After years without a record deal, former Smiths frontman Morrissey has signed with Attack, an imprint of Sanctuary Records Group. Attack has been inactive for some time, but was home to such artists as I Roy, Gregory Isaacs, and the Upsetters between 1969-1980. Morrissey is at work on his label debut, which may include some of the songs he has debuted in live performances over the past few years.
The deal also provides Morrissey with the opportunity to sign artists to Attack, which will be distributed by BMG in the U.S., Pinnacle in the U.K., and various partners elsewhere. "Attack Records will be a reflection of his creative vision and his exclusive domain," Sanctuary CEO Merck Mercuriadis said in a statement.
Morrissey has not released a new studio album since 1997's "Maladjusted," his final set for Mercury. The album debuted at No. 61 on The Billboard 200 and has sold 86,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. The single "Alma Matters" reached No. 9 on Billboard's Bubbling Under Hot 100 Singles chart.
In other news, the artist has compiled 15 of his favorite tracks for the album "Morrissey: Under the Influence," released last month by DMC. The compilation features songs by the New York Dolls, Tyrannosaurus Rex, the Ramones, Sparks, Nico, and Patti Smith, among others.
"How I feel is beyond my power to tell, so I wait to be led by the singing voices that reach to me," Morrissey writes in the liner notes. "I am at the mystery of savages who shape radio and television with a dreadful nothingness."
-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
