Mikel Erentxun covers "Everyday Is Like Sunday"

From Matias:

Mikel Erentxun has a new record with a Morrissey cover. His new record is called Acrobatas and the song is "Everyday Is Like Sunday". He already covered "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" in his last record and now "Everyday Is Like Sunday".

Thanks to Pedro Martel for correcting the spelling of Mikel's name and for letting me know Mikel is from Basque.

Dave Vanian of The Damned likes Moz

From Rob:

Well on Mon. Feb 23rd, I went to see one of my fav all time bands - THE DAMNED. It was a very good show, and it made me feel like I was 16 again. Anyways, after the show, I hung around outside with a few friends waiting for the band to come out the back door. It was pouring rain, but we stuck it out anyways, and it was well worth it. We met band, then Dave Vanian came out and said hello, gave us hugs, told me my duck tail haircut was nice, then he noticed the MOZ shirt. He said "OH WOW!!! Morrissey!!" and I said "Do you like him?" Then Dave replied "F**k yes I do!" Just thought you’d like to know this tidbit.

Drew Ring (Sleepytime Trio) influenced

From Alfredo:

I received something really interesting from Drew Ringo <guitar player of the infamous hardcore-punk band called Sleepytime trio> some days ago; get this:

"...if it wasn't for Johnny Marr and seeing the Smiths when I was in 7th grade I would have never been inspired to learn to play the guitar, I'm very serious,

love, drew

check the Sleepytime trio web site

Jon Ginoli (Pansy Division) influenced

From Zach Braun:

Here’s another appearance by Morrissey in an American punk song. "Homo Christmas", a song by outspoken gay pop-punk band Pansy Division features the following lines:

"Don’t be miserable like Morrissey / Let me do you underneath the Christmas tree."

The tune appears on a 1995 7", and their singles CD Pile Up. Guitarist/singer Jon Ginoli has repeatedly mentioned how Moz was an influence on him, and how The Smiths are one of his favorite bands. This isn’t really significant news, but it’s something. Smiths fans should also check out their labelmates The Potatomen, who have a jangly sound quite similar to them.

Speaking of The Potatomen...

From Gagan Palrecha:

Lawrence Hayes, the owner of Lookout Records (home to such acts as Avail, Mr T Experience, Green Day), is in a band called The Potatomen. They are sooo good. they are similar in sound to The Smiths / Morrissey (although there are differences, and no one can sound as good as The Smiths or Morrissey). Anyway, they do a cover of "There Is A light That Never Goes Out" on their new album. Also, they have a song called "Geoffrey" and the lyrics are:

"he was a boy from Southern California
always wanted to look so forlorn
it’s not that life for him was oh so bad
but his aesthetic sense required he feel sad
so he moped his way from day to day
and tossed his head in a most languorous way
and though Jeff was his name
he found it far too mundane
to spell it with a ‘J’ in the conventional vein
so in the spirit of his hero MORRISSEY
he spelled it with an English ‘G’
and everyone soon knew him as Geoff..."

...there’s more, but that is the part where they directly speak of Morrissey. It is a really good song, not to mention a really good album... sounds like Morrissey, The Smiths, with a hint of influence from the Ramones... sounds weird, but it’s good.

The cover of "There Is A Light..." was previously mentioned back in December.

European tour - not confirmed, not before Autumn

From Joachim Sell:

A friend of mine has spoken to Alain Whyte concerning the European Tour (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) and he said, that the tour isn't confirmed and IF it will happen, then not before Autumn!

Morrissey - Nobel Prize consideration?

From Nicklas Franke:

There's talk about giving the Nobel Prize for Literature to a pop lyricist. The two mentioned are Bob Dylan and of course our very own MORRISSEY. Just a couple of weeks ago there was an article in the Swedish newspaper "Svenska Dagbladet" where the journalist almost demanded that Moz should get the award.

Could we see Morrissey in this list?

Morrissey: Britain's Top Light Entertainer...

From Naomi:

... Well, almost. This is one of the more bizarre pieces of news I've come across so bear with me.

As I'm sure you're completely unaware (why shouldn't you be?), one of the BBC's current roster of popular early-evening sit-coms is a programme called "Goodnight Sweetheart" in which the main character Gary , played by the narrow-headed Nicholas Lyndhurst, lives a double life in London in two different eras - during the 1990s and also during the Blitz - "with hilarious consequences" as I'm sure you can imagine.

All well and good, but why am I wasting your time with this trash? Well, I saw the trailer for next week's episode, and the Nicholas Lyndhurst character suddenly launched into a rendition of "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now", complete with what I must assume is an impression of Morrissey ... "with hilarious consequences".

