Morrissey

MORRISSEY
Name	Steven Patrick Morrissey
Born	22 May 1959
Record Labels	HMV, Parlophone, Sire, RCA, Reprise, Mercury, Attack, Sanctuary, Decca, Lost Highway, Major Minor, EMI
Associated Acts	The Smiths, The Nosebleeds, Slaughter & The Dogs
Official Website	itsmorrisseysworld.com

Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), known as Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart on ten occasions. Widely regarded as an important innovator in indie music, Morrissey has been described by music magazine NME as "one of the most influential artists ever," and The Independent has stated "most pop stars have to be dead before they reach the iconic status he has reached in his lifetime." Pitchfork Media has called him "one of the most singular figures in Western popular culture from the last twenty years."^[1]

Early Life

Born on 22 May 1959 at Park Hospital in Davyhulme, Lancashire, Steven Patrick Morrissey is the youngest child of Irish Catholic parents who had emigrated to Manchester from County Kildare with his elder sister Jacqueline a year prior to his birth. His father, Peter, was a hospital porter and his mother, Elizabeth was an assistant librarian. His family first lived at Harper Street in Hulme before moving to nearby Queen's Square in 1965. By 1969, however, when many of the old streets and tenements were facing demolition, Morrissey's parents moved to a three-bedroom house on King's Road in the suburb of Stretford.

Morrissey has said his athletic ability saved him to a large degree from bullying during adolescence. Still, he has described this period as a time when he was often lonely and depressed. As a teenager, he began taking prescription drugs to help combat the depression that would later follow him throughout his life. He attended St. Mary's Secondary Modern School and Stretford Technical School, where he passed three O levels, including English Literature. He then worked briefly for the Inland Revenue, but ultimately decided to "go on the dole."Of his youth, Morrissey said, "Pop music was all I ever had, and it was completely entwined with the image of the pop star. I remember feeling the person singing was actually with me and understood me and my predicament." From 1974, he frequently wrote letters to music magazines like Melody Maker and the NME, giving his opinions on various bands. Morrissey would sometimes go to see bands in Manchester, the first being T. Rex at Belle Vue in 1972. He was taken there by his father, fearing for his safety in the notoriously rough district. Morrissey has described the occasion as "messianic and complete chaos".

During the 1970s, Morrissey was president of the UK branch of the New York Dolls fan club. He articulated his love for the group in the documentary New York Doll: "Some bands grab you and they never let you go and, no matter what they do, they can never let you down ... the Dolls were that for me." Morrissey was an early convert to punk rock. Morrissey, then still with forename, briefly fronted The Nosebleeds in 1978, who by that time included Billy Duffy (later of The Cult) on guitar. They played a number of concerts, including one supporting Magazine, which was reviewed in the NME by Paul Morley. Morrissey also founded The Cramps fan club "The Legion of the Cramped" with another enthusiast for their music, Lindsay Hutton, but he progressively scaled down his involvement in the club over time because of the increasing amount of time he was devoting to his own musical career.

Morrissey wrote several songs with Duffy, such as "Peppermint Heaven," "I Get Nervous" and "(I Think) I'm Ready for the Electric Chair," but none were recorded during the band's short lifespan, which ended the same year. After The Nosebleeds' split, Morrissey followed Duffy to join Slaughter & the Dogs, briefly replacing original singer Wayne Barrett. He recorded four songs with the band and they auditioned for a record deal in London. After the audition fell through, Slaughter & the Dogs became Studio Sweethearts, without Morrissey. The singer interrupted his music career at around this time, focusing instead on writing on popular culture. He published two works with Babylon Books: The New York Dolls (1981), about his favourite band; and James Dean is Not Dead (1983), about actor James Dean's brief career. A third book, Exit Smiling, which was actually written first (in 1980) and which dealt with obscure B movie actors, was initially rejected and remained unpublished until 1998.

