The BBC was threatened with an injunction by lawyers representing Morrisey last week and was asked not to air a 20 second clip of a rare demo which was scheduled to appear in a documentary about producer Stephen Street.
The former Smiths singer clearly feels unhappy with the early, previously unheard audio clip which was recorded during the 1988 ‘Viva Hate‘ sessions. The Viva Hate album was Street’s first major production credit and launched a successful career including projects with artists such as Blur, Kaiser Chiefs, The Cranberries and many more. Street told contactmusic: “I just wanted to show that even when (Morrissey) was singing on a four-track cassette, he still sounded great.”
It would seem Morrissey’s lawyers had a different opinion. “On Friday afternoon [30 April], both the BBC and myself received a letter from Morrissey’s solicitors threatening an immediate injunction preventing any broadcast unless the material was removed,” Street added. “Apparently their client was ‘horrified that the proposed material would be broadcast.'” With the program’s cancellation looming, the producers removed the clip.
“I cannot understand [his] way of thinking at all,” Street said. “Throughout the programme I am extremely in full praise of Morrissey … I didn’t think it would do any harm to play a small segment.”
The Guardian reports that according to radio producer Steve Levine, the show has never had any trouble before – despite airing recordings by Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Phil Collins and many more. “Rough demos have been played with their blessing and this is the first time they have been threatened with an injunction,” Street said. “Oh well, some things (or people) never change!”