Absolute Does Worldwide Deal With Cherry Red For Warner Divested Catalogues

12 February 2018 - Press release

Absolute Label Services has signed a worldwide digital distribution deal with Cherry Red Records for catalogues obtained by Cherry Red through the Warner Music Group divestment process.

Cherry Red announced its acquisition of artist discographies as part of Warner Music Group’s divestment program at the end of 2017.

The deal includes 13 discographies, including Dinosaur Jr, Renaissance, Four-play, Third Ear Band, Greenslade, Marc Almond, Howard Jones, Kim Wilde, Mel & Kim, Curved Air, Be-Bop Deluxe, Barclay James Harvest and Chris Squire.

Absolute will provide an independent route to market, offering global digital distribution for the catalogue.

Absolute Label Services Director Simon Wills said: “We are so pleased to be working with a label as distinguished as Cherry Red Records. It feels like the independent sector is getting smaller every day in our world, but we’re going to work alongside the fantastic team at Cherry Red to make sure that these great albums benefit from our shared work ethic and philosophy.”
Adam Velasco, MD of Cherry Red, said: “These deals mean another exciting year ahead for Cherry Red. We are honoured to expand our catalogue even further and represent such a varied and thrilling range of music. We will work alongside the artists to release enduring artifacts that will nurture their formidable legacy.”

Founded in 1998, Absolute is one of the world’s most established independent label services companies. It has a varied client base of artists, managers and labels, having worked on high profile album releases from the likes of Sigma, Steps, Def Leppard, Lemar, Ladyhawke, Newton Faulkner, McFly and many more in recent years.
Founded by Iain McNay in 1978, UK record label Cherry Red has continued to uphold the same fiercely independent values since day one. Renowned for its diversity, the label had early successes with artists ranging from the Dead Kennedys to Everything But The Girl, The Monochrome Set and Felt – going on to release the ground-breaking compilation Pillows & Prayers in 1982.

As well as a continued commitment to new music, Cherry Red now acts as an umbrella for more than 20 individual imprints and catalogue specialists, including RPM, Reactive, Esoteric, BBR, él and Grapefruit – releasing more than 400 albums each year. Recent releases include Kylie Minogue, Todd Rundgren, Procol Harum, Jah Wobble, Hawkwind, the Fall, Swervedriver and The Moody Blues.