The Smiths

The Smiths were formed in early 1982 by Steven Morrissey and John Maher, a guitarist and songwriter. Maher changed his name to Johnny Marr to avoid confusion with the Buzzcocks drummer, and Morrissey performed solely under his surname. After recording several demo tapes with the drummer from The Fall, Simon Wolstencroft, they recruited drummer Mike Joyce in the autumn of 1982. Joyce had formerly been a member of punk bands The Hoax and Victim. As well, they added bass player Dale Hibbert, who also provided the group with demo recording facilities at the studio where he worked as a factotum. However, after two gigs, Marr's friend Andy Rourke replaced Hibbert on bass, because neither Hibbert's bass playing or personality fit in with the group. In a 1984 interview Morrissey stated that he chose the name The Smiths "...because it was the most ordinary name, and because he thought that it was time that the ordinary folk of the world showed their faces."^[2] Signing to indie label Rough Trade Records, they released their first single, "Hand In Glove", in May 1983. The record was championed by DJ John Peel, as were all of their later singles, but failed to chart. The follow-up singles "This Charming Man" and "What Difference Does It Make?" fared better when they reached numbers 25 and 12 respectively on the UK Singles Chart.^[3] Aided by praise from the music press and a series of studio sessions for John Peel and David Jensen at BBC Radio 1, The Smiths began to acquire a dedicated fan base.

In February 1984, the group released their debut album The Smiths, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart.^[3] The released debut album followed a scrapped full-length version of the album recorded between July and August 1983 by producer Troy Tate. This collection, with its numerous variations from the final released version, is known as the "Troy Tate Sessions" and is a rarity. The planned single, "Jeane," was retained as a B-side for the "This Charming Man" single.^[4] Shortly after the release of the album, Sandie Shaw, who Morrissey was a fan of, recorded vocals for "Hand in Glove" backed by Marr, Rourke and Joyce. The hit single resulted in the band performing barefoot (a Sandie Shaw trademark) in tribute on Top of the Pops. In 1984, the band released several singles not taken from the album: "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now" (the band's first UK top-ten hit) ^[3] and "William, It Was Really Nothing" (which featured "How Soon Is Now?" as a B-side). The year ended with the compilation album Hatful of Hollow. This collected singles, B-sides and the versions of songs that had been recorded throughout the previous year for the Peel and Jensen shows.

Early in 1985 the band released their second album, Meat Is Murder. This album was more strident and political than its predecessor, including the pro-vegetarian title track (Morrissey forbade the rest of the group from being photographed eating meat), the light-hearted republicanism of "Nowhere Fast", and the anti-corporal punishment "The Headmaster Ritual" and "Barbarism Begins At Home". The band had also grown more adventurous musically, with Marr adding rockabilly riffs to "Rusholme Ruffians" and Rourke playing a funk bass solo on "Barbarism Begins At Home". The album was preceded by the re-release of the B-side "How Soon Is Now?" as a single, and although that song was not on the original LP, it has been added to subsequent releases. Meat Is Murder was the band's only album (barring compilations) to reach number one in the UK charts.^[3] The single-only release "Shakespeare's Sister" reached number 26 on the UK Singles Chart^[3], although the only single taken from the album, "That Joke Isn't Funny Anymore", was less successful barely making the top 50.^[3]

During 1985 the band completed lengthy tours of the UK and the US while recording the next studio record, The Queen Is Dead. The album was released in June 1986, shortly after the single "Bigmouth Strikes Again". The single again featured Marr's strident acoustic guitar rhythms and lead melody guitar lines with wide leaps. The record reached number two in the UK charts.^[3] However, all was not well within the group. A legal dispute with Rough Trade had delayed the album by almost seven months (it had been completed in November 1985), and Marr was beginning to feel the stress of the band's exhausting touring and recording schedule. He later told NME, "'Worse for wear' wasn't the half of it: I was extremely ill. By the time the tour actually finished it was all getting a little bit... dangerous. I was just drinking more than I could handle."^[5] Meanwhile, Rourke was fired from the band in early 1986 due to his use of heroin. He received notice of his dismissal via a Post-it note stuck to the windshield of his car. It read, "Andy – you have left The Smiths. Goodbye and good luck, Morrissey."^[6] Rourke was temporarily replaced on bass by Craig Gannon (formerly a member of Scottish New Wave band Aztec Camera), but he was reinstated after only a fortnight. Gannon stayed in the band, switching to rhythm guitar. This five-piece recorded the singles "Panic" and "Ask" (with Kirsty MacColl on backing vocals) which reached numbers 11 and 14 respectively on the UK Singles Chart,^[3] and toured the UK. After the tour ended in October 1986, Gannon left the band. The group had become frustrated with Rough Trade and sought a record deal with a major label. The band ultimately signed with EMI, which drew criticism from the band's fanbase.^[5]

