Why did Mortissey hate Natalie Merchant?

Because she was Chelsea Clinton's favorite pop star and he was not.

This must be the least known rivalry ever. Maybe they'll make a new "Fued" miniseries about it.

"Fued"

Natalie Merchant/10,000 Maniacs covered "Everyday is Like Sunday" back in the early 90s. He hated it.

Mortissey

Morrissey hates everyone.

Clues are everywhere.

Who didn't?

Natalie is a pretentious cunt. I mean, compared to Mozzer I'd pick her, but that's a low bar.

Mortissey?

Fued?

This whole thread is one big "Oh, dear."

[quote] This whole thread is one big "Oh, dear."

Which is what Morrissey is used to hearing from everyone.

He's a bitch, but EVERYONE I've ever known has hated her.

Merchant ruined Because The Night.

When we met, my partner actually preferred her version of "More Than This", since he was barely aware (or, rather, unaware) of the Roxy Music original. I had to bitchslap him until he came to his senses.

I thought it was Natalie Portman that Michael Stipe was fucking.

There were lots of rumors that Stipe and Merchant were sort of "mean girls" together and pulled a few stunts.

[quote]Natalie is a pretentious cunt.

And what exactly is Morrissey???!?!??

[quote]When we met, my partner actually preferred her version of "More Than This"

That was Mary Ramsey on vocals, not Natalie Merchant. Ramsey joined the band and assumed the role of lead vocalist after Merchant left to pursue a solo career. IIRC, "More Than This" was the first release from the new version of 10,000 Maniacs.

Is it worse than Nora Jones’ cover of More Than This?

The mental image of Merchant V Mozz in a brawl style fist fight over Michael Stipe is just wonderful.

[quote]I thought it was Natalie Portman that Michael Stipe was fucking.

Stipe was long past his last vagina by the time Natalie Portman came along

Jealousy b/c Merchant had Stipe first and Morrissey saw her as beneath him?

[quote]Mortissey

Is that pronounced sort of like "Morticia"?

Mozz is an old conservative cunt now, and as useless as an asshat.

Natalie Portman fucked Moby, not Stipe.

[post redacted because independent.co.uk thinks that links to their ridiculous rag are a bad thing. Somebody might want to tell them how the internet works. Or not. We don't really care. They do suck though. Our advice is that you should not click on the link and whatever you do, don't read their truly terrible articles.]

R24, then which blonde starlet did Stipe pork? Cameron Diaz?

Courtney Love.

Stipe and Merchant were definitely fucking. Merchant referred to them as "lovers" in the interview at R25.

[quote]And what exactly is Morrissey???!?!??

A miserable twat.

Leave Morrissey alone!

It will come as no surprise to any right thinking vegan that Natalie Merchant’s Tigerlily was the favourite album of misandrist lesbian serial killer Aileen Wuornos and she was cremated to the sickening sounds of Carnival!

Oops.

[quote]Stipe and Merchant were definitely fucking.

Did Merchant’s toxic pussy turn Stipe gay?

He wrote a whole song about how much she sucks. It's pretty good.

[quote]Did Merchant’s toxic pussy turn Stipe gay?

r33, Stipe is one of those annoying bisexuals who willfully misidentifies as gay. He will then in the next sentence tell you he is also attracted to women and go on to complain about bierasure without the slightest hint of irony.

He used to call himself an "equal opportunity lech," but I'm sure there were people back then who said he was really purely gay and not bi. I don't think there is any answer that would satisfy everybody. That said, I haven't been a fan in years, so maybe he changed his story again.

i've only heard Michael Stipe as being gay. I can't stand his voice anyways...rumored to be Poz.

Did Stipe give Merchant the HIV?

OP, you just wouldn’t understand.

A lot of critics hated Merchant's Morrissey cover too, especially in the UK. I remember one English critic mocking the way she sang "share some greased teeeea with meeee," when (according to him) an American woman couldn't begin to understand the dreariness of an English seaside town.

