WARNER
DAVE MUSTAINE Signs Publishing Agreement With WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC
Warner/Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, has announced that it has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with renowned MEGADETH singer, songwriter, and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Effective immediately, Warner/Chappell will administer Mustaine's songwriting from MEGADETH's recently released album "Super Collider", as well as future songwriting.
Mustaine said, "I am very excited about this new partnership with Warner/Chappell. I am glad to be reuniting with a hero of mine, Jon Platt, and industry legend Greg Sowders. I have never been happier."
"As a singer, songwriter and guitarist, Dave Mustaine has virtually defined heavy metal music for the past three decades," said Jon Platt, President, Creative - North America, Warner/Chappell Music. "Since founding MEGADETH, Dave has built a body of work that serves as the benchmark for an entire genre. Today, MEGADETH remains a vital force, and Dave continues to rank among rock's most creative and influential musicians and composers. We are thrilled to welcome him to Warner/Chappell."
In 1983, Mustaine founded MEGADETH and, in 1985, they released their first album which established the band as pioneers in the thrash metal movement. The band has since sold 50 million albums worldwide, including five consecutive platinum or multi-platinum albums in the U.S., while garnering 11 Grammy nominations. The band's 14th studio album, "Super Collider", was released this past summer and debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 album chart. It was the first MEGADETH album to be released via Mustaine's own imprint, Tradecraft. Prior to MEGADETH, Mustaine was an early member of METALLICA. Before leaving the band in 1983, he had co-written a half dozen songs that would appear on the band's first two albums.
In the video game arena, Mustaine composed the Grammy-nominated MEGADETH track "Sudden Death" for the 2010 release Guitar Hero: Warriors Of Rock. The game also featured two other Mustaine-composed MEGADETH songs: 1990's "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due" and 2009's "This Day We Fight!"
Noted rock author/journalist Joel McIver ranked Mustaine No. 1 in his 2009 book, "The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists", and 2010 saw the publication of Mustaine's New York Times bestselling autobiography, "Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir". Mustaine is also the organizer of the traveling heavy metal music festival known as Gigantour. Throughout MEGADETH's various personnel changes over the years, Mustaine has remained the band's sole constant member.
SLASH Signs Worldwide Publishing Agreement With WARNER/CHAPPELL MUSIC
Warner/Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner Music Group, today announced that it has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with guitar icon Slash. Effective immediately, Warner/Chappell will administer all of Slash's future material, alongside most of his catalog dating back to 1985, including his work with SLASH'S SNAKEPIT and VELVET REVOLVER, as well as all of his solo material.
Slash said, "Warner/Chappell is great at what they do, and I know that many of my friends and colleagues rely on them for their ability to navigate the world of publishing. I'm very happy about this partnership and look forward to exploring new avenues with them."
"For the past quarter century, Slash's signature sound has been a commanding presence across the rock landscape, and he stands among the most innovative and influential artists of our generation," said Cameron Strang, Chairman & CEO, Warner/Chappell Music. "As both a musician's musician and a great songwriter, his expansive talent is remarkable in its creativity and impact. We are thrilled to welcome Slash into the Warner/Chappell family, and we look forward to working together to find new commercial and creative opportunities for his exceptional body of work."
Born in England and raised in Los Angeles, Slash was lead guitarist for legendary hard rock band GUNS N' ROSES from 1985 through 1996. His extraordinary guitar work and songwriting prowess helped propel the band to worldwide sales of more than 100 million with such classic songs as "Welcome To The Jungle", "Sweet Child O' Mine" and "Paradise City". In 1995, the year before he departed GUNS N' ROSES, Slash released the first album by his new band,SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, entitled "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere". He then formed SLASH'S BLUES BALL before putting together a new lineup of SLASH'S SNAKEPIT, which released"Ain't Life Grand" in 2000.
In 2003, Slash co-founded VELVET REVOLVER, whose first album, "Contraband" (2004), debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart and earned three Grammy nominations, including recognition for two songs co-written by Slash: "Best Hard Rock Performance" winner "Slither", and "Fall To Pieces", which earned a nod for "Best Rock Song." The band's acclaimed second album, "Libertad", was released in 2007.
In 2010, Slash released his self-titled debut solo album, which entered the Billboard 200 at No. 3 and topped charts around the world. It featured guest performances by Ozzy Osbourne, Kid Rock, Fergie, Adam Levine, Dave Grohl, Chris Cornell, Iggy Pop, and others. 2012 saw the release of his second solo outing, "Apocalyptic Love", which debuted at No. 4 on the Billboard 200, and No. 1 on the Independent Albums chart. That same year, he was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of GUNS N' ROSES, and was also given his own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.
Acknowledged as one of the greatest guitarists of all time, Slash has performed with artists as diverse as Michael Jackson, Carole King, Lenny Kravitz, Alice Cooper, Ol' Dirty Bastard, and Rihanna. He has contributed to a number of soundtracks, including Quentin Tarantino's"Jackie Brown", Darren Aronofsky's "The Wrestler", and the Disney Channel's "Phineas And Ferb: The Movie – Across The 2nd Dimension". Most recently, he composed the score for the just-released horror film "Nothing Left To Fear", for which he also served as producer.