Morrissey

For other uses, see Morrissey (disambiguation).

Morrissey

Steven Patrick Morrissey (/ˈmɒrɪsiː/; born May 22, 1959), known by his surname Morrissey, is an English singer and lyricist from Manchester, England. He rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey began a solo career, which led to ten Top 10 singles in the United Kingdom.

Biography

Morrissey was born in Park Hospital, now known as Trafford General Hospital in Davyhulme, on 22 May 1959 to Irish Catholic immigrants. His father, Peter Morrissey, was a hospital porter, and his mother, Elizabeth Dwyer, was a librarian. His parents had emigrated to England just before Morrissey's birth and, along with his elder sister Jackie, Morrissey was raised in Harper Street in Hulme, Manchester. In 1965, the family moved to Queens Square in Hulme near Moss Side. They moved to 384 Kings Road in the slightly more upmarket suburb of Stretford in 1969, when many of the old terraced streets were being demolished. Morrissey has maintained a strong attachment to his mother throughout his life; his relationship with his father, however, suffered much strain over the years, and eventually became largely nonexistent.

As a child, Morrissey developed a number of interests and role models that marked him out among his peers, including '60s girl groups, and female singers such as Sandie Shaw, Marianne Faithfull and Timi Yuro. He was also interested in the kitchen sink dramas of the late 1950s and early 1960s, Coronation Street's Elsie Tanner, actor James Dean, as well as authors Oscar Wilde and Shelagh Delaney. The Moors Murders of the early 1960s had a large impact on him as a child, causing him to later respond with the controversially received track "Suffer Little Children".

In adolescence, Morrissey's athletic ability saved him to a large degree from bullying. Nevertheless, he has described this period as a time when he was often lonely and depressed. As a teenager, he began taking prescription drugs to help combat the depression that would later follow him throughout his life. He attended St Mary's Secondary Modern School and Stretford Technical School, where he passed Three O levels, including English Literature. He then worked briefly for the Inland Revenue, but ultimately decided to "go on the dole," sequestering himself in his room in his mother's home to concentrate on writing, reading, and listening to music. As of 1974, he regularly wrote letters (as Steve Morrissey) to music magazines such as Melody Maker and the New Musical Express, giving his forthright opinions on various bands. Morrissey's letters to a penpal friend in 1981 surfaced online over 20 years later.

Morrissey would sometimes venture out to see bands at local Manchester venues; the first such occasion being T.Rex at Belle Vue in 1972. He was taken there by his father, fearing for his safety in the notoriously rough district. He chose to wear a purple satin jacket, not the best way of avoiding unwanted attention. Morrissey has described the occasion as "messianic and complete chaos".

Early stages: first bands and writing career

See also: The Nosebleeds and Slaughter & The Dogs

Throughout the 1970s, a teenage Morrissey acted as president of the UK branch of the New York Dolls fan club. He articulated his love for the group in a recent biopic of ex Doll Arthur Kane: "Some bands grab you and they never let you go and, no matter what they do, they can never let you down... the Dolls were that for me." This New York Dolls influence made Morrissey an early convert to punk rock. Morrissey , then still with forename, briefly fronted The Nosebleeds in 1978, who by that time included Billy Duffy on guitar. They played a number of concerts, including one supporting Magazine, which resulted in a New Musical Express review by Paul Morley.

Morrissey wrote several songs with Duffy, such as "Peppermint Heaven", "I Get Nervous" and "(I Think) I'm Ready for the Electric Chair", but none were recorded during the band's short lifespan, which ended the same year. After the Nosebleeds' split, Morrissey followed Duffy to join Slaughter & the Dogs, briefly replacing original singer Wayne Barrett. He recorded four songs with the band and they auditioned for a record deal in London. After the audition fell through, Slaughter & the Dogs became The Studio Sweethearts without Morrissey.

Morrissey for the time interrupted his music career, focusing instead on writing on popular culture. He published two works with Babylon Books: The New York Dolls (1981), about his favourite band; and James Dean Is Not Dead (1983), about Dean's brief career. A third book, Exit Smiling, which was actually written first (in 1980) and which dealt with obscure B-movie actors, was initially rejected and remained unpublished until 1998, when Morrissey had become a famous person and Babylon decided to publish it after all.

