Morrissey is not having a good Christmas.
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The musician had announced in mid-2021 that he was planning to release a new album, Bonfire Of Teenagers, soon. That LP will be, whenever it comes out, the followup to Morrissey’s 2020 offering, I Am Not A Dog On A Chain.
But there’s been a lot of hiccups lately.
Now, on his website, Morrissey announced a split with Capitol Records, the label he thought he’d be releasing the new album with this February 2023. “Morrissey has voluntarily parted company with Maverick/Quest management,” the website reads. “Morrissey has also voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records (Los Angeles.)”
Next up in the bad news department, Miley Cyrus, who was set to feature on the record, wants out. She’s removing herself from the album. Morrissey’s website post adds, “Miley Cyrus now wants to be taken off the song ‘I Am Veronica’ for which she volunteered backing vocals almost two years ago. This comes at a time when Morrissey has disassociated himself with Capitol Records (Los Angeles), who control the hidden album, ‘Bonfire of Teenagers’.”
Morrissey’s 2020 album came out on BMG. But the label dropped him later in 2020, which the singer said was based on the company’s “new plans for ‘diversity.'”
In 2021, Morrissey said his new album was done, and recorded in L.A. He wrote in a social media post, “The worst year of my life concludes with the best album of my life.” He added, “Morrissey is unsigned. The album is available to the highest (or lowest) bidder.”
He also added the tracklist for the 11-song LP:
1 I AM VERONICA
2 REBELS WITHOUT APPLAUSE
3 KEROUAC’S CRACK
4 HA HA HARLEM
5 I LIVE IN OBLIVION
6 BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS
7 MY FUNERAL
8 DIANA DORS
9 I EX-LOVE YOU
10 SURE ENOUGH, THE TELEPHONE RINGS
11 SAINT IN A STAINED-GLASS WINDOW
Morrissey has said his new unreleased LP features Miley, along with Iggy Pop, Jesse Tobias, Andrew Watt, Josh Klinghoffer, Chad Smith, and Flea.
Earlier this year in October, a clip of the song “Veronica” appeared online and it seemed to feature Cyrus. Now, though, she wants to extricate herself from that partnership.
But more bad news came earlier this winter when Morrissey ended a show in L.A. after just 30 minutes without explanation. After that he said the album wasn’t going to come out in February, writing on his website: “Its fate is exclusively in the hands of Capitol Records.”
Morrissey has since canceled a handful of shows, citing a “band illness.”
On December 22, he complained his LP had no promotion, writing, “It’s been quite sad. The absence of any promotion is noticeable. It’s devastating how no one can ever get this right. But they can’t, or they won’t. Radio stations, as far as I can tell, will play just about anything they’re asked to. But as I’ve always said, true artists must always look after themselves whereas non-artists are encouraged and advanced beyond reason. When you walk through a storm hold your head up high … as the song goes!”
Here’s where we get into Twitter minutia:
Responding to Morrissey’s Twitter post above, a fan asked, “If Capitol Records failed to promote Morrissey’s album because they believe all the woke lies written about him, then why did they licence [sic] it in the first place?”
That’s when Scott Rodger from management company Maverick/Quest replied: “Morrissey’s album was due for release in Feb ’23. It will come out but Morrissey himself put out a statement in his blog that the album ‘featured’ another artist who didn’t want to be credited and thus the artist’s label blocked the release. Nothing to do with Capitol.”
The fan responded, “Scott, this doesn’t ring true. How can the album be ‘blocked’ & yet still be coming out—which is it? And why didn’t Capitol (and Maverick) negotiate and fight your client’s corner against this other label? Why couldn’t that one track have been left out? Things aren’t adding up.”
Rodger retorted, “The artist who did backing vocals will be taken off and replaced. That takes time especially as you hit Christmas. When you say fight, sadly it doesn’t work that way. The other label, Columbia, legally blocked it. They’re within their rights to do so.”
It seems like the “New Year, New Miley” means No Morrissey.
Photo: Monika Stolarska / Shore Fire Media
