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Reservoir acquires classic soul catalogues
By Andy Malt | Published on Thursday 14 September 2017
US music publishing company Reservoir has announced the acquisition of the soulful song catalogues of Willie Mitchell, Leon Ware and Norman Harris, plus Walter Orange and Thomas McClary of The Commodores.
That’s over 1000 songs. Over 1000 “genre defining” songs, according to Reservoir. I don’t know about that. I haven’t listened to all of them. I can only attest to the quantity, not the quality.
“The opportunity to build upon the legacies of genre defining music is rare and thrilling”, says Reservoir’s SVP of A&R & Catalogue Development Faith Newman. “When I connected with Willie Mitchell’s son, Boo, and Norman Harris’ son, Dorian, as well as with representatives for Leon, Thomas, and Walter, I let them know that it is important to Reservoir to ensure that historic catalogues continue to inspire new generations”.
She adds: “As a Philadelphia native, soul music runs through my veins and I am very passionate about seeking out the gems in this often-underappreciated genre of music. Our licensing teams in Los Angeles, New York and London will pursue new opportunities for syncs, samples, and lyric reproductions, so that these works will continue to live on for years to come”.
She concludes: “Reservoir has already licensed The Commodores’ ‘Night Shift’ in a major ad campaign for African telecommunications company MTN and watching new audiences discover this music is amazing”.
