Radiohead Denies Demanding $20 Million EMI Deal
RADIOHEAD have dismissed reports claiming they split from EMI after the record
label refused to agree to a $20 million deal, insisting negotiations faltered
before talk even turned to money.
A spokesperson for the label alleged the British rockers had demanded “an
extraordinary amount of money” to resign with the company after their contract
ran out in 2005.
But Radiohead manager Bryce Edge insists the label’s claims are inaccurate
and that discussions failed over the band’s request to have the copyright on
part of their back catalog returned to them.
He says, “We couldn’t move ahead with EMI because (label boss) Guy Hands
irrevocably refused to discuss the catalog in any meaningful way.
“We sold 25 million records and we have the moral rights over those six
albums. We wanted a say in how they are exploited in the future. We were not
seeking a big advance payment, or a guaranteed marketing spend as discussions
never got that far.”
The Creep stars went on to release their latest album, In Rainbows, as a
digital download, with fans allowed to choose their own price for the LP. They
will release the CD version of In Rainbows in the U.S. and U.K. next week
(begs31Dec07).
(MT/WNWCNM/LJ)
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