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

 

[SteveWS]

Photos of Johnny with stars who have criticised Morrissey are like people's social media posts stating that "I'm having the BEST life ever with my NEW partner", in hopes that an ex is reading them.

I can't decide whether Johnny is doing this kind of thing deliberately to rile Moz, or if he doesn't even think about Moz when posting them.

 

[Thewlis]

Photos of Johnny with stars who have criticised Morrissey are like people's social media posts stating that "I'm having the BEST life ever with my NEW partner", in hopes that an ex is reading them.

I can't decide whether Johnny is doing this kind of thing deliberately to rile Moz, or if he doesn't even think about Moz when posting them.

True.
He's also close to Dave Haslam, so I think that answers your question.

 

[Anonymous]

To be fair, it would be hard for Johnny to find anyone to pose with that Morrissey hasn't fallen out with.

 

[Dorothy]

Pass the sick bag. That creep supports the mutilation of children in the name of gender ideology - and bullies women online who are gender critical. What a cun t.

And the comments about Morrissey under this post are so predictable He really does live rent free in people’s heads.

 

[Orange Crush]

View attachment 111684View attachment 111685

Penshioners taking selfies. Ain't things great! BTW, that's going to be my new band name...when I learn to sing...and make some musical acquaintances.

 

[Amy]

Photos of Johnny with stars who have criticised Morrissey are like people's social media posts stating that "I'm having the BEST life ever with my NEW partner", in hopes that an ex is reading them.

I can't decide whether Johnny is doing this kind of thing deliberately to rile Moz, or if he doesn't even think about Moz when posting them.

I know it's hard for us Solo-ers to believe, but Morrissey isn't the centre of the universe, and plenty of Johnny's friends were his friends in the old days as well. The fact that he has alienated so many mutual friends over time - and really only seems to have Chrissie left now - is not Johnny's fault.

 

[SteveWS]

I know it's hard for us Solo-ers to believe, but Morrissey isn't the centre of the universe - and plenty of Johnny's friends were his friends in the old days as well. The fact that he has alienated so many mutual friends over time - and really only seems to have Chrissie left - is not Johnny's fault.

Yep. Most (in truth, very) likely that such photos are just Johnny carrying on with his life rather than being jibes aimed at Morrissey.

 

[Thewlis]

I know it's hard for us Solo-ers to believe, but Morrissey isn't the centre of the universe, and plenty of Johnny's friends were his friends in the old days as well. The fact that he has alienated so many mutual friends over time - and really only seems to have Chrissie left now - is not Johnny's fault.

It's not as simple as that. People like Billy Bragg and Dave Haslam have openly (on social media) railed against Morrissey and to then see Johnny Marr being friendly with them at least suggests he agrees with them, as do his own actions by the way (the Trump/Farage-tweets).

So to me it heightens the sense that the wide gap between Morrissey and Marr is first and foremost political and not much else, which is a shame.

 

[Amy]

True.
He's also close to Dave Haslam, so I think that answers your question.

Dave Haslam is another person who tried to get very close to Morrissey at the very beginning of The Smiths and then went 'nuclear' when it didn't work out. He interviewed Moz quite a few times. A very ingratiating character who depicts himself as being 'hand in glove' with practically every famous personality to come out of Manchester now, but whether he is really - or whether they see straight through him - is another matter. This is a guy who described making a bowl of cauliflower cheese for Morrissey as "a highlight of my life". Moz didn't eat it

 

[gashonthenail]

Hawtrey died in October 1988, some seven months after Viva Hate was released.

Well spotted. Jo Slee must have got that wrong. I wonder whose grave it actually was? Hawtrey's name, of course, was used for the imaginary school in the Interesting Drug video, also rather camp, to say the least.

In "Peepholism - Into The Art Of Morrissey" author Jo Slee wrote: "Several stills of Charles Hawtrey from the Carry On films were mulled over at various times. Morrissey's affection for both Charles Hawtrey and fellow Carry on star Kenneth Williams was very particular and very personal." An image of both of them dressed as women, from Carry On Constable, was at some point considered for use on a sleeve. She also tells us that the photo of clouds found on the back of the "Viva Hate" album is a cut-down picture of Hawtrey's grave, though the grave itself is cut off.

Morrissey under the influence: actors and actresses

 

[Roman Holiday]

He was appropriating 'queer confrontational iconographies' as a commercial strategy- without responding artistically to the epochal HIV-AIDS crisis.

Just a quibble here, but isn’t Death of a Disco Dancer supposed to be about the AIDS crisis? If so, it’s a much better treatment of the subject than R.E.M.’s Ignoreland. Michael Stipe was mysterious and cool until it became clear that his politics were just generic vanilla center-left, which I think is what our resident Democrat partisan Johnnie Ray would prefer to have from Morrissey.

At any rate, I look forward to you releasing your music. Please keep us updated. Do you have any ideas for the cover art? How do you rate Charli XCX artistically?

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

Honestly some of the comments on here are just spiteful

I am going to sit and play my Queen is Dead - UK 1st Pressing I picked up today at a record fair - and celebrate the artistry that is Mozz and Marr, the rest just does not matter.

Yes, indeed they are.

I sat and listened to all of Meat is Murder on my record player last night in celebration of The Smiths, as well.
Cheers.

