Morrissey

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. The demo versions of the games can be found on the official Mike Oldfield homepage. Several of his releases have charted on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks chart. On 12 April, 2004 Oldfield launched his next virtual reality project called Maestro which contains music from the Tubular Bells 2003 album and also some new chillout melodies. "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" is the only Morrissey single to chart on the Billboard Hot 100. This celebrated the 30th anniversary of Tubular Bells, and the fact that Oldfield had recently celebrated his 50th birthday. For his albums and singles releases with The Smiths, see this page. This was done to fix many imperfections in the original that existed due to limitations of the recording technologies of the time and limitations in time that he could spend in the recording studio.

[2] (http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.co.uk/News/news.asp?id=675&action=more). In 2003 he released Tubular Bells 2003, a re-recording of the original Tubular Bells, on CD and DVD-audio. With the release of 'I Have Forgiven Jesus' in December 2004, Morrissey became the only artist to score 4 top 10 hits in the UK singles chart that year. This project appeared as a double CD, one with some part of the music, and the other with the game. Bush had died. [1] (http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk/news/s/119/119298_morrissey_comments_spark_bush_fire.html). His first work on this project is Tres Lunas launched in 2002, a virtual game where the player can interact with a whole world full of new music specially composed for this occasion. At a Dublin concert on June 5 2004, Morrissey caused global controversy by announcing the death of former US President, Ronald Reagan; then exclaiming he would have preferred it if George W. Most recently he has added to his repertoire the Music VR project, combining his music with a virtual reality-based computer game.

This is the highest placing chart position for Morrissey in his entire career as both a solo artist and the lead singer of The Smiths. Clarke's novel of the same name) exhibiting a softer "New Age" sound, and Tubular Bells III (also premiered at a concert, this time in Horse Guards Parade, London), drawing from the dance music scene at his new home on the island of Ibiza. The single reached No.3 in its first week of sales in the UK Official Charts. On the Warner label Oldfield continued to embrace new musical styles, with Tubular Bells II (a re-interpretation of Tubular Bells, the album that originally shot him to fame), which was premiered at a live concert at Edinburgh Castle, The Songs of Distant Earth (the latter based on Arthur C. The first single, "Irish Blood, English Heart" debuted on KROQ on March 22, 2004 and was released internationally on May 10, 2004. His relationship with Richard Branson was never good, even in the beginning. Guitarist Alain Whyte described the work as a mix between Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I, and the album has received strong reviews. Some say this was due to his anxiety to quit Virgin as soon as possible (he had previously stated that his voice did not belong on his recordings).

Morrissey's latest, titled You Are the Quarry was released on May 17, 2004 (but one day later in the US). His parting shot from the Virgin label was Heaven's Open, which continued the veiled attacks on Branson but was notable for being the first time Oldfield had contributed all the lead vocals himself. He was given the one-time reggae label Attack Records as a platform to record new material and, reportedly, to sign new artists. Although regarded by many fans as his greatest work, it was not a commercial success. In June, 2003 Sanctuary Records group announced a deal with Morrissey. Oldfield's rebellious response was Amarok, an hour-long work featuring rapidly changing themes (supposedly devised to make cutting a single from the album impossible), unpredictable bursts of noise, and a very cleverly-hidden Morse code insult directed at Richard Branson. Morrissey's songs of alienation and isolation have appeared to translate lock, stock and barrel from the streets of Manchester to the barrios of LA, something that he himself has expressed surprise and gratitude about. This was however a time of much friction with his record label, Virgin Records reportedly insisting that any future instrumental album should be billed as Tubular Bells 2.

Morrissey vacated his English home for Los Angeles in the late-1990s and found an entirely new life in the American West, where, to his own amazement, he has connected with the Hispanic community, where there is now a big fan base. Oldfield later turned to film and video, writing the score for Roland Joffé's acclaimed film The Killing Fields and producing substantial video footage for his album Islands. Accusations of racism meant he spent much of the 1990s maligned, based upon songs such as "Bengali In Platforms" and "National Front Disco" as well as an ill-advised performance at the first Madness re-union show at Finsbury Park, London draped in the Union Flag. In 2002 it was a huge hit in central Europe for the German dance act Groove Coverage. Between 1999 and 2003, Morrissey was unable to find a record contract at all (at least one that satisfied his demands). This hit has been covered by various other artists, including Aselin Debison (Canadian folk singer) and DJ Mystic (electronic/techno). Though his large and loyal fan base follow his every move, his albums since 1996 had great trouble reaching a wider audience. The best known of these is "Moonlight Shadow", his 1983 hit with Maggie Reilly which took John Lennon's death as one of its themes.

