Universal Music acquires Neil Diamond’s song catalogue

Universal Music Group has announced the acquisition of the entirety of Neil Diamond’s historic song catalogue.

The deal through Universal Music Publishing Group, their leading global publishing division, also takes in the rights to all recordings from his career, including 110 unreleased tracks, an unreleased album and archival long-form videos.

Neil Diamond:

“After nearly a decade in business with UMG, I am thankful for the trust and respect that we have built together and I feel confident in the knowledge that Lucian, Jody, Bruce, Michelle and the global team at UMG, will continue to represent my catalogue, and future releases with the same passion and integrity that have always fueled my career.”

This comprehensive global agreement unifies Diamond’s recorded music and publishing in its new permanent home at Universal Music Group, giving the company unparalleled ability to amplify the iconic artist and songwriter’s body of work and maximize the value of the catalogue. Diamond’s legacy of unforgettable hooks, warm baritone and unique ability to articulate human emotions have inspired audiences worldwide, selling more than 130 million albums over the past half century. As noted at his induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2011, “Neil Diamond wrote for himself, but he spoke to everybody” – an appeal that put more than 70 songs onto the Billboard charts.

The deal builds upon UMPG’s existing relationship with Diamond, as the company has served as his publishing administrator since 2014. Additionally, UMG’s agreement with Diamond cements a professional homecoming, reuniting his early Bang recordings and post-1972 recordings with those he recorded exclusively with UMG’s MCA Records between 1968 and 1972, a period in which he created and released hits such as “Sweet Caroline,” “Holly Holy,” and the chart-toppers “Cracklin’ Rosie” and “Song Sung Blue.”

Since 2013, UMG and Diamond have enjoyed a fruitful recording agreement and licensing deal for the non-MCA recordings through its Capitol Music Group division and Universal Music Enterprises (UMe), a close working relationship that produced three albums.

Under the new agreement, which includes previously unreleased tracks, UMG will also record and release Diamond’s future music, should he decide to return to the studio.

Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group:

“Neil Diamond is by definition, a truly universal songwriter. His immense songbook and recordings encompass some of the most cherished and enduring songs in music history. Through our existing partnership, we are honored to have earned his trust to become the permanent custodians of his monumental musical legacy.”

A Brooklyn native, Diamond was inspired to become a songwriter when he was still a teenager, after Pete Seeger performed at his summer camp and Diamond saw fellow campers sharing their own music with the celebrated folksinger. Some years later, Diamond ended up dropping out of New York University to pursue his creative dream full time, only to endure several very lean years as a freelance songwriter, often subsisting on hot dogs and hard candy.

Diamond finally broke through when he stopped writing for others and started exploring songs about his own experiences and feelings. His ideas and authentic voice ultimately gave rise to a global career that inspired not just millions of fans, but also some of the world’s finest performers.

Diamond’s songs have been covered by Johnny Cash singing “Solitary Man,”, UB40 performing “Red Red Wine,” Frank Sinatra singing “Sweet Caroline,” Andrea Bocelli’s re-interpretation of “September Morn” as “Sara’ Settembre,”, The Monkees’ signature “I’m A Believer” and Barbra Streisand singing “You Don’t Bring Me Flowers” – the latter, coincidentally, a classmate of Diamond’s at Brooklyn’s Erasmus Hall High School.

His music has been used to soundtrack some of the most popular film & TV series of all time, from The Simpsons, Friends, Mr. Robot and The Big Bang Theory to Donnie Brasco, Once Upon A Time In Hollywood and Urge Overkill’s scene-stealing rendition of “Girl You’ll Be A Woman Soon,” taken from Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction, and of course his own starring turn in 1980, as the lead in The Jazz Singer.

By acquiring Diamond’s entire catalog, all masters and unreleased concert video – and through ongoing collaboration with the artist himself – UMG is determined that new and growing audiences will remember this unmatched singer and his music for generations to come. Neil Diamond was represented in the transaction by Gene Salomon from Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman, Inc. and his manager Katie Diamond.

As previously announced, the world premiere of The Neil Diamond Musical: A Beautiful Noise, a new musical production from Ken Davenport and Bob Gaudio, inspired by his life will open for a strictly limited six-week engagement at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre on Tuesday, June 21, before heading to Broadway, with tickets on sale in early March.