Reservoir has announced the acquisition of the catalogues of soul legends Willie Mitchell, Leon Ware, Norman Harris, plus The Commodores’ Walter Orange and Thomas McClary. Collectively, the five deals bring over 1,000 songs to Reservoir’s diverse and expanding catalogue.
Speaking about the acquisition, Faith Newman, Reservoir SVP of A&R and catalogue development, said: “The opportunity to build upon the legacies of genre defining music is rare and thrilling. When I connected with Willie Mitchell’s son, Boo, and Norman Harris’ son, Dorian, as well as with representatives for Leon, Thomas, and Walter, I let them know that it is important to Reservoir to ensure that historic catalogues continue to inspire new generations. As a Philadelphia native, soul music runs through my veins and I am very passionate about seeking out the gems in this often-underappreciated genre of music.”
Newman added: “Our licensing teams in Los Angeles, New York, and London will pursue new opportunities for syncs, samples, and lyric reproductions, so that these works will continue to live on for years to come. Reservoir has already licensed The Commodores’ Night Shift in a major ad campaign for African telecommunications company MTN and watching new audiences discover this music is amazing.”
