'I feel like I've been had': Morrissey's collaborators respond to his politics - The Guardian

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'I feel like I've been had': Morrissey's collaborators respond to his politics - The Guardian
The former Smiths singer’s new album features guest spots from Billie Joe Armstrong and Grizzly Bear’s Ed Droste. Are they not put off by his increasingly unpleasant right-wing stance?

Excerpt:

As US music magazine the Fader asked: “What possible reason could any of these people have for lining up behind Morrissey now?”

Droste declined to comment. The only artist willing to speak with the Guardian was Canadian vocalist Ariel Engle, who performs with cult indie outfit Broken Social Scene. She received a call from the American producer Joe Chiccarelli asking her to contribute backing vocals for a cover of Joni Mitchell’s Don’t Interrupt the Sorrow. “I thought, ‘Oh the Smiths, sure’,” she says. “It was $500 for two hours’ work.”

Engle says she didn’t become aware of Morrissey’s political views until the album was announced and a friend emailed to question her involvement. “It’s a very weak argument to claim ignorance,” she says, “but it is my argument. It’s not an excuse but it happens to be the truth.”

Morrissey’s manager, Peter Katsis, says he is unaware of statements made by any guest vocalists, but that the intention of the covers album was supposed to be fun. “This is where his head is at,” he says. “Maybe enough has been said with the last few albums being political.” Of Morrissey’s political views, Katsis says: “I manage his artistic career and sometimes I have to deal with things he says, but it’s not for me to comment.”

Chiccarelli echoes Katsis’s sentiment. “I can’t speak to Moz’s politics,” he says. “I’m a record-maker. I’ve known him 10 years and he’s been a gentleman and a pleasure. I consider him a friend.” When asked about the far-right figures for whom Morrissey has expressed support, Chiccarelli says: “I’d really have to research it and see if it crossed a particular line for me.”

Engle says that learning of Morrissey’s political opinions has left a “bad taste”, and that she stands in opposition to his views. “The inflammatory things he says are not my politics. I think he’s completely out of line. I grew up around multiculturalism and I am the product of multiculturalism and immigration. I feel like I’ve been had, but it’s my fault.”

The American singer LP offered a statement through a PR representative: “As I’m a huge fan of his music and poetry, I was honoured to be asked to collaborate on the album.” Representatives for Lydia Night of California band the Regrettes offered no comment, but the 18-year-old told punk magazine Kerrang!: “I’ve grown up loving the Smiths – my cat’s name is Morrissey!” Representatives for Armstrong said he was in the studio and therefore unreachable.

The guest stars on California Son are all North American, suggesting a difference between perceptions of the former Smiths frontman in the US and UK. Katsis, who is American, sees the critical focus on Morrissey’s politics as a British preoccupation.

“I don’t think they know enough about it to care about it,” he says of Morrissey’s US fans. “I don’t feel knowledgable enough to comment on British politics, therefore it’s probably not as important to me or the international fans as it is to UK fans. This whole thing has had me perplexed. The subjects are very complicated and dividing.”

The figures bear out Morrissey’s enduring support across the Atlantic. He ended 2018 with arena shows in North and South America, and has announced his first Canadian tour in 20 years for this April. In November 2017, Los Angeles City Council declared 10 November “Morrissey Day”.

“In America, he tends to be seen as the rock star who sang about queer life and spoke openly about feminism when nobody else did,” says Rolling Stone critic Rob Sheffield. “These two images define him, and he’s still seen in terms of his pioneering place in history. His grumpy old age is not really held against him. Americans tend not to follow UK politics very closely, so when he makes mind-blowingly offensive statements there might be outrage or humiliation for a few days, or hours, but then it’s back to listening to The Queen Is Dead”.




Media coverage:
 
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The piece is titled
'I feel like I've been had': Morrissey's collaborators respond to his politics

yet they don't say who said this, it's pretty obvious because no one did.

Ariel Engle said it. It's in the article.
 