Was Merchant a straight boy's indie pin-up in her day? Michael Stipe liked people to think that he and her were "dating" (before he came out as an "equal-opportunity letch" in The Face magazine), but she wasn't having any of it and slammed down that bearding attempt.

I always thought she was a lez. Perhaps mutual bearding?

As to Ms. Merchant--Cannot abide that dame or her "singing."

I’ve only heard The Pretenders version of “Everyday Is Like Sunday” from Boys On the Side. I had no idea it was a Morrissey song! I must educate myself.

So what? That song was his worst one besides the truly awful "Suedehead". And you think I don't know dreary? I built my career on dreary!

I quote like her voice. Don’t know why she is so despised.

I do too r45, oddly my sis just called and asked if I wanted to go see 10,000 Maniacs, I was all for it but she said it's not Natalie. That was a hard pass from me then. We just saw Stone Temple Pilots with a new singer and he was actually great but to this I say, "No Merchant, No Way."

She's single now.

I love the 10,000 Maniacs cover of the song. It turns it into this kind of Abba song with an upbeat meldody and rather somber, downright, dark lyrics.

Billy Bragg didn't like the Dubstar cover of his song St. Smithin's Day for that reason (turning a serious song into an upbeat pop tune), too.

Sorry, the song is called St. Swithin's Day.

Allan, baby, why so jaded? Have the boys all grown up and their beauty faded?

Merchant really could make any song sound drab and bland, couldn't she? Without even trying.

Even a 20-year-old Kelly Clarkson's rendition of 'Every Day is Like Sunday' would have sounded more interesting.

She is very difficult to understand when she sings.

Kudos to the poster above who pointed out that Have-a-go Merchant is about her. I had no idea and I've been listening to Morrissey forever.

Merchant had a very limited range of vocal interpretation. Maybe it was her voice but it just kind of droned. I read that she is a total phony and celeb suck up. I know she is from Upstate NY but is she also British?

r51 "Everyday is like Sunday" IS a boring and shitty and droning song, it's awful, it was awful when Moz did it too.

Because of her vocal stylings I always thought she was part black.

Morrissey hates Merchant because he can.

She shares that with Stipe, r52. Two of the most mush-mouthed singers ever.

Isn't Merchant from Lucille Balls hometown.

Yes Jamestown NY R59. The song like the weather was about the weather on the lovely shores of Lake Erie.

If you were just to read, and not listen, to the songs on "In My Tribe" you would fucking die of schmaltziness. She covered adult literacy, fucking Italian weddings, alcoholism, child abuse, the armed forces. It reads like one big after school special, the fact that she was able to sing these corny ass songs and make them sound good, is a real fucking tribute to Merchant. Maybe she thought she could do that for that shit Moz song, she couldn't. Oh and I love the Smiths and I even love "Viva Hate" and "Bona Drag" but that song...pure shit.

Her contemporary Suzanne Vega was so much more interesting.

r35 He never identified as gay. I'm old. I remember.

Stipe is a predominantly gay-leaning bi, no?

I don't know her... or him either.

[quote] Don’t know why she is so despised.

She's a humorless cunt who is a nightmare to work for or with, and her music has suffered without an editing partner/someone to make it stronger and better.

r65 He has been quoted as saying he's attracted to 3 women for every 7 men.

Also Marchant's " Build a Levee" is one of the best songs of the last decade. Fight me.

Also I'm pretty sure she has psychic powers as she released 'Motherland' just before 911

I wanted to listen to the Levee song but I fell asleeepppppzzzzzzzzzzzz

Morrisey also hates you and your thread.

Ugh, she stoped dyeing her hair, and looks real old.

He hated her because she has girl germs. Eww!

R67 Judging by her Youtube vids/Instagram pics, her current band seems to like her.

She's not loved by former band mates like Moz is by say...Johnny Marr.

Her real name is Cheryl.

r75 I thought Marr hated Moz?

