Morrissey Central "‘BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS’ IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS" (June 14, 2023)

'BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS’ IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS'

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Artist-friendly Capitol Records (Los Angeles) have no plans to release ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ two and a half years after the album was recorded.

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Morrissey’s new comment on the situation:

“It’s a clear display of how censorian the music industry has become. It is a new part of the music industry that does not work and that nobody likes. Music should be the primary democracy, as all art should be, and any effort to keep people away from it simply invites deeper discussion. There is no point banning ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ because somebody somewhere might be offended if they heard it. Why waste time on other people’s mental incapacities? And where is Capitol’s support for the kids who were murdered in that Manchester bonfire on 22 May 2017? Although Capitol claims to be a label of ‘diversity’ it is very difficult to see their humanity. If you are only prepared to release music that draws people’s minds away from thinking then you are unfit for any contact with creative people. Songs are literary compositions, and writing music should be an unrestricted open form. It seems to me that Capitol Records cannot observe the possibility that their artists or their potential customers have ever thought. But silencing certain artists achieves nothing, and simply makes the bonfire burn taller and louder. The moral perspective at Capitol Records who is sitting like a hen on an egg on ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’ is Michelle Jubelirer, who played no small part in removing ‘World Peace is None Of Your Business’ from the shelves in 2014 - determined that it could not sell or be heard. The same creeping culture of censorship at Capitol Records has taken place with ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, and the civic structure of Capitol now appears fascist. I still have hope in the music industry, but there are evidently several powerful faces within it that have no honest interest in music … and you follow them into the shadows at your peril.”
MORRISSEY.

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(Middle image = Michelle Jubelirer).
FWD.



Media items:
 
Absolutely. The labels "believing" in him or not is irrelevant. He should only care about whether the fans still want to hear the music.

I agree btw that's probably his reason for wanting a big label still. He was very evasive when Fiona asked the question.

If he can't get a decent record deal with a big label he just needs to go the independent label or self-release route. Otherwise he won't be able to release anything. He surely wants his music out?
He definitely wants it out and he probably wants it with the respect of being on a label.

If there were a ton of high profile "artists" out there doing self-releases and doing so was applauded by the music press and other musicians he would probably do it.
 
You live by the advice in "Spent the day in bed"?
I expect it wasn't news outside of England. I had to look it up.

A "stabbing and van" attack. Possibly a terrorist attack, though not one article I read mentioned that. One did say the attacker was originally from a Muslim country but with a history of mental health issues.
 
"I still have hope in the music industry, but there are evidently several
powerful faces within it that have no honest interest in music …"

Capital records is owned by the Universal Musical Group, which is a
publicly traded company, worth around $38 billion.
They got a interest in money.
The major labels are part of the corporate world now.
 
Can someone explain what would the rational have been for Capitol in signing Morrissey only to never release this album ?
Honest question.
 
I expect it wasn't news outside of England. I had to look it up.

A "stabbing and van" attack. Possibly a terrorist attack, though not one article I read mentioned that. One did say the attacker was originally from a Muslim country but with a history of mental health issues.
The mental health issue is very prominent again. Yet, all Killers have "such" issues. The attack was very brutal.
 
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I expect it wasn't news outside of England. I had to look it up.

A "stabbing and van" attack. Possibly a terrorist attack, though not one article I read mentioned that. One did say the attacker was originally from a Muslim country but with a history of mental health issues.
Anybody in their right mind wouldn't do anything like that. So he definitely has mental problems...
 
I'm not entirely sure what you're trying to say.
Basically, I would like to say that we cannot exclude the possibility, that our protagonist is using the public attention on the Nottingham incident to draw also attention to his "cause". Is it that far-fetched?
 
I still believe Capitol only signed the album deal as they thought they were also getting Miley Cyrus, and all the publicity and sales that would bring. Now that she's been blocked from appearing, it simply isn't worth the hassle of dealing with Morrissey for whatever measly returns releasing the album would bring.
 
It's hard to say since Capitol won't make any statement on it.

I suspect that this is really about the Miley Cyrus/I Am Veronica issue.

When Morrissey was told her label didn't want her on the record he wanted to re-do the vocals ASAP (within days) with a different singer and the logistics were probably difficult to make happen there was pushback from Capitol saying, "We need a couple months or so."

There was a point in time where they were trying to work with him and in lieu of releasing "Veronica" they released Rebels Without Applause (which was recorded in a submarine taking on water which probably cost Capitol a lot of money to arrange).

Morrissey then probably had some unfriendly words for them as they debated when it could get done and at some point they got fed up with him and to spite him they decided not to release the record at all.

They are probably not that interested in censoring the song Bonfire Of Teenagers as much as they are interested in sticking it to him for being a dick. He calls it censorship and blames Capitol because he has never taken the blame for anything that has ever happened in his life.

Anyway.. that's just my opinion.


EDIT: I am still a huge fan of his music and still think his live shows are something special but outside of the music he has not been nearly as interesting as he was 15 years ago. At least we can go back and watch/read old interviews when he was hilarious.
It really shouldn't be about if they like him or not or sticking it to him. What is really odd it that Capitol has a contractual obligation to release it and some extent promote it! What's the point to keeping it in the drawer! It doesn't benefit them in nay way! And Moz apparently doesn't have the publishing rights so he can't even relate it through another channel! The whole thing is just ridiculous! And why did Miley C decided to block the release of "Veronica" apparently it's not even because of Moz but bc of some third party!
 
It really shouldn't be about if they like him or not or sticking it to him. What is really odd it that Capitol has a contractual obligation to release it and some extent promote it! What's the point to keeping it in the drawer! It doesn't benefit them in nay way! And Moz apparently doesn't have the publishing rights so he can't even relate it through another channel! The whole thing is just ridiculous! And why did Miley C decided to block the release of "Veronica" apparently it's not even because of Moz but bc of some third party!
Do they really? It depends on what the contract says. It would appear they have no such obligation.

Moz really needs to be more careful with his contracts in the future.
 
Paul McCartney just announced yesterday that they are releasing a finale Beatles record with the help of AI to restore John Lennon’s vocals from an old demo.

A new Beatles single can come out in 2023, but Bonfire Of Teenagers can’t be put out independently, leaked, or played in its entirety live. Or re-recorded and released. It can be talked about to death, though.
 
I still believe Capitol only signed the album deal as they thought they were also getting Miley Cyrus, and all the publicity and sales that would bring. Now that she's been blocked from appearing, it simply isn't worth the hassle of dealing with Morrissey for whatever measly returns releasing the album would bring.
If so they should be willing to sell the rights back to Morrissey.

I'd expect he can sell enough to make them some profit. Don't plenty of artists that sell similar numbers to him get record contracts and release albums?
 
What is it with this guy and diversity?

And: "Capitol now appears fascist", says the man who openly supported a fascist party. You couldn't make it up.
 
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