The Stone Roses yesterday issued their first new studio recording in 22 years – comeback single All For One.
The Manchester band have had something of a rocky history with record companies, famously becoming embroiled in a four-year legal dispute with original label Silvertone.
It was a messy situation. Silvertone owner Zomba Records took out an injunction against the Roses in September 1990 which barred the group from putting out music with any other label.
The next year, the UK courts sided with the Roses, allowing them to subsequently sign with Geffen Records for their second album – a deal which reportedly netted them a million pound advance.
Silvertone appealed, a process which eat up another year, ultimately delaying the release of The Second Coming until 1994 and sapping the momentum of the band’s seminal 1989 debut LP.
This time round, The Stone Roses have made sure they’re in control.
According to credits under All For One on services such as Spotify and Apple Music, the long-term copyright of the track – and the expected album from which it’s taken – is owned by The Stone Roses themselves.
The group has decided to license the record through Rob Stringer‘s Columbia Records (Sony) in the US and Ted Cockle’s Virgin EMI (Universal) in the UK and beyond.
[UPDATE: MBW understands that Columbia has the record in North America, Japan, Australia and Latin America. Universal / Virgin EMI has it in the UK and all other territories.]
Virgin EMI have handled the release of two successful album projects for Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott of The Beautiful South over the past two years.
This work is understood to have left the duo’s management at SJM – who just happen to also look after The Stone Roses – suitably impressed.
All For One raced to the top of the UK iTunes chart last night and has remained there ever since.
It contains a dab of flanger, and a big guitar solo from John Squire.Music Business Worldwide
