Ex Smiths drummer Mike Joyce on Sky News

[jondoeds]

I couldn't care less what Morrissey thinks of Mike Joyce, they will both be eternally adored by me.

I'd be very surprised to hear any real Smiths fan say otherwise.

[boxnife]

If you're in the kind of band where fans know everyone's names, you deserve a fair share. He was fine with 10% back when he was 20 and had no concept of the financial legacy they'd leave. I don't think it's reasonable to hold him to that years and years later when Smiths records are selling many multiples more than when he made that verbal agreement decades ago. If Morrissey thinks he's greater than the sum of the Smiths parts he doesn't understand what made that music special.

[MrHumphreyDavy]

@boxnife Not all parts are created equal.

[boxnife]

@MrHumphreyDavy teenage musicians hole up in their bedrooms and learn Mike Joyce and Andy Rourke parts; can you conjure up any Dean Butterworth or Gary Day parts? Since the Smiths broke up Morrissey has sold about 67k copies of Southpaw Grammar. Louder than bombs has sold 410,000 copies, probably closer to 500,000 as those figures are '92 - 2007. Morrissey is not the Smiths, and I doubt Joyce expected their popularity in England to spread around the planet when he said "sure, 10%, whatever"

[MrHumphreyDavy]

@boxnife Morrissrey and Mar are greater artists than Andy or Mike, and deserve a greater share of the royalties, that is all.

[boxnife]

@MrHumphreyDavy Then why play as The Smiths and not Morrissey and Marr? You're splitting hairs trying to apply percentages of, uh, greaterness, to each members talents. Rourke is a pretty legendary bassist within that community. If they wan't all the credit then it should be their own names in lights, not "The Smiths".

[MrHumphreyDavy]

@boxnife Your stupidity pains me.

[boxnife]

@MrHumphreyDave Glad I was able to cause you some pain. You're stupidity elicits no emotional or physical response from me. Goodbye forever.

[boxnife]

@boxnife *Your. I stand by the rest.

[MrHumphreyDavy]

@boxnife lol. Firstly, the very action of typing that post required a physical response. Your goodbye forever at the end of your post points to an emotional (may i add childish) response, swiftly undermined by your own foolery. Not everything is subjective dear boxnife, you are, quite objectively, an asshole.

[boxnife]

@MrHumphreyDavy You win the internet.

[MrHumphreyDavy]

@boxnife I shall let you have the last laugh. "The moment I crossed the water. Burning in the sun may not be much worse. If I had to guess that it all was wrong. Oh baby we both were right."

[2ivanhoe]

yawn.

he got his share, trouble was it wasnt enough for him.

achingly clear to all now that he got more than he was worth!

[AidanMusik]

Huge fucking ears

[MikeRawbertson]

faggot

[absofjelly]

How much does Charlie Watts get paid?

He does fuck all but I bet he gets a fare share.

[markbusk]

The rhythm section in bands is often underlooked. Marr wrote all the guitar melodies and Mozza wrote all those great lyrics - but they should have split the money equally. Yes the songwriters deserve most of the credit but it did undermine the excellent drumming and bass playing their fab rhythm section had. They were all great at what they did and Joyce seems cool

[evelskunny]

why should he get less,or the bass player,they played all the same gigs,thats really the downfall of everything in life,Money$ and the downfall of the $miths

[MrRandySingh]

FUCK THIS FOOL

[MrChocolatenob]

No, people need to get this. Joyce and Rourke, but mainly Joyce. Were incredibly two-faced in this whole scenario. Many of the arrangements in the band were all casual and spoken. Joyce was perfectly happy to accept his share and agreed on it several times. Morrissey continued to make sure he was ok with it to which Joyce repeatedly said that it was fine and he was happy with it.

Then after the band had split up, out of the blue Joyce and also Rourke sued Morrissey and Marr for equal shares

[1busterchops]

wing nut

[AJT041979]

Jesus christ how did his ears get so big?

[cribsstewart]

this cunt has massive lugs.

[uzickimajmunac]

@cribsstewart what are lugs?

