Singer Carly Simon is suing Starbucks because she claims that mismanagement on the part of the coffee company was responsible for the poor sales of her album This Kind of Love. Simon is best known for her classic song "You're So Vain."
The New York Times
reports Simon had signed with the Starbucks label Hear Music, and just five days before her album was to be released, Starbucks pulled back its music business activities.
A Starbucks spokeswoman, Sanja Gould, 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.”
“This Kind of Love” was meant to be Simon’s last work; however, financial concerns mean she must keep working.
Starbucks first approached the singer in 2007 and inquired about her interest in releasing the album on the Hear Music label.
According to the New York Times report, Simon said an advance of $750,000 to $1 million was discussed and a marketing plan put forward.
When Simon’s lawyer received the contract the advance was $575,000 and Simon had spent about $100,000 of it on recording sessions in Martha’s Vineyard.
On April 24, 2008, Starbucks turned over the day-to-day management of Ms. Simon’s album to a partner, Concord Music Group.
Simon claims that minus Starbucks’ backing, her album could not get the promotion and distribution she was promised, and the album was not stocked in some stores she visited.
