Deal spans 1967 to present
BMG has announced it has acquired the recording catalogue of the influential British rock and pop band, Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees, The Hollies. Under the agreement, the deal includes more than 20 studio, compilation, live, and tribute album titles and rarities, wholly owned by the group, spanning 1967 to present, many featuring the classic lineups of Bobby Elliott, Tony Hicks, Allan Clarke, Eric Haydock, Terry Sylvester, Bernie Calvert, and Graham Nash. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Album titles include Evolution and Butterfly (1967), Hollies Sing Dylan and Hollies Sing Hollies (1969), Confessions of the Mind (1970); Distant Light (1971), Romany (1972), Out on the Road (1973); Hollies (1974), Another Night (1975), Write On and Russian Roulette (1976), Hollies Live Hits (1977), A Crazy Steal (1978), Five Three One – Double Seven O Four (1979), Buddy Holly (1980), and Then, Now, Always (2009).
The transaction brings to BMG eight of their Top 10 most streamed tracks on Spotify including many of The Hollies international hit singles “Carrie Anne;” “King Midas In Reverse,” “Jennifer Eccles,” “On A Carousel,” UK No. 1 “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother,” Platinum-certified No. 1 single “Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress),” and the Platinum-certified chart-topper “The Air That I Breathe,” as well as the group’s cover versions of Bruce Springsteen’s “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy),” Emmylou Harris’ “Boulder to Birmingham” and Head’s “Say It Ain’t So, Jo.”
“BMG’s history as a trusted custodian of some of music’s greatest works assures we know our music and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come,” the band shares in a statement.
“The Hollies spearheaded the British Invasion of the Sixties, and we are delighted to have secured rights to their golden period in the US, including ‘Long Cool Woman (in a Black Dress)’,” adds Thomas Scherer, BMG’s President, Repertoire & Marketing, New York and Los Angeles. “We are honored to represent their continuing creative legacy.”
Concluding more than 45 acquisitions over the course of 2022, the transaction forms part of BMG’s long-term strategy to create a 21st century home for the most iconic music rights in popular music history.
In the past two years, the label has concluded acquisitions for rights and/or royalties in the work of artists and/or songwriters including 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 among others.
BMG already represents or owns rights in the work of iconic artists including 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, Blondie, David Bowie, Scorpions, The Kinks, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Motörhead, and many more.
