Johnny Marr talks to the BBC about The Best Of Electronic

I think Johnny wants to do it again, but Barney ain't so keen, who knows thou... If Freebass takes off (or should I say gets on the runway) maybe Barney will get itchy fingers...

in that interview he said they have all this stuff like soviet that is unreleased. I would love an album with just instrumentals

Its more likely than NewOrder carrying on for another 10 years. Although cant see them doing film scores,can you?

I tend to think this boat has sailed. A real shame as I think Electronic, stands up as one of my favourite albums of all time; certainly in my top ten from the 90s, and I'm eternally grateful as is was a major access point into New Order, JD etc. Loved it (guess that's why I just parted with 40+ notes for the tighten up edit!)

Ally wrote: You can read or listen to the interview here.

Not a bad interview, sounds like the Barney and Johnny actually did have a fair amount of influence over Get The Message and its track listing. Marr mentions the record label were breathing down their neck for a compilation which is basically why we got one I.e. contractual obligations. Wonder how he feels about the abserlutely shocking position it went in at! (UK #194) I haven't seen such a hatchet job done on an album's promotion since Other Two's Super highways

Marr hints at a possible future for Electronic in the form of film scores, sounds a bit pie in the sky to me. With New Order still going strong and Marr joining Modest Mouse I reckon we've seen the last of them.

Thanks to Feel Every Beat for the heads up :)

Slighty OT, however Johnny has been recording with Neil Finn at Real World Studios. Can't wait for Neil's new record.

Electronic getting back together for a soundtrack CD? More chance of Ian coming back from the dead to do a duet with Melanie C.

Take a Run on the Wild side wrote:

Marr hints at a possible future for Electronic in the form of film scores, sounds a bit pie in the sky to me. With New Order still going strong and Marr joining Modest Mouse I reckon we've seen the last of them.

Thanks to Feel Every Beat for the heads up :)

uhm... :(

who knows, perhaps this idea is not so crazy after all.

Who knows? They seem to enjoy each other's company and have the same musical tastes....I wouldn't be surprised if they got together on something that wasn't a studio album.:)

With the rumors of The Smiths getting back together circulating, I think ANYTHING's possible :)

hope they don't. that last album was shite.

Isamu wrote: With the rumors of The Smiths getting back together circulating, I think ANYTHING's possible :)

The Smiths arent getting back together. Its not happenning. Ever. And some of us are grateful as we'd rather hear "The National Front Disco" than "Girlfriend in a Coma"

ally wrote:

Indeed. The Smiths are the only band I would bet hard cash on never reforming

Ally...Do you have cold hard proof that they would...

********************N----E----V----E----R*********************

...get back together?

I mean:

No one *E-V-E-R* thought Sting would get back with The Police.

No one *E-V-E-R* thought The Pixies would release another album and tour again.

No one *E-V-E-R* thought Bryan Ferry would get back with Roxy music.

No one *E-V-E-R* thought Michael Jackson would team up with Paul McCarthey for another duet.

No one *E-V-E-R* thought the Eagles would get back together.

No one *E-V-E-R* thought LOL would rejoin The Cure.

...and yet ALL these things happened Ally! Ally, you *DO* realize that time heals wounds, right? You *DO* realize that money, and lack of it, causes people to put their beefs behind them if it means putting food on the table, right? So tell me, are Moz', Marr's, Andy's and the other guy's grudges so strong that NO MATTER WHAT they would never work together again? I don't think so. Think about it. It's got to happen sooner or later.

In the words of Depeche Mode, it's just a question of time :)

If Morrissey ever works with Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and Johnny Marr again as The Smiths, I will eat Alan Wise's hat.

More chance of Bob Mould and Grant Hart agreeing to reform the Huskers than that!

Anyone who wants a Smiths reunion doesn't like The Smiths. They're my favourite band and the idea appalls me. Well, it would do if it was a remote possibility.

Mad Cyril wrote: If Morrissey ever works with Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and Johnny Marr again as The Smiths, I will eat Alan Wise's hat.

More chance of Bob Mould and Grant Hart agreeing to reform the Huskers than that!

