The Beach Boys have struck an agreement with entertainment executive Irving Azoff’s new Los Angeles-based venture, Iconic Artists Group, to promote and market their songs and image online, it was announced Thursday.
As part of the deal, Iconic has purchased a controlling interest in the Beach Boys’ intellectual property, including their recordings, brand, select compositions and memorabilia.
The members of the iconic Southern California group and their heirs will retain an interest and will participate in Iconic’s plans, the company said.
Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and the Carl Wilson estate said in a joint statement that “the Beach Boys and our songs have been one of the great joys of our lives. For more than half a century, we’ve witnessed generations of fans from all corners of the world come together to celebrate our music, dancing and singing along to the songs that we have loved and performed for decades.”
The group said that as the Beach Boys’ 60th anniversary approaches, “we wanted a partner to help expand opportunities for our brand, while continuing to preserve our tradition as a band whose music transcends the test of time. We are confident that Irving and Iconic are the ideal partners and are confident that the Beach Boys’ ongoing legacy is in the best possible hands. We are very proud of what we have achieved as the Beach Boys and how our songs continue to resonate with our fans.”
Iconic’s mission is to acquire and actively manage a portfolio of select artists’ assets and preserve their legacy, working in partnership with the artists, their managers, record labels and publishers, and heirs.
“The Beach Boys are an American treasure,” said Azoff, chairman and CEO of The Azoff Co.. “I am honored that the Beach Boys have entrusted Iconic to preserve and grow their legacy. And I’m thrilled that the Beach Boys want to stay invested in the growth of the incredible cultural brand they created.”
Founded in Hawthorne in 1961, the Beach Boys were originally comprised of the three teenage Wilson brothers: Brian, Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and school friend Al Jardine. The Beach Boys signed with Capitol Records in July 1962 and released their first album, “Surfin’ Safari,” that same year.
Among the most critically acclaimed and commercially successful bands of all time, with over 100 million records sold worldwide, the group has had over 80 songs chart worldwide, 36 of them in the Top 40, and four topping the Billboard Hot 100.
Their influence on other artists spans musical genres and movements. Countless artists have cited “Pet Sounds” as their inspiration for creating their own work. Rolling Stone ranked “Pet Sounds” No. 2 on its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time,” and the Beach Boys No. 12 on its list of the “100 Greatest Artists of All Time.”
The Beach Boys were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988 and are recipients of the Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Grammy Award.
“Ever since hearing the opening guitar notes of `Wouldn’t It Be Nice’ as a teenager, the Beach Boys have been one of the permanent soundtracks of my musical life,” said Olivier Chastan, founder and CEO of Iconic Artists Group. “To be entrusted as the custodian of this incredible art and legacy is both humbling and thrilling. I want to thank Brian, Mike, Al and the Carl Wilson family for their belief in Iconic’s unique mission.”