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Radiohead Slate EMI

The band mourn changes at former label

17 Dec 2007 - Radiohead have been speaking to the BBC about why they ended their relationship with EMI Records off-shoot Parlophone and their thoughts about the private equity firm Terra Firma taking over the company last June.

Guitarist Ed O'Brien from the band told Radio 4 that while they were sad to say goodbye to some of their colleagues at the label after six albums, they were glad to be out of their deal as they don't believe Terra Firma comprehend the music business.

“We’ll miss the people we work with, all the people at [EMI subsidiary] Parlophone. The rest of the stuff about maybe not understanding the music industry? Terra Firma don’t fully understand.”

“Because one of the great things about the music industry is that it’s not an industry. It’s a collective of a series of relationships with people.”

“They didn’t seem very interested and neither did we.” Thom Yorke

O'Brien went on to reveal that when their deal with the company came to an end, there was little chance they’d re-sign.

“We didn’t get what we wanted, it couldn’t be offered,” he continued, “They didn’t understand where a band like us sat on a label like EMI so they weren’t able to give us what we needed”

“They didn’t seem very interested and neither did we.” singer Thom Yorke added.

Yorke went on to explain that EMI had a tradition of artistic freedom going back years - a freedom that Radiohead themselves enjoyed - but now he believes the tradition has come to an end.

“They had us on a very, very long leash, for a very long time,” he said, “And that was because they had a series of artist that they allowed to do that like the [Pink] Floyd and Queen and everybody, and its really worked.

“And now when you’re in a situation with private equity firms, it [Terra Firma] looks at music as something to buy and then sell on.”

Matt Everitt

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Comments so far

Sanj / London
An important perspective from an insider within the Terra Firma transaction. It is also a warning to businesses to keep the organic ethos of the music industry alive instead of suffocating it. Terra Firma's approach at present seems feels like Arnold Schwarzengger's character in The Terminator.

Kit / London
Radiohead prove that the true spirit of rock 'n' roll and creative freedom lives (weak heartbeat but still alive...)

Carl, Norwich
Radiohead’s comments on private equity takeover apply to more than just the music industry. I don’t really understand the working of private equity groups but having been involved in a takeover recently I can comment on the experience, which feels like I’m becoming a very small cog in a massively over-sized machine. Companies seem to loose focus, purpose and any form of ‘small but nimble’ manoeuvrability. You would have thought any one functioning within the music industry, with an iota of knowledge of the industry, would be doing everything possible to keep Radiohead signed and happy. Thom Yorke’s words: “They didn’t seem very interested….” Send a shiver down my spine.