Morrissey Central "‘BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS’ IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" (June 14, 2023)

'BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS’ IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS'

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Artist-friendly Capitol Records (Los Angeles) have no plans to release ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ two and a half years after the album was recorded.

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Morrissey’s new comment on the situation:

“It’s a clear display of how censorian the music industry has become. It is a new part of the music industry that does not work and that nobody likes. Music should be the primary democracy, as all art should be, and any effort to keep people away from it simply invites deeper discussion. There is no point banning ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ because somebody somewhere might be offended if they heard it. Why waste time on other people’s mental incapacities? And where is Capitol’s support for the kids who were murdered in that Manchester bonfire on 22 May 2017? Although Capitol claims to be a label of ‘diversity’ it is very difficult to see their humanity. If you are only prepared to release music that draws people’s minds away from thinking then you are unfit for any contact with creative people. Songs are literary compositions, and writing music should be an unrestricted open form. It seems to me that Capitol Records cannot observe the possibility that their artists or their potential customers have ever thought. But silencing certain artists achieves nothing, and simply makes the bonfire burn taller and louder. The moral perspective at Capitol Records who is sitting like a hen on an egg on ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ is Michelle Jubelirer, who played no small part in removing ‘World Peace is None Of Your Business’ from the shelves in 2014 - determined that it could not sell or be heard. The same creeping culture of censorship at Capitol Records has taken place with ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, and the civic structure of Capitol now appears fascist. I still have hope in the music industry, but there are evidently several powerful faces within it that have no honest interest in music … and you follow them into the shadows at your peril.”
MORRISSEY.

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(Middle image = Michelle Jubelirer).
FWD.



Media items:
 
Is it actually being censored or is this what Morrissey imagines the reason is? I would've thought that the reason for not releasing it as they are unlikely to get a return on their investment after marketing costs are added on?
Exactly! It would not be viewed as remotely controversial in America. Not exactly 2 Live Crew stuff here...if they felt they could break even, it would have been released a long time ago.
 
Whatever the reasons, its a massive shame this album doesn't look like it will see the light of day.
Hopefully one day it might but for now it looks like it will take on Princes 'Black Album' status and only be heard on dodgy bootlegs.
And im probably alone in thinking 'Rebels without applause' was a great taster, weird production aside.
Never mind.
Weird production? It quickly became unlistenable. The production actually makes me angry! I will never play that version of the song ever again.
 
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That's just silly. I Live In Oblivion made me tear up when I saw him last year. Obviously taste is subjective but just because YOU dont like it, doesn't mean it should be cast aside. He could just re-record the album and release it ala Taylor Swift.
Oblivion sucks massive balls.
 
I don’t know anything about record companies or record deals.

Is it likely that Capitol would sell Bonfire of Teenagers to another company if Morrissey somehow manages to sign a deal for Without Music the World Dies?

Capitol just sitting on an album and not selling it to anyone else to release would be frustrating.

Perhaps they’re waiting for him to die and will release it then, when he’s become flavour of the month again.
Well, his life expectancy is about 13 years or so, so get comfy.
 
Exactly! It would not be viewed as remotely controversial in America. Not exactly 2 Live Crew stuff here...if they felt they could break even, it would have been released a long time ago.
Agreed for the UK too, and in Manchester where I live. There's nothing controversial about the song at all. The thing is though, Morrissey (and some of his fans) likes to think he's more controversial than what he actually is. In reality, he has the same views of lots of British men in their 60s, the same views we hear day in, day out. Maybe he was once controversial, but he isn't any more.
 
Weird production? It quickly became unlistenable. The production actually makes me angry! I will never play that version of the song ever again.
Lol, it does sound like someone spilt coffee on the mixing desk and cleaned it up with bleach, but the song itself, especially live, i really like, which makes it all the more frustrating the studio version was so bizarrely mixed
 