[cossack77]

Rourke and Joyce deserved way more than 10%. The Smiths had one of the greatest rhythm sections in rock music. Andy Rourke's bass-lines were a HUGE part of The Smiths music and was one of the reasons Marr's guitar sounded so good. Can you imagine songs like This Charming Man, Still Ill, Rustholme Ruffians, Nowhere Fast, Cemetary Gates, There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, etc without Rourke's bass?

Moz is a great lyricist but is a total douche.

[bcullimore]

Ears.

[LouVivaMorrissey]

Morrissey and Marr had every right to take the majority of The Smiths earnings. If you had noticed, Joyce and Rourke were living not only comfortably, luxury with that 10% they received. But Joyce stabbed Morrissey's back. Morrissey and Marr were the Smiths. Joyce would not have even been in The Smiths if Morrissey and Marr had know that he was completely drugged up on his audition into the band. Morrissey wrote the songs, Marr wrote the melodies and Rourke and Joyce played along.

[mcguinnsrickenbacker]

@LouVivaMorrissey

Sorry but I've got to put this myth to bed.

Joyce and Rourke NEVER wanted a share in the songwriting and publishing earnings of The Smiths!!!They simply wanted an equal share of the performance and recording royalties of the band.A quite reasonable thing to expect seeing as they played on all of those records and at all of those concerts,and something that past bands and musicians agreed on decades prior to The Smiths forming.

[LouVivaMorrissey]

@mcguinnsrickenbacker It doesnt make it right, they still ridiculed Morrissey for no actual reason, other than fame and riches. Rourke and Jouce didnt deserve the money.

[madcapoperator]

@LouVivaMorrissey Hmm good to see theres a slave out there...i mean....'fan'

[blotchy67]

Look. if Morrissey could've taken 100% of The smiths earnings, he would've. Joyce gets crucified by Mozzers sillly drooling, blind fans cause he wants 25% of their live earnings, which is what every normal band makes.

[TheNadster2]

Morrissey is so abnoxioussss to me, I don't understand the love although I love the instrumentation in the Smiths, sort of dreamy folky but still kind of punchy.

[emile235]

Morrisey is a neurotic depressive control freak crank

[LouVivaMorrissey]

@emile235 oh be quiet.

[6cargil]

A dick. good luck with the reunion joyce, morrissey would rather be hanged from a butchers window than perform with you.

[TheEljay]

@6cargil Fuck off mate, I've met this guy in real life and I have even played on his drums, and he is actually a really nice, funny guy. Don't judge people if you don't know them.

[ar4216]

@TheEljay It would be awesome if Morrissey could quit holding a grudge and The Smiths could get back together. He does seem like a nice guy.

[TheEljay]

@ar4216 Couldn't agree more. He's just being childish.

[patirickidrockin9]

Hes a really nice guy, and before you all start saying how to you know, i see him loads as his son plays in the same cricket team as me. i dont know anything about the court case, but what i do know is that i dont think he would sue someone unless he truly felt like he was entitled to the money. We share a laugh and a joke from time to time (often about my hair) and hes a easy going guy!

[acphenom]

I don't know enough about the relationship between Joyce and Morrissey, and I don't think anyone on youtube does, so I don't believe anyone should be taking sides, there may well be a lot more to it than a mere disagreement over royalties. My personal take though is that I believe Joyce was by far the least integral member of The Smiths. He was good, and Rourke was a fabulous bassist, but I think Marr and Morrissey really were the core of the band. No one is even close to being like them.

[wooders1000]

What did he do with all the money - go out and buy ear extensions?

[MandaOwl]

It's a shame that something as trivial as money can destroy a band like that.

[LunaSeaSane]

Oh and Happy Nude Year, everyone.

[LunaSeaSane]

Mike Joyce comes across as nice... and rather less complicated than Morrissey.

[Rmg12]

I do love morrissey alot, but yeah joyce and especially rourke did deserve more than 10%

[fedorthegreat1]

Agree with many comments. Joyce was in many punk bands before the Smiths and his style is integral to the sound. Without him it would have been a very different band. As much as I love Mozza he certainly can be a prize prick at times.

[Belladonna7777]

@fedorthegreat1 I agree completely re Joyce's sound being essential to The Smiths. A good example is Bigmouth Strikes Again, which I think could actually manage as an amazing instrumental track without vocals. Then, around the 2 minute mark in Bigmouth, Joyce's drum solo paired with Marr's jangly guitar absolutely completes and defines the entire track. Without those elements, it would not be the song I fell in love with. I love Moz too but you hit the nail on the head.

