Morten Harket, of a-ha, is interviewed in the biggest paper in Norway today.

When Morten met Morrissey, it was a peculiar meeting, according to our man in a-ha.

When Morrissey played the Quart festival in Norway in 2004, he introduced himself as Morten...

My translation into English, from the web page of VG:

Harket comments on Morrisseys tribute this way:
- I have met him, he had big erection challenges in my presence. We met in New Orleans in the 1980s.

On Friday i went along to the launch of the weightily titled "Morrissey : Fandom, Representations and Identities" at Waterstones in Manchester.

As the title would indicate, it is an academic tome, featuring such chapters as

Chapter 5: The “Teenage Dad” and “Slum Mums” are Just “Certain People I Know”:
Counter Hegemonic Representations of the Working/Underclass in the
Works of Morrissey

Chapter 8: “Because I’ve only got Two Hands”: Western Art Undercurrents in the Poses and Gestures of Morrissey.
Andrew Cope

The event itself features a panel of various academics and self appointed Morrissey experts, and a dull as dishwater tribute band. However things took a livelier turn when the Chairman of the panel asked the inevitable "any questions?".

At this point an impressively attired young man (who turned out to be Morrissey's nephew) stood up and said "Yes, Morrissey has". Whipping out and Ipad, he proceeded to read out a statement sent by Morrissey himself pointing out various factual inaccuracies in the book, taking particular exception to a statement in the book that Morrissey had his voice altered technologically on his last album.

The panel, and particularly the author, were ashen faced, and the night ground to a halt not long after that.

All in all, a highly entertaining evening.

I´m sorry, but I can´t stop laughing.

Best Bonus/Extra tracks on CD reissues?

Prey silence please for: -

'Candidate' - David Bowie: - altogether now 'a cock ain't a cock on 12 inch screen''

'Just Like Starting Over - Lennon - from the new Double Fantasy Stripped Down affair - breathes new life into an old standard

'Piccadilly Palare' - Morrissey - from the new Bona Drag re-issue, sound quality has been vastly improved, extra verse is okay-ish but a great great song none the less

As ever....anymore for anymore!?!

Great episode of Monitor about Shelagh Delaney on BBC Four last night - must-see for anyone interested in the influences of both the Smiths and Morrissey: -

Shelagh Delaney's Salford

Here we go again...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/sep/03/morrissey-china-subspecies-r...

"How was school today"?
"Well we went to Kew Gardens with a sarcastic man with a quiff and then a woman came along and sang us a depressing song"

Later I read an interview with Morrissey where he was asked what he thought about his former Smiths bandmate (Marr) making Italo disco records, to which he replied something like: "I just don't understand why he would want to."

To that I say: Fuck you, Morrissey. That Electronic single alone is better than every album you made post-Viva Hate.

From a rather touching post from a US blogger on his Anglophilia as a teen. Kind of hard to argue with the post-Viva Hate bit actually; 'Getting Away With It' was pretty stonking.

http://chartrigger.blogspot.com/2010/03/throwback-getting-away-with-it-a...

Here is the 'Flowers of Romance' hitmaker John Lydon with a lesson in stage etiquette that Mozzer may like to pay attention to next time he gets a plastic beer pot in the boat.

Mozzer, *this* is how you deal with those annoying morons who pay good money for both beer and a ticket and then don't drink the beer but try and ruin the gig with it instead.

Almighty verbal shoeing commences at 3:24

Morrissey Bobble Head Statue

if only this came with tiny plastic water bottles - see how his head would bobble then.

from the desert island?

The answer: not a great deal. Sure, he was witty at times, but he treated every attempt at introducing depth to the conversation with his usual flippancy. Considering that he thought he had achieved some wisdom at the age of fifty,and was a different person from his younger self, the themes of his answers were entirely redolent of those he regularly expressed in the NME twenty-odd years ago.

I also think he knows very well why the Smiths' legacy still fascinates. He was always a keen student of group mythologies, and must know that whatever he has done since will never have the same musical and cultural impact; indeed, he tacitly acknowledges this in concert by playing more and more Smiths songs.
His choice of records and book were also entirely as I predicted to the GLW before the programme, apart from the blessed Sandie Shaw.

Maybe I was expecting too much, but Mozzer, this was really nothing.

Any other thoughts?

I don't know if anyone has posted already, but Johnny Marr will be on BBC 1 North West on Monday evening @ 7.30pm. He reportedly chats about his relationship, such as it is, with Mozzer. I believe Sky subscribers can watch this and there is also the iPlayer.
http://bit.ly/4tqQf2

Morrissey collapses 20 mins into Swindon gig. Doesn't sound good.

http://www.electricroulette.com/2009/10/breaking-news-morrissey-collapse...

Someone posted here just a minute ago about how s/he wants to investigate certain artists but hasn't had the time yet, hasn't been grabbed by them so far or is struggling to overcome a blindspot in regard to those artists. I thought it was quite an interesting topic and tried to reply but the post had vanished!

Anyway since the poster mentioned R.E.M., Blur, The Smiths, Roxy and Nick Drake I made a little playlist for them showcasing what I feel is the best of those acts.

http://open.spotify.com/user/bossrc20/playlist/5G5sZ5ZbGsqt5cc0qvUfGT

R.E.M. - Country Feedback
Blur - This is a Low
Smiths - Please... Let Me Get What I Want
Nick Drake - River Man
Roxy Music - Streetlife

The first three choices attempt to disprove the conventional stereotype of those acts - so the R.E.M. one isn't jangly or whiny, the Blur one has no cheeky chappy chimney sweepness, and the Smiths one... well, it's still a bit depressing, but you can't picture Morrissey swinging gladioli to it.

As for the other Roxy and Drake choices... well, if you don't like those tracks, don't bother investigating any further.

Bet the OP will have magically reappeared by the time I post this.

The great man is surely the most successful non-musician in music. Can anyone think of anyone else who you suspect doesn't know their way around a kazoo never mind a g-string yet has still carved out a long, successful career in rock? I bet even Mark E Smith can play guitar and many more pop poppets can probably squeeze something out of an old joanna.