R77 ......

She’s fucking dull and boring.

He's probably jealous of her relationship with Michael.

Jealousy

Red Rain

It's funny to think these singers were once relevant.

R83 Better than what we have today.

He seems to have many many provocative opinions about things I don't care about and I dislike him more because I've read his opinions.

That said, the woman is swallowing her words even more these days. It's a cheat; you get to belt it out without making odd faces. Your face goes fug when you really sing. In her ear, it may sound like she's adding some depth to the tone. It doesn't translate that way.

I would poke her with a piece of chalk if I ever saw her on the street. Her posture is purposefully revolting as well. Poke her again.

Because the Night...

"Was Merchant a straight boy's indie pin-up in her day?" I don't think so. Her following (and the following of 10,000 Maniacs) seemed to be mostly college females and gay men. The band's "In My Tribe" album coincided with the beginning of the political correctness-oriented culture at U.S. universities in the late 80s that went on to define the U.S. college experience to this day. It seemed exciting at the time, I suppose. All of these social issues! Something HAS to be done. "In My Tribe" and Suzanne Vega's "Luka" were the torn-from-the-headlines alternative rock hits of 1987. (Luka was even a #3 hit on the Billboard chart that year, which is kind of amazing -- but I digress. The guitars and strings are amazing, though, which may be the reason it caught on.) The video for "Like the Weather" from 10,000 Maniacs received a lot of airplay on MTV that year and that may have been the main reason "In My Tribe" went platinum, even though "Like the Weather" didn't hit the top 40. But Natalie as a pin-up? No. This was "high-brow" pop music with a purpose. (And the quotes were on purpose, too.)

I was a fan of both Merchant and Stipe in the 1980’s. No one actually believed they were a couple. Michael Stipe is most definitely gay gay gay. All of his long term relationships have been with men. In fact, he has been with his current (male) partner for 20 years. Nothing wrong with that.

....

Moz was fucking hot, like John Taylor hot, why would he go for an uggo like Stipe who is pretentious to boot? Also, Moz claims to be asexual, probably since Marr didn't want him. So to sum up, Moz was too hot for Stipe but supposedly doesn't have sex anyhow.

Morissey is slowy dying of AIDS and is jealous of how gay dudes can be themselves without hiding everything behind prison pallor paleness and restless sighs

The only people who believed Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant were a couple were the silly female fans of Stipe. Refusing to accept the fact that he liked dick.

It’s Morissey. Name 3 things Morissey doesn’t hate. No credit for answering “Morissey”

[quote][R35] He never identified as gay. I'm old. I remember.

r64, I may be wrong but I distinctly remember reading some interview where he describes being bi, i.e. that he is attracted to both men and women, moreso men, but he chooses to id as gay rather than bi for some pretentious reason.

I'm referring to Stipe BTW.

I saw R.E.M. with 10,000 Maniacs as opening act on R.E.M.'s Work Tour in 1987. R.E.M. was incredible, loud, sweaty rock and roll. 10,000 Maniacs sounded just like their album, which was fine, but Natalie Merchant kept her back to the audience for most of the show, and was wearing an ankle length prairie dress. I remember seeing an interview with Peter Buck around the same time, probably on MTV, where he was talking about how Natalie Merchant and Stipe had their own separate bus just for the two of them on this tour, and just hilariously rolling his eyes.

Merchant doesn't allow comments on any of her songs on youtube. Yes she's that kinda person.

R94 No. He always called himself "Queer" explicitly stating it meant he had sex with men and women. In fact he once said on MTV in the early 90s " I suck dick and lick pussy, sometimes alternating between the two."

"In My Tribe" is a great example of '80s college/indie music, and I thought her topics/lyrics were awesome and her voice totally unique. I was in high school at the time so it hit me just right.

