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Robert's Deal with Sony/ATV


kenog

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PUBLISHING: Robert Plant clocks in to seal deal with Sony/ATV

Music Week (Tonbridge); Oct 16, 2010; Paul Williams; p. 4 Full Text:

( Copyright : 2010 CMP Information Ltd.)

Post-Led Zeppelin work covered in veteran's new deal

By Paul Williams

SONY/ATV HAS SIGNED a worldwide deal with Robert Plant set to cover the vast majority of his post-Led Zeppelin songwriting.

The agreement initially takes in Plant's contributions to his current album Band Of Joy, which peaked at three in the UK and five in the US following its release in September, while his solo back catalogue from The Principle Of Moments onwards will be effective in the deal from January 1 2011. The catalogue is currently handled by Universal.

Although mainly a covers album, Plant claims four songwriting credits on Band Of Joy: Central Two-O-One, penned with his band's guitarist Buddy Miller; and arrangement credits for him and Miller on the traditional songs Cindy, I'll Marry You Someday, Satan Your Kingdom Must Come Down and Even This Shall Pass Away.

Catalogue covered by the deal includes his first UK Top 40 solo hit Big Log, which featured on The Principle Of Moments, and takes in songs on solo albums including Manic Nirvana, Fate Of Nations and Dreamland and his two post-Zeppelin albums with Jimmy Page, No Quarter and Walking Into Clarksdale. The latter included the song Please Read The Letter, which also appeared on his 2007 Alison Krauss-paired album Raising Sand. Their version was named Record Of The Year at the 2009 Grammy Awards, one of five wins that year for Raising Sand, which was also named Album Of The Year.

"You can imagine the elation that I felt having closed this deal and for him to have chosen Sony/ATV," says Sony/ATV UK managing director Rak Sanghvi, who reveals Plant personally visited the publisher's London offices in Golden Square to quiz the staff before signing.

"He really was looking for an active partner," says Sanghvi. "He felt the enthusiasm and the creativity in this office."

Sanghvi, whose company prior to this new deal already published one song on his first solo album Pictures At Eleven and all his contributions to 2005's The Mighty ReArranger, says Sony/ATV will be actively pursuing sync and other opportunities for the catalogue.

"Mr Plant himself is up for exploitation as long as they are the right kind of syncs, but he's actively encouraging that which is a great opportunity for us," he says.

Edited by kenog
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Plant personally visited the publisher's London offices in Golden Square to quiz the staff before signing.

"Mr Plant himself is up for exploitation as long as they are the right kind of syncs, but he's actively encouraging that which is a great opportunity for us," he says.

When did he visit their offices and why is he so keen to see his solo music exploited so soon after walking away from a 300 hundred million dollar Led Zeppelin tour?

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When did he visit their offices and why is he so keen to see his solo music exploited so soon after walking away from a 300 hundred million dollar Led Zeppelin tour?

Hi Steve,

Can you imagine how He must feel when ever He is announced He has to endure the same old statement, "Robert Plant, former Led Zeppelin front man". He must be really pissed off that His work as a Solo Artist is so over looked and uncredited.

So if He lets His Solo Music get exploited He gets all the Credit and all the Money, well that's my view on it anyway, and why shouldn't He? Its what I have come to expect from people with Great Self Egos.

Regards, Danny

Edited by BIGDAN
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Maybe, once he makes a few Now & Zillions more from this and future deals (including more placements of his songs in car & beer commercials, movies, ads, online, etc... then he'll not feel like his solo work is overshadowed by the Mothership (and a few years down the road, finally embrace getting together with two former band mates and one others son for another one-off???)

I guess congratulations are in order (well, some sort, right?)

He's gone full circle (From '66 To Timbuktu Raising Sand with the Band of Joy) with Sony now, right (recording a few singles w/ Sony(CBS) early on)

R B)

Edited by reids
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When did he visit their offices and why is he so keen to see his solo music exploited so soon after walking away from a 300 hundred million dollar Led Zeppelin tour?

:Thinking:

It must several months for these kind of deals to be put together. There would be initial talks, then draft contracts being exchanged between both sides' management teams and lawyers, before the final contract is signed. Perhaps if you looked at his timeline for this year when he wasn't playing any dates and could feasibly have been in the UK.

As for exploiting his solo material, perhaps he is at an age where he wants to maximise his earnings - the type of venues he has been playing with the Band of Joy aren't exactly stadiums and the ticket prices were very reasonable.

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So I take it his first album must not be fully under his control to be sold ?.....Which would explain why there were no cuts included on "Nine Lives" ?

I am sure the deal for the first album was set up by Peter Grant. So, if it is not fully under RP's control, who else holds the interest in it?

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I am sure the deal for the first album was set up by Peter Grant. So, if it is not fully under RP's control, who else holds the interest in it?

You are correct and his first solo album was released on the Swan Song label as opposed to Robert's own label, Es Peranza (Spanish for "hope") which Robert set up later.

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When did he visit their offices and why is he so keen to see his solo music exploited so soon after walking away from a 300 hundred million dollar Led Zeppelin tour?

Superb question, Mr.Jones.

Retrospect?

Introspect?

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This is not surprising news really. They don't call it the music industry for nothing.

All we need now is for the RP albums up to 1990 to be remixed because, damn, they are often tortuous to hear with those awfully dated 1980's production values. Kind like what they've just done to some of John Lennon's solo albums - get rid of all the flashy trashy overdubs and simplify the songs. Oh, it's all a cash-in, I know. But hey, that's business for ya. Ka-ching!

Yet, I don't see many folk rushing out to buy the projected reissues. How much different can they be from the Nine Lives reissues? :blink:

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This is not surprising news really. They don't call it the music industry for nothing.

All we need now is for the RP albums up to 1990 to be remixed because, damn, they are often tortuous to hear with those awfully dated 1980's production values. Kind like what they've just done to some of John Lennon's solo albums - get rid of all the flashy trashy overdubs and simplify the songs. Oh, it's all a cash-in, I know. But hey, that's business for ya. Ka-ching!

Yet, I don't see many folk rushing out to buy the projected reissues. How much different can they be from the Nine Lives reissues? :blink:

Could be previously unreleased material.

Once again more questions raised than answered.

Just have to see what gets released next through Sony, maybe "Robert Plant's Christmas Album"? :rolleyes:

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You are correct and his first solo album was released on the Swan Song label as opposed to Robert's own label, Es Peranza (Spanish for "hope") which Robert set up later.

SAJ,

Is it possible that Peter Grant was the other controlling interest (it may have been part of the deal) and, if that were the case, PG's estate would now own the interest?

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