PRIMARY WAVE MUSIC PARTNERS WITH THE ESTATE OF ROBERT PALMER

PRIMARY WAVE MUSIC PARTNERS WITH THE ESTATE OF ROBERT PALMER

TERMS OF THE DEAL WILL SEE THE PUBLISHER PARTNER WITH HIS ESTATE ON THE ICONIC SINGER’S MUSIC CATALOG, AS WELL AS NAME, IMAGE, AND LIKENESS

INCLUDED IN THE PARTNERSHIP ARE SOME OF PALMER’S MOST LEGENDARY HITS SUCH AS “ADDICTED TO LOVE,” SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE,” “JOHNNY & MARY,” “SOME LIKE IT HOT,” AND MORE

“Living breathing musical instrument”

-International Musician & Recording World

“He traveled great musical distances, assembling a discography as noteworthy for its sharp global focus as for its classic songs and solid performances.”

–Ultimate Classic Rock

Primary Wave Music, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world, has announced today its partnership with the estate of the legendary Robert Palmer. This exciting new partnership will see Primary Wave work alongside the estate on Palmer’s award-winning publishing and recording catalog, as well as share in his name, image, and likeness rights. Access to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure will be provided to the estate, with both working closely on new marketing, branding, digital, and synch opportunities, as well as film & television projects.

Known for his soulful voice and experimental sound which melded new wave with calypso, funk, rock, R&B, and African music, Palmer sold millions of albums around the world across his incredible four-decade-long career which included 14 studio albums and 3 live albums. Considered a “musician’s musician”, his repertoire produced a number of hits including “Addicted to Love,” “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor),” “Simply Irresistible,” “Johnny & Mary,” “She Makes My Day,” and many others, as well as collaborative hits such as “Some Like It Hot” with The Power Station and the Top 10 hit “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight” with UB40. Over the course of his incomparable career, he was awarded two Grammy Awards for his smash hits “Addicted to Love” and “Simply Irresistible” – both in the “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance” category – in 1987 and 1989 respectively. “Addicted to Love” was also nominated for two additional Grammys for “Record of the Year” and “Song Of The Year”. His 1980, top 20 single “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor)” would bring him his first Grammy nomination for “Best Make Rock Vocal Performance.” He’s also been awarded an MTV Video Music Award and has received four American Music Awards nominations and two Brit Award nominations.

Released in 1979, “Bad Case Of Loving You (Doctor, Doctor) not only brought Robert Palmer his first Grammy nomination but became one of his definitive hits. The song was the lead single from his Secrets album and upon its release, it hit the Top 15 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the U. S. and reached the top 20 on various other charts around the world. 1980 saw the release of Palmer’s Clues album which featured the song “Johnny and Mary” – which was a huge hit around the globe reaching number one in Spain, Top 10 in Germany and in Top 40 across most of Europe. The song became the signature tune for Renault’s car commercial campaign through the 90s and was rebooted in 2020, airing worldwide. Also included on the Clues album was “Looking For Clues” which was played on MTV’s first day of broadcasting in August 1981.

In 1986, Palmer released “Addicted to Love” which appeared on his Riptide album. The song was the third single from the release and shot to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart and Top Rock Tracks chart upon release. “Addicted to Love” won Palmer his first Grammy award for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance”. The accompanying video, which was directed by Terence Donovan, was one of the most acclaimed videos of the era and was nominated for an astounding five MTV Video Music Awards, winning for Best Male Video. Island Records founder Chris Blackwell agreed with the accolades saying it was “one of the defining videos of the 1980s.” He continued noting that “Robert was dazzling but no-nonsense in his dress shirt and expensive tie.” Chris also pointed out how he was “even more dazzled by his voice”.

Donovan also directed the video for “Simply Irresistible,” the lead single from Palmer’s Heavy Nova album which was released in May 1988. The song reached number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 and won Robert a second Grammy award for “Best Male Rock Vocal Performance,” making him one of just a few to win the category multiple times. It was also nominated for the Brit Award for “Best British Single.” The third single from Heavy Nova was “She Makes My Day” which reached the Top 10 in the U.K. and stayed there for 13 weeks. Palmer scored Top 10 hits not only as a solo artist, but as a part of the Power Station. The British American band released two albums, their self-titled debut which came in 1985 and Living in Fear which was released in 1996. “Some Like It Hot” was the first single from the band’s self-titled debut and would become their biggest hit, reaching number six on the Billboard Hot 100.

Robert went on to release several more albums before his final studio release in 2003, the critically acclaimed album Drive – which went to number 10 on the U.S. Blues Album charts. In September of 2003, just a few short months after the album’s release, Robert Palmer passed away leaving behind his extraordinarily diverse and iconic catalog of music.

Of the partnership, the Estate said, “We are very excited to partner with Primary Wave. As we continue to honor Robert’s incredible legacy, we also look forward to working with the team on exploring ways to bring his music to both new and existing audiences, preserving his lasting impact for years to come.”

Primary Wave’s SVP, Business & Legal Affairs, Samantha Rhulen adds, “Robert Palmer was a truly unique artist whose distinctive voice, songwriting, and style left an indelible mark on popular music. His catalog continues to resonate with audiences, and we are honored to welcome his incredible body of work to the Primary Wave family. We look forward to working alongside the Estate not only to preserve but also grow his legacy through innovative partnerships, new opportunities, and meaningful ways to introduce his music to fans around the world.