In early 1987 the single "Shoplifters Of The World Unite" was released and reached number 12 on the UK Singles Chart.^[3] It was followed by a second compilation, The World Won't Listen – the title was Morrissey's comment on his frustration with the band's lack of mainstream recognition, although the album reached number two in the charts^[3] – and the single "Sheila Take A Bow", the band's second (and last during the band's lifetime) UK top-10 hit.^[3] Despite their continued success, personal differences within the band – including the increasingly strained relationship between Morrissey and Marr – saw them on the verge of splitting. In August 1987, Marr left the group, and auditions to find a replacement for him proved fruitless. By the time the group's fourth album Strangeways, Here We Come was released in September, the band had split up. The breakdown in the relationship has been primarily attributed to Morrissey becoming annoyed by Marr's work with other artists and Marr growing frustrated by Morrissey's musical inflexibility. Strangeways peaked at number two in the UK but was only a minor US hit,^[3]^[7] although it was more successful there than the band's previous albums. The album received a lukewarm reception from critics, but both Morrissey and Marr name it as their favourite Smiths album^[8]. A couple of further singles from the album were released with earlier live, session and demo tracks as B-sides, and the following year the live album Rank (recorded in 1986 while Gannon was in the band) repeated the UK chart success of previous albums. There have been many more compilations released since the group's demise as the group's back catalog is now in the hands of Warner Music following Rough Trade's bankruptcy.

In 1996, Joyce took Morrissey and Marr to court, claiming that he had not received his fair share of recording and performance royalties. Morrissey and Marr had claimed the lion's share of The Smiths' recording and performance royalties and allowed ten percent each to Joyce and Rourke. Composition royalties were not an issue, as Rourke and Joyce had never been credited as composers for the band. Morrissey and Marr claimed that the other two members of the band had always agreed to that split of the royalties, but the court found in favour of Joyce and ordered that he be paid over £1 million in back pay and receive twenty-five percent henceforth. As Smiths' royalties had been frozen for two years, Rourke settled for a smaller lump sum to pay off his debts and continued to receive ten percent. While the judge in the case described Morrissey as "devious, truculent and unreliable", he did not state that the singer had been dishonest.^[9] Morrissey claimed that he was "...under the scorching spotlight in the dock, being drilled..." with questions such as " 'How dare you be successful?' 'How dare you move on?'". He stated that "The Smiths were a beautiful thing and Johnny [Marr] left it, and Mike [Joyce] has destroyed it."^[10] Morrissey appealed against the verdict, but was not successful.^[11]

In late November 2005, while appearing on radio station BBC 6 Music, Mike Joyce claimed to be having financial problems and said that he had resorted to selling rare band recordings on eBay. As a teaser, a few minutes of an unfinished instrumental track known as "The Click Track" was premiered on the show. Morrissey hit back at Joyce with a public statement shortly after, on the website true-to-you.net.^[12] Relations between Joyce and Rourke cooled significantly as a result of Morrissey's statement which claimed that Joyce had misled the courts. Morrissey claimed that Joyce had not declared that Rourke was entitled to some of the assets seized by Joyce's lawyers from Morrissey. VH1 attempted to get the band back together for a reunion on its Bands Reunited] show. The program abandoned its attempt however after host Aamer Haleem was unsuccessful in his attempt to corner Morrissey before a show. To this day Morrissey refuses to reunite his old band, going as far as to say that he would "rather eat [his] own testicles than re-form The Smiths, and that’s saying something for a vegetarian."^[13] In March 2006, Morrissey revealed that The Smiths had been offered $5 million to reunite for a performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, which he turned down, saying, "No, because money doesn't come into it." He further explained, "It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. [Marr] wanted to end it. And that was that."^[14]

