Morrissey Central "BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS, RIP" (February 13, 2023) - Morrissey vs Capitol Records

BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS, RIP - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS, RIP

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

Capitol Records (Los Angeles) proudly promotes Sam Smith’s ‘satanism’; yet they consider the honest truth of Morrissey’s factual ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ to be their biggest threat and they will not release it despite their contractual obligation and promise to do so.

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Media coverage:

• Morrissey Whines That Capitol Promotes Sam Smith’s “Satanism” But Not His New Album - Consequence of Sound. Link posted by Never Welcome.
• Morrissey says Capitol will promote Sam Smith’s “satanism” but considers his unreleased album “their biggest threat” - NME. Link posted by Famous when dead.
• Morrissey Complains Capitol Is Promoting “Sam Smith’s ‘Satanism'” But Not His New Album - Stereogum. Link posted by Famous when dead.
• Morrissey says Capitol Records is prioritising Sam Smith’s ‘satanism’ over his new album - The Independent. Link posted by Famous when dead.

 

[ACTON]

Welcome to 2023. Most book publishers these days employ 'sensitivity readers' whose job it is to read manuscripts submitted for publication and check for material that might make a marginalised reader feel 'unsafe' I have little doubt that major record labels are starting to do something similar. For any 'sensitivity listener' the title track of BOT would flag up a red flag so big you could see it from space.

How sensitivity readers corrupt literature

They sullied my memoir to suit their agenda

unherd.com

Ffs what a planet we live on. Time for the Apes to Rise again.

 

[Seymour Glass]

Just release it on his Etienne label or whatever. I foresee some "f*** Capitol" shirts at the next concert!

 

[BrokenFrame]

Just release it on his Etienne label or whatever. I foresee some "f*** Capitol" shirts at the next concert!

as I understand it, Capitol own the album now. So he cant do that.

 

[ACTON]

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BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS, RIP - MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY - MORRISSEY CENTRAL - BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS, RIP

MESSAGES FROM MORRISSEY on MORRISSEY CENTRAL

www.morrisseycentral.com

Capitol Records (Los Angeles) proudly promotes Sam Smith’s ‘satanism’; yet they consider the honest truth of Morrissey’s factual ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ to be their biggest threat and they will not release it despite their contractual obligation and promise to do so.

I'm very dubious of anyone, including Moz or SER, who resorts to religion to muddy the water. Religion is the great divider, an auto-antonym that feeble-minded people use to justify their uninformed opinion. I do hope our Moz isn't losing the plot.

 

[ACTON]

The (melo)drama lingers on...

That is such a smart and funny post. It took me a few seconds to get it which means (1) it's a lovely play on words and (2) I'm a bit slow today.

GREAT title for a Moz bio. And the perfect post if you wanted to summarise the last umpteen years of Mozworld in one sentence.

 

[Anonymous]

For the next stage, I vote Sam and Fiona should chain themselves to Capitol Records head office and go on a hunger strike until the album is released.

 

[caramel sea salt]

Oh, yes. Let's continue antagonizing younger artists and further alienate ourselves from the contemporary music scene -if there is any.

What does Sam Smith has to do with this? I don't care an ounce for him but what is the point of bringing him up and comparing himself to a more succesfull and younger musician now? It just highlights its irrelevancy and it is a sad affair as there are many -like me- that would kill to hear this album.

The point they are making (and they are not wrong) is that flouncing about naked on stage with nothing but a sequinned cock holder while backing dancers dressed as devils urinate on you = GOOD while having an opinion about a terror bombing that deviates from the mainstream "don't look back in anger" narrative = BAD.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

For the next stage, I vote Sam and Fiona should chain themselves to Capitol Records head office and go on a hunger strike until the album is released.

There is a significant risk that both would end up dead.

 

[gashonthenail]

The point they are making (and they are not wrong) is that flouncing about naked on stage with nothing but a sequinned cock holder while backing dancers dressed as devils urinate on you = GOOD while having an opinion about a terror bombing that deviates from the mainstream "don't look back in anger" narrative = BAD.

Very well put. But statements of this nature seem written for the 'court of public opinion'. Not sure how effective that particular court is in these matters. Would doubt if Capitol pay any attention to statements on Moz Central.

 

[Malarkey]

It's not likely that New York Dolls fan Morrissey is bothered by Sam Smith's "Satanism".

 

[SuedeMoz]

Welcome to 2023. Most book publishers these days employ 'sensitivity readers' whose job it is to read manuscripts submitted for publication and check for material that might make a marginalised reader feel 'unsafe' I have little doubt that major record labels are starting to do something similar. For any 'sensitivity listener' the title track of BOT would flag up a red flag so big you could see it from space.

How sensitivity readers corrupt literature

They sullied my memoir to suit their agenda

unherd.com

So initially they're fine with the content and then later decide it's too controversial? Maybe that's the excuse he's been given but it seems a bit farfetched.

 

[BrokenFrame]

It's hardly controversial though is it?

 

[SuedeMoz]

It does start to feel like we're watching a slow-motion car crash here, the end result of which is that no label on earth will ever want to work with Morrissey again.

Which is a shame - but, there are other routes to market...

I'm worried we're already there and what's happening with BOT is evidence of that.

 

[Surface]

The point they are making (and they are not wrong) is that flouncing about naked on stage with nothing but a sequinned cock holder while backing dancers dressed as devils urinate on you = GOOD while having an opinion about a terror bombing that deviates from the mainstream "don't look back in anger" narrative = BAD.

Or perhaps they support Sam Smith (who I have no time for whatsoever) because he sells millions of records worldwide and Morrissey doesn't anymore.

 

[Phranc & Open]

He needs to complain even louder and FIDO needs to make even more accusatory blog posts. Then it will surely work out. How can you destroy your once so fascinating and dazzling external image like that? How? A world star crying and begging to be published.

 

[gashonthenail]

Or perhaps they support Sam Smith (who I have no time for whatsoever) because he sells millions of records worldwide and Morrissey doesn't anymore.

Maybe - although is it too romantic to think that artistic merit might form some small part of the equation too? Yes, is probably the answer to that question...

 

[Noel Gallagher.]

The statement is not explicit that the content of the album is the reason why Capitol are not releasing it - although it does seem worded in such a way to invite that speculation. Not sure if the comparison with Mr Smith is helpful. It has always been my guess, for what it's worth, that the subject matter of the title track is a problem. 'Honest truth' - maybe. But is any song 'factual'?

Bonfire of Teenagers (the track) is.

 

[BookishBoy]

Or perhaps they support Sam Smith (who I have no time for whatsoever) because he sells millions of records worldwide and Morrissey doesn't anymore.

Agree, of course, but with someone like Sam Smith there is a vast amount of industry promotion behind those huge sales. Anyone who wins one of those "BBC Sound of..." awards is very much an industry insider from the start. (Not to mention, of course, his very early career being bankrolled by his "city high flyer" mother...)

None of this negates the fact that Morrissey is (yet again) behaving like a toddler.

 

[Surface]

Maybe - although is it too romantic to think that artistic merit might form some small part of the equation too? Yes, is probably the answer to that question...

In an ideal world BOT would be a huge hit and Sam Smith would be busking on the underground in his gimp suit.

 

[bredbasket]

The worst part about this is now the press will run with a story saying Morrissey is homophobic or something when in actuality it's SER and Fiona Dodwell that are ruining his name