BMG to release Bryan Ferry's next three albums

MORE THAN THIS: Bryan Ferry has signed a worldwide deal with BMG Chrysalis U.K., which will not only publish the bulk of the Roxy Music auteur’s 40-year catalog but also release his next three solo albums. For the first of these projects, The Jazz Age, Ferry has rearranged songs from throughout his career in 1920s style and recorded them with an ensemble he's dubbed the Bryan Ferry Orchestra. The album will get its U.K. and European release in late November and early December depending on the territory, with the U.S. release planned for early next year. The deal is the highest profile signing yet to in what BMG describes as an “innovative alternative to the traditional record deal”—a partnership model designed to give artists more transparency, greater control and a bigger share of revenues. “I have always liked to be hands-on with every aspect of the release of my records,” said Ferry, who has a reputation as a notorious perfectionist, “and the BMG deal offers a new way of doing things.” (10/31a)