I've just posted a transcription of a Morrissey interview to one of our radio stations in Portugal. It's on the message board for the Oporto show, because everyone was asking for it!!! You can read it under the "Helena's 'Promise'" entry.

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First and foremost, I haven't promised anything! Secondly, I haven't posted the interview later because I didn't tape the whole thing and I was hoping that somebody else had. Sorry, guys!

I'm not sure the interview was given exclusively to that radio station and they only put some small excerpts on air. Here are Morrissey's words (the answers aren't necessarily in chronological order, because they put them on randomly...)

Regarding the label and the new album...
'I'm not signed to anybody, because the last label I signed to colapsed, and once they fell they released everybody from their contract. So, I'm free to sign a new deal... and I'm looking forward to that. But yes, the album is written and is ready to be recorded. I can't record it because I don't have a label, so I have to wait til I'm signed with somebody.'

'I communicated with John Cale and he's very interested in doing it, which is quite good for me, because I think he's very clever.'

Regarding Morrissey's present feelings...
'Who wants to stay the same forever?! I am happy. I'm not saying that I'm an ecstatic or a trivial person... I'm still very seriously... and I do most things in a very seriously way, but I am happy, yes. Certainly mainly because I feel that I have survived and I'm pleased about that.'

Regarding the "Oye Esteban" tour...
'I play many songs which I've never sung before, but there aren't songs in the set which have... are unreleased - they all have been released before. And there are some Smiths songs. The songs are "Meat Is Murder", "Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me" and a song called "Is It Really So Strange?" And they go down very well, don't they?'

Regarding his coming to Portugal...
'I would like to say that I'm very very pleased to be... to go to Portugal and... I don't expect a huge crowd (laughs), but whoever comes along I think they will enjoy what they see, and I hope they do. That's all I can say. (laughs)'

'It's very nice to know that there are some people who are expecting anxiously (laughs) these shows, and I hope people turn up, because I wanted to come to Portugal for such a long time, and I think people will find it very enjoyable. I think they may be surprised. It's also very lively and a very expressive night. So, I think people will enjoy it.'

There you go! Hope you've enjoyed it as much as I have!

Thanks again, Morrissey!