Fiona Dodwell: In Conversation With Morrissey - full interview (April 3, 2023)

Morrissey Talks to Fiona Dodwell for Gabfest, April 2023

Excerpt:

"After his recent concert at London’s Hammersmith Apollo, I met with Morrissey backstage, and we acknowledged the difficulties he has faced by not “playing the game” of appeasing the media, or aligning himself with whatever the fashionable movement of the day is. “But you’re not a pop puppet, and you never could be,” I said, and he readily agreed. The truth is, perhaps, that to be the direct and authentic artist he is was never actually a choice. Morrissey is simply himself, fully and wholly, and it is that which likely resonates with his audience, who cling to him in their droves and travel the world for a glimpse of their idol. Truth is not always easy to come by in this world, and when people see it and feel it, they are drawn to it. They want to feel it, up close and personal."

Gabfest Exclusive: In Conversation With Morrissey

Morrissey Talks to Fiona Dodwell for Gabfest, April 2023 Morrissey has always been an artist with something to say, yet very often his truth is shrouded by the fabrications of the media, who have l…

gabfest.co.uk

 

[Jeffrey7777]

it. I stand with Mr. M till the end! I'm sure I'll hear the unreleased music in paradise

 

[marred]

If these two albums are that precious to Morrissey then he needs to get over the issue of people wanting a cut in reference to his negative thoughts re self release. If it is devastation he wants to avoid then get it done and take the loss financially. At least then they will reach our ears if not our wallets.

This is just my opinion and I in no way think he needs to do this to remain relevant. He has that already with the albums behind him. It's just a suggestion. I'm not really devastated if they never get released but I would like to hear Alain's cowritten compositions.

 

[Crisstti]

Correct.
Added him in to the wiki earlier.

Category:Influences on Morrissey - Literature - Morrissey-solo Wiki

www.morrissey-solo.com

Regards,
FWD.

You guys do a remarkable work here.

 

[Crisstti]

No he isn’t otherwise he would reunite The Smiths or do special Vauxhall or GH-tours.

Like I said working with labels has worked well for him, both in quantity and quality and in reaching an audience. Going on self release is an uncertain road and a road he doesn’t need to go to so why should he?

Well, if labels really won't release his music, then that would be a pretty good reason why he should. I understand perfectly if he'd rather release with a label, for whatever reasons (publicity, promotion, money), but if he actually thinks they're "never going to be released" then it's hard to understand. Doesn't he want his albums released? Doesn't he feel a very strong desire to have them out, specially since they're recorded already...? Maybe he's happy enough with them being recorded??

Anyway, I have to assume he's being hyperbolic and doesn't actually think they're never going to be released. His "you might as well stay with the established labels" answer suggests he thinks a label will come around.

 

[Anonymous]

I understand perfectly if he'd rather release with a label, for whatever reasons (publicity, promotion, money), but if he actually thinks they're "never going to be released" then it's hard to understand. Doesn't he want his albums released?

I suspect that above all - even money - Morrissey craves praise and vindication. Just having his album released isn't enough - he wants it to chart highly all over the world, sell millions of copies, be played on national radio, be critically praised from the rooftops, and his genius recognised, compared to all those other mindless pop stars he slags off in every interview. He wants to win, and be seen to win.

Having his records come out on some DIY/boutique label, where they fail to chart and only sell a small amount to a few hardcore fans before dissappearing without trace- I can well see how that might leave a more bitter taste in his mouth than not to release them at all. Especially if he thinks he has two of the greatest albums of his career in the bag. Maybe better to just leave it as a posthumous release - if his genius isn't recognised in this lifetime, then maybe future generations will rave about it?

 

[BookishBoy]

I suspect that above all - even money - Morrissey craves praise and vindication. Just having his album released isn't enough - he wants it to chart highly all over the world, sell millions of copies, be played on national radio, be critically praised from the rooftops, and his genius recognised, compared to all those other mindless pop stars he slags off in every interview. He wants to win, and be seen to win.

Having his records come out on some DIY/boutique label, where they fail to chart and only sell a small amount to a few hardcore fans before dissappearing without trace- I can well see how that might leave a more bitter taste in his mouth than not to release them at all. Especially if he thinks he has two of the greatest albums of his career in the bag. Maybe better to just leave it as a posthumous release - if his genius isn't recognised in this lifetime, then maybe future generations will rave about it?

Agree with your first paragraph, absolutely.

But I'm not sure, at this point, how much it matters what kind of label puts his albums out: obviously promotion can do something, but his records are mostly going to sell to the same devoted fanbase these days, whether or not they're released by BMG or a boutique label. Most people have made up their minds about Morrissey by now.

And I bet he is thinking about his posthumous legacy, yes. It's blindingly obvious that his music (solo and with The Smiths) will be cherished and discovered by new generations of listeners, decades and centuries from now, when all of this "oh but he's a bit racist" stuff has dissolved into thin air.

 

[nicky wire's legs]

is this an interview where moz was supplied with written questions on paper and then he answered in writing and thus not spontaneous? because it doesnt strike me that the below is something you would rattle off just like that without missing a beat.

