Morrissey accuses Capitol Records of “fascist” behaviour
Morrissey has accused Capitol Records of acting in a “fascist” fashion after they allegedly shelved his album Bonfire Of Teenagers after he departed the label.
In October last year, Morrissey announced that his new album Bonfire of Teenagers would be released in 2023 via Capitol. However, in late December, he said he had “voluntarily withdrawn from any association with Capitol Records”. He also released a statement which reads: “He does not believe that Capitol Records in Los Angeles signed Bonfire of Teenagers in order to sabotage it, he is quickly coming around to that belief.
In a new statement on his website, Morrissey wrote of Capitol’s decision to hold back the album: “It’s a clear display of how censorian the music industry has become. It is a new part of the music industry that does not work and that nobody likes. Music should be the primary democracy … There is no point banning Bonfire of Teenagers because somebody somewhere might be offended if they heard it. Why waste time on other people’s mental incapacities?”
He continued: “And where is Capitol’s support for the kids who were murdered in that Manchester bonfire on 22 May 2017? Although Capitol claims to be a label of ‘diversity’ it is very difficult to see their humanity.”
Morrissey added: “If you are only prepared to release music that draws people’s minds away from thinking then you are unfit for any contact with creative people. Songs are literary compositions, and writing music should be an unrestricted open form. It seems to me that Capitol Records cannot observe the possibility that their artists or their potential customers have ever thought. But silencing certain artists achieves nothing, and simply makes the bonfire burn taller and louder.”
The former singer of The Smiths also slammed American music executive Michelle Jubelirer, who he claimed helped remove his album World Peace Is None Of Your Business from the shelves, which he likened to Capitol’s behaviour.
“The same creeping culture of censorship at Capitol Records has taken place with Bonfire Of Teenagers and the civic structure of Capitol now appears fascist,” he said. “I still have hope in the music industry, but there are evidently several powerful faces within it that have no honest interest in music … and you follow them into the shadows at your peril.”
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out Music Newsletter
All the latest music news from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.