|
Allman Brothers Band Sues Universal & Polygram
05/14/2001 5:00 PM, Yahoo! Music
Bruce Simon
(5/14/01, 5 p.m. ET) -- The Allman Brothers Band has filed suit against the Universal Music Group (UMG) and its wholly-owned subsidiary Polygram Records in an attempt to have old recordings from the group's Capricorn Records days returned to them. Polygram took possession of master tapes from the Capricorn vaults in 1980 in settlement of Capricorn's bankruptcy. However, Polygram also wound up with personal recordings made by the Allmans during that period that weren't part of the group's contracts with Capricorn, including demos, live performances, and rehearsal tapes.
Singer-keyboardist Gregg Allman and drummers Jaimoe and Butch Trucks, along with original bassist Berry Oakley's widow Linda Miller, claim in the filing that both UMG and Polygram have refused to answer written requests to return the personal tapes. The Allmans want the court to find that the recordings are, in fact, theirs, and that UMG and Polygram have no right or claim to them. The suit also asks the court to issue a temporary restraining order and both a preliminary and permanent injunction against Polygram and UMG to keep the companies "from taking any steps to diminish or interfere with (the group's) sole ownership rights," in addition to returning the disputed recordings.
In addition, the Allmans make clear that they retain the right to "seek additional relief against (UMG and Polygram), including monetary relief," based on the court's findings.
It's unknown what plans, if any, the Allman Brothers Band has for the tapes.
-- Bruce Simon, New York
Got news tips, comments, or questions? Send them to newstips@launch.com.
|