When asked why he would not reform The Smiths, Morrissey responded "I feel as if I’ve worked very hard since the demise of The Smiths and the others haven’t, so why hand them attention that they haven’t earned? We are not friends, we don’t see each other. Why on earth would we be on a stage together?"^[15] In August 2007, it was reported by the NME that once again Morrissey had turned down a near £40 M offer to reunite with Johnny Marr on a 50 date world tour^[16], Morrissey later denied these claims calling the reunion tour a hoax.^[17] On 10 November 2008 The Sound of The Smiths, a remastered Smiths compilation was released. The album, made available as either a single or double disc CD, marked the first time since the band's break-up that both Morrissey and Marr collaborated on a Smiths release. Morrissey himself is credited with having coined the compilation's title, while guitarist Johnny Marr was involved in the project's mastering.^[18] The Sound of The Smiths entered the UK charts at #21 on 16 November 2008.

Solo Career

The First Decade

On 22 March 1988, a mere six months after The Smiths' final album, Morrissey's released his first solo album, Viva Hate. To create the album, Morrissey teamed up with former Smiths producer Stephen Street, Vini Reilly of Durutti Column, and drummer Andrew Paresi. The prevailing sound of the album is jangle pop, similar to that of the Smiths, though Reilly's guitar work adds more abrasive and atmospheric elements to the work. Viva Hate reached number one upon release, supported by such singles as "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday."^[19] The album was originally entitled Education in Reverse, but was renamed to reflect Morrissey's feelings after the break-up of The Smiths. Some LPs in Australia and New Zealand were however released with the original title. Viva Hate was certified Gold by the RIAA on 16 November 1993.

Morrissey initially planned to release a follow-up album entitled Bona Drag after releasing a few holdover singles from the Viva Hate sessions. As such, he released "The Last Of The Famous International Playboys", "Interesting Drug", and "Ouija Board, Ouija Board" over the course of 1989. The first two of these became top ten hits.^[19] However, by the end of 1989 it became apparent that he would not be able to put out an album of new material soon enough. Morrissey decided to scrap the idea of a full-length LP and release Bona Drag as a compilation of singles and B-sides instead. Bona Drag (1990) collected these early singles along with further non-album cuts such as "November Spawned A Monster" and "Piccadilly Palare," along with the B-side "Hairdresser On Fire".

After a falling out with Stephen Street over production royalties, Morrissey recruited the production aid of Clive Langer and songwriting services of Mark E. Nevin, of Fairground Attraction, for the studio follow-up to Viva Hate, entitled Kill Uncle. The album, which peaked at #8 on the UK charts, is often cited as the weakest in Morrissey's back catalog.^[19] The two singles released in promotion of the album, "Our Frank" and "Sing Your Life", failed to break the Top 20 on the singles charts reaching #26 and #33 respectively.^[19] Morrissey released two non-album singles, "Pregnant For The Last Time" and "My Love Life", nearly faring better on the charts. The band Morrissey assembled in 1991 for his Kill Uncle tour went on to record 1992's hit album Your Arsenal. Composition duties were split between guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte, who have been the core of Morrissey's band ever since. Your Arsenal was produced by former David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson, and earned a Grammy nomination for best alternative album. The album peaked at #4 on the UK charts, with two of its four singles, "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" and "You're The One For Me, Fatty", both debuting in the Top 20 in the UK.^[19]

