Semi OT: Pink Floyd sells out for $400 million

[Bill H.]

https://variety.com/2024/music/news/pink-floyd-sells-music-rights-to-sony-400-million-1236165925/

 

According to the article they wanted half a billion, but bitter infighting and Roger Water's controversial political statements "complicated the deal enormously and scared off a number of suitors."

 

David Gilmour said he was interested in the sale "less for financial reasons than to be rid of the decision making and the arguments that are involved in keeping it going."

 

There's a number of tantalizing figures at the bottom of the article. The Ric Ocasek estate got $1.2 billion for him. Poor Rod Stewart only got $100 million. 

[JamPro]

Channeling Jerry Garcia: "Sell out?  Sell out?!?  Where do I sign?" 

 

You've worked hard and scraped by all your life.  You're way past retirement age.  Who would not sell their business for $400 Mil?

[Bill H.]

1 hour ago, JamPro said:

You've worked hard and scraped by all your life.  You're way past retirement age.  Who would not sell their business for $400 Mil?

 

Another quote from the article that sticks out is from drummer Nick Mason back in 2018:

 

"It's really disappointing these rather elderly gentlemen are still at loggerheads." But they eventually figured it out. 

[Baldwin Funster]

Moneeeey, it's a gas.

Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash......

 

They told us they were going to do it. 

[HammondDave]

3 hours ago, Bill H. said:

 

Another quote from the article that sticks out is from drummer Nick Mason back in 2018:

 

"It's really disappointing these rather elderly gentlemen are still at loggerheads." But they eventually figured it out. 

Good for Gilmour.   It’s not easy to be friends with an anti-Semite.  And you know something?… Waters can go to Hell.

[J.F.N.]

Waters has been delusional for decades, if not always... He's also supposed to be a real c*nt (I know some great tech people who's been all around the world with him, not going to rap the stories here, but in the position these industry professionals on that level are, you can't afford your reputation by telling a guy like that to eff off, so you work your contract to the end with your moody unpredictable boss, and then look elsewhere when it's over).

[David Emm]

1 hour ago, J.F.N. said:

Waters has been delusional for decades, if not always... He's also supposed to be a real c*nt (I know some great tech people who's been all around the world with him, not going to rap the stories here, but in the position these industry professionals on that level are, you can't afford your reputation by telling a guy like that to eff off, so you work your contract to the end with your moody unpredictable boss, and then look elsewhere when it's over).

 

I always thought that Waters needed a therapist, but just imagine the therapist THAT one would need! I'd like to hear the Floyd albums from that other dimension, where Waters wasn't a right c*nt & had a tolerable childhood. There's the tortured artist effect; then there are artists who >deserve< to be tortured.  🤪

 

I don't fault the band for selling the catalog. Its their work, we got to ride the steel breeze for quite a while and they deserve to retire. I wonder what the buyers CAN do with "Ummagumma!" Besides, everything from the music to their winding personal paths is one of the most surreal stories in all of rock. I bought their LPs, t-shirts & tickets for the Animals tour. I got my turn at the teat. Oi! 

[Baldwin Funster]

I love floyd and had everything including atom heart mother, Obscured, Piper, Umma, Zabriski ect and several boots of pre animals raving and drooling, you gotta be crazy ect.

 

But except for DSOM through to the Wall none of the earlier stuff has any pop commercial potential for exploitation. So it's really 400 million for 4 albums.  That's not bad. I don't know if it's good or bad Rick isn't around to be denied his share.

 

I was in the kitchen, Seamus that's the dog was outside...

[TommyRude]

If you count the decades of writing, touring, recording, agent and management shares, band member splits, accounting, legal, etc... it comes out to about $12.50/hour.

[Jim Alfredson]

Sells out? LOL. Gilmour is 78, Waters is 81, and Mason is 80. Might as well get that money and do some good with it.

[tapes]

1 hour ago, Jim Alfredson said:

Sells out? LOL. Gilmour is 78, Waters is 81, and Mason is 80. Might as well get that money and do some good with it.

 

"Unfortunately", it'll be their kids and kids' kids (wives, ex-wives?) who will get to enjoy the most.

 

These figures are always just so bonkers. I always wonder what's the reasoning behind them. Like B. Funster said above, in their case it's honestly just a few albums that you can use in advertisements and turn into AI versions (😁). I would say it's even less: Dark Side + The Wall. Those two had the biggest "hits".

[J.F.N.]

3 hours ago, Jim Alfredson said:

Sells out? LOL. Gilmour is 78, Waters is 81, and Mason is 80. Might as well get that money and do some good with it.

 

Yeah it's full on party time for the rest of their lives indeed!

 

🤘🏻

[J.F.N.]

1 hour ago, tapes said:

 

"Unfortunately", it'll be their kids and kids' kids (wives, ex-wives?) who will get to enjoy the most.

 

These figures are always just so bonkers. I always wonder what's the reasoning behind them. Like B. Funster said above, in their case it's honestly just a few albums that you can use in advertisements and turn into AI versions (😁). I would say it's even less: Dark Side + The Wall. Those two had the biggest "hits".

 

As with the rest of the billboard gang selling their estates I would imagine this is the strategy, easier, and safer, to leave a fair chunk of dough behind and have a huge bunch of it invested with decent returns, than leaving behind the mess of fighting sharks forcing their heirs to manage the estate.

[ProfD]

These men have been financially well off for the better part of their lives. 

 

At their advanced ages, it makes sense  to further secure their estates. Pass down wealth to heirs.

 

It would be interesting to know how investors plan to exploit the catalog or if it is just another stock in the portfolio.😎

[CyberGene]

Waters is a genius and created some of the best rock albums of all times. Who cares what person he is? And since when do we judge artistic values of music by what kind of person the author is? And BTW, Waters is not an anti-Semite, that’s a complete BS. If one is outraged about the horrific genocide against the Palestinians, that doesn’t automatically make him an anti-Semite. 

