Note to musicians wanting to make some money: make sure your record label is actually a record label and not a coffee company. That's the lesson veteran singer-songwriter Carly Simon learned the hard way when she released her 2008 record, This Kind of Love, through the Starbucks-affiliated Hear Music imprint.
Since the album was released, it has sold a mediocre 124,000 copies. In a lawsuit filed Friday (October 9), Simon claims that it's because Starbucks drastically scaled back on their music marketing just five days before the album dropped, leading her to now sue the coffee chain.
In an interview with the New York Times, Simon said that the album was her "last chance at bat," and claimed that she hoped to retire off of the profits. When the company scaled back its promotions, she says the album quickly became difficult to find in stores.
A Starbucks spokeswoman told the Times, "We are disappointed to hear that she may be taking this action. Starbucks has great respect for Ms. Simon and is hopeful that this matter can be resolved in an amicable manner."
We're no experts but perhaps Simon should have realized that even if the album was readily available the CDs would likely be covered in spilled latte foam or knocked on the floor before signing with Starbucks in the first place.
Since the album was released, it has sold a mediocre 124,000 copies. In a lawsuit filed Friday (October 9), Simon claims that it's because Starbucks drastically scaled back on their music marketing just five days before the album dropped, leading her to now sue the coffee chain.
In an interview with the New York Times, Simon said that the album was her "last chance at bat," and claimed that she hoped to retire off of the profits. When the company scaled back its promotions, she says the album quickly became difficult to find in stores.
A Starbucks spokeswoman told the Times, "We are disappointed to hear that she may be taking this action. Starbucks has great respect for Ms. Simon and is hopeful that this matter can be resolved in an amicable manner."
We're no experts but perhaps Simon should have realized that even if the album was readily available the CDs would likely be covered in spilled latte foam or knocked on the floor before signing with Starbucks in the first place.