Morrissey has substituted a picture of himself and David Bowie which was to be used as the artwork for a forthcoming reissue of the 1989 single ‘The Last Of The Famous International Playboys‘ for one with 80s popstar Rick Astley after the former denied permission for the use of his image.
Morrissey had originally planned for the single’s artwork to feature a picture of him and Bowie taken together in New York, but explained the rejection in a statement to fansite True To You which read:
“David Bowie has ordered EMI UK not to run the proposed artwork for Morrissey’s April 8 issue of the re-mastered The Last of the Famous International Playboys single and CD.”
“The sleeve featured a previously unseen private photograph of Bowie and Morrissey taken by Linder Sterling in New York in 1992. Although Bowie has no legal rights to the photograph, most of his back catalogue is presently licensed to EMI.”
The picture now being used instead was reportedly taken backstage at Top Of The Pops in 1989. The reissued single supports a similar re-release of the album ‘Kill Uncle‘, which is also due in April.