Robbie Williams ‘could quit EMI’
Robbie Williams may quit his record label EMI after he completes his final studio album for the company, his manager has suggested.
The singer signed a record £80m deal with the label in 2002 to produce four albums for the company.
“I would be very wary about signing him to any major label at the moment,” Tim Clark told the Daily Telegraph.
The singer has been with the company for a decade and remains one of the label’s biggest-selling acts.
Mr Clark refused to comment on the performer’s current contract terms, but said “all options” were open once Williams has completed his obligations.
Negotiations
The singer is also contracted to release a best-of compilation.
Since 2002, Williams has released three albums: Escapology (2002), Intensive Care (2005) and Rudebox (2006).
A fourth album, Let’s Swing Again, is due for release in February 2008.
Williams will be the first major pop act to come up for renegotiation under EMI’s new owner, private equity giant Terra Firma.
Mr Clark’s comments suggest Williams could follow in the footsteps of Paul McCartney and Radiohead, who have both left EMI in the past two years.
He said the internet offered artists opportunities without the need for record labels.
“What we really don’t want is the dead hand of multinationals throttling these brilliant opportunities,” Mr Clark said.
‘Devaluing music’
Radiohead’s Thom Yorke criticised EMI last week on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row.
“When you’re in a situation like this with shareholders, private equity firms, it looks at music as something to buy and sell on, that it’s inorganic, that it’s something that can be valued and devalued,” he said.
“Companies buying and selling themselves and seeing the artists work as simply part of their stock is devaluing music – if anybody’s responsible for devaluing music, it’s them.”
Sir Paul McCartney also branded his former label “boring” last week in a newspaper interview, citing it as a reason for why they parted company.
EMI declined to comment. (source: BBC.co.uk)