JUDAS PRIEST GUITARIST GLENN TIPTON SELLS HALF OF HIS SONG CATALOG TO REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Reach Music Publishing has acquired a 50% interest, as well as worldwide administration rights, to the Glenn Tipton song catalog.
The acquisition covers Tipton’s songwriting catalog of almost 200 songs as a member of Judas Priest, including works dating back to 1977, beginning with the album Sin After Sin and continuing through to the band’s last studio album, Firepower, released in 2018.
Tipton‘s solo albums, Baptizm Of Fire and Edge Of The World, are also included in the acquisition.
As a member of Judas Priest, Tipton has written or co-written iconic tracks and radio staples including Breaking The Law, Heading Out To The Highway, Hell Bent For Leather, Living After Midnight and You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’, all of which are included as part of the Reach agreement.
Judas Priest remains active today, with the band getting ready to go back on tour later this summer, continuing their 50-year anniversary celebration.
Also planned for the summer is a career-spanning 42-CD box set containing bonus tracks and a 132-page book with photos and memorabilia. This follows the recent release of a 648-page photo book of the band, covering the past 50 years.
Michael Closter, president and owner of Reach Music, said, “I’m ecstatic to be in business with Glenn Tipton — a metal legend, guitar icon and elite songwriter who has written works that will always be known, relevant and rediscovered. I particularly want to thank Jayne Andrews, the manager for Judas Priest. She gave me this opportunity, and the deal would not have happened without her support.”
Reach’s Scott Rubin added, “I first saw Judas Priest perform live when I was 15 years old, and I saw them on their last tour at age 50, watching Glenn Tipton get on stage during the encore. It’s a true honor to get to work on a catalog that you know intimately and have been a fan of from 15 to 50… and beyond.”
Jayne Andrews said, “When I first met Michael Closter around three years ago in Nashville, I really believed that he and his team at Reach Music would be the right fit for Glenn if he ever decided to sell any of his publishing. Glenn felt the same way when I introduced them last year and we look forward to a long and happy relationship with Reach Music.”
Glenn Tipton said, “I deliberated for a long time on whether to relinquish 50% of my publishing to another company and realized as soon as I had a conversation with Michael Closter and Scott Rubin from Reach Music just how knowledgeable they are of both mine and Judas Priest’s catalog and that they would be really pro-active with the songs. I believe I now have a team who understand and are geared up to deal with metal and look forward to working together in the future.”
In 2018, Tipton’s former bandmate K.K. Downing sold his share of the royalty rights to 136 of Priest’s songs, including classic songs Breaking The Law, Living After Midnight and Painkiller, to Round Hill Music. The rights consist of the guitarist’s publishing and writer’s share, and his artist royalties from the master recordings.
Just like when KK sold off his publishing rights, I am not exactly happy about Tipton’s decision, although I get that he has a right to do with his catalog what he wishes. I am always worried that these companies will cheapen the legacy of the music by selling it off for use in commercial ads, lame movie soundtracks and for use in video games.
I know in KK’s case, his decision was forced to some degree, because he made some poor financial choices, but in Tipton’s case, not really sure why? Unless it is cover his “retirement” expenses due to his Parkinsons, then in that case, I am a far more empathetic.
100% agree, Dana. I, too, don’t like it when artists sell their music rights. But in Glenn’s case, at this stage in his life, he may have computed the present value of the future cash flows of his music rights and decided it made financial sense to take a lump sum payment today.
Rattle,
I know based on your background with finance, that you are most likely correct. Who know what a dollar, pound, etc, will even be worth three years from now?
I just can’t help but worry that these iconic songs will be sold out and their importance diluted and cheapened. I hope I am wrong, nothing would make me happier.
D
I totally agree with you Dana…..Legendary songs from a man I’ve been listening to since 1975…I’m sure there is a ton of medical bills that need taken care of..
Brad
Glenn lives in England where we have the NHS (National Health Service).
That allows the residents of the country (Great Britain as a whole) to free medical care. The only time that there are medical bills is if the patient decides to use a private hospital, in which you then pay the fee yourself.
Do you remember when Ozzy had the quad bike accident? He was in hospital for nearly a month and it didn’t cost him anything. So I doubt that it has anything to do with medical bills unless, of course, Glenn is using private health care. It’s probably more of a business deal than anything.
I heard Richie Sambora sold his rights to get a lump sum now, as opposed to smaller checks coming in over a longer time period. I guess there’s some incentive to get cash that you can spend (or invest) now, because you just never know what the future holds.
I imagine that has a lot 2 do with it. It sucks getting old.
This is all about these guys needing money plain and simple – it is sad but people dont buy music any more , and for the guys still able to tour the pandemic cut off that revenue stream as well – they have Bills to pay ~
That’s not true, Robert, I still buy music! I don’t download, rip, burn, or whatever else they call it. I mean hell, I just recently started buying vinyl again! I am 100% old school all the way!