News

The Stones Sign One-Off Deal With Universal

Universal Music has snagged the Rolling Stones for the soundtrack to Shine a Light, a concert film directed by Martin Scorsese and centered around footage from a Beacon Theatre concert (featuring Jack White of the White Stripes, Buddy Guy, and Christina Aguilera!). Set to hit worldwide screens in April, the movie also has its fair share of rare archive clips. As for the soundtrack, expect digital and physical formats in March.

"We are really proud to be working with The Rolling Stones and so is everybody in Universal Music globally," UMG International chairman/CEO Lucian Grainge said in a statement.

The Stones' current label, EMI/Virgin, declined to comment on why it isn't releasing the record, but a spokeswoman told Billboard that the company continues to have a working relationship with the band. Whether that will be true in the coming months remains to be seen. According to Billboard, the group's contract is almost up. In fact, they may be looking to pull a Madonna by signing with Artist Nation, the new record label branch of major concert promoter Live Nation. (Artist Nation's president, promoter Michael Cohl, has worked with the Stones for a while now.)

While Universal Music already owns the 1963-1970 period of the Stones' catalog, the band has control of its catalog from Sticky Fingers onward. If they left EMI now, they'd take 14 studio albums with them.

—The ARTISTdirect Staff
01.17.08