Morrissey says he’s bought back the rights to two albums from Capitol Records
Morrissey has said he has bought back the rights to two of his albums, after a long-running dispute with his label Capitol Records.
The former Smiths frontman has been locked in battle with Capitol for a number of years, after his album ‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’ went unreleased, despite being completed in 2021.
The album had been announced for a 2023 release on Capitol, but Morrissey later said he had “voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records”. He also revealed that Miley Cyrus, who recorded backing vocals for the track ‘I Am Veronica’ in 2020, had asked to have her vocals removed from the song.
But now, in a post on his website Morrissey Central, titled ‘A Rush And A Push And The Music Is Ours’, in reference to a 1987 Smiths song, he has said that he has bought the rights to release that album.
“Morrissey has paid the exit fee to Capitol Records in order to return both WORLD PEACE IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS and BONFIRE OF TEENAGERS albums back to him,” the post reads.
“It’s been a long, hard, bloody war. Few would make it out alive, and … I’m no exception. Morrissey remains unsigned.”
‘World Peace Is None Of Your Business’ was Moz’s 10th solo album, released in 2014 via Capitol and Harvest.
‘Bonfire Of Teenagers’, meanwhile, is thought to feature guest spots from Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith and Flea, as well as Iggy Pop. Speaking last year about the album’s turbulent path to being released, he said: “It’s been quite traumatic and quite sad because when you record something, you want it to be available immediately and it was very much of the time. For me, it was a very personal thing and the fact that it hasn’t been released has been torture.”
Earlier this week, the singer announced details of a re-issue of his 1993 live album ‘Beethoven Was Deaf’, which will arrive on July 26. The record was recorded at Zenith in Paris, and the new version will be available on CD and on black or orange vinyl.
He also teased “two special event concerts”, which are reportedly planned to launch the July release. Fans are encouraged to keep an eye on his official website for further details.
At the start of the year, Morrissey was said to be “receiving medical supervision for physical exhaustion”, after cancelling a string of shows in Los Angeles.
He had been scheduled to perform two shows in California in celebration of the 20th anniversary of his 2004 album ‘You Are The Quarry’. However, it was later announced that the gigs would not be going ahead due to “unforeseen circumstances”. He also cancelled a number of South American shows, which were set to take place in February.
In other Morrissey news, in January – via a blog entitled ‘CANCEL CULTURE BEGINS AT HOME’ – the artist claimed that he was being deleted from being the “central essence” of The Smiths and hit out at former bandmates and associates. Quoting their debut single ‘Hand In Glove’, he concluded: “Hand in glove, I stake my claim! I’ll fight to the last breath!”
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Max Pilley
NME