That upbeat version at R45 of "Everyday is Like Sunday" is not the version she recorded for the radio; it had the same tempo and somberness of the original but was slightly less sardonic-sounding. I remember liking it quite a bit. I liked the song "Trouble Me" off the Blind Man's Zoo album that came after "In My Tribe," but that was about it for me and Nat. Her solo album in '96 ("Tigerlily") was just ok, but it's singles were SO overplayed at the time that I started to hate her voice and music all together.

Still, she has a very unique voice and I'm glad to own the songs of hers that I like.

^its singles

She’s always seemed to me like she could be Sarah McLachlan’s uglier, more basic, and less talented cousin.

"I saw R.E.M. with 10,000 Maniacs as opening act on R.E.M.'s Work Tour in 1987. R.E.M. was incredible, loud, sweaty rock and roll. 10,000 Maniacs sounded just like their album, which was fine, but Natalie Merchant kept her back to the audience for most of the show, and was wearing an ankle length prairie dress."

I saw 10,000 Maniacs headlining in a club in Columbus Ohio, in March 1988 (with opening act Tracey Chapman a week or so before her debut album came out) and Natalie was dancing and twirling and spinning all over the place. She was very active. Someone must have told her that if you're going to be the main act, you have to spice things up. The band was great. Yes, they sounded a lot like their records, but that's why people show up in the first place.

[quote] Also, for a little while, he and Michale Stipe were an item. What caused it to end? Well, it seems Michael is one of those gay men who thinks his body odor is an aphrodisiac. He seldom bathes and Moz had enough of the happy shiny stink that lingered in his house long after Stipe departed.

R90, the above was posted by someone who worked with a PA of his. While Moz is eviscerating about women's looks, he has a low bar for men.

Stipe showing Thom a little love at the end of the song

He also hated Tina Turner!

My guess is because she was black, overtly roughly sexual and fucked David Bowie.

I'll always be near to you

But Jesus hurt me,

When he deserted me, but, I have forgiven you Jesus

For all the desire,

You placed in me when there's nothing I can do with this desire

Monday - humiliation,

Tuesday - suffocation,

Wednesday - condescension,

Thursday - is pathetic

By Friday life has killed me,

By Friday life has killed me,

Oh pretty one, Oh pretty one

Why did you give me so much desire,

When there is nowhere I can go to offload this desire?

And why did you give me so much love in a loveless world,

When there is no one I can turn to

To unlock all this love?

And why did you stick in self deprecating bones and skin?,

Jesus do you hate me?

Why did you stick in self deprecating bones and skin?

Do you hate me?, Do you hate me?, Do you hate me?, Do you hate me?, Do you hate me?

Natalie seems like she’d be very hard to get to know, and you’d constantly have to watch what you’d say because she’d get easily triggered into offense about feminism and the environment and other SWJ things. Unless she’s aged out of that shit.

My friend knew her before Natalie became a star. She was shall we say hygienically challenged. Even still Malodorous Merchant got cock. Even the skeeviest girl can get a guy to fuck her.

I don't see what's so bad about her cover of Every Day Is Like Sunday

Natalie lives not too far from the Mohonk Mountain House (near New Paltz). I saw her there about 6 months ago - the performance wasn't open to the public.

R105 hating Tina Turner is like being rude to waiting staff and flight attendants to me. It's a test of character. Bowie and Turner never fucked though, according to Tina.

He hated Grace Jones as well.

Check out the Tracey Ullman-esque persona pics that grace the CD booklet of her Ophelia album. Good for a chuckle. She seems so...serious.

I saw 10K Maniacs in concert a few times in Upstate NY. I always thought I should like them more than I did. I recall being bored by them and was always annoyed how they didn't seem to know how to end a song. Trouble Me is a beaut though. Same with REM, I always wanted to like them more than I did.

Natalie can't hold a candle to Sarah McLaughlin IMHO.

Morrissey hates anyone who's not either (1) an animal or (2) an alt-right neonazi. Yes, he's the Hitler of our generation. Is he also an amateur painter?

It's complicated.

I was more Tracy Chapman and Toni Childs.