The major's Mercury label previously had the rights to three of the band's albums but this will be the first time in Europe that the rights to the 10 key catalogue albums - including the 6m-selling Kick - are held by one company.

The first fruits of the deal - which is for the world excluding the Americas - will be the re-release of the 10 studio albums physically and digitally on May 30.

Universal Strategic Marketing vice president Andrew ...