By 1994 Morrissey had suffered the loss of three people close to him: Mick Ronson, Tim Broad, and Nigel Thomas. Channeling his grief, Morrissey wrote and recorded his second #1 album in the UK, Vauxhall And I.^[19] Years after the release, Morrissey acknowledged that he felt at the time that it was going to be his last album, and that not only was it the best album he'd ever made but that he would never be able to top it in the future. One of the album's singles, "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," reached #8 in the UK and #46 in the US.^[19] That year, he also released a single "Interlude" a duet with Siouxsie Sioux of Siouxsie & the Banshees. Following the success of Vauxhall And I, Morrissey began work on Southpaw Grammar in early 1995. When released in August, the album was a hit, peaking at #4 in the UK.^[19] However, both of its singles failed to chart in the Top 20.^[19] The nature of the album was different to past Morrissey releases. Musically, the inclusion of two tracks which surpass the ten minute mark, the near two and half minute drum solo courtesy of Spencer Cobrin which opens the track "The Operation" and the sampling of a Shostakovich symphony have led a critic to dub the album as 'Morrissey's flirtation with prog-rock.' Some critics were impressed by this apparent attempt at progression, while others dismissed the longer tracks as mere self-indulgence. With the exception of the single "Sunny" in that December it would be another year before Morrissey released a new album or single.

Morrissey returned on a new record label in 1997 with the single "Alma Matters" in promotion of his album Maladjusted. Though the album was hailed as a return to form for Morrissey the album only peaked at #8 ^[19]and its further two singles, "Roy's Keen" and "Satan Rejected My Soul" peaked outside the UK Top 30.^[19] However, the album did cause a small amount of controversy over what was to be the penultimate track. Entitled "Sorrow Will Come In The End", it featured Morrissey intoning, rather than singing, over a backing of manic strings and the beat of a judge's gavel. The song is clearly about the Mike Joyce royalties dispute, and lyrically takes the form of, essentially, an extended threatening message to him and his representatives. Island Records, Morrissey's label at the time, dropped the track from UK versions of the album for fear of libel action. Having left his new record label and lost a court case over Smiths royalties with former band mate Mike Joyce, Morrissey relocated from his Dublin home to Los Angeles in the late 1990s; though Morrissey continued to tour in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it would be another seven years before he would release another single or studio album.

The Comeback

Morrissey's album You Are The Quarry was released on 17 May 2004 (one day later in the US). The album peaked at #2 on the UK charts ^[19]. Guitarist Alain Whyte described the work as a mix between Your Arsenal and Vauxhall And I, and the album received strong reviews. The first single, "Irish Blood, English Heart," was released internationally on 10 May 2004. The single reached #3 in its first week of sales in the UK singles chart ^[19]. This was the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of The Smiths (the 2006 release "You Have Killed Me" also debuted at #3 in its first week in the charts). Also, it has sold over a million copies, making the album his most successful one, solo or with The Smiths. Three other hit singles followed - "First Of The Gang To Die" (12 July 2004) UK #6 ^[19], "Let Me Kiss You" (11 October 2004) UK #8 ^[19], and "I Have Forgiven Jesus" (13 December 2004) UK #10 ^[19]. With the release of "I Have Forgiven Jesus" in December 2004, Morrissey along with McFly became the only artists to score four top-10 hits in the UK singles chart that year. In August of 2004, Morrissey was slated to headline a week-long set of shows on Craig Kilborn's The Late Show. Morrissey did not perform every night of the weeklong series due to a throat illness. He did, however, perform the following week.

Morrissey's next album, Ringleader Of The Tormentors, debuted at #1 in the UK album charts and #27 in the US ^[19]. Recorded in Rome, it was released internationally on 3 April 2006, and one day later in North America. The album wielded four hit singles - "You Have Killed Me" (27 March 2006) UK #3 ^[19], "The Youngest Was The Most Loved" (5 June 2006) UK #14 ^[19], "In The Future When All's Well" (21 August 2006) UK #17 ^[19], and "I Just Want To See The Boy Happy" (3 December 2006) UK #16 ^[19]. Originally Morrissey was to record the album with producer Jeff Saltzman, however he could not undertake the project. Producer Tony Visconti, of T. Rex and David Bowie fame, took over the production role and Morrissey announced that the album was "the most beautiful—perhaps the most gentle, so far." Billboard magazine described the album as showcasing "a thicker, more rock-driven sound"[2]; Morrissey attributes this change in sound to new guitarist Jesse Tobias. The subsequent 2006 international tour included more than two dozen gigs in the UK, including concerts at the London Palladium. Just prior to the album's release, Morrissey was photographed in Rome by Bryan Adams for the cover of 'Zoo Magazine'.

