World Peace Is None of Your Business: album, single questions

[goinghome]

As always strikes me when driving into County Clare, today to an anti-war rally, about 20 mins from Limerick City, place-name signs appearing at intervals read, Ballymorris, Smithstown, Mauricesmills...

And I was thinking what a great song, and how continually relevant, World Peace Is None of Your Business is. (And incidentally, wondering then, well what could peace of mind be like!....) Though I'm not sure about the voting line, wouldn't it be awesome if it was somehow released as a Christmas single this year? Or if not that, any Morrissey song? The other big choice for me would be Nobody Loves Us, just because it's such a fan favourite that's rarely served anywhere, though it's probably not enough 'of the moment'. What other tracks might work? Is there any chance at all of a single release for year-end? The structures are probably not in place to make it viable, but miracles can happen.

What was the fate of the WPINOYB album after its release? I drifted around then, dealing with sick people needing regular attention for a couple of years, and not being in great shape myself. Was it withdrawn, as I've heard, and if so, why? Was there a controversy?

On the whole business of war and peace, and where Morrissey stands, what about this quote?

the critical faculty is of limited use in checking destruction, since it cannot check the destruction that operates through its super-egoic form. For that, a countervailing force is needed, one that pursues self-preservation and, more generally, the preservation of life. Is that force to be called love, or is it mania? Does it involve disidentification, or the adoption of a neurotic position that establishes a critical distance from the sadistic exhilarations that run through society?

from The Force of Nonviolence, book by Judith Butler - (full text)

 

[Ryan]

The only single-related thing I’ve heard is a reissue of Interlude on vinyl, I think?

 

[Ryan]

What was the fate of the WPINOYB album after its release? I drifted around then, dealing with sick people needing regular attention for a couple of years, and not being in great shape myself. Was it withdrawn, as I've heard, and if so, why? Was there a controversy?

He fell out with Harvest records who issued it, wore “f*** HARVEST” t-shirts at live shows, and that’s why it’s still unavailable to stream online or buy in stores to this day. Sound familiar?

 

[Mozzypaws]

He fell out with Harvest records who issued it, wore “f*** HARVEST” t-shirts at live shows, and that’s why it’s still unavailable to stream online or buy in stores to this day. Sound familiar?

I just find it crazy that harvest have scrubbed this album from existence. All the other albums you can find online or elsewhere with ease pretty much. That shows a real pettiness on behalf of the record company

 

[Ryan]

I missed this. lol:

https://amp.theguardian.com/music/2...selling-morrisseys-f***-anti-harvest-t-shirts

Harvest records start selling Morrissey’s anti-Harvest T-shirts​

Two days after the singer’s band appeared on stage wearing the T-shirts, Morrissey’s former label have offered identical garments in their online shop

 

[SuedeMoz]

I just find it crazy that harvest have scrubbed this album from existence. All the other albums you can find online or elsewhere with ease pretty much. That shows a real pettiness on behalf of the record company

Yes, WPINOYB is not available... but that's not what happened. These 2 articles shed much light on the topic:

Morrissey Slams Harvest Records As ‘Cheap’, Details ‘Mutual Mistrust’

In true Morrissey style, the iconic artist has penned a wordy statement for his fan site True to You in which he details how his own dreams to promote his latest album were dashed by others. He even claims there was “mutual mistrustâ€Â between both parties.

www.billboard.com

Harvest Says It Took Morrissey’s Album Off Digital Services At His Request

Earlier this month, after his new album World Peace Is None Of Your Business had only been out for a few weeks, Morrissey more or less went to war with Harvest, his label, first claiming he’d been dropped from the label and then writing an online screed about everything that, from Morrissey’s...

www.stereogum.com

My understanding is that from the time of the split from Harvest Morrissey owned WPINOYB and was free to shop it to other labels (or even self-release).

 

[Ryan]

Why does he always have to fall out with everybody?

 

[SuedeMoz]

Why does he always have to fall out with everybody?

It seems to me that this Harvest situation almost 10 years ago now, unfortunately, set the template for how he works with record companies.