The Smiths

Main article: The Smiths

In 1982, Morrissey and guitarist Johnny Marr formed The Smiths, widely regarded as one of the most influential bands of the post-punk 1980s. They have been consistently acclaimed by the music press, most infamously the NME, whose seeming obsession with the band earned them the nickname the "New Morrissey Express". At the start of The Smiths, Morrissey decided to drop his forename, which he until then had used both in his publications and while a member of The Nosebleeds and Slaughter & the Dogs.

Signature themes of The Smiths' work include Morrissey's darkly witty lyrics and Marr's melodic and thickly layered music. The band became a success in the UK, Ireland, and Australia, and grew into a cult phenomenon in the United States of America, where the band became known on college radio charts with songs such as "How Soon Is Now?" and "Panic." The band broke up in 1987 after Marr and Morrissey fell out over musical differences. Allegedly, Marr grew tired of the '60s pop fixation, didn't wish to perform cover songs of '60s British pop stars, and wanted to experiment with a wider array of styles in the Smiths' music. Morrissey grew even more rigid in his recording methods, often recording his vocals alone, after the music tracks had already been laid (a technique also used by David Bowie). In 1989, in an unusual interview with young fan Tim Samuels (who later became a BBC journalist) Morrissey said that the lack of a managerial figure and business problems were to blame for the spilt. The band released four proper studio albums and several compilations between 1984 and their breakup, including 1986's The Queen Is Dead, which has been placed highly on a number of critical "Greatest Album" lists.

Solo career

1987-1993

Following The Smiths' split, Morrissey's first solo album, Viva Hate, was released in 1988. To create the album, Morrissey teamed up with former Smiths producer Stephen Street, Vini Reilly of Durutti Column, and drummer Andrew Paresi. The prevailing sound of the album is jangle pop, similar to that of the Smiths, though Reilly's guitar work adds more abrasive and atmospheric elements to the work. Viva Hate reached number one upon release, supported by such strong singles as "Suedehead" and "Everyday Is Like Sunday." Bona Drag (1990) collected these early singles along with further non-album cuts such as "November Spawned a Monster" and "Ouija Board, Ouija Board," along with the b-sides "Hairdresser on Fire". Mark Nevin's songwriting services were employed for the studio follow-up to Viva Hate, titled Kill Uncle. The album continued in a similar musical vein.

The band Morrissey assembled in 1991 for his Kill Uncle tour went on to record 1992's hit album Your Arsenal. Composition duties were split between guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte, who have been the core of Morrissey's band ever since. Your Arsenal was produced by former David Bowie guitarist Mick Ronson, and earned a Grammy nomination for best alternative album.

Mid 1990s

The year 1994 brought Morrissey back to number one in the UK, with Vauxhall and I. One of the album's songs, "The More You Ignore Me, The Closer I Get," enjoyed chart success as a single, reaching number eight in the UK and number 46 in the US. That year, he also released a single "Interlude" in duet with one of his all-time favourite singers: Siouxsie of Siouxsie & the Banshees. Further albums Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted were less well received critically and commercially. These albums included the songs "Reader Meet Author" and "Trouble Loves Me," both of which are still occasionally included in live set lists.

Morrissey relocated from his Dublin home to Los Angeles in the late 1990s, partially to escape the attention of the British music press. He enjoyed a surprise connection with the Latino community there, and supposedly cut himself off from both Britain and Ireland as he built a new life for himself in California. However, his 1931-built mansion (formerly owned by Clark Gable) was sold in 2006 and he currently resides in Rome.

Resurgence in early 2000s

Template:Sound sample box align rightTemplate:Sample box end In June 2003, Sanctuary Records group announced a deal with Morrissey. He was given the one-time reggae label Attack Records as a platform to record new material and to sign new artists.

Morrissey's album You Are the Quarry was released on May 17, 2004 (one day later in the US). Guitarist Alain Whyte described the work as a mix between Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I, and the album received strong reviews. The first single, "Irish Blood, English Heart," was released internationally on May 10, 2004. The single reached number three in its first week of sales in the UK singles chart. This was the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of The Smiths (the 2006 release "You Have Killed Me" also debuted at number three in its first week in the charts). Also, it has sold over a million copies, making the album his most successful one, solo or with The Smiths.

At a Dublin concert on June 5 2004, Morrissey caused controversy by announcing the death of former US President, Ronald Reagan and stating that he would have preferred it if the current President, George W. Bush, had died.

With the release of "I Have Forgiven Jesus" in December 2004, Morrissey along with McFly became the only artists to score four top-10 hits in the UK singles chart that year.