Morrissey was scheduled to appear at the 2005 Benicassim festival in Spain but pulled out at the last minute. On 9 January 2007, the BBC confirmed that it was in talks with Morrissey for him to write a song for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. The video for the single "You Have Killed Me" may be an affectionate homage to the style of the contest during the 1970s. If an agreement could be made, Morrissey would be writing the song for someone else, rather than performing it himself, a BBC spokesperson claimed.^[20] On 23 February 2007 the BBC ruled this out, and stated Morrissey would not be part of Britain's Eurovision entry.^[21]^[22] In early 2007 Morrissey left Sanctuary Records and embarked on a Greatest Hits tour. The tour ran from 1 February 2007 to 29 July 2008 and spanned 106 concerts over 8 different countries. Morrissey canceled 11 of these dates, including a planned six consecutive shows at The Roundhouse in London, due to "throat problems". The tour consisted of three legs, the first two encompassing the U.S. and Mexico were supported by Kristeen Young from Feb to October while the remainder featured Girl In A Coma. The final leg was a small scale European tour that saw Morrissey headlining the O2 Wireless Festival in Hyde Park on 4 July and culminated in Morrissey playing at the Heatwave Festival in Tel Aviv, Israel on 29 July.

In an interview with the BBC News website in October 2007, Morrissey said that a new album was already written and ready for a possible September 2008 release and confirmed that his deal with Sanctuary Records had come to an end.^[23] In December he signed a new deal with Decca Records, which included a Greatest Hits album and a newly-recorded album to follow in autumn 2008. ^[24] In a reaction to the NME story, Morrissey pointed out that he would rather not be signed to a label^[25]. Upon signing with Decca, Morrissey released "That's How People Grow Up" as the first single off of his new Greatest Hits album. Despite lukewarm reviews, especially in the NME, the lack of airplay on British radio (except on XFM), and even the incredulity of fan sites, "That's How People Grow Up" reached the Top 15, reaching the 14th place of British charts and the 25th place in Germany when released in February of 2008. ^[19] Following the single, Morrissey released his third Greatest Hits album. Reviews were very mixed; reviewers noted that the album only includes songs which reached the Top 15 in the charts, putting the emphasis on new songs, making the CD more suitable for new listeners than for old fans.{[3]} The album charted fifth in the British album chart on its week of release. ^[19] A limited edition of the Greatest Hits album also featured an eight-track live CD which was recorded at the Hollywood Bowl in 2007. A second single from the Greatest Hits, "All You Need Is Me", was released in March 2008. Despite the prospect of only being available for one week in record stores the single reached #26 ^[19] on the UK charts. For the single Morrissey recorded two B-sides with famed Academy Award-winning Argentinian film composer, Gustavo Santaolalla. Santaolalla recorded two tracks, "Children In Pieces" and "My Dearest Love" in Los Angeles. On 29 May 2008, Morrissey parted ways with his manager of five years, Merck Mercuriadis, in favour of a new contract with IE Music, however by September Morrissey left the group and has now acquired the services of Irving Azoff.^[26]^[27]^[28]