[britdude1961]

GREAT BAND MOZZER WAS A TWAT THOE

[dollydaydream1996]

i have his autograph , he is a really nice guy

[Andrew077]

@dollydaydream1996 Me too, I won some stuff on his coalition indie chart show, including Smiths postcards, he signed the one of him.  Indeed, he is a very nice bloke.

[marlonbarnes]

listen to Andy Rourkes band Bassline. The Smiths were fantastic. Morrissey screwed his mates with a smile. PRICK! Can you imagine fucking your best friends out of royalties? Sleep well Steve.

[JODQ11]

He agreed to get 10% on record sales, but he wasn't aware that he was also going to get 10% on preformances, which is unfair, because preformance is about prefrming not about he creative process, and he was 25% of the preformance.

[BurntOfferings]

@JODQ11

This is an important distinction. Songwriting and performance royalties, as far as I know, are completely separate things. Songwriting credits should only be shared by the people who WROTE the songs, in this case Morrissey and Marr. That is standard. But for performances and playing on records it should be split evenly.

[morrisseytillidie]

where are you now mike? oh yes, in the gutter. excellent.

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha drive carefully sunshine.

[revengeguy]

@morrisseytillidie shut the fuck up, all the members of the smiths, not just Morrissey, are still and always will be living legends

[vintagebox1]

@morrisseytillidie hes acting his own age and isnt holding on to something that is in the past, wouldnt say that was quite in the gutter.

[RainJetSprinklers]

I just talked to Mr. Joyce on myspace! Well, I IMed him and he just sent back "Hell o" and that was it. Still pretty cool.

[ramsypak]

I felt sorry for Mike Joyce and for Andy Rourke. JOYCE - hard and heavy drummer, perfect for the music, looked right, loved the band, ROURKE was a great bass player - brilliant lines. BUT Morrissey and Marr were the songwriting partnership - THEY wrote the songs - No way their contribution was not greater than that of Joyce and Rourke. BUT the live performances were the lifeblood of the band's fanbase. Giving them just 10% was always going to poison the band's cohesion long term. Pity.

[TheKontosuburbian]

I remember, when I had a look at some Smiths pictures for the first time, Mike Joyce kinda "stuck out", if you get what I mean. You noticed his presence, it was even stronger than Moz's. In some pictures, including the one where there's a cloudy sky, and Moz with Marr laughing their hearts out and Rourke smiling in the corner, Joyce is the only one who looks straight into the camera's eye. I used to feel strange about it, thinking he was some kind of showoff. But he seems so down to earth.

[robken0174]

It's sad such a fantastic band had to end (and drag on) in such a bitter way. Finances almost always ruin a great thing and come between friends and/or coworkers. Ohh well, at least we have the awesome albums to run to (God knows the band will never reunite).

[cliftonperkins]

Biggest ears I've ever seen.

[41htdex]

The drummer should have got 15 percent album sales 20 percent live.

[ThePetepiper]

Mike joyce deserves his share. He is an amazing underated drummer and was an important part of the greatest band ever. No session drummer or drum machine could have replaced his creativity and skill.

[anfeildroad1970]

watch the rise and fall of the smiths on youtube an you will see what a snide morrissey was no doubting he is a great songwriter but a shithouse of a man marr comes across as a genuine goodfella

[Vi3tGrl2]

Mike Joyce was hot in his younger years. I wasn't even born then, really. hahaha

[LuvTheSmiths]

Mike Joyce? Makes me feel old but I went to school with him, St Gregory's in Ardwick Manchester...

[wisesatyr72]

Big ears meant wealth & wisdom..M J looks like a tough bloke though

[gards2]

You could hang your coat on his ears

[transonicbuoy1]

De Freitas - and Joyce. Brilliance. Joyce, top news, getting the money. I saw Marr in Japan, last week. He looked very pissed off. Never forget the rhythm section.

