Beggars Group

Last updated
Beggars Group
Beggars Group Logo.jpg
Founded1977
Founder Martin Mills
Distributor(s)
GenreVarious
Country of origin United Kingdom
Location
Official website www.beggars.com archive.beggars.com www.beggarsgroup.ca www.beggarsgroup.de www.beatink.com

Beggars Group is a British record company, founded by Martin Mills, that owns or holds stakes in various record labels, including 4AD, Rough Trade Records, [2] Matador Records, [3] XL Recordings, and Young.

Contents

History

The company had its origins in the Beggars Banquet record shops, which first opened in 1973 in Earls Court, London. In 1977, inspired by the DIY aesthetics of the British punk rock movement, which was at the height of its popularity, the shop founders decided to form an independent label and release records as Beggars Banquet Records. This became the group's flagship label and name. [4]

The first band on the label was English punk group The Lurkers; the first ever release on the label was The Lurkers' "Shadow"/ "Love Story" 7-inch single. [4] Later in the decade and into the early 1980s, hits from Tubeway Army and Gary Numan confirmed the label's status in the industry. [4] Beggars Banquet later released music by Bauhaus, Biffy Clyro, Buffalo Tom, The Charlatans, The Cult, The Fall, The Go-Betweens, The National, St. Vincent and Tindersticks

In August 2002, it was announced that Beggars Group had purchased a 50% stake in Matador Records. [5] In July 2007, it was reported that Beggars had purchased Rough Trade Records. [6]

The company owned a stake in Spotify, but sold their shares in 2019. Although the full amount received was never disclosed, half of the earnings were distributed amongst the label's artists, while £8m went to Martin Mills. [7]

Ownership

The Beggars Group has been in business for over forty years and is owned and managed by Martin Mills. As of 2017, the main labels that form the group are 4AD, Matador Records, [3] Rough Trade Records, [8] XL Recordings, [9] and Young. The company owns 4AD (the label itself a Beggars Banquet imprint) outright, and retains a 50% stake in each of the others. Older labels within the group, including Beggars Banquet itself and Too Pure, are now part of Beggars Arkive, which is the catalogue department for its labels that are no longer active. [10]

XL is a major owner of the Rough Trade Shops chain, where Beggars directors own shares and oversee control. [11]

Independence

With a worldwide network in place, Beggars Group has three offices in London, two of which also house recording studios, two in the US in New York and Los Angeles, and a dedicated office in every major territory.[ clarification needed ][ citation needed ] The company has been active in promoting the collective interests of the sector, being a founding member of the AIM (UK) in 1999, IMPALA (Europe) in 2000, A2IM (USA) in 2005, and most recently the Worldwide Independent Network, which represent the independent music industry in each locality.[ citation needed ] The Beggars Group are also active members of Merlin, the independents’ rights licensing body.[ citation needed ]

Martin Mills

Martin Mills is an advocate for independent labels. [12] [13] In 2011, The Guardian named him #22 in their "Music Power 100" list. [14] In 2012, he testified against the Universal Music Group-EMI merger at the Senate Subcommittee on Antitrust Competition Policy and Consumer Rights hearing. [15] He was given the Industry Icon award by Billboard at Midem in 2013, [16] and the Pioneer Award at the 2014 AIM Independent Music Awards. [17] He has been listed on Billboard's "Power 100" several times including at 64th in 2013, [18] 66th in 2014, [19] and 63rd in 2015. [20] Variety named him one of the International Music Leaders of 2018. [21] He is a founding member of Impala, sits on the boards of A2IM, Merlin, and AIM, and in 2018 was appointed Chair of the Worldwide Independent Network. [22] He has an estimated net worth of £230 million. [9]

Current group artists

The main labels that constitute the Beggars Group are home to a range of artists, including: [23]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">4AD</span> British record label

4AD is a British record label owned by Beggars Group. It was founded in London under the name Axis Records by Ivo Watts-Russell and Peter Kent in 1980 as an imprint of Beggars Banquet Records. The name was changed to 4AD after the release of the label's first four singles. Later that year, Watts-Russell and Kent purchased the label from Beggars Banquet to become an independent record label, and Kent sold his share to Watts-Russell a year later.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tindersticks</span> English rock band

Tindersticks are an English alternative rock band formed in Nottingham in 1991. They released six albums before singer Stuart A. Staples embarked on a solo career. The band reunited briefly in 2006 and more permanently the following year. The band recorded several film soundtracks, and have a long-standing relationship collaborating with French director Claire Denis.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough Trade Records</span> English independent record label

Rough Trade Records is an independent record label based in London, England. It was formed in 1976 by Geoff Travis who had opened a record store off Ladbroke Grove. It is currently run by co-managing directors Travis and Jeannette Lee and is affiliated to Beggars Group.

