Hipgnosis Songs Fund acquires Chrissie Hynde’s music publishing catalogue
11 September 2020 - Press releaseThe Board of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited, the first and only UK listed investment company offering investors a pure-play exposure to songs and associated intellectual property rights, and its Investment Adviser, The Family (Music) Limited, are pleased to announce that the Company has acquired the music catalogue of Chrissie Hynde, founding member, lead vocalist and primary song writer of pioneering rock band The Pretenders.
Chrissie Hynde is widely regarded as one of the most important, influential and iconic singer songwriters of all time.
With The Pretenders, Chrissie Hynde wrote a catalogue of timeless hit songs which both remain popular and continue to be covered by new artists to this day including ‘Brass in Pocket’, ‘Talk of the Town’, ‘Message of Love’, ‘Back on the Chain Gang’, ‘Middle of the Road’, ‘2000 Miles’, ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’, ‘My Baby’ and ‘I’ll Stand By You’.
Forming in 1978 The Pretenders immediately achieved commercial and critical success with their self-titled debut album reaching Number 1 of the UK Albums Chart the week of its release. The album is widely regarded as one of the greatest debut albums of all time and has achieved commercial success in both the UK, reaching Number 1 for four consecutive weeks, and the US where it is certified platinum. The album included the single ‘Brass in Pocket' which was The Pretenders first UK Number 1 single in 1980.
The Pretenders have in total released 11 albums including, the just released, ‘Hate For Sale’. After the success of their debut, a further four of the albums are platinum or gold certified including ‘Pretenders II’, which reached the Top 10 in both the UK and US albums chart; ‘Learning to Crawl’, which included the hit lead single ‘2000 Miles’ and 'Middle Of The Road'; ‘Get Close’ which included two US Number 1 Mainstream Rock singles with ‘Don’t Get Me Wrong’ and ‘My Baby’; and ‘Last Of The Independents’ which included the group’s most streamed single ‘I’ll Stand By You’.
Chrissie Hynde has written some of the most progressive and influential songs in the rock world for The Pretenders including:
- ‘Brass in Pocket’ which was the band’s first UK Number 1 in 1980 and has been streamed over 200 million times.
- 'Back on the Chain Gang', which has been streamed over 150 million times and was The Pretender’s biggest US hit reaching Number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Number 4 on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks chart. The Song was covered by legendary British singer songwriter Morrissey in 2008 calling the song "a pop classic, of the brain as well as the loins”.
- 'Don't Get Me Wrong’, which has been streamed over 150 million times and was the group’s second Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 as well as reaching Number 1 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock charts. The song was also a UK Top 10 hit in the singles chart.
- Their hit Christmas Song ‘2000 Miles’ which has been streamed over 100 million times.
- 'I'll Stand by You’ which reached the Top 20 in several countries and has been streamed over 250 million times. ‘I’ll Stand By You’ re-entered the charts with Girls Aloud in 2004, reaching Number 1 in the UK, and with American country singer Carrie Underwood, reaching Number 6 of the Billboard Hot 100.
Chrissie Hynde continues to release incredible albums and to tour globally with The Pretenders, performing these timeless hits to their ever-growing and evolving fan base. Whilst their tour schedule for May 2020 has been postponed due to COVID-19 certain dates have been rescheduled to September 2021.
Hipgnosis have acquired 100% of Chrissie’s music publishing catalogue of 164 songs including Publishing and Writer’s Share (PRS) from the Pretenders and her other projects.
Chrissie Hynde was represented by manager Ian Grenfell at Quietus Management , lawyer Andrew Myers at Clintons and accountant Pat Savage at YMU.
Merck Mercuriadis, Founder of Hipgnosis Songs Fund Limited and The Family (Music) Limited, said:
“This is very personal for me. Chrissie is one of my favorite songwriters of all time and The Pretenders are one of my favorite bands of all time. Her importance cannot be over estimated and she has been a powerful role model for women and men all over the globe for 40 years. I’m proud to say I have been a vegetarian, now vegan for 35 years thanks to the influence of Chrissie and as a result I have four grown children that have never had meat pass through them. That’s the power of great songs and music when combined with genuine integrity. She has this powerful effect on her audience which is why they remain so devoted and committed after 40 years and why new generations of fans are constantly attracted to her. I’m delighted to welcome her and her wonderful songs to the Hipgnosis family.”
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