morrissey 3

Morrisey is passionately asking fans NOT to buy albums/singles.

Hitting the shelves late this year will be a box sets dedicated to Morriseys/Smiths music, “the singles 7” 89′-91′ “released on October 12th. Twinned by a the HMV/Parlophone singles 91′-95′ on November 2nd. Both sets will contain around 9 (according to the NME) 7″ singles complete with B sides and with the optional original packagin.

However an statement has been issued by Morrissey regarding a royalty crisis:

Morrissey would like it to be known that he has not been consulted by EMI/HMV/Parlophone with regards to two forthcoming boxed sets of Morrissey singles. Morrissey does not approve such releases and would ask people not to bother buying them. Morrissey receives no royalty payments from EMI for any back catalogue, and has not received a royalty from EMI since 1992. Morrissey also does not approve of, and was not consulted on, the Rhino box of Smiths CDs, or the Warner releases of Smiths LPs on 180 gramme vinyl. Morrissey last received a royalty payment from Warners ten years ago, and, once again, he would ask people not to bother buying the reissued LPs or CDs.

But there is an enormous amount of fans of either Morrissey or just music in general that don’t necessarily feel that anything wrong has occurred. Rumours are flying that Morrissey signed a contract to release royalty rights to the mentioned distributers, for a large undisclosed figure and cannot acctually claim rights for Smiths music between 1989-95.

RouteNote though, for what its worth are with Morrissey. What do you think?