25 April 2008

Morrissey Loves Music, Hates Racism
Press Release From Love Music Hate Racism: 25 April 2008

Morrissey has personally stepped in with a significant financial contribution to the Love Music Hate Racism campaign in order to allow their 30th Anniversary Rock Against Racism concert to go ahead in Victoria Park, London this weekend without financial loss or burden to the campaign. In addition to his own contribution he has rallied his management, booking agency and promoters to make up the majority of the £75,000 deficit LMHR was faced with after a main sponsor pulled out.

Morrissey commented, "This is a historic event spreading an important, anti-racist, message so it must be allowed to go ahead. Love Music Hate Racism got in touch and explained that the NME had pulled support, possibly as a result of their association with me, and asked if I could help as they had not been able to replace them. This is something I am committed to and we appreciate everyone coming together so quickly to make it happen."

K2 Agency, Live Nation, Pacifica Artists Group and SJM Concerts are all associated with Morrissey and have made donations to Love Music Hate Racism at his request.

LMHR's Martin Smith and Lee Billingham said, "After an expected contribution to the Carnival from a major sponsor fell through, we contacted Morrissey - and other artists who support the cause - to ask for their help, and we're extremely grateful for Morrissey's generous financial contribution."

LMHR Carnival '08 takes place on Sunday 27 April 2008 in Victoria Park, London E3, and is free. Headliners include The Good, The Bad & The Queen, Jay Sean, Hard-Fi, The View, Roll Deep, Jerry Dammers, RAR Allstars, Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly, Natty, and Babyshambles' Drew McConnell's Helsinki project featuring Jon McClure, Fyfe Guillemot, Poly Styrene, Jimmy Pursey and many more. Full details at www.lmhrcarnival.com.

For more information please contact Love Music Hate Racism:
Martin Smith - 07905 157779
Lee Billingham - 07838 156052
press@lovemusichateracism.com
Love Music Hate Racism
www.lovemusichateracism.com
1st Floor, 231 Vauxhall Bridge Road, London, SW1V 1EH
Note new office phone and fax:
Tel: 020 7801 2781
Fax: 020 7801 2782

17 April 2008

Press release from Girlie Action regarding TMZ.com articles:

TMZ.com erroneously reported that Morrissey was photographed dining at the STK steak house in Los Angeles in an article posted on Tuesday that called his lifelong commitment to vegetarianism and animal rights into question. STK representative Henry Eshelman states, "Morrissey never dined at STK nor did we report that he did, but as a matter of policy, of course, STK welcomes him and vegetarians of all stripes. There's loads of vegetarian options: roasted beet, organic arugula and hearts of romaine salads; nine vegetable options from sautéed maitake mushrooms to parmesan truffle fries; mac and cheese, and on and on." Also, in an article posted on Wednesday, TMZ.com erroneously alluded to a disagreement between Morrissey and PETA who remain mutual supporters and admirers.

16 April 2008

In a press release issued today, Girlie Action have announced that Morrissey will appear on the episodes of The Late Late Show With Craig Ferguson that will be broadcast on CBS on Monday, April 28 and Tuesday, April 29. The shows will feature Morrissey singing "All You Need Is Me" and "Irish Blood, English Heart."

10 April 2008

In a press release, Polydor UK have announced that Morrissey's new single, "All You Need Is Me," will be released on Decca/Polydor on 19 May in the UK.

"All You Need Is Me" is one of the new songs to have graced Morrissey's set lists at recent concerts. He also played the song earlier this year on Later...With Jools Holland, alongside other new songs - "That's How People Grow Up" and "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" - and his classic "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys."

The new single will be available on CD and two 7" vinyl formats. Two of the B-sides - "Children In Pieces" and "My Dearest Love" - are new songs recorded in Los Angeles with composer Gustavo Santaolalla, who has won Oscars for his music for the films Brokeback Mountain and Babel, as well as BAFTAs for his music for the films The Motorcycle Diaries and Babel. The new songs feature additional production and were mixed by Jerry Finn, producer of 2004's widely acclaimed UK #2 album You Are The Quarry, who has also produced the A-side "All You Need Is Me." A third B-side is a cover version of the David Bowie song "Drive-in Saturday." The cover version was recorded live during Morrissey's North American tour in 2007.

The UK CD single tracklisting is:

"All You Need Is Me"
"Children In Pieces"

The UK 7" vinyl single 1 tracklisting is:

"All You Need Is Me"
"My Dearest Love"

The UK 7" vinyl single 2 tracklisting is:

"All You Need Is Me"
"Drive-in Saturday" (recorded live at the Orpheum Theater, Omaha, Nebraska, 11 May 2007)

Jerry Finn is currently finishing production of Morrissey's new studio album, the highly anticipated follow-up to 2006's UK #1 album Ringleader Of The Tormentors. The new LP is due for an autumn 2008 release.

Morrissey's Greatest Hits compilation is out now on Decca/Polydor. The collection spans Morrissey's 20-year solo career and includes UK Top 10 and Top 20 singles.