Did Bob Dylan ever crack a joke? Did you ever see Joni Mitchell bounce on a whoopee-cushion? Or Tom Waits? If Billie Holliday came back from the dead these journalists would probably write ‘Heaven Knows She’s Miserable Now’. Did Nina Simone ever blow a raspberry? Did Lou Reed ever dress up for Comic Relief?

 

[Malarkey]

Someone on reddit thinks this is a sign of record company interest.

 

[robertw93]

is this an interview where moz was supplied with written questions on paper and then he answered in writing and thus not spontaneous? because it doesnt strike me that the below is something you would rattle off just like that without missing a beat.

Did Bob Dylan ever crack a joke? Did you ever see Joni Mitchell bounce on a whoopee-cushion? Or Tom Waits? If Billie Holliday came back from the dead these journalists would probably write ‘Heaven Knows She’s Miserable Now’. Did Nina Simone ever blow a raspberry? Did Lou Reed ever dress up for Comic Relief?

I think that's correct. She never mentioned on her twitter they had met to do the interview.

 

[Famous when dead]

Someone on reddit thinks this is a sign of record company interest.

Someone on reddit should think harder.
A 'throwback' to using a Monterrey recording studio (Boz era) and listing herself & 3 other artists as her 'label' is stretching it to say the least.
FWD.

 

[Redacted]

Someone on reddit should think harder.

 

[Malarkey]

Someone on reddit should think harder.
A 'throwback' to using a Monterrey recording studio (Boz era) and listing herself & 3 other artists as her 'label' is stretching it to say the least.
FWD.

I couldn't understand the tb - not enough coffee (or sleep) yet.

 

[TheSmiths_1985]

Someone on reddit should think.

 

[Anonymous moz junky]

I suspect that above all - even money - Morrissey craves praise and vindication. Just having his album released isn't enough - he wants it to chart highly all over the world, sell millions of copies, be played on national radio, be critically praised from the rooftops, and his genius recognised, compared to all those other mindless pop stars he slags off in every interview. He wants to win, and be seen to win.

Having his records come out on some DIY/boutique label, where they fail to chart and only sell a small amount to a few hardcore fans before dissappearing without trace- I can well see how that might leave a more bitter taste in his mouth than not to release them at all. Especially if he thinks he has two of the greatest albums of his career in the bag. Maybe better to just leave it as a posthumous release - if his genius isn't recognised in this lifetime, then maybe future generations will rave about it?

Future generations would be able to discover these records if released today on a boutique label tho. Sometime in the future someone would buy up all the rights for cheap and reissue or put on streaming or whatever the hell people are using to listen to music at that time.

 

[Anonymous]

After reading this interview I think Morrissey should seriously consider replacing Miley's backing vocals on 'Veronica' with new vocals by Shamima Begum. Billy Bragg and co would start singing his praises then. It could be a smash hit.

 

[JM🇬🇧]

After reading this interview I think Morrissey should seriously consider replacing Miley's backing vocals on 'Veronica' with new vocals by Shamima Begum. Billy Bragg and co would start singing his praises then. It could be a smash hit.

Louder than bombs

 

[Crisstti]

I suspect that above all - even money - Morrissey craves praise and vindication. Just having his album released isn't enough - he wants it to chart highly all over the world, sell millions of copies, be played on national radio, be critically praised from the rooftops, and his genius recognised, compared to all those other mindless pop stars he slags off in every interview. He wants to win, and be seen to win.

Having his records come out on some DIY/boutique label, where they fail to chart and only sell a small amount to a few hardcore fans before dissappearing without trace- I can well see how that might leave a more bitter taste in his mouth than not to release them at all. Especially if he thinks he has two of the greatest albums of his career in the bag. Maybe better to just leave it as a posthumous release - if his genius isn't recognised in this lifetime, then maybe future generations will rave about it?

But he has done all of this already, hasn't he? He'd surely like it to continue but it's not as if he hasn't gotten that already.

Plus, it's not like he's exactly getting that right now with the labels either. They wouldn't even make a video for World Peace (and then somehow got the record pulled from everywhere), not to mention what has happened with Bonfire.

The thing is, he's 63, not 83. He still may release many more albums for many years. He can't just keep leaving them unreleased, it'd be absurd.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Reading Morrissey's and Fiona's thoughts about music, you wouldn't think either of them has ever heard about alternative music. There is a vast world beyond the most inane and inocuous mainstream pop. There are c0untless amazing artists out there doing their thing without too much compromise and most of them operate outside the mainstream. Why does he give a shit about the mainstream? For someone who sees himself as a rebel and a free-thinker he seems to obsess about belonging to the mainstream a whole lot.

He should get a wider perspective on the world of music, forget about the majors and forget about the mainstream. Or just stop masquerading as a rebel and fully embrace his dream of being a mainstream pop star instead.

 

[Crisstti]

Morrissey has always been in between being an indie and a mainstream artist. He has sold a good amount, has had number one and top 10 albums and singles.

Maybe it bothers him that this alternative music isn't the mainstream music. I don't know, has this divide always existed? In the 60's The Beatles were the mainstream music.

 

[Gregor Samsa]

Lots of artists are not 'pop puppets' and still manage to keep their integrity and enjoy success. It's not a big deal.