Morrissey Asks Fans Not To Purchase Morrissey Reissues

There's a horde of Morrissey-related products hitting shelves in 2009, from a pair of boxed sets dedicated to Morrissey's singles to a collection of all the Smiths albums to the vinyl reissues of the Smiths' LPs. All these releases, and Morrissey doesn't want you to buy any of them. That's what the singer asked the True To You zine to tell his cult following of fans, adding that since he doesn't receive royalties from any of these reissues, he's asking fans "not to bother buying them."

The first two offending releases are the upcoming The 7'' Singles '88-'91 and The HMV/Parlophone Singles '91-'95, according to the NME. Both sets offer roughly nine reproduction 7'' vinyl singles from Morrissey's career, complete with all the B sides and original packaging. Fans hoping to buy this thing, despite Morrissey's request, can get the first box on October 12th and the HMV/Parlophone set on November 2nd.

Check out Morrissey's full statement here:

Morrissey would like it to be known that he has not been consulted by EMI/HMV/Parlophone with regards to two forthcoming boxed sets of Morrissey singles. Morrissey does not approve such releases and would ask people not to bother buying them. Morrissey receives no royalty payments from EMI for any back catalogue, and has not received a royalty from EMI since 1992. Morrissey also does not approve of, and was not consulted on, the Rhino box of Smiths CDs, or the Warner releases of Smiths LPs on 180 gramme vinyl. Morrissey last received a royalty payment from Warners ten years ago, and, once again, he would ask people not to bother buying the reissued LPs or CDs.

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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