In August of 2004, Morrissey was slated to headline a week-long set of shows on Craig Kilborn's The Late Late Show. Morrissey did not perform every night of the weeklong series due to a throat illness. He did, however, perform the following week.

Morrissey's next album was titled Ringleader of the Tormentors, which debuted at number one in the UK album charts. The album cover is an allusion to the iconic Deutsche Grammophon record cover logo and design, with Morrissey posing as a violinist after the classic photos of Jascha Heifetz or Yehudi Menuhin. Recorded in Rome, it was released internationally on April 3, 2006, and one day later in North America. The album was produced by Tony Visconti, who has also worked with T. Rex and David Bowie. The subsequent 2006 international tour included more than two dozen gigs in the UK, including concerts at the London Palladium on three consecutive Sundays. Just prior to the album's release, Morrissey was photographed in Rome by Bryan Adams for the cover of 'Zoo Magazine'.

Morrissey was scheduled to appear at the 2005 Benicassim festival in Spain but pulled out at the last minute. To make up for this he played at the 2006 Benicassim festival and sarcastically refered to his no-show the previous year by telling the crowd 'It's nice of you to show up'.

On 9th January 2007, the BBC confirmed that it was in talks with Morrissey for him to write a song for the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest. Morrissey is noted for being a fan of the contest, and the video for the single You Have Killed Me was seen by many as an affectionate homage to the style of the contest during the 1970s. If an agreement could be made, Morrissey would be writing the song for someone else, rather than performing it himself, a BBC spokesperson claimed. On 23 February 2007 the BBC ruled this out, and stated Morrissey would not be part of Britain's Eurovision entry.

Greatest Hits, Touring and a New album in 2008

In a recent interview on BBC Radio 5 Live with Tony Visconti, the producer stated that his new project would be "the next Morrissey album", though that this would not be forthcoming for at least a year. However, an interview with the BBC News website in October 2007 stated that the album is already written, ready for a possible September 2008 release and that his deal with Sanctuary Records had come to an end. A possible deal with Warner Music had been tentatively made. In December it was announced that he has signed a new deal with Decca Records, with a Greatest Hits album and a new album proper to follow in autumn 2008. In a reaction to NME, Morrissey points out that he'd rather not be signed to a label.

New songs slated for appearance on Morrissey's future album include "Something is Squeezing My Skull" "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris" and "One Day Goodbye Will Be Farewell", unveiled at recent U.S. and European live appearances.

In August 2007, it was reported that Morrissey's residencies at Los Angeles and New York would be the last live shows he would perform for the "foreseeable future", but Morrissey himself quickly went on record saying he had made no such comments. It was also revealed he had turned down a near £40m offer to reunite with Johnny Marr on a 50 date world tour. The news has however been denied by people close to Morrissey.

In January of 2008, after four sold-out dates in France, Morrissey planned to play six consecutive shows at The Roundhouse in London, followed by a further three dates in Doncaster, Sunderland and Edinburgh. However, four songs into the fourth night at The Roundhouse, Morrissey was struggling vocally and left the stage, illness later being cited as a reason for this. The final dates at The Roundhouse were canceled.

Despite lukewarm reviews, especially in the NME, the lack of airplay on British radio (except on XFM), and even the incredulity of fan sites, "That's How People Grow Up" managed to reach Top 15, reaching the 14th place of British charts and the 25th place in Germany.

February 2008 saw the release of Morrissey's third "Greatest Hits" album. Reviews were very mixed, observing that the album only includes songs which reached the Top 15 in the charts, putting the emphasis onto new songs, making the CD more suitable for new fans than for old.{[4]} The album charted 5th in the British album chart for the week of release. A limited edition of the "Greatest Hits" album features an eight-track live CD, recorded at the Hollywood Bowl in 2007.

Image and politics

Feuds within the music industry

Reputed to be uninterested in compromise or record company marketing principles, Morrissey suffered for a time commercial consequences of operating as a quasi-outsider in the music industry. Though his large and loyal fan base follow his every move, his albums Southpaw Grammar and Maladjusted had great trouble reaching a wider audience. Between 1999 and 2003, Morrissey was unable to find a record contract at all (or at least one that satisfied his demands).

In 1996, The Smiths' drummer Mike Joyce sued Morrissey and Johnny Marr for outstanding royalties and won. Morrissey expressed bitter displeasure with the ruling on the track, "Sorrow Will Come in the End," from 1997's Maladjusted. The judge presiding over the case famously ruled that Morrissey was "devious, truculent and unreliable." However, judges in the Court of Appeal stressed there was no suggestion that Morrissey had been dishonest. Although Morrissey's appeal was unsuccessful Lord Justice Thorpe stated that ordinarily speaking the word devious "is an adjective reserved for a witness who has deliberately sought to mislead the court either by untruthful statements or by suppression of the truth. As Mr Davis QC made plain Mr Morrissey was not such a witness".

