Raleigh Music Publishing and ICM Crescendo acquire Tim Hardin catalog

Raleigh Music Publishing and ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund have bought the U.S. and certain foreign publishing rights to nearly all of Tim Hardin’s song catalog. The deal brings staples like “If I Were a Carpenter” and “Reason to Believe” into the partners’ first acquisition under their new music-rights joint venture.

Why it matters: - The acquisition adds one of the most admired catalogs from the 1960s folk era to the Raleigh/ICM portfolio. - The deal gives the joint venture a catalog with enduring streaming, licensing and cover-song value. - The songs have already proven cross-generational appeal through decades of recordings, film, television and advertising use.

What happened: - Raleigh Music Publishing and ICM Crescendo Music Royalty Fund announced that their joint venture acquired the U.S. and certain foreign music publishing rights to almost the entire Tim Hardin song catalog. - The transaction includes copyrights in the United States and four major British Reversionary Territories. - The deal also includes U.S., British Reversionary Territories and certain worldwide administration rights in perpetuity. - The acquisition is the first completed under the Raleigh and ICM Crescendo joint venture formed earlier this year to buy classic music publishing catalogs. - Raleigh will administer the catalog and lead royalty collection, synchronization licensing and promotion.

The details: - Tim Hardin was born in Eugene, Oregon, in 1941 and emerged from the Greenwich Village folk scene in the early 1960s. - Hardin became known for songs that blended folk, blues and jazz. - Bob Dylan reportedly called Hardin “the greatest living songwriter.” - “If I Were a Carpenter” became a Top 10 hit for Bobby Darin in 1966. - The same song was later recorded by Johnny Cash and June Carter, the Four Tops and Robert Plant. - “If I Were a Carpenter” is featured in Just in Time, the Broadway musical about Bobby Darin now playing in New York. - “Reason to Believe” was recorded by Rod Stewart, the Carpenters and Neil Young, among others. - Other Hardin songs including “Misty Roses,” “Lady Came from Baltimore,” “Hang On to a Dream” and “Black Sheep Boy” have drawn generations of interpreters. - Artists who have recorded Hardin songs include Johnny Mathis, Dolly Parton, Joan Baez, Scott Walker, The Fifth Dimension, Glen Campbell, Astrud Gilberto, Karen Dalton, Nico, Bob Seger and Three Dog Night. - Hardin performed at Woodstock in 1969. - Hardin died in 1980, but his songs remain in steady use across recordings, film, television and advertising.

Between the lines: - The joint venture is signaling that it wants catalogs with both cultural cachet and proven commercial longevity. - The quotes frame the deal as a fast first move for a new partnership that aims to keep buying iconic songbooks. - The catalog’s long list of covers suggests the songs already function as durable intellectual property, not just legacy assets.

What’s next: - Raleigh will focus on administering the catalog and expanding synchronization and promotional opportunities. - The partners indicated that the Tim Hardin deal is a template for future acquisitions under the joint venture. - The catalog could see renewed attention as songs tied to Hardin continue to surface in stage, screen and advertising placements.

The bottom line: - Raleigh and ICM Crescendo have used their first joint-venture purchase to buy a catalog with deep cultural pedigree and a long commercial tail.