From this week's MusicWeek, 20th november 1999. Apologies for spelling errors if this has been sent before:
4AD HQ RETURNS TO LONDON
Beggars Banquet's 4AD label is reloacting back to London following the departure of label cheif Robin Hurley.
The ground-breaking label, home to Kristin Hersh, Gus Gus amd Mojave 3 and responsible for breaking innovative early Eighties groups such as Cocteau Twins and Bauhaus, has largely been run from California since founder Ivo Watts-Russell moved to Los Angeles in the mid-Nighties.
However, the decreasing day-to-day involvement of Watts-Russell to concentrate on photographic books and now Hurley's departure has given Beggar's Banquet Group chairman Martin Mills the opportunity to relocate its HQ in London and install new label head, former Beggars head of press Chris Sharp.
The label, founded in 1979, will also become fully integrated into the Beggars group by tapping into the resources and functions used by other Beggars labels, such as marketing and promotions. 4AD will, however, continue to have a US presence by moving its operation into Beggars Banquet's existing New York outpost.
"It didn't make sense to have it run out of LA. 4AD has a profile, reputation and image which I hope will be enhanced. I hope 4AD in the future will be more so and better. The spirit of 4AD will live on," says Mills.
Joining Sharp in the new set up will be Ed Horrox, who moves from Mantra's A&R department to become the new A&R chief at 4AD. Other changes include Colleen Maloney moving from press at 4AD to take over Sharp's role and Craig McNeil taking on responsibility for international and domestic PR.