Beggars Group is a British record company, founded by Martin Mills, that owns or holds stakes in various record labels, including 4AD, Rough Trade Records, Matador Records, XL Recordings, and Young.
History The company had its origins in the Beggars Banquet record shops, which first opened in 1973 in Earls Court, London. In 1977, inspired by the DIY aesthetics of the British punk rock movement, which was at the height of its popularity, the shop founders decided to form an independent label and release records as Beggars Banquet Records. This became the group's flagship label and name.
The first band on the label was English punk group The Lurkers; the first ever release on the label was The Lurkers' "Shadow"/ "Love Story" 7-inch single. Later in the decade and into the early 1980s, hits from Tubeway Army and Gary Numan confirmed the label's status in the industry. Beggars Banquet later released music by Bauhaus, Biffy Clyro, Buffalo Tom, The Charlatans, The Cult, The Fall, The Go-Betweens, The National, St. Vincent and Tindersticks.
In August 2002, it was announced that Beggars Group had purchased a 50% stake in Matador Records. Billboard: Beggars Purchases Half-Stake In Matador, 21 Aug 2002 In July 2007, it was reported that Beggars had purchased Rough Trade Records. Billboard: Beggars Group Buys Rough Trade, 24 July 2007
The company owned a stake in Spotify, but sold their shares in 2019. Although the full amount received was never disclosed, half of the earnings were distributed amongst the label's artists, while £8m went to Martin Mills.
Ownership The Beggars Group has been in business for over forty years and is owned and managed by Martin Mills. As of 2017, the main labels that form the group are 4AD, Matador Records, Rough Trade Records, XL Recordings, and Young. The company owns 4AD (the label itself a Beggars Banquet imprint) outright, and retains a 50% stake in each of the others. Older labels within the group, including Beggars Banquet itself and Too Pure, are now part of Beggars Arkive, which is the catalogue department for its labels that are no longer active.
XL is a major owner of the Rough Trade Shops chain, where Beggars directors own shares and oversee control.
Current group artists The main labels that constitute the Beggars Group are home to a range of artists, including:
4AD Adrianne Lenker Aldous Harding Anjimile Atlas Sound Bartees Strange Becky and the Birds Big Thief Bing & Ruth Buck Meek cumgirl8 Daughter Deerhunter Dry Cleaning Erika de Casier Ex:Re Future Islands HAWA Helado Negro Holly Herndon Jenny Hval Lucinda Chua Maria Somerville SOHN The Breeders The Golden Dregs The National Tkay Maidza Tune-Yards U.S. Girls Velvet Negroni
Matador Records Algiers Bar Italia Belle and Sebastian Butthole Surfers Car Seat Headrest Circuit des Yeux Darkside Desert Sessions Gang of Four Horsegirl Julien Baker Kim Gordon King Krule Lifeguard Lucy Dacus Mdou Moctar Muzz Pavement Perfume Genius Queens of the Stone Age Snail Mail Spoon Stephen Malkmus Steve Gunn Water from Your Eyes Yo La Tengo
Rough Trade Records A. Savage Alabama Shakes Amyl and the Sniffers ANOHNI Arthur Russell Augustus Pablo Black Midi Dean Blunt Benjamin Booker Caroline Jarvis Cocker Delays Gilla Band Goat Girl The Hidden Cameras JARV IS... Jockstrap Lankum Lisa O'Neill The Long Blondes Parquet Courts Pinegrove Scritti Politti Sea Power Sleaford Mods SOAK Special Interest This Is the Kit Warpaint
XL Recordings Arca BADBADNOTGOOD Blawan Burial CASISDEAD Charlotte Day Wilson Everything Is Recorded Fabiana Palladino Fontaines D.C. Ibeyi Jai Paul John FM Joy Orbison Kenny Beats King Krule LSDXOXO Makaya McCraven M.I.A. Not Dvr Nourished by Time Overmono Peggy Gou Radiohead Sam Morton Skiifall Smerz The Smile Thom Yorke
Young James William Blades Ethan P. Flynn Jamie xx Koreless Mustafa Oliver Sim Robyn Romy Sampha The xx
References
External links
Canadian website