Bay City Rollers suing Arista for royalties
The Bay City Rollers are suing their 1970s record label Arista, claiming that it has withheld back royalties from the band. The suit, filed by the band in Manhattan's U.S. District Court, includes the Scottish rockers' classic mid-'70s lineup of Alan and Derek Longmuir, Eric Faulkner, Les McKeown, Stuart "Woody" Wood, and latter-day member Duncan Faure.
Britain's The Independent reported that apart from a payment of $254,392 paid to the band in September 1997, Arista has withheld royalties earned from "albums, compact discs, multimedia licenses, merchandise and rights to commercials, movies and ringtones." The suit, which asks for unspecified damages, also states that Arista has claimed that it does not know who to pay the royalties to.
The Rollers' lead counsel Joshua Krumholz said, "Despite Arista's many assurances over the years that it would pay the band, (it has) has simply refused to do what its own contract requires it to do. Through this lawsuit, we intend to secure the royalties owed to the Rollers for the huge commercial success of their music. They have waited long enough."
The Bay City Rollers are best remembered in the U.S. for their 1976 Number One hit "Saturday Night," and for their Saturday morning kids show. In Britain the Rollers were much bigger, scoring nine Top Ten hits and creating Beatlemania-like scenes following their every move. The group disbanded in 1981.
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Britain's The Independent reported that apart from a payment of $254,392 paid to the band in September 1997, Arista has withheld royalties earned from "albums, compact discs, multimedia licenses, merchandise and rights to commercials, movies and ringtones." The suit, which asks for unspecified damages, also states that Arista has claimed that it does not know who to pay the royalties to.
The Rollers' lead counsel Joshua Krumholz said, "Despite Arista's many assurances over the years that it would pay the band, (it has) has simply refused to do what its own contract requires it to do. Through this lawsuit, we intend to secure the royalties owed to the Rollers for the huge commercial success of their music. They have waited long enough."
The Bay City Rollers are best remembered in the U.S. for their 1976 Number One hit "Saturday Night," and for their Saturday morning kids show. In Britain the Rollers were much bigger, scoring nine Top Ten hits and creating Beatlemania-like scenes following their every move. The group disbanded in 1981.
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