Apr. 21 97

Tour News -- Hopefully Soon

It sounds like the world tour is coming together, I hope that I will be able to post some details soon. (I think it will be very, very exciting to just about everyone...)

Apr. 16 97

Joni Mitchell reunited with daughter Kilauren
photo: Mark Lipson (L.A. Times)

Did you all hear about this story? Joni Mitchell reunited recently with the daughter she signed over to adoption in 1965. I know -- it has nothing to do with Morrissey but it is still a remarkable story nonetheless. Apparently this was made possible through the Joni Mitchell homepage. Joni will be interviewed by Barbara Walters on the April 25th edition of "20/20". ...Joni's getting all the big interviews now! (Apr. 21 -- she just cancelled it, oh well)

* Registry updated -- 1,421 in the world of Morrissey-solo. I was able to include everyone who signed up to yesterday.

Apr. 09 97

Boxers promo film added

I've just encoded the rarely seen "Boxers" promotional video for the content section, in RealVideo format. Let me know whether you like or dislike the format. With a fast connection (56k - ISDN or better) you'll get decent streaming video, hopefully. I have also placed an option for those with 28.8k modems -- less frames but at least you can still check out the video (Morrissey makes only a brief appearance, but throughout the video you'll see some familiar pics). Just in my own testing this technology is pretty impressive...

As of now the RealVideo player is still in beta and works only on Win95/NT and Mac/PowerPC at the moment.

Thanks to Jonathan Tronson for helping me digitize the video.

Apr. 04 97

Report On Alain Whyte's Band
(Submitted by Phil Jump)

I saw Alain Whyte’s band the other night. Johnny Panic And The Somethings (i don’t remember).

They were a good rock/pop 4 piece band with Alain on guitar and backing vocals. The 1st couple of numbers were a bit dodgy. but once they got going they were really enjoyable some great epic pop tunes which you could imagine on a Morrissey album! It was a strange gig at Cheltenham’s local indie venue.

I'd Love To -- covered in Spanish

"Me encantaría" is the Spanish translation of the b-side covered by a band from Spain called Alpino. Boz has heard it and said he was 'pleasantly surprised'. Check it out:

1,700 pesetas (about $16),
postage included to:

Alfonso Melero
at SPICNIC
02080 Albacete
SPAIN

International Money Order preferred. People from Europe can send the equivalent to 8 pounds, postal money order preferred.

For more info contact Manuel Rios, who runs the Spanish fanzine "Morrissey Drive Me Home"

Stick with Mick

If you go to Bishop McNamara High School, be sure to vote for this guy.

* added a new link "Unhappiest Planet" to the links section.

Mar. 27 97

Viva Hate Re-release Press Ad
(Thank you to Alistair McGown for the scan.)
Viva Hate was re-released on March 24 in Europe

Some Info On Seanie Foy
(Thanks again to Jason G.)

From an older Sunday Mirror (Jan. 19, 1997),
Declan White's Showbiz Column:

U.S. IS MAD FOR SEANIE

Dublin rockabilly singer Seanie Foy is about to hit it big in America.

An Iowa station has been plugging his songs and now radio guru Randy Chesterman, who took over Wolfman Jack's mantle, is urging Seanie to record more.

Father-of-one Seanie, 30, from Stoneybatter is quitting his Government-backed job teaching music to inner-city children aged eight to 14.

And he's now in the studio cutting an album for America.

Seanie tells me: "They are going mad for my music.

"But I miss the teaching because there are some brilliantly talented kids in Dublin.

"There are a couple of good kid bands coming up. The songs are there. It's in their blood. All they need is help with production."

Mar. 23 97

Future Collaboration? (...who is Seanie Foy?)
(Submitted by Jason G.)

From the Sunday Mirror (March 16, 1997),
Declan White's Showbiz Column:

"... Dublin singer Seanie Foy has been holding late-night meetings in Lillies Bordello with Morrissey about collaborating on an album.

"The former Smiths frontman has fallen in love with Dublin and is now a regular around town."

Mar. 22 97

Reprise Contest Open

Thanks to Graham Clark and Luke Bagwell who let me know (in separate e-mails) the contest for the Joni Mitchell and Morrissey promo CD is open to web visitors. Check out the contests section at Reprise Records.

News Item On Addicted To Noise

Thanks to Moz2699 for letting me know there is a news item titled "Satan Rejects Morrissey's Soul" with some more info on the new album and news that Morrissey will tour the U.S. for the first time in five years.

Addicted To Noise staff writer Gil Kaufman reports: Everyone's favorite mope, Morrissey, will release his seventh solo album, Maladjusted in August.

The 11-track album, produced by Steve Lillywhite (Phish, U2, Rolling Stones), who has worked with the former Smiths singer on three of his solo albums, features songs co-written by Morrissey and his long-standing band. Most co-written with guitarists Alain Whyte and Boz Boorer, but one ("Wide to Receive") is a collaboration with drummer Spencer James Cobrin.