[niacin]

12 hours ago, HammondDave said:

Good for Gilmour.   It’s not easy to be friends with an anti-Semite.  And you know something?… Waters can go to Hell.

 

16 minutes ago, CyberGene said:

Waters is a genius and created some of the best rock albums of all times. Who cares what person he is? And since when do we judge artistic values of music by what kind of person the author is? And BTW, Waters is not an anti-Semite, that’s a complete BS. If one is outraged about the horrific genocide against the Palestinians, that doesn’t automatically make him an anti-Semite. 

 

There is a sticky on the front page of this forum about religion and politics, the two of you would do well to read it.  This is not the place.

[CyberGene]

My bad, felt the urge to respond… But shouldn’t. 

[D. Gauss]

1 hour ago, CyberGene said:

 And since when do we judge artistic values of music by what kind of person the author is?

 

Pretty sure Charles Manson's songs and Hilter's painting output were "judged."   

[CyberGene]

40 minutes ago, D. Gauss said:

Pretty sure Charles Manson's songs and Hilter's painting output were "judged." 

When you hear a new song on the radio, or see a new painting in the gallery, do you first check if it isn’t Hitler’s or Manson’s before liking it? 😄

[eric]

4 hours ago, ProfD said:

It would be interesting to know how investors plan to exploit the catalog or if it is just another stock in the portfolio.😎

 

One of my musician friends was saying that some of the value of these catalogs was the future of AI and there has been some groups working on this for shows, where people on stage are wearing the equivalent of green screen outfits and are digitally recast to look exactly like the original members of whichever band they are paying tribute to...along with the original tracks...so in the future, one could go see a tribute where the people on stage look identical and they have the identical tracks...mixing reality and fantasy...crazy stuff. Kind of makes my head hurt trying to think about it.

[ProfD]

36 minutes ago, eric said:

...some of the value of these catalogs was the future of AI...

 

...so in the future, one could go see a tribute where the people on stage look identical and they have the identical tracks...mixing reality and fantasy...crazy stuff. 

A tribute band catering to fans of a particular band is one thing.

 

A holographic tribute band in the likeness and image of the original band will be ridiculous.

 

Reads like a Las Vegas attraction. 😁😎

[Bill H.]

This sale includes everything Pink Floyd - including perhaps the most iconic and well known album art of all time: the Dark Side Of The Moon prism.

 

After reading several posts, perhaps I should have titled this thread "Pink Floyd Cashes Out"... a little more appropriate. 

 

I also think that in this case it's appropriate to bring up Roger Water's political views, because (according to Variety) it potentially cost the band $100 million in the sale, and snagged it for years. 

[Baldwin Funster]

There is the division bell, momentary lapse ect period of Watersless PF to be considered. It's really a misnamed Gilmour solo output but not a bad era for the catalog. I saw a couple of shows in that era and wasn't disappointed. 

 

Looking back, Waters was the spicy sauce on the more plain dish. But as time went by more and more Waters sauce got overapplied until The Wall, where all but the Gilmour dominated,  and incidentally the radio played, comfortably numb and another brick were the only track that I can stand to listen too.

 

 

[Jim Alfredson]

Waters is a contentious figure but he is not an anti-Semite. Labeling any criticism of the state of Israel and it's policies as anti-Semitism is a lazy attempt to end valid debate. No country should be considered sacred, beyond scrutiny and criticism.

[HammondDave]

For the record, my comments pertain to his entire life’s work as a political activist and artist. Sometimes you have to call them as you see them….  That’s the end of my political commentary. 

[Baldwin Funster]

Waters has stated things along the lines of without him PF is or would be nothing. I'm betting attitudes like that is why Gilmour kept the door tightly shut when Waters wanted back in.

[Bill H.]

15 hours ago, eric said:

 

One of my musician friends was saying that some of the value of these catalogs was the future of AI and there has been some groups working on this for shows, where people on stage are wearing the equivalent of green screen outfits and are digitally recast to look exactly like the original members of whichever band they are paying tribute to...along with the original tracks...so in the future, one could go see a tribute where the people on stage look identical and they have the identical tracks...mixing reality and fantasy...crazy stuff. Kind of makes my head hurt trying to think about it.

 

I wonder if Sony Music has plans to eventually AI a Pink Floyd album or two? Sounds laughable, but I'm semi-serious. I imagine they have the legal clearance to do so.

[J.F.N.]

18 hours ago, eric said:

 

One of my musician friends was saying that some of the value of these catalogs was the future of AI and there has been some groups working on this for shows, where people on stage are wearing the equivalent of green screen outfits and are digitally recast to look exactly like the original members of whichever band they are paying tribute to...along with the original tracks...so in the future, one could go see a tribute where the people on stage look identical and they have the identical tracks...mixing reality and fantasy...crazy stuff. Kind of makes my head hurt trying to think about it.

 

ABBA Voyage style, I definitely think this is something that will become a commodity in immersive experiences in a not too distant future...

 

Can't wait to experience a live show with Sinatra!!

[analogika]

20 hours ago, CyberGene said:

When you hear a new song on the radio, or see a new painting in the gallery, do you first check if it isn’t Hitler’s or Manson’s before liking it? 😄

It's been a while since I gave anything Kanye the benefit of the doubt, if that counts…

[Baldwin Funster]

I'm not sure who will buy an AI PF song. I know I won't. IDC if it sounds perfect. My fear is that we will be put in confined spaces like elevators and force fed AI prog music until we confess to infractions of AI-Phobia and other anti social hate crimes against AI. 

OPEN THE DOOR SIRI,

I CANT DO THAT BALDWIN....