MANILOW'S SONGS MOVE OVER TO MERCK

Count Merck Mercuriadis among the Fanilows: Hipgnosis Songs has acquired the music royalty catalog of Barry Manilow, a collection of a whopping 917 songs.

A Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, Manilow’s hit compositions include “Even Now” and “Copacabana”; his hits include “Mandy,” “I Write the Songs,” “Looks Like We Made It,” “Weekend in New England” and “Can’t Smile Without You.” Manilow has also produced albums for Bette Midler, Dionne Warwick and others.

“In the 1970s and ‘80s he re-defined mainstream entertainment and drove it to new heights of success with truly classic songs,” Hipgnosis Songs founder Mercuriadis said. “From ‘Mandy’ to ‘I Write The Songs’, ‘Copacabana’ and ‘Looks Like We Made It,’ he is one of those rare artists that unites everyone.”

Long-time manager Garry Kief and lawyer Doug Davis at The Davis Firm repped Manilow.

“Merck has created a new type of music company and I’m looking forward to being part of the family at The Family Music and Hipgnosis Songs,” Manilow added.