 

[celibate]

Harvest stopped after 3 weeks sellin the [fantastic] album because He said He missed PR for the album. Harvest stopped inmediately selling the album and more or less, cut ties with Morrissey [damn , they made 3 short PR clips with Kate Moss involved before the release, and moaned after 3 weeks, typical Morrissey, no one else to blame] and the t's were as childish with our webmaster David Tsjeng, throwing him out a gig, and wearing f*** Morrissey-solo on stage.

 

[Eldritch]

My take is that practically Morrissey himself pulled the album back by severing ties with Harvest. He claimed he never signed a contract with Harvest and he retains full ownership of the album. And that Harvest have no right to sell it any more. The legal situation is most likely more complicated than that, but I understand very well why Harvest lost all interest in selling the album after such onslaught. Morrissey also hoped to sell the album to another company, which of course was only a pipe dream.

Morrissey’s ‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’ pulled from U.S. digital music services – Slicing Up Eyeballs

Morrissey's campaign against Harvest Records escalated Wednesday night with the release of a 750-word diatribe explaining how he believed the imprint sorrily botched the release of his album World Peace Is None Of Your Business, which he predicted would no longer be sold in stores or online.

www.slicingupeyeballs.com

 

[Ryan]

Plus those other singles got canceled that would have included the special French Mixes of Smiler With Knife, One Of Our Own, Scandinavia and Art-Hounds.

>>

On 8 January 2015, Morrissey advised fans that a 45 of "The Bullfighter Dies" was scheduled for a global release by Harvest, but was scrapped by Steve Barnett at the last minute. The B-side was to be the original French mix of the song "One of Our Own".[14]Further vinyl singles, including "Istanbul", "Kiss Me A Lot" and "Neal Cassady Drops Dead" were to include other French mixes of several songs as their B-sides: "Scandinavia", "Smiler With Knife" and "Art-hounds", and were available to pre-order from amazon.fr. However, these were also presumably scrapped.[15] The album was still officially available for digital download via online music stores; but stopped getting supported after the drop.

 

[FactChecker]

My take is that practically Morrissey himself pulled the album back by severing ties with Harvest. He claimed he never signed a contract with Harvest and he retains full ownership of the album. And that Harvest have no right to sell it any more. The legal situation is most likely more complicated than that, but I understand very well why Harvest lost all interest in selling the album after such onslaught. Morrissey also hoped to sell the album to another company, which of course was only a pipe dream.

Morrissey’s ‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’ pulled from U.S. digital music services – Slicing Up Eyeballs

Morrissey's campaign against Harvest Records escalated Wednesday night with the release of a 750-word diatribe explaining how he believed the imprint sorrily botched the release of his album World Peace Is None Of Your Business, which he predicted would no longer be sold in stores or online.

www.slicingupeyeballs.com

If he never had a contract why would he expect them to do any PR? Don't contracts include stipulations that the company has to do its side of the deal, and if there was no deal why should Harvest have bothered (they may have gone along with it precisely because they assumed he was a big enough name to bring his own momentum)? That's how some acts have managed to get out of them (although it needs a lot of legal hassle to finally get a result that way).

 

[Eldritch]

If he never had a contract why would he expect them to do any PR? Don't contracts include stipulations that the company has to do its side of the deal, and if there was no deal why should Harvest have bothered (they may have gone along with it precisely because they assumed he was a big enough name to bring his own momentum)? That's how some acts have managed to get out of them (although it needs a lot of legal hassle to finally get a result that way).

As is usually the case with Morrissey's interactions with record companies or the outside world in general, very little in all this makes any sense at all. And yet the truly tragic thing is: what did Morrissey gain by this very public feud? Absolutely nothing. Harvest may have botched the release of the album, but Morrissey's own actions made sure that it was practically pulled back and remains in limbo, despite his assurances that World Peace will find a home elsewhere. Even BMG didn't seem interested in it, when they made that three-album deal with him.

 

[SuedeMoz]

As is usually the case with Morrissey's interactions with record companies or the outside world in general, very little in all this makes any sense at all. An yet the truly tragic thing is: what Morrissey gained by this very public feud? Absolutely nothing. Harvest may have botched the release of the album, but Morrissey's own actions made sure that it was practically pulled back and remains in limbo, despite his assurances that World Peace will find a home elsewhere. Even BMG didn't seem interested in it, when they made that three-album deal with him.

