On this day in 1976, seven 7-year cycles ago, Mr. Samuel George Alder, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, adviser to the Prince’s Trust, a founder of Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy (its Treasurer for several years), worker of many good works, eg serving on school Governing Boards and the Isle Of Man Arts Council, lied to me.
This lie set in motion a gradual unravelling of EG affairs, culminating in the beginning-collapse of EG and its related companies in 1991, which impacted the affairs of all their artists. The direct effect on me was quietly catastrophic, the repercussions continuing directly as far as the out-of-court settlement (on our terms) between Panegyric / DGM and UMG Music this past May 2024. Hence the periods of hot conflict and the direct effects of Mr. Alder’s dishonesty run currently at 33 years.
In conventional terms, Mr. Alder was a pillar of society, anticipating a knighthood for his work with Nordoff Robbins (from which he received an honorary doctorate in 1997), representing an ideal, an exemplar, of English professional standards: public school background, professional qualifications, in his own words – an "honest, God-fearing family man", a "Good Guy… renowned for (his) probity and sound business practices" who set standards in an industry well known for its deceit.
Mr. Alder exemplified one way forward, for those in business holding a duty of care to their clients: lie to your clients when you want something that is theirs.
I
The Foundational (ie forming the base from which everything else develops) Lie Of Mr. Samuel George Alder’s EG was made to me on Sunday 22nd. February, 1976 at Sherborne House, Gloucestershire, where I was in retreat on the Fifth Year of JG Bennett’s IACE…
From the EG Calendar Events for 1976 file in the Endless Grief filing cabinet…
February 22: David Enthoven and Mr. Alder visit RF in retreat and present him with documents to sign, including publishing copyright assignments to enable EG, during his retreat, to "protect (RF's) interests, collect his royalties and protect the copyrights around the world".
At this meeting DJE and Mr. Alder assure RF that these are necessary technicalities but subordinate to the original partnership agreement (enshrined in the Willowfay Agreement of 1970) which continues to have overriding authority; i.e. RF continues to have his share of the copyright. (NB this point would not become an issue until EG attempted to sell the copyrights, and/or the income stream attached to them. This occurred upon the sale of EG Music to BMG Publishing on July 1st. 1991).
David Enthoven (in a submission as part of my High Court action of 1993) accepted that it was not necessary for me to assign my copyrights to enable EG to "protect my interests, collect my royalties and defend the copyrights". A license would have been sufficient. David, the heart of EG, told me that he had spent his last £10,000 on entering a recovery programme in 1989. David’s re-entry to music management, with IE Management in 1990, was an excellent opportunity for us to begin our relationship again. David told me (1993) that - "We thought you were mad" - to go on retreat at Sherborne House and, while Mr. Alder was looking me in the eye and lying to me, David was in the next room snorting heroin.
This oral collateral warranty attached to the copyright assignations, in which Mr. Alder participated and prior to 1991 was never queried nor repudiated by him, became the basis for the future relationship between RF and EG. It was ratified by RF and Mr. Alder in London during July 1977, following the departure of DJE from EG the previous month (when David was pushed out of EG by Mr. Alder). RF flew in from Berlin from the "Heroes" sessions with Bowie and Eno.
II
Mr. Alder got to Michael Giles and Peter Sinfield before me. The dating of Michael Giles' copyright assignments to EG Music was 2 December 1975, and the dating of Peter Sinfield's copyright assignments 19 December 1975.
Peter > Mr. Alder: What happens if you sell the copyrights?.
Mr. Alder > PJS: You’ll get your share. (Personal conversation with PJS 1991).
Mr. Alder was subsequently "unable to recall" this assurance on the sale of EG Music, July 1st. 1991.
As a result of these copyright assignments to EG, EG negotiated new deals in publishing and recording with large advances. From The EG Calendar for 1976…
- This is the year in which EG became "awash with money"(personal conversation with Tim Clark, head of Island Records in 1976) through the advances on the Polydor deal. The financial policy of the preceding seven years, 1969-76, changes. Formerly EG financed itself and its artists (financing artists was part of the commitment by EG Management to KC in 1969) primarily from the royalty stream, with modest advances on each album. Loans and mortgages were made to its artists by EG (as a means of controlling them, according to David Enthoven).
- In the same year that the EG Group is "awash from money", the Old Chelsea Group is born. This presages a move into real estate and non-musical business interest.
III
A longer version of this story was nearly published c. 2006 as the “Dear Andrew” letters, a series of letters from me to Mr. Alder and EG between 1991-93. This at the behest of a media lawyer with publishing interests. The letters were frank and direct, and copied to an increasing number of industry players. Mr. Alder’s governing strategy was control, including control of information; eg gagging orders. Information being made available on Mr. Alder’s actual, rather than purported, conduct was unwelcome to him. One letter, to Mr. Andrew Stanger of EG, from 25 September 1991 below.
https://www.dgmlive.com/diaries/Robert%20Fripp/the-basement-chateau-belew-one-210916
https://www.dgmlive.com/diaries/Robert%20Fripp/bredonborough-the-sun-has-begun-210916
