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Warner Music Group Strikes A Deal To Consolidate The Bowie Catalog

Bowie
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NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — Warner Music Group has reached an agreement with the estate of the late pop icon David Bowie to bring the lion’s share of Bowie’s catalog under one roof.

The deal includes WMG’s current agreement with the estate, which encompasses Bowie material from 1968 to 1999 but has also expanded to license Bowie’s his creative work from 2000-2016, including the albums Heathen, Reality, The Next Day, and the worldwide No.1 album ★ (pronounced Blackstar) .

WMG began overseeing Bowie’s catalog in 2013 following the acquisition of the Parlophone Label Group. Since then, Warner Music and the Bowie estate have successfully exploited Bowie’s catalog with a program of releases that included Five Years, which won the NME Award for Best Reissue in 2016; Conversation Piece, which earned the 2021 Making Vinyl Packaging Award for Best Book + Media Package; and the Glastonbury 2000 live audio & video set (2018).

Other recent releases have included the ‘Era’ series of box sets, each of which covers a distinctive period of Bowie’s career. The series, which debuted in 2015, includes 4 currently released box sets with the fifth, Brilliant Adventure (1992 – 2001), is slated for release this fall.

“It’s an incredible honor to have been chosen as the stewards of one of the most important and dynamic bodies of creative work in modern culture. The impact of Bowie’s repeated reinvention and endless experimentation continues to resonate around the world – through the genres he transformed, the timeless songs and sounds he invented, and the immeasurable influence he’s had on music, art, and fashion. We’re excited that our expanded partnership with the Bowie estate will help us deliver innovative, career-spanning projects and attract new generations to his extraordinary musical universe,” said WMG’s CEO of Recorded Music Max Lousada.

Kevin Gore, President, Global Catalog, Warner Recorded Music added: “To be entrusted with this phenomenal body of work is truly gratifying. For the past eight years, we’ve enjoyed a wonderful relationship with the Bowie estate, collaborating on a fantastic series of releases. Nigel and our entire catalog team have taken great care to be thoughtful and steadfast in our promise to stay true to his artistic vision, while revealing previously unheard music and framing his genius in fresh contexts. With the addition of his immensely powerful later work to the Warner Music portfolio, we’re looking forward to bringing Bowie’s music to fans across the globe for many years to come.”

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