The perennial joker and former fat part-time footballer, Robbie Williams, has gone on strike. It is alleged he is upset that his record label EMI have been taken over by a private equity firm called Terra Firma. Artists, such as Radiohead and Paul McCartney, have already jumped the EMI ship and EMI’s UK chief executive recently left after 25 years of service. Robbie is worried about how the new management will promote and market his new album.
Robbie does have a point and I admire him for taking a stand. Financial firms do not have a place in running a popular music label. Music is about more than profit and return. It is about taking chances and having faith. EMI has taken a few chances in the past – most notably with the Sex Pistols (even though the relationship ended acrimoniously). EMI were the parent company of IRS who originally signed Slaughterhouse 5.
Ever since the 80s the music industry has been dominated by money-men. You don’t make millions then you are nothing – so all we have is bland pop music that is accessible to the ignorant masses. The digital revolution has changed the whole way music is sold and distributed. However, the same few money grabbers are still in charge.
This is why I signed to Big Arena Records. This is why they are different:
“Most record labels are businessmen making money out of the musicians - we are musicians who are trying to make our work available whilst at the same time making sure the profits go to the musicians responsible for the material.”
Now that’s what I call music. . . . business.
2 Comments
I don’t think they are ‘in charge’ as such; they just have more resources is all when it comes to marketing and manufacturing.
I must say that we never had anything but complete support from EMI - it was IRS that used to fanny about a lot. Them going bankrupt didn’t help, either.
I don’t want to sound like an arch cynic, but don’t you think it’s a little strange that you wouldn’t otherwise have heard much about Robbie and his new album if he hadn’t ‘gone on strike’?
It’s right to be cynical. Taking a stand to get publicity is better than not taking a stand at all. Fight the power.