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| Beggars Group | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Martin Mills |
| Distributor(s) | |
| Genre | Various |
| Country of origin | United Kingdom |
| Location |
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| Official website | www.beggars.comarchive.beggars.comwww.beggarsgroup.cawww.beggarsgroup.dewww.beatink.com |
Beggars Group is a Britishrecord company, founded byMartin Mills, that owns or holds stakes in variousrecord labels, including4AD,Rough Trade Records,[2]Matador Records,[3]XL Recordings, andYoung.
The company had its origins in the Beggars Banquet record shops, which first opened in 1973 inEarls Court,London. In 1977, inspired by the DIY aesthetics of the Britishpunk rock movement, which was at the height of its popularity, the shop founders decided to form an independent label and release records asBeggars Banquet Records. This became the group's flagship label and name.[4]
The first band on the label was Englishpunk groupThe Lurkers; the first ever release on the label was The Lurkers' "Shadow"/ "Love Story" 7-inch single.[4] Later in the decade and into the early 1980s, hits fromTubeway Army andGary Numan confirmed the label's status in the industry.[4] Beggars Banquet later released music byBauhaus,Biffy Clyro,Buffalo Tom,The Charlatans,The Cult,The Fall,The Go-Betweens,The National,St. Vincent andTindersticks
In August 2002, it was announced that Beggars Group had purchased a 50% stake inMatador Records.[5] In July 2007, it was reported that Beggars had purchasedRough Trade Records.[6]
The company owned a stake inSpotify, but sold their shares in 2019. Although the full amount received was never disclosed, half of the earnings were distributed amongst the label's artists, while £8m went to Martin Mills.[7]
The Beggars Group has been in business for over forty years and is owned and managed byMartin Mills. As of 2017, the main labels that form the group are 4AD, Matador Records,[3] Rough Trade Records,[8] XL Recordings,[9] and Young. The company owns 4AD (the label itself a Beggars Banquet imprint) outright, and retains a 50% stake in each of the others. Older labels within the group, including Beggars Banquet itself andToo Pure, are now part of Beggars Arkive, which is the catalogue department for its labels that are no longer active.[10]
XL is a major owner of theRough Trade Shops chain, where Beggars directors own shares and oversee control.[11]
With a worldwide network in place, Beggars Group has three offices in London, two of which also house recording studios, two in the US in New York and Los Angeles, and a dedicated office in every major territory.[clarification needed][citation needed] The company has been active in promoting the collective interests of the sector, being a founding member of theAIM (UK) in 1999,IMPALA (Europe) in 2000,A2IM (USA) in 2005, and most recently the Worldwide Independent Network, which represent the independent music industry in each locality.[citation needed] The Beggars Group are also active members ofMerlin, the independents’ rights licensing body.[citation needed]
The main labels that constitute the Beggars Group are home to a range of artists, including:[12]
51°27′31″N0°11′07″W / 51.4585°N 0.1854°W /51.4585; -0.1854
