From the Times Online: http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/media/article3168528.ece

 

 

"Robbie Williams issues call to arms in protest at EMI 'bean counters'

Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent

 

Robbie Williams is going on strike in protest at the private equity firm that has taken over his record company, as other stars down tools in an artists’ revolt.

 

Williams, who has sold 70 million records for EMI, is leading a number of stars refusing to work for the company since its £3.2 billion takeover by Terra Firma, the financier. He is withholding the next album in his £80 million deal from EMI and his manager said Guy Hands, the new boss of EMI, was behaving like a “plantation owner”.

 

 

Coldplay, one of EMI’s few US chart-toppers, are also prepared to withdraw their labour. Their manager said that the band was considering its options after EMI’s head of music left this week, with thousands more redundancies expected.

 

 

The US screenwriters’ strike, which brought Hollywood to a halt, has influenced pop stars, who believe that they can use their muscle to wrest control from the “bean-counters”.

 

 

....The 30-million album selling Coldplay, currently recording new material with Brian Eno, are upset at the departure of Tony Wadsworth, head of EMI’s UK music division. Dave Holmes, the band’s Los Angeles-based manager, told The Times: “Tony was the reason a lot of bands signed to EMI. Artists want to work with music people, not finance guys.”

 

He added: “Why would you want to release an album with a record company in the midst of massive lay-offs? Coldplay have a lot of options. They are in no hurry to deliver their new album.”

So much for this press release trying to make things sound all hunkydory. “The band's relationship with EMI is both long-term and very healthy and positive. Any suggestion to the contrary is incorrect and unfair on both parties.” My foot.

 

"Confused bull in a china shop" indeed.

 

 

 

p.s. my sympathies to those who will inevitably go insane should this come to pass... :confused:

Every day I'm loving EMI even more.

^ :laugh3:

 

I told my dad about the artists walking out, much like the writers. His response: "Sounds like Babylon the Great is falling."

 

yeah. :inquisitive: :laugh3:

His response: "Sounds like Babylon the Great is falling."

 

:lol:

 

:thinking: Doesn't this mean the album will take even longer to produce?

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

 

:bigcry:

 

i think i'm going to hide under the covers for a while if this actually happens. but it sounds like a legit source....ohhhh my god....:stunned: :bigcry:

*runs for cover*

 

She's gonna blow!!!

 

 

 

 

 

:laugh3:

:lol:

 

:thinking: Doesn't this mean the album will take even longer to produce?

 

I think it means that even when they're done production, they'll just hide it away until things clear up.

So the albums done, and the reason it won't be released until May is because EMI are falling out with all their artists.....

 

 

 

:bigcry: WHY!?! Why did they ever join that evil record company!?!? :bigcry: WHY!!!?! :bigcry:

i'm nearly physically pained by this development. i have half a mind to get down and beg in front of my coldplay poster for this NOT to happen and for them to just put it out and bear it even though EMI is evil...i just can't wait any longer!!!!!

i think my soul is being crushed. :(

So the albums done, and the reason it won't be released until May is because EMI are falling out with all their artists.....

 

 

 

:bigcry: WHY!?! Why did they ever join that evil record company!?!? :bigcry: WHY!!!?! :bigcry:

 

emma, i think this could go waaaaaay beyond may. i bet its real close to being done and was GOING to be released in may....but GAHHHHHH....:bigcry:

i have half a mind to get down and beg in front of my coldplay poster for this NOT to happen

 

:lol: I shouldn't be laughing because I know you are being serious but I can't help it...

 

 

They need to come out with something, or Muse may take their spot as my number one band. Coldplay's music is hanging on to me by threads and I'm afraid I might forget how much I love their music :cry:

i'm nearly physically pained by this development. i have half a mind to get down and beg in front of my coldplay poster for this NOT to happen and for them to just put it out and bear it even though EMI is evil...i just can't wait any longer!!!!!

i think my soul is being crushed. :(

 

At the same time though, if they do just go ahead and release it though EMI, they will own the copyright and could do all sorts of evil things with it. And are inclined to under the new regime. It sounds like this started because the last voices of reason who would keep it from happening were being let go.

OMG! This is turning into one of those movies where the only people who can save the heroines are being murdered, leaving them open to torture and a life of slavery under some evil guys with an anorexic black cat....

 

:stunned: I need some more sleep...

i know i know i know, i'm being horridly selfish, and i know EMI is now crap, but its just the fact that i've been so looking forward to having this new album and now that it was (probably) within reaching distance (because even if it was to be out in december, they did say it was going to be out in 2008), it could very well be taken away. and this makes me very sad.

 

and i was actually kidding about begging in front of my coldplay poster :laugh1:. but only barely.

^:bigcry: It is within reach and that is what hurts so much...the longingness is eating us all up...

and we're being tortured because effing EMI is too stupid and greedy...i hate that its big business and money matters that are screwing up our entertainment. i know it happens every day and business rules all, but somehow this feels more personal than it ever has before.

 

i dont know, i need to stop posting about my laments, but i'm just so effing disappointed...

I think it's the anxiety of this album plus my everyday worries that is starting to harass me. I suppose when you come to a point when you really have no idea what you want or when or how you plan on achieving what you want...it scares the hell out of me...

huh, i'm actually in a similar position myself, emma. i know what i want, but i know it's pretty unlikely and i dont know what to do with that. i know its not the place to ramble on about my own stuff, but what you just said i applied pretty well to me...

^Don't worry, threads often stray far from their original topic...

Mutherfecking EMI.

^^ Think you guys need a hug. *hug* You'll live. I promise.

 

But getting back to the topic, the Sun is picking up the story. Which means little, but it wasn't just a cut-and-paste job. http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/bizarre/article676338.ece

question who is robbie williams and how is he effecting all this!!!!!!!!!!!!

^Solo artist. emi's biggest act after Coldplay. Used to be part of a boyband called Take That until he went solo. Very popular in Britain, but unheard of anywhere else. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robbie_Williams

 

Looks like he's the main one willing to risk a lawsuit to get the whole walkout off the ground. And he's big enough for a move like that to really hurt the company.

crapmuffins. this is not looking good.

 

i suppose the whole "withholding the album" thing will be painful for coldplay too, as artists. because i figure keeping "the album to remember them by" and songs that "everyone needs to hear before they die" under a blanket indefinitely isn't really what the plan was. i'm not an artist so i can't really say, but i would think that simply getting your work out of you and finished isn't what it's all about--another huge part of it is putting it out in the world for consideration. i figure theyre not too thrilled with hiding it away, either, and that makes me feel a bit better.

 

i'd really like EMI to sort themselves out and/or for coldplay to sit down with them and list their demands and for EMI to oblige. i figure breaking off their contract would take a hell of a lot of time with all the legal munbo-jumbo involved, so i kind of don't hope for that yet, unless it's really the only hope of them getting it out this year.

 

meh. i hate strikes. this is the second one to severely muck up my plans and enjoyment (the WGA strike being the first...)