Morrissey has severely criticized fellow singers such as Madonna, David Bowie and George Michael. The Cure's Robert Smith has been quoted as saying, "If Morrissey says 'don't eat meat', then I'll eat meat, because I hate Morrissey". Morrissey also once openly wished that Morrissey & Marr: The Severed Alliance author Johnny Rogan "ends his days very soon in an M3 pile-up".

Neil Tennant of the Pet Shop Boys co-wrote two songs inspired by Morrissey ("Getting Away with It" and "Miserablism"), which, as he explained, were a comic and poignant satire of Morrissey's public stereotyping as miserable and unloveable.

In 1994 Morrissey came under fire from Manic Street Preachers' bassist and lyricist Nicky Wire. Wire was responding to comments Morrissey had made about the British National Party's right to Freedom of Speech, and referred to Morrissey as a "sad old bitter man" who would "do anything to get press" and who just likes irritating people. Manics' co-lyricist Richey James Edwards added that Morrissey was evidently scared of his own statements as he wasn't prepared to discuss them with anyone and didn't have a logical argument to back up his comments.

Other targets of his disapproval have been Band Aid, rap, reggae (a criticism he later retracted, stating that he was being facetious and that he grew up partly on the classic singles released by the British reggae label Trojan in the early to mid-1970s), rave and teenage pop stars.

Views on political leaders

Morrissey has always been politically outspoken, and the figures he has criticized include the British Royal Family, former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Margaret Thatcher, former Prime Minister Tony Blair, and President of the United States George W. Bush.

Morrissey's first solo album, Viva Hate, included a track entitled "Margaret on the Guillotine", a tongue-in-cheek jab at Prime Minister Thatcher. British police responded by searching Morrissey's home and carrying out an official investigation, while Simon Reynolds, who had interviewed Morrissey for Melody Maker, was even questioned about the tone in which Morrissey had made certain remarks about Thatcher. It has been said that many of the officers were embarrassed at the absurdity of the situation, some even asking for Morrissey's autograph. Morrissey once said in an interview in 1984 that "She is only one person. She can be destroyed. It is the only remedy for this country at the moment." Morrissey’s follow-up single "Interesting Drug" included the B-side "Such a Little Thing Makes Such a Big Difference," whose lyrics end with a caustic "Leave me alone, I was only singing / You have just proved again, most people keep their brains between their legs."

In October 2004, Morrissey released a statement urging American voters to vote for John Kerry for President:

With all my heart I urge people to vote against George Bush. Jon Stewart would be ideal, but John Kerry is the logical and sane move. It does not need to be said yet again, but Bush has single-handedly turned the United States into the most neurotic and terror-obsessed country on the planet. For non-Americans, the United States is suddenly not a very nice place to visit because US immigration officers — under the rules of Bush — now conduct themselves with all the charm and unanswerable indignation of Hitler’s SS. Please bring sanity and intelligence back to the United States. Don’t forget to vote. Vote for John Kerry and get rid of George Bush!.

In February 2006, Morrissey said he had been interviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and by British intelligence after having spoken out against the American and British governments. Morrissey said "The FBI and the Special Branch have investigated me and I've been interviewed and taped and so forth. They were trying to determine if I was a threat to the government, it didn't take them long to realise that I am not."

A controversial etching on the 12" vinyl record, Strangeways, Here We Come said, "Guy Fawkes was a genius." Fawkes was infamous for the 1605 Gunpowder Plot to blow up Parliament.

During a January 2008 concert Morrissey, enunciating every consonant, pointedly remarked "God Bless Barack Obama" and ranted against "Billary Clinton". The anti Clintons rant followed a performance of "The World Is Full of Crashing Bores" , in reference to the 2008 Democratic Party campaign to become presidential candidate in the U.S.

Accusations of racism

File:Moznme.jpg

NME cover following Morrissey's controversial appearance at Finsbury Park in 1992

Morrissey was maligned during part of the 1980s and much of 1990s by accusations of racism. The accusations were derived from ambiguous lyrics in songs such as "Bengali In Platforms" and "National Front Disco". They also stemmed from Johnny Rogan's biography of the singer, which claimed he once, in his late teens, wrote "I don't hate Pakistanis, but I dislike them immensely". However, no substantiating source is provided.

