ole’s New Production Music Division, clear, Acquires the Brand, Sub-Pub Assets of Canada’s Largest Production Music House, The Music People

clear (oleclear.com), the new production music division of ole, has acquired the rights to the brand and the sub-publishing book of business of The Music People Ltd., Canada’s largest production music company. The Music People acquisition brings the rights to over 150,000 music tracks, from nearly 70 different music libraries, to clear. clear will launch this month as the largest player in this sector in Canada.

ole Tops US Country Charts For 2nd Time in 3 Months With Dodson’s ‘Let Me Down Easy’ (Billy Currington)

ole tops the chart for the second time in three months, this time with the Billy Currington single, “Let Me Down Easy.” A co-write of ole writer Marty Dodson with Jennifer Hanson and Mark Nester, it reached the top of the Billboard Country Songs and Mediabase charts this week following a 26-week run-up. The company finished December with a number one for Rascal Flatts’ “Why Wait,” for which they presented the band, writers and label personnel with iPads featuring “number one” congrats.

ole + BMG Euro hitsource Songcamp Generates 43 Songs, On-Going International Writer Collaborations

The ole + BMG Euro hitsource songcamp, held at the RoastingHouse Studios in Malmo, Sweden from Feb. 28-March 4, brought together 28 world-class songwriters, including 6 from ole, who created 43 songs that covered the rock, pop, dance and country genres during the intensive five-day collaborative writing sessions. The focus was on material for a number of recording projects including Pixie Lott, The Wanted, Carrie Underwood, Adam Lambert, Kris Allen, Jordin Sparks and Daughtry.

ole Writer Tebey In the Studio With U.K. Rising Star Pixie Lott

The ole songcamps have had a positive impact on the careers of a number of songwriters but none more perhaps than on ole writer Tebey. He parlayed a trip to L.A. for the ole pop + urban songcamp into a cut with U.K. rising star Pixie Lott and some quality studio time for himself and producer Brian Kidd for some ongoing creative collaboration with the young singer.

Eli Young Band Goes Number One at iTunes with Liz Rose Co-Write, ‘Crazy Girl’

“Crazy Girl, the current single from the Eli Young Band, a co-write between ole-affiliated writer Liz Rose and Lee Brice, recently hit number one on the iTunes country chart and is currently heading towards the Top 40 of the Billboard Country Songs chart. It is the band’s biggest record to date. The group, which hails from Denton, Texas, is on tour through April, May and Early June through Louisiana, Kansas, Montana, Oklahoma and into Texas. A video of the song “Crazy Girl,” was recently released.

ole Hits the Road By Bus To Build Creative Events, Mentor Songwriters and Generate Hit Songs

ole, well-known in the music industry for building community-based, international creative events, mentoring their songwriters and generating hit songs, is taking that show on the road with a bus built for collaboration, creation and networking. This mobile studio will go out on the road with a complete recording facility and follow some of the top stars with whom ole will book songwriting sessions along the way to minimize downtime between gigs and turn that time into a creative opportunity for the artists.

ole Artist Charlie Worsham Set For Taylor Swift Concert Dates in the Fall

ole songwriter Charlie Worsham, who is currently working on his first album , shooting videos for three of his songs and fielding an offer to appear on a TV series to perform two of his songs, has just been announced as one of the opening acts for a number of Taylor Swift concert dates this fall.

ole’s Marty Dodson Celebrates Third Number One Hit With the Billy Currington Single, ‘Let Me Down Easy’

ole writer Marty Dodson racked up his third number one hit last week as the Billy Currington single “Let Me Down Easy,” a co-write with Jennifer Hanson and Mark Nestor, topped the Billboard Country Songs chart. This comes at a time when country radio in the U.S. is playing the track “Songs Like This,” a Dodson co-write with Jerry Flowers and Tom Shapiro, from Carrie Underwood’s multi-million selling album, Play On. Late last year, “Songs Like This” was one of two ole-affiliated songs that provided the opening numbers for the ABC-televised 44th annual CMA Awards. At last look, it was charting at Billboard just outside of the Top 40.

Toronto-based Singer/Songwriter Lindi Ortega Signs With Last Gang/ole

The big news at Last Gang/ole this month is the signing of Toronto-based singer/songwriter Lindi Ortega, who originally built a local reputation at clubs in the city like the legendary Horseshoe Tavern, El Mocambo and Lee’s Palace, to name a few. Further afield, she has already opened for a pretty impressive list of established artists including Kinks co-founder Ray Davies; Twickenham indie folk band Noah and the Whale; East Sussex alternative rockers Keane and Academy Award-winning actor/singer Kevin Costner and His Modern West. Most recently she has been a backup vocalist for Brandon Flowers of The Killers, in support of his Flamingo Road tour.

Roots Three/ole Writer Dean Brody Adopts Global Outlook

Roots Three/ole artist Dean Brody, who recently had the number one Top entry on the Billboard, BDS and Mediabase country charts with his latest single “People Know You By Your First Name,” arrived back from separate trips to Brazil and Australia recently to appear at the MuchMusic Fanfare event in Toronto as part of the celebrations surrounding the 40th anniversary of the Juno Awards at which his album Trail In Life was a nominee as Country Album of the Year. He was in Australia, where his single “Roll That Barrel Out,” was number 15 on the CMC Australia Top 50 Coundown the week of March 21, for some live dates and promotion.