Beggars Banquet Records is a British independent record label. Beggars Banquet started as a chain of record shops owned by Martin Mills and Nick Austin and is part of the Beggars Group of labels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Come (American band)</span> American alternative rock band

Come is an American alternative rock band, formed in Boston by Thalia Zedek, Chris Brokaw, Arthur Johnson (drums), and Sean O'Brien (bass).

Ivo Watts-Russell is a British music producer and record label executive. He was joint-founder with Peter Kent of the independent record label 4AD. He has produced several records, although he prefers to use the term "musical director".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rough Trade (shops)</span> Independent record shops

Rough Trade is a retail chain of record shops in the United Kingdom and the United States with headquarters in London.

Remote Control Records was established in 2001 by Steve Cross and Harvey Saward. It provides publicity, label management, distribution and marketing services to international and local artists and labels.

Daniel Glass is an American music industry executive whose output has included work with artists Billy Idol, Wilson Phillips, Sinéad O'Connor, Jon Secada, Warren Zevon, Blur, Huey Lewis and the News, Goldfinger, Reel Big Fish, Erykah Badu, Baha Men, Kurupt, The Pretenders, Sugarcult, and, in 2007, the launch of Glassnote Entertainment Group artists – Secondhand Serenade, Justin Nozuka, Grammy Award-winning Phoenix, Grammy Award winning Mumford & Sons, The Temper Trap, Two Door Cinema Club, Daughter, Robert DeLong, Flight Facilities, Half Moon Run, Jeremy Messersmith, Chvrches, Grammy Award-winning Childish Gambino, Aurora, Mansionair, The Strumbellas, Luwten, Dylan Cartlidge, Ripe, Cecilia Castleman, Silvana Estrada, Mosa Wild and Jade Bird. In 2011 Rolling Stone magazine named Glassnote "Best Indie Label." In 2013 and 2014, Glassnote won the A2IM Libera award for Best Label of the Year. In December, 2015, Glass was named a CHEVALIER DE L'ORDRE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES by the French Minister of Culture.


Playground Music Scandinavia AB(PGM) is an independent record company from Scandinavia, founded in 1999. The company operates across Scandinavia with offices in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway. Additionally, it has established local distribution partnerships in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Iceland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redeye Distribution</span> American independent record label

Redeye Distribution is an American independent record label based in Hillsborough, North Carolina, United States. It was founded in 1996 by Tor Hansen, Kim Hansen, Glenn Dicker. The label focuses on independent music.

Martin Mills is the founder and chairman of the Beggars Group.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">PIAS Group</span> British independent record company

PIAS is a Belgian corporation that specialises in independent music recording, licensing, distribution, sales, and marketing. The company was founded in 1983 by Kenny Gates and Michel Lambot in Brussels, Belgium,. It has over 250 employees, with 19 offices around the world. The group funds and partners with independent labels and artists.

<i>Dark Was the Night</i> (album) 2009 compilation album for charity by Red Hot AIDS Benefit Series

Dark Was the Night is the twentieth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Featuring exclusive recordings by a number of independent artists and production by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of the National, the compilation was released on 16 February 2009 (UK) and 17 February (US) as a double CD, three vinyl LPs, and as a digital download. John Carlin, the founder of the Red Hot Organization, was the executive producer for the album. The title is derived from the Blind Willie Johnson song "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground", which is covered on this collection by the Kronos Quartet.

True Panther Sounds (TPS) is an independent record label founded by Dean Bein in San Francisco in 2004. The label eventually moved to New York, and was acquired by Matador Records of Beggars Group in 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love Da Records</span> British record label

Love Da Records is an international record label founded in 1998. The label is one of the largest indie music distributors in South East Asia, distributing over 150 individual labels covering music of different genres. With its headquarters in Hong Kong, Love Da Records also extended its branches to Taiwan, Singapore and Malaysia.

Hostess Incorporated, DBA Hostess Entertainment Unlimited, is a Japanese independent music company that represents Western alternative artists and labels in Japan, such as the Beggars Group, Domino Records, V2 Records, Brassland, Virgin Music Label & Artist Services and PIAS UK Distribution. Artists signed to Hostess include Adele, Radiohead, Arctic Monkeys, Warpaint, Mogwai, Theme Park, The xx, Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend. It was founded in 2000 by Andrew "Plug" Lazonby, an alumnus of the Royal College of Music.

