I Eat Music

Robbie Williams’ new album, ‘Reality Killed The Video Star’, will not only be his ‘comeback’ album (I’m pretty sure every solo album he’s ever released has been a comeback album, though), it will also be the last he owes EMI.

When he signed his deal with the major in 2002 for £80 million, he famously said that it had made him “rich beyond my wildest dreams”. However, in 2008 it was reported (only half accurately) that the singer was “on strike” because he and his managers were unhappy with Terra Firma’s takeover of the major label.

Although he has now come back to work, his managers say that he will not be signing a new contract after this album’s release. The singer’s co-manager David Enthoven told the BBC: “The elephant needs to leave the room, the elephant being the record company”.

While his managing partner Tim Clark added: “The old-fashioned record company deal is not something Robbie Williams would consider. It makes no sense for him to do that. He would expect us, with his full input, to construct something that is right for him”.

Of course if the new long player mirrors ‘Rudebox’ – which while a big seller by normal standards was Williams’ least successful long player to date – then a traditional record deal definitely isn’t the logical thing to do. Robbie is one of those artists who’s definitely more valuable in the live domain – at the same time ‘Rudebox’ wasn’t doing so well in 2006 he sold 1.6 million concert tickets in one day and played to a total of 3.7 million people. A big live deal – with a promoter and/or sponsor – is presumably high up the agenda.