Now that would be something

They did appear on stage together a couple of years ago,for a couple of numbers at a benefit gig for someone,cant mind who,where or when though.

ally wrote:

Isamu wrote: So tell me, are Moz', Marr's, Andy's and the other guy's grudges so strong that NO MATTER WHAT they would never work together again? I don't think so. Think about it. It's got to happen sooner or later.

OK, I'll tell you then!

Joyce and to a lesser extent Rourke took Morrissey to court 10 years ago and succeeded in taking 1 million pounds off him. Understandably, Mozzer would rather see Joyce behind some gallows instead of a drumkit. Morrissey's latest comment of "eat my testicles" rather than work with any of The Smiths again is understandable... I would sort of feel the same way if one of my previous bandmates had taken me to the cleaners legally.

Rourke recently excluded Joyce from Manchester vs Cancer due to Marr not wanting to share a stage with him.

The only salvagable relationship would be Morrissey and Marr but Morrissey has a successful solo career with decent chart positions, singles and gig money rolling in. Aside from a lump sum payment for a Smiths reunion what else would he stand to gain? Nothing.

But don't take my word for it... if you really want to read why The Smiths will never reform then read this!

Er, think about it!

Yeah, I knew about the whole Joyce and Rourke court thing but I didn't know about it to that extent. Man, what a mess they've put themselves in. It truly is unfortunate but I'm still holding out hope.

Just out of curiousity, how recent are those comments from Moz? Has he said anything in the last year regarding how he feels about a reunion?

Also, is there any beef whatsoever between Moz and Marr? I wouldn't mind a reunion with just those two :)

OK I take back what I said...I want to see a Smiths reunion MINUS Mike Joyce!! Infact, after reading this, I officially WANNA KILL MIKE JOYCE! What a completely and perfectly round asshole!!

Statement from Morrissey:

The latest statements from M Joyce on a BBC 6 radio interview as faithfully reported on the MorrisseySoLow site have been brought to my attention and I feel I should make this reply as an attempt to put the matter straight.

1. From '83 to '87 M Joyce happily and willingly received 10% of Smiths recording royalties.

2. In '89, as is documented, Joyce sued Morrissey & Marr for 25% of Smiths recording royalties.

3. In '96, Joyce took his claim to court - and on the basis of the 1890 Partnership Act the judge awarded Joyce 25%.

4. In '97, M Joyce was paid 215 thousand pounds from me, and 215 thousand pounds from Johnny Marr.

5. In '99, Joyce appeared on British television and made the statement: "There was no contract saying we were gonna get 25%."

6. In 2001, as a final payment of back royalties, Johnny Marr paid Joyce 260 thousand pounds, plus "costs." At this time I was in the US and was not served with court proceedings, so Joyce obtained a Default Judgment. He then put forward a claim from me for 688 thousand pounds - well above and beyond the amount Johnny Marr was ordered to pay. In my absence, the figure was not contested.

7. Since 2001, and because of the Default Judgment against me, Joyce has taken out Third Party Orders against the following societies: my personal bank account in England, Smiths royalties from Warner Music, my personal PRS royalties, my personal PPL royalties, and he has attempted to seize UK concert fees from venue to venue. This money, to date, totals 700 thousand pounds. This figure is in addition to the figures mentioned above.

8. By grabbing the full total of Smiths royalties from Warner Music (and this means that when the public buy a Smiths CD in the UK, the royalties go to Joyce, and have done so since 2001) Joyce has knowingly deprived Andy Rourke of his 10% Smiths royalties, and has deprived producers John Porter, Stephen Street, Grant Showbiz and Steve Lillywhite (for "Ask") of their entitlements. Joyce did not declare to the courts that others - namely, the above - were also beneficiaries to the Warner Music royalties.

9. In 2001, Joyce attempted to seize both my mother's house and my sister's house by claiming that I had taken my assets out of the UK; he made this claim even though he had direct access to all of the above – which are in the UK. Joyce eventually dropped both of these claims due to lack of evidence, and he refused to pay the 150 thousand pounds that it had cost me to defend his groundless claims. Joyce also dropped his claim as co-composer with Johnny M on Smiths compositions, and Joyce also dropped his claim for Producer royalties on Smiths recordings, and Joyce also dropped his claim for a share of Artwork payments given to me for providing Smiths record sleeves. There were, in fact, no payments to me for Smiths Artwork. Joyce made a further claim for 25% of all Smiths t-shirts sold during the '83 to '87 period, even though there was no evidence that any royalty for t-shirts had been received by either myself or Johnny Marr.

