Primary Wave Music Publishing has acquired again: This time, the company has bought the music-publishing catalog of award-winning songwriter Dan Wilson.
Today’s news follows Primary Wave’s acquisition last month of a stake in the music publishing catalog and master recordings of singer and songwriter Leo Sayer.
A week before that, the company acquired a majority stake in the publishing catalog of legendary singer, songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member, Stevie Nicks.
The deal with Dan Wilson includes some of his biggest hits – three from British superstar Adele, like One and Only, Don’t You Remember and her smash single Someone Like You, which was a Top 10 hit around the world, going No.1 in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
Adele also won a Grammy for Best Pop Solo Performance for Someone Like You and while accepting her award she said, “I want to thank Dan Wilson, who wrote this song with me. My life changed when I wrote this song and I felt it before anyone even heard it.”
Dan’s producer credit on Adele’s 21 also earned him a Grammy for Album of the Year.
The agreement with Primary Wave also includes his co-writes on six of the songs from Taking the Long Way from The Chicks, which features their hit single Not Ready to Make Nice.
The song earned both Wilson and the band the Grammy for Song of the Year in 2007.
The acquisition encompasses all of the hits he’s written throughout his career which include songs recorded by Taylor Swift, John Legend, Dierks Bentley, P!nk, Josh Groban, Chris Stapleton, Leon Bridges, and many others, as well as his material for his critically acclaimed band, Semisonic.
Closing Time is among those songs and is probably the band’s most well-known hit. The song spent 13 weeks at No.1 on the Modern Rock chart in 1998 and went on to receive a Grammy nomination.
“We are honored and thrilled to have him join Primary Wave.”
Justin Shukat, Primary Wave Music Publishing
“The musical art that Dan has created as a songwriter is undeniable,” said Justin Shukat, President of Primary Wave Music Publishing.
“His work has been enjoyed by fans around the world through both the lens of his own band, Semisonic, as well as through the voices of the countless artists he’s collaborated with and written for.
“We are honored and thrilled to have him join Primary Wave.”
“We could not be more honored to be working with a writer of such universal esteem as Dan and we look forward to sharing the beauty of his words and music with generations to come.”
Matt Herzfeld, Primary Wave
Matt Herzfeld, Associate Director of Creative for Primary Wave Music Publishing, added: “From ‘Closing Time’ to ‘Someone Like You,’ Dan Wilson’s honest and original songs have been the soundtrack for the highs and lows of so many lives around the world.
“We could not be more honored to be working with a writer of such universal esteem as Dan and we look forward to sharing the beauty of his words and music with generations to come.”
A native of St. Louis Park, MN, Dan Wilson attended Harvard University where he studied visual arts. While at Harvard, he began collaborating with his brother and played in two bands – Animal Dance and the Love Monsters.
After graduating, Wilson pursued his interest in drawing and painting, first in San Francisco and then in Minneapolis. In 1987, he joined the band Trip Shakespeare and released three albums. After taking a break from the band in 1992, he continued collaborating with his brother, releasing two live albums.
Soon after, a trio by the name of Semisonic was formed. The band would go on to release three full-length albums, one EP, and this year returned with the EP You’re Not Alone, their first new music in 20 years.Music Business Worldwide