October 22, 2009 10:51

Label boss wants clause to 'intervene' in musicians' drug and personal issues

Industry figure says labels should be able to get more involved

Photo Gallery: Amy Winehouse
Photo: Danny North

The former boss of Island Records has suggested that musicians should have a clause in their contracts which means their label can intervene if they are suffering from personal problems.

Marc Marot, who is now the CEO of Sports Entertainment Group UK, wants the clause to be there for "self-harming" acts who are affected by problems such as drug addiction, anorexia or depression.

Marot believes this would help troubled artists and their relationships with labels, offering them a "safety net" that would allow the label to intervene if the artist is suffering from a serious problem.

"As an industry, the music industry is pathetic compared to other industries," said Marot, who will now be including a "safety net" clause in all his new contracts, reports BBC Newsbeat.

Dave Okumu from The Invisible was asked for his opinion on the clause and expressed unease. "If I were presented with a contract which contained a clause allowing the record label to intervene in the event of 'personal troubles' I would be naturally suspicious," he said.

Joseph Mount of Metronomy, however, was in favour of the clause.

"Your Pete Dohertys and Amy Winehouses – people would love the opportunities that those people get. When Amy Winehouse went off the rails she should have been dropped," he said. "It would have been a pretty big gesture if the label had said, 'We do not condone drug use or bad performances'."