Smiths guitarist/songwriter Johnny Marr has responded to a series of what he calls “incorrect” recent claims by his former bandmate Morrissey regarding ownership of the band’s trademark, a purported reunion tour, and the fate of another greatest hits compilation.
Morrissey previously asserted Marr ignored a lucrative proposal from AEG Presents for the two of them to tour for the first time since 1987 — an offer to which had Morrissey said yes. He also said Marr now controls the Smiths’ trademark and intellectual property rights and that Marr said no to a compilation celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary.
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Regarding the reunion, “I didn’t ignore the offer — I said no,” Marr confirmed in a social media post. He also squashed any speculation about touring as the Smiths with a different singer, insisting, “there are no such plans.”
In terms of the trademark issue, Marr said he only discovered that the Smiths did not own their name after a 2018 “attempt by a third party to use” it. Afterwards, he contacted Morrissey “via his representatives, to work together in protecting the Smiths’ name. A failure to respond led Marr to register the trademark himself. It was subsequently agreed with Morrissey’s lawyers that this trademark was held for the mutual benefit of Morrissey and Marr. As a gesture of goodwill, in January 2024, Marr signed an assignment of joint ownership to Morrissey. Execution of this document still requires Morrissey to sign.”
“To prevent third parties from profiting from the band’s name, it was left to me to protect the legacy,” Marr added. “This I have done on behalf of both myself and my former bandmates.”
As for the compilation, which Morrissey said Marr rejected on the basis of provisional artwork created by the former, Marr said he “declined a suggestion” for such a release “given the number already in existence.”
Following a bitter split, the musicians nearly reunited more than 20 years later in 2008 while working on remastered editions of the Smiths’ albums, but the conversation only lasted a matter of days and never moved forward. Smiths bassist Andy Rourke, who performed live on several occasions with Marr over the past two decades, died of cancer in 2023.
Asked by SPIN in a 2018 interview whether he dodged a bullet by not working with Morrissey in the wake of his controversial political statements, Marr replied, “I don’t know whether I dodged a bullet because of that. I just feel like we never reformed because we shouldn’t have reformed. I don’t like ‘dodging the bullet,’ because there’s so many reasons why we haven’t reformed. I think that’s fair to say, and I don’t think that would come as any kind of puzzle or surprise to anybody. I don’t feel like I dodged any bullets. And also we never really got close to reforming, except for a conversation that happened quite a long time ago.”
Marr begins a North American tour tonight (Sept. 17) in Denver with fellow Manchester, U.K., band James.
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