The entire Top 4 of the UK Official Albums Chart midweek over the weekend were releases issued via the artist/label services model.
MBW is told that the Official Chart Update on Saturday (March 19) was led by James’s Girl At The End Of The World, the UK band’s 14th album and their second for BMG following 2014’s Top 10 release La Petite Mort.
The LP has been released via BMG on an artist services model, with the company taking on marketing and other responsibilities.
It was followed on Saturday’s UK midweek by three other releases issued via the services model:
Underworld’s Barbara, Barbara, We Face A Shining Future also issued via Caroline International (No.3)
Primal Scream’s Chaomosis, issued via Ignition Records (No.4)
BMG UK SVP Korda Marshall told MBW: “‘It is early days for this record, but it is an album which shows James at the height of their powers.
“James are a band never fully acknowledged by the UK media for their greatness, impact and longevity all of which are on full display on Girl At The End Of The World.”
“The success we have enjoyed only confirms our view that ultimately the artist services approach will be the choice of more and more artists in the future.”
Korda Marshall, BMG
He added: “We are grateful to the band, their manager Peter Rudge and his former co-managerAlistair Norbury (now with BMG) for putting their faith in us.
“Credit is also due to Thomas Haimovici, who signed them and to Jo Power who has devised a very powerful marketing campaign fitting for this record.”
Although BMG is capable of signing traditional-style record deals, its success with artist services deals has made ripples in the industry – particularly when it came to Janet Jackson’s last album, which hit No.1 on the Billboard 200 in October 2015.
Discussing the growth of the artist services model, Marshall added: “BMG made it clear from the beginning that we believe artist services deals are the future of the record business.
“This wonderful weekend was proof that for established artists, the artist/label services model is a route to success as rewarding as traditional means.”
Michael Roe, Caroline International
“We believe they offer the kind of transparency and control many artists want.
“Since our view is very much driven by artists’ needs and there are still a lot of artists who prefer more traditional royalty-based deal structures, naturally we offer those too, albeit in a much more transparent and fair way than has been traditional for the record business.
“The success we have enjoyed with You Me At Six and Jack Savoretti in the UK and Janet Jackson in the US, among many others, only confirms our view that ultimately this approach will be the choice of more and more artists in the future.”
James, who have sold 25m albums in their career so far, are shortly set to embark on a tour supported on four arena dates by fellow BMG signing Jack Savoretti.
UMG-owned Caroline International had two of Saturday’s Top 4, with Iggy Pop’s surprise release and Underworld’s first studio album in six years.
Caroline International MD Michael Roe told MBW that the chart result meant “a wonderful weekend for the alternative model of Artist and Label Services – and proof that for established artists it is a route to success that is as rewarding as traditional means”.
By Sunday’s Official UK Chart update (March 20), Adele‘s 25 had risen to No.2, but James remained at No.1 – and four of the top five were still made up of Artist Services releases.Music Business Worldwide