Years Of Refusal was released worldwide on 16 February 2009 by the Universal Music Group. Upon release, it reached third place in the UK Albums Chart^[29] and 11 in the US Billboard 200.^[30] The record was widely acclaimed by critics,^[31] with comparisons made to Your Arsenal^[32] and Vauxhall And I.^[33] A review from Pitchfork Media noted that with Years Of Refusal, Morrissey "has rediscovered himself, finding new potency in his familiar arsenal. Morrissey's rejuvenation is most obvious in the renewed strength of his vocals" and called it his "most venomous, score-settling album, and in a perverse way that makes it his most engaging."^[33] "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" and "Something Is Squeezing My Skull" were released as the record's singles. The song "Black Cloud" features the guitar playing of Jeff Beck. Throughout 2009 Morrissey toured to promote the album. As part of the extensive Tour of Refusal, Morrissey followed a lengthy US tour with concerts booked in Ireland, Scotland, England, and, for the first time, in Russia.^[34]

In April 2009, remastered editions of 1995's Southpaw Grammar and 1997's Maladjusted were released in the UK.^[35]^[36] These both featured a rearranged track listing with the inclusion of B-sides and outtakes, resulting in albums quite different to the original. They also featured new artwork and liner notes written by Morrissey. The reissues were available in the US from June that year.^[37] October 2009 saw the release of a 2004–2009 B-Sides collection, named Swords.^[38] The album peaked at 55 on the UK albums chart, and Morrissey later called the compilation "a meek disaster."^[39] On the second date of the UK tour to promote Swords, Morrissey collapsed with breathing difficulties upon finishing the opening song of his set, "This Charming Man," at the Oasis Centre, Swindon.^[40] He was discharged from the hospital the following day.^[41] Following the completion of the Swords tour it was announced that Morrissey had fulfilled his contractual obligation to Universal Records and was without a record company.^[42] Shortly after this announcement, it was also revealed he had split with Front Line Management.^[43]

In July 2010, it was announced that EMI will reissue the 1990 album Bona Drag on its Major Minor imprint, resurrected specifically for the release. The release features six additional previously unreleased tracks, and was released on 4 October, entering at number 67 in the UK charts.^[44] The 1988 single "Everyday Is Like Sunday" was also reissued to coincide with the release on both CD and 7" vinyl formats.^[45] In February 2011, EMI announced a brand new compilation – Very Best Of Morrissey – would be released in April that year. The press release stated both the tracklist and artwork were chosen by Morrissey himself, and the single "Glamorous Glue" would also be reissued the same week with two previously unreleased songs.^[46] In March 2011, it was announced Morrissey was now under the management of Ron Laffitte.^[47] On 21 April 2012, in celebration of Record Store Day, EMI released a limited edition 10" picture disc, and a subsequent digital download on 23 April, of "Suedehead", as remixed by Ron and Russell Mael of Sparks. The single also features two previously unreleased BBC live versions of "We'll Let You Know" and "Now My Heart Is Full", recorded at London's Theatre Royal, Drury Lane in February 1995.

The Future

On 14 June 2011, Janice Long premiered three new Morrissey songs in session on her BBC Radio 2 program, "Action Is My Middle Name", "The Kid's A Looker" and "People Are The Same Everywhere".^[48] Another two unreleased songs, "Scandinavia" and "Art-hounds", also appeared in his repertoire during this period. Of his yet-to-be-released tenth studio album, Morrissey has stated - "The follow-up to Years Of Refusal is ready and fluttering wildly against the bars. There is still no record label and the years shuffle like cards. My talents do not lie in DIY."

Morrissey has completed a 660-page autobiography which he intends to offer to publishers.^[49] NME reported that it's scheduled to be released in December 2012.^[50] Morrissey has previously stated he wishes for his autobiography to reach Penguin Classics status.^[51] It has been reported that Penguin Books are keen for his autobiography to be published as a "contemporary classic",^[52] and Faber and Faber are also interested in publishing his autobiography.^[53]

Morrissey's 2012 tour started in Chile and visited Argentina, Brazil, Peru, Colombia, Japan, Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, and Philippines. A string of US shows was announced for May before a European tour, in July with concerts in Italy, Belgium, Portugal and his only UK appearance of the year, at Manchester Arena.

The majority of the biography information on this page was taken from the Morrissey Wikipedia page.