Singer, songwriter, record producer and former 4 Non Blonde Linda Perry, the lady at least partly responsible for the success story that is James Blunt, has begun legal action against the Warner Music Group claiming it owes her millions of dollars in royalties stemming from her protege's debut album 'Back To Bedlam'.
Perry started working with Blunt via her company Custard after being put in touch with the then wannabe singer songwriter via his publishing company EMI. She worked with him on the debut long player, and then basically took the Blunt package more or less ready to go to Warner Music. If I remember rightly she originally got him a deal with the major's US division Elektra but, after Elektra was all but closed down following Edgar Bronfman Jr's takeover, she had to sell him to the label again - getting a second deal with Atlantic UK.
The legal dispute seems to be over that Atlantic deal. Perry claims the original distribution deal with the major saw her company getting a basic royalty of 20% on all Blunt sales, of which she was contracted to pay 13% to Blunt himself, meaning Custard would see 7% of the monies. As he rose to worldwide superstardom Blunt's management renegotiated his deal with Warner, and the major agreed to pay him a higher royalty, but allegedly paid for that by cutting Custard's cut, something Perry argues it wasn't legally entitled to do. Hence the lawsuit. She is suing for lost royalties plus $5 million in punitive damages.
In the lawsuit she claims that it was only because of her passion for Blunt's music that Warner ever got to enjoy a share of his success, given that the major originally all but dropped him before the debut album was even released. Claiming that the major then screwed her indie firm by altering the royalty arrangements post-success, the lawsuit says: "Atlantic's wrongdoing follows the far too familiar scenario involving a large multinational corporate record company which takes advantage of a small, independent production company after the production company presents the major label with a promising new artist".
A spokesman for the major wouldn't elaborate on the lawsuit, but said that the music firm valued its relationship with Perry, adding: "Custard has always been and will continue to be compensated in accordance with the terms of its contractual arrangement with Atlantic".
Both Perry and Warner stress neither side have any grievances with Blunt himself in relation to this dispute. So, that's a relief.