Independent.ie: Lloyd Cole Interview - with Morrissey anecdotes (July 2, 2023)

Lloyd Cole interview Sunday Independent (Ireland) 2nd July - Morrissey references

Morrissey became a fan. He said Cole was the sort of person who gets "erotic about blotting paper". To which Cole replied: "I do. I am a real stationery fetishist."
When Lloyd Cole and the Commotions played their first gig in London at the Dominion Theatre, they came offstage and went to their dressing room to find Morrissey "drinking a cup of tea. We were friends for a few years." Does he despair for his old friend's right-wing politics now? "Oh, I couldn't possibly be friends with Morrissey now. But that's the lovely thing about art, those Smiths records and those Morrissey records are yours now. You can remove the author. In fact, the author is necessarily removed when the record is released."
In 1985, he and Morrissey met up a few times. "We had tea at Fortnum & Mason. That was his idea. We would play each other songs that we were working on. I got to hear 'Meat is Murder' before it came out."
Was that a bit like Alan Bennett and Dennis Potter having lunch together?"It absolutely wasn't," he says with a laugh, "because we were both still young and immature and still finding our way, in terms of finding our voices.
"I think Morrissey probably found his voice on The Queen is Dead and I found mine on my first solo record. I think I was trying to be less worthy from Rattlesnakes onwards. I love Rattlesnakes to death but it is hard for me to listen to the singing now. I don't en- joy the sound of my voice on that record. It's overly mannered.

https://archive.is/pVhnY

 

[Intheknow]

I don’t care about politics, who wants to be friends with who, who drinks tea with who, I just care about good music and broadening my musical taste

 

[Thewlis]

Letter from 1985, when they were friends:

 

[ACTON]

I love Lloyd and have seen him in concert around 15 times in various countries since the 90's but.... do you have to agree with someone on everything before you can be their friend? I don't believe that. Lloyd is too intelligent to churn out that kind of crap like 'Oh, I couldn't possibly be friends with Morrissey now'. To say the least I am truly disappointed.

 

[Juan Dulces]

Honestly, I don't think I had heard his name before.

Yeah, if he's more of a local/regional artist for let's say the majority of his career, he won't be as internationally known (pre-YouTube anyway). But, I am going to listen to some of his stuff just to check it out.

It doesn't make any of these older artists (or reporters for that matter) look any better when they keep mentioning this. It's completely useless at this point, and not nearly as negative towards Morrissey as they want to believe.

 

[ACTON]

Honestly, I don't think I had heard his name before.

Lloyd's debut solo album 'Lloyd Cole' is amazing, as is the orchestral first half of 'Don't Get Weird On Me Babe'. 'Love Story' is brilliant too.

 

[ACTON]

I’ve never really given Cole the time to listen to. What would be an accessible album to start with?

I think his debut solo album 'Lloyd Cole' from 1990 is the perfect starting place.

 

[Thewlis]

Lloyd's debut solo album 'Lloyd Cole' is amazing, as is the orchestral first half of 'Don't Get Weird On Me Babe'. 'Love Story' is brilliant too.

Agreed. Produced by Stephen Street, too.

 

[Young And Alive]

Also why is it that if someone has right wing views, this is taken to be inherently evil or objectively wrong, and that you simply have to disassociate yourself from this person if you wish to preserve your own career?

Whereas if someone has left wing views (e.g. Billy Bragg) then this is seen as being inherently good and objectively correct, and you aren’t allowed to criticise them?

Politics is about debate. Nobody should be shut down for their views, whether they’re right or left.

This witch-hunt against Morrissey over his (perceived) political beliefs is disturbing. It’s like McCarthyism in reverse.

