TERMS OF THE DEAL WILL SEE THE PUBLISHER ACQUIRE A STAKE IN THE SINGER, SONGWRITER AND PIANIST’S MUSIC PUBLISHING
AND MASTER RECORDING RIGHTS
SONGS INCLUDE SOME OF THE FIRST TEEN POP SENSATION’S BIGGEST HITS SUCH AS “BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DO”, “LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN”,
“LOVE WILL KEEP US TOGETHER”, “CALENDAR GIRL” “OH! CAROL,”
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEET SIXTEEN” AND MORE
Photo credit: Barry Grossman Photography
“Sedaka’s is still the voice of a young man, pitch perfect and secure,
the tessitura and timbre as distinctive as ever.”
– The Arts Desk
New York, NY (April 17, 2024) – Primary Wave Music, the leading independent publisher of iconic and legendary music in the world, announces today its partnership with singer, songwriter, pianist, AND the world’s first teen pop sensation – Neil Sedaka. The Brooklyn born icon’s career began in 1957 and he has since toured the globe, sold millions of records worldwide, and has written or co-written over 500 songs for both his personal collection as well as other artists, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, Connie Francis, Tom Jones, Abba, The Monkees and The Captain & Tennille who had Top 10 Singles with three Sedaka-penned hits including the Grammy winning Record of the Year, “Love Will Keep Us Together”.
Over the course of his incomparable career, Sedaka has been nominated for five Grammy Awards, performed countless sold-out shows, been inducted into the Songwriter’s Hall of Fame, and received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The accolades do not stop there for Sedaka – in addition to several lifetime achievement awards, he has been honored at Avery Fisher Hall in New York, has appeared on several television shows, including being one of the first musical guests on “Saturday Night Live,” and even has a street named after him in his hometown of Brighton Beach.
This exciting new deal will see Primary Wave partner with Sedaka on his music publishing for all compositions written by him, as well as Sedaka’s master recording rights for all recordings performed by the critically acclaimed legend. Terms of the partnership may also see Primary Wave participating in branding rights over Sedaka’s name and likeness. Included in the deal are some of his biggest songs, like the #1 international hit “Oh! Carol,” his Top Five classic “Calendar Girl,” the Top Ten “Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen,” and the evergreen standards “Solitaire” and “The Hungry Years” amongst others. Also included is Sedaka’s signature hit, “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do,” which soared to number one on Billboard’s Hot 100 and, along with its 1975 remake, was only the second time in history that an artist made the Billboard Top Ten with two different versions of the same song. All Music has described Breaking Up is Hard To Do as “two minutes and sixteen seconds of pure pop magic.”
Terms of the deal will also give Sedaka access to Primary Wave’s marketing team and publishing infrastructure, which includes digital strategy, licensing, synch opportunities, and film & TV production.
Says Sedaka, “I am thrilled to be entering into this partnership with Primary Wave – an organization that I have long-admired for their unwavering commitment and dedication to the artists they represent. After almost 70 years in the music business, I’ve gotten pretty good at separating the big talkers from the real deals, and Larry and his team at Primary Wave are about as real deal as it gets. I look forward to a long and prosperous relationship that will allow me to work side by side with this amazing organization and finally give my extensive collection of songs the attention and exposure it deserves.”
Madeline Boyd, Primary Wave’s Finance & Investments Manager added, “We are thrilled to welcome Neil Sedaka into the Primary Wave family. As both a singer and songwriter, Neil has created an iconic catalog that has transcended decades and genres. We look forward to continue creating new opportunities for his timeless songs together.”
Singer. Songwriter. Composer. Pianist. Author. These are just a few of the titles that can describe Sedaka. Classically trained at Juilliard, his impressive eight-decade career ranges from being one of the first teen pop sensations of the 50s, a tunesmith for himself and other artists in the 60s, a superstar in the 70s, and remaining a constant force in writing and performing presently. This is all thanks to the countless songs he has written, performed, and produced that continue to inspire artists and audiences around the world. Introduced to Howard Greenfield by Greenfield’s mother in 1952, he began one of the most prolific songwriting partnerships of the last half-century that sold forty million records between 1959-1963. Sedaka soon recorded chart toppers “The Diary,” “Oh! Carol,” ” Stairway to Heaven,” “Calendar Girl,” “Little Devil,” “Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen,” “Next Door To An Angel,” and “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do”.
In 1964, the direction of American music changed drastically when The Beatles launched “The British Invasion.” Due to his many talents as a songwriter, Sedaka was able to prevail, writing hit songs for such artists as Frank Sinatra, Tom Jones, The Monkees and The Fifth Dimension.
Sedaka found enormous popularity in the UK with the release of a string of critically praised albums “Emergence”, “Solitaire” and “The Tra-La Days Are Over.” These albums caught the attention of Elton John, who was riding the wave of his own tremendous success. Sir Elton would sign Sedaka to his fledging new label Rocket Records and re-introduce Sedaka to American audiences. The two albums recorded for Rocket, “Sedaka’s Back” in 1974 and “The Hungry Years” in 1975, became top selling albums globally. His comeback was further heralded by two of his songs co-written with Phil Cody; “Bad Blood” and the quintessential “Laughter in the Rain,” both reaching the #1 position on the music charts. “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do” was re-released as a ballad in 1975 making it only the second time in history that an artist made the Billboard Top Ten with two different versions of the same song. During this time, Captain and Tennille scored a worldwide #1 hit and the Grammy for Record of the Year with Sedaka/Greenfield’s “Love Will Keep Us Together.” The line “Sedaka Is Back” can be heard as the song fades out.
Always looking to challenge himself as a composer, Sedaka has returned to his classical roots, composing his first symphony, “Joie De Vivre,” and his first piano concerto, “Manhattan Intermezzo.” Sedaka recorded these two pieces with the Philharmonia Orchestra of London at Air Studios in London. “Manhattan Intermezzo” was released on 2013’s “The Real Neil.” “Joie De Vivre” was released on 2016’s “I Do It For Applause.”
With a career spanning seven decades, the National Academy of Popular Music has twice honored him, first with his induction into The Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1984 and in 2004 with The Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes outstanding work in furthering the successes of songwriters. He has had a street named after him in his hometown of Brooklyn and was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Sedaka took to social media, performing daily mini- concerts of his entire body of work for his loyal devoted fan base, while introducing his timeless songs to a new audience. This will no doubt add to his legend – that of a consummate musician, an extraordinary vocalist, and an ageless songwriting talent.