Pete Townshend Partners with Primary Wave on Name, Image, Likeness Rights

Pete Townshend, legendary guitarist with The Who, has partnered with Primary Wave Music.

The details:

• The partnership includes the exploitation of Townshend's name, image and likeness, and the development and exploitation of future creative projects, as per the press release.

• Variety also reports it includes the acquisition of certain music rights.

• The publication quotes a spokesperson for Spirit Music, which acquired Townshend’s publishing in 2017 for a reported $100 million, who confirmed they no longer hold those rights.

• It also quotes another source who confirms songs such as “My Generation,” “Baba O’Riley,” “Behind Blue Eyes,” “Pinball Wizard,” “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and others are included in the Primary Wave deal.

• Given that Townshend’s Eel Pie Recording Productions owns the recorded-music rights to most or all his solo catalog, adds Variety, “presumably some of those rights are included in the deal as well.”

• Financial details of the Primary Wave partnership have not been disclosed.

• The company says its licensing and sync division is already actively working with Townshend and the copyright owners of his catalog to place his songs across film and television.

• Townshend will also have access to the company’s digital department to establish a social media footprint.

What they said:

• Larry Mestel, Primary Wave’s CEO & Founder: “Pete Townshend is one of the greatest and most influential rock icons in music history. We are honored that he has chosen Primary Wave as a partner and collaborator and look forward to creating new opportunities together.”