Taylor Swift calls release of old songs 'shameless greed'

[April 24, 2020]  LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Taylor Swift on Thursday revived her feud with her former record company, complaining that the release of a 2008 collection of recordings for a radio show was "tasteless."

“I want to thank my fans for making me aware that my former record label is putting out an ‘album’ of live performances of mine tonight. ... This release is not approved by me,” Swift told her 131 million Instagram followers.

The album, "Live From Clear Channel Stripped 2008," is a collection of recordings Swift made for a radio show when she was 18, the "Fearless" singer said.

She called the release by the Big Machine Label Group "another case of shameless greed in the time of Coronavirus. So tasteless, but very transparent."

Big Machine declined to comment on Thursday.

Swift recorded her first six albums with Big Machine before leaving in 2018 for Universal Music Group. Big Machine owns the master recordings of her back catalog and under standard industry practice retains the right to release material that was recorded when she was with the label.

Swift has publicly feuded for more than a year with Big Machine and its senior executives over the use of her old songs. The dispute escalated last November when music executive Scooter Braun said his family had received death threats because of Swift's remarks, and appealed for peace.

(Reporting by Jill Serjeant)

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