Primary Wave Acquiring Bob Ezrin Rights Portfolio

By External Source

US entertainment rights giant Primary Wave Music Publishing has announced a deal to acquire the music publishing and other rights of Bob Ezrin, the Canadian star producer whose credits can be seen on a treasure-trove of classic albums by Alice Cooper, Kiss, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel, Andrea Bocelli, Jane’s Addiction Joe Cocker, Johnny Reid, Murray McLauchlan, The Kings and…well, the list is long.

He joins Glenn Gould, Paul Anka and Tom Cochrane as a Canadian to have sold his rights to the New York firm.

The deal, announced today, will see the publishing giant acquire the music publishing and other rights of the legendary producer, arranger and songwriter. Ezrin-produced albums include Alice Cooper’s Welcome to My Nightmare, Kiss’ Destroyer, Pink Floyd’s The Wall and Andrea Bocelli’s Sí, all number one albums.

Ezrin’s music publishing includes all songs he has written/co-written such as Kiss’s Detroit Rock City, Beth, and Shout It Out Loud, Pink Floyd’s The Trial and Learning to Fly, as well as the Jane’s Addiction song Superhero, which is best known as the theme song for HBO’s award-winning series, Entourage.

“This was a good time in my career to consolidate my complex portfolio of diverse rights for the sake of my family and my estate,” Ezrin explains. Continuing, “Larry (Mestel) and all the folks at Primary Wave have been terrific partners in this effort, and I am extremely happy with the results.  Plus, on top of rationalizing the past, they also presented me with a solid vision for the future that I am very excited about - since I intend to keep creating for many years to come!"

“We are beyond excited about partnering with the legendary Bob Ezrin,” founder and CEO Mestel stated in a release. He goes on, “Bob continues to be one of the most sought-after producers in the world. His talent is unparalleled, and his body of work is extraordinary. We are delighted to welcome him to the Primary Wave family.”

The phrase “super-producer” is often used when discussing Bob Ezrin – and with good reason. In a legendary career that spans nearly 50 years, the Toronto-born Ezrin has worked around the world as a music and entertainment producer, personality and entrepreneur. Throughout his five decades in the industry, Ezrin has worked on recordings, TV, film, and live events for a wide variety of artists including Bocelli, Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Deep Purple, KISS, Lou Reed, U2, Jay-Z, Peter Gabriel, 2Cellos, The Tenors, Aerosmith, Hollywood Vampires, Deftones, Rod Stewart, Nine Inch Nails, Pete Seeger, and others and he remains one of the most sought-after producers in the world today.

Beginning his career at the age of 8, Ezrin worked in TV and radio in Toronto as both an on-screen and voice-over performer. During his teen years, he was a folk musician playing the same clubs as Joni Mitchell, Gordon Lightfoot and Neil Young. By the age of 21, he was not only producing major rock bands under the tutelage of Jack Richardson, but he formed a friendship with Alice Cooper, which would ultimately lead to a nearly 50-year creative partnership that continues today.

In 2004, he was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame and, two years later, into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. 2012 saw Ezrin being named as a Fellow of the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto. A year later, he was inducted into Canada’s Walk Of Fame. He is a co-founder of Wow Unlimited Media Inc. and The Nimbus School of Media Arts, both in Vancouver, and he co-founded 7^th Level Inc in Richardson, TX and Enigma Digital in Los Angeles, CA, both seminal companies in interactive entertainment, education and social media. He served as Co-Chairman of Clear Channel Interactive and Chairman of Live Nation Artists Records.

He currently sits on the boards of directors of In Place of War in Manchester, UK and Los Angeles; The Canadian Journalism Foundation in Toronto; The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation in Los Angeles; is an Eco-activist in Canada and the US, Chairman Emeritus of the Los Angeles Mentoring Partnership and, along with U2′s the Edge, the co-founder of Music Rising, an initiative to replace musical instruments that are lost in natural disasters.  He and his wife Jan are Leadership Circle members of MusiCounts in Toronto.  He is also a “Water Warrior” for UNICEF in Guinea, Africa and a major proponent of mental health awareness and suicide prevention.
About Primary Wave:

Primary Wave Music Publishing was founded in 2006 and specialised in the acquisition and unique marketing of "iconic and legendary" artist catalogues. Over the years the company has acquired the copyrights for over 15,000 songs from the catalogues of artists such as Bob Marley, Smokey Robinson, Kurt Cobain, Aerosmith, John Lennon, Def Leppard, Hall & Oates, Whitney Houston, Boy George & Culture Club, Chicago, Glenn Gould, Free, Brenda Russell, Tom Cochrane, Holly Knight, Lamont Dozier, Steve Cropper, CeeLo Green, Free, Blue Mountain Music, Count Basie, Tom Hamilton, Sly & The Family Stone, Leon Russell, Bill Gaither, Boston, and many others, and we administer and market such icons as Alice Cooper, Bobby Hebb, Counting Crows, Kenny Loggins, Melissa Etheridge, and Jimmy Van Heusen.

The company has grown over the last 13 years into a full-service music company that includes Brand Marketing, Digital Marketing, Publicity, Film/TV and commercial synchronization. In addition to its artist catalogues, Primary Wave Music Publishing has a stable of songwriters and strategic ventures with Rough Trade, Janice Brock, Juan Madrid, and Blue Mountain Music, all of whom specialize in up-and-coming talent.

With just three employees in 2006, the company has grown to employ 70 employees with offices in New York, Los Angeles, London, Nashville, and Austin.