Radiohead Blame EMI Split On New Owners

Radiohead have admitted their split with record label with EMI was due to a personal disagreement rather than ideological reasons.

Ed O'Brien tells The Observer in an interview to be published next week that the band did want to renue their contract with EMI, but found it impossible to strike a deal with the label's new owner Guy Hands, head of private equity company Terra Firma.

He explains, "EMI is in a state of flux. It's been taken over by somebody who's never owned a record company before, Guy Hands and Terra Firma, and they don't realise what they're dealing with.

"It was really sad to leave all the people. But he wouldn't give us what we wanted. He didn't know what to offer us. Terra Firma doesn't understand the music industry."

Radiohead released their latest album 'In Rainbows' in October in a groundbreaking download-based donation scheme.