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]

Kenneth Williams' diaries are an astonishing read, as he appeared to vary so wildly in attitudes from day-to-day. One minute, he'd be absolutely scathing about someone - close friend or near-stranger - then the next he'd be writing entries full of sentimental affection for those people. And then the reverse, and then etc etc. The books are a mass of contradictions. God knows how all this may have influenced Morrissey...

 

[Famous when dead]

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

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...

www.morrissey-solo.com

 

[Phranc & Open]

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.

Chrissie has Covid-19. Frankfurt tonight seems unclear. She's already postponed 4-5 european shows. I really like, that she doesn't deny the virus.

 

[Anonymous]

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.

I can understand Morrissey being paranoid, but his fans being paranoid on behalf of him is very weird.

It is very true that Johnny couldn’t see his anti-Moz friends during his time in the Smiths. Billy Duffy mentions it.

 

[Simplysmiths]

More or less 40 years of this bickering nonesense. It’s getting very very boring now.
How about they knock up a couple of new albums with singles that never made albums along with b sides plus how about reworking some songs to go with the new albums with god forbid decent artwork you know , how it used to be.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

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(?)

It's my absolute favorite out of the lot, but they're all so closely ranked.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

View attachment 111637

Let's face it. As a straight male, was there anyone more aesthetically pleasing than Morrissey in 1991-92? He just exuded masculine cool.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

It's my absolute favorite out of the lot, but they're all so closely ranked.

I give you are hard time but you actually seem like a cool chick. My college girlfriend and then wife had "The Queen Is Dead" and "Kill Uncle" cassettes in her car when I met her. Having good musical taste is really important. "Meat Is Murder" was my introduction to the world of The Smiths/Morrissey.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

I give you are hard time but you actually seem like a cool chick. My college girlfriend and then wife had "The Queen Is Dead" and "Kill Uncle" cassettes in her car when I met her. Having good musical taste is really important. "Meat Is Murder" was my introduction to the world of The Smiths/Morrissey.

Awww, shucks. It's nice to read a sweet message from ya. Thanks.
She sounds like a badass.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Awww, shucks. It's nice to read a sweet message from ya. Thanks.
She sounds like a badass.

She is and you are too. Keep rocking and never mind me!

 

[Roman Holiday]

Let's face it. As a straight male, was there anyone more aesthetically pleasing than Morrissey in 1991-92? He just exuded masculine cool.

Mickey Rourke.

Morrissey is not especially “masculine”; his dancing is not that cool. There was a good degree of camp to Morrissey. He was a highly peculiar specimen which for some of us was part of why we liked him.

 

[April Snow]

Let's face it. As a straight male, was there anyone more aesthetically pleasing than Morrissey in 1991-92? He just exuded masculine cool.

Prince is another one - he was accused of being gay all the time because of his creative style & he certainly was "all over those ladies" .......I sort of think it goes hand in hand with creative geniuses - Prince was in touch with his feminine side and wrote songs quite often from the female perspective.

But really it does not matter either way - I do not need to know all the personal details.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Mickey Rourke.

Morrissey is not especially “masculine”; his dancing is not that cool. There was a good degree of camp to Morrissey. He was a highly peculiar specimen which for some of us was part of why we liked him.

Mickey Rourke in "Angel Heart." Bad Mfer. I dunno, I loved the Doc's, the Levi's, the hair. I always thought that he could do no wrong. By '92, it was clear that he was messing with weights and I had heard that he was a pretty good athlete.

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Prince is another one - he was accused of being gay all the time because of his creative style & he certainly was "all over those ladies" .......I sort of think it goes hand in hand with creative geniuses - Prince was in touch with his feminine side and wrote songs quite often from the female perspective.

But really it does not matter either way - I do not need to know all the personal details.

Men secure with their sexuality can do such things.

 

[DaveJCarr]

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(?)

It's my absolute favorite out of the lot, but they're all so closely ranked.

"Favorite" always slides and changes with time for me, but Meat is Murder is right up there, almost always. I think it's the most concise, cohesive, and representative of everything that made The Smiths great – and why they endure. It's the album I recommend most to curious newcomers, and I think every member of the band has a moment to shine on the record. .