A trigger for much of the criticism was Morrissey's performance at the first Madness Madstock! reunion concert at Finsbury Park, London, in 1992, in which he appeared on stage draped in the Union Flag, a symbol often associated with nationalism and hence with far right groups in Britain. As a backdrop for this performance, he chose a photograph of two female skinheads. The NME responded to this performance with a lengthy examination of Morrissey's attitudes to race, claiming that the singer had "left himself in a position where accusations that he's toying with far-right/fascist imagery, and even of racism itself, can no longer just be laughed off with a knowing quip".

In the early days of The Smiths, Morrissey stated that "all reggae is vile", leading to the first reports of his alleged racism. He later explained that this was a tongue-in-cheek answer to "wind up the right-on 1980s NME" and that he grew up partly on the classic singles released by the British reggae label Trojan in the early to mid-1970s.

The Smiths' "Panic", released July of 1986, fades out with the refrain "hang the DJ, hang the DJ, hang the DJ..." This lyric is regarded by some to be associated with the song's earlier line, "because the music that they constantly play says nothing to me about my life". Rogan's biography reports that initial critical response to this content was interpreted as distaste for the increasing influence of Rap and R&B over popular music at the time, although has since been understood by some as a reference to his preferred music rather than a reference to his distaste for the 'music that they constantly play'.

Another song cited by NME (New Musical Express) as possible proof of Morrissey's racism was "Asian Rut" from 1991, which vividly describes the murder of an Asian man by white racists. However, with lines such as "it must be wrong / three against one?", Morrissey appears to be sympathizing with the Asian victim.

Critics of the racism allegations point to Morrissey’s involvement in organizations such as Amnesty International and almost performing at an anti-Apartheid concert. Morrissey has also been quoted as saying "If I am racist then the Pope is female. Which he isn't," and "If the National Front were to hate anyone, it would be me. I would be top of the list." Though, he qualified that by saying that far-right rage "is simply their anger at being ignored in what is supposed to be a democratic society." In the 2002 documentary, "The Importance of Being Morrissey", he also defends himself saying, "Why on earth would I be racist? What would I be trying to achieve?".

In 1999 Morrissey commented on the rise of Austrian far-right politician Jörg Haider, stating "This is sad. Sometimes I don't believe we live in an intelligent world." In 2004 he signed the explicitly anti-fascist Unite Against Fascism statement.

In 2007 the British music magazine NME printed an interview with Morrissey where he was quoted as saying, "Britain's a terribly negative place. And it hammers people down and it pulls you back and it prevents you. Also, with the issue of immigration, it's very difficult because although I don't have anything against people from other countries, the higher the influx into England the more the British identity disappears." In the same article, he called racism "silly" and "beyond reason", and said he would be "pilloried" for his comments. The interview was conducted by Tim Jonze. Jonze asked to have his name removed from the article, saying he was unhappy with how it had been "rewritten" by the NME, but also stating he had found Morrissey's comments "offensive" and disapproved of them. Morrissey's lawyers are now pressing legal action against NME for defamation, with the magazine declining to print a retraction or apology. Within days of issuing the writ against NME, Morrissey also released a detailed explanation of his side of the story via an online fanzine. The statement included a firmly worded rebuttal against the accusations of racism, a condemnation of racism itself and an exposition on his belief that NME's editor had deliberately staged and scandalised the outcome of the interview in an orchestrated attempt to boost the paper's "dwindling circulation".

Animal rights

Morrissey has been vegetarian since he was 11 years old. Morrissey explained his vegetarianism by saying "If you love animals, obviously it doesn't make sense to hurt them." Morrissey is an advocate for animal rights and a supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). In recognition of his support, PETA honoured him with the Linda McCartney Memorial Award at their 25th Anniversary Gala on September 10, 2005.

Morrissey used to wear leather, stating in 1986 that "there is simply no sensible alternative" to leather shoes. He has also said "I find shoes difficult to be ethical about - one just can't seem to avoid leather. One is trapped, ultimately." However, it was reported in the April 2006 issue of SPIN Magazine that Morrissey now wears fake leather shoes.

Morrissey notably named one of his songs "Meat is Murder", which shared its name with the album it was featured on. It was the second studio album (and third overall album) of The Smiths.

