Johnny Marr's Management response to Morrissey's allegations (September 17, 2024)

A statement from Johnny Marr's management:

Recent statements made by Morrissey on his website regarding the trademark of
The Smiths' name are incorrect.

Here are the facts:

In 2018, following an attempt by a third party to use The Smiths' name - and upon
discovery that the trademark was not owned by the band - Marr reached out to
Morrissey, via his representatives, to work together in protecting The Smiths' name.

A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark himself.
It was subsequently agreed with Morrissey's lawyers that this trademark was held
for the mutual benefit of Morrissey & Marr.

As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed an assignment of joint
ownership to Morrissey. Execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.

In the interests of accuracy and clarity regarding the trademark, and to answer
recent reports that Marr ignored a promoter's offer to tour as The Smiths, Marr says:

"To prevent third parties from profiting from the band's name, it was left to me
to protect the legacy. This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former
bandmates."

"As for the offer to tour, I didn't ignore the offer - I said no."

Additionally, speculation about Johnny Marr touring with a different singer as
The Smiths is not true. There are no such plans.

Johnny Marr also confirms that he declined a suggestion for another greatest hits
compilation from Warner Music Group given the number already in existence.

---

Related items:

• Morrissey Central: "THE PLOT THICKENS" - September 15, 2024
• Morrissey Central: "SMITHS NOT OK" - September 11, 2024
• Morrissey Central: "WAR IS OLD, ART IS YOUNG" - August 29, 2024

 

[Eldritch]

He played with mediocre bands like 'The The' and Electronic were very MOR.

That's just your opinion. The The and Electronic were highly respected back in the day. I love the Electronic debut and like the other two albums -- as a lyricist Bernard is no Morrissey, but calling them MOR is like calling everything with synths on it disco. It did take Marr some time to find his creativity again but give the guy a break -- the guy was only 24 when The Smiths split.

 

[BrummieBoy]

How come the many deplorable defamatory tracts like these two above aren't treated as clogging the threads, and moved off-topic, as is done with a lot of other totally valid material?

Cry harder , crybully!

Your cult leader has crashed and burned & you're trying to do PR damage limitation. Ineptly!

Your constant attempts to demonise me & your demands that the moderators censor my input is a sign of your desperation. Your motives are totally transparent.

You probably fantasise that Morrissey notices your pathetic attempt to form a praetorian guard here with that other numpty eejit Malarkey.

I'm 'deplorable '? Who do you think you are? Hilary Clinton?

Defamation?
Are you a lawyer? Doubt it given your ludicrous prose.

If Steven Patrick Morrissey wants to send me a Letter Before Action he can do so via the site proprietor...were he do so, trust me, he'd receive an appropriate response:balls deep & both barrels.

You cried wolf claiming I'd sent you abusive messages but, of course, you cannot produce any evidence because I did no such thing.

Stop referring to me to try and raise your profile here.

This thread is about Johnny Marr's exquisitely focused and compassionate response to Morrissey's latest meltdown. He could have inserted a picture of a 'For Britain' lapel badge instead of an innocuous photo of Nigel Farage but didn't because he is probably deeply concerned this turn of events.

I don't know what role Morrissey's late mother had in advising her troubled son in her final years but I assume Morrissey is still reeling from her passing. It's clear he either has no management or just surrounds himself with flunkeys too scared to reign in his bizarre paranoid ideation about this trademark issue. Or they are so totally incompetent that they didn't even relay the correspondence from Team Johnny. Either way, Morrissey's remains responsible for this debacle- nobody else. Does he ignore correspondence from the tax authorities?

Please refrain from further attempts to police my contributions here and stop trying to generate a pile on. Trust me: your credibility and influence here is minimal.

Have a nice day @goinghome

 

[Amy]

Where Marr does have a case is ....

I'm not going to go into detail because The Smiths' split has been done to death, but I think it is disingenuous to try and shore up your argument in this thread about a problem today - now - by steering the conversation towards "Johnny was naughty in 1987 though." That is irrelevant ancient history and there are 25 versions of what happened depending on who you ask. Today, in this moment, Johnny has shown class and has saved a toxic situation from escalating.

