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Primary Wave Signs Publishing Deal With Kool & The Gang’s George Brown Covering Songs Like “Ladies Night”, “Celebration”, “Jungle Boogie” and Many More.
Leading independent publisher Primary Wave Music has partnered with legendary songwriter, drummer, producer and founding member of Kool & The Gang, George Brown. The deal sees the publisher earn a share in the Grammy-winning artist’s music publishing catalog, an author share, and an author share in the public performance.
George Brown was one of the key songwriters for the legendary R&B group whose sound defined the ’70s and ’80s. As a member of Kool & The Gang, Brown has won two Grammy Awards and seven American Music Awards.
The band have sold over 70 million albums worldwide, have been honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and were honored by the Living Legends Foundation in 2008. In 2018, the band was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame.
The deal with Primary Wave includes some of Brown’s and Kool & The Gang’s biggest hits, including 25 top 10 R&B hits and nine top 10 pop hits. Classics like the group’s first #1 song on the R&B chart, “Hollywood Swinging”, “Jungle Boogie,” which was ranked the #12 song of 1974 by Billboard, and their biggest hit, “Cherish.” the Adult Contemporary charts The 80’s and the #1 hit “Ladies Night” are all included.
Additionally, the new partnership includes one of the band’s most well-known songs, “Celebration,” which was released in 1980. The song was the band’s chart-topping single at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and topped the R&B chart for six weeks and has since been selected by the Library of Congress for preservation in the National Recording Registry.
The terms of the agreement also give George Brown access to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, which includes digital strategy, licensing, dubbing capabilities and film/TV production.
“I’m thrilled to call Primary Wave my music partner and join dozens of other legendary artists and creatives in an incredible family of businesses.” says George Brown. “I look forward to working with Larry Mestel and the entire Primary Wave team to continue improving my catalog and the Kool & The Gang brand.”
“As an advisor to George Brown and Astana Music, it was my pleasure to initiate, negotiate and close this deal with Primary Wave,” added Kendall A. Minter. “The collaboration of a world-renowned artist and creative talent with a legendary global independent music publisher and brand enhancer is a win-win for the entire music community and fans.”
“The impact of Kool & The Gang on generations of musicians and fans around the world cannot be denied,” said Samantha Rhulen, SVP, Business and Legal Affairs at Primary Wave Music. “Some of us at Primary Wave were thrilled to be in the audience when they were inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2018 and we are so thrilled to be working with George Brown now in 2023.”