BMG to rep Mick & Keith's songs

A BIGGER BANG FOR THE BUCK: BMG announced this morning that it has been appointed to represent the Rolling Stones publishing catalog. Beginning 1 July, BMG will take on direct responsibility for publishing all of Mick Jagger and Keith Richards’ songs since 1983’s Dirty Work, as well as future compositions. The company will also be responsible for handling Jagger and Richards' shares of their pre-1983 copyrights, which are repped by ABKCO (1963-71) and EMI Music Publishing (1971-83). It’s the first time the Stones have appointed an outside publisher in 40 years. BMG’s responsibilities will range from marketing and licensing the songs to the film, TV and advertising sectors, to ensuring that the writers are paid promptly and accurately for their use on digital music services. “We look forward to a fresh and fruitful long-term business relationship with all the team at BMG,” said Mick and Keith at exactly the same time, like (Glimmer) twins often do. Calling the deal “incredibly important” for his company, BMG ruler Hartwig Masuch stated: “Keith and Mick have clearly created one of the most outstanding song collections in rock 'n' roll history. They have not only created the soundtrack of all of our lives, they have been a dynamic and constant force for cultural change. They could sign to any company they wanted to. The fact that they have chosen to sign with BMG is a significant vote of confidence in our team and in our creative and administration services. We will justify their trust in us.” (6/26a)