Joyce Michael slags off Morrissey's Smiths covers at Glastonbury

[vicarinatutugal]

Oh dear - some clarification required. Of course there's nothing wrong with criticising Morrissey's band's versions of the Smiths songs. The rearranged version of This Charming Man is horrible. But most of the others are sufficiently good for 96% of the fans to absolutely love hearing them. Morrissey's current rendition of 'I Know It's Over' is spellbinding.
What grates is Joyce Michael's snide description of Morrissey doing Smiths songs as 'cover versions', and the implication that they 'belong' more to Joyce Michael than they do to Morrissey.
The songs were written by Marr and Morrissey and, therefore, if anyone, they belong to Marr and Morrissey.

I get what you are saying, yea that comment a bit stupid really.

 

[Maurice E]

latest 'tweet' fom Joyce Michael:
"I think "cover versions" was maybe the wrong phrase."

 

[Bluebirds]

Mike joyce is like one of those industrial motorised lawnmowers. I prefer solar-powered ones that trim the sides

 

[Eraserhead]

Joyce was an excellent drummer. I'm not sure what he is now, aside from a rather bland and cliched person. Whatever your opinion of Morrissey's band, Moz himself is as great as ever. The way he bends his voice to make each song's vocal melody fresh and interesting is a joy to witness.

 

[still ill life]

Whatever your opinion of Morrissey's band, Moz himself is as great as ever. The way he bends his voice to make each song's vocal melody fresh and interesting is a joy to witness.

...which I think Mike Joyce would agree on.

 

[Eraserhead]

...which I think Mike Joyce would agree on.

Yes, but what of Mike Joyce? He doesn't tour with a band, so he isn't open to scrutiny. At least he doesn't cover Morrissey's songs, though. Those songs were never Joyce's and they certainly aren't now.

 

[murder and desire]

No he isn't. He should have been paid performance royalties which he wasn't. If somebody rips you off in life you'll learn that you've let sentimentality get in the way of good reason, fairness and judgment.

I think his comments were spot on with This Charming Man which can't be described as anything but an extremely poor cover version but entirely wrong with I want the one I can't have which was nothing short of superb. Then there was "Kill eat, kill eat, kill eat, kill eat". Genius. The other Smiths songs were somewhere in between, good but not as good as they were.

Well, Moz did steal from Mike and Andy (about £50,00) and his defence in court was "they didn't know about business", or something like that. But apart from that I think it's quite right that Morrissey and Marr should have been paid more, not only did they write the songs BUT they (especially Moz) created the Smiths world, did nearly all the press and johnny managed, for a while. Why should they get as much as Morrissey and Marr? its madness to suggest they should.
As for The smiths songs being badly played..Yes they would have been better with Marr BUT they were not that bad- in fact I quite liked I want The One I Can't Have and Meat is Murder. Its worth remembering that they are NOT trying to sound like the Smiths, when they do these songs, they are doing an alternate versions of the songs, punky, rockabilly versions. I would rather listen to the original This Charming Man.When I hear Johnny strum the strings with ease and play this song I find it quite sad that he a Moz are not together BUT when the band play This Charming Man its a stomp version..its not meant to be like Johnys version.
You lot should count yourselves lucky you are not Bowie fans...as you wouldn't last a minute he is often ch ch ch changing song layouts and what not- in fact a number of bands do

 

[Maurice E]

NME readers respond to Joyce's twitter posting about Morrissey's cover versions...

NME has (somewhat belatedly) added Joyce's twitter comments about M's Glasto set to it's news pages.
http://www.morrissey-solo.com/newthread.php?do=newthread&f=1
Here are some of the responses:

• Morrissey: Singer/Lyricist. Joyce: Drummer/Lawsuit/Twat
• Newsflash = Morrissey has been doing this for years! And it's great to see those old songs even if it's not The Smiths. Opening with I Want the One I Can't Have was really cool!
• not bitter then mike, shame you took mozz/marr to court, seeing as though mozz kept you and andy employed! through to last of the playboys, sleep on and dream of glastonbury's pyramid stage mike, because it's the closest you will get..
• last I head Morrissey was headlining Glastonbury, Mike Joyce wouldn't be known without Moz and Marr.
• Can't wait forMoz's witty retort to the little toad.
• it would be absolutley fine though if it was him and his band doing old smiths tunes wouldn't it....
• What the f*** has it got to do with him? I don't like artists doing too many of the old hits ( like the mccartney nostalgia show) , but 4 or 5 different ones per tour is perfect.
• he sang 'em then so he can sing 'em now imo : )
• and he was bloody awesome at Glasto
• who wrote the smiths songs? mike joyce or morrissey? the winner gets a rake.

 

[Stanley the 2nd]

Re: NME readers respond to Joyce's twitter posting about Morrissey's cover versions..

I can sort of see where Joyce is coming from. To be a part of the Smiths must have been amazing and then to see the current line up "covering" your songs would make you wince a bit...