Re: Pink Floyd (August 2010 Band of the Month)
I read something about Pink Floyd yesterday by chance that I found really interesting so I'll share it in here.
After being dissatisfied with EMI/Island promoting the band outside of Europe, Pink Floyd signed a distribution contract with Columbia Records to handle the bands music interests everywhere except England and Europe which retained the Harvest label. So along with a new contract with CBS they also negotiated Ownership rights to all the songs they released starting with "Wish You Were Here" and up to when Roger Waters left the band, and continued with Gilmour, Wright and Mason including the last PF album ever recorded.
Talk about being smart, it's too bad they couldn't have snuck Dark Side of the Moon into the deal, but that would have been too surreal. Anyway this coincides with our discussion about record labels and their draconian policies that do not really focus on the well being of the artist as much as their own bank account balances. If Pink Floyd could arrange that kind of contract with a major label back in the mid 70's then it should be possible for other bands to do the same. Of course Columbia and all its subsidiary labels are owned by Sony now, but still that deal was way ahead of it's time.
Just another reason I have nothing but admiration for this band, unique music and the smarts to protect their own interests in the long term.
Gives you something to think about if you are in the music business I would say.
