Morrissey Harvest Records / WPINOYB Timeline

Morrissey Harvest / WPINOYB Timeline

2014

• August 9, 2014: TTY - "Harvest Records":

"Three weeks after the release of Morrissey's World Peace Is None Of Your Business (#2 UK, #14 US), Capitol Records/Harvest have ended their relationship with Morrissey, as directed by label boss Steve Barnett. Morrissey is once again in search of a record label."

• August 20, 2014: TTY:"PLEASE CLOSE THE DOOR BEHIND": long statement about Harvest. Including:

"It is quite true that Harvest initially appeared like a saintly beacon of light, and they instantly packed us off to France where we recorded World peace is none of your business. The universe was back in balance, and we all considered this to be the very best Morrissey recording ever, and even the boo-hoo-suck-it-off elements of the press appeared to want to agree."

And
"And thus ... they were. I might be wrong, but I think World peace is none of your business will instantly disappear from iTunes and record stores and every download-upload-offload outlet on the planet, because Harvest technically have no right to sell it. Most of the Harvest team are very nice, and I sincerely thank them for trying and caring so much - even if their promotional duties were fully undertaken by the Morrissey audience themselves, whose You Tube videos for World peace is none of your business fully provide the art that the label could not muster."

• September 5, 2014:Vegan Logic:"Morrissey: "The last thing security forces ever want is peaceful protest":

You said you pushed the label for a proper video for “Istanbul” but they backed off. Have you had a specific idea/narrative for the video?
Yes, it was based on the opening scenes of “West Side Story” with the band and I actually dancing through the streets. Harvest just wouldn’t do it. It was the first snap in our relationship, mainly because they didn’t have any alternative ideas. I don’t mind objections if someone has a better idea. Ultimately the head of Harvest DID have an idea … which was “let’s get rid of Morrissey”… unfathomably silly.

• October 8, 2014: "f*** Harvest" t-shirts now available at official Harvest merch site.

2015

• January 8, 2015: TTY: "The Bullfighter Dies single. Single and B-Side cancelled. Steve Barnett blamed.

2016

• August 6, 2016: Typical Moz e-zine: WPINOYB to be reissued by Étienne, Nov. 2016 with new sleeve.
• August 10, 2016: TTY: Morrissey Ticket Sales; "World Peace..." re-launch confirmation.

2017

• musicbusinessworldwide.com: MORRISSEY SIGNS TO BMG FOR NEW ALBUM, OUT IN NOVEMBER
• September 1, 2017: 'He's on really good form': BMG's Korda Marshall on Morrissey's comeback - Music Week.

The album is being released on the newly-created Etienne imprint, what will that be used for?

Etienne is Steven in French. We wanted to give him a vehicle where he could do other things, to give him a platform of his own. We felt that was important and he wanted to do that. We had conversations about it and we think it’s a really good approach that he’s got his own label identity, so he can do other things if he wants to.