, something I didn't agree with. They showed me several rewritten versions, some of which were very soft on Morrissey, one that was quite critical. None had any of my points or arguments in them and none of them were written in my voice.

 

[CrystalGeezer]

It kinda seems like Tim Jonze is all over the place.

 

[goinghome]

A few threads, amongst more, that bear on the case, for those with time on their hands -

http://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/80801-New-NME-Morrissey-interview

http://www.morrissey-solo.com/threads/81186-Morrissey-v-The-NME-Twice-looks-like-carelessness

http://www.morrissey-solo.com/conte...ng-decision-for-a-trial-expected-within-weeks

 

[Ben Chill]

There was a twitter conversation with Jonze reported on here some months ago but I can't find it. Anyone help? QP?

 

[goinghome]

There was a twitter conversation with Jonze reported on here some months ago but I can't find it. Anyone help? QP?

Maybe but a short email exchange was also interesting, on this page if you scroll down to post 17 by Maurice E - http://www.morrissey-solo.com/threa...latest?p=1986680934&viewfull=1#post1986680934

Here's what Merck said at the time.
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/articl.../12/01/1610212

Further to my post last night if you still have any doubt about the truth, who is doing the spinning and the NME's agenda please consider the following email sent to me by Tim Jonze the morning following his interview with Morrissey which he now portrays as "offensive". As you can see he was highly offended - only when he realized yesterday that IPC / NME might not employ him anymore due to his indiscretions!
Note the kisses!
Best wishes, Merck Mercuriadis Los Angeles December 1st, 2007

And here's Tim's email:

Hi Merck,
Was great to meet you yesterday. Interview was really good, I was surprised how open and charming and humble Moz was. I'm sure you could tell I was quite nervous, I'm a big fan. Anyway, you said that you might have some guest list spare for tonight. So I was wondering if I could get these on to the list for Friday (tonight), in order of importance...
Guy Eppel Alex Cisneros Fiona Byrne
Guy shoots for NME and wondered if he could take pictures. I said I had no idea but I would ask you if there was any chance of getting him a photo pass. No worries if not. Fiona might be writing a news story on the night for NME.com but if there's no spare tickets I can cover that. If there's lots of spare tickets and you don't know what to do with them, they'd all like plus ones but this might be stretching my luck! Anyway, let me know what the deal is.
Tim x

It's not only about the last few years. Several journalists and presenters, including some who worked on NME staff in the early 1990s, are now on public record about the conspiracy that was quite consciously cooked up by the magazine then to 'get Morrissey'. There's no doubt about that, and it's a very incriminating precedent.

 

[Raphael Lambach]

I guess it could be called "the endless story"

 

[King Leer]

Wow, this thread has gotten a lot of mileage. Racists believe their race is superior to that of others. Does Morrissey really believe white people are in fact superior? When he laments the vanishing of old England, is he really talking about the decrease in percentage of "white people"? Living in Los Angeles, London or Rome is a bad idea for someone who can't tolerate people of other races. In short I don' t believe Morrissey is racist, though some of his comments have been bigoted. So were Archie Bunker's but he wouldn't hurt a fly (or even deny the fly its rights).

This whole thing could see the NME go down in flames. It certainly won't be Morrissey who does.

 

[[email protected]]

The NME has LONG since stopped mattering a "Jot" to UK music fans, in my opinion ( I used to buy it regularly every week ( and "Sounds"), when it actually had something to say ( I think that era Died with Steven wells).
if its not the Arctic Monkeys on the cover every other week, its the latest sensation by such twaddle as "The Nothing people" or the "Twaddlists", which are usually bands consisting of 18 yr ols students ( from that London...whose parents bought the instruments for them) who seem to say the same thing over and over in every interview...( IE; NOTHING)...DR. Who adventures seems a much better buy this week...It's got way COOL 3D toys free with it.....and probably better band interviews...

 

[Emotional Guide Dog]

If he wins the court case all that's going to happen is Mike Joyce will be having all his birthday's come at once (and I don't mean he'll be dead)

A cartoon-esque 'YOINK!!!' and the compensation money will be out of Moz's hands before if even has the chance to smell it.

 

[King Leer]

I thought it was common knowledge that the Joyce issue was settled quietly some years ago.
Unless there are new royalties due from releases of live recordings, such as Rank in the Smiths Compete (?)

If he wins the court case all that's going to happen is Mike Joyce will be having all his birthday's come at once (and I don't mean he'll be dead)

A cartoon-esque 'YOINK!!!' and the compensation money will be out of Moz's hands before if even has the chance to smell it.

 

[Amy]

I thought it was common knowledge that the Joyce issue was settled quietly some years ago.
Unless there are new royalties due from releases of live recordings, such as Rank in the Smiths Compete (?)

No...? As far as I knew, Moz still hasn't paid him? Do enlighten me!

 

[King Leer]

I'm only going on what I've read on this site a few times.
Kewpie will have to dig up the posts.

No...? As far as I knew, Moz still hasn't paid him? Do enlighten me!

 

[Tingle3]

So does Morrissey have a tape of the interview with Tim Jonzzzze? Surely he can't rely on the NME or Jonezzzze to provide a tape. Wonder if Morrissey regularly records interviews. I'd guess not.

 

[CharlieFairhead]

The NME on average sells just below 30,000 copies a week, the same number as 'Melody Maker' before they pulled that from publication in the early 00's. It's clearly dying out regardless of what happens with Moz.