British military band signs lucrative record deal

A military band from one of the regiments that guards Queen Elizabeth II signed a record deal on Tuesday with a division of Universal Music, whose artists include Eminem and Amy Winehouse.

A military band from one of the regiments that guards Queen Elizabeth II signed a record deal on Tuesday with a division of Universal Music, whose artists include Eminem and Amy Winehouse.

HT Image

The Coldstream Guards band is due to release an album titled "Heroes" later this year on Decca, Universal's classical label. It will include martial-sounding tracks, such as the themes from the films "Where Eagles Dare" and "The Dambusters."

"If they're good enough for the queen, they're good enough for Decca," said the label's managing director, Dickon Stainer. Members of the 350-year-old regiment help guard royal palaces, clad in bearskin hats and scarlet tunics. Its troops have also recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Despite the band's famous label mates, its members said they were keeping their feet on the ground.

"I don't think we would consider ourselves as rock stars," said Color Sgt. Dave Desmond. "We are professional musicians in the army."

Universal Music is a unit of Paris-based media conglomerate Vivendi SA.