EMI lose another artist

The departure of the Rolling Stones to Universal isn't much of a financial blow to EMI - a one-off live album of the 21st century Stones isn't exactly going to have people banging on record shop doors on day of release - but it's another blow to the image of the company.

The latest Word podcast was talking about the departure of Tony Wadsworth, suggesting that his euphemistically-phrased 'decision to step down' was effectively the symbolic point where EMI abandoned its history and ceased to be the company it was.

We suspect that Warners is only putting off this point because Edgar Bronfman is more emotionally connected to the predigital music business than Guy Hands is.