Publishing Company Acquires Over 1000 Songs

American publishing company Reservoir has acquired a chunk of soul music history in the shape of over 1000 songs from Willie Mitchel, Leon Ware, Norman Harris, and Walter Orange and Thomas McClary of The Commodores. 

New York based Reservoir was established in 2007 and has grown into a successful global company with over 175 #1 releases worldwide. In the last 10 years, Reservoir has acquired an impressive multi-genre ‘hit-led’ catalog that includes 80s Norwegian popsters Aha,  Hip Hop from Lil Jon, Ja Rule, Joey Bada$$ and writers including Nitin Sawhney, John Denver and Sheryl Crow. They also have the rights to Hans Zimmer’s film scores which include Disney’s The Lion King, the Pirates of Caribbean series and over 150 other titles. Reservoir also own the rights to a number of recent big international hits from Ariana Grande, Drake, Lady Ga Ga, Major Lazer and Tiesto. 

Reservoir’s SVP of A&R and Catalogue Development Faith Newman said: 

“The opportunity to build upon the legacies of genre-defining music is rare and thrilling. When I connected with Willie Mitchell’s son, Boo, and Norman Harris’ son, Dorian, as well as with representatives for Leon, Thomas, and Walter, I let them know that it is important to Reservoir to ensure that historic catalogs continue to inspire new generations. As a Philadelphia native, soul music runs through my veins and I am very passionate about seeking out the gems in this often-underappreciated genre of music.”

Willie Mitchell was an integral player in creating the legendary ‘Memphis Soul’ sound - characterised by intimate, precision production, gentle guitars and keys and a tight, hard-hitting simple beat. Exemplified by Al Green’s sublime ‘Let’s Stay Together’, the Memphis sound also worked magic for Solomon Burke, Ann Peebles and Syl Johnson and attracted the likes of Keith Richards and Tom Jones to record with Mitchell at Royal Studios. 

Leon Ware is one of the most respected figures in soul music. From his pioneering songwriting and production on Marvin Gaye’s seminal ‘I Want You’, to his work with Michael Jackson, Minnie Ripperton, The Isley Brothers and Quincy Jones, his output was always characterised by high quality. His songwriting credits read like a whos-whos of soul music and his songs have been recorded by Tina Turner, Donny Hathaway, The Jackson Five,  Isaac Hayes and Bobby Womack. 

Norman Harris was a talented guitarist, producer and songwriter who was also the founder member of Philadelphia soul band MFSB, who, it could be argued, ‘invented’ disco. In his long career, Harris collaborated with The Four Tops, The Temptations, The Trampps, First Choice, Loletta Holloway and Chicago legend Curtis Mayfield to mention just a few. 

Thomas McClary and Walter Orange were the guitarist and drummer in The Commodores, who went on to become one of the worlds most successful groups picking up nine Grammy nominations in their career. McClary and Orange co-wrote a substantial amount of Commodores material on their six #1 albums, including the monster funk anthem ‘Brick House’.

It’s worth noting that the catalogs of Mitchell, Ware, Harris and The Commodores have been and continue to be sampled extensively by the hip-hop community. The likes of 50 Cent, Jay-Z, Nas, Mary J. Blige, Ice Cube, Tupac, A Tribe Called Quest and many others have all used music from these artists as the base of many hits. Aside from the continued income from radio play and streaming, their continued popularity with hip-hop producers mean this acquisition has the potential to earn Reservoir substantial income over the coming years. Not to mention the sync and licensing possibilities of course. Indeed, Newman continued: 

“Our licensing teams in Los Angeles, New York, and London will pursue new opportunities for syncs, samples, and lyric reproductions, so that these works will continue to live on for years to come. Reservoir has already licensed the Commodores’ ‘Night Shift’ in a major ad campaign for African telecommunications company MTN and watching new audiences discover this music is amazing.”