What doesn't change for me is that "Rusholme Ruffians" is my all-time favorite track by The Smiths in either the album form or the live version captured on " Rank" a tremendously joyful song, and very propulsive in a way that none of their other songs are. The lyrics are excellent, even if the vast majority of the best of them are cribbed from Victoria Wood.
I once mailed an extremely analysis of the song as part of a platonic valentine to a good friend of mine from my college years after they moved away.

We still keep in touch

 

[Johnnie Ray]

"Favorite" always slides and changes with time for me, but Meat is Murder is right up there, almost always. I think it's the most concise, cohesive, and representative of everything that made The Smiths great – and why they endure. It's the album I recommend most to curious newcomers, and I think every member of the band has a moment to shine on the record. .

What doesn't change for me is that "Rusholme Ruffians" is my all-time favorite track by The Smiths in either the album form or the live version captured on " Rank" a tremendously joyful song, and very propulsive in a way that none of their other songs are. The lyrics are excellent, even if the vast majority of the best of them are cribbed from Victoria Wood.
I once send an extremely mailed analysis of the song as part of a platonic valentine to a good friend of mine from my college years after they moved away.

We still keep in touch

My take: I love "Meat Is Murder" but when "The Queen Is Dead" came out, after a few listens my thought was, "wow! Morrissey really learned to sing!"

 

[DaveJCarr]

My take: I love "Meat Is Murder" but when "The Queen Is Dead" came out, after a few listens my thought was, "wow! Morrissey really learned to sing!"

Ha! apt observation. Honestly, I'd like it he tried singing a bit more like he did On Queen or the earlier smiths records now. As good as he is at the lounge singer croon, there's a lot of sameness in his last 20 or so years of vocal delivery and melody (the same could be said for a fair number of the lyrics too, but just switching up the vocal beyond Always Crooning would be a start.

The arrangements of the instrumentals etc have been the most interesting and varied part of the last decade or so of albums, which is a very odd thing to think about a chunk of Morrissey's discography, but that's my take at least.

 

[Ashley_TakeABow]

"Favorite" always slides and changes with time for me, but Meat is Murder is right up there, almost always. I think it's the most concise, cohesive, and representative of everything that made The Smiths great – and why they endure. It's the album I recommend most to curious newcomers, and I think every member of the band has a moment to shine on the record. .

What doesn't change for me is that "Rusholme Ruffians" is my all-time favorite track by The Smiths in either the album form or the live version captured on " Rank" a tremendously joyful song, and very propulsive in a way that none of their other songs are. The lyrics are excellent, even if the vast majority of the best of them are cribbed from Victoria Wood.
I once mailed an extremely analysis of the song as part of a platonic valentine to a good friend of mine from my college years after they moved away.

We still keep in touch

Rusholme Ruffians is ALSO my favorite track! Nowhere Fast is amazing as well. I mean.. they're all so good. My husband is a music snob, and talks about how he doesn't really like Morrissey/The Smiths, it's not his type of music, bla bla bla, but he does like Nowhere Fast! ...His shell is hard to crack, so I call that a win.

 

[DaveJCarr]

Rusholme Ruffians is ALSO my favorite track! Nowhere Fast is amazing as well. I mean.. they're all so good. My husband is a music snob, and talks about how he doesn't really like Morrissey/The Smiths, it's not his type of music, bla bla bla, but he does like Nowhere Fast! ...His shell is hard to crack, so I call that a win.

A single song is still a victory, Ashley!

 

[Johnnie Ray]

Rusholme Ruffians is ALSO my favorite track! Nowhere Fast is amazing as well. I mean.. they're all so good. My husband is a music snob, and talks about how he doesn't really like Morrissey/The Smiths, it's not his type of music, bla bla bla, but he does like Nowhere Fast! ...His shell is hard to crack, so I call that a win.

Rusholme Ruffians! I grew up in a small town in Michigan and that song perfectly summed up our county fair to a tee! It was the perfect song for those hot, 1985 nights.