[switchsearch]

second story? mick jagger once asked out loud, "where is my drummer?", his drummer hit him in the nose, stood over mick, and said, "your my singer". mick jagger said, "i never called him "my drummer" again. the point is, they still rock together, and the smiths do not. yes, i know, smiths vs. stones, smiths all the way, maybe the point has been missed. yes, morrissey has gone on, and done great, how could he not? i love him, i loved the smiths, it was a band of 4, "rise fall smiths, u decide!"

[switchsearch]

i love morrissey, he sang many of his fans life. you can love morrissey, and be glad the drummer got his full share! 25%, after all the band was called the, "smiths", right? two great drummer stories? both beck, and robert plant talk about bonzo john bohnnam, and how he made zepplan, plant says, and those were the joke about the drummer? "what do you call a drummer, who's girlfriend breaks up with?, HOMELESS" . when bohnam died, band broke up, bandless?

[henryhaven]

THey all contributed of course but clearly without morrissey they would have got nowhere i think rouke and joyce would acknowledge that. I kinow they all seem to hate each other now but so what it was a very long time ago. At least they never turned into dull cliche rockers like U2.

[Ceolteor]

Good man Michael.

[joshuacrime]

Morrissey's riches came from the Smiths, all four of them, despite his getting the lion share of the proceeds. He was able to continue where many others have failed because of what the Smiths accomplished. He was able to bank on that fame long after the band departed because of the band's legacy, not just what Morrissey did in it. And to act that way towards Joyce and Rourke? Just means he's a tosser par excellence.

[BahmanG]

I agree with your tow posts. Morrissey is very talented and not a very nice person. But I think you overstate the case. Aspects of his solo work are quite good. Viva Hate and Vaux Hall and I are at least as good as any Smiths release.

[joshuacrime]

Morrissey said he was the only thing that mattered when he went in behind the backs of his mates and, not only made sure that 10% was all those pesky backing band members made, but also because he had Marr do the talking for him. He considered himself above it, saying that Marr brought them in, he should have to deal with them. Which is also cowardly in addition to being a cunt.

No, in a nutshell, Morrissey's fame can be attributed to one thing: the four blokes in the Smiths. Not he himself.

[HighburyGhost]

Mike Joyce comes across as a really nice guy.

As much as I'm a fan and admire Morrissey, 10% pay simply isn't enough for Rourke and Joyce, and he quite rightly sued him. Rourke's bass lines and Joyce's drumming were superb, and the point of a band is that they are supposed to be united.

If Morrissey was so inclined to think that Rourke and Joyce deserved hardly anything, he might aswell have had it as a double act called 'Morrissey and Marr' rather than The Smiths.

[skuzboll]

good point dude

[Mousler100]

@HighburyGhost

Absolutely .. Rourke and Joyce deserve a better shake. Everyone loves the Smith's drums and bass lines, and knows them to be definitively of a 'Smith's' styling.

The songs WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE SAME.

May the Red Sea part for the Smith's Reunited Tour ... Only one life to live Morrissey/Marr --- regret is a MF'cker --- get it done. The world WILL listen. Sorry for that one .. lol..

[THthefirst]

@HighburyGhost Yes, Rourke's basslines were important but without the lyrics, melody and guitar parts, the Smiths wouldn't have been the same band.

[muzboz]

@HighburyGhost I agree. I'm a bass player, and I consider Rourke's basslines to be so inspirational. The drums and bass in these songs are SO TIGHT, and so well complement the guitar and vocals.

I find it quite strange that Morrissey would not have INSISTED on equal share between all members, himself! That's what I'd have expected from him. Shame.

[slideonronnie]

@HighburyGhost Whilst true, composers(Marr, not Morrissey) should get slightly more of publishing rights(not performing, of course)♫

[RobGreen1188]

@HighburyGhost i'm sorry to say that your comment is silly. morrissey and marr wrote it all. no double act stuff needed, they were a band yet rourke and joyce were merely a 'backing band' of sorts. the cut of any money morrissey and marr chose to give them was fair in that it was in proportion to the amount contributed to the overall output.

they have probably lived to regret any court action and it's safe to say they haven't done much since.

[DAH210774]

@HighburyGhost I totally agree, U2, R.E.M. Coldplay all split their earnings equally regardless of who did what and look how long the first two bands have been together. I agree Mike Joyce has always come across as an educated, articulate and sincerely good guy who I've not heard once 'diss' Morrissey...

