Amsterdam-based investment fund Pythagoras Music Fund has acquired the music rights catalog of veteran rock producer Kevin Shirley.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. The acquisition includes publishing and producer royalties spanning Shirley’s multi-decade career working with rock icons including Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Rush, Journey, Joe Bonamassa, and Beth Hart.
Shirley, nicknamed “The Caveman” for his raw, live recording approach, has produced Iron Maiden’s last six studio albums including The Book of Souls and Senjutsu.
Hein van der Ree, one of Pythagoras Music Fund‘s Managing Partners, said, “We are honored to welcome Kevin Shirley’s body of work into our portfolio.
“His production legacy has left an indelible mark, and we are proud to be stewards of Kevin’s legacy as a producer and songwriter.”
The South African-born producer’s catalog further diversifies Pythagoras’ portfolio. The investment fund, established in 2021, is backed by private and institutional investors who at the time committed €100 million (approx. USD $113 million) to acquire copyrights.
Its first acquisition was 100% of the shares in Dutch music companies Nanada Music and Red Bullet – home to artists including Shocking Blue, Golden Earring and Focus – from Dutch music industry legend Willem van Kooten. Van Kooten passed away in January of this year.
PMF’s van der Ree told MBW in 2022 that the company’s focus is “very much on acquisitions in Europe,” although it has not ruled out acquisitions in the US. In January 2023, the fund purchased the Soulshock and Karlin catalog.
Since the fund’s establishment, it has represented over 35,000 music rights and master recordings including a number of No. 1 releases and well-known classics, according to its website.
Recent acquisitions include the catalog of Pete Sinfield, lyricist for King Crimson and more; 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; and the “worldwide publishing rights” to Barton Music and its affiliated catalogs, including the rights to some of Frank Sinatra’s performances of songs like Time After Time, All The Way and Come Fly With Me.
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