Galt MacDermot (Photo Courtesy: Storyboard PR)
LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – Global independent music publisher Third Side Music (TSM) is delighted to announce the conclusion of a new exclusive publishing deal with MacDermot Music LLC. to administer Grammy, Ivor Novello, and Tony Award-winning composer Galt McDermott’s iconic compositions from the musical Hair: The American Tribal Love-Rock Musical (HAIR) in the United States.
The deal marks an expansion of TSM’s incredibly successful, decade-long creative partnership with MacDermot’s estate and family. Since 2013, the publisher has represented the legendary Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee’s non-HAIR catalog, generating over 100 sync and sample placements and consistently growing catalog revenue by an average of 25% annually. Although best known for his work on HAIR, the versatile Canadian-American composer’s celebrated works include songs like “Coffee Cold” and “Cathedral,” music from the Broadway musical Two Gentlemen of Verona, the soundtrack to the film Rhinoceros, and much more.
When it comes to groundbreaking moments in musical theater, few productions have had the same impact as the revolutionary HAIR and MacDermot’s pioneering work that defined the genre of rock musicals. Ever since HAIR’s 1967 debut, MacDermot’s music and collaboration with lyricists Gerome Ragni and James Rado became a phenomenon that broke boundaries and captured the zeitgeist of its era. The original Broadway show historically ran for 1,750 performances, and simultaneous productions sprouted up across the U.S. and Europe, including a London run that lasted 1,997 performances.
The music of HAIR transcended the stage to become a cultural touchstone as the original Broadway cast recording sold over 3 million copies. HAIR songs have been covered by a wide array of artists spanning genres, including Nina Simone, Run-D.M.C., Barbara Streisand, Oliver, and The Fifth Dimension, which had a No.1 hit for 6 weeks and won two Grammys in 1970 with their cover of “Aquarius/Let the Sunshine In (The Flesh Failures).” The song is also listed at No. 81 on Billboard’s “Greatest Songs of All Time.” The musical’s massive popularity led to a feature film adaptation released in 1979. HAIR has been revived multiple times, each production bringing its twist to the original. It includes a critically acclaimed 2009 Broadway revival that won a Tony and Drama Desk awards for Best Revival of a Musical.
In making the announcement, Patrick Curley, President and CEO of TSM, said: “The entire team at Third Side Music is incredibly honored to have the opportunity to represent the U.S. rights of Galt MacDermot’s share of HAIR Musical compositions. This is an extension of our decade-long relationship with the MacDermot family. We look forward to collaborating with the MacDermots in shining a new light on these iconic world-legacy songs, including ‘Let the Sunshine In’ and ‘Aquarius’.”
The MacDermot family added: “TSM and MacDermot Music LLC have collaborated successfully for over a decade on the wider catalog of composer Galt MacDermot. The MacDermot family is happy to announce that TSM will also represent the domestic HAIR catalog, the music for which composer Galt MacDermot is best known. We look forward to this new chapter of collaboration with TSM!”
MacDermot’s timeless songs have been introduced to new generations through TSM’s placements in promos for the HBO comedy-documentary Jerrod Carmichael, in popular TV series such as “Stranger Things” and “Better Call Saul,” and in campaigns for major brands including Lexus and Michelob ULTRA Pure Gold, to name a few. TSM has also helped secure samples in songs by cutting-edge artists, including SOFI TUKKER’s “Guardian Angel (Stand By You)” and Ari Lennox’s “BMO.”
