I think all the branding stuff went to UMG. Warner may be able to use the brand Parlophone. I think
one reason that EMI Classics went away so fast is that there was no agreement to keep the brand EMI
associated with what Warner bought. UMG made sure to keep the Philips brand for 10 years after they
got Polygram, but for the new Philips classical box set, they had to lease the brand anew from the
light bulb company, and could only use it on that specific box set and those specific CDs within the
box set, and the quid pro quo was advertising text about Philips consumer electronics gear right in
the front of the booklet.
I do wonder about Nipper, though. Has anyone noticed Nipper on any Sony-owned reissues of RCA
recordings? How did it shake out with Nipper, did RCA ever get worldwide ownership or just in the
US?
Also, what about labels like Angel and Ricordi, which released recordings all now owned by Warner
(as far as I know)? Did Warner get the right to keep those brands? I'm also not sure how Pye Records
shook out. I assume Warner got all the classical recordings, but what about the Kinks and the other
British Invasion stuff?
One other thing -- the article in Resolution mentioned that getting Pink Floyd wasn't a big feather
in Warner's cap because the latest Pink Floyd deal with Capitol/EMI was not seen as profitable for
the record company.
A final interesting thing to watch is what will happen with Concord Music Group? They have been
putting out a steady stream of good reissues in recent years, and have collected a bunch of
well-reviewed if not massive-selling artists. They also scored Paul McCartney's solo catalog. I hope
they are able to remain standing, because I have definitely enjoyed the quality, choices and
packaging of their reissues lately. I have this fantasy where Warner will need to raise some
debt-service cash and will sell them the Stax catalog from Atlantic at a workable price, and then
the whole Stax history gets reissues on par with what Concord has done with later-era Stax in recent
times.
-- Tom Fine
----- Original Message -----
From: "Thomas Stern" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:35 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] The EMI split
> Who gets NIPPER and MAGIC NOTES ???
>
> Thomas.
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Association for Recorded Sound Discussion List
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of Tom Fine
> Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2013 9:22 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: [ARSCLIST] The EMI split
>
>
> I found an article in Resolution magazine (UK, they were handing out free copies at the AES
> Convention) that seems to explain the EMI split. Some highlights:
>
> UMG got The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Abbey Road, the Capitol Tower, Katy Perry, apparently most of
> the Capitol back catalog, and more.
>
> Warner Music got Pink Floyd, Jethro Tull, Cold Play, EMI Classics (including Angel and Capitol
> classical recordings) and apparently back-catalog material assoicated with Parlophone (I'm
> assuming
> that goes back to the Louis Armstrong sides and all the side that John Hammond produced for
> Parlophone in the 30's).
>
> Warner paid a premium because some hedge funders and BMG got into the bidding late, some UMG's
> deal
> now looks better.
>
> I noticed on HDTracks that titles formerly listing EMI Classics as the label now list Warner
> Erato.
> And there is now a Warner Classics website:
> http://www.warnerclassics.com/
>
> Industry observers seem happy that Warner ended up bigger, so they are a bit more of a
> counterweight
> to Sony and UMG.
>
> -- Tom Fine
>
>
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