Peter Frampton Says Publishing Rights Deal Preserves His Legacy
Peter Frampton didn't rush into a new publishing rights deal, instead keeping an eye on his legacy.
An agreement with BMG has finally been confirmed for an unannounced figure, as he joins the large number of older artists including Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan and Stevie Nicks who signed similar contracts in recent years. The trend appears to be slowing down, but BMG says they reached 32 agreements during 2022 and expect several more before the end of the year.
“I am so pleased to join the BMG family,” Frampton said in a statement that confirmed the deal included solo material as well as songs with the Herd and Humble Pie. “As an artist-first company, I trust BMG will care for my legacy and that my songs are in good hands.”
Thomas Scherer, the corporation’s U.S. president of repertoire, told Rolling Stone that discussions over the deal began almost three years ago before the parties took a break from negotiations. “Peter Frampton is iconic, and he fits perfectly to our roster,” Scherer said. “The different artists and icons he was working with – [David] Bowie, Harry Nilsson – along with the artists we work with, it fits perfectly. It fits our expertise. This is the music we know we can market.”
The 72-year-old recently completed a farewell tour where he performed seated as a result of inclusion body myositis, a disease that is eroding his ability to move. Frampton is still recording, however, and has completed an upcoming LP that he said felt like a proper follow up to 1975’s iconic Frampton Comes Alive!
“I enjoy co-writing and have done it for ages with various different people, and I always enjoy it. But I think when I wrote on my own, it’s much more … uniquely me,” he told UCR. “I might do things in writing a song that other people would say, ‘Oh, no, you don’t want to do that. We shouldn’t go there.’ but on my own I can be like, ‘Uh-uh, I’m going there.”
A release date has not yet been confirmed.
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