By KevGo (64.115.26.80) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 02:00 pm:

Hey Gang:
According to the trade publication HITS Magazine,
EMI Music Publishing has announced that it will soon own 100% of Berry Gordy�s Jobete Publishing catalog.

The catalog, which contains over 15,000 classic Motown songs is currently 80% owned by EMI. The cash price for the remaining 20% will reportedly be around $80 million, and the deal should close in the next few days, this according to sources at EMI Music Publishing.

Kevin Goins - KevGo

By Don (68.75.61.76) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 03:45 pm:

Hi Kev, to be honest about it it would be interesting to know if there are alot of J.J. Barnes, Emanuel Laskey, Rose Batiste, Parliaments and etc stuff are in the cans. So all curious minds can rest and take it easy, you know. Then we can get back to talking about the music we all know and love.

By Ron Murphy (68.42.90.140) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 03:58 pm:

Jobete Music Publishing owns only the musicial copyrights to the songs, the recorded masters were sold some years ago and are now owned and controled by Universal.so EMI will own the copyrights, but Universal has the master tapes including anything unreleased.

By History Buff (63.88.160.101) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 05:22 pm:

15000 classic songs? I dont:t think there are 15000 classic songs by all the recoard co:s that ever recoarded R&B

By Greg C. (166.84.225.38) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 05:31 pm:

Great investment! That catalog is a gold mine.

The success of Michael McDonald's recent CD is proof that those songs are can still turn a substantial profit.

By LadyMystique (216.37.228.72) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 07:41 pm:

That is very interesting...I wonder...

By Robb_K (66.81.20.68) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 07:46 pm:

History Buff: There were several hundred thousand R&B and soul songs, so why couldn't a piddling 15,000 be classics? I guess it depends upon one's definition of classic.

By Uptight (24.55.0.68) on Wednesday, March 31, 2004 - 10:25 pm:

On the TV news, they say EMI is also laying off a huge number of its employees (is it 20 percent?). I guess this is how they can afford to buy up the rest of the Jobete catalog.

I feel sorry for those losing their jobs this way.

By mike s (195.93.34.12) on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 04:55 am:

It's a pity Berry can't use the money to put a good Smokey or Four Tops (??) album out again.
Wishful thinking!

By Uptight! (24.55.0.68) on Thursday, April 01, 2004 - 06:02 am:

More specifically, EMI is cutting 1,500 to 1,800 jobs to cut costs.

http://www.detnews.com/2004/business/0404/01/b04-109505.htm

http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/gordy1_20040401.htm