Primary Wave Music Publishing has agreed a deal to acquire a stake in the music publishing catalog and master recordings of singer and songwriter Leo Sayer.
The agreement will also give Sayer access to the publishing firm’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, which includes digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities and film & TV production.
Today’s news comes just over a week after Primary Wave acquired a majority stake in the publishing catalog of legendary singer, songwriter and Fleetwood Mac member, Stevie Nicks.
The acquisition includes some of Sayer’s biggest hits such as Thunder In My Heart, Dreamin (a worldwide hit for Cliff Richard), Long Tall Glasses, Orchard Road, and his Top 5 hit, Moonlighting.
The deal also includes Sayer’s Grammy-winning single, You Make Me Feel Like Dancing.
Released in 1977, the song reached No.1 on Billboard’s Hot 100, making it his first No.1 single in the United States and went on to win a Grammy Award for Best R&B Song in 1978.
Leo Sayer began his musical career as the leader of the London-based Terraplane Blues Band in the late 1960s.
In 1970 he would meet David Courtney, ultimately forming a creative partnership.
“I am really thrilled to be in a new partnership with Primary Wave, especially in joining such an impressive roster of major artists, bands and music creators.”
Leo Sayer
Sayer began recording some solo material written with David at Roger Daltrey’s (lead singer of The Who) studio and in 1973, he had his first hit with The Show Must Go On, which went to No.1 in the UK.
The following year he released his first album, Silverbird, followed quickly by Just a Boy, which included two more British hit singles, One Man Band and Long Tall Glasses (I Can Dance), the latter breaking Sayer into the American Top Ten in early 1975.
In 1976, he released Endless Flight, produced in the USA by Richard Perry. This album featured the No.1 singles You Make Me Feel Like Dancing and When I Need You.
The record became his biggest hit in both the US and the UK, selling over a million copies in the States.
Following this album, Sayer became a fixture on the American Top 40. He began the 80s by releasing the No.2 hit More Than I Can Say and followed that in 1981 with the hit Living in a Fantasy.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have him join the Primary Wave family and look forward to a long partnership.”
Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave
Touring through most of the 80s, he returned to the studio in 1989 to record Cool Touch. He would stay on the road through most of the 90s and, in 2005, while he was fulfilling a lifelong ambition to live in Australia, he received a request from DJ Meck to remix his 1977 classic Thunder In My Heart.
The track became a monster dance hit all over the world and gave Leo his third official No.1 in the UK.
Sayer moved to Australia in 2005, becoming a full citizen in 2008. His new home saw the release of new recordings including Don’t Wait Until Tomorrow in 2008. Over the years he has worked in Australian TV, film ads and radio, while also touring regularly back in Europe. Restless Years, a collection of new material, appeared in 2015, followed by a completely self-recorded album, Selfie, in 2019.
“I am really thrilled to be in a new partnership with Primary Wave, especially in joining such an impressive roster of major artists, bands and music creators,” said Sayer.
“At 72, my creative activities and ambitions remain undimmed, so I’m sure that together we’ll achieve and create even more success globally, not only with the music I’ve already made, but also with all the ideas still to come.”
Adam Lowenberg, Chief Marketing Office at Primary Wave Music Publishing, added: “We are thrilled to begin this partnership with the incredibly talented and legendary songwriter Leo Sayer. Personally, I am a huge fan of his catalog, so much so I have covered his songs in my band many times.
“We couldn’t be more excited to have him join the Primary Wave family and look forward to a long partnership.”Music Business Worldwide