Steven Patrick Morrissey (born 22 May 1959), commonly known by his last name, Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the band The Smiths. The band was highly successful in the United Kingdom but broke up in 1987, and Morrissey began a solo career, making the top ten of the UK Singles Chart on ten occasions. His first solo album, 1988's Viva Hate, entered the UK albums chart at number one. Morrissey's lyrics have been described as "dramatic, bleak, funny vignettes about doomed relationships, lonely nightclubs, the burden of the past and the prison of the home." He is also noted for his unusual baritone vocal style (though he sometimes uses falsetto), his quiff haircut and his dynamic live performances. Media controversies have been caused by his forthright and often contrarian opinions, and he has also attracted media attention for his advocacy of vegetarianism and animal rights.
Morrissey recorded a session for Peel's show in 1988 following the breakup of the Smiths: it was described by Peel as tentative, and never aired at the singer's request. John subsequently remarked that "I should be very unhappy if he unbent enough to do a session for us in 1990. I think it's time he rejoined the human race, really."[1] In early 1991, following the release of the atypical and critically divisive Kill Uncle, from which Peel does not appear to have played any tracks, he added (with no little irony):
"He seems to have achieved really the perfect pop status, in that he has the status of somebody who's dead, which of course is the ultimate in marketable commodities, without actually being dead, and I think this is quite a thing to have achieved. I'd like to have achieved that sort of status myself, to be honest." [2]
For his part, Morrissey was highly critical of what he saw as Peel's ambivalent support of The Smiths in his autobiography:
"John Peel, though, did not ever come to see the Smiths play live, and he did not attend any of the radio sessions. He is cited as instrumental in the Smiths' success, but if not for the continual exuberance of John Walters, John Peel could never have encountered the Smiths. When I accidentally met John Peel over the years (two times, and both in motorway service stations), he shyly had nothing to say on both occasions." [1][2]
Morrissey also in his autobiography criticised Peel for refusing to do a voice over for a television advert in 1995 promoting The Smiths compilation album Singles, due to press reports on Morrissey's alleged flirtation with racism:
"When asked to do a voice over for a television commercial to promote Singles, populist John Peel refused due to what he termed the 'Morrissey racism question'. Himself a sermonizing pillar of wisdom, Peel quite interestingly wasted no time on moral prevarication when the Queen called him to Buckingham Palace for the bureaucratic OBE badge. Oh, at least he is fully plumbed with the stamp of approval from those who count."[3]
However, two tracks from a live split session with Zane Lowe appeared on the 19 May 2004 show. It should be noted at this point that Peel did, at least, voice radio adverts for another Smiths compilation, the 2001 Very Best Of (which was disowned by the band themselves and seen as a hack-job).
Morrissey recorded a session for Peel's show in 1988 following the breakup of the Smiths: it was described by Peel as tentative, and never aired at the singer's request. It is not known when it was recorded in 1988 or whether it was abandoned mid-way or completed.
1. Recorded: 2004-05-19. Broadcast: 19 May 2004. No known commercial release.
Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice / No-One Can Hold A Candle To You
Other Shows Played[]
(The following list was compiled only from the database of this site and Lorcan's Tracklistings Archive and is certainly incomplete. Please add further details if known.)
01 February 1989: Michael's Bones (CD - The Last Of The Famous International Playboys) His Master's Voice
03 February 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 098 (BFBS)): 'Last Of The Famous International Playboys (12")' (His Master's Voice) (JP: 'Not too sure about the sort of synthesiser squirtings in the middle of that, but apart from that I've come to terms with it: I like it very much.')
05 April 1989: I Know Very Well How I Got My Note Wrong (CD mini) Factory
06 April 1989: Such A Little Thing Makes A Big Difference (single - Interesting Drug) His Master's Voice
06 April 1989: Interesting Drug (single - 12") His Master's Voice POP 1621
06 April 1989: I Know Very Well How I Got My Note Wrong (7" issued with Durutti Column 'Vini Reilly' LP) Factory (outtake from Morrissey's 'Viva Hate' sessions)
10 April 1989: Interesting Drug (7") His Master's Voice
13 April 1989: Sweet And Tender Hooligan (12" - Interesting Drug) His Master's Voice
09 November 1989: Ouija Board, Ouija Board (single) HMV (JP: "It's a strange thing, a lot of the records that I've come to like best in the fullness of time are those about which I have misgivings initially.")
13 November 1989: Ouija Board, Ouija Board (7") His Majesty's Voice
15 November 1989: East West (12" - Ouija Board, Ouija Board) His Master's Voice
27 December 1989: (JP: '(At number 20), a record which I thought was a really good record, but it's been by and large assumed that it wasn't a good record at all.') 'Ouija Board, Ouija Board (7 inch)' (HMV) FF #20(JP: 'I should be very unhappy if he unbent enough to do a session for us in 1990. I think it's time he rejoined the human race, really.')
27 December 1989: 'Last Of The Famous International Playboys (7 inch)' (HMV) FF #18
Morrissey - November Spawned A Monster
1990
11 April 1990: November Spawned A Monster (7") His Master's Voice
18 April 1990: November Spawned A Monster (7") His Master's Voice
06 October 1990: Piccadilly Palare (LP - Bona Drag) His Master's Voice
29 December 1990: 'November Spawned A Monster (7 inch)' (HMV) FF #16
