Guy Hands, Tin Ear, Sore Loser

Now that's it's all over Mr. Guy Hands, let's face it, you behaved poorly. Get this, you were wrong. I'm sure you investment bankers know everything there is to know about money in the bank. But, this Robert thinks you've got a "tin ear," and that's never going to work in the music biz.

New Boss Not The Same As The Old Boss

This Robert can't seem to keep EMI out of his blog. Now it seems that recently appointed CEO, Elio Leoni-Sceti, is history, and a T.V. man, Charles Allen, is the new boss.


Looks like trying to sell Abbey Road Studios and being sued by Pink Floyd for selling their music is worse than increasing sales, or are we witnessing the dawn of a new era? Is this the big clue that we're finally going to see a merger with the patient Mr.Edgar Bronfman's WMG? It seems Old Charlie has a history as Mr. Merger.

Music Apathy: Is it the Record Biz's Own Doing?

According to industry analyst Russ Crupnick, the number of people buying music has dropped by 35 million from 2007 to 2009. Seems P2P file sharing has also declined. This is a classic case of MAD: Music Apathy Disease.

This Robert blames the established music biz for not focusing on new music. First, these companies are trying to sell the same music over and over again. Seems the only new music artists the major multinational companies are developing are the ones who have turned over all their rights in the "360" deal mentality. That's right, if the big companies don't own everything, no matter how good the music, it's not going to see the light of day if Mr. Big doesn't get his. It's not the smartest business plan, increasing profit at the expense of shrinking the market.

White Knight For Abbey Road Studios

My, my, Mr. Andrew Lloyd Webber wants to buy Abbey Road Studios now that Guy Hands has EMI selling the family jewels. This Robert is wondering if Lloyd Webber is going to be the highest bidder. 'Cause that's what really matters when you're hocking stuff to pay off the man.

Everyone Gets It But Guy

This Robert's been going on and on about Guy Hands and all those bankers trashing a jewel of a company, EMI, one of the last remaining stand alone music companies.

But Mr. Simon Duke has done such a splendid job of explaining just how bad this really is.

This Robert defers to him.

Guy Hands Pawns Abbey Road Studios

This Robert thought he's seen it all, but now our Guy Hands is selling off one of EMI's treasures to keep the bank off his back. Abbey Road Studios is on the blocks. "Come on Guy," this Robert's saying "Give it up! You're in way over your head."

2 Billion, A Lot To Lose

Well, well Mr. Guy Hands, how does it feel to lose 2 billion dollars? And you still have to come up with 120 million by June to keep the doors open. This Robert wonders, is anyone going to throw any more money down that dry hole? Especially when the head of EMI's recorded division warns you "that morale among the record company's staff and artists (and those artists' managers) was at an all time low."

Looks like that patient Edgar Bronfman is getting closer to his dream of buying EMI's record division. Plus, if this takes much longer, Mr. Bronfman might not have to pay much. This Robert remembers when Mr. Bronfman was going to pay big for the same thing. Instead Terra Firma bought it and saved WMG a billion.

Guy Hands Smart With Trash, Dumb With Music

Mr. Guy Hands, I see you're busking. Trying to attract some fools into buying part of your music business folly.

I hear you're having the record company write a business plan, and then you're going to pitch it to investors. Let this Robert write the business plan. It's the same for every record company ever been: "Hits, Hits. and more Hits!" That's the only way that the storied EMI won't fall into the hands of patient Edgar Bronfman and his WMG.

Guy, being smart with trash doesn't make you a music man.

Sly Stone Fooled Again

This Robert knows what it's like not to earn any $ from your music.

Sly Stone, what a sad tale of deceit and fraud. You claim you've been ripped off for the last 20 years, for 80 million bucks.

This Robert believes you. Your current manager, the mysterious Mr. Goldstein, not only fooled you. He fooled your former manager, the Mercantile National Bank, Sony Music, Warner/Chappell publishing, BMI, Soundexchange and the IRS.

I bet you didn't know in 1965 Jerry Goldstein and his posse ripped off the band name, The Strangeloves, from three Australian brothers, when they had their 1st hit. Dressing up in shaggy wigs and exotic clothing, they stole the shaggy brothers look too. Looks like Goldstein's at it again, when he stole Sly and the Family Stone from you. What a sad note for Grammy Day.

Beatles Bailout EMI As Usual

What's a bailed out bank doing in the recorded music business? During the high flying days of banking, Citigroup loaned Guy Hands' company, Terra Firma, billions to purchase EMI. Neither company knew anything about music. As you can guess, things went south. The banking crisis and the music business collapse makes this loan look questionable.

Citigroup wants to get their money back. Selling EMI to Edgar Bronfman and his Warner Music Group is the easiest way to accomplish that. But that leaves Guy Hands and Terra Firma out in the cold. Seems Hands and his company wants to hang on and get better terms. So to continue to repay the huge debt, EMI had to meet certain monetary considerations set by Citigroup.