[tNJippoes]

@HighburyGhost He should have called it Morrisey and Marr, Rourke screwed the band and stopped them from being the Smiths. Marr wrote the music and Morrisey wrote the words, do they not get the credit? 10% each is fair IMO, 10% between them wouldn't be.

[stoob1969]

@HighburyGhost I was in a band EXACTLY like this. The main singer and the guitarist who had all the PA gear did the main work. I was happy to take 20% but STILL this seemed unfair to the guitarist. Unbelievable how money and greed ruins everything.

[joshuacrime]

Morrissey, while I think he's a brilliant songwriter, is a complete tosser. A band is a band. Every component is equally necessary to create the sound, and for some arrogant twat to say that they are the only thing that matters is just a load of bollocks. The man is mentally unbalanced and a bit of a prat. Still, I love the Smiths, but only because of the music, especially the guitar work. Marr is a God. Morrissey is a cunt.

[ellycat]

Can you find me a link where Morrissey actually says 'that he is the only thing that matters'? Morrissey's last 3 albums possess some of his finest work. I agree that 'Vauxhall And I' and 'Your Arsenal' are prolly his greatest solo work, though.

[TorgeistLLN]

I hold no ill will to any of the members, they just weren't meant to last a long time together. Too many differences in personalities and behavior to ever stay together. Not everybody can get along like U2 or Coldplay. Ugh. Life can be unfair. But The Smiths won't reunite, too much bad blood and disharmony between the people involved. Maybe it's for the best.

[tallpaddy]

Joyce and Rourke were a integral part of The Smiths- a band that resonate forever as truly great- I believe these two members don't get enough credit...

[Buzzjugs]

Justin... bring back The Smiths!!

Let us see what they are capable of now.

[Samcyrusxerxes]

i never realised how big joyce's ears are

[mcdevster]

morrissey is fine without joyce but joyce is not anything without morrissey

[kiss904]

this fella dont seem that bad

[wigglesmalibu]

In past interviews he claimed that he Morrisey deserved all the attention and that he was happy to be 'appreciated'

in truth he was "as replaceable as a car part"

[Ulmeyda08]

Morrissey is a wanker, it's just that nobody has the guts to say it. His career died after "Your arsenal". Please understand that the once quiet charming man from Manchester no longer exists, and now we have this pompus arrogant big fringed arsehole in his place.

[rherrick123]

vauxhall and I? his best album?!

[Ulmeyda08]

No that one was average.

[rherrick123]

good joke.

[ChuckHippy]

Morrissey has written many excellent songs since Your Arsenal back in 1992. Although YOU don't rate Vauxhall and I most people see it as one of his greatest works. Ringleaders of the Tormentors (2006) was hailed by fans and critics alike as a masterpiece. The problem I have with those people who knock Morrissey's solo work is that they rarely have listened to any of it!

[Ulmeyda08]

Their alright songs I'm not saying they were shit. But Compared to his old works like "Your Arsenal" and "Bona Drag" they are not on par.

[bobbydylanio]

Take your opinion, stuff it up your arse, and fuck off. He was a genius, he is a genius, he always will be a genius. Dont try and tell me that i dont have the guts to say hes shit you twat, just because your brain is too small to conceive of his genius or because you havent listened to it doesnt give you the right to tell me or anyone else that he has some how magically lost his touch. Fucking idiot.

[Ulmeyda08]

He lost his touch a long time ago, have you read the lyrics to the song "How can anybody possibly know how I feel?" or do you just mindlessly follow everything Morrissey does for the sheer fact that his old work was good. Cunt.

[bobbydylanio]

Like bollocks! Have you heard life is a Pigsty?? Have you heard You have killed me, if you know what the words mean it really is genius. have you heard The World is Full of crashing Bores?? Mint lyrics. And no i do not "mindlessley follow" i genuinley beleive that he is currently close to his best post smiths, just for the record i think Southpaw Grammar is shite, so there. But i bet you just mindlessly criticise everything he does now. Cunt.

[Ulmeyda08]

The only acceptable thing he's done was "you are the quarry" after your arsenal. His new album is a fucking joke.

[DEADHEROS81]

Yeah, and the cove photo is shitty too, but I still have great respect for him, because I grew up on him.