I was quite surprised too, I have to admit :)

Anyone sufficiently interested can tune into BBC 1 on Monday at 8.30. But that's not a recommendation!

Reggie Kray: future collaborator, perhaps?

From Rachel Mckeon:

According to (Tuesday's) Daily Mail, Reggie Kray could be released from prison within ten weeks, after a psychiatric report, commissioned by the Parole Board, declared him to be a 'minimal risk' to the public.

Reggie will have served his minimum tariff of 30 years in prison on 9th May this year and the psychiatrists say there is no medical reason why he should be detained any longer. Many others within the prison service also believe that Kray should be set free, a view shared by Leonard Read, the former Scotland Yard detective who helped catch Reggie and Ronnie.

Reggie is said to be a changed man who regrets his crimes, likes poetry and gets upset by bad language on TV.

When and if he is released, he plans to run a recording studio at a country house in Norfolk. The psychiatric report states: "He describes wishing to set up a music studio, as having written lyrics and having been in touch with several pop stars."

A future Morrissey collaborator, perhaps?

"Feel Like Morrissey"

Thanks to Caroline for the MP3 "Feel Like Morrissey" (3.37 MB zip file) by the punk band 30 Foot Fall. In case you don't have one yet, an MP3 player is available here. Additionally, from Caroline:

I came across this silly punk song while looking for MP3s recently, by a band called "30 Foot Fall"... the song is a kick to listen to...

A comprehensive 30 Foot Fall page ... it says the song is from a '96 7" (called "Jr. High Sucked", Twistworthy Records). I don't know if it is old news or such, but I thought to send the lyrics just in case.

"Feel Like Morrissey"

I was a happy idiot
I didn't know what pain meant
thanks for showing me the deal
I hurt so bad that I can't feel
I was a happy idiot
now I'm in a world of shit
thanks a lot, I needed that
now will you stop kicking my ass?

now I feel like morrissey
bandaids on my nipples 'cuz
I feel like morrissey
everyday is like sunday

I wish I would have just stayed home
I wish you would've left me alone
and now look at what I've got
I had a joy division attack
now all I wear is black
opened my heart, you kept yours shut
and now you left me on my butt

now I'm a lonely idiot
hope I don't always feel like this
hurt me so bad that I can't see
and now I feel like morrissey
last night I dreamt somebody loved me
I will never marry
sing me to sleep, 'cuz I feel like morrissey

girlfriend in a coma
never had no one ever
is it really so strange?
I know it's over
there is a light that never goes out
please, please, please, let me get what I want
angel don't take your life
some people have got no pride
they do not understand
the urgency of life
but I love you more than life

I wrote to Reprise records about my disappointment with the new Moz compilation and I suggested a few choices of my own. One of the tracks I suggested was "Oh Well, I’ll Never Learn". On the reply I got from Reprise it said that track was to be included on the compilation but later dropped in favor of the new live version of "Cosmic Dancer".

It went on to say that the track is gonna appear on the next "Friends" soundtrack instead.

According to the Reprise Records website, the soundtrack has a tentative release date in August. "Oh Well, I'll Never Learn" is a rare track, released only as a b-side on the CD-single version of "Suedehead".

Matt Pinfield raves

From Troy James:

In the March 19th Rolling Stone "Raves" section, Matt Pinfield of MTV lists this as his 2nd "Rave" :

"Pretty Girls Make Graves" - The Smiths
"What a great title, and the lyrics, just about a person realizing that the person they're with is so codependent that it doesn't matter who picks up their hand - if you're not there, someone else will fill your place."

Morrissey - voted 5th best in Brazil

From Fabricio Muller:

In Showbizz’s (Brazilian magazine) best-of-1997 edition, Morrissey was chosen as 5th best in the "International Lyricists" category. The first 4 are:

1. Bob Dylan
2. Thom Yorke (Radiohead)
3. Richard Ashcroft (Verve)
4. Noel Gallagher (Oasis)

And "Alma Matters" had a vote for best music.

Oscar Wilde photo questioned

From Adam:

I figured it might be of interest to someone, somewhere...

NEWS SOURCE: PlanetOut NewsPlanet - http://www.planetout.com/

---

Wilde Photo Questioned

SUMMARY: Is the real Oscar Wilde standing up? It looks like him, but nothing else about the almost-auctioned picture adds up.

...

I recently read Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh, in the book there was a chapter named "There Is a Light That Never Goes Out" In that section there is a passage that goes like this.

