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Morrissey signs to Universal, will release LP by close of year
By Aly Barchi | Published on Thursday 16 January 2014
Following a long, cold, lonesome exile, during which he claimed he no longer expected to “live long enough to experience an offer to record for a grown up label” again, Morrissey, it emerges, is now “thrilled” to have befriended the oh so grown up Universal Music via an international deal (or re-befriended, Universal being the home, via its Polydor imprint, of his last solo album too).
He has specifically signed to the mega-major’s US-based Harvest label, part of the Capital Music Group, which was previously part of EMI, and which Universal relaunched last year. The latest of a handful of new signings since then, Moz lines up with Death Grips and White Lies, amongst others. He will release a solo LP for the label in the latter half of this year. What a wonderful cop ou… I mean, coup.
Moz first hinted at the new album, his first since 2009’s ‘Years Of Refusal’, earlier this month, naming one of its tracks as ‘Istanbul’. He will, states yesterday’s press release, begin making it in earnest within the next few weeks, in France, with his long-time band and producer Joe Chiccarelli.
Capitol Music Group’s CEO Steve Barnett, for one, is beside himself with the whole thing. He sobs: “Morrissey is clearly one of music’s most important and influential artists. He is the rare soul who has stayed consistently true to his artistic vision and ethical principles since he first exploded onto the scene in the 1980s. We are so happy that he has chosen Capitol Music Group as his home and that his forthcoming album on Harvest will bring new Morrissey music to the world”.
CMG’s Executive VP Michelle Jubelirer subsequently gushes: “Morrissey is a truly singular artist whose music and live performances first captured a worldwide audience 30 years ago and never let go. He is uncompromising in his integrity, extremely devoted to his fans and an artist with a unique and needed voice in our culture. It’s so great that Morrissey is with CMG, and, more important, that he is about to record his first new album in five years”.
Steven Patrick ‘I seem to have absolutely nothing to do with the music industry’ Morrissey, ‘uncompromising’? Erm, if you say so.
