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Business News Deals Labels & Publishers
BMG signs Stones to first new publishing deal in four decades
By Chris Cooke | Published on Wednesday 26 June 2013
BMG has announced a new partnership with the Rolling Stones which will see the music rights firm represent Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ songs catalogue.
It is the first time the Stones songwriter duo have appointed an external music publisher in over four decades, they having operated their own publishing set-up since their alliance with EMI Music Publishing, which began in 1971, ended in 1983.
Under the new deal, BMG will take direct responsibility for all the songs written by Jagger and Richards since 1983, while coordinating the two men’s respective shares in the pre-83 catalogue, which is controlled by ABKCO (1963-1971) and Sony/ATV/EMI (1971-1983). The rights firm will seek sync opportunities for the directly controlled songs, and assure the effective administration of digital revenues across the board.
Confirming the deal, which comes just ahead of the band’s headline-grabbing headline set at Glastonbury this weekend, BMG Chrysalis SVP Alexi Cory-Smith told CMU: “Mick Jagger and Keith Richards are among the greatest songwriters in rock n roll history. It’s a huge honour that they have chosen us to represent their interests. Beginning July 1, we will be working alongside all of our offices around the world to give them the very best BMG can offer”.
While BMG top man Hartwig Masuch added: “This deal is incredibly important for BMG. Keith and Mick have clearly created one of the most outstanding song collections in rock n roll history. They have not only created the soundtrack of all of our lives, they have been a dynamic and constant force for cultural change. They could sign to any company they wanted to. The fact that they have chosen to sign with BMG is a significant vote of confidence in our team and in our creative and administration services. We will justify their trust in us”.
