Morrissey Central "SMITHS NOT OK" (September 11, 2024)

September 11, 2024

The proposed greatest hits album by The Smiths entitled Smiths Rule OK! has been blocked by J Marr. The album (above), and also the single Hand In Glove (below)

were planned for 2024 worldwide release by Warner Records along with a deluxe box release of The Smiths first album in order to commemorate its 40-year anniversary, and also a new 7-inch of This Charming Man. Warner approached Morrissey and Darren Evans to assemble artwork for all four releases, all of which were rejected and halted out of hand by J Marr.

SMITHS NOT OK - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - SMITHS NOT OK

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

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Media item:

• Stereogum: "Now Morrissey Says Johnny Marr Has Blocked A New Smiths Deluxe Reissue" - September 11, 2024

 

[Leroy]

It is possible to absolutely love a band and also wish things would be left well alone. The world doesn't need another The Smith release and it absolutely doesn't need a reunion. I will be attacked for this next thing but the world doesn't even need another Morrissey record. If only he'd grow old gracefully and with a bit more dignity.

 

[Lamplighter]

No concern with a new compilation. It's certainly overdue.
The font is garish, and the cover would be improved by a more garish image. This is too tidy by half.

The hand in glove cover is awful, not necessary to repackage that. I'd like a 12" original art please.

And please please please a box set of the first album with Troy Tate recordings.

 

[Redacted]

'Unhappy Birthday ' on the setlist and some barbs slung at Johnny on stage would be my guess.

 

[JerryCan]

Do we know whether Damon has any influence on him at all or whether he just carries suitcases, carries shopping bags or makes sure that no pig's head aspic is served in restaurants?

Yes I keep wondering about this. I wish he could hover about M just as he's about to hit send and just suggest he dial things back a bit. Maybe he's not allowed to intervene in any way, maybe he's given up trying. None of our business of course but if you were to bump into Damo in a posh hotel lift or somewhere alone it would be impossible to resist asking wtf goes on in the inner sanctum?

 

[Dirk Blaggard]

Can you imagine the state of the Smiths back catalogue if Morrissey had been able to do the revisionism he did on his own solo reissues? Thank God Johnny took charge for the 2011 remasters. They'd all have new crap covers and buggered around track-listings otherwise.

Yes,too fecking right mate, I used to be of the impression that Smiths were 80% Moz and 20% Marr. I had that impression until I was over 52 years of age. LOL Basically, the last 8 years have really made me rethink.
This is based on what we know of M as a person and Marr as a person, their politics, their sense of style, their view on the arts and mostly their music and how they treat fans. Keep in mind Smiths had a great relationship with fans back in the day. I went along to that NME fanzine thing M did, or was it Melody Maker? Actually, I wasn't one of the fanzine writers, I was friends with someone who did have one. That meeting really meant a lot to fanzine writers, it meant a lot to Smiths UK fans, we were all in it together.
Marr seems great with fans, We know M has cancelled gigs for no real reason, and walked off stage for no real reason and is known to laugh a the fact he does it, even though people spend 1000s of buckeroos
Now, I do think the politics of the band was mainly due to M, I think Marr was a good-time guy and Moz was more into vegetarianism, second-wave feminism and the rest of it. M seemed to influence Marr, who has carried on that kind of fight, he is even a real vegan, as opposed to M, is really vegetarian. I don't give a damn, about this, its just a sign that once Marr was given the baton, he ran with it. Now M's politics in many ways is still like it was, it's just that the center point in politics has gone to left. I think M always had the views on British Culture, that he has now, I think, a lot of people were just unaware.
I expect, if in the 80s, the UK had a K Stammer labour, he would have hated them, if he had seen England invaded by he third world for big feckin business, he would have been against it ,
The thing is though, most Smiths were not aware of M's views on this stuff, they just thought he was joking and really his politics matched Marrs
So, to many, many Smirhs fans Johnny's politics is more Smithsy than M's (not saying I fecking think that )
Take craft, the Smiths were considered hugely musically able and has high-quality control, mainly down to Marr. This is obvious to anyone who either knows Smiths or has watched M and Marrs careers .

