Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen Sells Half of Publishing Catalog in Joint Venture With Mojo Music & Media
Mojo Music & Media announced Tuesday that is has picked up a 50% interest in the publishing catalog of Rick Nielsen, the co-founding guitarist and principal songwriter of Cheap Trick.
“I’d almost given up on the chance of finding a publisher who actually knew all my songs and had a vision for how to keep them alive for another 1,000 years or so,” Nielsen said in a statement. “Turns out Mark & The Mojos are it!” he added, referring to Mojo co-founder and CEO Mark Fried. “I’m looking forward to all the noise we’re gonna make together.”
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Nielsen has had a hand in writing nearly all of the 400-plus songs Cheap Trick has ever recorded since its inception in the mid-1970s, including “I Want You to Want Me,” “Dream Police” and “Surrender.” The band continues to record and tour with three-fourths of its original lineup and was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2016.
“For the last four decades-plus,” said Fried, “Rick Nielsen has been teaching a master class in how to write jangly, melodic pop-punk anthems. He and his Cheap Trick bandmates, over the course of 20 studio albums and thousands of shows, have been pied pipers to the most devoted fans in history while in some way influencing nearly every alt-rock, arena pop and heavy metal band that followed in their footsteps. As fans since day one, we couldn’t be more psyched to work with Rick in promoting his music and shining a light on his unique rock and roll adventure.”
Mojo says it is working with Nielsen on a long-term plan to put his song catalog to use via synchs, covers and samples along with looking toward film, TV, theatrical and retail projects.
Mojo is an independent publishing and legacy marketing company that represents 20,000 songs, including cuts from rock bands like KISS, REO Speedwagon, Jeff Beck and Marilyn Manson, country songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney, and more venerable oldies associated with Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Peggy Lee.
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