RESERVOIR ACQUIRES CATALOG OF ROCK ARTIST AND SONGWRITER GREG KIHN
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Reservoir Media, Inc. (NASDAQ: RSVR), an award-winning independent music company, today announced the acquisition of rights to the catalog of rock artist and songwriter Greg Kihn. The deal includes publishing, recording, and distribution rights to Kihn’s Beserkley Records era catalog, and features some of his most famous songs, such as “Jeopardy” and “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em).”
Kihn has had an extensive career as a solo artist, as well as the lead for the Greg Kihn Band. Throughout the late 1970s and into the 1980s, he had 13 songs chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Kihn’s hit “The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em)” went to #15 on the Hot 100 in 1981 and remains a classic rock juggernaut today. “The Breakup Song” was also regularly synched across all mediums, with notable featured placements including HBO’s The Sopranos, Miramax’s Beautiful Girls, and Rockstar Games’ Grand Theft Auto V, among others. Kihn’s other massive hit “Jeopardy” reached #2 on the Hot 100 and #1 on the U.S. Dance Charts upon release in 1983. The track famously inspired Weird Al Yankovic’s parody track “I Lost on Jeopardy” a year later, and both the video for Kihn’s original track and Yankovic’s parody were staples in the early days of MTV in the 1980s.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Kihn began his musical career there before moving to San Francisco, California, where he pursued a stronger rock sound in his music. He released his debut album Greg Kihn in 1976, followed shortly by Greg Kihn Again in 1977. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Kihn released about an album per year, building a massive fan base through steady releases paired with consistent touring. To date, he has released a total of 23 albums, including live albums, with the most recent being 2017’s ReKihndled.
On signing the deal with Reservoir, Kihn commented, “I’m very excited to be partnering with Reservoir on this acquisition. David [Hoffman] and the team are ‘Kihndrid’ spirits and passionate supporters of me and my catalog, and I know they will take the greatest care of my musical legacy.”
Reservoir Vice President of A&R and Marketing David Hoffman said, “Greg’s music is cemented in rock and roll history. ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘The Breakup Song’ remain staples on classic rock and ‘80s radio.” He added, “I’ve been a fan of Greg’s since seeing the video for ‘Jeopardy’ on MTV as a kid, and it means a lot to me and Reservoir to expand our relationship with Greg and continue supporting his tremendous legacy for a long time to come.”