Blondie to take action against EMI over royalty payments

THE REUNITED pop group Blondie are taking legal action against their former record label to recoup royalties earned as a result of their comeback.

The band, led by singer Deborah Harry, have reformed and are enjoying a new lease of life but have yet to equal their run of success in the late Seventies and early Eighties. They have filed a lawsuit against EMI records in New York, claiming they are owed money for royalties earned on sales since they renegotiated their royalty rate in 1996.

Ms Harry said: "An artist's creative work is repeatedly repackaged and marketed and the artist rarely sees increased income. In our situation, we would at least like to see EMI live up to its own promise, to finally allow some of the increased revenues to flow through the artist."

The band's lawyer, Christine Lepera said: "Blondie was compelled to seek damages flowing from EMI's failure to honour the bargain it struck.

A spokeswoman for EMI Records in London said they were not aware of the case and it was a matter for EMI in the US. The US arm of EMI could not be contacted yesterday.

t The lead singer of rock group Big Country has gone missing, his manager said yesterday. Stuart Adamson, 41, who was living in Nashville, Tennessee, last made contact with his manager, Ian Grant, on Thursday, 18 November.