Reputed to be uninterested in compromise or record company marketing principles, Morrissey has long suffered the consequences of operating as a quasi-outsider in the music industry. Soon afterwards he turned his attention to songwriting, with a string of collaborations featuring various lead vocalists alongside Oldfield's trademark searing guitar solos. Composition duties were split between guitarists Boz Boorer and Alain Whyte, who have been the core of Morrissey's band ever since. The early 1980s saw Oldfield make a transition to "mainstream" popular music, beginning with the inclusion of shorter instrumental tracks and contemporary cover versions on Platinum and QE2 (the latter named after the ship). The band he assembled for 1992's hit album Your Arsenal sharply renewed his sound and sales success with a fresh, American rockabilly sound. Around the time of Incantations, Oldfield underwent a controversial self-assertiveness therapy course known as Exegesis; no doubt as a result of this, the formerly reclusive musician staged a major European tour to promote the album, chronicled in his live album Exposed, much of which was recorded at the National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham, the first ever concert at that venue. After producing several albums in the early years of his solo career with a production outfit not unlike his collaboration with Marr, Morrissey moved on from the songwriting services of Stephen Street for Viva Hate (1988) and Bona Drag (1990) and Mark Nevin for Kill Uncle (1991). This was followed in 1975 with the pioneering world music piece Ommadawn, and 1978's Incantations which introduced more diverse choral performances from Sally Oldfield, Maddy Prior and the Queen's College Girls Choir.

Morrissey's subsequent career has also provided successful albums and in 1994 he achieved his highest ever chart position with Vauxhall and I (1994) and its single "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get". Like Tubular Bells, Hergest Ridge took the form of a two-movement instrumental piece, this time evoking scenes from Oldfield's Herefordshire country retreat. Morrissey's work, both solo and with the Smiths, has been well regarded within England's artistic community and within the artistic establishment of England,even though he now lives in Los Angeles. In autumn 1974, the follow-up LP, Hergest Ridge, was No 1 in the UK for three weeks and was then dethroned by Tubular Bells. The band broke up due to conflict between Morrissey and Marr, after a productive period from 1985 to 1987 when they released several successful albums: Meat Is Murder, Strangeways, Here We Come, and the hit The Queen is Dead (a regular member of "Best Albums of All Time" lists and easily one of the most influential of the 1980s). In the US, it got attention chiefly by appearing on the soundtrack to The Exorcist. The band became a success in the UK, Ireland, and Australia and became a cult obsession in the United States of America, doing quite well on college radio charts with songs such as How Soon Is Now?, and Panic.. The album quickly reached the top 10 in UK album sales and stayed on the chart for 247 weeks.

Morrissey's ambiguous sexuality, provocative iconoclasm, and lyrical compositions blended with guitarist Johnny Marr's highly melodic songwriting to sell many recordings. The album was groundbreaking, as Oldfield played more than twenty different instruments in the multi-layered recording, and its style progressed continuously, covering many diverse musical genres. The Smiths are viewed by many as one of the most influential bands of the 1980s post-punk era. Oldfield's most famous work is Tubular Bells, an instrumental composition recorded in 1972 and launched on May 25, 1973 as the inaugural album of Richard Branson's Virgin Records label. When the band broke up in 1987, Morrissey developed a successful solo career and is one of only a few artists to have had UK top ten singles in three separate decades. His sister Sally and brother Terry are successful musicians in their own right and have appeared on several of his albums. Steven Patrick Morrissey, (born May 22, 1959 in Manchester in England) dropped his forenames to become Morrissey, the lead singer of the seminal UK 'indie' band, The Smiths. Oldfield's parents were Maureen and Raymond Oldfield.

