Morrissey Replaces David Bowie with Rick Astley in 1980's Photo
Posted by Jeffrey Harris on 03.06.2013
For the reissuing of his old single...
Pitchfork reports that Morrissey has played a prank on David Bowie by replacing an image of Bowie in a photo with himself. Morrissey replaced Bowie's image with that of 1980's singer Rick Astley.
Last month, Bowie denied Morrissey the right to use an image of the two together for the artwork on his upcoming single, "The Last of the Famous International Playboys." Morrissey is now using a shot of him and singer Astley instead. The photo was originally taken backstage at Top of the Pops in 1989.
Morrissey is reissuing the 1989 single alongside his 1991 album Kill Uncle this April. However, a statement on a Morrissey fansite True To You revealed that Bowie refused to give Morrissey permission to use the photo he wanted. According to the statement:
"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."
