Pete Townshend has “sold” everything. Details have not been disclosed, but the guitarist, creative mind and author of the Who has signed a partnership agreement with Primary Wave Music, a New York company which in recent years has become one of the most important players in the market for the acquisition of catalogs and image rights in rock.
Between 2012 and 2017 Spirit Music Group acquired i publishing rights of the musician for a sum estimated at around 100 million dollars. Now, according to reports VarietyPrimary Wave has secured not only part of the musical rights to The Who's songs, but also and above all the rights to Townshend's name, image and appearance (the so-called NIL rights, which stands for name-image-likeness) engaging in the development of his future creative projects.
In short, this is not the classic transfer of rights (nor is it the masters of the Who albums, which remain with Universal), but a partnership with which the English musician entrusts Primary Wave with the enhancement of his repertoire and his public presence, including positioning on social media, committing himself to developing future creative projects together.
It is an increasingly widespread type of agreement typically between musicians who are nearing the end of their career (or in any case with a big name) and heirs of big stars who prefer to manage their business with giants like Primary Wave. We will see what this means for Townshend and how his name, his songs and his image will be exploited commercially in the future, whether in a traditional way or more let's say as extreme as Kiss are doing. The American band is producing a show with avatars like that of ABBA. It is edited by Pophouse Entertainment, a company that bought the group's catalogue, editions and image rights.
“It's a joy to continue my work on the creative and performance side with Primary Wave, at a stage in life where most artists slow down,” commented Townshend who said he needed the support, energy and stimulation of an external team. «I write songs, stories and poems, and I draw and paint almost every day. I work with musicians and other creatives and dedicate a lot of time to charities.” And again: «And then there's Roger [Daltrey] and all my friends and colleagues in and around The Who. We always try to come up with something special, and God willing we will continue to do so, hoping one day to be able to amaze you like we once did.”
Founded in 2006, Primary Wave has managed the music catalogs of many leading artists including Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, Notorious BIG, James Brown, Doors, Whitney Houston, Ray Charles, Axl Rose, Aerosmith, Def Leppard.
Meanwhile, The Who have released two excerpts from Live at Eden Projectlive album recorded in Cornwall on 23 July 2023 with the Heart of England Philharmonic Orchestra. It's about Pinball Wizard And You Better You Bet. The album will be released on May 29th.
