BMG has been appointed to represent the Rolling Stones' music publishing catalogue.
Beginning July 1, 2013 BMG will take on direct responsibility for publishing all of the songs written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards since 1983.
Additionally it will be responsible for handling Jagger and Richards's shares of their pre-1983 copyrights which are represented by ABKCO (1963-1971) and EMI Music Publishing (1971-1983).
BMG’s responsibilities will range from marketing and licensing the songs to the film, TV and advertising sectors, to ensuring that the writers are paid promptly and accurately for their use on the fast-growing number of digital music services.
BMG Chrysalis SVP Alexi Cory-Smith, said, “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.”
Mick Jagger and Keith Richards both commented, “We look forward to a fresh and fruitful long-term business relationship with all the team at BMG.”
The songs to be directly published by BMG span the albums Dirty Work (1986), Steel Wheels (1989), Voodoo Lounge (1994), Bridges To Babylon (1997) and A Bigger Bang (2005) as well as future compositions. They include classic Stones tracks such as ‘Mixed Emotions’, ‘Love Is Strong’, ‘You Got Me Rocking’ and ‘Doom And Gloom’.
Meanwhile BMG will also administer Jagger and Richards’s interests in all of their Rolling Stones hits dating back to 1963 including ‘(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction’, ‘Brown Sugar’ and ‘Angie’.
BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch said that winning the opportunity to work with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards was a significant milestone for the 'new' BMG company, less than five years after it was founded.
“This deal is incredibly important for BMG,” he said. “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.”
The Rolling Stones are currently in the midst of the US-leg of their 50 & Counting Tour before playing the Glastonbury Festival this Saturday (June 29) and two dates in London’s Hyde Park on July 6 and July 13.
