One of the worst record contracts ever signed was between the Stone Roses and their first label, a company called Silvertone. Under the terms of this contract, Silvertone had the right to license any merchandise it wished without the band’s approval. They could also terminate the contract at any time they wished. However, the Stone Roses had no such “out” clause. And finally, the contract stated that the Stone Roses were the property of Silvertone for (quote) “the entire world and the solar system.”
Fortunately for the Roses, a judge ruled that the contract was “one-sided and unfair,” and released them from the deal. Alas, it was too little too late. By the time this was all sorted out, the Stone Roses had lost whatever momentum they had built up with their debut album and were never able to recover until their reunion in 2011.
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