Paul McCartney inks deal with Starbucks
Confirming industry rumors, Paul McCartney has announced that he has signed to Starbucks and Concord Music Group's new Hear Music label. The announcement was made on Wednesday, March 21st, in Seattle at the Starbucks annual meeting of shareholders, where McCartney made a surprise appearance via satellite.
Macca told the crowd that, "For me the great thing is the commitment and the passion and the love of music, which as an artist is good to see. It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people and for me that's always been my aim."
Macca's still-untitled new album, which marks his move from EMI Records, his home of 45 years, will be out in early summer and will be available at all traditional music retail outlets and Starbucks locations internationally.
Interestingly, no mention has been made of Hear Music reissuing McCartney's post-Beatles catalogue, which is fully owned by McCartney and made the move with him when he changed American labels in the past.
Ken Lombard, the president of Starbucks Entertainment said that, "Having the honor of releasing an album by Paul McCartney as our first project under the Hear Music label is in a word, remarkable."
Glen Barros, the president and CEO of the Concord Music Group, added that, "It is such a privilege to be able to present this amazing new album to the world. I believe that McCartney fans, like myself, will find that this album connects them to everything that they've always loved about Paul, yet also delivers a new personal dimension that shows his continued evolution as an artist. It is a truly profound recording."
The Concord Music Group which includes in its family of labels such noteworthy imprints as Concord Records, Fantasy, Stax and more, have released recordings by such legends as Rosemary Clooney, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, Tito Puente, George Shearing and Mel Torme.
Among the artists currently recording under the Concord umbrella are John Fogerty, George Benson, Chick Corea, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sergio Mendes, John Pizzarelli, Spyro Gyra, Angie Stone, and more.
The Starbucks chain, both in conjunction with and apart from Concord, has recently had tremendous success selling albums by such artists as Bob Dylan, Alanis Morrisette, and John Lennon, and was responsible for selling nearly 400,000 copies of Ray Charles' Grammy winning posthumous album Genius Loves Company.
Macca told the crowd that, "For me the great thing is the commitment and the passion and the love of music, which as an artist is good to see. It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the people and for me that's always been my aim."
Macca's still-untitled new album, which marks his move from EMI Records, his home of 45 years, will be out in early summer and will be available at all traditional music retail outlets and Starbucks locations internationally.
Interestingly, no mention has been made of Hear Music reissuing McCartney's post-Beatles catalogue, which is fully owned by McCartney and made the move with him when he changed American labels in the past.
Ken Lombard, the president of Starbucks Entertainment said that, "Having the honor of releasing an album by Paul McCartney as our first project under the Hear Music label is in a word, remarkable."
Glen Barros, the president and CEO of the Concord Music Group, added that, "It is such a privilege to be able to present this amazing new album to the world. I believe that McCartney fans, like myself, will find that this album connects them to everything that they've always loved about Paul, yet also delivers a new personal dimension that shows his continued evolution as an artist. It is a truly profound recording."
The Concord Music Group which includes in its family of labels such noteworthy imprints as Concord Records, Fantasy, Stax and more, have released recordings by such legends as Rosemary Clooney, John Coltrane, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Hayes, Little Richard, Tito Puente, George Shearing and Mel Torme.
Among the artists currently recording under the Concord umbrella are John Fogerty, George Benson, Chick Corea, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, Sergio Mendes, John Pizzarelli, Spyro Gyra, Angie Stone, and more.
The Starbucks chain, both in conjunction with and apart from Concord, has recently had tremendous success selling albums by such artists as Bob Dylan, Alanis Morrisette, and John Lennon, and was responsible for selling nearly 400,000 copies of Ray Charles' Grammy winning posthumous album Genius Loves Company.
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