Paul McCartney: 'Major Labels Don't Get Download Culture'

Sir Paul McCartney has accused major record labels of failing to react fast enough to the download culture.

“I think the majors at the moment, I’m not dissing them, but I don’t think they really know what’s going on,” the former Beatle told Gigwise.

“I get that feeling that with the download culture they’re floundering a bit because they’ve had it their own way for so long.”

Sir Paul left EMI records in 2006 shortly before the label was sold to private equity company Terra Firma.

'Dread'

Speaking at the media launch for his new Fireman album, ‘Electric Arguments’, in London, Sir Paul told Gigwise that another reason he left EMI was because he had begun to “dread” meetings with his label executives.

He added: “And I think it was right at that time because suddenly, right after that, EMI got sold, so I would have been in a little bit of a sale situation.

“They’ve (major record labels) got so many people on their books that like it or not, you’re just one of them, and it’s not that great a situation – you like to feel as though you’re among friends, so that was why I ended up going independent then.”

'Freedom'

Sir Paul’s last solo album ‘Memory Almost Full’ was released in 2007 with the Starbucks' Hear Music label.

But for ‘Electric Arguments’ the former Beatle has turned to British independent One Little Indian.

Asked what was behind motivation was for remaining independent, he told Gigwise: “I just like it because there’s a certain freedom and also they seem to be more interested in the record, so you get a little bit more of a one-on-one thing.

“And again for me it’s just something different; it’s not the same old boring grind.”

‘Electronic Arguments’ is out now on One Little Indian records. CLICK HERE for a full feature with Sir Paul McCartney.