Primary Wave strikes music rights deal with the estate of Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland

Primary Wave Music has struck its latest deal, this time with the Estate of Stone Temple Pilots Singer Scott Weiland.

According to an announcement on Wednesday (January 24), terms of the deal will see the publisher partner with the iconic singer and songwriter’s estate on his catalog, which includes publishing copyrights and recording royalties for all repertoire recorded for Stone Temple Pilots and Velvet Revolver.

The agreement also encompasses all songs and recordings Weiland released as a solo artist which include his debut album, 12 Bar Blues, as well as “Happy” In Galoshes, Blaster, and the Christmas release, The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year.

As part of the deal, Primary Wave says that it will also “share in name, image and likeness rights with the estate”.

The company also plans to provide the estate with access to its marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film & television projects.

Stone Temple Pilots became one of the most successful rock bands in the 90s and went on to sell more than 40 million albums worldwide.

Weiland’s catalog includes 16 Top 10 singles, eight of which went to No.1. The band also received four Grammy nominations, winning in 1994 for “Best Hard Rock Performance.”

Weiland’s time with Velvet Revolver produced hits such as Slither, Fall To Pieces, The Last Fight and more. The band’s 2004 debut, Contraband, debuted at No.1 on Billboard’s Top 200, making it the best-ever debut for a rock band in the Soundscan era.

The album sold nearly three million copies. Contraband would also receive two Grammy nominations, winning “Best Hard Rock Performance” for their number one single Slither.

Weiland also released four solo albums during his career. 12 Bar Blues, his solo debut, was released in 1998.  This past spring, on record store day, 12 Bar Blues made its vinyl debut for the album’s 25th anniversary.

“There are few rock artists that had the impact that Scott Weiland did on music.”

Larry Mestel, Primary Wave Music

“There are few rock artists that had the impact that Scott Weiland did on music,” said Larry Mestel, CEO & Founder of Primary Wave Music.

“We are honored to partner with Scott’s family on such a legendary catalog of music and career. Scott’s influence on music is unparalleled and he remains one of the most influential musicians in rock music.

“We are extremely grateful the estate has chosen to partner with us to continue to grow his incredible legacy.”

Brian Harris Frank of Shelter Music Group and Dana Dufine of DBD Squared Entertainment who manage the Estate, said:  “We believe that Primary Wave are the perfect partners to secure Scott’s legacy as one of the great frontmen in rock history.

“We look forward to working with Larry, Natalia, Adam, and their teams and believe that their ability to connect artists with culture will ensure that Scott’s impact will be felt for generations.”

“I’m thrilled to work with Scott’s family, as well as Dana and Brian, on expanding and extending Scott’s legacy through new compelling IP projects across film, television, and stage.”

Natalia Nastaskin, Primary Wave

Natalia Nastaskin, Chief Content Officer at Primary Wave, added, “Scott is the original influencer. The stories behind his undeniably authentic lyrics, effervescent performances, impeccable fashion sense, and meteoric rise to stardom are a filmmaker’s dream.

“I’m thrilled to work with Scott’s family, as well as Dana and Brian, on expanding and extending Scott’s legacy through new compelling IP projects across film, television, and stage.”

This partnership is just the latest in a series of significant deals for Primary Wave.

In November Primary Wave struck a deal with Fish, aka Derek Dick, to acquire the singer and lyricist’s master royalties and writer’s share for songs he wrote and performed with UK rock band Marillion.

It has also acquired stakes in the rights of such legendary talents as Bob Marley, Prince, Stevie Nicks, James Brown, Smokey Robinson, Ray Charles, Burt Bacharach, Bing Crosby, Aerosmith, Def Leppard and Culture Club, among many others.

Among its more recent deals were an acquisition of songs performed by Whitney Houston (via a deal with songwriters Shannon Rubicam and George Merrill), The Doors (through a deal with band members Robby Krieger and the late Ray Manzarek) and The Final Countdown singer-songwriter Joey Tempest.

Primary Wave also made a strategic investment in Times Music in April last year.

The investment in Times Music arrived six months after Primary Wave struck a $2 billion deal with financial giant Brookfield. That deal included the acquisition of a minority stake in Primary Wave and Brookfield investing $1.7 billion into a new “permanent capital vehicle”.

In a press release announcing the appointment of Agnes Kacicki to its executive team last week as Head of Corporate Development, Primary Wave said that Kacicki will work closely with Larry Mestel to lead efforts “around larger acquisitions”.

Primary Wave said those acquisitions won’t “only include legendary and iconic music publishing catalogs”, but also “music platforms as well”.Music Business Worldwide