Morrissey responds to Billboard report, insists the Harvest relationship is over - true-to-you.net

No agreement was ever signed? Didn't he announce on tty early this year that he had a 2 album deal?

What f***ery.

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

Sure.

It's basically the same deal: Moz financed the recordings and owns the copyright. I only have the UK version on Polydor, but on the back it reads:

"Licensed exclusively to Decca Music Group Limited, London, England by Morrissey."

A bit further down the copyright text it reads: "Decca Music Group Limited… A Universal Music Company."

If I remember correctly, Moz signed a two-album licensing deal with Decca which produced the Greatest Hits album and Years of Refusal. Unhappy with how Decca handled the Greatest Hits release, he allowed Universal, the owners of Decca, to release it under the Polydor label name, and then sought out Lost Highway Records to produce the US vinyl version, while also adding on the Attack label name. And who owned Attack? Universal Music Group, since they bought Sanctuary Records back in 2007. So, with Moz pissed off at Decca, he allows the Universal Name to be included by adding Polydor to the UK release and Attack to the US release.

And if you're interest in why the Attack label name is now history, just look here: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/bmg-acquire-sanctuary-label-universal-421827

This is also the reason why we won't be seeing represses of YOTQ and ROTT anytime soon. BMG owns Sanctuary, who financed and owns the copyright to the sound recordings of those two albums, and has no current relationship with Morrissey.

Sigh. Would love a YOTQ/ROTT repress.

 

[marred]

Sigh. Would love a YOTQ/ROTT repress.

You Or the Quarry? Was that Fredian slip?

 

[Anonymous]

This is also the reason why we won't be seeing represses of YOTQ and ROTT anytime soon. BMG owns Sanctuary, who financed and owns the copyright to the sound recordings of those two albums, and has no current relationship with Morrissey.

Actually, some Sanctuary artists had a reversion clause, meaning that they got the copyright to their records when Sanctuary went under. This seems to have included Morrissey, because there were pressings of YATQ and ROTT on Decca (Universal) after Sanctuary was acquired by BMG, and Decca still seem to be responsible for downloads in the UK. I think they must have got the rights or a licence as part of the deal when they signed Morrissey.

If you download the Sanctuary albums in the US, it is through something called Drive-Thru records, an indie label. So, again, nothing to do with BMG.

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

Actually, some Sanctuary artists had a reversion clause, meaning that they got the copyright to their records when Sanctuary went under. This seems to have included Morrissey, because there were pressings of YATQ and ROTT on Decca (Universal) after Sanctuary was acquired by BMG, and Decca still seem to be responsible for downloads in the UK. I think they must have got the rights or a licence as part of the deal when they signed Morrissey.

If you download the Sanctuary albums in the US, it is through something called Drive-Thru records, an indie label. So, again, nothing to do with BMG.

Ah, Drive Thru. I remember that label.

I was wondering too, why YATQ isn't on iTunes (in the U.S.) but ROTT is. Live at Earl's Court isn't on there either.

 

[fredkocherpepsi]

You Or the Quarry? Was that Fredian slip?

Oops. ha

 

[Anonymous]

It's off Spotify

 

[Multi]

Actually, some Sanctuary artists had a reversion clause, meaning that they got the copyright to their records when Sanctuary went under. This seems to have included Morrissey, because there were pressings of YATQ and ROTT on Decca (Universal) after Sanctuary was acquired by BMG, and Decca still seem to be responsible for downloads in the UK. I think they must have got the rights or a licence as part of the deal when they signed Morrissey.

Likely the license for a certain period of time.

If you download the Sanctuary albums in the US, it is through something called Drive-Thru records, an indie label. So, again, nothing to do with BMG.

Wouldn't surprise me if we all found out that Drive-Thru is a fake indie and funded by BMG or some other conglomerate.

 

[Anonymous]

Likely the license for a certain period of time.



Wouldn't surprise me if we all found out that Drive-Thru is a fake indie and funded by BMG or some other conglomerate.

No, it has a Wikipedia page. It seems like it's just a fairly random label that Morrissey found to handle the downloads.

 

[Anonymous]

Likely the license for a certain period of time.



Wouldn't surprise me if we all found out that Drive-Thru is a fake indie and funded by BMG or some other conglomerate.

...although according to the Wikipedia page it was bought by Universal a few years ago. All, the same, not BMG, so they did not get the rights when they bought Sanctuary.