The Capitol (stress L.A. - as Morrissey does) involvement was probably first very supportive:
Covid struck - things slowed down, everything then centered around L.A. for Morrissey.
Watt had a positive buzz around him & free studio.
New, known musicians involved - May, 2021.
People in and around that studio chipping in bits (eg Miley / Iggy / Peppers floating around / doing other things themselves).
Capitol may well not have been aware of the topics covered on the album during this period.
Meanwhile, things improve and live shows start again.
The press jump on the Bonfire title and react to lyrics and "England's 9/11" - July 2022.
Morrissey confirms Miley's vocals at Caesars Palace, July 9, 2022.
IAV is performed May, July & September, 2022.
This may have soured everything?
Media & label bods may well have pointed out the her image via One Love Manchester may have been at odds with press assessments of Morrissey's sentiments.
Album is put back to February, 2023 (stated mid November, 2022).
Miley 'wants' to be 'taken off' IAV - December, 2022.
Morrissey parts ways with Capitol - December 2022.
January 2023: Central Miley posts & 'cancel vultures'.
February comes & goes...
There is some kind of flow to the above - throwing in the Central posts in full would help. To that end: I'll do an in depth timeline at some point when not busy.
Regards,
FWD.
 
The Capitol (stress L.A. - as Morrissey does) involvement was probably first very supportive:
Covid struck - things slowed down, everything then centered around L.A. for Morrissey.
Watt had a positive buzz around him & free studio.
New, known musicians involved - May, 2021.
People in and around that studio chipping in bits (eg Miley / Iggy / Peppers floating around / doing other things themselves).

Capitol may well not have been aware of the topics covered on the album during this period.

I know you’re more up on these things, so I may have missed it. But how do we know Capitol, the label itself, was supportive, or even knew and expressed interest in BoT while it was being recorded, in those early stages?

I guess I’m wrong, but I thought the label didn’t come into the picture until long after BoT was done.

Meanwhile, things improve and live shows start again.
The press jump on the Bonfire title and react to lyrics and "England's 9/11" - July 2022.
Morrissey confirms Miley's vocals at Caesars Palace, July 9, 2022.
IAV is performed May, July & September, 2022.
This may have soured everything?
Media & label bods may well have pointed out the her image via One Love Manchester may have been at odds with press assessments of Morrissey's sentiments.
Album is put back to February, 2023 (stated mid November, 2022).
Miley 'wants' to be 'taken off' IAV - December, 2022.
Morrissey parts ways with Capitol - December 2022.
January 2023: Central Miley posts & 'cancel vultures'.
February comes & goes...
There is some kind of flow to the above - throwing in the Central posts in full would help. To that end: I'll do an in depth timeline at some point when not busy.
Regards,
FWD.
 
I know you’re more up on these things, so I may have missed it. But how do we know Capitol, the label itself, was supportive, or even knew and expressed interest in BoT while it was being recorded, in those early stages?

I guess I’m wrong, but I thought the label didn’t come into the picture until long after BoT was done.
The signing was announced October 29, 2022. Supportive is probably not how I should have started my paragraph tbh - it was a general point to indicate there wasn't anything potentially on the horizon to scupper things (as I doubt the signing wasn't already underway in 2022).
Sorry, my intimation regarding subject matter was to suggest had they known the subject matter as later catalysed and 'outraged' over by the press - they may not have signed at all.
I have a feeling the L.A. bit here is important and who actually footed the bill after recording and post-production in to 2021.
The delay from 2021 - 2022 is anyone's guess...
Regards,
FWD.
 
The conspiracy of silence around the attacker in the Nottingham slaughter - it may as well have been carried out by a ghost according to the mainstream media - and today's concerted attempt to paint everyone in Nottingham as 'united in love', just goes to show how 'off message' Morrissey is. BOT has been well and truly killed off and buried. There is one message we are supposed to hear - anything that doesn't fit that message, that questions the narrative, has to be suppressed.
 
The conspiracy of silence around the attacker in the Nottingham slaughter - it may as well have been carried out by a ghost according to the mainstream media - and today's concerted attempt to paint everyone in Nottingham as 'united in love', just goes to show how 'off message' Morrissey is. BOT has been well and truly killed off and buried. There is one message we are supposed to hear - anything that doesn't fit that message, that questions the narrative, has to be suppressed.

It looks that way.
 
The conspiracy of silence around the attacker in the Nottingham slaughter - it may as well have been carried out by a ghost according to the mainstream media - and today's concerted attempt to paint everyone in Nottingham as 'united in love', just goes to show how 'off message' Morrissey is. BOT has been well and truly killed off and buried. There is one message we are supposed to hear - anything that doesn't fit that message, that questions the narrative, has to be suppressed.
Oh dear lord, you'll be screenshotted (shatted?) on Karen's twitter, saying stuff like this!
 

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