Cars Frontman Ric Ocasek’s Song Catalog Acquired by Primary Wave Music (EXCLUSIVE)
The estate of Ric Ocasek, cofounder and songwriter of the Cars, and Primary Wave Music have announced a new partnership that will see the company acquiring the late artist’s publishing catalog, including all of his songs from his stint with the Cars as well as his solo material — in addition to sharing name, image and likeness rights with the estate. The estate will have access to the company’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film & television projects. Further terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Included in the deal are such hits as “Just What I Needed,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Let the Good Times Roll,” “Let’s Go,” “You Might Think” and their 1984 smash “Drive.”
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Over the course of his five-decade career, Ocasek sold more than 20 million records with the Cars and had over ten Top 40 hits. The band was nominated for six Grammys and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2018. He released six solo albums between 1982 and 2005; he was also an in-demand producer, helming Weezer’s multiplatinum 1994 debut as well as material with Bad Brains, Bad Religion, No Doubt, Nada Surf and Suicide. Ocasek died in 2019 at the age of 75.
Of the partnership Adam Lowenberg, Primary Wave Music’s Chief Marketing Officer, said “It is an absolute honor to partner with the Estate of Ric Ocasek. His words, music and overall vision left such an indelible mark on the historical musical landscape. I cannot imagine my own youth without the songs of Ric Ocasek. We are so eager to begin creating new opportunities to introduce Ric’s world to a whole new audience.”
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