Photo Credit: BMG
BMG announces a new catalog recordings agreement bringing George Harrison’s solo works and his music publishing catalog to Dark Horse Records/BMG together.
In celebration of George Harrison’s 80th birthday, Dark Horse Records and BMG are releasing the late singer’s entire catalog in Dolby Atmos surround sound exclusively through Apple Music. Following a new catalog recordings agreement, BMG announces uniting the former Beatle’s solo recorded works with his music publishing catalog for the first time under one roof.
Harrison’s recorded catalog features 12 studio albums of solo work, including his debut Wonderwall Music, the soundtrack to the film Wonderwall, the 7x Platinum-certified triple album All Things Must Pass, the US number one Living in the Material World, the Platinum-certified Cloud Nine, and his final studio album, Brainwashed.
The catalog includes the live double album Live in Japan, featuring Eric Clapton, and four compilations: Let It Roll — Songs by George Harrison, Early Takes Vol 1, The Apple Years 1968-1975, and The Dark Horse Years 1976-1992.
In 2022, BMG announced it had entered into a global publishing agreement with the George Harrison Estate to administer the “Harrisongs Catalog,” comprising more than 200 songs written with the Beatles, the Traveling Wilburys, and Harrison’s solo career. This partnership expands on the relationship with Harrison’s legendary Dark Horse Records. BMG serves as its global partner and infrastructure across recorded music, music publishing, and merchandise while developing other business areas.
Harrisongs Limited, the music publishing entity Harrison created, contains nearly two dozen songs he wrote during his time with the Beatles, including the band’s most popular song on streaming services, “Here Comes the Sun,” along with “I Me Mine,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Something.” Additionally, it includes his songs from the two albums recorded with supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, featuring “End of the Line,” “Handle with Care,” “She’s My Baby,” and “Inside Out,” as well as his 12 studio albums of solo work.
“22 years since his passing, for what would have been his 80th birthday, I am overjoyed to announce that we are bringing my father’s music catalog back home to Dark Horse Records, the company he started back in 1974,” says Dhani Harrison, noting they will also be taking the opportunity to release “all the custom limited vinyl that we can get away with.”
“We look forward to releasing only the finest of packages and hope the fans join us on the deepest of dives into our archives as we continue to grow his legacy through our partnership with BMG, starting with the release of his entire back catalog in Spatial Audio, for the first time, on Apple Music.”
“This is a banner day for BMG, bringing together for the first time the song and recorded rights of one of the greatest musicians in popular music history under one roof,” adds BMG CEO Hartwig Masuch. “Only BMG can do this. We look forward to working with the George Harrison Estate and Dark Horse Records to promote George’s peerless music to generations old and new.”
Dark Horse and BMG’s partnership has expanded to include DH Merchandise, a one-stop-shop offering creative design through fulfillment, including the launch of new merchandise stores for George Harrison, Joe Strumer, and Johnny Ramone, with additional partnerships with Traveling Wilburys, Elizabeth Taylor, Leon Russell, and Buddy Holly.