 

[Iamhatedforloving]

View attachment 92719

Lloyd Cole interview Sunday Independent (Ireland) 2nd July - Morrissey references

Morrissey became a fan. He said Cole was the sort of person who gets "erotic about blotting paper". To which Cole replied: "I do. I am a real stationery fetishist."
When Lloyd Cole and the Commotions played their first gig in London at the Dominion Theatre, they came offstage and went to their dressing room to find Morrissey "drinking a cup of tea. We were friends for a few years." Does he despair for his old friend's right-wing politics now? "Oh, I couldn't possibly be friends with Morrissey now. But that's the lovely thing about art, those Smiths records and those Morrissey records are yours now. You can remove the author. In fact, the author is necessarily removed when the record is released."
In 1985, he and Morrissey met up a few times. "We had tea at Fortnum & Mason. That was his idea. We would play each other songs that we were working on. I got to hear 'Meat is Murder' before it came out."
Was that a bit like Alan Bennett and Dennis Potter having lunch together?"It absolutely wasn't," he says with a laugh, "because we were both still young and immature and still finding our way, in terms of finding our voices.
"I think Morrissey probably found his voice on The Queen is Dead and I found mine on my first solo record. I think I was trying to be less worthy from Rattlesnakes onwards. I love Rattlesnakes to death but it is hard for me to listen to the singing now. I don't en- joy the sound of my voice on that record. It's overly mannered.

https://archive.is/pVhnY

This is pulled from the Sunday Independant "people & Culture" Supplement. On page 2 (Contents listing) there a picture of Lloyd with the Morrissey Fortnum & Mason quote underneath and in the article itself the only highlighted lift out or Pull quoute is the "couldnt possibly be friends with Morrissey" .
What I don't get about all this is why is an artist that is persona non grata with the press consistently been asked about ...still good copy i guess...yet no label....imagine if he got positive press for a change...I mean I'm sure Lloyd who I think is a great artist in his own right can't like being asked about Morrissey and their friendship almost 40 years ago...surely he has accomplished something more interesting in that period of time that the interviewer could've asked about had he done some actual research on Lloyd beforehand like his quite successful Patreon site...I'm sure Lloyd would've preferred a plug for that!
Lloyd's back catalogue is great both with the Commotions and Solo....for me you can't beat Rattlesnakes and Easy Pieces though...80s classics both.

 

[Deleted member 29227]

It appears that 'right' is 'wrong', & 'left' is 'right'. Bonkers situation.

 

[Young And Alive]

It appears that 'right' is 'wrong', & 'left' is 'right'. Bonkers situation.

Morrissey's crime appears to be that he thinks the UK should be able to control the amount of people it allows to settle there.

As opposed to what exactly? Unlimited immigration? Where would everyone live? Where would they work? What schools would their kids go to? What hospitals would they be treated in?

No government, no matter how competent and no matter how much money it has at its disposal, could possibly implement the required infrastructure for an unlimited and therefore unknown number of immigrants arriving in the country each year. So the only alternative, surely, is to limit the numbers and judge each applicant on merit. Which is what the UK is trying to do.

You have to apply to go and live in countries like the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and very few people on the Left, if any, criticise the governments of those countries for wishing to control who gets to live there.

But as soon as the UK tries to do something similar, all of a sudden tHaTs rAcIsT!!!!

Morrissey is one of the few adults in the room on this issue and more power to him for speaking out.

 

[DagenhamDan]

I’ve never really given Cole the time to listen to. What would be an accessible album to start with?

Id say obviously Rattlesnakes, but also Easy pieces, Lloyd Cole, Dont get weird on me baby, love story, antidepressant, Standards. Quite a lot really lol

 

[Miss Ann Thorpe]

Morrissey's crime appears to be that he thinks the UK should be able to control the amount of people it allows to settle there.

As opposed to what exactly? Unlimited immigration? Where would everyone live? Where would they work? What schools would their kids go to? What hospitals would they be treated in?

No government, no matter how competent and no matter how much money it has at its disposal, could possibly implement the required infrastructure for an unlimited and therefore unknown number of immigrants arriving in the country each year. So the only alternative, surely, is to limit the numbers and judge each applicant on merit. Which is what the UK is trying to do.

You have to apply to go and live in countries like the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and very few people on the Left, if any, criticise the governments of those countries for wishing to control who gets to live there.