Quanteisha Juno Win, St. Vincent Songcamp Highlight Busy Month For tanjola/ole

Congratulations to 18-year-old Edmonton, Alberta-based Quanteisha [Benjamin] who took the honours in the category of R&B/Soul Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards for her single, “Stars,” written by tanjola/ole writers Rupert Gayle and Justin Forsely. It’s a category that tanjola/ole pretty much had surrounded this year as Keisha Chanté’s single “Test Drive” was also nominated in the same category. Chanté was also nominated in the category of Best Dance Recording for her song “Table Dancer,” co-written and produced by Alex Greggs. The late tanjola/ole artist Haydain Neale of jacksoul had his single “Lonesome Highway” pay him the posthumous honour of a third Juno Award in the R&B/Soul Recording category last year. He also picked up the awards in 2001 and 2007.

ole adminow Team Grows Through Period of Reorganization

“transparent technology, powered by people” is the promise and to keep it, the ole adminow team is growing. Michelle Aguiar, who has over 10 years of administrative music industry experience, including the support of major ole TV/film clients, has returned to ole after a parental leave. Additionally, Ryan Thomas, who is studying to be a CGA and has several years experience as a financial analyst has joined the ole team. Michelle and Ryan have joined Michael Greaves to support TV/film clients and to work on new initiatives to maximize cash collection, including emerging digital media streams. 

ole’s Popular Hitsville Event Makes U.S. Debut As Part of NSAI’s Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival

ole’s Hitsville event made its U.S. debut at NSAI’s Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival in early April to a packed house of over 300 people and with the signing of two songs from writers who had made the journey to Nashville to pursue a dream. Hitsville is a baseball-themed competition towards a single-song contract with ole. 41-year-old Lee Johnson from Gunbarrel, Colorado, whose family is struggling financially and whose mother is battling cancer, had his song “Tough Times Don’t Last, Tough People Do” become one of two songs to land a contract with ole. The other was “Instead of Roses,” a loving tribute to her husband from 49-year-old Mary Haller of Acton, Massachussets.

ole and NSAI Host Tin Pan South Press Release Party at the Rutledge in Nashville

ole and the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) hosted a special Tin Path South festival preview for media on March 8 at the Rutledge Live Music Venue in Nashville.

ole Celebrates Rascal Flatts’ Number One Single, ‘Why Wait’

Rascal Flatts’ number one single “Why Wait,” a co-write of ole-affiliated writer Jimmy Yeary, was feted in a very contemporary and high-tech way at a party that saw ole present the band, writers and label personnel with iPads featuring “Number One” congratulations.

ole Administering Chrysalis in Canada As Part of Existing Deal With BMG-Chrysalis

As BMG Right Management acquired Chrysalis, one of the world’s largest independent music publishers, late last year, ole took on the administering of the company’s 10,000-strong song catalog in Canada under its existing deal with BMG-RM. The Chrysalis catalog includes interest in songs from artists like David Bowie and Michael Jackson as well as Cee Lo Green, Sheryl Crow and Blondie.

Lost Girl Finds Three Hot Songs in ole Catalog

ole has three new syncs in the sexy, small-screen series Lost Girl including “Gambling With God” (Alexandra Flores/Valerie Flores – Last Gang Publishing/ole) by Magneta Lane; “Black Velvet” (David Tyson/Christopher Ward - ole) by Alannah Myles; and “My Front Door” (Rebecca Everett/Ben Pinkerton – ole) by Rebecca Everett.

ole/Strengholt Writer Thé Lau Scores With ‘Sex of Fantasy’

The composition “Sex of Fantasy” by noted Dutch singer/songwriter/guitarist Thé Lau (ole/Strengholt Music Group), has been placed with the hit U.S. TV series, NCIS. Thé Lau is well-known in Dutch music circles having been the founding member of the Amsterdam pop group The Scene in 1979. The group enjoyed its greatest success in the ‘90s. Lau has pursued a solo career as a singer, composer and author since the late 90s, though there have been various reunions of the group over the years.

Steve Smith, Manager, Sales for clear (oleclear.com), the new production music division of ole

Steve Smith, Manager, Sales for clear (oleclear.com), the new production music division of ole, comes to the company as a result of the recent acquisition of The Music People Ltd., Canada’s largest production music company, where he worked as a Music Consultant and Manager of Sales. Smith, a highly-skilled and knowledgeable music consultant, brings more than 20 years of experience in the production music industry to his position at clear where he will be responsible for building sales and offering clear customers quality service and advice regarding the music content of clear’s many catalogs.

Each month we feature the top ten songs in the ole catalogue as selected by one of the staff in our creative group. Here are the Top 10 picks from Whitney Taylor.

ole President Michael McCarty Featured Panellist at AIMP ‘View From the Top’ Event – Consent Decree a Hot Topic

ole President Michael McCarty was one of the featured panellists at the Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP) special luncheon and panel discussion titled A View From the Top in February where one of the hot topics was the negative impact of the Consent Decree and the need to either get that foot off the throat of the U.S. PROs or somehow get around its impact.

ADDRESS CHANGE NOTICE FOR ole TORONTO HEAD OFFICE

Please be advised that effective Monday, May 16, 2011 the address for ole’s head office in Toronto will be changed to: 266 King Street West, Suite 500, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1H8, Canada.

Congratulations to Elizabeth Spear

Congratulations to Elizabeth Spear and husband Sean Goble on the birth of their daughter Briony Kathryn Goble, who was born March 13, 2011 at 9:51 pm. Said Sean Goble “Everybody is doing GREAT!” Elizabeth, who is on a years’ maternity leave, is the Senior Creative Manager at ole. Sean is an Account Executive at SOCAN with a focus on film and TV clients. The proud parents and Baby Briony are wished much love from their ole family!