Morrissey will headline O2 Wireless Festival in London's Hyde Park on 4 July - his only UK date this summer. He has chosen Beck, New York Dolls, The Courteeners, Black Kids, Siouxsie Sioux, Guillemots, Dirty Pretty Things, The Wombats, and Noise Is The Best Revenge, among others, to be his guests at Hyde Park.

"All You Need Is Me" can be pre-ordered from recordstore.co.uk.

3 April 2008

Morrissey Court Victory: WORD Out, Strategic Blow For The NME
Press Release: 3 April 2008

This morning in the Royal Courts of Justice, a Statement in Open Court was read before Mr Justice Eady concerning an article that appeared in the March 2008 edition of Word Magazine by David Quantick.

The closing paragraphs of that article contained statements regarding Morrissey that echoed the defamatory statements contained in the 1 December 2007 edition of the NME. That edition of the NME is the subject of ongoing libel proceedings brought by Morrissey.

The full text of today's Statement in Open Court is as follows:-

John Reid, Solicitor for the Claimant:

"My Lord, in this libel action I represent the Claimant, the singer and musician, Steven Patrick Morrissey, professionally known as Morrissey.

The Defendants wish to take this opportunity to apologise to Mr Morrissey for any offence or distress that he may have been caused by the closing paragraphs of the article and are happy to make the position clear."

Caroline Kean, Solicitor for the Defendants:

"My Lord, on behalf of the Defendants, I confirm everything my Friend, the Claimant's solicitor, has said.

The Defendants offer their sincere apologies to the Claimant. They hope that by making this Statement, the matter will be clarified once and for all and the record will have been set straight."

John Reid, Solicitor for the Claimant:

"In the circumstances, My Lord, it only remains for me to ask that the record be withdrawn."

Morrissey said:

"I am obviously delighted with this victory and the clearing of my name in public where it is loud and clear for all to hear. The NME have calculatedly tried to damage my integrity and to label me as a racist in order to boost their diminishing circulation. Word Magazine made the mistake of repeating those allegations, which they now accept are false and, as a result, have apologised in Open Court. I will now continue to pursue my legal action against the NME and its editor until they do the same."

John Reid of Russells Solicitors, representing Morrissey in his claim against the NME, commented:

"My client is utterly determined to repair the damage done to his reputation following the statements made by the NME in December 2007 and more recently Word Magazine. The Word Magazine article would not have been published without the NME's original article so whilst Morrissey is pleased that the record has been set straight, he remains absolutely committed to pursuing his current action against the NME and its editor. Ultimately, my client would rather spend his time in concert than in Court. Regrettably, he has had no choice but to institute both sets of proceedings in order to clear his name."

For further information about Morrissey please contact Selina Webb 020 7471 5385 or Pam Ribbeck 020 7471 5434 at Polydor Records

31 March 2008

Statement from Morrissey:

In late June the Montreal Symphony are hosting a TV Special to salute Buffy Sainte-Marie's 50th year making music. I am honored to be asked to take part. I first bought a Buffy Sainte-Marie record when I was 12, and her music has always remained with me. In the 1960s, as a political activist, Buffy's lyrics were fearless, and I'm very grateful for all the risks that she took.
I am also pleased to be asked to join the bill at the V Festival at the Thunderbird Stadium in Vancouver, and also at Fort Calgary in Calgary.
However, as we all know, the psychologically and constitutionally sickening Canadian seal-kill has started and is once again in full-cry.
The horror of the Canadian seal-kill is untranslatable, and although I fully realize that highly concentrated evil exists in other countries - Japan's dolphin slaughter, Iceland's newly-revived whaling, the cat-skinning trade in Switzerland, and China with just about every injustice imaginable - there is something especially menacing about Canada's seal-kill.
Loyola Sullivan (Canada's Ambassador for Fisheries Conservation) is a man of glacial coldness who claims that the seal-kill is "humane" - a view he might alter if his own skull were cracked open with a spiked axe.
The fact that the seal-kill provides a livelihood for fishermen is an insultingly dim excuse for it to take place - after all, the German gas chambers of World War 2 also provided work for someone.
The seal-kill takes place to satisfy greed for fur-pelts, and this Canadian government is happy to drag the global image of its own country down, and make it a place that people such as I couldn't bear to visit.
MORRISSEY, 29 March 2008.

25 March 2008

Morrissey's wonderful Greatest Hits compilation is released on Decca today in the US.

The collection includes two new songs - "That's How People Grow Up" and "All You Need Is Me."

The album is available now on standard CD, limited edition two-disc deluxe CD (with Live At The Hollywood Bowl disc, including a US-only bonus track), and digital download. A double vinyl LP version will be available on April 1.