Exit Smiling (Babylon Books; 1998 [written in 1980, discusses a number of Morrissey's favourite, obscure B-movie actors] ISBN 0-907188-47-8). Michael Gordon Oldfield (born May 15, 1953 in Reading, England) is a multi-instrumentalist musician and composer, working a style that blends rock, ethnic and classical music. James Dean Is Not Dead (Babylon Books; 1983, 1984², 1997³ ISBN 0-907188-06-0). Tubular Bells 2003, (2003). The New York Dolls (Babylon Books; 1981, 1995² ISBN 0-907188-50-8). Tr3s Lunas, (2002). Who Put the M in Manchester? (2005). Collection, (2002) - Compilation.

!Oye Estaban! (2000). The Best of Tubular Bells, (2001) - Compilation. The Malady Lingers On (1992). The Millennium Bell, (1999). Live in Dallas (1992). Guitars, (1999). Hulmerist (1990). Tubular Bells III, (1998).

2005 "There Is A Light That Never Goes Out" / "Redondo Beach". XXV: The Essential, (1997) - Compilation. 2004 "I Have Forgiven Jesus" #10. Voyager, (1996). 2004 "Let Me Kiss You" #8. The Songs of Distant Earth, (1994). 2004 "First of the Gang to Die" #6. Elements, (1993) - Compilation.

2004 "Irish Blood, English Heart" #3. The Best of...Elements, (1993) - Compilation. 1998 "Satan Rejected My Soul" #39. Tubular Bells II, (1992). 1997 "Roy's Keen" #42. Heaven's Open, (1991). 1997 "Alma Matters" #16. Collector's Edition Box I & II (1990) - Compilation.

1995 "Sunny" #42. Amarok, (1990). 1995 "The Boy Racer" #36. Earth Moving, (1989). 1995 "Dagenham Dave" #26. A Virgin Compilation, (1987) - Compilation. 1995 "Boxers" #23. Islands, (1987).

1994 "Interlude" (with Siouxsie) #25. The Complete Mike Oldfield, (1985) - Compilation. 1994 "Hold on to Your Friends" #47. The Killing Fields, (soundtrack, 1984). 1994 "The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get" #8 (#46 US). Discovery, (1984). 1992 "Certain People I Know" #35. Crises, (1983).

1992 "You're the One for Me, Fatty" #19. Five Miles Out, (1982). 1992 "We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful" #17. Episodes, (1981) - Compilation. 1991 "My Love Life" #29. Music Wonderland, (1980) - Compilation. 1991 "Pregnant for the Last Time" #25. QE2, (1980).

1991 "Sing Your Life" #33. Airborn, (1980) - Compilation. 1991 "Our Frank" #26. Impressions, (1979) - Compilation. 1990 "Piccadilly Palare" #18. Platinum, (1979). 1990 "November Spawned a Monster" #12. Exposed, (1979) - Live.

1989 "Ouija Board Ouija Board" #18. Incantations, (1978). 1989 "Interesting Drug" #9. Boxed, (1976) - Compilation. 1989 "Last of the Famous International Playboys" #6. Ommadawn, (1975). 1988 "Everyday is Like Sunday" #9. The Orchestral Tubular Bells, (1975).

1988 "Suedehead" #5. Hergest Ridge, (1974). Live at Earls Court — March 2005. Tubular Bells, (1973). You Are the Quarry — May 2004 (a Deluxe edition was released in October 2004). The Best of Morrissey — Nov 2001.

My Early Burglary Years — Sep 1998. Rare Tracks — Apr 1998. Suedehead: The Best of Morrissey — Sep 1997. Maladjusted — Aug 1997.

Southpaw Grammar — Sep 1995. World of Morrissey — Feb 1995. Vauxhall and I — Mar 1994. Beethoven was Deaf — May 1993.

Your Arsenal — Jul 1992. At KROQ — Sep 1991 (EP). Kill Uncle — Mar 1991. Bona Drag — Nov 1990.

Viva Hate — Mar 1988. Morrissey is a long-time ethical vegetarian and an advocate for animal rights. Morrissey is noted for using and liking the Southam Street work of photographer Roger Mayne. Morrissey apparently is involved in a long-standing feud with The Cure lead singer/guitarist Robert Smith.

Vote for John Kerry and get rid of George Bush!" [3] (http://www.morrisseymusic.com/newsitem.asp?id=89). Don’t forget to vote. Please bring sanity and intelligence back to the United States. 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.

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. Jon Stewart would be ideal, but John Kerry is the logical and sane move. Morrissey's statement was "With all my heart I urge people to vote against George Bush. Bush for President.