Los Angeles-based Mothership Music Publishing, LLC, has acquired worldwide rights in the entire Appletreesongs Limited catalog previously owned by songwriter Pam Sheyne and her husband Nigel Rush.
The most popular song in the catalog is “Genie in a Bottle,” which was the first single released from Christina Aguilera’s debut self-titled album in 1999. The song reached No. 1 in 27 countries, including 5 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100chart in the United States. Globally, the single sold over 7 million copies and is listed as one of the biggest selling singles of all time. The catalog also includes hits by Dream (“He Loves U Not” and “This Is Me”), Jessica Simpson (“Irresistible”), Myra and Johnny Blue (“Miracles Happen”), M2M (“Mirror Mirror”), Play (“I Must Not Chase the Boys” and “A Girl’s Mind”), Lindsay Lohan [“Drama Queen (That Girl)”], Haley Westenra (“Never Say Goodbye”), and Laura Pausini (“The Extra Mile”), among numerous others.
Mothership Music Publishing, LLC, is a partnership between Brett Gurewitz (Epitaph Records), Lionel Conway, and Hein van der Ree.
Says Conway regarding the acquisition: “Pam Sheyne is one of the pre-eminent pop songwriters of our time. “Genie in a Bottle” is such a classic copyright along with all of Pam’s other hits, and we are thrilled that Pam has entrusted her catalog with an independent music publisher such as Mothership, as we pride ourselves on the care and attention we bring to all the songs in our catalog.”
The deal also includes enlisting the worldwide administration and promotional services of Michael Eames and PEN Music Group, Inc., Sheyne’s previous administrator who brought the catalog to Mothership. Says Eames, “I have worked closely with Lionel for close to two decades, and he is a consummate song man and legendary publisher. I knew Pam’s catalogue was the perfect way for us to not only continue to work together but to bring the relationship to a new level.”
Sheyne commented further: “It was crucially important to me to partner with a publisher who not only believes in the songs but will keep promoting my catalog and creating innovative ways to reinvent some of the nuggets in there. Lionel, Brett, and Hein showed tremendous enthusiasm for purchasing the cataloge and working with me, and the fact that I am able to continue to work with Michael Eames was a major factor in sealing the deal. I am very excited to work closely with them all in promoting not only my hits but the hundreds of other songs that I have written over the years.”
Though the deal does not include Sheyne’s current songs, she will work closely with the Mothership and PEN teams to not only find new ways to generate income on the known hits but also discover and nurture the hidden gems in the catalog that have yet to be recorded or released.
For more information on Mothership Music Publishing, visit mothershipmusicpublishing.com. For more on PEN Music Group, Inc., visit penmusic.com. For more on Pam Sheyne, visit pamsheyne.com.
