Private equity pioneer Guy Hands to leave Terra Firma ‘when I’m 64’
Dealmaker and ardent Brexit critic to leave senior posts at firm he founded more than 20 years ago
December 2019
Joe Smith obituary
Record company executive who signed the Grateful Dead and Van Morrison, and enjoyed massive success with the Eagles
November 2019
Back in the loop: why cassette tapes became fashionable again
Magnetic ribbon for format once the preserve of police interviews is in short supply
February 2019
Chasing rainbows: inside the battle between Radiohead and EMI's Guy Hands
A new book details the saga of private equity company Terra Firma acquiring EMI in August 2007 for £4.2bn. This extract details the battle over Radiohead’s seventh album
May 2018
Sony buys EMI Music Publishing for $2.3bn
Deal will create world’s biggest music publisher with a catalogue of more than 4m songs
December 2017
Universal Music snaps up UK record labels ZTT and Stiff Records
British labels are behind hits of the 70s and 80s by acts including Frankie Goes to Hollywood, Grace Jones and Madness
December 2016
From the Guardian archive
EMI may drop the Sex Pistols – archive, 1976
8 December 1976: Unhappy EMI shareholders are told that the label will try and restrain the unruly band
June 2016
Guy Hands abandons £1.5bn fraud claim against Citigroup
Failed EMI deal takes its toll on Guy Hands' finances – and reputation
Guy Hands accused of 'hazy memory' over EMI deal
Guy Hands seeks £1.5bn from Citigroup after ill-fated EMI deal
May 2016
TV tonight
Friday’s best TV: Love, Nina; Bob’s Burgers; No Such Thing As the News
Nicky Hornby brings Nina Stibbe’s book to life; the deadpan US cartoon crosses the Atlantic; and the QI elves front their own panel show
April 2016
Radiohead's corporate empire: inside the band's dollars and cents
The band have proven themselves shrewd businessmen, forming some 20 companies since their inception – including LLLP LLP and Random Rubbish Ltd
March 2016
Sony buys out Michael Jackson’s ATV Music Publishing for $750m
Company will now control all of Sony/ATV Music Publishing, the largest music publishing company in the world, having bought the dead singer’s 50% share
August 2014
Media interview
Andria Vidler: ‘I like taking on sleeping giants or businesses with real potential’
Mark Sweney: Centaur’s chief executive on making companies sexier, tough-talking – and no positive discrimination for women
June 2014
YouTube removes Nazi-themed Indonesian video based on Queen hit
Publisher EMI brings copyright claim against video showing singer in military uniform performing track based on We Will Rock You
April 2014
From the Guardian archive
From the archive, 5 April 1969: Open underground
Originally publish in the Guardian on 5 April 1969: EMI – the largest and most powerful recording organisation in Britain – is starting an 'underground' record label
October 2013
Centaur Media appoints Andria Vidler as new chief executive
Ex-EMI Music UK head will take over position at the publisher of Marketing Week and Creative Review in November. By Mark Sweney
August 2013
Apps blog
Universal launches Electrospective Spotify app for electro
Repackaged electronic music now has its own brand – and its own app, allowing users to browse through 550 albums. By Jemima Kiss
July 2013
Shortcuts
Bebo and the other mega-deals that proved to be spectacular flops
The man who sold Bebo for $850m has just bought it back for $1m, meaning an $849m loss for its original buyer AOL. But it's not the only example of such a disaster in the business world
