For Bob Marley’s catalog, which it acquired last year, Primary Wave is working with the production company FiveCurrents on a live show; for Mr. Robinson, who turns 80 next year, it has a deal with Shinola for a line of Smokey Robinson-branded watches. The value, Mr. Mestel said, lies in the steady popularity of “iconic” names and songs, and he threw shade at deals that rely heavily on current hits.
“I find it strange that our competitors are spending big money on relatively new song catalogs,” he said. “Their earnings will only decline as their songs come off the radio.”
One of the company’s more surprising deals, in 2017, was for the estate of Glenn Gould, the Canadian classical pianist. Since his death in 1982, Gould’s catalog of Bach and other recordings has been frequently reissued and repackaged by Sony. To further promote him, Primary Wave is working on a hologram tour set to open next year — a choice that drew criticism, since Gould famously hated playing concerts.
Stephen Posen, the Gould estate’s executor, said he trusted Primary Wave to handle Gould’s legacy with respect.
“They were clearly empathetic of my objectives for the estate, and for holding true to Gould’s values,” he said, “and still looking to exploit and find ways of maximizing the legacy of Glenn Gould.”
In her heyday, Ms. Houston sang in commercials for Diet Coke and ATT, but mostly avoided lending her name or face to products. That may change as Primary Wave pursues new deals, but Mr. Mestel said a line had already been drawn at what was appropriate.
“For Whitney Houston, who had an elegant voice and an elegant way about her, we wouldn’t do a fast-food brand relationship, for example,” he said.
Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/20/business/media/whitney-houston-hologram-album.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
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