[infancysguard]

"Vauxhall And I" was his last great output. Though the Southpaw Grammar era did have a few good songs ("Dagenham Dave," "Sunny"). I agree with you regarding the lyrics to "How Can Anybody..."but I think the tune is real catchy.

[DEADHEROS81]

I agree, those were may last purchases. I remember desperately try to get into other releases, looking for what just was'nt there anymore.

[infancysguard]

The last thing I bought was "Maladjusted," and it's been about 9 years since I ever pulled it out to listen to any of it . I only like "Satan Rejected My Soul." I don't think much of the lyrics on that song either, but I dig the music. The other songs on "Maladjusted" are absolute crap.

[DEADHEROS81]

Honest, I have'nt listened to him since the mid 90's, and I traded in all his discs after I lost interest in him / them, but now I'm feeling nostalgic. I've been going back through tHE sMITHS / mORRISSEY catalogue and checking out old favs here on YouTube. Sad, he had a good run, but I think he's done too much of a departure from a very successful formula. Seems like maybe it's time for Moz' to do a little looking backwards.

[elsoda]

moz i loved you but now i hate you! but i cant..cause i love you! but why are you so fucking selfish? why so fucking greedy and selfish? NOT FAIR MOZ..just not fair!

[CarlyMC17]

Dont be ignorant, you dont know anything about what happened.

[diaperman81]

Does anybody else think Mike Joyce's drums were what the made the Smiths so delicious? Well I do. Oh behave.

[stryanka]

lol i just found out last night my uncle tried to give this guy advice about life, basicly stop fucking about and get a real job, lol what a twat fuck life

[psykoosi]

Quite stupid thing for Joyce to say that perhaps they will do the reunion. How can he possibly even think such thing? Not after the trial, never!

[gothenburgmark]

I love the Smiths and always will, but would NOT like to see a reunion in the form of a band playing together again. First, it will NEVER happen. Second, if it did, the bad blood flows so much that the uncomfortable mood would affect their harmony together musically. It would just never be the same as back in the 80s. It would just not feel right nor sound right. That can never be repeated. Too bad the group broke up so soon, but we still have the music, thankfully.

[gothenburgmark]

Johnny Marr, in a documentary he did while in a pub (LOL), pretty much confirmed much of what Joyce has stated. Although Johnny Marr chose his words quite carefully so not as to directly accuse Moz for breaking up the band. I respect and admire Moz, but if he could have just the "other two" members of the band as members, and not guns for hire, and pay them their rightful dues (money and mutual respect), perhaps things would have turned out quite different. But then, would we have the same Moz?

[ninmat]

Calm down. It's basically Joyce's word vs Morrissey's, and you really have no way to know who's correct.

[cinemar]

You've just answered your own stupid premise. Joyce has a world? Are you kidding? How many Mike Joyce albums are you buying these days?

[ninmat]

Word, cinemar, word.

[Godlovesgays]

mike u wanted sum more limelight and you didn't even get a full screen u twat leave him alone morrissey made you, and even gave you a second chance when the smiths split, you are just a musician and can be replaced (not my quote), you was fab in the smiths you truly was but you would and still are nothing without morrissey and mar, you deserved abit more than 10% each but then yet again you didn't write the music or lyrics or sing it you just played it ever so beautifully

[sheepthroat]

i think u deserve about 2percent john or steve or any other twat.moz wrote the lyrics end of.

[Godlovesgays]

2% lol well i wish they got that, more money for moz but marr should have the same % as mozz (and he dus) but at the time Morrissey and Marr decided they should get 10% i agree with them, Morrissey is truely amazing in my opinion i love his music, but you have to give credit to Johhny marr he is amazing musician and him and morrissy created the smiths,the smiths are known as mozza's lyrics and marrs music, u do realise you just called morrissey a twat, members of smiths steven,johny,andy,mike

[sheepthroat]

fairplay,godlovesgays,i had a few too many beers,it was a strange thing to post.

[rdw7300]

Moz & Marr really should've treated them fairly from the outset. After all, M&M were entitled to 100% of the songwriting royalties. Marr may have come to that realization when he chose not to appeal. Moz seems to revel in the friendless, persecuted, contrarian vibe. By the way, what a wonderful band!