But as soon as the UK tries to do something similar, all of a sudden tHaTs rAcIsT!!!!

Morrissey is one of the few adults in the room on this issue and more power to him for speaking out.

REALLY well said. It's common sense surely? Why don't these who disagree with Moz give their views (rather than just say they no longer like him) and say they welcome unlimited numbers, for ever, from everywhere, and never mind the subsequent consequences?

 

[Deleted member 29227]

REALLY well said. It's common sense surely? Why don't these who disagree with Moz give their views (rather than just say they no longer like him) and say they welcome unlimited numbers, for ever, from everywhere, and never mind the subsequent consequences?

Either:

a) b'cos they don't actually have a 'view' of their own, or if they do,

b) they don't want to admit what that real, 'genuine' view might actually be in public.

The 'view' that they wish to promote, (via this type of interview, or whatever), is dictated by the MSM/Twitter/FB/Threads mob.

To go against any of that would c) risk smearing 'their lovely career(s)'.

All these who denounce Moz in this manner are completely disingenuous, simply looking out for themselves, & seeking to avoid being cancelled.

Shameful, gutless self-preservation, in short.

"I see the world, it makes me puke,"

 

[Gaylord Deepstar]

Lloyd Cole? I couldn’t name one of his songs to save my life.

 

[Mayfly]

Wasn't that with Tim Booth of James when Morrissey hugged him and asked 'are you still alive?' I could be wrong, maybe it was Lloyd.

Yes, I remember this story too, and I have no recollection of Morrissey running into Lloyd Cole again. Of course I may have overlooked that pne.

 

[Orson Swells]

Wasn't that with Tim Booth of James when Morrissey hugged him and asked 'are you still alive?' I could be wrong, maybe it was Lloyd.

Ah, it was reported on this very site in 2009. Unfortunately the link to Lloyd's version of the story doesn't seem to work anymore.

https://tour.morrissey-solo.com/article.pl?sid=09/05/14/1656236

 

[ACTON]

I always slightly preferred Easy Pieces to Rattlesnakes. I seem to remember the third LP (can't recall the title) had some pretty good songs on it too. Some of his solo stuff's not bad.

Lloyd is one of those really annoying people who looks better, the older he gets. I want his hair.

Lloyd looks fantastic. His hair should be insured. His son looks great too on stage with him - effortlessly cool and surly. Lloyd is lovely and has often chatted for ages with me and other fans and is always happy to sign records (old and new) after his concerts. His own records, not another artist's records, and he doesn't charge anything for signing, so he's ahead of Moz on that score.

REALLY well said. It's common sense surely? Why don't these who disagree with Moz give their views (rather than just say they no longer like him) and say they welcome unlimited numbers, for ever, from everywhere, and never mind the subsequent consequences?

They won't express their views for three reasons, in order:
1. It might smear their lovely career.
2. They actually agree with Moz.
3. They have no views because to them 'love island' is perfection and encapsulates everything that could possibly be said about intelligence and politics. "Does the body rule the mind or does the mind rule the body?".

 

[Kennethwilliamsunderstudy]

I always slightly preferred Easy Pieces to Rattlesnakes. I seem to remember the third LP (can't recall the title) had some pretty good songs on it too. Some of his solo stuff's not bad.

Lloyd is one of those really annoying people who looks better, the older he gets. I want his hair.

mainstream is their 3rd album ... bit darker and better for it . Easy pieces was too polished for me , still like it but don't love it , rattlesnakes is superb if a little affected

 

[Requiescant]

Shame about that comment, i think Nick Cave is the only person ive never heard when asked to give the usual sent to Coventry reply.

It may not be in exactly the same league(although maybe for some it is), but I remember Momus a.k.a Nick Currie speaking in Morrissey's defence in the mid-90s as the NME ramped up its 'This Alarming Man'/flag-waving-at-Madstock hate-schtick. I'm sure he even wrote to the NME who printed his missive in the Letters Page, complete with their usual snidey derogatory remarks.