 

[Famous when dead]

Well spotted. Jo Slee must have got that wrong. I wonder whose grave it actually was? Hawtrey's name, of course, was used for the imaginary school in the Interesting Drug video, also rather camp, to say the least.

In "Peepholism - Into The Art Of Morrissey" author Jo Slee wrote: "Several stills of Charles Hawtrey from the Carry On films were mulled over at various times. Morrissey's affection for both Charles Hawtrey and fellow Carry on star Kenneth Williams was very particular and very personal." An image of both of them dressed as women, from Carry On Constable, was at some point considered for use on a sleeve. She also tells us that the photo of clouds found on the back of the "Viva Hate" album is a cut-down picture of Hawtrey's grave, though the grave itself is cut off.

Morrissey under the influence: actors and actresses

Not sure what Stephane is on about here as Jo doesn't mention Hawtrey - she didn't get anything wrong.
The clouds on the back of VH are from a picture of George Formby's grave.
Regards,
FWD.

 

[SteveWS]

I sat and listened to all of Meat is Murder on my record player last night

That's actually my favourite Smiths album, yet it seems like the third or even fourth best-rated by most fans and even the band themselves(?)

 

[Amy]

It's not as simple as that. People like Billy Bragg and Dave Haslam have openly (on social media) railed against Morrissey and to then see Johnny Marr being friendly with them at least suggests he agrees with them, as do his own actions by the way (the Trump/Farage-tweets).

So to me it heightens the sense that the wide gap between Morrissey and Marr is first and foremost political and not much else, which is a shame.

You are looking at this through a very strange, narrow lens wherein Johnny is only allowed to have friends that Morrissey approves of (or vice versa) and anything else should be interpreted as some kind of betrayal or 'jibe'. It's bizarre. I'm sure he is a lot closer to BB politically than he is to Moz, but so what? If Johnny had to 'disown' every single person that Moz ever fell out with in his life, he'd have nobody left. He'd be talking to his plectrums. Johnny's days of having to fire and drop his friends on the 'orders' of a jealous and maladjusted person are long gone.

 

[Gaylord Deepstar]

His unreleased music won't see the light of day because he refuses to self-release it.

The only way he could get his career back on track is to resurrect The Smiths, but now that's dead in the water (in truth, it already was). The idea of reforming The Smiths was the only reliable fall back Morrissey had. It was the only thing that would reignite interest in him from people who don't like him anymore. Think about it - if you are someone who thinks he is racist and his latter material has been poor, you would nevertheless be interested if Johnny has agreed to share a stage with him again. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. You might dislike the things Morrissey has said, but if Johnny has forgiven him to the extent that he's agreed to reform The Smiths with him, then you'd give Morrissey the benefit of the doubt.

So what now? Well, if I was Morrissey, I'd u-turn on not self-releasing. Get the music out there.

Make the set lists more appealing to the fans. And do not - under any circumstances - cancel shows. If you announce a show, you turn up and give 100%. No exceptions. No walking off stage because it's too cold, or because someone who's had too much to drink heckles you. Heckle them back. Then play Back to the Old House followed by Playboys. Remind people who you are and what you have in your arsenal.

Stop blaming everyone else for the decline in your career. If you cannot open your mouth without whining, then do not speak.

Ditch Donnie Nutcase, let Jesse go and bring back Alain. Tour UK/Europe and ask Boz if he'd like to make any special guest appearances.

Publicly apologise to Johnny and take him up on his offer to co-sign for The Smiths trademark. Mend your bridges with him privately and who knows what might happen as regards a collaboration in a year or two.

If you do not support Farage, say so. If you do not support far right politics, say so.

All of the above is what needs to happen - but I sincerely doubt any of it will. Morrissey is incapable of admitting when he's wrong, incapable of apologising and incapable of taking responsibility for anything.

He managed to find a way through this in the past because he was still writing decent songs and he still had a support network around him, not least his mother. But she has gone, and he's alienated a lot of the people close to him who used to like him.

The current situation is way, way worse than aftermath of The Smiths' split and way, way worse than the 1997-2004 wilderness years.

 

[SteveWS]

He'd be talking to his plectrums.

 

[Cornflakes]

"Wow, Billy, it must be...how long? I'd love to stop and chat, but what if someone saw us and it got back to Morrissey?"

 

[Dorothy]

Big chance they chatted about Moz, too

It’s a veritable love fest

 

[Young And Alive]

Well spotted. Jo Slee must have got that wrong. I wonder whose grave it actually was? Hawtrey's name, of course, was used for the imaginary school in the Interesting Drug video, also rather camp, to say the least.

In "Peepholism - Into The Art Of Morrissey" author Jo Slee wrote: "Several stills of Charles Hawtrey from the Carry On films were mulled over at various times. Morrissey's affection for both Charles Hawtrey and fellow Carry on star Kenneth Williams was very particular and very personal." An image of both of them dressed as women, from Carry On Constable, was at some point considered for use on a sleeve. She also tells us that the photo of clouds found on the back of the "Viva Hate" album is a cut-down picture of Hawtrey's grave, though the grave itself is cut off.

Morrissey under the influence: actors and actresses

No idea whose grave it was. Can't be Kenny Williams' either - he died in April 1988, shortly after Viva Hate's release.