 

[Phranc & Open]

Yes I keep wondering about this. I wish he could hover about M just as he's about to hit send and just suggest he dial things back a bit. Maybe he's not allowed to intervene in any way, maybe he's given up trying. None of our business of course but if you were to bump into Damo in a posh hotel lift or somewhere alone it would be There will surely still be some fans for whom this unworthy Liberace/Thorson spectacle is romantic because it does here will surely still be some fans for whom this unworthy Liberace/Thorson spectacle is romantic because it does Morrissey good. But didn't he just sing on ‘Best friend...’ that it doesn't work?

There will surely still be some fans, for whom this Liberace/Thorson kind of relationship seems romantic, because it does Morrissey good, somehow. But didn't he just sing on ‘Best friend...’ that it doesn't work?

In this context, respect to Johnny Marr for keeping his marriage intact for so long.

 

[Roman Holiday]

M seemed to influence Marr, who has carried on that kind of fight, he is even a real vegan, as opposed to M, is really vegetarian.

What's the evidence that Morrissey is only vegetarian? He said to Larry King (2015, I think) that he had switched to vegan. I believe that was after the cheese-on-the-concert-rider scandal (2014?). Do we know for a fact that Johnny Marr's tour rider is scrupulously vegan? How has Marr "carried on" the animal rights cause more than Morrissey has? I don't see Marr doing promotions for PETA or Mercy for Animals, or having factory farm carnage as backdrops for performances of Meat Is Murder.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

Sounds like a recipe for being booed / heckled, storming off and cancelling the tour.

I’m hoping for another Marr to play E.T. was Spielberg’s first choice comment. Lol.



some people are sadly humorless.

 

[Surface]

What's the evidence that Morrissey is only vegetarian? He said to Larry King (2015, I think) that he had switched to vegan. I believe that was after the cheese-on-the-concert-rider scandal (2014?). Do we know for a fact that Johnny Marr's tour rider is scrupulously vegan? How has Marr "carried on" the animal rights cause more than Morrissey has? I don't see Marr doing promotions for PETA or Mercy for Animals, or having factory farm carnage as backdrops for performances of Meat Is Murder.

Last i read was that he was vegetarian and he has done stuff with Peta

Johnny Marr on 'Meat is Murder' for World Vegetarian Day

From Johnny Marr / Facebook:

www.morrissey-solo.com

Johnny Marr Joins PETA in Calling For End to Donkey Rides in Santorini

Greece-bound The Smiths icon Johnny Marr has urged the Greek Minister of Tourism to end the exploitation of donkeys in Santorini, a popular holiday destination.

www.peta.org.uk

 

[Anonymous]

What's the evidence that Morrissey is only vegetarian? He said to Larry King (2015, I think) that he had switched to vegan. I believe that was after the cheese-on-the-concert-rider scandal (2014?). Do we know for a fact that Johnny Marr's tour rider is scrupulously vegan? How has Marr "carried on" the animal rights cause more than Morrissey has? I don't see Marr doing promotions for PETA or Mercy for Animals, or having factory farm carnage as backdrops for performances of Meat Is Murder.

Neither Morrissey or Marr appear to be strictly vegan. Johnny appears to have a vegan diet but has promoted signature footwear made with animal products. Likewise, Morrissey wore a silk cravat on his most recent tour, so despite the PETA ads clearly doesn't care about killing caterpillars for fashion.

 

[AndwhenIfellonthefloor]

This is so sad, this is all so very very sad... that it's funny, ridiculously funny!

 

[Roman Holiday]

Last i read was that he was vegetarian and he has done stuff with Peta

Johnny Marr Joins PETA in Calling For End to Donkey Rides in Santorini

Greece-bound The Smiths icon Johnny Marr has urged the Greek Minister of Tourism to end the exploitation of donkeys in Santorini, a popular holiday destination.

www.peta.org.uk

I think you're right; at some point recently wasn't Johnny Marr promoting a line of leather shoes?

