Resignation of the day

"Today is my last day of working for the Warner Music Group after five years of hard work for very little recognition and a an absolutely laughable salary, considering that the Warners group used to be one of the mightiest record labels in the world and has one of the greatest unexploited catalogues left in the business. However since your acquisition of the Warner Music Group last year there is probably more exchange of information of what is actually happening at any level in this company than at a deaf, dumb and blind convention.

We understand that you took on a huge task to turn around the ailing, forgotten division of AOL Time Warner, but informing the already morale-drained staff (via a third party) that the bonuses that the top five executives took individually equal more than 20 times my total lifetime salaried income (assuming I started at 18 and retired at 60), is somewhat more than insensitive. If you want to make us feel like maggots., you succeeded.

Paul-Rene Albertini gets paid $4 MILLION in total ?? Hello !!! ? The only deals we are all aware of have all LOST money. Walt Disney Records? unrecoupable - it's still more than $15 million in the hole. Milan Records ? A French turkey. Need I go on? What deals has this guy done that actually MADE money? Lyor Cohen - to give his due, he did what he did at Def Jam, hope it works out for Warners.

He should do ..at $5 MILLION. A nice lifestyle guaranteed.

Rhino Records? Since the new order was imposed, Rhino, once the envy of every record company catalogue division has been DECIMATED. Everyone of any value and integrity has been sacked and the catalogue is being whored out to every tin pot reissue cowboy label. We understand you need the money, but only having eyes on the short-term, easy money is not very STRATEGIC

$50,000 license fees for heritage artist repertoire? Big deal, Rhino records as was, would convert that into $500,000 onto our own bottom line. As you are well aware, catalogue assets are going to become BIG business in the next 10 years (quite distinct from digital downloads).

We should be investing more time , money and MANPOWER to exploit the best catalogue repertoire in the world, not starving it into oblivion for the sake of a short-term buck.

From the vicious rumour-mill that has replaced hard fact in this company, we know that Warner is either being leaned down for sale or set for taking over another three-letter-named label (EMI), with the inevitable blood-bath that will follow. I am saddened that I am leaving.

Music is my life; but I am also relieved that I get to leave the company before everyone I know and value for their knowledge, dedication and love of music gets shuffled out of the door. You would not believe the dedication for this company that exists at grass-roots level, and though we are the little people - we ALL make a crucial difference.

Yours Sincerely,
Carlos Anaia."

OK, I don't claim any dibs on finding this out or anything. It's weird because apparently The Velvet Rope got it from popbitch, and I read it first on VR, and anyway if I had been up on reading my emails I would have seen it on PopBitch, they're both fantastic sources of geek info of all kinds. So anyway, I think it's quite appropriate for this forum!! What do y'all think?

PopBitch reported that Warner Music Group's Human Resources department sent out an email saying that leaking the following email would be grounds for termination. The guy sent it to everyone in the company, from the groundlings to the top honchos.