Universal Music Group is rolling out the Geffen Records label in the U.K. for the first time. Polydor co-president Colin Barlow has been appointed Geffen U.K. president.
Geffen U.K. will be a standalone label in a London HQ separate from Universal Music’s offices, signing and developing its own artists.
Barlow has been promoted to Geffen U.K. president with immediate effect; he will report to Universal Music U.K. chairman David Joseph. Barlow has been at Polydor for 14 years and has worked with multi-platinum acts including Boyzone, James Morrison, Lighthouse Family and Girls Aloud; he was also responsible for A&R on pop act Take That’s 2006 comeback, “Beautiful World”, which UMG says has sold 3.2 million worldwide.
“Colin and I have worked together in publishing and records for almost 20 years, and his greatest achievements speak for themselves,” said UMG International chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge in a statement. “The legacy of Geffen and the future of Colin are exceptionally powerful and exciting.”
“With Geffen U.K. I want to create the hottest new company in the business, but it won’t just be about records,” added Barlow. “David Geffen was one of the original music executives who looked at what we do as a whole – he built a company which encompassed all sides of the entertainment business – and what I’m looking to do is create, sign and develop artists with that same broad perspective. The legacy of Geffen in America was that it was an artist-led label and that is exactly what Geffen in the U.K. will become too.”
As well as signing and developing new artists, Geffen U.K. will be developing a TV production arm. Plans for the venture will be announced in January, along with details of parallel publishing and artist management ventures.
David Joseph said in a statement: “Our vision is for Geffen to become a new frontline label destination for Universal Music U.K. Having worked alongside Colin for so many years, I know he is the man with the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to achieve this.”
Geffen U.K.’s launch roster will be confirmed shortly.
“The U.K. marketplace continues to represent an enormous opportunity for our artists,” said UMG Chairman & CEO Doug Morris. “And there’s no one better to make the most of it for them than Colin. He is one of the most talented, aggressive and resourceful young executives, and we are thrilled to have him take on this expanded role within Universal.”
The Geffen label was founded in the U.S. in 1980 by record executive and film producer David Geffen, who sold the company to Universal Music in 1990. Its U.S. roster includes Pussycat Dolls and Weezer.