In January 2006, Morrissey attracted criticism after stating he accepts the motives behind the militant tactics of the Animal Rights Militia, saying "I understand why fur-farmers and so-called laboratory scientists are repaid with violence - it is because they deal in violence themselves and it's the only language they understand."

Morrissey has criticised people who are involved in the promotion of eating meat, specifically Jamie Oliver and Clarissa Dickson Wright — the latter already targeted by some animal rights activists for her stance on fox hunting. In response, Dickson-Wright stated “Morrissey is encouraging people to commit acts of violence and I am constantly aware that something might very well happen to me.” The Conservative MP David Davis criticised these comments, though his party leader David Cameron is well known to be a Smiths fan.

On March 27, 2006, Morrissey released a statement that he would not include any concert dates in Canada on his world tour that year — and that he supported a boycott of all Canadian goods — in protest of the country's annual seal hunt, which he described as a "barbaric and cruel slaughter".

Sexuality

Morrissey's sexuality has been a matter of debate. A 1984 Smiths article in Rolling Stone stated that Morrissey "admits he's gay" but Morrissey replied that it was news to him and the article used the term "fourth-gender" in its title. Throughout much of Morrissey's career he maintained in interviews that he was asexual and celibate, but he did admit, in a 2006 NME interview, to no longer being celibate. In a 1997 interview he revealed he had been in a relationship with someone for two years but that it had ended and the person in question had just stopped loving him. He did not reveal the gender of his partner or whether it was a sexual relationship but he did admit to caring deeply and he had hoped that they had shared similar feelings. However, Morrissey frequently suggests to interviewers who choose to ask him as to his sexuality that the question is irrelevant to his music and the interview or responds with a retort which can be read either way. Morrissey once reportedly said that "I refuse to recognize the terms hetero-, bi-, and homo-sexual. Everybody has exactly the same sexual needs. People are just sexual, the prefix is immaterial".. The debate over Morrissey's sexuality has become widely spread on fan sites, though Johnny Marr once stated in a 1984 interview that "Morrissey doesn't participate in sex at the moment and hasn't done so for a while, he's had a lot of girlfriends in the past and quite a few men friends".

The persona that emerges from Morrissey's songs, however, is not that of a person who lacks interest in sex. Rather, sexuality pervades his lyrics, which frequently depict a person who longs for sexual and physical intimacy with others, but finds his attempts to express his sexuality constantly frustrated by barriers such as shyness, insecurity, or rejection by potential sexual partners — and for whom celibacy is consequently an involuntary matter of circumstance rather than a personal choice.

In Morrissey's works, many references are made to gay idols and frustration such as Oscar Wilde, Pier Paolo Pasolini, James Dean or Hermann Melville (see Billy Budd).

Discography

Main article: Morrissey discography

Bibliography

Primary

Before gaining widespread recognition with The Smiths, Morrissey (then still with forename) wrote a number of booklets on his favourite cultural subjects, music and film.

• New York Dolls (Babylon Books; 1981, 1995² ISBN 0-907188-50-8)
• James Dean Is Not Dead (Babylon Books; 1983, 1984², 1997³ ISBN 0-907188-06-0)
• Exit Smiling (Babylon Books; 1998 [written in 1980, discusses a number of Morrissey's favourite, obscure B-movie actors] ISBN 0-907188-47-8)

Secondary

• Morrissey: Scandal and Passion by David Bret
• The "Smiths" and Beyond by Kevin Cummins
• Morrissey's Manchester by Phill Gatenby
• The Smiths: Songs That Saved Your Life by Simon Goddard
• Morrissey : Histoire d'un dandy rebelle by Sébastien Raizer
• Morrissey by Pat Reid
• Morrissey: Landscapes of the Mind by David Bret
• Morrissey: In His Own Words by Morrissey and John Robertson
• Morrissey and Marr: The Severed Alliance by Johnny Rogan
• Morrissey by Johnny Rogan
• Morrissey: The Albums by Johnny Rogan
• The Wrong Boy by Willy Russell
• How Soon Is Never by Marc Spitz
• Saint Morrissey: A Portrait of This Charming Man by an Alarming Fan by Mark Simpson
• Peepholism: Into the Art of Morrissey by Jo Slee
• Morrissey Shot a book of photographs by Linder Sterling

External links

• Official Morrissey site
• morrisseymusic.com – website run by Sanctuary Records
• myspace.com/morrissey – the official Morrissey Myspace page
• morrissey.site12.com – Morissey fanzine from the Netherlands]
• True To You – online 'zine, endorsed by Morrissey