 

[gashonthenail]

What's the evidence that Morrissey is only vegetarian? He said to Larry King (2015, I think) that he had switched to vegan. I believe that was after the cheese-on-the-concert-rider scandal (2014?). Do we know for a fact that Johnny Marr's tour rider is scrupulously vegan? How has Marr "carried on" the animal rights cause more than Morrissey has? I don't see Marr doing promotions for PETA or Mercy for Animals, or having factory farm carnage as backdrops for performances of Meat Is Murder.

To be fair it does look like Johnny is much more clewed up on the vegan thing than Morrissey. Johnny looks like a 60 year old man who eats a wholefood, macrobiotic diet. Morrissey looks like a 65 year old man who lives on toast and a nice cup of tea.

 

[JerryCan]

... which may well be the source of many of his gifts - but that these may also be the reason for his lack of 'people skills' which JM seems to have in abundance.....

I was recently diagnosed as being autistic. Even according to 'my' neuropractitioners/clinicians, autism is quite a mystifying condition; not least because of the overlap with several conditions or states (including depression).

This has got to be it. You hear that everyone is somewhere on the spectrum, great if you have some special gift but there's always a downside. Things can be going really well, and then inexplicably everything gets derailed.

The discussion here seems to be pointing to the 70's punk esthetic and maybe the compilation design is not so surprising after all, the Goodies analogy (loved them - RIP Tim). Maybe it's all starting to make sense now.

The thing that's troubling me now is the cover pic. Given the band history seems odd to choose a pic with them (M & Mike) so close together, almost looking cut and pasted in deliberately? Almost giving hope forgiveness was in the air as it was assembled, by M or someone else?

 

[Roman Holiday]

To be fair it does look like Johnny is much more clewed up on the vegan thing than Morrissey. Johnny looks like a 60 year old man who eats a wholefood, macrobiotic diet. Morrissey looks like a 65 year old man who lives on toast and a nice cup of tea.

Johnny Marr is a health nut. He runs every day and doesn't drink. To the extent that he's vegan, I would assume that only pertains to his diet.

Johnny vegan Marr making money off the skin of dead animals ?

:unsure: :(:(:(:(

www.morrissey-solo.com

 

[Phranc & Open]

Standards rule OK!

 

[SteveWS]

I'm afraid that my Goodies theory was just a terrible, terrible joke.

 

[ZOOM FROM GLOOM]

M seemed to influence Marr, who has carried on that kind of fight, he is even a real vegan, as opposed to M, is really vegetarian. I don't give a damn, about this, its just a sign that once Marr was given the baton, he ran with it.

Yeah, he ran with it. Marr has a leather shoe
line in his name that he makes money off.
$£$ from murder.

And no, wearing leather shoes is not the same as consciously making a fuucking profit off it.

What's the evidence that Morrissey is only vegetarian? He said to Larry King (2015, I think) that he had switched to vegan. I believe that was after the cheese-on-the-concert-rider scandal (2014?).

I’d be a little surprised if M actually followed a vegan diet, I really don’t think he has the discipline. He may have cut down though.

Do we know for a fact that Johnny Marr's tour rider is scrupulously vegan? How has Marr "carried on" the animal rights cause more than Morrissey has? I don't see Marr doing promotions for PETA or Mercy for Animals, or having factory farm carnage as backdrops for performances of Meat Is Murder.

here’s how ….

Yogi Footwear

Mens and womens leather footwear handcrafted in Portugal. Shoes, boots, moccasins, loafers, lace ups and trainers.

www.yogifootwear.com

(edit: just seen your post above)

 

[Redacted]

How about vegan talk in a new thread about vegan talk?

 

[Surface]

Yeah, he ran with it. Marr has a leather shoe
line in his name that he makes money off.
$£$ from murder.

And no, wearing leather shoes is not the same as consciously making a fuucking profit off it.



I’d be a little surprised if M actually followed a vegan diet, I really don’t think he has the discipline. He may have cut down though.


here’s how ….

Yogi Footwear

Mens and womens leather footwear handcrafted in Portugal. Shoes, boots, moccasins, loafers, lace ups and trainers.

www.yogifootwear.com

(edit: just seen your post above)

I bought a pair, great quality.