New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Renowned songwriter, guitarist and producer Bernard Butler has signed a worldwide deal covering catalogue and future songwriting with Warner/Chappell Music, the music publishing arm of Warner
Music Group.
While continuing to write with and produce some of the best UK talent, Butler has also become a resident Songwriting Tutor at BIMM London, where he supports students through their BA in Songwriting.
Bernard Butler says: "We met and talked - for a very long time - about music, art, and creative ideas. From those meetings, it was clear that whilst Mike and Rob could acknowledge the strength of my catalogue, we shared a vision for the future. They can see that I have always been driven by new possibilities. That is what excites me most about our relationship."
Rob Owen, VP, Creative, Catalogue and Marketing, Warner/Chappell
Music UK adds: "I've always thought that Bernard is an exceptional talent across so many disciplines: as a musician, a songwriter, a producer and, of course, as an artist in his own right. There's so much for us to be working on across his back catalogue, but we're also looking forward to supporting his continuing writing career."
Mike Smith, Managing Director, Warner/Chappell UK, says: "I'm so delighted that Bernard is going to be working with us. He's written songs that have been part of the soundtrack of my life, and he's as innovative and exciting today as he's ever been."
Butler shot to fame in the early 1990s as part of the trailblazing band Suede, whose eponymous debut album, co-written by Butler, topped the UK charts and won the Mercury
Music Prize. It was the fastest selling debut album in almost ten years. Butler also co-wrote every song on Suede's follow up album which was met with critical and commercial success, charting at Number Three and being certified gold within a month of its release. Both
Suede and Dog Man Star are often included in 'Greatest Albums of all Time' lists and Butler has regularly been hailed as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation.
Following his departure from Suede, Butler collaborated with singer
David McAlmont, releasing two Top 10 albums, The Sound of McAlmont and Butler and Bring It Back, in 1995 and 2002. Their era defining single 'Yes' was a Top 10 UK hit in 1995 and sold more than 140,000 copies.
In 1998, Butler released his debut solo album, People Move On, on which he wrote, produced and played almost every instrument on the record, which went on to earn him a BRIT Award nomination for Best Male, before reuniting with
Suede lead singer and ex-writing partner
Brett Anderson to form The Tears. Their album, Here Come The Tears, charted at number 15 and spawned the Top 10 hit 'Refugees'.
At the same time, Butler embarked on a huge roll call of productions beginning with the seminal Rough Trade EPs by The
Libertines What A Waster and Don't Look Back Into The Sun, co-writing and producing Tricky's comeback Knowle West Boy and co-writes or productions for Edwyn Collins,
Sophie Ellis Bextor, Aimee Mann, Texas,
James Morrison,
Mull Historical Society and Paloma Faith.
He worked extensively on Duffy's journey to stardom in 2008, co-writing and producing the title track to her eight million selling debut Rockferry, which remains separately published by BMG. Butler went on to co-write much of her debut and film compositions culminating in winning 2009's Best Producer Award at The Brits and Best Producer by the MMF.
Recent collaborations include extensive touring with Ben Watt's solo project, Mark Eitzel's critically honoured Hey Mr Ferryman, and the recent completion of innovative modern folk artist Sam Lee's forthcoming 2019 album.
Butler spent many years playing with the legendary late Bert Jansch and proudly stands as Patron to the Bert Jansch Foundation. He has shared the stage or studio as guitarist with Robert Plant, Paul Weller, Neneh Cherry, Roy Orbison, Sparks, Edwyn Collins and Nerina Pallot.