The album, which was just completed, was recorded at Hooks End Studio outside of London during January and part of February of this year and is described by a source as being much more eclectic than some of the singer's recent albums.

"The title track is very noisy and feedback drenched," said the source, adding, "it will really surprise people. And the first single, 'Alma Matters,' is just a classic Morrissey pop song."

Other tracks: "Ambitious Outsiders," "Trouble Loves Me," "Papa Jack" (described as a bombastic, glammy nod to the Live At Leeds era Who), "Ammunition," "Wide to Receive," "Roy's Keen," "He Cried," "Sorrow Will Come in the End" and "Satan Rejected My Soul."

Other good news for diehards is that, for the first time in five years, Morrissey will tour the U. S. to support the record.

Mar. 19 97

Moz Interviewing Joni -- Audio Online

Head over to the Reprise Records home page for the complete audio transcript of Morrissey interviewing Joni Mitchell for the recent Rolling Stone article. It runs about 40 minutes. Reprise is currently giving away limited edition CDs of the interview in a contest on AOL Hopefully they will make the contest open to web visitors soon.

You will need the RealAudio player to listen to the interview:

Viva Hate Re-issue -- Those 8 Extra Tracks
source: the ASK mailing list

The bonus tracks are :

Let the Right One Slip in
Pashernate Love
At Amber
Disappointed {Live}
Girl Least Likely to
I’d Love to
Michael’s Bones
I’ve Changed my Plea to Guilty

Why there is no place for ‘Oh Well, I’ll Never Learn’ or ‘I Know very well how I got my Name’ is beyond me. Still, any ‘new’ Morrissey items are welcome.

Oliver

"extra track and a tacky badge"
[email protected]

Punk Tribute To The Smiths
contributed by LilBastrd
scan of album cover by Vauxhall

Not sure if you were aware or already reported it, but there is a punk version tribute to the Smiths entitled "The World Still Won’t Listen" put out by Too Damn Hype Records (and in conjunction with Chord Recordings). It has quite a few tracks (including two Moz solo songs), most of which are pretty hardcore.

Mar. 12 97

(Source: Newsgroups: alt.music.smiths
Subject: New album done! Tour is planned!
Post by: Thierry Mellon - [email protected])

An article appeared on the March 5-7 edition of
Microsoft Music Central Totally Live News

Morrissey Readjusts Himself

The anxious waiting is over since Morrissey has allowed execs from Mercury Records into his lair to listen to the final mixes of his first album for the label due out in August. He and high-profile producer Steve Lillywhite have been holed up working in a studio outside of London since early January and are finally happy with the results.

Yup, you heard it correctly. Morrissey is happy. The famous malcontent tells label wigs he likes this offering so much more than 1992's Your Arsenal, and that he's even willing to tour. The artist formerly known as Steven will pack his old kit bag and his hair restorer, then hit the road for the first time in five years after the album comes out.

According to those label types who were eating crumpets with Morrissey and listening to the tracks, the record is "more well-rounded" than his last effort. They tell us that one track is a paean to glam, evoking Mott The Hoople and late-'60s Who. And, of course, Morrissey's beloved New York Dolls. The first single is a track called "Maladjusted" — no surprise there, but what's new is it's "noisy and feedback-laden," according to our source.

A rumor from Melody Maker
contributed by Alistair McGown

I didn’t mail earlier because I thought everyone would have heard, but just wanted to report the ‘news’ in Melody Maker of last week 5/3/97:

Ruminating (I can think of no better word) on the bands due to play festivals, they reported that Morrissey may play at the Phoenix Festival (Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, July 19-20 1997).

This probably amounts to his having been asked. Even a confirmation from Morrissey is, let’s admit, hardly cast iron. He is due, according to the report to play the same day as David Bowie. A bad omen or what?

Alistair

During my scan of the newsgroups I also found the following items:

From: [email protected] (Jared Reimer)
Newsgroups: alt.music.smiths
Subject: Smiths Convention Write-Up

There was an interesting write-up of the Smiths convention in today's UW DAILY:

http://www.thedaily.washington.edu/
archives/March61997/030697smiths.html (revised link)

Jared

From: [email protected] (Torsten Steinfurth)
Newsgroups: alt.music.smiths
Subject: New novel "girlfriend in a coma"
Date: 6 Mar 1997 14:19:58 GMT

Has anyone already noticed that the new novel of Douglas Coupland (author of Generation X, Shampoo Planet, Life After God, Microserfs) will be named "Girlfriend in a Coma" (will be published this fall). (source of this information is TIME). Does anyone know if he is Smithshead, i won't believe this title is chosen randomly.

Torsten