 

[Anonymous]

So Morrissey didn't turn up for every single thing. The guy suffered from depression and these incidents were not exactly happening every week. Morrissey contributed all the lyrics, all the singing and the vast majority of the press interviews. He was the public face of the band. When Marr walked out, he basically dumped all responsibility on Morrissey to negotiate with the record company and sort out the financial situation.

Do we even know if the depression is real or he just makes stuff up as an excuse.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Most phoney? That is funny. Morrissey is alot of things, but he is far from phoney. He actually more true to himself than any pop star on the planet to his own detriment.

The people in the gay community who would appreciate his acknowledgement and support probably disagree. That would hurt his career but farm animals? He is there for them, 100%

 

[Famous when dead]

Scathing open letters, bitter Instagram posts and 'fake news'...inside pop's longest feud as Morrissey and Johnny Marr go to war again (and why there is no chance of The Smiths EVER reuniting)

Inside pop's longest feud as Morrissey and Johnny Marr go to war again

They are two indie rock stars from Manchester who have been feuding for years - and yet, unlike Noel and Liam Gallagher, heaven knows these two remain miserable now.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Slightly longer summary article.

 

[Les Tameside]

The Grauniad article was hopeful. Seeing the mention of hell freezing over for Oasis and the Eagles makes you wonder if one day, somehow...
This recent aggro has just made things re "The Smiths" clearer, albeit in an exhausting way. M&J's estrangement/connection is unchanged. Maybe if Johnny's commitments were to ever slow down, or Jesse packed up his plectrums we could still be surprised. For some special cause or something. For the fans?

‘For some special cause’: yes, it will all be easier with some burning social issue presented as the justification. This will spare their egos.

 

[Shaw]

Morrissey is a creative artist. He's passionate, impulsive and says what he thinks. Even if he may sometimes get things factually incorrect, you have to see him in terms of the spirit of what he means rather than the letter of what he's saying. That's how artists are, impressionistic. Like the difference between Van Gough's 'Starry Night' and a photograph of a starry night.
I doubt that he is setting out to manufacture victimhood.

oh please - "I'm not a dickhead I'm just an artist!". A whole career of feuds, fallouts, record label problems, cancellations etc and it is quite simply never his fault. He doesn't even accept any wrong doing at all - just an endless ill-informed tirade. But it's ok because he's passionate hahah

 

[Thewlis]

I'm not going to go into detail because The Smiths' split has been done to death, but I think it is disingenuous to try and shore up your argument in this thread about a problem today - now - by steering the conversation towards "Johnny was naughty in 1987 though." That is irrelevant ancient history and there are 25 versions of what happened depending on who you ask. Today, in this moment, Johnny has shown class and has saved a toxic situation from escalating.

What makes you so sure that it won’t escalate? I don’t see them getting any closer together in the (near) future. What Marr did, to reply via his management, was wise but is only beneficial to him and not for The Smiths’ brand or the fans.

 

[gordyboy9]

Well, "Smith's" is not the same as "The Smiths".

did i leave out the,the smiths ,39 west blackhall street,greenock.

 

[sparacus]

oh please - "I'm not a dickhead I'm just an artist!". A whole career of feuds, fallouts, record label problems, cancellations etc and it is quite simply never his fault. He doesn't even accept any wrong doing at all - just an endless ill-informed tirade. But it's ok because he's passionate hahah

That is simplistic overview of Morrissey's career which places undue emphasis on the negatives. He has also released 13 studio albums, many compilations, two live albums and played numerous shows. 'Vauxhall & I' and 'Viva Hate' merit the term 'classic albums' and arguably so do others. Morrissey is indeed a creative artist and artists can be challenging. It goes with the territory.

 

[sparacus]

Do we even know if the depression is real or he just makes stuff up as an excuse.

I'd suggest listening to some Smiths albums.

 

[sparacus]

I'm not going to go into detail because The Smiths' split has been done to death, but I think it is disingenuous to try and shore up your argument in this thread about a problem today - now - by steering the conversation towards "Johnny was naughty in 1987 though." That is irrelevant ancient history and there are 25 versions of what happened depending on who you ask. Today, in this moment, Johnny has shown class and has saved a toxic situation from escalating.

