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£80m Robbie Williams goes on strike
By Anna Davis, Evening Standard 11.01.08
Take that, EMI: Robbie Williams is threatening to withhold his next album
Parted company: Sir Paul McCartney has left EMI, which has told its artists to work harder to promote their music
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Robbie Williams is going on strike to protest about the behaviour of his record company.
Radiohead and Sir Paul McCartney have also stopped working for EMI, which has cut advance payments to musicians and told them to work harder to promote their music.
The company has been taken over in a £3.2 billion deal with financiers Terra Firma.
Williams's manager Tim Clark said the new boss of EMI, Guy Hands, was behaving like a "plantation owner".
The former Take That star is withholding the next album in his £80 million deal, while Coldplay are also said to be prepared to stop working.
The band's manager said Coldplay were considering their options after EMI's head of music left last week, and thousands more redundancies are expected. The US screenwriters' strike is believed to have influenced the pop stars' decision to take a stand.
Mr Clark said: "The question is, should Robbie deliver the new album he is due to release to EMI?
"We have to say the answer is no. 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. All we know is they are going to decimate their staff."
He accused Mr Hands of taking over EMI as a "vanity purchase". He added: "EMI can sue or pay up his contract. Robbie needs to know what services EMI can provide to an artist of his standing."
Williams said: "I might just put the B-sides to the next album out first online, then put an album out in 2009. There won't be a tour any time soon."
Williams wants to release his music through his website, in a similar way to Radiohead, who asked fans to pay what they wanted for their last album.
He also wants control over his back catalogue from EMI - the same issue which prompted Radiohead to leave.
Coldplay meanwhile are upset at the departure of Tony Wadsworth, head of EMI's UK music division.
Their manager Dave Holmes said: "Tony was the reason a lot of bands signed to EMI. Artists want to work with music people, not finance guys.
"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."
Sources at EMI said: "Many artists have raised fundamental questions about the record business in the digital age. EMI is working on a restructuring of its recorded music division to address the needs of artists in what is a very different market from the Nineties."
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Reader views (4)
Here's a sample of the latest views published.
In Robbie's case him going on strike is good news for music lovers.
- Mike, Bedford England
Singers have become very rich over the years, it's time for them to earn a bit less now.
- Charlie Toms, Manchester
Wouldn't it be nice for the finance people to just cooperate with the musicians? That way they'll both win. Instead of forcing them to "work harder" why don't both work smarter and deliver more value to the fans?
More value means new, affordable music at a click, as well as past tracks for even less. The law of demand states when the prices decrease, demand goes up. It's that simple.
Promotions mean zip if the music is not good and the prices high or both. And good music comes when you treat your artists well.
- Djnasser, London
Robbie who?
- Al Stuart, Ealing
