BMG, the global music company, has made the decision to part ways with Roger Waters in the wake of controversial comments he made regarding Israel.
In 2016, Waters made a publishing arrangement with the record label. However, last year, when he unveiled his new rendition of PINK FLOYD’s iconic album, The Dark Side of the Moon, it was distributed by Cooking Vinyl instead of BMG.
A recent report by Variety indicates that the choice to bypass BMG for the release of Waters’ latest work was influenced by the appointment of Thomas Coesfeld as CEO on July 1st, 2023.
Waters, whose concert in Frankfurt was canceled last year amid allegations of antisemitism, which he denies, asserted during an appearance on Glenn Greenwald’s podcast in November that he was “fired” from BMG.
During an event in Birmingham last year, Waters confronted accusations of antisemitism, expressing frustration to the audience about what he referred to as “the antisemitism nonsense.”
Moreover, in September, the Campaign Against Antisemitism unveiled the documentary titled The Dark Side of Roger Waters, alleging the musician’s involvement in antisemitic behavior.
Within the documentary, former PINK FLOYD producer Bob Ezrin alleged that Waters referred to the band’s manager, Bryan Morrison, as a “f***ing Jew,” while saxophonist Norbert Stachel accused the musician of rejecting “Jew food” and mocking his Jewish ancestors.
In response, Waters refuted the allegations, asserting: “I am not, and have never been, an antisemite – as anyone who really knows me will testify. I know the Jewish people to be a diverse, interesting, and complicated bunch, just like the rest of humanity. Many are allies in the fight for equality and justice, in Israel, Palestine and around the world.”
