The Death Of EMI By Robbie Williams
EMI recording artiste Robbie Williams is going on strike.
He is refusing to work for Terra Firma, the financier company which took over EMI. Williams says the new boss, Guy Hands, is behaving like a “plantation owner”.
Hands the overseer has Williams on a £80million contract. Nice slavery if you can get it. But, then, Williams’ name has sold 70 million records for EMI.
EMI has a problem. And it bigger then just Williams and image. As the economist notes:
IN 2006 EMI, the world’s fourth-biggest recorded-music company, invited some teenagers into its headquarters in London to talk to its top managers about their listening habits. At the end of the session the EMI bosses thanked them for their comments and told them to help themselves to a big pile of CDs sitting on a table. But none of the teens took any of the CDs, even though they were free. “That was the moment we realised the game was completely up,” says a person who was there.
Says Williams manager, Tim Clark: “We have no idea how EMI will market and promote the album. They do not have anyone in the digital sphere capable of doing the job required.”
Does anyone buy music in a record shop any more?
Posted: 11th, January 2008 | In: Celebrities, Money Comments (5) | Follow the Comments on our RSS feed: RSS 2.0 | TrackBack | Permalink
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January 20th, 2008 at 9:02 pm
I tried to save EMI and over seven months of talks,teleconferencing and meetings. Eric Nicoli staff just seem clueless to launch anew label group.
January 13th, 2008 at 4:53 pm
Lets concentrate on facts. Rudebox was number one in 14 countries and it was the biggest selling album by a solo artist outside the USA in 2006. Robbie Williams is medias whipping boy, so he always get unfair criticism and is being under rated. I mean can you name other British solo artist in his/her 30s that has sold over 70 million records? Besides Rob is there even one?
EMI is leading now by a man who probably knows nothing about music business and probably nothing about music. Radiohead who quit EMI, described the new regime as like “a confused bull in a china shop”. What is known, EMI is in the midst of a massive lay-off (about 1 000 people are to lose their jobs). I say good for Rob for putting his foot down!!
January 12th, 2008 at 7:34 pm
It’s great how the rich pop stars are embracing the coolness of being undiscovered and raw on the web…
January 12th, 2008 at 10:07 am
it would help if robbie williams was capable of penning an album worth releasing. rude box was an unmitigated disaster because it was an awful album, not because of emi’s marketing. i think this new album will have little to offer, and no amount of budget will make it sell
January 11th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
when have record companies known anything about music ????