"Author" Dave Haslam. I'm sick now. That's DJ at a shady club where he watched people OD. It was hard drug CENTRAL for hundreds of miles around, and all that comes with that scene. He played talented peoples records for people who were wasting away. For years and years. The title of his "book" cracks me up. You giant douche!
 
fact is rather than feel "had" by Moz, just feel sorry for him, his racism is by mental defect more than anything else really and its not some uncommon one, its the same kind millions of other Brits have, the shit that lead to Brexit and a no deal Brexit at that which will shrink your economy and lead to border crossing check points in North Ireland for people to blow up again, enjoy, there is a very real price for xenophobia :thumb:
 
Reckon what I like most about The California Son is how much he hates the uk and other foreigners, but he will take their money faster than it takes them to eat a Big Mac and that is REALLY fast in nn nn n din't n n it.
 
I've not read the thread properly. But I think it's about racism. What should I say?. I'm not comfortable with other people but I'm not about to garrote them. I'm gay for chrissakes, I've been through prejudice all my life. People are different and you blame them for being different.
.. Especially when things go wrong. I don't hate them though. I have racist views but I would not discriminate.
 
I think it's about time that people said they are racist and didn't live in fear. I worry about the country I was born in. This word 'racist' seems to be bandied around as though its the worse thing you could ever be. I don't like people of different races to me. After saying that though, I would never hurt them. My friend Mark was a black man and he loved Morrissey. We'd listen to the Smiths on many a night. But don't stop me being racist. I distinguish between races. Being racist is an arbitrary condition.
 
Amusing that any muso would not be aware that morrissey might have views. Not like he just decided to have some views this year. Rather than bleating 'duped' I'd be questioning my own integrity for swanning along to anything for 500 bucks.
 
I feel as though I'm taking racism too lightly. I apologise for that. It's a complex subject. I'll try and keep my mouth shut.
 
I think it's about time that people said they are racist and didn't live in fear. I worry about the country I was born in. This word 'racist' seems to be bandied around as though its the worse thing you could ever be. I don't like people of different races to me. After saying that though, I would never hurt them. My friend Mark was a black man and he loved Morrissey. We'd listen to the Smiths on many a night. But don't stop me being racist. I distinguish between races. Being racist is an arbitrary condition.

GO. f***. YOURSELF.

You are genuinely saying you want to live somewhere where people can be openly racist, and you're saying this in defence of a singer.

GO.f***. YOURSELF.

And good luck finding a place that fits your desires.
 
The past week or so has shocked me really, with regard as to how devious our media is here in the UK, The Tommy Robinson documentary, irrespective of peoples views of him showed what low life lying scum the BBC are prepared to be if they decide they want to have a go at you, and this is no different, The Guardian have decided to ask everyone they could find who worked on this record to see if they could find a dissenting voice, they couldn't.
The piece is titled
'I feel like I've been had': Morrissey's collaborators respond to his politics

yet they don't say who said this, it's pretty obvious because no one did. Yet the sentence that follows contains both names Billie Joe Armstrong, and Ed Droste, neither even speaking to the paper. In fact, the only negative anything is from the admitted "The only artist willing to speak with the Guardian" was a session backing vocalist who said nothing detrimental at all but claiming. "ignorance is no excuse but that's what I'm doing". It's amazing they went out to find an I've been had voice, didn't find one, and wrote it anyway. Just Like the BBC where prepared to stitch up Tommy Robinson by any means Necessary.

Read between the lines people they lie to us.

You're defending a racist in defence of a racist. Is this what it's come to?
 
This is the new normal. Folk are not arguing over whether this singer is racist or not - that's a given - we're at the point where the majority of users here are trying to find reasons to denigrate others for merely pointing it out, making the demonisation of racists demonisable in its own right.

Mad. Utterly mad.
 
GO. f***. YOURSELF.

You are genuinely saying you want to live somewhere where people can be openly racist, and you're saying this in defence of a singer.

GO.f***. YOURSELF.

And good luck finding a place that fits your desires.
I'm talking with drink Uncle. You'll have to excuse me. But I am still racist. I have certain notions about people. I distinguish between people but I Try to love them all as much. Pardon the drink.
 
Ariel Engle said it. It's in the article.

Maybe she did. Though it seems she’ll do or say anything if the price is right.
 
This is the new normal. Folk are not arguing over whether this singer is racist or not - that's a given - we're at the point where the majority of users here are trying to find reasons to denigrate others for merely pointing it out, making the demonisation of racists demonisable in its own right.

Mad. Utterly mad.

Morrissey isn't racist you dick.
 
Is this going to be the final straw. I need Morrissey Solo. But I'm coming out with stupid comments at the end of the night. I'm lonely fans. Forgive me.
 
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