TAKE THAT - EMI 'FURIOUS' AT ROBBIE THREATS

EMI 'FURIOUS' AT ROBBIE THREATS

Record label EMI have hit out at former Take That singer Robbie Williams for threatening to walk out on his record deal, a tabloid newspaper reports.

The Daily Mirror quotes a highly-placed executive at the record firm attacking Williams and his manager, Tim Clark, for putting "a gun to EMI's head" in negotiations.

Yesterday's Times newspaper featured Clark expressing doubts about whether EMI will be able to deliver Williams' eighth studio album.

And Clark's doubts about EMI's future amid rumours of job cuts after the £3.2 billion takeover by private financier Terra Firma have been echoed by other artists.

Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney and chart-toppers Radiohead have already departed the EMI fold and Coldplay are among others rumoured to be looking at other options.

Despite these walkouts the anonymous EMI executive compared the situation with Williams' current album to that of a struggling striker in football.

"A new manager comes in and the agent tells him 'My centre forward isn't going to score unless he gets a pay-rise'."

Objecting to Williams' reported £80 million deal in 2002, the source added: "There's plenty of EMI acts who are still very jealous and unhappy about Robbie getting that deal because it meant less for them.

"Stratospheric amounts have been paid to managers and lawyers too. It's time for a change."

Since walking out on Take That, Williams has sold more than 50 million records after putting out seven studio albums between 1997 and 2006.

But sales of his most recent offering, Rudebox, were below expectations, heralding a lower-profile period for the star.