Now it’s Neil Diamond’s turn.
The famed Brill Building songwriter turned unlikely rock star in the 70s and 80s has sold his music publishing catalog and recordings to Universal Music Group for an undisclosed amount of money.
Diamond’s catalog would be a pretty sought after one considering all the hits he had and the ones he wrote for other people.
The former group includes “Song Sung Blue,” “Sweet Caroline,” “Cracklin’ Rosie,” “I Am..I Said,” “Play Me.” “America,” “Hot August Night,” “Holly Holy,” and “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers.”
The latter group includes “I’m a Believer,” “A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You,” “Solitary Man,” “Red Red Wine,” and more.
The deal builds on Universal Music’s existing relationship with Diamond, as the company has served as his publishing administrator since 2014. But also, Diamond has been in that company’s family since the 1970s when his first hits were on Uni Records and then MCA Records. Diamond was already such a force in the 1960s that he was tapped to introduce Elton John a new Uni artist. in 1970 at the Troubadour.
Universal can do a lot with Neil Diamond’s songs. There’s already a musical about his life opening in Boston in June. And a tribute album would make sense (they better include Micky Dolenz).
