New coup by bmg, one of the most active labels in terms of catalog acquisitions: this time they take home the songbook of the Hollies, the British band hero of the British Invasion inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
The group in which Graham Nash was a member before becoming “American” to understand each other. The label says the deal is part of a long-term strategy “to build the 21st century home for the most iconic music rights in popular music history”.
BMG announced that it has concluded more than 45 acquisitions during 2022 and also stated that it “expects to announce other transactions shortly”.
German Bertelsmann-owned Bmg has over the past two years acquired the rights to the works of the likes of Tina Turner, John Legend, Mötley Crüe, ZZ Top, Mick Fleetwood, Peter Frampton, Harry Nilsson, John . Lee Hooker, Simple Minds, Primal Scream and Jean-Michel Jarre.
Bmg represents or already owns works by artists such as Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, George Harrison, John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Roger Waters, Kurt Cobain, Aerosmith, Devo, Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Jim Croce, Iggy Pop That is their right. , Blondie, David Bowie, Scorpions, The Kinks, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motorhead and others.
The Hollies deal includes over 20 wholly owned studio, compilation, live and tribute album titles spanning 1967 to the present.
Many of these albums were produced by the group’s classic lineup, which included Bobby Elliott, Tony Hicks, Alan Clarke, Eric Haydock, Terry Sylvester, Bernie Calvert and Graham Nash. We go from «Evolution and the Butterfly» (1967) to «Then, Now, Forever» (2009).
The deal brings BMG eight of their most played songs in Spotify’s Top 10, including several hit singles from The Hollies, such as “Carrie Anne”, “Jennifer Eccles”, “On a Carousel”, as well as the first “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” hit in the United Kingdom.