I am not trying to do what you suggest. Others brought up the Wolverhampton show and the end of the Smiths and I was simply commenting on that.
Regarding the current situation, we have yet to hear Morrissey's response to the Marr statement and some people are rushing to pre-judge.

 

[Amy]

What makes you so sure that it won’t escalate? I don’t see them getting any closer together in the (near) future. What Marr did, to reply via his management, was wise but is only beneficial to him and not for The Smiths’ brand or the fans.

It was a simple statement of facts, closing down speculation and leaving the door open for Moz to sign for joint ownership. That's all it needed to be. The rest, they could and should work out in private.

 

[sparacus]

That's just your opinion. The The and Electronic were highly respected back in the day. I love the Electronic debut and like the other two albums -- as a lyricist Bernard is no Morrissey, but calling them MOR is like calling everything with synths on it disco. It did take Marr some time to find his creativity again but give the guy a break -- the guy was only 24 when The Smiths split.

I cannot recall a single 'The The' song. I didn't like Electronic, I found the singles dull and MOR and did not buy the album. However I thought that 'Your Arsenal' & 'Vauxhall and I' were returns to form for Morrissey in the early 90s.

 

[Thewlis]

It was a simple statement of facts, closing down speculation and leaving the door open for Moz to sign for joint ownership. That's all it needed to be. The rest, they could and should work out in private.

Yes, but you know as well as everyone that they won’t. They haven’t had any contact ‘in private’ since 2008 and this statement didn’t bring that any nearer.
It’s a cold hard no to any future prospects/projects and how Morrissey will take that is anyone’s guess, but chances are zero that he will take it as an invitation to cooperate in any way.

 

[Thewlis]

I cannot recall a single 'The The' song. I didn't like Electronic, I found the singles dull and MOR and did not buy the album. However I thought that 'Your Arsenal' & 'Vauxhall and I' were returns to form for Morrissey in the early 90s.

To be fair Dusk is a really good album, you should try it. I think Dusk and the first Electronic album are the best of Marr’s post-Smiths career.

 

[Amy]

Yes, but you know as well as everyone that they won’t. The haven’t had any contact ‘in private’ since 2008 and this statement didn’t bring that any nearer.
It’s a cold hard no to any future prospects/projects and how Morrissey will take that is anyone’s guess, but chances are zero that he will take it as an invitation to cooperate in any way.

How on this earth could you possibly know what contact they have had in private over the past 15 years. Did you know about these emails, before Johnny's statement?

Like I said, it left a door open because there is paperwork to be addressed, and that's perfectly reasonable. It was never going to be a tea party invite after the 'episode' that Morrissey has just orchestrated, and to expect that would be ridiculous.

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

If M had agreed to do a reunion in 2008, where would that have left Years Of Refusal, which was already written and some tracks had already been toured?

Would he have insisted his new material get included?

There was a board the other day asking what the title of that album meant... maybe it was about the years of refusing to do a reunion?

He could have used some with Johnny or just used the songs as besides, which is what they prob would have sounded like next to one of Johnny's songs, as Johnny seems to key into something with him that takes him way beyond the fuzz box , pub glam of most of his songs
His song All You Need Is Me is a great pop song but I thought it was about hisM solo fans but maybe he wrote it as if Johnny was singing to him, LOL. Just fecking about

Like most people I will be pro M, way the feck more than Pro almost anyone else in music. but It's a huge mistake from being a fan that loves the GOAT and his art and one that joins a cult and swallows his lies and crap and hates someone just because they they think M doesn't like the person. Its amazing people can't see the one person who can set M off , "louder than bombs" is Marr, This suggests to me , he is still very keen on Marr "I think I'm love, I think I'm in Love "

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Unfortunate mention of 'beef' in this headline.

Perhaps intentional.

Morrissey fires management team after Johnny Marr hits back about The Smiths

It's heating up.

metro.co.uk

LOL the beef comment, made me laugh