The US standard CD tracklisting is:

"First Of The Gang To Die"
"In The Future When All's Well"
"I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"You Have Killed Me"
"That's How People Grow Up"
"Everyday Is Like Sunday"
"Redondo Beach"
"Suedehead"
"The Youngest Was The Most Loved"
"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys"
"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"
"All You Need Is Me"
"Let Me Kiss You"
"I Have Forgiven Jesus"

The US limited edition two-disc deluxe CD tracklisting is:

Disc 1: Greatest Hits

"First Of The Gang To Die"
"In The Future When All's Well"
"I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"You Have Killed Me"
"That's How People Grow Up"
"Everyday Is Like Sunday"
"Redondo Beach"
"Suedehead"
"The Youngest Was The Most Loved"
"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys"
"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"
"All You Need Is Me"
"Let Me Kiss You"
"I Have Forgiven Jesus"

Disc 2: Live At The Hollywood Bowl

"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys"
"The National Front Disco"
"Let Me Kiss You"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"I Will See You In Far-Off Places"
"First Of The Gang To Die"
"I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"
"That's How People Grow Up" (US only)
"Life Is A Pigsty"

The US double vinyl LP tracklisting is:

"First Of The Gang To Die"
"In The Future When All's Well"
"I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"You Have Killed Me"
"That's How People Grow Up"
"Everyday Is Like Sunday"
"Redondo Beach"
"Suedehead"
"The Youngest Was The Most Loved"
"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys"
"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"
"All You Need Is Me"
"Let Me Kiss You"
"I Have Forgiven Jesus"

You can order the album on the CD and LP formats at Tower.com. And you can order the download of the album at iTunes USA.

Photo: Greatest Hits sleeve

24 March 2008

In a press release issued today, Live Nation and O2 Wireless Festival have announced that Morrissey will headline Friday, July 4th, at this year's O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park, London.

According to the press release, this will be Morrissey's only UK appearance this summer. A name recognized across the globe, with a career spanning over 20 years, and acclaimed throughout the world as a songwriter and lyricist of the very highest quality, Morrissey comes to Hyde Park at his very best. His recent Greatest Hits album demonstrates the enduring power of the former Smiths frontman, showcasing a collection of Top 20 singles, including nine Top 10 hits. Morrissey's appearances on Friday Night With Jonathan Ross and Later...With Jools Holland revealed a master at work, and he remains a legendary figure in the history of British pop, cited as an influence by a host of bands past and present. All Morrissey shows are special, and many listeners are certain to make Hyde Park the only place to be on July 4th. In addition to the planned fireworks, this show may also give that devoted audience an opportunity to hear tracks from his forthcoming debut studio album for Decca / Polydor, set for release in the autumn of 2008, alongside that roll call of instantly familiar hit singles.

Morrissey says: "What is classical is what we all agree on, and I think we all acknowledge Hyde Park festivals as important events. I am honoured to be asked to headline on July 4th, marking my 26th year haunting British music, and following the Hyde Park greats - T.Rex, Joan Armatrading, and someone with insecure teeth. I promise a thundering bill of tight nerves and suavity and all your favourites from Disc magazine. I will take Hyde Park like a flea inhabits a dog. Art-hounds and people with badly cut hair are very welcome. I shall do my utmost not to pull a sour face. The sun will make up its own mind. It is, of course, the day when America celebrated its independence from Sidcup, but we can easily reverse that situation with a bit of John Mills stiff-upperness. Bring your own lodging-house towels, but don't expect any three-shrimp appetizers."

21 February 2008

Girlie Action and Decca have announced details of Morrissey's Greatest Hits compilation to be released on Decca in the United States on March 25.

The album - which is Morrissey's first for Decca - was released in the United Kingdom on February 11 and entered the UK chart at #5 this week.

Greatest Hits will be available in the US on the following formats: a regular jewel box CD version of 15 tracks; a double vinyl LP version of 15 tracks; and a deluxe limited edition CD version that, in addition to the 15 tracks, will also feature a Live At The Hollywood Bowl bonus CD of nine tracks recorded live in California on June 8, 2007. The bonus CD will include a US exclusive live rendition of "That's How People Grow Up."

Greatest Hits spans Morrissey's stellar 20-year solo career as a true original and one of the world's greatest musical talents. The collection includes UK Top 10 and Top 20 singles. Two tracks - "That's How People Grow Up" and "All You Need Is Me" - are new songs recorded with Jerry Finn, producer of 2004's widely acclaimed Billboard Top 20 album You Are The Quarry.

Morrissey is currently working with Finn on his new studio album, the follow-up to 2006's UK #1 album Ringleader Of The Tormentors. Morrissey will tour Europe this year, and his new studio album is due out in the autumn.

Greatest Hits tracklisting:

"First Of The Gang To Die"
"In The Future When All's Well"
"I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"You Have Killed Me"
"That's How People Grow Up" (new)
"Everyday Is Like Sunday"
"Redondo Beach"
"Suedehead"
"The Youngest Was The Most Loved"
"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys"
"The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get"
"All You Need Is Me" (new)
"Let Me Kiss You"
"I Have Forgiven Jesus"

Live At The Hollywood Bowl bonus CD tracklisting:

"The Last Of The Famous International Playboys"
"The National Front Disco"
"Let Me Kiss You"
"Irish Blood, English Heart"
"I Will See You In Far Off Places"
"First Of The Gang To Die"
"I Just Want To See The Boy Happy"
"Life Is A Pigsty"
"That's How People Grow Up" (US only)