Starbucks (Nasdaq:SBUX) and Concord Music Group proudly announced
today that Hear Music's inaugural CD release will be from none other
than music legend Paul McCartney. The album is slated for release
early this summer and will be available at all traditional music
retail outlets and Starbucks locations internationally. The
announcement was made at the Starbucks Annual Meeting of Shareholders
in Seattle where McCartney made a surprise appearance via satellite.
"For me the great thing is the commitment and the passion and the
love of music, which as an artist is good to see," said McCartney.
"It's a new world now and people are thinking of new ways to reach the
people and for me that's always been my aim."
"Having the honor of releasing an album by Paul McCartney as our
first project under the Hear Music label is, in a word, remarkable,"
said Ken Lombard, president of Starbucks Entertainment. "This
demonstrates how Hear Music can present even the most successful
recording artists of all time with unique opportunities to reach
existing fans, as well as a new audience of listeners."
"It is such a privilege to be able to present this amazing new
album to the world," said Glen Barros, president and CEO of the
Concord Music Group. "I believe that McCartney fans, like myself, will
find that this album connects them to everything that they've always
loved about Paul, yet also delivers a new personal dimension that
shows his continued evolution as an artist. It is a truly profound
recording."
With their recent creation of the Hear Music label and the newest
offering from McCartney, Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music
Group have taken big first steps in the evolution of their
partnership. Hear Music grew from the two companies' mutual quest for
music that demonstrates quality, authenticity, relevance and passion.
Hear Music seeks to provide a new platform for reaching music fans and
introducing them to both emerging and established artists with
inspired vision and a keen sense of purpose. This will result in
compelling music selections for consumers.
Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music Group's past
collaborations include Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company," which to
date has sold 5.5 million copies worldwide and won an unsurpassed
eight GRAMMY(R) Awards, including Album of the Year. In addition,
Sergio Mendes' "Timeless" won a Latin GRAMMY(R) for Best Brazilian
Contemporary Pop Album of the Year and to date has sold close to a
million copies worldwide.
About Concord Music Group
The Concord Music Group is one of the largest independent record
and music publishing companies in the world and owner of a rich and,
in many cases, historically significant catalog of recordings. Concord
Music Group's legendary family of labels includes Concord Records,
Concord Jazz, Fantasy, Stax, Milestone, Riverside, Specialty, Telarc,
Peak, Heads Up, Pablo, and Prestige, to name a few. They include
titles from some of the most admired and enduring names in music,
including Ray Brown, Rosemary Clooney, John Coltrane, Creedence
Clearwater Revival, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald, Isaac Hayes, Little
Richard, Thelonious Monk, Oscar Peterson, Tito Puente, George Shearing
and Mel Torme. The group's current roster of world-class artists
includes: Karrin Allyson, George Benson, Chick Corea, Kurt Elling,
John Fogerty, Gerald Albright, Will Downing, Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
Sergio Mendes, Jane Monheit, Ozomatli, John Pizzarelli, Poncho
Sanchez, Spyro Gyra, Curtis Stigers, Angie Stone and Tierney Sutton.
About Starbucks
Starbucks Coffee Company provides an uplifting experience that
enriches people's lives one moment, one human being, one extraordinary
cup of coffee at a time. To share in the experience, visit
www.starbucks.com.
