[ad_1]
Hipgnosis Songs Fund, Primary Wave and others are shopping for top music catalogs, reclaiming publishing rights from songwriters ranging from Bob Dylan to Stevie Nicks to Neil Young. But Diane Warren, who has written hits for 37 years, from “Rhythm of the Night” by DeBarge to “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith and “Un-Break My Heart” by Toni Braxton, says she doesn’t plan on selling her songs to just anyone.
Hipgnosis Founder / CEO and music enthusiast Merck Mercuriadis is well aware that Warren isn’t interested, she says in a career interview on our Rolling Stone Music Now podcast. “I’m friends with Merck,” says Warren, who will release a debut album loaded with guest singers, Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1, Later this year. “He knows he’s a non-runner. It would be like selling my soul, and it’s not for sale.
(To listen to the entire episode, which also includes a look back at making Warren’s greatest hits, hit play below, or download and subscribe on iTunes or Spotify.)
Warren has his own publishing house, Realsongs, which manages all of his material. “The way I started my business wasn’t because I was a savvy business person,” she says. “It was basically because I was in a lawsuit with a publisher. It was right after “Rhythm of the Night” so everyone wanted to sign me and I couldn’t sign anywhere. My lawyer said to me, “You have to start your own publishing house.”… And then all of a sudden all of these successes started happening. And these were songs that I owned, and I never looked back. So it wasn’t because I was super savvy or anything. It just happened. It’s my business, with a writer, and it’s a pretty successful business.
Warren understands why other writers are selling. “I understand,” she said. “I mean, times are tough. And if you need the cash, the post is so valuable. Truly one of the most valuable assets in the world, I guess, is a great song. But yes, I am not interested in selling.
Download and subscribe to our weekly podcast, Rolling Stone Music Now, hosted by Brian Hiatt, on iTunes or Spotify (or wherever you get your podcasts), and discover three years of episodes in the archive, including in depth, career – interviews with Bruce Springsteen, Halsey, Neil Young, Phoebe Bridgers, the National, Dua Lipa, Alicia Keys, Questlove, Julian Casablancas, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Marr, Scott Weiland, Liam Gallagher, Alice Cooper, Fleetwood Mac, Elvis Costello , Donald Fagen, Phil Collins, Justin Townes Earle, Stephen Malkmus, Sebastian Bach, Tom Petty, Eddie Van Halen, Kelly Clarkson, Pete Townshend, Bob Seger, The Zombies, Gary Clark Jr. and many more – over dozens of genre episodes – discussions, debates and explanations with the critics and journalists of Rolling Stone. Tune in every Friday at 1 p.m. ET to listen to Rolling Stone Music Now playing on SiriusXM’s Volume, channel 106.
[ad_2]
Source link