10. In legal fees alone, Joyce has cost me 600 thousand pounds - this is quite apart from any payments made to him, and is quite apart from any money seized by him. In total, Joyce has cost me 1 million, 515 thousand pounds. This is an approximate figure - it could even be higher.

11. The Joyce action is continuous. Because of his Default Judgment he continues to take my royalties, and the royalties of others mentioned above, from Warner Music - consequently I have not received record royalties since 2001.

12. Since 2001, the money claimed by Joyce is charged, to me, at 100 pounds a day in interest.

13. During the Smiths' lifetime, when Joyce willingly took a 10% royalty, he did not contribute towards any expenses of any kind, did not take on any Partnership duties or responsibilities, and he received his 10% as gross earnings.

The point I wish to make is this: Joyce is not poor, unless, living as he does in the Cheshire green-belt, he lives beyond his means. Somehow, he appears to believe that he should have equal financial status to both myself and to Johnny Marr, even though Joyce has done dramatically less than Johnny and I to attain the positions we now have.

Joyce is not poor because of one reason - me. His career now is the fictitious position of an unpaid ex-member of the Smiths. He has also pursued all of his claims on Legal Aid.

I don't make this statement in search of sympathy from anyone, but I wish that the people at MorrisseySoLow who support Joyce would at least get their facts right before they say anything. Even with his 10% share, Joyce was wealthy. Now, he is extremely wealthy.

What more does he want?

I have fought the Joyce action as much as I could over the years, but the simple truth is that, under British law, the word of a judge will not be overturned. In the absence of any evidence from the 1980s, the judge in this case relied upon the Partnership Act of 1890 to help Joyce win his claim. Joyce has exploited the judge's final verdict in order to get as much as he can from me, from Johnny Marr, and also from Andy Rourke.

Finally, Joyce does not have the legal right to sell unreleased Smiths material - it belongs to Warner Music. Joyce did not pay for the recording time under which any demo material was recorded. Furthermore, Joyce cannot sell any unreleased work by Johnny Marr or Andy Rourke without, at very least, their permission.

Thanks for reading this, MORRISSEY.

Hope Moz hires some hit men to knock Joyce off...

Thanks Ally for the link.

gazman wrote:

Mad Cyril wrote: If Morrissey ever works with Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and Johnny Marr again as The Smiths, I will eat Alan Wise's hat.

More chance of Bob Mould and Grant Hart agreeing to reform the Huskers than that!

Now that would be something

They did appear on stage together a couple of years ago,for a couple of numbers at a benefit gig for someone,cant mind who,where or when though.

I'll send it you with the other stuff that will be in the post on Monday

Mad Cyril wrote:

gazman wrote:

Mad Cyril wrote: If Morrissey ever works with Mike Joyce, Andy Rourke and Johnny Marr again as The Smiths, I will eat Alan Wise's hat.

More chance of Bob Mould and Grant Hart agreeing to reform the Huskers than that!

Now that would be something

They did appear on stage together a couple of years ago,for a couple of numbers at a benefit gig for someone,cant mind who,where or when though.

I'll send it you with the other stuff that will be in the post on Monday

Straight to the top of the Chrimbo card list Tim,

Pacific707 wrote: in that interview he said they have all this stuff like soviet that is unreleased. I would love an album with just instrumentals

Yeah, if really only to get 'Free Will' on CD. That is such a great track, the bassline and the sound of drums, very early 90's. You won't really hear those type of sounds again!

i pray smiths would never reform.where would they play for a start ? with the amount of people going to see them ? wembley stadium ? they would sound shite in a arena ! the all great thing about the smiths is that we have a start and an end with them,thats the thing that makes the legend so good. it wont fooking happen anyway

damn.its got me getting my smiths and mozzer tracks on now.its spawn a monster

Wow, never knew Joyce was such a right bastard. I hope the Moz never gets The Smiths back together.