The Independent Label Market is an open market founded by Joe Daniel and Katie Riding that provides a venue for the proprietors of over 160 independent record labels to sell their products to the public. The market also provides an opportunity for listeners to meet the founders of record labels and some of the artists.

An independent record label is a record label that operates without the funding or distribution of major record labels; they are a type of small- to medium-sized enterprise, or SME. The labels and artists are often represented by trade associations in their country or region, which in turn are represented by the international trade body, the Worldwide Independent Network (WIN).

The Libera Awards are an annual awards ceremony organized by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM). First hosted in 2012, the awards celebrate the independent music community. The capstone of A2IM's Indie Week, an annual music business conference, the ceremony has been able to be viewed by the public since 2020.

References

  1. ↑ "Beggars leaves ADA to join Redeye, alongside Domino, for physical distribution in the US". Music Business Worldwide. January 6, 2020.
  2. ↑ "Rough Trade join Beggars group of labels". The Line Of Best Fit. 2007-07-24. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  3. 1 2 "Matador Joins Beggars Group of Labels; Beggars Group Purchases 50% of Matador - re> NEW YORK, Aug. 12 /PRNewswire/". Prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  4. 1 2 3 Larkin, Colin (1992). The Guinness Who's Who of Indie and New Wave Music. Guinness Publishing. ISBN   0-85112-579-4.
  5. ↑ Billboard: Beggars Purchases Half-Stake In Matador, 21 Aug 2002
  6. ↑ Billboard: Beggars Group Buys Rough Trade, 24 July 2007
  7. ↑ "Payday for music pioneer" . The Sunday Times . 28 July 2019. p. 1.
  8. ↑ "Beggars Group Buys Rough Trade". Billboard. 2007-07-24. Archived from the original on 2018-06-25. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  9. 1 2 Hall, James (2021-10-15). "Adele, Inc: why the music industry is banking on pop's $1.5 million-a-day woman" . The Telegraph. ISSN   0307-1235 . Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  10. ↑ Swash, Rosie (2008-04-30). "A farewell to Beggars Banquet's indie charms | Music". theguardian.com. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  11. ↑ "ROUGH TRADE RETAIL (UK) LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  12. ↑ "Martin Mills: 'Beggar' who does as he chooses" . Telegraph. 2008-06-14. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  13. ↑ "News". HITS Daily Double. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  14. ↑ "Martin Mills | No 22". The Guardian. 2011-05-26. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 2023-04-30.
  15. ↑ "Exclusive: Beggars Group's Martin Mills On Testifying at Senate Universal-EMI Hearing". Billboard. 2012-06-20. Archived from the original on 2015-06-03. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  16. ↑ "to Honor Beggars Group Chairman Martin Mills at MIDEM". Billboard. 2012-06-21. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  17. ↑ "Martin Mills to receive Pioneer Award at AIM Independent Music Awards". NME. 2014-07-12. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  18. ↑ "Billboard Power 100: Martin Mills". Billboard. 2013-02-02. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  19. ↑ "Power 100 - Martin Mills". Billboard. 2014-01-23. Archived from the original on 2014-08-14. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  20. ↑ "Power 100 - Martin Mills". Billboard. 2015-05-02. Archived from the original on 2015-05-21. Retrieved 2015-05-06.
  21. ↑ "International Music Leaders of 2018". Variety Magazine. 2018-06-04. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  22. ↑ "WIN appoints Martin Mills as non-exec chair". Music Week. 2018-02-27. Retrieved 2018-06-24.
  23. ↑ "Beggars Group". Beggars Group. 2014-02-13. Archived from the original on 2014-02-22. Retrieved 2014-02-13.
  24. ↑ "4AD artists". 4ad.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  25. ↑ "Matador artists". matadorrecords.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  26. ↑ "How Queens Of The Stone Age Hit #1 On An Indie Label". Forbes. Retrieved 2014-08-11.
  27. ↑ Payne, Chris (December 14, 2016). "Spoon Shares New Song, Will Return to Matador Records for March 2017 Album". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media . Retrieved May 24, 2017.
  28. ↑ "Rough Trade artists". roughtraderecords.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  29. ↑ "Artists A-Z". xlrecordings.com. Retrieved 2024-04-13.
  30. ↑ "Young artists". YOUNG. Retrieved 2024-04-13.

51°27′31″N0°11′07″W / 51.4585°N 0.1854°W / 51.4585; -0.1854

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.