Raleigh Music acquires catalog of Academy Award-winning lyricist Alan Jay Lerner in the US

Raleigh Music Publishing, the music rights and recording firm based by business veterans Peter Raleigh and Stephen Storch, is shopping for the US rights to the music catalog of lyricist Alan Jay Lerner.

Lerner, who died in 1986, is finest recognized for penning the lyrics to numerous present tunes, in collaboration with composers Frederick Loewe, and later, Burton Lane.

Among the many most acknowledged songs from their collaborations are I Might Have Danced All Night time, I’ve Grown Accustomed To Her Face and On the Avenue The place You Stay (all from My Honest Woman), in addition to Thank Heaven For Little Women (from Gigi), and If Ever I Would Depart You (from Camelot).

Lerner’s collaborations have been carried out by such well-known artists as Julie Andrews, Rex Harrison, Richard Burton, Robert Goulet and Barbara Streisand, who carried out Lerner and Lane’s On A Clear Day You Can See Eternally.

By the deal, Raleigh Music will management the US rights to Lerner’s share of all songs – that means the lyric rights – within the musicals My Honest Woman, Camelot, Gigi, Brigadoon, The Day Earlier than Spring, Love Life, On a Clear Day, Paint Your Wagon and What’s Up.

The deal excludes author efficiency and grand rights. Raleigh will deal with administration.

Lerner’s work garnered quite a few accolades in theater and movie, together with three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards. He additionally obtained the Johnny Mercer Award, the Songwriter Corridor of Fame’s highest honor.

“We’re really privileged to welcome the Alan Jay Lerner catalog into the Raleigh Music Publishing household,” Raleigh Music Publishing Co-President Peter Raleigh mentioned in an announcement.  “Alan Jay Lerner’s contributions to the American musical theatre and the Hollywood movie musical are immeasurable, and his lyrics proceed to resonate with audiences worldwide.”

Co-President Steven Storch added: “This signing aligns completely with our imaginative and prescient to nurture and safeguard distinctive musical theater legacies, guaranteeing that these masterpieces proceed to encourage and delight future generations.”

“We couldn’t be happier to have discovered such a educated custodian for the Alan Jay Lerner catalog in Peter Raleigh and Raleigh Music Group,” Alan’s daughter, Liza Lerner, mentioned in an announcement on behalf of the household.

“Peter’s deep ardour for our father’s songs, traditional Broadway musicals, and the American songbook are unparalleled. I do know that underneath Raleigh Music Group’s stewardship, these timeless classics will proceed to enchant and encourage generations to return.”

Emily Altman, President of The Frederick Loewe Basis, controls the pursuits of Frederick Loewe, mentioned: “The Basis appears to be like ahead to partnering with Raleigh in the US to carry the fantastic music of Frederick Loewe and the good lyrics of Alan Jay Lerner to each present and new generations of listeners.”

“Alan Jay Lerner’s contributions to the American musical theatre and the Hollywood movie musical are immeasurable, and his lyrics proceed to resonate with audiences worldwide.”

Pater Raleigh, Raleigh Music Publishing

The deal comes amid rising curiosity in theatrical and movie music rights. The previous a number of years have seen the arrival of deep-pocketed funding companies which have spent tons of of thousands and thousands – collectively billions – on these rights.

One such firm is Multimedia Music, a London- and Los Angeles-based firm that got here on the scene in 2022 with a USD $100-million-plus funding round from Metropolitan Companions Group and Pinnacle Financial institution, to amass catalogs of movie and TV music rights from manufacturing firms, composers and different rights holders.

Led by business veterans Phil Hope and James Gibb, Multimedia Music says it deployed greater than $120 million on acquisitions in its first 14 months, together with the catalog of movie composer James Newton Howard (the Starvation Video games trilogy, The Darkish Knight, Maleficent, I Am Legend, Runaway Bride, Emily in Paris, Fairly Lady) and the grasp and publishing rights to a 48-title movie rating catalog from Atlantic Display screen Music, a “mid-seven determine” transaction that included rights to the scores from Lone Survivor, The Host, Dredd, Escape Plan and Damaged Metropolis, amongst others.

In February of this 12 months, Multimedia closed an eight-figure deal to amass the music publishing and music grasp rights from the complete movie music library of STX Leisure. The deal included rights to the works of composers resembling Hans Zimmer, Cliff Martinez, Marcelo Zarvos, Chris Lennertz, Andrew Lockington, Clinton Shorter and Nicholas Britell.

“This signing aligns completely with our imaginative and prescient to nurture and safeguard distinctive musical theater legacies, guaranteeing that these masterpieces proceed to encourage and delight future generations.”

Steven Storch, Raleigh Music Publishing

Earlier this 12 months, the corporate struck a deal for a 50% stake in a catalog of music grasp and publishing rights from Amblin Companions, the corporate based by Steven Spielberg.

The transaction, for an undisclosed sum, consists of music rights from quite a few films, together with 1917, The BFG, Bridge of Spies, Thank You For Your Service and The Lady on the Prepare, amongst others.

One other lively participant to have appeared on the scene in recent times is Chopping Edge Music Media, which went on a movie music rights acquisition spree after partnering with associates of London-based funding agency Blantyre Capital in 2022. That partnership, which started with an preliminary $125 million dedication, was followed by one other $100-million funding spherical earlier this 12 months, from a gaggle of banks led by Pinnacle Monetary Companions.

Amongst Chopping Edge’s acquisitions have been the full master and publishing rights to greater than 75 “premium” movie scores from UK-headquartered First Rating Music Ltd., in a deal believed to be price within the excessive seven figures.

Chopping Edge additionally formed a strategic music venture with Village Roadshow Leisure Group earlier this 12 months, which covers all of Village Roadshow’s previous and future music publishing property, soundtrack album releases and music supervision providers. The deal additionally spans Village Roadshow’s music property for movie, scripted and unscripted tv.

Raleigh and Storch based Raleigh Music Publishing in 2016, with one of its first successes being a deal to symbolize the Elvis Presley catalog worldwide on behalf of the household of the late publishing large Jean Aberbach.

That catalog consists of greater than 1,000 songs that have been recorded by Elvis himself, Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, and others – together with Can’t Assist Falling In Love, All Shook Up, Love Me Tender, A Little Much less Dialog, Jailhouse Rock and Return To Sender.

“We’re a recent music writer with iconic tastes,” Raleigh mentioned on the time.

One other main coup for the corporate got here in 2021, when it acquired the catalog of songwriter Lee Morris, which incorporates Blue Velvet, a music that was a success for Tony Bennett (1951), Bobby Vinton (1963) and Lana Del Rey (2012).

The corporate now represents the catalogs of George Gershwin, Anthony Newley, Bo Diddley, America, Lords of the Underground, Willy Deville, Lester Sill and Muhammad Ali, amongst others.

Raleigh Music lately opened a recording studio within the Miami space. Dubbed Raleigh Music Studios Miami and situated in Wynwood, the three,000 square-foot facility “options 5 recording rooms and a spacious writers lounge,” the corporate says.Music Enterprise Worldwide