It seems EMI's recorded music division just squeaked by, and barely passed the bank's financial status test, so they can continue to operate for now. So as it has in the past, the Beatles catalog bails out EMI. This Robert wonders how long can this go on? So does the patient Mr. Edgar Bronfman.

Web 2.0 Eats Its Own

Imeem, the popular music site, didn't even defend itself in court, and they lost big.

U.S. District Court Judge Denny Chin has fined the music site $1.77 million for copyright infringement. It seems The Orchard wanted Imeem to pay $150,000 per instance of infringement.

Imeem sold some of it's assets to MySpace, and folded. Imeem executives blame the lawsuit for shutting the doors.

How sad, the Web 2.0 music sites are eating their own. Please note The Orchard used copyright law just like the big boys. This Robert wonders if The Orchard is going to see any of this $?

Guy Hands, Sour Grapes

Well, Well, Guy Hands you don't give up easily. Seems your company Terra Firma is suing Citigroup over the purchase of the EMI music company. You claim the banker, who lent your company money to buy a wonderful company back in 2007, lied to you. Your law suit also alleges that naughty Citigroup isn't lending EMI any more money so those sleazy bankers can make more money from patient Edgar Brofman's Warner Music Group by letting EMI go broke. Is this sour grapes Mr. Hands? Guy, I told you, you were in over your head. Your company paid too much, the economy tanked, and you don't know anything about the tricky music business. This Robert wonders, maybe Citigroup is right, someone else should be running EMI.

Guy Hands, Record Biz Casualty

Well, well, Mr. Guy Hands, seems like you are another casualty of the record biz. Just like I warned you. It ain't as easy as it looks. What are you going to do now that Citigroup rejected your debt restructuring proposal? Looks like that patient Edgar Bronfman at Warner Music is finally going to gobble EMI up.

Ellen Degeneres, Music Deadbeat?

My, my, this Robert is wondering about Ms. Ellen Degeneres.

She was announced as a judge on American Idol at the same time the record companies sued her TV show? It seems all

that music Ms. Degeneres dances around to, is being used without any permissions or payments to the record companies. What could the producers of her show be thinking?

Plain common sense dictates you must have permission to use music on TV. When asked why they didn't get permission, the show producers said: "they didn't roll that way?

This Robert's notes this must be a sign of the times, a music crook is promoted to a music judge.

Farewell Guitar Giant

I finally get to meet Les Paul.

That's right, Les Paul passed today. The most precious experience for this fake Robert was playing a Les Paul electric guitar for the first time. It's some of the most fun you can have dressed. If you don't know much about this modern day guitar and recording genius, yes, people, Les invented solid body electric guitars and multi-track recording.

Check out this obituary.

GR8 MP3 Blog!

This Robert has found a MP3 blog that works for him. Superfan2009 is all about GR8 music in the MP3 format. All the music at the site is free and legal, given away with the artists permission. Superfan2009 is all that. She's spending her time finding fine music for us music lovers, and she's spreading the word for a lot of worthy music makers. Check out Superfan2009.com.

Wigged Out

This Robert apologizes. Phil Spector any wig is an improvement.

Who's Gonna Get the Money?

This Robert is perplexed. 

I like artists getting paid. I just wonder after seeing the Performance Rights Act pass in the House Judiciary Committee, how fair is this new law shaping up to be? 

An outfit called SoundExchange was created in 2000 as an unincorporated division of the RIAA. In September 2003, SoundExchange was spun off as an independent and non-profit organization.  

This Robert wonders if the money from taxing radio for the artist's performance is going to get to the recording artist. This Robert doesn't see any artists on the 18 member board of Sound Exchange, only record companies, lawyers, and RIAA officials.  This Robert knows that money being paid to record companies doesn't necessarily mean the artist sees any of it.

Poorly dressed Phil

I lost a bet to Blind Lemon Jefferson about the outcome of the Phil Spector murder trial. After watching L.A. juries find O.J. Simpson and Robert Blake not guilty, this Robert was sure the creator of the "wall of sound" would waltz out of the courtroom, not guilty of shooting that poor woman. But to my surprise, he didn't. Do you think Phil's look had anything to do with the jury's verdict? What's with the hairdo Mr Spector? I'd fire your fashion consultant before any more damage is done? Then I'd plan a vacation with Roman Polanski.

Neil, Caught in the Middle?

Mr. Neil Young, I see you're caught in a technological conundrum. You want to show the auto business new ways with your wonderful electric car. I congratulate this bold step.

But when it comes to YouTube technology, Mr. Young, are you showing some old show business ways? Warner Music Group, your record company, is negotiating for more money for themselves by removing their music from YouTube.

This Robert agrees with their right to have your music removed. This Robert read your blog and agrees: "It is time for industry wide standards of artist's compensation on the web."

Robert just wonders how much truth there is in YouTube's response, "It is the record labels' responsibility to represent and pay their artists."

Mr Young, does this mean Warner was collecting money from YouTube and not paying you?