Has Morrissey proved his point to the record companies?

[stux]

I mean with the book sales, staying at number 1 for weeks.

The book is readily available in the UK, in every store, it actually feels like it is being promoted, everything that doesn't happen with his music and the results are clear - he is clearly a name that can sell.

From the tiny snippets of info we get, this is the sort of promotion he wants from a record label and he refuses to sign up to half arsed offers with minor labels with no chance of promotion.

So, point proved?

 

[Deleted member 1074]

He hasn't proved anything.

His book wasn't #1. It was the #1 paperback. Big difference. Even so, it didn't sell that well.

Morrissey has an audience. Just not one large enough to be worthy of the money and promotion he wants. If he gets a record deal, it will be because HE caved.

 

[123xyz]

He hasn't proved anything.

His book wasn't #1. It was the #1 paperback. Big difference. Even so, it didn't sell that well.

Morrissey has an audience. Just not one large enough to be worthy of the money and promotion he wants. If he gets a record deal, it will be because HE caved.

I don't know ; what are bad/good/extraordinary paperback sales ?

But you may be right. The age may have passed , in part due to piracy , where he could command the deals he had previously.

Wish he would perform live/release as an EP some of his newer ( Tobias' "two albums of material") tracks ; weren't the live performances of "First Of..." & "I Like.." the catalyst for his "Quarry"-era deal ?

 

[Anonymous]

His book wasn't #1. It was the #1 paperback. Big difference. Even so, it didn't sell that well.

Actually, it *was* number one, though only for a week.

 

[Anonymous]

The only lesson for record companies here is the one they already knew. If Morrissey produces good new material, it will sell itself, in the UK at least, and marketing is not really either here or there.

 

[Pokey]

Also, yes I know you can download pdfs of books and such, but they're not as readily available as downloading free music ... his album sales even with promotion are never going to be what he wants them to be (ie like his book sales) because the number of people getting it for free increases. After reading his book, record companies may even be more worthy, if they get him, promote it well, but it only gets to number 2, he'll have a hissy fit at them that they didn't do their job properly.

Amanda Palmer gave Morrissey the best advice he could possibly get; that woman knows the score. This stubborn old mule who likes to make fun of Manchester in his book for being stuck in the 1940s, is himself stuck in the 1980s. Times have changed.

 

[Anonymous]

I mean with the book sales, staying at number 1 for weeks.
The book is readily available in the UK, in every store, it actually feels like it is being promoted, everything that doesn't happen with his music and the results are clear - he is clearly a name that can sell.
From the tiny snippets of info we get, this is the sort of promotion he wants from a record label and he refuses to sign up to half arsed offers with minor labels with no chance of promotion.
So, point proved?

The world (or the world's media at least) remains fascinated with Morrissey the personality but they have very little interest in Morrissey the modern-day recording artist.
His book has been (and will continue to be) a big success but most of the people who buy it won't be interested in getting the new album if/when it comes out, although they might go to see him live (as I would Paul McCartney or Jarvis Cocker but I'd never buy their latest album).
Received wisdom (FWIW) is that Morrissey is an interesting/fascinating/unusual person.
Sadly, received wisdom is also that since the Smiths split, Morrissey's songs have been (and continue to be) generally pretty rubbish. When he showcases something as dire as 'People Are The Same Everywhere' after 5 years of potential writing time you can't help but understand why people feel this way.
His name can sell books, newspaper articles and soundbites - it just can't sell new songs.

 

[troubleluvsme]

The world (or the world's media at least) remains fascinated with Morrissey the personality but they have very little interest in Morrissey the modern-day recording artist.
His book has been (and will continue to be) a big success but most of the people who buy it won't be interested in getting the new album if/when it comes out, although they might go to see him live (as I would Paul McCartney or Jarvis Cocker but I'd never buy their latest album).
Received wisdom (FWIW) is that Morrissey is an interesting/fascinating/unusual person.
Sadly, received wisdom is also that since the Smiths split, Morrissey's songs have been (and continue to be) generally pretty rubbish. When he showcases something as dire as 'People Are The Same Everywhere' after 5 years of potential writing time you can't help but understand why people feel this way.
His name can sell books, newspaper articles and soundbites - it just can't sell new songs.

Well said.

 

[Oh my god. it's Robby!]

proved himself to that dying form of corporation called "the record company"
don't see how he ever really could no matter what he did, nor why he would want to
the only thing he could do is suddenly get 30 years younger and play songs that play to moronic tweens and teens*
those "target audiences" are the only things keeping your traditional record company still alive, but they too shall go the way of

soon enough, if it is simply a matter of funding for "studio time" and whatnot
such is to be gotten in much better 21st century ways then from despicable record companies



*=yes, yes, I am making a generalisation, not all fall into these categories, of course

 

[Girlmostlikely]

Yes, Morrissey has proven something! He has shown that the public are still very interested in Morrissey! The sales of Autobiography are something to be very proud of! People will say that he's not that big of a star and then in the same breathe that he didn't sell that many books. Well, for his level of fame, I would assert that the sales are quite good.

The success of the book will not necessarily translate into a hit record. I agree with posters who have said there are many folks who would buy the book but not be interested in a new record. However, it stands to reason that there are more people now that would be interested in a new Moz album than before Autobiography was released. I think the book has and will only help his career.

I hope and pray Morrissey doesn't let this time go buy without properly seizing it.

 

[Anonymous]

Yes, the book and record industries are now VERY different. Morrissey was sensible to release his autobiography now, when large numbers of people still buy physical books, rather than download them from the internet for free.

 

[DAVIE]

Not based on "People Are The Same Everywhere", "The Kid's A Looker", "Action Is My Middle Name".

Companies would rather a Viva Hate album than a total career disaster.

Saying that I'm sure a new Morrissey album could sell as many copies as the last Rod Stewart album if given enough publicity. But it's not worth it if the songs and lyrics are meaningless and have no real depth.

 

[Anonymous]

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