[xerxes465]

From the interviews I've seen and heard it appears to me that Mike Joyce respects Morrissey, and considers him to be a great artist, but he sued him only because he felt he wasn't getting his due. He realizes there will never be a reunion, not because of the hatred he has for Moz, but because of the hatred Moz has for him.

[ggould21]

mike is my dads best friend and my drum teacher

[VirusSyndicate]

Greater Manchester is an abolute shit hole

[fatcityaddress]

Fake hair and ears?

[SilentLD]

Mr Joyce seems quite articulate but the bitterness against Morrissey - hidden very well throughout the interview - comes through very strongly at the end when he says "I'm speaking to SOME of them". They would never regroup even if they did it would be a horribly strained affair, going against all their original principles as a band.

[shanejacobus]

As for that lawsuit, I do not know enough about the law to determine whether or not the decision was right, but I have to agree that a 40/40/10/10 split of recording and touring royalties was very unfair, especially since songwriting royalties were never an issue if I understand it correctly. Morrissey and Marr may have been the creative force behind The Smiths, but Rourke and Joyce also played an important role and I would never consider it a reunion without them.

[shanejacobus]

It would be wonderful if The Smiths got back together, but it's pretty obvious that's never going to happen. Morrissey is too stubborn. Still, I would be delighted to hear about Johnny Marr at least reconciling with Andy and Mike the same way that Robert Smith of The Cure has done with his former bandmate Lol Tolhurst. Yes, I'm aware of the irony of bringing that up considering all the negative things Moz and Robert Smith have said about each other. Still, I'm sure you get my drift.

[voroshilov]

Fuck yeah, the loyal fans deserve it and it would be good for Moz and the lads.

[MishuTaste]

I wish the Smiths could patch up their conflicts and reunite for a tour. There are many fans who would love to see them perform again.

[ggould21]

morrisey and jhonney marr owe andy and mike about 1 mil and went to court, i have all the legal documents mike is my mums best friend and helped him with the case.

[MishuTaste]

Well...I guess I won't get my wish then.

[TorgeistLLN]

If they did those things I think they could have gone on for an album or two more, perhaps not split in 87 but more realistically around 91 or 92. They still had another classic album in them. They weren't managed properly and they were overworked and just couldn't stand each other in the end. It really didn't need to happen so early. I'm not saying they'd be around today, but at least another 5 years from when they split. Oh well.

[TorgeistLLN]

I know he gets knocked alot but I have no problem with the guy. Listen, with or without the legal battle The Smiths still would not reunite in my opinion. Two things I regret for the band. 1. They never hired a manager they all liked in which he could sort out all the royalties and made them all know who earned what and 2. that they didn't take a holiday and just decompress from it all for a year or at least a few months.

[xgreenymeex]

I love the smiths so much. I wanna buy that vid, "inside the smiths", would be cool to see. Thanx for this :)

[daveyoungmusic]

the best bands always go early

the jam

the smiths

with no reunion

if you didnt see em go find the new smiths or jam

i saw the sex pistols play during there reunion and it was crap cabaret

like the ali thing

should of retired at the top

much love

[GrahamMoffatt]

Mike Joyce is a good bloke. I like. Also a supremely underrated musician.

[FranklyMisterShankly]

The Smiths were about to sign with E.M.I. before they broke up. A part of me is actually glad they broke up before they had the chance to sell out.

[TheMayfairCompany]

They would have been the biggest band in the world if they had stayed together two or three more years. There was not enough time for the masses to get it.

[EnTallrikPropaganda]

And thank god for that!

[nattt23]

Yup!

[Mollweidekadet]

This interview is taking part in the Midland Hotel. You can see Central Library out of the window.

[ostattack]

Thank you for "not" showing the cover asshole!

[IAMJOE90]

An articulate lawn mower part...

[anderson111111111]

Viva le michael joyce, andrew rourke, craig gannon, jonathan maher, stephen morrissey! come back with your poetic concise music! ms. wilson: could you please keep us updated/informed smiths-wise? we'll try to update you on enigmatic mr. morrissey in LA. he still won't interview much. cheers!

where is mr. maher?

[Tidalbullet]

Johnny Maher is doinsomethin with "modest mouse"....he's class...chech him out on here