Morrissey A-Z: "Ouija Board, Ouija Board"

I think the 7 songs recorded were:

November Spawned a Monster
Piccadilly Palare
He Knows I'd Love to See Him

Girl Least Likely To
Get Off the Stage
Oh Phoney
Striptease With a Difference
As far as we know. Didn't the producers say, that lots of songs ended up on the cutting room floor?
 
I shouldn't like this song, because its crap but I do, because it's fantastic.

I always assumed this was one of his first forays into self parody with the 'o double eeeeeh-eeeehfffff' being sung in a way that says 'Oh even the dead hate me, how loathsome am I?'

If it had been played straight, it would've been laughable but it was played for laughs and worked wonderfully.
 
I can remember when this first came out and I absolutely loved it..

Also one of his best ever videos with a young Kathy Burke in it..

Yes it’s an odd song...

Aren’t a great deal of his songs odd??

Joan and Cathy 10/
Moz hair/ 10
 
I think this is one of his classic songs, right up there with "November Spawn A Monster" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday". Both funny and dramatic.
 
I remember doing the Scottish tour and while listening to the latest version of his greatest hits and saying to my wife that ouija board would be a song that he'll never sing again.It was never one of my favourite songs but I know I keep going on about hearing songs sung live but this is a case in point.When Morrissey first started to sing it and the penny dropped I absolutely loved it.
 
Following on the heels of singles like Suedehead’ EILS’ Playboys and Interesting Drug, it felt more like a disappointment at the tim, which doesn’t mean it was bad, just not as brilliant as the others. Taken over his entire carree, it stands up well.
 
I can't say that I really dislike the song, but it should never have been released as a single. Stephen Street has said that he didn't envisage it as a single release, and it's no surprise that it broke the run of top 10 hits.

I think that lyrically it set a worrying trend of Morrissey releasing singles with disposable subject matter. Far too many a-sides from this point on were throwaway and I think that played a part (among many other factors) in his reputation declining up to 1997... The hardcore fans enjoyed some of the singles, but the critics hated most of them.

In the poll on the Hoffman board this ranked 118th from 264 solo songs.
His reputation didn't really decline continuously from 1989 to 1997.
89, 90 and 91 were a pretty low ebb but Your Arsenal got good reviews in 92, and in 94 he probably received his best ever reviews (Vauxhall), his first top 10 single for 5 years and a number 1 album. Things tailed off with Southpaw but Maladjusted saw him with a bit of a commercial revival as Alma Matters got him back in the top 20 and was A-listed on Radio 1. So, his fortunes were up and down in the 90's, really.
 
His reputation didn't really decline continuously from 1989 to 1997.
89, 90 and 91 were a pretty low ebb but Your Arsenal got good reviews in 92, and in 94 he probably received his best ever reviews (Vauxhall), his first top 10 single for 5 years and a number 1 album. Things tailed off with Southpaw but Maladjusted saw him with a bit of a commercial revival as Alma Matters got him back in the top 20 and was A-listed on Radio 1. So, his fortunes were up and down in the 90's, really.
Can remember Alma charting well and being over the moon ...
You’ve summed the 90s up well👍
 
Can remember Alma charting well and being over the moon ...
You’ve summed the 90s up well👍
Thanks! Yeah, it was good to see him back in the top 20 and on Top of the Pops after quite a gap.
I remember my housemate (who had zero interest in so-called indie music) singing along to Alma coz it was on Radio 1 the whole time!
 
His reputation didn't really decline continuously from 1989 to 1997.
89, 90 and 91 were a pretty low ebb but Your Arsenal got good reviews in 92, and in 94 he probably received his best ever reviews (Vauxhall), his first top 10 single for 5 years and a number 1 album. Things tailed off with Southpaw but Maladjusted saw him with a bit of a commercial revival as Alma Matters got him back in the top 20 and was A-listed on Radio 1. So, his fortunes were up and down in the 90's, really.
I didn't say that it did.

I mentioned that the throwaway singles played a part in his declining reputation and I stand by that. The More You Ignore Me was the one that received both critical praise and commercial success, but far too many were disposable and lyrically flippant.

Alma Matters did indeed make it into the top 20, but I don't think 1997 could really be seen as a bit of a commercial revival for Morrissey. Hence him not releasing any new material for 7 years.
 
Thanks! Yeah, it was good to see him back in the top 20 and on Top of the Pops after quite a gap.
I remember my housemate (who had zero interest in so-called indie music) singing along to Alma coz it was on Radio 1 the whole time!
Morrissey on wireless 1....
Well it was the last century ⚰️
🆘
 
His reputation didn't really decline continuously from 1989 to 1997.
89, 90 and 91 were a pretty low ebb but Your Arsenal got good reviews in 92, and in 94 he probably received his best ever reviews (Vauxhall), his first top 10 single for 5 years and a number 1 album. Things tailed off with Southpaw but Maladjusted saw him with a bit of a commercial revival as Alma Matters got him back in the top 20 and was A-listed on Radio 1. So, his fortunes were up and down in the 90's, really.
Agree re: Southpaw. Critics and fans alike were anticipating something incredible to follow up Vauxhall and they got Southpaw.

By this release Britpop was flourishing and Moz was the old guard for the first time. The kids no longer cared.

By Maladjusted, even he himself no longer cared as he outlines in Autobiography and with both Jake and critical approval long gone, the Irish exile followed by the US exile, began.
 
I remember doing the Scottish tour and while listening to the latest version of his greatest hits and saying to my wife that ouija board would be a song that he'll never sing again.It was never one of my favourite songs but I know I keep going on about hearing songs sung live but this is a case in point.When Morrissey first started to sing it and the penny dropped I absolutely loved it.
It's a point worth repeating. Lots of the songs make more sense and connect better live.
 
Funny and dramatic is a pretty good summation and the fact that it was making fun of his persona was also funny especially at this time. It’s also very very catchy and jaunty
 
I remember doing the Scottish tour and while listening to the latest version of his greatest hits and saying to my wife that ouija board would be a song that he'll never sing again.It was never one of my favourite songs but I know I keep going on about hearing songs sung live but this is a case in point.When Morrissey first started to sing it and the penny dropped I absolutely loved it.
Was that at Perth/Inverness when he did it towards the end? That was a couple of months that.
 
I can't remember as the five gigs in seven days blend into each other,but what a tour the venues were fantastic and meeting fellow fanatics was great.
 
I can't remember as the five gigs in seven days blend into each other,but what a tour the venues were fantastic and meeting fellow fanatics was great.
The whole 2011 European tour was brilliant
24 gigs in 7 weeks. The U.K. and Ireland venues alone were exceptional.
 
I used to use Ouija as inspiration to write poetry for a class. I'd play it repeatedly at the beginning of a writing session. I have no idea why that song worked for me. Got great grades and output from those writing sessions. 😄 Never revealed my secret til now. 👍
 
I've always adored the video, Kathy Burke, Joan Sim and when he falls backwards off his chair is so camp it's hilarious.
 
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