Exactly, absolutely nothing is gained and much is lost. It sounds very similar to now and the situation with Capitol and BOT. Some people want to absolve Morrissey of any responsibility... surely it was his tour manager who posted the info about Miley on Central. No way Morrissey did anything wrong (sarcasm). Regardless, what's the result? No BOT. No WMTWD. Will WPINOYB ever see the light of day again? Take a step back, sadly this sour tune is sounding all too familiar.

 

[goinghome]

Thanks for the volley of insightful replies. I'll sleep on it. Sometimes that's the only solution

 

[DaveJCarr]

I also don't think the "each time you vote you support the process" line lands particularly well for several reasons. As imperfect and flawed as the electoral system is – in the UK and here in America – I think the line ignores the painful history and ongoing struggle for many marginalized groups – and I'm speaking here in America, particularly in the context of the civil rights movement – to even be in the position to be allowed to vote.

I also think that it's a perfectly acceptable thing to think that the electoral system is so flawed in many of these democratic republics that it might be beyond salvaging, that any further enfranchisement and popular participation, is itself window-dressing on more than one Titanic
.
The "problem" with that perspective, is that even on his own terms in Morrissey's recent public sociopolitical life he has advocated for and expressed interest in political parties and candidates – the four Britain Folks, Farage, etc.

(I'm not here to debate the merits of those particular folks, and those party platforms) only to say that Morrissey himself has fallen short of the kind of complete disengagement, or some kind of revolutionary rearrangement for which the title track advocates.)

Similarly, on the issue of nonviolence as ideal, and the advocation for the dismantling of the military forces in "I bury the living". As compelling as the sentiments are, and maybe on some level conceptually understandable or true, in the midst of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, and who knows whatever else in the next region of war and strife, I find it unlikely that calls for full disarmament and nonviolence will be resonant – nor my certain that nine years on, given the activity the last decade or so the sentiments of those moments are necessarily indicative of Moz's current perspective in those conflicts, or in any others

I still would love the album to be released in full or in some singles with with B-sides as you suggest

 

[Malarkey]

Always the same selective names - he liked Obama, Sanders, Galloway, Corbyn. He considered standing for the Animal Welfare Party & his manifesto was about banning abattoirs.

Not voting was a protest campaign at the time.

People are more interested in personal feelings - but it's an interesting album.

 

[DaveJCarr]

Always the same selective names - he liked Obama, Sanders, Galloway, Corbyn. He considered standing for the Animal Welfare Party & his manifesto was about banning abattoirs.

Not voting was a protest campaign at the time.

People are more interested in personal feelings - but it's an interesting album.

I'm aware he liked a bunch of those folks too. My large point of that enthusiasm- and even a campaign for Animal Welfare and banning abattoirs is not the same as the political disengagement that the title track and arguably the entirety of the album advocates. It undercuts to me - how salient the buying public would find it outside of the already charmed. would find goinghome's proposed single

 

[Malarkey]

I'm aware he liked a bunch of those folks too. My large point of that enthusiasm- and even a campaign for Animal Welfare and banning abattoirs is not the same as the political disengagement that the title track and arguably the entirety of the album advocates. It undercuts to me - how salient the buying public would find it outside of the already charmed. would find goinghome's proposed single

The song doesn't tell people not to vote. You can think about who to vote for or reform the process or just accept it's the way it is. Boycotting it isn't the only option.

 

[DaveJCarr]

The song doesn't tell people not to vote. You can think about who to vote for or reform the process or just accept it's the way it is. Boycotting it isn't the only option.

"Each time you vote, you support the process" does not contemplate any other option besides not voting/boycotting. If the process is corrupt, if World peace is none of your business then any participation makes one complicit in the arrangements. These are not nuanced lyrics, nor does "There would be no war if not for me" contemplate any legitimate use of military force. Those are Morrissey's own lyrics, and what a plain reading of them demands. He chooses words purposefully and carefully. If he wanted nuance, he'd give nuance.