Primary Wave Music Publishing has just closed what it describes as a “multi-million dollar deal” to acquire a stake in the music publishing catalog and artist master royalty stream for Australian soft rock duo, Air Supply.
Included in the deal are a number of the band’s hit singles such as the Top 5 songs All Out Of Love, Lost In Love, and Making Love Out Of Nothing At All, as well as their Gold single The One That You Love, which went to No.1 on Billboard‘s Hot 100.
Primary Wave will work closely with Air Supply to not only market their catalog of music, but also pitch licensing and sync opportunities.
Graham Russell & Russell Hitchcock met on May 12, 1975, the first day of rehearsals for Jesus Christ Superstar in Sydney, Australia.
After each performance, they would perform as a duo in pizza parlors, coffee bars, and night clubs.
With a demo cassette of two songs (Love and Other Bruises and If You Knew Me) in hand, they shopped it to every record label in Sydney.
CBS Records signed them, and the duo began touring, opening for Rod Stewart across Australia and throughout North America.
They returned to Australia after tour and made the album Life Support, which included the hit single Lost in Love.
The single went Top 10 in Australia and found its way to Clive Davis, who signed them to Arista Records and, in 1980, Lost in Love became the fastest selling single in the world.
The follow up single All Out of Love went up the charts even quicker. Seven Top 5 singles later, Air Supply had equaled The Beatles’ run of consecutive Top 5 singles.
Their albums – Lost in Love, The One That You Love, Now & Forever, and The Greatest Hits – have sold in excess of 20 million copies.
“We are thrilled to share the future with the progressive and talented people at Primary Wave.”
Graham Russell & Russell Hitchcock
The duo shared a joint statement in regards to the deal stating: “We are thrilled to share the future with the progressive and talented people at Primary Wave.”
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome the band into the Primary Wave family.”
Lawrence Mestel, Primary Wave
Lawrence Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music Publishing, added: “Graham and Russell are two of the nicest human beings in the music industry and they have created some of the most memorable love power ballads in history.
“We couldn’t be happier to welcome the band into the Primary Wave family.”Music Business Worldwide
