Music Industry Moves: Simple Minds Sell ‘Key Music Interests’ to BMG; Sony Music Publishing U.K. Signs Danger Mouse

BMG has acquired the key music interests of veteran Scottish rock band Simple Minds, the company announced Tuesday. The agreement with the band’s core members Jim Kerr and Charlie Burchill includes the publishing rights to more than 240 songs across the group’s five U.K. No. 1 albums, as well as its neighboring rights and royalties from their entire recorded catalogue.

The deal marks the culmination of a long-standing relationship between BMG and Simple Minds. BMG has previously served as the administrator of the band’s publishing catalogue and released their 2018 album “Walk Between Worlds,” and is slated to release its next, “Direction of the Heart,” in October. While the group’s biggest hit, 1985’s “Don’t You (Forget About Me),” was written by Keith Forsey and does not fall under the publishing acquisition, BMG will collect recorded and neighboring rights royalties from the track.

Kerr said, “We are very pleased to have struck this deal. It feels like the right time for us and our families. We look forward to working with everyone at BMG.”

Alistair Norbury, BMG’s president of r epertoire & marketing U.K., said, “There are few bands who can claim to have changed music, but over a period of 45 years Simple Minds have done precisely that. It has been a long courtship, but we are delighted to have the opportunity to be custodians of their outstanding catalog. We are thrilled that BMG is now the musical home of Simple Minds, past, present and future.”

+ Music, the investment company launched by Matt Pincus and LionTree earlier this year, has named Sun-Ui Yum as a principal at the company. In this newly created role, Yum will report directly to Pincus, helping to identify and negotiate investment opportunities for the company, a partnership between Pincus, LionTree, JS Capital Management and Schusterman Family Investments and was capitalized with $200 million in April 2022. Yum previously served as an investor and advisor on the core music coverage team at the Raine Group, where he worked on the company’s investment in SoundCloud and Downtown Music Publishing’s sale to Concord, among several other advisory deals in the music space.

+ Country singer/songwriter Corey Kent has signed with Sony Music Nashville’s RCA Nashville imprint. “My team and I were humbled to have interest and offers from multiple labels across the country, but over time it became very apparent that Sony was the right team for me,” Kent said. “They really shared my vision and had passion for the brand of country music I’m creating. I don’t see signing this deal as the finish line… I see it as the starting block.”

+ Live Nation has hired Ricardo Taco to lead Latin music strategy for the company’s concerts division across all of Canada. It has also hired Claudia Valencia as a new tour director based in Guadalajara, Mexico, and Maritsa Restrepo as a ticketing coordinator, based in Los Angeles. Taco will lead Live Nation Canada’s Latin music strategy nationally and work closely with chairman Riley O’Connor and the company’s global Latin booking team. He has worked as an independent promoter for the last 15 years in Ontario, working with Wisin Y Yandel, Ozuna, Maluma, J Balvin, Rosalia, Juanes and others.

+ Lewis Brisbois announced that entertainment attorneys Matt Cottingham and Austin Wells have joined the firm’s Nashville office as partner and associate, respectively, in its Entertainment, Media & Sports Practice. The duo bring with them clients Brittney Spencer, Lily Rose, Ashley Cooke, Chris LaCorte, and Matt Roy.

“This was an opportunity to get in on the ground floor and to help build the Nashville office, while coordinating with the other entertainment lawyers in New York, Atlanta, and Los Angeles” Cottingham said. Wells added, “This is an opportunity for me to follow a mentor of mine and help build something unique in the Nashville music space.”

+ Create Music Group has named Chris Herche to the newly created position of senior VP of music operations and marketing. Herche will oversee the day-to-day operations of the company’s music division, which distributes and markets more than 25,000 artists and 5,000 label clients around the world. Herche joins from Cinematic Music Group, where he was CMO for the past five years.

Monday, July 18

Sony Music Publishing U.K. has signed Brian Burton, aka Danger Mouse, to a worldwide publishing agreement. The musician, producer and composer is known for his long list of diverse projects which include Gnarls Barkley’s 2006 smash hit “Crazy” and his respective album, “St. Elsewhere.” Burton is also a part of the indie duo Broken Bells.

As a producer, Burton has worked alongside powerhouse artists like Beck, Gorillaz, the Black Keys, U2, Red Hot Chili Peppers, A$AP Rocky, Norah Jones and Adele.

Said Jon Platt, Sony Music Publishing chairman and CEO: “Danger Mouse is not only a brilliant songwriter, but a true innovator who pushes creative boundaries and challenges listeners to think outside the box. We look forward to working alongside Brian and his team in this new phase of his career.”

+ TaP Music has signed producer and mixer Rich Costey for management under the guidance of TaP’s René Symonds.

Over the course of his two-decade career, Costey has worked with the Foo Fighters, Charli XCX, the Killers, Haim, Keith Urban, My Chemical Romance, Major Lazer, Snoop Dogg and more.

“Year after year, Rich has attached himself to incredible projects across the musical spectrum in pop, alternative, hip hop, everything,” said Symonds. “He has worked on some of my all-time favorite albums. While he’s been attached to huge luminaries, I love that he’s always looking out for the next exciting artist to come through the door. It is going to be a fun journey together.”

Costey joins a TaP Music roster that also includes such artists as Lana Del Rey, Ellie Goulding, Noah Cyrus, CL, Dermot Kennedy and Caroline Polachek.

Added Costey: “I am thrilled to become a part of the fantastic roster at TaP. Rene brings both vision and grit to his work, and is tireless in pursuing goals. He, along with Ben, Ed, and the whole team, have an innate ability to comfortably ride the nexus between artist creativity and long-term careers. I feel lucky to be here.”