Radiohead Slam EMI Boss

Why we left the label

02 Dec 2007 - Radiohead disassociated themselves with EMI earlier this year.

In an interview with The Observer guitarist Ed O'Brien has hit out EMI's new owner Guy Hands, saying Hands "doesn't understand the music industry".

O'Brien admitted Radiohead were looking to do a deal with EMI but: "EMI is in a state of flux. It's been taken over by somebody who's never owned a record company before, Guy Hands and Terra Firma, and they don't realise what they're dealing with. It was really sad to leave all the people (we've worked with). But he wouldn't give us what we wanted. He didn't know what to offer us. Terra Firma doesn't understand the music industry."

"He wouldn't give us what we wanted. He didn't know what to offer us." - Ed O'Brien

Guy Hands and his private equity company Terra Firma, paid £2.3 billion for EMI back in July. His brief spell as 'boss' has been tarnished by disputes with artists, especially after Hands declared they would need to start working harder for their deals.

O'Brien made the comments in an interview with the Observer Music Monthly to be published next week.



Ruth Barnes