The BMG label is about to end its business relationship with Roger Waters, according to a Variety report, in the wake of the ex-Pink Floyd member’s vocal criticism of Israel and other controversial comments.
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The media outlet reports that sources have revealed to them that BMG is preparing to part ways with Waters after signing a music publishing deal with the outspoken Rock & Roll Hall of Famer in 2016. The news comes after BMG decided not to release Waters’ rerecorded version of Pink Floyd’s classic 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon last year. The project eventually was issued by the U.K. label Cooking Vinyl in October 2023.
Waters Alluded to BMG Split in 2023
Waters alluded to his split with BMG in a November 2023 interview with Glenn Greenwald in which he claimed he was “fired” by the company after BMG was pressured by the Jewish advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League.
A source for BMG told Variety that the company said Waters’ claims about the split weren’t accurate, maintaining that BMG CEO Thomas Coesfeld made the decision to part ways with the veteran rocker on his own.
As Variety points out Coesfeld is a member of the family that controls BMG’s parent company, Bertelsmann, and that after the October 2023 Hamas terrorist attacks in Israel, Bertelsmann issued a statement expressing “solidarity with Israel.”
Waters’ Controversial Remarks
Waters, of course, is known for his vocal support of Palestine and his criticism of Israel’s policies regarding the Palestinian people. Many feel that Waters’ views are antisemitic, something he denies.
Waters also courted controversy last year when he made statements that appeared to defend Russia over its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. As the Variety article points out, Waters delivered a speech to the United Nations Security Council last year at Russia’s invitation, during which he claimed that the invasion was “not unprovoked.”
Waters comments have drawn the ire of his former Pink Floyd bandmate David Gilmour and Gilmour’s wife, Polly Samson. Meanwhile, Variety suggests that the controversy surrounding Waters also has quashed potential deals to sell Pink Floyd’s lucrative music catalog.
American Songwriter sent a request to a rep for Waters for a comment about the Variety report, but has not yet received a response.
