Netherlands-based investment fund Pythagoras Music Fund (PMF) has acquired the catalog of British songwriter Dominic Bugatti, which includes hits like Air Supply’s Every Woman in the World, and Stardust/Daft Punk’s Music Sounds Better With You.
Bugatti started his career in his teens with covers by Amen Corner and Cupid’s Inspiration.
The announcement notes that Bugatti’s compositions have been used by the likes of Madonna, Bruce Springsteen, Black Eyed Peas, Cher, Bonnie Tyler, Billy Ocean, The Who’s leadsinger Roger Daltrey, Statik Selektah , Action Bronson and Joey Bada$$.
Pythagoras is backed by private and institutional investors, who committed €100 million (approx. USD $110 million) to acquire copyrights.
The fund’s first acquisition was in September 2021 when the fund bought a 100% stake in Dutch music companies Nanada Music and Red Bullet from Dutch music industry legend Willem van Kooten.
Van der Ree told MBW in an interview last year that the company’s focus is “very much on acquisitions in Europe,” as highlighted by the company’s acquisition of Bugatti’s catalog.
The deal comes nearly two months after Pythagoras acquired “the worldwide publishing rights” to Barton Music and its affiliated catalogs, for an undisclosed sum.
MBW confirmed at the time that PMF has already spent approximately €100 million (USD $107m) on music rights.
That catalog includes what Pythagoras calls “American Songbook Standards”, made famous by Frank Sinatra’s performances including songs like Come Fly With Me, Love & Marriage, (Love is) The Tender Trap, Time After Time, All The Way, and High Hopes.
The Barton Music catalog also covers compositions recorded by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Count Basie, Etta James, Sarah Vaughan, and contemporary artists like Linda Ronstadt, Michael Bublé, Westlife and Robbie Williams.
Pythagoras says that Bugatti’s songwriting catalog also includes Three Degrees’ gold singles My Simple Heart and A Woman In Love, Sheena Easton’s Modern Girl and her Miami Vice feature When He Shines.
Paul Nicholas hit Dancing With The Captain and his US top five Heaven On The Seventh Floor, plus World Domination by the Belle Stars and Back On My Feet Again by The Babys are also part of the catalog, according to the announcement.
“Dominic Bugatti has had a profound impact as a songwriter in a variety of music styles.”
Hein van der Ree, Pythagoras Music Fund
Among the highlights of what Pythagoras calls Bugatti’s “star-studded catalog,” are Chaka Khan’s Fate and Best In The West, Bette Midler’s Married Men, Patti Austin’s Every Home Should Have One,Sway and Something’s Happening by KC & The Sunshine Band, Carly Simon’s You Have To Hurt, plus Thank You For The Party by Sister Sledge.
Bugatti has also written film songs including Score Tonight and Girl For All Seasons from Grease 2, Surrender from Shag and Dogs In The Yard from the original Fame movie.
Hein van der Ree, one of the managing partners of Pythagoras Music Fund, said Bugatti “has had a profound impact as a songwriter in a variety of music styles”.
He added: “We are proud to have acquired Dominic’s entire catalogue of compositions.”
Financial terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