"A few months ago, Nicola had been talking to him as they walked from a party at Sighthill to one at Wester Hailes. They had been having a good crack, becoming detached from the rest of the group. She had been very responsive, and Spud had chatted freely, high on speed. In fact, she seemed to be hanging on his every word. Spud wanted to never get to that party, wishing that they could just go on walking and talking. They went down into an underpass and Spud thought that he should try to put his arm around Nicola. Then a passage from a Smiths' song, one he'd always liked called: "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out", came into his head:

and in the darkened underpass
I thought Oh God my chance has come at last
but then a strange fear gripped me
and I just couldn't ask

Morrissey's sad voice summed up his feelings."

Site updates

Some changes -

* new logos are around the different pages of the sites and rotating on the front page. In the future, different logos will appear in the rotation.

* front page is a frame now - let me know if there are any problems with your browser. Thanks to Paul Armstrong for his design tips.

* Jobriath has been added to the people section. Thanks to Seiji Toyota for the Jobriath info from her website, Tigerlily's Underworld.

You were wondering what Johnny Marr is up to now? I do know that his production of the Marion album The Program is complete and the first single ‘Miyako Hideaway’ is due out Feb. 23 in the UK. The single features Johnny playing guitars as he co-wrote the song. The album should be due out in April. A Marion site mentioned that Johnny is currently working on the next Electronic album as well as some solo stuff?!?

From Neil MacKinnon:

Here’s what Select Magazine’s website says (under Reviews - Singles, you can also listen to a sample):

Marion
Miyako Hideaway (London)

After interminable time spent in and out of the public eye in various rehab-type establishments, Marion have returned and recruited fellow Manc Johnny Marr to produce their fitter, happier product. Which, funnily enough, sounds not unlike Cyndi Lauper’s I Drove All Night on the choruses. Starts off a bit like Weller’s Changing Man, then succumbs to Jaimes Morrissey-y vocals. "Even though I/Know everything I need to know about you/You still hide away" trills the increasingly fucked-looking Harding, making absolutely no sense at all. If he knows everything then he knows why she’s running off so why is he banging on about it, eh?

From Naomi:

...there’s an interview with Marion’s vocalist Jaime (with the "i" gone awry...) in this week’s NME (21/3/98):

"He came down to a rehearsal and the first ten seconds was like (whispers), "Johnny Marr! Johnny Marr!" and then it was "WORK!". When you’re buzzin’ it’s so easy. We swap clothes and records and he’s got loads of dead rare promotional videos, Stones and stuff.

"I know we really fired Johnny up and we got some really good stuff from him and he buzzed us up. It whizzed by because we were having such a good time. It was a conscious decision to make this album have grooves and a swagger that made people feel good when they listen to it. "The Program" is three-dimensional whereas "This World..." ["... And Body", their rather thin and gothique debut] was two-dimensional."

I must admit, I’ve not gone out of my way to hear any of the new material, but their first few singles were pleasant enough. Well, alright, I quite liked the first one ("Sleep") which featured a "Hand In Glove" - style harmonica part and seems to have been adopted for half a dozen car ads. But I can’t help being difficult to please...

"Alma" clip on "Daria"

From Christopher Salvatore:

A snippet of "Alma Matters" was played on MTV’s "Daria" season premiere on Monday 2/17. Not major news, but press is press for Mozzer. Who knows maybe one day MTV will actually play his videos.

photo: Svenja

Philadelphia, Washington DC - tour info (1997) For those of you just joining us, I'm still trying to finish up all the documentation for last year's tour. Thanks to those who took the time to contribute their excellent info and photos. Philadelphia, Sept. 19: Svenja, Jason McEnaney, Chris Jackson, Jeff Rioux, Joseph Massey, Jough Dempsey, and Keith Vanetta. Washington DC, Sept. 20: Mario, Edwin, and Andreas Papadopoulos.

These Charming Men gig - Alain Whyte appearance

Regarding the cover band mentioned previously. From Mozmonger:

...they did a short set of 1/2 an hour, but the highlight was the appearance of Alain Whyte! He was with a tall blonde woman wearing glasses and another guy wearing a baseball hat... Alain was extremely nice and he let me get a pic of him and he was nice enough to give some people autographs including myself... He is going to release an album of his own soon, so people should look out for it...

What is Johnny Marr up to?

With no disrespect intended, what has Johnny Marr been doing the past year (or two)? Anything at all slightly interesting? From Steven Ivan Dalfey Anderson:

As you know Johnny Marr is currently with the group Electronic which consists of himself and Bernard Sumner (lead singer of New Order). Well both men had said in interviews, after releasing their second album, that they would both be working exclusively on material for Electronic and would not do any side gigs for a while...

Well, yesterday I went on Ceremony and they had this announcement:

"[2/16/98] Today, BBC Radio One has announced that New Order HAVE re-formed. There is to be a new album, and a one-off gig at the Phoenix Festival at Stratford upon Avon on 18th July 98. No info on tickets yet."

So what is Mr. Marr up to now?